The Tide [F!Shep/Kolyat, no Thane romance] 4/?
anonymous
February 6 2014, 01:07:29 UTC
He noticed when she turned back to the couch that her smile was slightly crooked and he recalled that she had had a scar once which had split not only her eyebrow but both lips. It must have been healed with the rest of her wounds when Cerberus decided to return her to life. Its absence had obviously not changed her muscle memory, but the expression now seemed somehow less than the ones he’d seen in press photos and vids after the takedown of Sovereign. He snapped out of his daze when she nudged his arm gently, blinking at the contact, before acknowledging his rudeness with a nod and another murmured apology.
She shrugged, obviously used to Thane’s lapses in conversation. “What were you thinking about?”
“Your scars,” he answered before his brain could come up with a suitable lie. At her raised eyebrow, he elaborated self-consciously. “You look more like the warrior you are when the evidence is written on your skin. I was only thinking it was a shame they were erased when you were brought back to life, but I suppose it is a small price to pay if half the things my father relates about your final mission are true.”
She blushed at the unexpected compliment and Kolyat couldn’t help his deep inhale as her pheromones flooded the small room, nor could he stop the answering flush to his frill. Before he could apologise a third time, she grinned and took a hearty gulp of her coffee. “Pretty smooth lines there. You should save them for your girlfriend, though.”
“I don’t have one,” he replied softly.
“Boyfriend?” She questioned lightly. “Other non-slash-multi-gendered romantic or aromantic interest?”
He shook his head and she tilted hers slightly, looking a bit like one of the little seabirds he remembered from his youth. “Why not?”
There was no judgement in her tone, only curiosity, but his answer was stiff nonetheless. “I never felt the need.”
Shepard nodded, finishing her drink and setting the mug aside. “I know what you mean. I never seemed to have the time, and even if I felt that way about any of my crew…”
She looked pensive and he remained silent, watching her with what he hoped was a supportive expression. She leaned forward, elbows on her knees as she stared at her clasped hands. “I won’t say you’re lucky to still have your father or that one parent is better than none or any of that. I know just how much of that is consolationist bullshit. I still have a mother after all, for all the good she’s ever done me.”
Kolyat made a soft noise, somewhere between comfort and understanding and she gave him a bitter half-smile in response as she straightened again. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to throw myself a pity party here. What I was trying to say was that I’m glad you’re talking to your dad, even if it’s just through emails. Just don’t…don’t live your life according to his.”
Shepard exhaled sharply through her nose, locking gazes with him once more. “I became a Marine because I loved and admired my father, but I stayed a Marine because it was something I genuinely wanted to be. I became a Spectre for the same reason: it felt like the right decision for me.”
She reached out and covered his hands with her own, willing him to believe what she was saying. “Finish your work here with Bailey, take responsibility for your actions, but think for the future. Anything you do after this, make sure you do it for yourself; not for him or me or Thane and especially not for Irikah.”
He recoiled a little at her intensity but she held fast, her hot fingers curled around and under his much cooler palms. She started to say more, but footsteps in the hall cut her off and she pulled away just before the curvy figure of Miranda Lawson appeared in the doorway. Kolyat was impressed by the cool indifference that slid over the Commander’s features as she turned to face her XO, only the lingering scents in the air giving away her previous emotional state.
Re: The Tide [F!Shep/Kolyat, no Thane romance] 4/?
anonymous
April 13 2014, 10:40:17 UTC
Wow. Really diggin' this fic. So refreshing to see such an imperfect Thane, at least as far as Kolyat is concerned. Also refreshing to see Shep in this light.
She shrugged, obviously used to Thane’s lapses in conversation. “What were you thinking about?”
“Your scars,” he answered before his brain could come up with a suitable lie. At her raised eyebrow, he elaborated self-consciously. “You look more like the warrior you are when the evidence is written on your skin. I was only thinking it was a shame they were erased when you were brought back to life, but I suppose it is a small price to pay if half the things my father relates about your final mission are true.”
She blushed at the unexpected compliment and Kolyat couldn’t help his deep inhale as her pheromones flooded the small room, nor could he stop the answering flush to his frill. Before he could apologise a third time, she grinned and took a hearty gulp of her coffee. “Pretty smooth lines there. You should save them for your girlfriend, though.”
“I don’t have one,” he replied softly.
“Boyfriend?” She questioned lightly. “Other non-slash-multi-gendered romantic or aromantic interest?”
He shook his head and she tilted hers slightly, looking a bit like one of the little seabirds he remembered from his youth. “Why not?”
There was no judgement in her tone, only curiosity, but his answer was stiff nonetheless. “I never felt the need.”
Shepard nodded, finishing her drink and setting the mug aside. “I know what you mean. I never seemed to have the time, and even if I felt that way about any of my crew…”
She looked pensive and he remained silent, watching her with what he hoped was a supportive expression. She leaned forward, elbows on her knees as she stared at her clasped hands. “I won’t say you’re lucky to still have your father or that one parent is better than none or any of that. I know just how much of that is consolationist bullshit. I still have a mother after all, for all the good she’s ever done me.”
Kolyat made a soft noise, somewhere between comfort and understanding and she gave him a bitter half-smile in response as she straightened again. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to throw myself a pity party here. What I was trying to say was that I’m glad you’re talking to your dad, even if it’s just through emails. Just don’t…don’t live your life according to his.”
Shepard exhaled sharply through her nose, locking gazes with him once more. “I became a Marine because I loved and admired my father, but I stayed a Marine because it was something I genuinely wanted to be. I became a Spectre for the same reason: it felt like the right decision for me.”
She reached out and covered his hands with her own, willing him to believe what she was saying. “Finish your work here with Bailey, take responsibility for your actions, but think for the future. Anything you do after this, make sure you do it for yourself; not for him or me or Thane and especially not for Irikah.”
He recoiled a little at her intensity but she held fast, her hot fingers curled around and under his much cooler palms. She started to say more, but footsteps in the hall cut her off and she pulled away just before the curvy figure of Miranda Lawson appeared in the doorway. Kolyat was impressed by the cool indifference that slid over the Commander’s features as she turned to face her XO, only the lingering scents in the air giving away her previous emotional state.
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Really diggin' this fic. So refreshing to see such an imperfect Thane, at least as far as Kolyat is concerned. Also refreshing to see Shep in this light.
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