#ladya writes

[theoriginalladya]

I recently commissioned @me1onmi1k for a picture of Kaidan Alenko and Reyes Vidal for my The Golden Boy & The Shady Bastard series of fics and oh man, did they DELIVER!!!!! LOOK AT THEM!!! These two snuck up on me and stole my heart and now I have actual art of them TOGETHER! <3

sigh I suppose this means I now have to write the fic to go with this picture. Oh darn. ;)

Thank you so very much, @me1onmi1k - your art, as ever, is just perfect! <3

[mtreebeardiles]

WIP Wednesday

Was tagged by @illusivesoul — many thanks! Very excited to see where that seraghast is going btw 👀

Haven’t been writing as much but I’m hoping to move past my temporary hiatus soon. I do have a little bit of the next part of Stardew Effect written tho, so here ya go!

Not formatted because tumblr hates me lol

Tagging let’s see @tiny-banana-time @pastelroyce @dandenbo and I see LadyA did a WIP Wednesday but tagging you anyway lol @theoriginalladya 🧡 no pressure as always (gonna also tag @urdnotflexthejedibard though if you wanna share it with us in discord instead since it’s original 👀 still wanna see how that project is going 🥰)

"So, okay… run this by me again."

Kaidan was perched on Evvy's bed, cross-legged, elbows braced on his knees as he watched the other man resettle beside him. On the nightstand before them was Everett's laptop, lid open, screen aglow, the bird he'd rescued peering down at the keys as if in deep concentration.

"I'm like, ninety percent sure that bird is actually Liara."

"And she's cursed?"

"Like, super cursed."

"And you came to that conclusion because something… repelled you? When you tried to heal her?"

"Something like that." Everett mirrored Kaidan's position, and for all he looked even more exhausted than he'd seemed earlier that day, there was a quirk to his lips and a glint in his eyes that echoed the sort of good-humor Kaidan had come to associate with him.

"You seem amused by all this."

"I'm amused by you."

"Hey! Why!" His outrage was undercut by his own inability to suppress a smile. Despite the weird and frankly worrying circumstances, it did him good to see Evvy in better spirits. He reached over, prodding Everett in the ribs, doubling his efforts when the other man tried to squirm away. He captured him, pulling him against his chest and running his fingertips along the sensitive areas he'd mapped once before. "I went all the way to that tower for you! Climbed way too many stairs! Tried to understand Wizard!"

Everett was laughing, only half-heartedly trying to escape.

"I almost tried re-creating that hallucinogenic tree tea! And I come all the way here just to get sassed! Unbelievable."

"You weren't gonna try to make that tea, Kay."

"True, but saying I would've helps my case here."

Everett shifted, looking up at him, cheeks lightly flushed. "Fighting dirty there, Kaidan?"

"If it gets you to laugh like that," he replied with a shrug, smiling a little. "Worth it."

Everett's smile softened, and he leaned up to brush a kiss to Kaidan's cheek. Kaidan gave him a little squeeze in return, resting his chin against his shoulder. "So what's actually amusing?"

"Just how outraged you are at the idea of curses," Evvy admitted. "We know Liara can teleport, but this is where you draw the line?"

"This is a step beyond 'odd,' Evvy. This," he gestured towards the bird, watching as it lifted a delicate foot and attempted to smack a few keys with it, promptly falling over. "This I can't even take seriously."

The bird turned its head then, fixing him with what could only be considered a beady-eyed glare.

"I don't know how else she can communicate with us!" Everett leaned forward without actually leaving Kaidan's hold, reaching out to set the bird to rights. "Try your beak?"

[stormcallart]

me w/ ur art ✨ you’re doing god’s work

i love this, thank you! glad to brighten someones day even if it is with giant man tiddies

[theoriginalladya]

WIP Whenever

Went to Starbucks this morning to do some writing and Kaidan finally started to cooperate for my Rydenko stories! <3 Here is a snippet from this morning's writing adventure...

Setting: Milky Way Galaxy, 2185

~~~

There it was again, that hint of worry and apprehension from before.  Something else was going on here that Kaidan couldn’t quite pin down.  “From the sounds of it, things are just about ready to go?” “They are.  We are down to a matter of weeks before departure now.”  Turning towards him, she asked, “Tell me, Major Alenko –” Kaidan straightened and lifted a hand.  It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate it, but it felt so hypocritical to still call himself that.  “Please, it’s Kaidan.  I left my rank behind when I was discharged.” She remained silent, but her eyes seemed to survey him with new intensity.  “All right, Kaidan,” she agreed at length.  “So, tell me, why did you decide to join us at such a late date?  Alec said you were a damn good marine.  One of the best, as I recall.  Why leave the Alliance and join our number?” And there it was, the core of the matter.  “My reasons for joining are similar to those when I first joined the Alliance,” he began.  “I’ve always had an interest in exploration.  In traveling to distant places and meeting new people.”  It was true.  After his experience at BAaT, that was what had drawn him back to the Alliance long-term. Her lips pressed tightly together as she watched him.  “I know who you are, Kaidan,” she said quietly.  “Where you come from.  So does Alec.  We weren’t blind to the reports that came out a couple of years ago.” Ah. 

[theoriginalladya]

Will & Might: The Test of Time

Title: Will & Might: The Test of Time

Fandom: Dragon Age

Word Count: about 12,000

Rating: T and Up

Summary:

William Trevelyan and Cullen Rutherford spent ten years together as Templar recruits at the Chantry monastery in Jader. Closer than brothers, until a revelation forced William to leave the Templar life behind. Reunited fifteen years later, their friendship is put to the test a second time by the same choice that drove William from the monastery. The world may be falling apart around them, but perhaps a reforged friendship is just what these two old soldiers need.

Characters: William Trevelyan, Cullen Rutherford, Varric Tethras, Solas

Pairings: William Trevelyan & Cullen Rutherford, William Trevelyan/Dorian Pavus

Tags: Friendship, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Drinking, Drunkenness, Mentions of addiction (lyrium), mentions of withdrawal (lyrium) Chess, get by with a little help from my friends

Snippet:

He should have gone the other way. “You look like you’ve got your hands full there, Inquisitor. Let me get that door for you.” In all his days, back in the Free Marches or even during his years at the monastery for training, William Trevelyan had always maintained a fine sense of humor. Puns, witty one-liners, word play of any kind – “It’s knight errant, not knight errand, you arse!” – Will savored and appreciated it all. He’d built a reputation for himself of being quick witted and, when necessary, as vicious with his words as he was with his blade.  Until tonight. Maker, but he’d forgotten that the easier route to his destination would bring him right past the dwarf currently sitting at the table in the Great Hall in front of the hearth, an inkwell, quill, and bare pages open before him. Right in front of the door Will needed to get through, and almost as if expecting he would come by. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I decided to go back to my roots in Dragon Age to try to get my writing mojo back and participated in the Dragon Age Big Bang this year with a (not so) simple story about friendship, separation, and the reforging of that friendship fifteen years later.

I was fortunate enough to get paired up with @blasteddoodles as my artist, and oh man, did she bring my Inquisitor, William, to life! Thank you, my friend! Also huge thanks to @shadoedseptmbr and @happychica for betaing for me!

Enjoy!

[theoriginalladya]

WIP Wednesday

Been absent for a while due to life and troublesome muses and such, but in the last couple of weeks, life is finally wrangling into better shape and I think the muses are as well. So, in an effort to try to be more present, have a snippet for WIP Wednesday (if that's even done anymore lol).

From my Rydenko series Straight On Til Morning:

~~~~~~~

Setting: Tempest, Heleus Cluster, Andromeda Galaxy

“What do you miss most about the Milky Way?” Scott hadn’t been asleep exactly and Kaidan’s question was enough to nudge him just a bit closer to consciousness.  Still, it was a tough sell.  Lying all warm and cozy, snuggled under the blankets, wrapped securely in the Pathfinder’s arms... “Hmmm?”  Forcing himself to move, Scott flopped awkwardly onto his back and blinked. It was worth it to meet the thoughtful amber gaze focused on him. Kaidan lay on his side and one arm loose but secure around Scott’s torso.  He didn’t flinch with the movement, simply kept his attention on Scott through the darkness.  A lopsided smile traveled across Scott’s lips.  “You’ve got your ‘thinking’ face on again,” he teased. Kaidan’s lips twitched at the corner and puff of warm air brushed across Scott’s cheek as he huffed out a laugh.  “You aren’t the first person to tell me that.” “This isn’t the first time I have, either.”  Lifting a hand, he brushed his knuckles across Kaidan’s cheek.  In fact, he could remember at least twice back in the Milky Way when he’d made similar comments.  He’d already lost count in Heleus.  Pulling his arm free, Kaidan caught Scott’s hand.  He held it close to his cheek for a moment, tipping his head into the touch, before lowering it once more.  “I just found myself thinking about everything we left behind,” he explained, his voice thoughtful even as his gaze shifted from Scott out the window behind their bed to the stars beyond.  “I’m not naïve enough to think there wouldn’t be times like this, but...” Settling his arm behind his head, Scott considered the question.  “Hmm.  I’m guessing you mean things we couldn’t bring or people we left behind?” “Anything, really.  Whatever you miss most.”

[theoriginalladya]

Ostinato (update)

(commissioned artwork of Lachlan Shepard and Kaidan Alenko by @me1onmi1k)

Guess who started whispering into my ear today!

Going through some old (and I mean OLD!) prompts to see what I can come up with! (so old I can't even find the original ask for it!)

Prompt: In the moonlight/celebration

On AO3 in full here

OTP: The Music Lives On found here

Excerpt:

Lachlan once heard that night skies are the best skies because they hold secret and safe the stories of the different worlds they envelope.  He’s been under many night skies over the years.  The double moons of Mindoir.    Terra Nova for one night before all hell broke loose.  The unpolluted darkness out at the Alenko orchard.  Numerous other worlds over the years of serving with the Alliance. 

But the night sky of Elysium, at this moment in time, is the most brilliant and beautiful and he never wants to forget it.

A heavy glass clinks lightly with ice as it’s pressed into his hand and the peaty aroma tickles his nose.  Smiling, Lachlan leans back as his husband’s arm wraps around him and he sighs softly, humming his appreciation.  Kaidan clinks their glasses together, laughter filling Lachlan’s ears.  “To us.”

“Hmm.  To us.”  Lachlan straightens to sip his drink, savoring the taste as he continues to look up at the star-lit sky.  Turning, he rests his hips against the balcony railing and focuses his gaze on Kaidan.  “D’you ever think about how damned lucky we are?”

[theoriginalladya]

The Long Walk Home - fanfiction

Title: The Long Walk Home

Summary: The fleets are assembled, the battle has been fought. Only one decision is left to be made and only Commander Caleb Shepard can make it.

Relationship: Caleb Shepard/Kaidan Alenko

Characters: Caleb Shepard, Kaidan Alenko

Tags: Destroy Ending, Endgame Choices, Angst, Angst and Feels, Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Irish Shepard, To End a War and Save a Galaxy, Slightly Canon Divergent, Near Death Experience

Rating: M

Setting: End of the Reaper War, Citadel

Excerpt:

What’s the term Garrus uses? 

Ruthless calculus.  Sacrifice a billion lives here to save ten billion over there. 

The turians might know and accept it from birth, but it isn’t a completely foreign concept to him, not at this stage of the game. 

Still, the numbers are staggering, mind blowing.  It isn’t an easy decision. 

Shepard, I would risk non-functionality…

He winces, the familiar voice an echo in his head.  She’s there, in his mind’s eye, both as infiltration unit and ship.  She’s one and the same to him, she always will be.

A grimace, a groan, a sharply drawn breath as he struggles to move a foot forward.

He doesn’t want to disappoint her, not now, but what else can he do?

EDI, Tá brón orm…

Read Full Story Here || Read Series Here

I've had this idea for Caleb's last moments of the war for a long time. I wrote this up a while back - can't recall when, exactly - but today I was looking at it and Imagine Dragons' song Bleeding Out came on and suddenly editing happened. Be warned - you may want a box of tissues at hand. I've already gone through one.

Also note: This is a lead in to Caleb's post-war stories! I hope to start posting some of them soon!

[theoriginalladya]

WIP Whenever

I haven't had much going on with any of my boys of late as my brain has been hijacked by a couple of original fic ideas, but I went to sleep last night with the following snippet in mind and I managed to get it down on a page more or less how I imagined it. Proof that Caleb and Kaidan are still kicking around inside my head, despite work, Real Life, and original fic ideas! <3

Setting: 2168/9-ish, post Reaper War, on their honeymoon, Santorini, Greece, Earth

~~~

A mug in each hand, Caleb slips out onto the back patio and pads his way barefoot across the space.  Even now, and despite still recovering from his injuries, he manages to keep silent, and though he isn’t looking at Caleb, a smile of welcome slides across Kaidan’s face. 

Caleb laughs to himself. There are some benefits to having biotics, after all.

As he nears, Kaidan inhales deeply and sets aside the pad of paper and pencil he’d been using, but not before Caleb catches a glimpse of lines and shape.  Another smile, this time his own, as he recognizes the scene beginning to form on the page; a lone figure (himself) staring intently at some ancient Greek ruins. 

Kaidan’s brow rises.  “Something amusing you, mo shearc?”

Shivering in appreciation, Caleb hands over one of the mugs. Mo shearc.  Caleb knows Kaidan loves him – he shows it all the time and in so many ways – but hearing him say it and in Irish no less… 

Caleb’s smile broadens into a full-fledged grin.  “Let’s just call it art appreciation, mo ghrá, and leave it at that.”

Kaidan's laughter - deep and rumbly and warm - fills the air around them as he shifts on the chaise lounge to make room. Caleb straddles the chair to sit behind him.  “You didn’t have to stop, you know.”

Kaidan huffs softly as he takes a sip of his coffee.  The smile that spreads across his lips assures Caleb he got it just the way Kaidan likes it, and that's a relief.  This isn't like back in their Alliance days together, sharing a quick cup of liquid tar to keep awake during a watch shift or to help ground themselves after a rough mission. This...is something more meaningful, more important.

After so much of his life spent actively avoiding the kind of closeness that leads to long-term relationships, Caleb is still learning how to express himself through little things like this. 

Kaidan exchanges his mug for the pencil and pad, leaning back against Caleb’s chest to keep them close.  “Didn’t want to mess it up,” he replies as he flips back open to the page he'd been working on.

The cream colored page is a mass of lines and shapes, just hints of features starting to clarify. Hints of shadow to define the blocks of stone and a few seemingly stray lines barely darkening the paper that are blades of grass. With one arm wrapped around Kaidan's waist, Caleb rests his chin on his husband's shoulder and watches the magic unfold.

He still remembers the day, purely by accident, that he discovered Kaidan's talent for capturing the world around him. The shock at not only realizing Kaidan had kept it such a secret from even his closest friends, but that he was so skilled. Amazement. Astonishment. Utter delight. In those early years after they first met, Caleb had thought of Kaidan's biotics as 'magic' - space magic, Kaidan had joked - but his ability to take a scene and use precise strokes of a pencil to make it real, well, that was magic in its own right.

As he watches now, their visit to the ancient Greek ruins earlier that afternoon takes shape right before Caleb's eyes. Down to the squirrel scampering along the stone rubble. He can almost hear it chittering in his ear...

With a soft sigh, Caleb squeezes just enough to share the emotion, yet careful not to jar Kaidan's arm. “You never cease to amaze me, mo ghrá.”

Kaidan snorts, but his grin returns. “Isn’t that my line?”

“Not tonight.”  Caleb brushes his lips along the side of Kaidan’s neck. "Tonight it's my turn."

[theoriginalladya]

WIP-it Snippet

Gotta love Discord servers that can take something aggravating - autocorrect 'correcting' the word nudge to nude - and turn it into something ridiculous and, in the end, useful...

~~~

“Nudge it,” Shepard suggests as he pitches his voice down to where Kaidan is kneeling. Kaidan nods, reaching out to do so but not before Coats sputters, “What did you just say?” Three pairs of eyes shift from the body to him.  Shepard’s brows crease in confusion.  “What?” Abby walks over to Coats and snaps her fingers in front of his face.  “You okay there, soldier?” He swats her arm away and she laughs, but then he says, “I swear I thought you said ‘nude’.” Shepard fights back a strangled laugh and Kaidan glances away.  Even Abby looks as if she’s struggling not to choke.  Eventually, she manages to rasp out, “Soldier, you need to get your ears checked.  This isn’t 007: Tits To Die For.” Coats mutters something unintelligible and heads back over to keep an eye outside the door.

[theoriginalladya]

WIP Wednesday

I'm only...two and a half hours late for this one. No harm no foul, right?

Still plotting away at my Rydenko fic with the occasional scribble or two of ideas as they come to me. Here's one such scribble.

Setting: 2818, Andromeda System, Ark Hyperion just after Kaidan has come out of cryostasis

~~~~~

Cora headed out the minute she was ready, eager as ever to follow Alec’s direction to the letter.  But Kaidan stayed back.  It wasn’t second thoughts – far too late for that now – or disillusionment or anything like that, but the soft amber flash in the lower left corner of his omni-tool.  A color and pattern set to specific protocols.  Protocols he’d thought left behind in the Milky Way over six hundred years ago. Once alone, he took a seat on a bench and retrieved the first one.  He recognized it as Liara simply by her intake of breath. “Hello, Kaidan.  By now you are well on your way to Andromeda.  At least, I hope you are.  If the information I have is right about the Andromeda Initiative’s timeline, you should have just made it out of the Milky Way just before the Reapers’ arrived.”  There was a pause.  When she spoke again, there was a slight quaver in her voice.  He could remember clearly the last time he’d heard that – right after she’d watched her mother die on Noveria.  “They are here, Kaidan, and they are every bit as bad as we thought they would be."

[theoriginalladya]

Merry ChRhysmas

Title: Merry ChRhysmas

Summary: Five times Rhys Shepard celebrated Christmas and one time he didn't.

Relationships: Kaidan Alenko/Male Shepard

Characters: Rhys Shepard, Kaidan Alenko, Liara T'Soni, Original NPCs

Tags: non-military Shepard, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergent, Holiday Fluff, Holiday Angst, Christmas, Five plus One

Excerpt:

Rhys Shepard is six years old when he discovers family isn’t defined by blood alone. He stands hesitantly in the doorway and bites his lip; the weight of his question almost more than he can bear.  “Gramma?” Wiping her hands on a towel, Evelyn Shepard turns towards him.  She takes a knee – she always does when speaking to him – so they are eye to eye, but there’s a ready and welcome smile on her lips.  Beckoning with one hand, she invites him closer.  “Yes, dear?” He slides across the floor in his socks, like the skaters he, Gramma, and Grandpa saw at the lake last week, not nearly so graceful but it works.  Papa had told him about the lake, how the water would freeze, and people would play hockey or skate to music.  Papa’s stories had all sounded so wondrous, and the real thing had been.  Rhys just wishes Papa had been there too.  

~~~

Read Here || Read Series Here

Happy Holidays! Here is a little 5 + 1 oneshot I started a couple of years ago for Dr. Rhys Shepard and finally got the muses to cooperate to finish it! Enjoy!

Note: This is a part of my People Like Us series where Rhys Shepard is a bit older, he ends up at BAaT with Kaidan, and he does NOT go into the military.

[theoriginalladya]

Off The Clock

Title: Off The Clock

Characters: Kaidan Alenko, Reyes Vidal

Relationship: Kaidan Alenko/Reyes Vidal

Tags: romantic fluff, domestic fluff, writing prompt, kissing, mass effect/mass effect andromeda crossover

Excerpt:

But as Reyes saw it, there was something to be said for down time despite Kaidan’s arguments against it, and when it came to getting what he wanted, Reyes was a determined son of a bitch.  “Reyes –” Reyes kept his smile in place as he sighed.  It was a good thing he was determined.  Kaidan was the most stubborn man he had met in two galaxies. “Don’t Reyes me, mi amor,” he murmured, voice warm as it dropped to a slightly playful tone.  “I have plans for you tonight and you are, as they say, ‘off the clock,’ are you not?”

~~~

This started as a prompt response to the prompt: flirty kisses, but no sooner had I started writing than Reyes took control and, well, 2k+ words later, there ya go! lol I have to admit, he surprised me here twice, so I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I did!!

It also gave me a chance to work in the gorgeous artwork that @me1onmi1k did for me a while back! Thank you again!

Read here || Read series here

[theoriginalladya]

Everybody Loses It - Chapter Update

(commissioned art of Rhys Shepard and Kaidan Alenko by @xla-hainex)

Everybody Loses It

Summary: One of the first human biotics, prothean specialist Dr. Rhys Shepard has fought for years to distance himself from the events at BAaT and distance himself from his parents and their military careers. When a prothean beacon is discovered on Eden Prime, he snatches the chance to finally prove himself.

Until the geth attack and he comes face to face with a part of his past he thought long dead...

Chapter 4: One Step Closer

Excerpt:

"I'm no Indiana Jones, Ryder, and I’m certainly no Johnny Cash." Out of the darkness to Rhys' left, a familiar voice calls from the shadows, "They named the dog Indiana, as I recall." Another memory flash returns - secret movie nights at BAaT, stolen snacks from the kitchens, and whispered commentary as they sit in the dark - and Rhys pinches his nose.  Of course, Kaidan would remember that.  A glance to his left finds Kaidan slipping from the shadows and Williams is behind him.  That isn’t a surprise as she joined the Normandy crew right after Eden Prime, but the three figures following her - a quarian, a turian, and a krogan - are unexpected.  The purple and silver hooded quarian is the first of the three to speak.  "What's a dog?" To Rhys' surprise, it’s the krogan who answers.  "Varren-like creature, but smaller and with fur." "Fur?" Williams clarifies, "Animal hair." "Ah."

Read Chapter | Read From Beginning | Read Series

Just a few things to note:

1) Rhys is a slightly older Shepard, a combination of a spacer and Earthborn background, and non-military. He goes off to college and graduate school and becomes a prothean specialist

2) He and Kaidan have known one another since BAaT. They have a history together.

3) Kaidan is the Commander of the Normandy. He essentially takes over the role of Shepard in the ME canon timeline

This story isn't a retelling of all of game 1, but will use bits and pieces of it that fit for their story.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed writing them!

For anyone interested, Rhys has two playlists on Spotify.

This one is associated with his story The Barn called Shore Leave on Mindoir

And this is his general playlist that I listen to while writing for him. It may change some as his story continues.

If you have any questions about Rhys, feel free to drop an ask! I love to talk about my characters! :)

Enjoy!

[theoriginalladya]

WIP Wednesday

Oh, hey, perfect timing - it's Wednesday, isn't it? Of all days for Caleb to really start talking to me again!!!

For over six months now, he's been pretty quiet. Probably due to stress from my surgery, among other things. But today... he's back! So, to celebrate, here's a snippet!

~~~

The comms room is quiet, Admiral Hackett’s focus solely on Dr. Chakwas through the QEC.  “What exactly are you saying, doctor?” Adjusting her stance, she looks first at the Admiral before meeting Caleb’s gaze.  “Whatever the Crucible did when it fired,” she explains, “I can’t fix it.  Not like you were before, Commander.  I’m sorry.”  A small shiver runs through Caleb, and only Kaidan at his side gives him the strength and will to remain steady just then. The simple act of swallowing is painful, but Caleb finds his voice.  “What…exactly does that mean?” Her lips curve in a smile of reassurance.  “I have fixed you up as best I can.  Perhaps if Ms. Lawson were still alive, she could provide alternatives, but I have no way to replicate everything she did when she brought you back.” Her features soften slightly in front of him.  Whether Hackett notices, Caleb has no idea, but it eases a tension Caleb didn’t realize was there.  “Do not misunderstand me, Shepard.  You are as alive and well as Major Alenko or myself.  Your life expectancy is just as long.  That much I can promise.”  She turns again, the underlying steel in her blood returning as she faces the admiral once more.  “So long as you retire from the Alliance and the Spectres.  Without Miranda’s technology and experience, I cannot heal you to a point where your body can stand the stress and strain required of a common infantry soldier, let alone an N7 or Spectre.  I am sorry.” For a few moments, there is complete silence while the news settles.  All Caleb has known since leaving Ireland fifteen years before is the Alliance.  What is he supposed to do now? Kaidan’s arm, secure across Caleb’s lower back, tightens in silent support as Admiral Hackett finally replies, “Well, that’s going to put a different look on things.”

[theoriginalladya]

WIP Whenever

Woke up with an idea for Rhys and Kaidan. Of course, before we could get to that idea (which means I lost the details my half-awake brain provided) we had to sort something out from the past, BUT, it's sorted and the details are firming up on that front!

In the meantime, a bit of something from the 1100 words I did get.

Setting: ME1 sometime (not sure exactly when yet)

Slowly, Rhys slides a booted foot closer.  Just the length of it, heel to toe.  Just enough to gauge whether or not Kaidan is still amenable to the idea and whether or not Rhys can still read him right. Kaidan's breath catches - the softest of hitches in the air between them - but he doesn't move. Rhys takes another slow, sliding step with the other foot. By the time their noses bump slightly against the other's and Kaidan's breath tickles along Rhys' neck above his collar, memories of far better times, of laughter and joy, of friendship and more, chase away the last vestiges of any lingering ache.  A small smile tilts upward to one side of Rhys' lips.  This time when Rhys lifts a hand towards Kaidan, Kaidan leans into the touch.  His eyes close as the prickle of a days worth of whiskers tickles along Rhys' palm. Rhys doesn't care.  All he's interested in at the moment is whether Kaidan's lips feel just as warm and demanding as they had a decade ago... Warm.  Pliable.  Sensuous.  A zing of electricity arcs through Rhys, stealing his breath - or maybe that's just Kaidan? - until he has to break it off.  Kaidan's eyes, darker now, pupils wide as they follow Rhys, stay focused on him.  It's almost unnerving.  Almost.  Rhys has fond memories of that intense look.  Clearing his throat, he asks, "Is...is that okay?" Kaidan's lips twitch, his nose, the corner of one eye.  He's amused.  "Fraternization is frowned upon in the Alliance." Any concern Rhys has dies a quick death.  Snorting softly, a lazy grin spreads across his face.  "Good thing I'm not Alliance then, isn't it, Alenko?"