The Tide [F!Shep/Kolyat, no Thane romance] 3/?
anonymous
February 6 2014, 01:04:43 UTC
They began with small talk, once he’d sat rather stiffly on the couch beside her. How he was settling into the C-Sec offices and the Normandy’s most recent trip to Tuchanka became the backdrop for a meandering conversation about the Council’s most recent blunders and the rumors (unsubstantiated, of course) of a change in the identity behind the galaxy’s most notorious information broker. Finally he found the opening he was looking for when she asked if he had been in contact with his father at all since they were last on the Citadel.
“I have,” he murmured. “I wished to speak to you about him, in fact.”
He paused, staring at his hands. He could feel her puzzled smile and gathered his courage, looking up, midnight green eyes locking with her own. “I know that he is attached to you; his letters are little more than recounts of your mission exploits with a focus on your skill in battle. I believe that he sees you as more than just his Commander; he speaks of you as he once did my mother.” He took a deep breath, trying to convey the gravity of his next words. “I would like to make sure my father isn’t taking advantage of you.”
Shepard looked startled for a moment, then smiled sadly. He watched her fingers, previously twisting nervously, as they stilled and flattened across her knees. Calm and confident. “He’s not.”
She continued before he could do more than open his mouth to seek clarification. “I kind of hoped you wouldn’t have noticed, but I suppose he might have told you if you two have kept in contact.”
She looked him in the eyes again, no trace of shame in those brilliantly faceted jewels and he felt his stomach sink. “I turned him down.”
It took him a moment to process what she’d actually said, but then his eyes closed and his dropped his head in relief. Even through his leathers, he could feel the hand she placed hesitantly on his shoulder. It wasn’t until she spoke again that he realised she might not have understood his reaction, however.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, squeezing the joint slightly before she withdrew. “I’m not ready to be a mother to anyone and--”
His head shot up again, startling her to silence. “No! No, I...” he trailed off, willing himself back under control.
“I don’t know how much you know of drell as a species,” he tried to begin again, painfully aware that this would be one of the more awkward conversations of his life. “But death in battle and by Kepral's has artificially lowered our life expectancy. You are younger than I am, and I am only barely considered an adult. My father…” he swallowed painfully and looked away. “My father should not be seeing you as anything but a child.”
The silence dragged on until he couldn’t bear to know what she was thinking. His brow crinkled to see her smiling softly at him. Hesitantly, he questioned it. “Why aren’t you more upset?”
Shepard laughed a little, low and rusty and not at all like any other human woman he’d ever heard. “Because even if you are a child to him, I am not. I’m an adult to humans, and that’s what matters.”
He must have still looked confused, because she reached over and patted his arm. “If he had pursued a drell my age or a human of, say, Mouse’s age, then yes, I would be upset. Furious even. Things like age differences simply don’t cross species lines. If they did, there wouldn’t ever be anything but pureblooded asari, would there?”
Kolyat turned the reasoning over in his head before nodding reluctantly. “I see your point. I apologise for assuming things.”
She gave another quiet chuckle and stood to get a refill. “No worries. I get where you were coming from and I appreciate your concern. As long as you didn't tell your dad off about it, I think we can just keep it between us, hey?”
“I have,” he murmured. “I wished to speak to you about him, in fact.”
He paused, staring at his hands. He could feel her puzzled smile and gathered his courage, looking up, midnight green eyes locking with her own. “I know that he is attached to you; his letters are little more than recounts of your mission exploits with a focus on your skill in battle. I believe that he sees you as more than just his Commander; he speaks of you as he once did my mother.” He took a deep breath, trying to convey the gravity of his next words. “I would like to make sure my father isn’t taking advantage of you.”
Shepard looked startled for a moment, then smiled sadly. He watched her fingers, previously twisting nervously, as they stilled and flattened across her knees. Calm and confident. “He’s not.”
She continued before he could do more than open his mouth to seek clarification. “I kind of hoped you wouldn’t have noticed, but I suppose he might have told you if you two have kept in contact.”
She looked him in the eyes again, no trace of shame in those brilliantly faceted jewels and he felt his stomach sink. “I turned him down.”
It took him a moment to process what she’d actually said, but then his eyes closed and his dropped his head in relief. Even through his leathers, he could feel the hand she placed hesitantly on his shoulder. It wasn’t until she spoke again that he realised she might not have understood his reaction, however.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, squeezing the joint slightly before she withdrew. “I’m not ready to be a mother to anyone and--”
His head shot up again, startling her to silence. “No! No, I...” he trailed off, willing himself back under control.
“I don’t know how much you know of drell as a species,” he tried to begin again, painfully aware that this would be one of the more awkward conversations of his life. “But death in battle and by Kepral's has artificially lowered our life expectancy. You are younger than I am, and I am only barely considered an adult. My father…” he swallowed painfully and looked away. “My father should not be seeing you as anything but a child.”
The silence dragged on until he couldn’t bear to know what she was thinking. His brow crinkled to see her smiling softly at him. Hesitantly, he questioned it. “Why aren’t you more upset?”
Shepard laughed a little, low and rusty and not at all like any other human woman he’d ever heard. “Because even if you are a child to him, I am not. I’m an adult to humans, and that’s what matters.”
He must have still looked confused, because she reached over and patted his arm. “If he had pursued a drell my age or a human of, say, Mouse’s age, then yes, I would be upset. Furious even. Things like age differences simply don’t cross species lines. If they did, there wouldn’t ever be anything but pureblooded asari, would there?”
Kolyat turned the reasoning over in his head before nodding reluctantly. “I see your point. I apologise for assuming things.”
She gave another quiet chuckle and stood to get a refill. “No worries. I get where you were coming from and I appreciate your concern. As long as you didn't tell your dad off about it, I think we can just keep it between us, hey?”
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