Author's Note: I am so sorry that this took so long. I hope everyone is loving Andromeda! I ship Scott and Cora and Sara and Reyes something fierce and will be writing for them. That said, I will be finishing The Reason before I write anything more than a drabble for them. The Reason is still my priority and with just about ten chapters left, you can be sure I'll get it done. Thank you for sticking with me so long. There is a bit of a ... *twist* ... in this chapter, and I'm curious as to what you will think of it. Please let me know. Either here or on tumblr (I'm tlcinbflo there, too.).
To those who have added this to their favorite or follow lists since the last update, THANK YOU, and an extra thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter: Jules Hawk, Kirabaros, HyliasChosen, KirikaClyne, Impslave, Vorcha Girl, Kynlei, ShadowCrystal26, HeroInTraining, and Kirsah. Your continued support is the main reason I'm still here so ... thank you will never be enough.
One last shout out to Vorcha Girl whose help on this chapter made it what it is. You're brilliant and I'm lucky to know you and call you my best friend.
Sorry for all the babble... enjoy! - TLC
Chapter Eighty-Nine
The press of bodies on the Citadel sent his heart racing. The cacophony of voices rang in his ears. His palms were slick and he fisted his hands as he searched for her. The Sunset Strip was usually crowded, especially near the casino, but this was out of control. He wanted nothing more than to find Sloan and get her back to Anderson's apartment. His stomach churned uncomfortably as he tried to push through the faceless strangers on the station.
He caught the scent of plum blossoms on the air and turned towards the source just in time to see the flash of her smile before she disappeared into the crowd. Anger bubbled in his chest. Why had she insisted they come here, anyway? They'd been happily tucked away in their own little corner of the Citadel until she insisted they go for a walk. Now, he couldn't find her.
He caught a glimpse of her and turned to follow. In his need to be closer to her, to have a hold on her, he was more forceful than necessary as he pushed the bystanders away. Finally, he was behind her, his hand wrapped around her arm and she turned towards him, grinning.
The world fell away when she locked her eyes on his. He couldn't stop the smile from spreading over his face as her fingertips danced up his shoulders. His hands found their home at the base of her spine, pulling her into him. It was just the two of them, together in the silence. He pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. Plum blossoms. She pressed her lips to his and he immediately deepened the kiss, pulling her impossibly closer to him. Her body wound around his as she invaded all of him. Her legs around his waist and her hands in his hair. He could feel the heat of her core radiating against him.
He tipped her back. They landed in their bed, back in the apartment. Pressed skin to skin she was slick and ready for him. He slipped inside, his hips finding a familiar rhythm. He couldn't stop moving. His mouth pressed to her neck and collarbone, lapping and sucking gently. She was chanting his name with broken breaths.
A sour, pungent scent filled his nose and he pulled away from her. His stomach churned as he started at cold, electronic blue eyes. Dark wiring shone through pale, sloughing skin. Her face split at the corners of her mouth – an eerie broken smile that would never stop. He pushed away from her, his naked rear hitting the floor with a smack.
His eyes opened and before he could register the fact that he was still in bed, that Sloan was sleeping soundly next to him, that it had been a nightmare, there was just pain. A long, low, agonized groan erupted from him as he rolled away from her, curling in on himself. His hands clawing at his head as his body trembled. Nausea rolled through him. He was grateful there was no light in the room, as the ceaseless pounding in his head rendered him useless.
He groaned again, a sound akin to a dying beast, and sweat broke out on his skin. He felt a warm hand on his shoulder. Her touch seared into his flesh and he was sure there would be a burn mark. "Kaidan?" she spoke his name in a whisper. He hissed at her. She snatched her hand back and he whimpered as the loss of her weight in bed shifted him. Movement made everything worse. Nerve endings fired and his entire body felt like it was alive with pain and electricity. He prayed it would stop. He prayed everything would stop. Death would be better than another second with this pain.
A light turned on; it was just the orange glow of her omni'tool but to Kaidan it was as if she had invited the sun into the apartment. He let out a string of curses as he covered his eyes with one hand. The tips of his fingers pressing into his eyes, as if that would somehow ease some of the tension. She dropped a bag, his carry on – he knew, where he stored his meds. The clash of the bag on the floorboards might as well have been a parade marching through their bedroom with a full band – drums, horns, and all. He growled.
"Kaidan," her voice was soft, almost nervous, and his face twisted in pain at her words. "I have some of Chakwas' medicine here," she offered gently. "I just need to know for sure it's a migrai— "
"Of course, it's a goddamn migraine, Sloan," he barked at her without opening his eyes. When she didn't immediately offer him the reprieve of Chakwas' cocktail. "What the fuck are you waiting for?"
She said nothing, but he felt the pinch of the needle in his arm and the warm rush of narcotics. He knew sleep was imminent, a break from the pain, and hopefully when he woke it would be better. Images from his nightmare flashed behind his closed eyes and he whimpered. He hadn't felt the bed dip. As sleep claimed him, he wished she would climb back into bed with him so he could pull her close and rest his head on her chest
He missed her heartbeat.
Thankfully, his drug induced sleep was dreamless.
He blinked his eyes open finding the room still dark, the shades drawn tight keeping the station light out. He swallowed hard, assessing his remaining headache. The migraine had eased a bit, though it wasn't gone. It lingered at the back of his head, hiding behind his eyes, he needed more sleep but his stomach ached for food. Just something light in case the migraine came back and his meal followed with an encore.
He sat up slowly. He could feel the swelling in his face and hands. He was dehydrated, too. His shirt damp from his sleep sweat; he pulled it off over his head. He tried calling for Sloan, but his throat was too dry. He pushed himself out of bed and padded slowly to the door. He pulled it open and moved through the apartment, checking for her in each room he passed. As he entered the kitchen, he realized he was alone. He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck.
He found a data pad on the table next to a bottle of water and another dose of Chakwas' cocktail. Next to the cocktail was his bottle of traditional pain relievers, which she had obviously left for him in case the cocktail wasn't needed. There was a note from her on the pad. She'd gone shopping with EDI, Trainor, Tali, and Liara and would be back in the evening. There was a broth in the fridge that just needed to be warmed and drank. The broth was fortified with supplements to help him meet his required caloric intake while remaining the light meal he needed.
Guilt gnawed at his core as he swallowed the pills with the water and moved to get and heat the broth. He'd been awful to her and she hadn't deserved it. He'd been in an odd place. Still reeling from the nightmare. The memory of making love to a reaperfied Sloan made him shudder. He could almost smell the metallic decay that had filled his senses in his dream-state. He'd woke, scared and confused, and in pain and the one person who could ease it all, and reassure him that she was not a husk, had been pushed away.
She was too good to him.
He needed to make it up to her. Once the broth was warm he sat with it in a mug, sipping slowly. It was bland, but as he sat and drank he could feel the headache vying for a repeat. His eyes grew heavy and his muscles twitched. He finished the broth faster than he should have and dropped the mug in the sink. He took the water with him to the bedroom, wincing as the light from the windows assaulted his eyes. He closed himself in the cool darkness of the room and fell quickly into the bed. He pulled the blankets over him, and wrapped his arms around her pillow.
Plum blossoms.
Tears prickled at his eyes as he pushed the thought of his nightmare away and inhaled deeply. He hoped she'd be back when he woke.
He woke from his drug induced slumber like he was rising from the depths of the ocean. Slowly and with a chill; it was a sensation he was familiar with from his experience with Leviathan and one he had never wanted to repeat. His eyes blinked open and he was grateful the room was still dark. He forced himself into a sitting position. His body ached, muscles groaning and joints creaking as he stretched. However, his head was blissfully pain free.
He glanced to at the time: 1930. He'd slept away an entire day of leave. His heart sunk at the wasted time. He pushed himself out of bed and made his way to the door. He blinked as the light from the living room fell over him. He heard soft music playing from down the hall and turned towards it. It was a soft electronic jazz and he followed the sound to the bathroom. The door was open and he leaned against the doorway, a smile pulling at his lips at the sight before him.
Sloan was in the hot tub. She was facing the door and Kaidan was struck dumb by the vision before him. Her eyes were closed and her head was resting back on the edge of the tub. Her cheeks were pink and her skin glistened in the soft lighting. Most of her hair was piled on top of her head, though some strands had fallen and were stuck to her neck and face. She was holding a glass of wine in one hand and conducting an invisible orchestra with the other. Her legs were crossed so one was dangling off her knee above the water. Droplets slipped down her skin, tracing a path Kaidan knew all too well. The rest of her was hidden behind the rolling bubbles caused by the jets, but Kaidan knew.
"Hello beautiful," he greeted, his voice quiet and low. She didn't even open her eyes, just lifted her sculpted eyebrows and sipped from her glass. "Did you have a pleasant day?"
"Considering how it started, it really could only get better." Her eyes drifted open and landed on his. He couldn't tell how upset she still was. He swallowed hard and stepped closer to the tub. She cocked an eyebrow and a frown tugged at her lips. She set the glass down on the edge of the tub.
"Yeah, that guy was such an ass this morning," he agreed with her as he reached the edge of the tub. He knelt and took the exposed foot in his hand. His thumbs ran along the arch of her foot from heel to toe. He gently massaged the pad, leaning forward and kissing each toe. He met her eyes, and they were sparkling as a smile broke out on her face. She said nothing, just let him rub her foot. After a moment, she pulled it from his hands and lifted the other. He chuckled, a warm rasp of a laugh, as he repeated the action on the opposite foot.
"You still seem stiff; are you feeling better?" She pulled her foot from his hands and moved to him in the tub. She reached out and ran a wet hand over his forehead and down the side of his face. He turned his head and kissed her palm. She smiled at him.
"My head's better but my body kind of aches all over."
"Well," she paused, glancing back at the tub, "you said you wanted us in the tub before leave was over," she brought her gaze to his and wrapped her arms around his neck. Water trickled from her arms and hands down his back. She pulled him closer, her lips pressing to his. Her kiss was wet, and tasted of wine as she pulled him over the edge of the tub. He laughed into her kiss as he tried to kick off his boxers.
He fell into the tub with her, laughing, water splashing onto the bathroom floor. She released him as they shifted to sit. He scooped his boxers out of the water and tossed them to the floor. She smiled at him, and ushered him to sit in front of her. His back to her chest, he sighed at the feel of her curves pressed tight to his skin as he settled between her legs. Her lips lightly teased his neck and shoulder. His hands caressed her legs as her proximity, her touch, and the heat from the water helped the muscles in his body relax.
She ran her hands through his hair and down his neck and shoulders. He breathed deeply, feeling content. "What shopping did you do today?"
"Well, I didn't shop. EDI wanted to pick something up for Joker, Tali for Garrus, and Trainor got herself a new toothbrush," Sloan rattled off the list, and Kaidan just focused on the sound of her voice and the touch of her hands. "Did you know Trainor's toothbrush cost 10,000 credits?!" They laughed together, the water sloshing around them.
Light pressure on his shoulder told him to lean forward, allowing room for her hands between them. She continued to massage his back, forcing out the knots that had built up between war time stresses and his migraine that morning. He loved the feel of her hands, so strong and capable, but still somehow gentle as she cared for him. He sighed deeply, wondering, not for the first time, how he got so lucky. She leaned forward, then, placing a kiss to the beauty mark on his shoulder before wrapping her arms around him and bringing him back with her.
Kaidan couldn't imagine a better way to spend the evening. In her arms, not thinking about anything of any importance. He turned his head towards her. She leaned down and kissed him gently. Her hands rested on his chest as he leaned his head back on her shoulder. The jazz music filled the humid air of the room as they relaxed together enjoying the stillness … until she gasped.
"What?"
"I forgot to tell you!" He hated the change in her tone, and had a feeling this wasn't going to be good news. "So, you know how Liara and Javik have been working on, basically a book?" Kaidan shook his head no. "Oh, well, in her downtime, she's been interviewing him, learning even more about his culture and the Prothean, and making notes to write about the race."
"Okay."
"Well, Javik has, apparently, grown quite fond of our Prothean expert and asked her for a favor. He's the last living Prothean, and considering the Asari's ability to procreate with any species—"
"No!" Kaidan's heart sunk as he realized where this was going.
"Yeah, I guess he asked her if she would have his baby. He understands it would be an asari, but it would be half Prothean and the only way to allow anything Prothean to survive – should the Crucible work. And you know Liara, ever the scientist, she agreed," Sloan's hands were tracing an invisible pattern on his chest. "I just worry that Liara is making the decision for the wrong reasons and when I asked her what James thought about it, she was surprised that I thought she should have said something to him."
"James doesn't even know?" Kaidan immediately felt for James. He had a strong feeling this would not sit well with him. He felt Sloan shake her head.
"I don't know that they've really defined their relationship, or how serious they are at all, but it seemed to me that they were pretty exclusive. I convinced her that she needs to at least talk to James about it, but I think she's pretty set on doing this for Javik," Sloan said and Kaidan sighed softly. As bad as he felt for James, it nagged at the back of his mind – the fact that this could affect his performance on the field. Sloan pressed a kiss to his neck. He said as much to her. "I know. I'll make sure James is okay before I bring him groundside anywhere." She murmured the statement into his skin.
"I guess it does make sense, though, from Javik's perspective, and I think it says a lot about how far he's come with the crew that he asked Liara. She must have been flattered," Kaidan commented as his hands ran up and down her shins.
"She was practically purple the entire time she was telling me," Sloan agreed, leaving a trail of kisses from his shoulder to his ear. He could feel her tense up seconds before she spoke again. "Do you ever think about it?"
"It?"
"Babies. Having babies, I mean, I know you've asked me what I want but … do you?" Her voice was quiet, he could barely hear it over the jets. He turned his head and found her eyes.
"Of course, I do," he answered, and he hoped she could see how serious he was.
She blushed. "With me?"
"No, I thought I'd ask Liara—" She pushed him away from her then and he slid beneath the surface. He held his breath in time, and came up laughing and facing her. He wiped the water from his face, pushing his hair back. Her eyes danced over his torso as he knelt in front of her. Her arms were folded over her chest, which did interesting things to her breasts. He moved closer to her and she turned her head away from him. He boxed her in, placing a hand on the edge of the tub on either side of her head. "Sloan," he was grinning and placed a kiss on her cheek.
"I was trying to have a serious conversation with you," she mumbled the words, and he could tell the blush on her cheeks was from more than the heat of the hot tub.
"Sloan," he moved a hand to her chin, turning her face to his. "Those two years after Alchera taught me a lot." Her eyes met his and she whispered his name. "One of the many things I learned is that, you're it for me. If it's not you, it's no one. Of course, I want to have babies but, I don't want them with anyone but you."
"Well, shit," she muttered, turning her teary eyes away from him. He chuckled as he inquired what was wrong. She wrapped her arms around him, met his eyes and leaned her forehead against his. "I really wanted to be pissed at you again." He laughed, and kissed her. His stomach rumbled and she broke the kiss. "Have you eaten anything besides the broth?" He shook his head and she shot him a scolding look before she reached and turned off the jets.
He chuckled softly, watching as she emerged from the water. Her body slick, drops of water racing down her curves. He bit the inside of his cheek to focus as she wrapped a towel around herself. She reached a hand to him, helping him from the tub. "Come on, I'll let you make it up to me by making me dinner."