#Shepard/James Vega Imagine

[painterofhorizons]

Two Aces in Disguise

What had gotten Reda here was a simple yes.

Well, technically, a thresher maw had gotten her into the rehab facility. And her history with drugs from her days in the Tenth Street Reds had gotten her on supervision from officials. But the one was seven years ago, the other seven months.

A simple yes in therapy two days ago had gotten her into the substance abuse support group.

Yes, she was thinking about consuming again. No, she had not done it. But yes, it was on her mind. Constantly.

Which was probably the thresher maw’s fault. Not that that mattered.

What had gotten James here was a chair and the fact that the human body was more fragile than it looked, and his father’s continuous red sand consumption. Even if he himself had never done drugs, and never even considered it.

Preventative relief, so to say.

Same same, but different.

The two of them couldn’t be more different.

[kaidanalenkosprmanager]

THE BEST OF TUCHANKA: TURIAN PLATOON

Featuring: Cmdr. Sophie Shepard, Lt. James Vega, EDI, and Lt. Tarquin Victus With: Lt. Steve Cortez and The Ninth Turian Platoon Decisions like these weigh heavy on me- when I was a General, I could pass them up the chain of command. But now? I'm all I've got. I'm beginning to understand why leaders so often seem lonely... Worst case scenarios aren't just theories- they're what you'll be dealing with five minutes from now. Mass Effect 3: Legendary Edition (2021)

[tenleaguesbeneath]

Shiara + #15!

#15: In a rush of adrenaline

(kiss prompts)

Shepard takes the cards into her hands and shuffles. The Normandy’s portside lounge is full, with what must be half the ship’s officer compliment circling around the card table. Liara sits on the edge of the sofa, watching them.

After the first few deals, Liara decided the Quarian card game Tali wanted to teach the crew was not for her. It seemed to be part strategy, part reflex, and part deceit, putting your cards onto a pile before anyone else could put theirs, with a bunch of rules about what could be played when that Tali’s first two runs through the explanation only seemed to muddy. It didn’t help matters that half the rules seemed like they only applied if someone caught you before someone else made their play.

Not unlike life, especially in Liara’s more recent line of work.

Then James had the idea to make the game more fun by adding alcohol to it.

Liara has never been much of one for drinking games, especially not since the invasion. James and Ashley could drink each other under the table and as long as they didn’t have a ground mission coming, nothing was lost, but Liara is keenly aware of what a morning of work lost to a hangover costs.

It’s why she had a datapad in her hands and had switched away from liquor after the first drink, even at what was supposed to be, as the human crew called it, R&R.

Shepard takes her turn dealing the cards, and the round is on. Alcohol or no, she has never been one to back down from a challenge. She’s already a few drinks in. The culprit is sitting across from her: Sam Traynor. After fumbling her way through for half of the first deal, she’s turned around and been on a hot streak ever since.

As far as Liara can judge the game, Tali holds a strong third place. Cortez, James, Ashley, and Adams were all in the game more for the camaraderie then for any chance of winning, and the real contest was between Sam and Shepard.

Liara pushes a pang of jealousy down. Sam is her friend, and Shepard has made it clear who her heart belongs to. She knows Shepard to be steadfast, that Shepard is not fickle in her affections, and she knows for sure, from inside Shepard’s mind, that there’s only one person she’s interested in. Liara can let Sam have this.

Calls of “ohhhh!” come from around the table as Shepard lays down the last card she was holding, and grabs a stack of face-down cards from in front of Cortez. Cortez takes his eyes off the table to take a swig of his beer.

“One card, Ash,” Shepard calls.

“It’s fine!”

“And the other one?”

“Ugh, fine,” and Ashley withdraws her cards. Sam immediately slaps down one card, then another, on the pile Ashley withdrew her hand from, then one from Tali. Cortez almost has one, then pulls back. Shepard cuts in, and Sam again. The pace picks up, the table a flurry of hands and cards and calls that someone’s trying some trick. Sam clears her hand and goes for another.

It crescendos. Tali picks up the last of the unclaimed cards sitting on the board. Sam plays another card, and Shepard another two.

They’re both down to their last one.

Shepard’s a tightly-coiled spring. Liara’s seen that look before, in the field, preparing ambushes. Sam, for her part, looks no less ready.

The round goes to the first to spot the right moment.

Shepard slaps her card down on the stack with an audible thump. Sam throws hers down on the table. Same as Shepard’s.

Sam’s saying something that sounds like “well-played,” but Shepard’s already turned away from the table, leaning toward Liara.

Liara smells the liquor on her breath as she comes in, then the smell of soap and sweat. Shepard reaches out for her, pulls her into a kiss, and her lips part by reflex. Shepard is eager, her lips moving against Liara’s, and for a second Liara is too startled to think. She brings her arms up to take Shepard into an embrace, and Shepard responds with an eager swipe of her tongue along Liara’s lips. Liara responds in kind.

She’s startled back to reality by a whistle from James. Liara hears Sam cheering as Shepard pulls away from her. She smiles. Even sitting this game out, she’s still part of it.

“You sure you want to stay, Lola?” James asks. “’Cause it looks like you’d rather be somewhere else.”

“Not a chance, Vega,” Shepard answers. “I can’t let Sam sweep the board every time.”

“Maybe you should take her with you, then.”

Liara barely restrains herself from spitting her drink out over her datapad. She turns away and pretends to be thoroughly engrossed in the report she has open she they can’t see her blush. Shepard seemed to think that was funny, too, and in moments the whole table was laughing.

Shepard brings the table back to business. “Alright, James, your deal.”

Even sitting the game out, knowing that the rest of the crew can joke with her like that is reassuring. She belongs here. She’s not just a recluse in her office who the ship’s Commander cares for, she’s part of something bigger. Part of the ship’s crew.

[slightlysaneee]

bonus

when you simp over your space boyfriend so much you even steal his look

[vorchagirl]

Fantasy

Kinktober prompt for @bioware-bard and @heroofshield 😘 with some voyeurism & masturbation.

James Vega accidentally sees Commander Shepard undressing while in detention and his imagination (and hormones) run wild.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/59525875

Art is by @bluefira ♡

[timptoe]

Ticking Like A

For @hatboyexchange 2023, I got to write for the amazing @vesperfloyd about Vega, Joker, and PTSD. Trigger warnings for PTSD, flashbacks, and sucky childhoods, but it’s okay in the end, thanks to our favorite hatboy. Read the whole thing on Ao3.

——

The silence chafes.

The Presidium itself isn’t silent. Their table overlooks the Relay Monument, a popular spot for tourists, diplomats, traders, refugees. He can hear the edges of hushed conversations and shouts of laughter and thundering footsteps. Even with his back to the mezzanine, he can feel the volume of the crowds that pass by on their way to some distraction or other. The constant thrum of noise behind them makes the silence at the table even more stark.

James shifts uncomfortably in his chair, arms folded.

The artificial sunlight glitters off of the reflecting pool in a way that almost reminds him of home. It’s been years since he’s been on a real beach, at least not without a hardsuit and an ammo block. He thought about going home once while he was stationed in Vancouver, but he never made the time. Too late now.

Instead, he tries to calm himself using the refracted light of the pool, imagining sand under his toes, surf filling his ears, water as far as he can see. He could almost believe he’s there, if not for the cacophony around him. Or the sideways-queasy feeling that builds in his stomach the longer he looks at the water. He wants to lose himself in the shapes made by the gentle lapping of the waves around the base of the monument. But he can’t.

He just can’t.

Joker, meanwhile, takes a sip of his drink, looking out over the view, cool as a goddamn cucumber.

James shifts again, his own drink untouched. “Do you, uh, want me to talk about it?” he says, voice low.

Joker shrugs, taking another sip of his drink, not looking his way. “Up to you, Vega. Don’t need to if you don’t want to.”

James scowls into the middle distance. By all rights, Joker should be furious. Yelling. Confining him to the Normandy. Bare minimum, he should be lecturing James the way his abuela used to when he’d disappointed her. But he’s not. He’s just…sitting there.

So James just sits there, too.

Uncomfortably.

The breeze from the recirculated air feels cool on his skin. Not like home, but there’s no tinge of the smoke he smelled in the days after the Cerberus attack, either. Just pure, clean air, stinging the exposed cuts on his knuckles like antiseptic.

He looks down to see his hands curled into tight fists on the tabletop. He makes a conscious, concerted effort to relax them.

He looks up at Joker again, who hasn’t moved since the last time he looked at him. Thirty seconds ago.

James sighs roughly, rubbing his closely-shaved scalp with one hand, wincing a bit in pain. “Look, man, I don’t know what to say.”

Joker sips his drink calmly. “I didn’t ask you to say anything.”

“Come on, comodín, you can’t—“

“Vega.” Joker cuts him off, finally looking over at him for the first time since they sat down. “You don’t have to talk to me.” He takes a sip of his drink, cocking his head slightly, thinking. “But—“

“No, man, don’t—“

“—but you should talk to someone. Probably.”

James blows his breath out in frustration. “I know.”

“Want me to call Cortez?”

“No,” James says quickly, firmly. “Esteban would just, you know…” He gestures inarticulately. “He’d blow it out of proportion.”

Joker raises an eyebrow over his half-empty glass. “You trashed a club.”

“Well, I mean…you know what I mean,” James says lamely.

Joker just cocks his head slightly to the side and goes back to looking out over the Presidium.

They sit like that for another moment, James shifting uncomfortably every few seconds, Joker lounging with preternatural serenity.

“You don’t have to sit with me,” James says when he finally can’t take it anymore. “I’m fine. I’ll…be fine.”

“I do, actually,” Joker responds calmly. “Terms of your release per Bailey. Someone in an ‘official role’ has to watch you for the rest of our leave. And with Shepard off doing who the hell knows what with Aria T’Loak, you’re stuck with me.”

James looks back down at his hands, tips of his ears burning with shame. “Sorry,” he mumbles.

“Don’t be,” Joker says lightly. “You got me out of doing paperwork.”

James ducks his head further down, hunching in on himself.

“Vega.” James looks back up to see Joker frowning at him. “It was a joke.”

James tries to smile. Really, he does. But whatever happens on his face only makes Joker frown harder. Which makes James feel even worse.

“We should, uh…we should probably just go back the the ship, huh,” James says, defeat thick in his voice.

“Is that what you want to do?”

James wipes his hands on his pants, trying to dry off the sweat. He avoids Joker’s calm gaze. Truth is, he doesn’t want to go back. He’ll have to talk to Steve if he goes back, and that’s…he’s not ready to talk. About what happened. Not yet. But it doesn’t seem right to take up Joker’s time just to avoid—

“How ‘bout a walk?”

James blinks, jerking his head back over to Joker at the interruption. The pilot just looks at him, head slightly cocked again.

“C’mon, let’s go for a walk,” Joker says easily, finishing his drink and standing up.

James looks up at the pilot. “Uh, sure, if you want.”

Joker grabs his crutches from where they rest on the railing and nods over the side. “Down along the reflecting pool?”

James looks over the mezzanine railing, the queasy feeling returning as he looks over the water.

Joker continues, “Or down through the wards?”

“The wards,” James says quickly.

Joker just nods and starts crutching off, James following closely behind.

Read the rest on Ao3.

[ferindencadash]

twenty questions for fic writers!

Tagged by @samuelroukin 🙏❤️

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

14

2. what's your total ao3 word count?

78,977

3. what fandoms do you write for?

So far just Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Baldur's Gate

4. top five fics by kudos

A Port in the Storm - Mass Effect - FShep/pre-embodied EDI

Blood and Flesh - BG3 - Durgetash

Stockholm - Mass Effect - FShep/Zaeed

The Crack in Everything - Mass Effect - FShep/Ashley

Stitched Together - Mass Effect - MShep/James

5. do you respond to comments?

Always. My favourite thing about fanfic is connecting with people. I've made some amazing friends through the comments section.

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Blood and Flesh for sure. It's Durgetash hate-fucking so... 😅I think all my other fics at least have a hopeful/bittersweet ending.

7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

If you count the sort-of epilogue in the author notes, Stockholm. They fuckin earned it after the shit I put them through. 👀 If you don't count that, probably Cold Feet.

8. do you get hate on fics?

Not yet! Knock on wood, because I will cry. 🥲 I'm pretty careful with tagging, I think that helps.

9. do you write smut?

Almost exclusively. 😅 It's usually mixed with plot though.

10. craziest crossover:

I haven't written one yet, but I do have this incredibly stupid Mass Effect/Letterkenny fic somewhat plotted out. 😂 Target audience of one (me), right there.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of. Much like my identity, I can't imagine anyone wanting to claim that for themselves. 😂

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope!

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

I have! It was fun but also incredibly stressful, so I probably wouldn't do it again.

14. all time favorite ship?

Shepard(any gender)/Kaidan/James. I could write essays on them. Ironically I have yet to publish a fic with them (though I have one in the works right now!) mostly because the standard I've set for myself with them is entirely too high. I blame PossumBones for writing them so perfectly I could never compare.

15. what's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have an unhealthy amount of wips, but I don't want to give up on any of them permanently. The one that I most want to write, but is giving me the hardest time is my FShep/Aria piece, even though it's a short one-shot. I think because it has almost zero dialogue, and dialogue is the part I'm best at. 😅 But it's such a good little piece in my head. I just need to get better at writing before I can do it justice I think.

16. what are your writing strengths?

As above, dialogue. It always flows the easiest for me, and I'm usually quite happy with the end result. I've been told a lot that I'm good at nailing the character voices, which is very important to me. I spend HOURS listening to in-game dialogues before/while writing scenes, until I can hear them talking in my head.

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

Pacing, I think. I rush too much. (I have the same problem with my academic papers) I try to slow down and add more detail, but I get bored. 😅 I'm working on it...

18. thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I end up doing it quite a bit (if only in short bursts) because of James Vega. It's forced me to pick up Spanish again. I'm definitely not fluent, but I'm improving!

19. first fandom you wrote in?

Mass Effect. A Port in the Storm was my first piece I ever wrote. I published it just under a year ago. I actually just checked, and my first fic anniversary is exactly one week away! 🎂 I don't care if it's cheesy, I'm honestly really proud of myself for what I've accomplished in a year.

20. favorite fic you've written?

Stitched Together. I really, really love it. I wish more people would read it. 😅 It actually has started to pick up a little bit of attention in the last couple of weeks (just pushing it to my top five!), I'm not sure why, but every kudos that pops up on it makes me ridiculously happy.

I think my anxiety is officially too high to tag people today. 🥲 I always feel like I'm harassing people (even though I love getting tagged). So, please, seriously, if you want to play PLEASE DO and please please tag me (mutual or not) so I can read your answers! I honestly love reading these things.

[corpocyborg]

So there's a scene in me3 where James Vega and Garrus are competing about who is cooler and Garrus says he's archangel and Vega is like "uh yeah i know". I like to imagine that most people know Garrus is archangel but he keeps trying to do a big reveal to every new person he meets just to recapture the glory of his first reveal to Shepard.

[tealenko]

Didn'd Have the Heart - ch7 wip

Just shared some of my notes for a future Tomb Raider fic and now I feel like I have to balance the universe and share some of my shenko fic notes (get ready for it XDDDD)

btw, spoiler warning

context: Vega, Traynor and Kaidan talking about their love life (with the last two not knowing they're simping for the same woman lol)

“What you said earlier… About being caught in a crossfire… Really helped me more than I could ever imagine. It’s almost like you saw a weight on my back, that I didn't even know I was carrying, and took it away without me even asking for help.” Another pause, another deep breath. “And after that… After spending what’s left of your little free time here, just to try and see if I’m okay… Well… I guess I just wanted to do the same for you.”

–

//Kaidan confirms that, despite the war, this love life is thriving at the moment

//Kaidan adds 2 plus 2

Wait a second… you said before you were having love issues

*strike one

Do yours have to do anything with that (not being corresponded)

*strike two

That’s why you were sitting here all sad on your own?

*strike three, eliminated

She shares her worries about Shepard

//INCLUDE THAT SHE TELLS THEM ABOUT THE SHOWER SCENE PLEAAAAAASEEEE

James nearly dies laughing

Kaidan nearly dies, way too different reasons

Traynor is confused

///

Erm, Sam… I don’t think Lola is into chicks. 

*Kaidan goes into: kill me truck mode*

Are you sure?

Are we sure, jefe?

*Kaidan chokes and almost dies* 

God help me cause I don’t know how I’m gonna write the rest of this chapter lol

[celemee]

DADWC & Prompts

Updated 29th November 2024

I accept prompts at any time, although I make no guarantee that I’ll fill them! I’m happy to try my hand at any M/M or F/F pairing, barring polyships, so feel free to suggest a ship, a character or a platonic relationship and I’ll see if I can write something for them. I might come up with something horribly angsty or tragic, as that’s where my imagination tends to go. Fair warning!

Below is a list of my own favourite ships at the moment

DAI:

Inquisitor x Solas

Inquisitor x Cullen

DA2:

Hawke x Isabela

Bethany x Isabela

Hawke x Sebastian

Cullen x Sebastian

Anders x Sebastian

Fenris x Sebastian

DAO:

Zevran x Sten

Warden x Zevran

Warden x Leliana

You don’t need to specify a ship in the prompts if you don’t want to; I’ll just write something I’m in the mood for. I’d also prefer not to be prompted about DA4 characters; I want to finish the game before writing about them. ^^

Available prompt lists can always be found in this tag, or here are some direct links to some that have really captured my imagination lately:

Gestures of Loss

Autumn Prompts

I would also be happy to fill prompts for Warcraft (my OC Ravendras), Mass Effect (M!Shep x James Vega, or F!Shepard x Miranda), or Baldur’s Gate 3 (M!Durge x M!companion, F!Tav x F!companion)!

[random-fangirl003]

I'm seeing people talk about Jacob and Liam as well. I like Jacob. He's a good guy - they did him dirty with his relationship with Shepard, and I feel for her (side note: his face looks a little wonky tbh)

Liam is one of my all-time favorite characters! I love how he is basically chaotic, good, and a golden retriever. He tries so hard to do good, be good, not for himself, but for others! He gets mad at the hands they're dealt and mad at himself at times. I always have a hard time deciding between him and Jaal to romance. Liam deserves more love.

I've also seen mention of Iron Bull's voice actor, FPJ, but I don't know the controversy there. I love him as both Bull and James Vega. I can't imagine anyone else doing them justice, and I love how they were written (minus the Vega romance DLc area, that was horrible), and I romance Iron Bull regularly.

WHHHAAATTT you dont find Davrin interesting??? you thought Wyll was boring????? You HATED Vivienne??? And you SWEAR it has nothing to do with the fact theyre black?? OKAY!!!!!!!!!

[iamcayc]

Gemini Paradox - a Mass Effect WIP :)

Don’t mind me, just shamelessly plugging my Mass Effect fanfic that’s my take on the James Vega romance we all deserved but never got 😭👹 if the summary below tickles your fancy, then please hop on over to Ao3 to read on here!

Athena Shepard died the day they buried an empty casket in her brother's name. Fleeing to old habits and the depths of Omega to escape her grief, Thena lived the next two years in a numb haze, joining the asari dancers at Afterlife, under the watchful eye of Aria T'Loak.

Then, a grinning Alliance marine saunters into the club, calls her "Lola", and spends every day sitting at the front of whatever stage she's dancing on to flirt shamelessly with zero follow-through. His appearance comes three weeks before the ghost of her twin brother walks into Afterlife, shattering the glass cocoon containing what's left of her heart when she realizes that ghost isn't a ghost, but her brother—alive and well.

---

A re-imagining of the Mass Effect trilogy centered around Ares and Athena Shepard, the famous (and infamous) twins raised by Anderson and Hackett after the death of their parents, in which, Nihlus lives, Vega gets fast-tracked into ME2 by way of a fake relationship, and the fate of the universe rests in the hands of a brother and sister who will always choose each other above anyone else.

[xfandomwritingsx]

Being Human - James Vega/F!Shepard

Description: James and Shepard finally stop dancing around each other. AKA; a rewrite of the Citadel DLC.

Warnings/Labels: None really. Some super minor sexual stuff.

Approx. Word Count: 4,500

A/N: Look... this is at best a rough draft that I typed up and didn’t edit, but I will forever be bitter about how they made the Citadel play out with these two. And while I know it won't happen, I really wish they'd fix it in the remaster. I mean if you're going to remaster the games, that sounds like a damn good time to fix anything inappropriate and rape-y right?! I would love to do a whole slow burn of Shepard and Vega spanning from Earth to the end of the game, but if you know me, you know I'm SLOW AS MOLASSES to update and I'm not lying when I say it would take me years to finish. So instead... have a poorly written snippet. I tried to keep it as much in “canon character” as I could. 

Shepard stands on the balcony of her new apartment, mind gently jogging around the events of the last few days which bleeds into the events of the last few years. Resting her arms on the metal railing, she drops her head and sighs, trying to pull herself from the black hole that is her memory anymore. She wants to let it all go, just for a night.

“Hey, Lola,” James calls, pulling her back to the present. She looks up briefly wondering how long he’d been there before she sees the door closing behind him. How had she not heard it? “Nice place,” he comments, looking around the open layout. “Might not look so nice after that party you were talking about.” He walks further in, headed for the stairs to join her on the balcony.

“You wouldn’t trash my new apartment, would you James?” she jokes lightly, pushing herself upright off the railing.

“Me?” He spins a little, keeping his eyes on her as he continued to travel backwards to the stairs. “Nooo. Never,” he draws it out, the sarcasm a little thick. Shepard rolls her eyes at him, but he sees the little smile at the corner of her lips too.

James has always had that effect on her. No matter what dumb thing came out of his mouth, he managed to make her smile. It was something she’d craved over the last few months more than ever. While everyone else gave her pep talks that only managed to remind her how much the galaxy rested on her shoulders, James was more likely to tell her that her pants hugged her curves just right. He let her forget about being Commander Shepard even if for just a few moments.

He whistles as he approaches her side, looking out over the balcony with her.

“Nice view. But this place?” He shakes his head just slightly. “It’s just so... not what I’m used to.” He gives a small shrug, still looking out over the scenery and the lights outside the large windows.

“Which is?” Shepard prods. They don't talk about their pasts very often. Everyone already knew hers and James was never extremely open about his own. He puts his hands on the railing and leans into his arms a little.

“I grew up on the beach in the Pacific,” he shares. “So, you know; water, sand, real air.” She thinks there’s a hint of bitterness in his voice.

“You miss it?” He doesn’t look at her this time and instead she watches as he loosens his grip on the rail a little bit and sighs.

“Yeah. And the people.” She catches the undertone, the longing that implies he’s thinking of someone specific when he says it.

“So, what’s her name?” she asks. She means it to be teasing, but there’s an unexpected pang in her gut that feels all too much like jealousy for her liking and it ruins the lighthearted joke in her voice. She shifts her weight a little and slips a hand into the pocket of her pants.

“No! No.” he clarifies through a bark of a laugh, easing her tension a little. “I stopped... fraternizing when I joined the military. The two don’t seem to go well together.”

“Hasn’t stopped you from being a shameless flirt.” It had taken a short amount of time after they’d first met on Earth for him to relax around her and once he did, the comments, the winks, the innuendos and double entendres never ceased. The only thing he never seemed to do, was be physical with his flirting. He’d never so much as run a hand down her arm or let his hands linger when they sparred. Though Shepard had found herself wishing he would recently.

“Yeah, well... that’s just my way. I don’t mean anything by it.” There’s something in the way that he still won’t look at her that makes her think maybe that’s not all true.

“Too bad.” She drops her tone a little and takes a step towards him. “I wasn’t complaining.” He cracks a smile and lets out another short laugh.

“Who’s the shameless flirt now?” He gives her a single glance and then looks back down to his hands on the railing.

“So you can give it, but you can’t take it?” The flirting had never been completely one sided, but it certainly came heavier from him and it wasn’t uncommon for him to get a little flustered when she returned it.

“No, it’s just...” He releases the railing and pushes away, adding a little distance between the two. “You’re my commander, por dios. I can never tell if you’re yanking my chain.” He looks at her, really looks at her this time and the mood shifts. The air gets thicker, heavier and it feels like an opportunity, one she doesn’t want to slip away again.

“And what if I’m not?” she asks, voice dipping down again. “Not just yanking your chain?” James swallows thickly and there’s a mumble of a noise from his lips, but he doesn’t give a response. Instead, she’s pleased to watch as his eyes travel down from her eyes to her lips, down her neck and through the valley between her breasts that he can see all too well in her black tank top. “Are you going to tell me you’ve never thought about it?”

“Uhhh… I mean you’re one hell of a woman and I’m still just flesh and blood, if you know what I mean.” She can see a bit of redness creep up his neck and Shepard wonders if the implication is just that his body reacts to her or if he’s actually done something about it when his body reacts.

“So am I, James. And you are one hell of a man yourself.” She slips in front of him, putting herself between himself and the railing, all but begging him to pin her there. He makes no move to do so however. Instead, his eyes drop down to their feet and Shepard feels like she’s sinking. “But you’re not interested.” She leans back into the railing, wanting to retreat. James snaps his eyes back to hers and his mouth flops for a few moments as if he’s going to say something, but after a minute of silence, Shepard gives up. She slinks away off to the side and as far away as she can get without feeling too awkward. “Well, now that you’ve shot me down, was there anything else you came here to talk about?”

“Uhhh, yeah,” he stutters, shaking his head. She feels a little bad to have put him on the spot, but she’s just as embarrassed as he is. “I wanted to show you something.”

He turns away from her and pulls his shirt over his head. It takes Shepard longer than she should admit to notice he’s not just showing off the well-toned muscles in his back and shoulders, but trying to show her the new and finished N7 tattoo. He looks at her over his shoulder.

“What do you think?”

“Looks good,” she says honestly. “You’ve earned it.” She sees him smile a little at her approval. She crosses her arms over her chest and tries to lighten her tone. “Though I think it’s a little mean to flaunt yourself to the woman you just turned down.” He chuckles, taking her teasing easily.

“Here I was thought I was being nice giving you at least a little something,” he jokes back before turning to face her, shirt still in his hand. “Thought you liked the show.” She rolls her eyes, but even after him turning her down, the flirting still makes her feel better. “Anyways... Just wanted to show you that bad boy.” He slips his shirt back over his head and she resists the small urge to tell him to keep it off. “I gotta get back to the Normandy,” he says. “Esteban wants my help working on the shuttle.” Shepard shuffles her feet for a moment and then sticks out her hand towards him.

“Thanks for coming by, James.” She uses a formal voice, hoping the gesture and tone will clearly communicate a no hard feelings vibe. He reaches out and takes her hand. The handshake lasts for less than a second before he brings her hand up into a fist grab and pulls her closer. He locks her eyes with his and that tension rises again.

“Lola,” he whispers. “I’m not not interested.” She loosens her grip in his, going from firm comradery to something softer. “It’s just that… you’re Commander Shepard, you know?” He watches her shoulders fall and he knows instantly it was the wrong thing to say.

“I get it, James,” she says, attempting to hide her dejection. It’s the title, the legend that again stands in her way from being a regular woman. So much for him being the person who makes her forget it all. “Don’t worry about it.” She withdraws from him quickly and a little more coldly than she intended. He again opens his mouth, but doesn’t form words. “I’ll see you later,” she dismisses him and he nods. He moves to leave before trying once more to end on a friendly note.

“This is gonna be a perfect place for a fiesta.”

~~~

For a guy who all but told her no, James is sure as shit staring at her an awful lot like he wants to rip her clothes off.

“Is constant staring customary to the human mating ritual?” Garrus teases him as he pours drinks on the other side of the bar. “Because if so, you’re doing a damn good job, Jimmy.” James grimaces and throws a peanut shell at the Turian.

“Shut it, Scars.”

“He’s still convinced regs are a problem to worry about,” Steve chimes in, clapping his friend on the shoulder.

“Regs? Really?” Garrus asks. “You realize breaking regulations is pretty much Shepard’s specialty, right?” He slides the drink towards James who just shakes his head at it and passes it to Steve. “And even if it wasn’t, we’re quite possibly facing the end of the galaxy here. Who’s kissing who isn’t something anyone’s worried about, even the brass.” James mumbles something and picks at the label on his nearly full beer bottle.

He can barely see Shepard at the kitchen entrance from his spot at the end of the bar and every time she moves, his neck cranes to follow her. He’d either purposely or accidentally kept her in view all night and has spent the better part of it kicking himself for not just throwing her against a wall earlier that day.

She catches his eye and he instantly looks away, back to his bottle. She chose to wear a dress of all things tonight. A god damned dress. A little black number that fit her better than it had any right to. The woman was trying to kill him.

“Boys,” he hears her greet them casually, having approached them at the bar while he was attempting to ignore her. “How are things going?” James doesn’t hear their response. He’s too preoccupied trying to keep his eyes off of her chest as she leans her hip against the edge of the bar. “You seem quiet, Vega,” she comments.

“Just enjoying the party.” He shrugs and takes a drink of his beer, thinking about how he could kill Garrus and Steve for the look they shoot each other.

“Steve,” Garrus interrupts. “Let me show you that data pad I mentioned earlier.” Garrus had, of course, mentioned no such data pad in their prior conversations, but Steve agreed eagerly and James really thought about strangling at least one of them when they left him alone with Shepard.

“We good?” she asks him so casually that he almost feels bad.

“Yeah, why?” He takes another drink of his beer and it quickly turns into a large gulp.

“You seem to be avoiding me,” She squints and forces a smile. “And also staring, which is odd. Just want to make sure we’re good.” She takes a sip of her own drink and shifts her eyes to the Turian alcohol bottle, investigating it curiously.

James chews on his tongue for a moment. She wants them to be good. Good means normal. Normal would mean telling her those squats she’s been doing have done wonders for her ass and that was dangerous tonight.

“It help if I tell you that you look damn fine in that dress?” He never was too good at avoiding danger.

“Maybe,” She shrugs and leans forward towards him just a little. “Probably help a little more if you called me Lola.” Damn if her voice didn’t sound husky and smooth. Despite his better judgement, he followed her lead and leaned in as well, lowering his voice if nothing more than to make sure eavesdroppers wouldn’t hear.

“Well, that dress is definitely giving me ideas… Lola.” A smile breaks on her lips and he’s not entirely sure, but he thinks he sees her shiver just the slightest. He takes another long drink, but this time doesn’t take his eyes off her.

“You going to keep a girl guessing or are you going to share with the class?” She takes a step forward, getting close enough for him to notices she actually put on a light layer of perfume too. He chuckles, but curses internally.

“You’re making it real hard to remember why this is a bad idea,” he warns.

He starts listing the reasons in his head. Fraternization regs. She’s his commander. She’s fucking Commander Shepard and he’s just a nobody lieutenant who makes a shitty leader. She’s probably looking for some kind of easy fling. Distracting her like that would be selfish. It’d look bad. The rest of the crew might start to question her judgement. The list goes on and on.

“I never pegged you to be a guy who runs hot and cold,” she says, breaking his train of thought. “And yet today you’ve given more mixed signals than a broken comm transmission.”

“Sorry, Lola.” And he is, honestly. He’s a tangled-up mess of thoughts and emotions and even the little bit of alcohol he’s consumed tonight is making him think with his dick first.

“Want me to put on a wig? Change my name? Maybe lay on an accent?” He can tell by the wiggle in her eyebrows as much as the suggestion itself that she’s had a little too much to drink, but it twists his stomach in a bad way all the same. “I don’t have to be Commander Shepard for a night.” And now he feels guilty, so much so that his neck and his face turn red and he looks down again, embarrassed at himself. She gives a quick pat to his forearm. “Come find me if you change your mind.”

She grabs her drink and leaves to mingle with her other guests, leaving him alone to feel like an asshole. He could never find the right thing to say around Shepard. Not when it came to this. He wanted her and lately he had to admit it was more than just a sexual attraction. He wanted more than that, but the idea of being selfish enough to pursue Commander Shepard was intimidating. Maybe, he admits, he needs to stop separating her and realize that Commander Shepard and his Lola are one and the same. Maybe then he can stop being a dick.

“Fucking pendejo,” he whispers to himself before swiping up that Turian bottle.

~~~

She can feel the headache before she even opens her eyes. Had she really drank much last night? No, she’s sure she didn’t. She even remembers everything, including climbing into her bed after barely having the energy to change clothes.

She throws on her N7 sweatshirt and slowly treks her way to the kitchen, making sure to note all the remnants of the party, including some of her friends scattered amongst the apartment. It makes her smile.

She smells bacon as she rounds the corner and sees James at the stove already in the full throws of making breakfast. He beams a smile at her when he sees her in the doorway and flips the pan a little.

“Lola!” he greets. “Eggs?”

“You’re awful cheery,” she comments dryly, and a little bitterly, as she steps further into the kitchen. She rounds the island the stove is on and snags a piece of bacon from the plate there.

“Been a while since you knocked that many back?” he teases, watching the way her eyes squint uncomfortably. “Breakfast will help.” He shovels some of the fresh eggs onto a plate and passes it her way. She takes them gratefully and reaches for the salt. James’ hand wraps around her wrist, stopping her reach. “You really gonna do me like that?” he scolds playfully. “Add salt before you even try them? That’s my abuela’s recipe. It doesn't need more salt.” She cracks a smile, but doesn’t move her hand away just yet, the warmth of his hand feeling too comforting to pull away from. There’s a gentle swipe of his thumb over her pulse before he lets go on his own. He empties the rest of the eggs on a communal plate before clearing his throat. “Hey, let me know when you have some time,” he says. It sounds surprisingly awkward. “I’ve got something I want to talk to you about.”

~~~

Never being one to put things off, Shepard returned to her room as soon as she’d finished eating and made the rounds to make sure everyone was awake or, at the very least, breathing.

I’m in my room. Got some time. She sends the message before even making it through the door. It doesn't take more than a few seconds for him to respond.

Be up in a minute.

She makes herself busy with her omni-tool while she waits. She feels a bit like a fool, practically throwing herself at him a second time only to be left alone again last night. She wouldn’t blame him if he came to talk to her about how uncomfortable she had made him.

She’s left the door open for him, but he still gives it a gentle knock to get her attention when he arrives.

“Nice room,” he comments, sticking his head over the threshold and looking around. “Bit different than the Normandy. Less fish.” He cracks a smile at her and the simple gesture puts her at ease a little. He can’t be pissed at her if he’s still making jokes, right?

“You’re just jealous you don’t have fish in your room.” She isn’t about to admit that she actually misses the blue glow and gentle whir of the filter when she falls asleep. Not right now at least.

“Yeah, well, maybe we should trade rooms sometime.”

Or maybe we could share mine. Shepard physically bites her tongue to stop herself from saying it aloud. Still unsure of exactly where they stand and just how awkward she made things for him, it is not the time to let the flirtations rise up that quickly.

He takes her brief silence to enter the room and close the door behind him. That makes her a little nervous, but not nearly as much as when he says, “So... we should talk about last night.”

“I owe you an apology, Lieutenant,” she says instantly, nearly cutting him off. The way she snaps back to professionalism with a straight back, pushed down shoulders, and a commanding tone makes him pause for a moment, his eyes widening just a fraction. “I was inappropriate with you and should not have taken advantage of my rank.” It takes an extra moment for her apology to sink in and his brow furrows as he sorts it through his brain.

“What? No!” he huffs and takes two large, hurried steps her way. She must not have held her surprise well enough because he suddenly stops again. “Lola,” he sighs. “I didn’t come here to... register a complaint.” His face crunches up as though he doesn’t like the way the word taste. “I came to apologize to you,” he says firmly. “And hopefully not fuck up my words this time.”

The intensity in his eyes and the way he’s not shying away from her makes Shepard feel like she’s a young girl again. Any and all experience she has with men and relationships seems to just melt away and suddenly she’s got butterflies and a blush. There’s a nervous heat in her stomach that makes it hard to regain her composure.

“Okay,” she says slowly, not completely sure of where he’s going, but hoping to every God in the galaxy that he’s not turning her down again.

“I can’t hook up with you.” The butterflies die and the excited heat turns to an anger.

“I promise you don’t have to reject me again for me to understand.” She says it harshly, bitterly even. She barely manages to contain throwing her arms in the air when she turns away from him, moving towards the desk in the corner as if she has something better to do. She hears him mutter under his breath and while her Spanish is terrible, the inflection makes it sound like a string of curses.

“Shepard!” He follows her footsteps and when she spins to sit in the desk chair, his arm is extended as though he reached out for her just a moment too late. “I can’t hook up with you,” he emphasizes. “I can’t do just one night and that’s what would have happened last night. Would have been a drunken hook up that one of us or both of us would have brushed off in the morning. I don’t want that.” Her anger starts to dissolve and her spine loses some of its rigidness as she slinks back into her chair.

“What do you want then?” she asks, voice softer and quieter now. She’s afraid of the answer. He chews on his tongue and grinds his jaw and she wonders if maybe he’s afraid too.

“You,” he finally says.

“You sure about that?” She can’t help but scoff. “I am Commander Shepard, after all.”

“Yeah, you are.” His sigh this time seems more like a pained groan. Shepard watches carefully as he turns and sits himself on her unmade bed. “Which is why it feels completely selfish and impossible to ask you to commit to anything more, let alone to an insignificant lieutenant like me.”

“Commit?” She suddenly feels lighter again.

“When I go for something, I go all in,” he tells her. “That would include you...this...us.” He waves his hand out awkwardly and avoids her eyes as though he’s nervous. She bites down on her lip to swallow down the smile. She knows it’s not exactly fair to enjoy his nervousness, but at least it’s not just her. She slowly pushes herself up from her chair.

“You’re not insignificant,” she assures him.

“I’m not some hero of the galaxy,” he admits. He doesn’t say it with a self-conscious, but rather states it just as a simple fact. “I haven’t been with you since the beginning like most of these guys.”

“You know that’s one of the things I like about you James?” He looks up at her curiously. “Sure, you’ve heard the stories, but we didn't meet on the ship in the midst of wars. We met on Earth.” She rounds the desk slowly, walking closer to where he sits still using caution in case he backs out. “You didn’t just get to know Commander Shepard. You got to know Jane, to know me. You treat me like I’m human.”

“You are human, Lola.” He’s not looking away from her now and it gives her a little burst of confidence.

“Yeah. What was it you said? Just flesh and blood?” There’s a tease of a smirk on her lips as she comes to stand in front of him, legs stopping just short of slipping between the gap of his spread knees. He chuckles and the weight of everything starts to lift.

“You sure about this, Lola?” He reaches out and curls his hand around her hip. It's the first time he’s ever really touched her and it makes her heart skip just a little. She leans into his touch, pushing her hip into his palm and leans forward to put her hands on his shoulders. He feels solid beneath her and she can’t resist the need to squeeze just a little, to feel the muscles at the end of her fingers.

“I’ve thought about it in great detail.” He cocks an eyebrow at her and tugs her in-between his legs. He watches her with an unbridled desire in his eyes and for the first time in a long time, she feels real excitement. She traces one hand up the side of his neck so she can run his fingers along his jaw. “That party shouldn’t be the last bit of happiness we get to indulge in.”

He moves quickly; his hand on the back of her neck before she knew he moved it, using barely any strength to pull her down to him. She follows him easily, all too eager to kiss him heatedly. Months of suppressed desires pour out into each other and for the first few moments, they merely hold onto each other and soak in the relief of letting go. And then James’ hands start moving, pulling her closer and sliding over the curve of her ass. Shepard is compliant and carefully climbs into his lap, one knee on either side of his hips on her bed. He bites gently at her bottom lip before using a hand on her jaw to tilt her head back, allowing him to kiss down her neck.

Eyes closed and succumbing to the pleasure he’s offering, Shepard is unprepared for when James moves again. He rolls to the side and pushes her onto her back on the bed. She lets out an actual squeak of surprise and James chuckles, still pressing kisses to her skin. With her legs still around his waist, his hips grind almost unconsciously and she doesn’t hold back her moan.

James peels himself away from her slowly, leaving a cold trail of air where his body had been on top of her. She opens her eyes and glares at him, but the smirk still on his face and the bulge she manages to catch a glimpse of through his pants, make sure no fear of rejection rises back in her.

“And where are you going?” she asks, attempting and failing to use her Commander tone. She tries again after clearing her throat and pushing herself up on her elbows. “You’re not leaving this room for a while.” James laughs and flashes her a smile as he keeps walking to the door.

“Is that an order?” he teases, pressing the lock for the door and waiting until it flashes red before turning back to her.

“You bet your ass it is.” She smiles back at him. She could have locked the door from right here with her omni-tool and he knew it. He was just being a teasing bastard. “You’re not leaving her until I say so.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he laughs again before coming back to her.

[zaeedsflipflops]

“Anyone else? Miranda?”

[gwenthebard]

I also like to imagine Shepard did end up going semi public with a relationship with Kaidan or Liara in ME1. So everyone like, is obviously all over the tabloids like "theyre obvious back together right???? What have they been doing? Shepard escaping earth goes to Mars during a warzone to save her girlfriend? Shepard seen repeatedly visiting her boyfriend in the hospital?"

Then it's a big scandal where a woman who looks like Shepard is seen making out with someone who looks like Garrus, known longtime friend of Liara and Kaidan. Only for a few weeks later this to get hilariously exaggerated by the full video of Shepard and Garrus faking a first date and dancing in the nightclub, James Vega is drawn into the drama for the obvious reasons

The press are desperate to figure out what's going on, everyone on the Normandy is getting interviewed. Joker is getting constantly interviewed for the hot gossip as the one person whose seen everything go down. James' face is randomly on every newspaper because Shepard flirted with him during a dance. Kaidan and Liara can't talk about the war effort or their research without someone asking if it's a throuple situation or cheating. Tali is getting and either Kaidan or Liara (whoever wasn't romanced) is just getting asked if they knew this was a thing. Javik knows shit about what's going on but he's still pretending he knows everything to stir up drama

Thinking about how Garrus and Shepard are not exactly public with their relationship until ME3 and then suddenly someone with a camera sees two people sitting on the presidium with a sniper rifle doing target practice and at first thinks its just two random delinquents and then they zoom in AND ITS COMMANDER FUCKING SHEPARD KISSING A TURIAN.

what a way for the world to find that out. Especially with how the citadel seems to focus on ANY news but the imminent attack by the Reapers... the Press would have a field day.

[painterofhorizons]

Reda Shepard & James Vega, the unexpected post-war couple.

template one | template two

Songs: Imagine Dragons - Westcoast   |   Shinedown - Daylight   |   Jonathan Roy - Lost

Saw the second on @mallaidhsomo‘s dash and remembered I had done the first for Alex Dancy&David Rossi some time ago. So Reda&James had to follow.

Tagging: @comeoniwantacoolname @hunnybadgerv @chyrstis @foofygoldfish @sheeplessthings @commander-krios @shadoedseptmbr @theoriginalladya and everyone who wants to do! Please tag me back so I’ll see yours. ^.^