After Life
More "creative" titles for my stories. Deal with it. :P
So. Basically. I needed to get another Valentine's present done. And again, I'm not entirely sure whether it's good or not. It doesn't help that I DON'T HAVE STEVE'S PERSONALITY YET. Or his voice!
BUT I WROTE A JETH STORY FOR MY JESSIEHEART. 'Cause I mean, Valentine's Day. ♥
So... Without further ado... *ahem*...
////
Damn... Shepard thought, the bass-heavy music blaring in his ears and the dim lights glowing a warm orange color. Of course he would find himself in Afterlife. They had, after all, been making a quick stop for provisions, after the Citadel had been found somewhat lacking in the heavy weaponry needed for the fight ahead. He heaved a deep sigh, then threw his head back as he downed another shot of... whatever they called this. He gestured to the bartender.
"Shepard, any luck finding those mods y--" He pulled the transmitter from his ear and set it on the bar. Kaidan's voice really wasn't helping him drink away his frustration. I could have him reassigned, he thought, though he could never find the willpower to actually do it.
He sighed again, running his hands through his short hair and willing the alchohol to hit him faster, when an asari dancer approached him. She wrapped an arm around his neck as she clung to his side with a practiced "Hey there, handsome," leaning into his ear so he could hear her over the droning of the music.
Shepard cringed slightly in disdain. "Not interested," he said flatly.
She offered her best pout, probably hoping for a white knight reaction. When she decided it wasn't working she sighed, shrugged, and turned her attention to the bar. "Give him one on the house, courtesy of Aria."
He flashed a crooked smile into his shot glass in appreciation despite his insistant temper.
"Commander?"
Shepard took a deep breath and cracked his neck before turning his gaze to the pilot standing beside him. "Lieutenant Cortez," he noted densely.
"Keen powers of observation there, sir," Cortez smiled as he took the seat beside Shepard.
I am a damn galactic hero, shepard thought to himself.
"What was that, sir?"
Or maybe he mumbled it. That could have happened, too. He spoke over the music, "I thought you didn't take shore leave, Lieutenant."
"This isn't shore leave, sir," Cortez replied, gesturing to the bartender. "This is an escort mission."
"You always drink during missions?" Shepard asked flatly.
Cortez winked at his commanding officer. "Only when my C.O. sets the precedent." He raised his glass to his lips for a drink. "So then, what's the occasion, Commander?"
Shepard shrugged lazily. Or maybe drunkenly. "Saw a bar, felt like stopping in."
Cortez seemed intensely focused on his drink. After several seconds he replied, "It's my experience, sir, that men don't wander into bars they knew they were gonna pass by on a whim. Not unless they've got something heavy on their minds." He took another swig of his drink.
Shepard chuckled. "I'd say the galaxy's a pretty heavy load."
Cortez shook his head as he swollowed. "Not the right kind of load. Thing like that, man like you handles with action. Seems more like woman problems to me." He began to raise his glass again, then seemed to remember who he was talking to, adding, "If you don't mind my saying so, Sir."
Woman problems. Shepard fidgeted with his now-empty shot glass. "Yeah, sure. Why not."
There was silence between them, eased by the chatter that was barely audible over the trance that had begun to play. "I once fell for my commanding officer." Cortez' gaze shifted up to Shepard as he traced the lip of his glass.
It took all of his effort for Shepard to keep his eyes from rolling, instead watching the Lieutenant's hands. "Must've been a charming woman," he said dryly.
Cortez smiled again. "I did mention that I had a husband, right?" He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I'm not much for women, Sir. And this story sure isn't about one."
Shepard continued to study the light catching off of his shot glass, weighing his curiosity. Finally he said, "So what happened?"
"He'd never give me a second glance," Cortez answered lightly. "Has someone else in his life he could never see his way clear of."
"So hold on," Shepard thought aloud. "If this guy wouldn't give you the time of day, what's the point?"
Cortez snorted into his drink, turned to cough, and then broke back down into laughter. Jackass. When his laughter died off, he said to himself, "That's a damn good question, Commander. But you know, sometimes we just get hung up on someone. It's nothing to do with sense or reason."
Shepard sighed and pushed the shot glass across the counter, then leaned forward and feigned disinterest. "Tell me about him," he asked.
"He's a stubborn ass with aggression issues."
Shepard smiled again. "Sounds like he needs an attitude adjustment," he noted, turning partway to face the Lieutenant.
"I get the feeling you're not the first one to think so, Commander." Cortez' eyes flickered across the scars on Shepard's face, and the Commander's smile faded as an uneasiness settled in his gut.
He hated when people stared. It always made him feel like a one-man freak show.
But the unease in his gut turned into a knot in his throat. This wasn't the one-man freak show. This was the same look that he'd given Kaidan, oh, a hundred times before. He'd suddenly found that he'd been put on the spot. And he wasn't sure it was such a bad thing.
Cortez' eyes found Shepard's, and held them. Damn...
So. Basically. I needed to get another Valentine's present done. And again, I'm not entirely sure whether it's good or not. It doesn't help that I DON'T HAVE STEVE'S PERSONALITY YET. Or his voice!
BUT I WROTE A JETH STORY FOR MY JESSIEHEART. 'Cause I mean, Valentine's Day. ♥
So... Without further ado... *ahem*...
////
Damn... Shepard thought, the bass-heavy music blaring in his ears and the dim lights glowing a warm orange color. Of course he would find himself in Afterlife. They had, after all, been making a quick stop for provisions, after the Citadel had been found somewhat lacking in the heavy weaponry needed for the fight ahead. He heaved a deep sigh, then threw his head back as he downed another shot of... whatever they called this. He gestured to the bartender.
"Shepard, any luck finding those mods y--" He pulled the transmitter from his ear and set it on the bar. Kaidan's voice really wasn't helping him drink away his frustration. I could have him reassigned, he thought, though he could never find the willpower to actually do it.
He sighed again, running his hands through his short hair and willing the alchohol to hit him faster, when an asari dancer approached him. She wrapped an arm around his neck as she clung to his side with a practiced "Hey there, handsome," leaning into his ear so he could hear her over the droning of the music.
Shepard cringed slightly in disdain. "Not interested," he said flatly.
She offered her best pout, probably hoping for a white knight reaction. When she decided it wasn't working she sighed, shrugged, and turned her attention to the bar. "Give him one on the house, courtesy of Aria."
He flashed a crooked smile into his shot glass in appreciation despite his insistant temper.
"Commander?"
Shepard took a deep breath and cracked his neck before turning his gaze to the pilot standing beside him. "Lieutenant Cortez," he noted densely.
"Keen powers of observation there, sir," Cortez smiled as he took the seat beside Shepard.
I am a damn galactic hero, shepard thought to himself.
"What was that, sir?"
Or maybe he mumbled it. That could have happened, too. He spoke over the music, "I thought you didn't take shore leave, Lieutenant."
"This isn't shore leave, sir," Cortez replied, gesturing to the bartender. "This is an escort mission."
"You always drink during missions?" Shepard asked flatly.
Cortez winked at his commanding officer. "Only when my C.O. sets the precedent." He raised his glass to his lips for a drink. "So then, what's the occasion, Commander?"
Shepard shrugged lazily. Or maybe drunkenly. "Saw a bar, felt like stopping in."
Cortez seemed intensely focused on his drink. After several seconds he replied, "It's my experience, sir, that men don't wander into bars they knew they were gonna pass by on a whim. Not unless they've got something heavy on their minds." He took another swig of his drink.
Shepard chuckled. "I'd say the galaxy's a pretty heavy load."
Cortez shook his head as he swollowed. "Not the right kind of load. Thing like that, man like you handles with action. Seems more like woman problems to me." He began to raise his glass again, then seemed to remember who he was talking to, adding, "If you don't mind my saying so, Sir."
Woman problems. Shepard fidgeted with his now-empty shot glass. "Yeah, sure. Why not."
There was silence between them, eased by the chatter that was barely audible over the trance that had begun to play. "I once fell for my commanding officer." Cortez' gaze shifted up to Shepard as he traced the lip of his glass.
It took all of his effort for Shepard to keep his eyes from rolling, instead watching the Lieutenant's hands. "Must've been a charming woman," he said dryly.
Cortez smiled again. "I did mention that I had a husband, right?" He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I'm not much for women, Sir. And this story sure isn't about one."
Shepard continued to study the light catching off of his shot glass, weighing his curiosity. Finally he said, "So what happened?"
"He'd never give me a second glance," Cortez answered lightly. "Has someone else in his life he could never see his way clear of."
"So hold on," Shepard thought aloud. "If this guy wouldn't give you the time of day, what's the point?"
Cortez snorted into his drink, turned to cough, and then broke back down into laughter. Jackass. When his laughter died off, he said to himself, "That's a damn good question, Commander. But you know, sometimes we just get hung up on someone. It's nothing to do with sense or reason."
Shepard sighed and pushed the shot glass across the counter, then leaned forward and feigned disinterest. "Tell me about him," he asked.
"He's a stubborn ass with aggression issues."
Shepard smiled again. "Sounds like he needs an attitude adjustment," he noted, turning partway to face the Lieutenant.
"I get the feeling you're not the first one to think so, Commander." Cortez' eyes flickered across the scars on Shepard's face, and the Commander's smile faded as an uneasiness settled in his gut.
He hated when people stared. It always made him feel like a one-man freak show.
But the unease in his gut turned into a knot in his throat. This wasn't the one-man freak show. This was the same look that he'd given Kaidan, oh, a hundred times before. He'd suddenly found that he'd been put on the spot. And he wasn't sure it was such a bad thing.
Cortez' eyes found Shepard's, and held them. Damn...