#Evvy x Kaidan

[mtreebeardiles]

and another one

ME3 fic chapter update, over on AO3 in full

Kaidan's head fell back against the pillows with a sigh, eyelashes fluttering, and he murmured, "I don't wanna go to these meetings."

A chuckle against his neck and he glanced down to see gray eyes and flushed cheeks, watched as Evvy drew his fingertips in lazy patterns against his chest. He was settled between Kaidan's legs under the sheets, having moved there in stages ever since waking up -- a process that involved waking Kaidan up, too, slow and sweet, far more preferable to insistent alarms or needing to jump out of bed to attend to some crisis or other. 

Kaidan was very much looking forward to waking up like this for at least the next few days. 

"Don't pretend like you're not excited to check in with your team, Kay," Evvy said, moving back to pressing lazy kisses against Kaidan's neck, trailing down to his collarbones. Kaidan let loose another sigh, eyes fluttering shut this time. Felt pleasantly warm, the pillow cradling his head perfectly, Evvy's body stretched out along his own like the world's best weighted blanket and while Everett was right and Kaidan did want to see his people in person for once, it was a pretty close tie to how much he wanted to just stay put and be cozy a while longer. 

"We'll get to do this again once we're in the apartment," the Commander went on, as if he could read Kaidan's mind. Kaidan snorted, cracking an eye open and slipping his fingers into Evvy's hair. 

"That a promise?"

Everett glanced up at him, catching his eye before he bit him.

"More than a promise." He moved up then, capturing his lips with his own for one of those spine-tingling kisses that did the opposite of making Kaidan want to get up and go be professional. Evvy knew it, too, if that mischievous smirk he flashed him after was any indication, nipping at Kaidan's lower lip before pulling away. 

"Is this your way of making sure I stay on task?" 

"Just a little encouragement to keep the meetings short and sweet," Everett replied, winking as he slipped away. 

"You realize one of those meetings is with the Council, right?"

"And I am eternally grateful that you and Ash are handling that without me." 

Kaidan scrunched his nose at him and started the onerous task of pushing himself up, running his fingers through his hair and stifling a yawn. 

"No problem, Nerd." 

And it wasn't, despite his half-hearted grumbling. With two additional Spectres, both at command level or higher, he saw no reason to force Evvy into each and every meeting with the Council and the Admirals -- especially since Everett already spoke to Hackett on a semi-regular basis and even Anderson when communications were strong enough to reach whatever FOB was set up on Earth. The only appointment Evvy needed to keep was the one with Dr. Chakwas and one of the psychiatrists on the Citadel, and then he was free to go explore this apartment Anderson had left him. 

Kaidan slipped out of bed, following Evvy into the bathroom and wrapping his arms around him from behind as the other man set to brushing his teeth. Everett hummed, leaning back against him a moment, smiling around his toothbrush when Kaidan dropped kisses along his shoulders. 

"Just send me the apartment info and I'll meet you there later, baby," he murmured. One final kiss to the back of Everett's neck, and he made his way into the shower. 

[mtreebeardiles]

Stardew Effect, Summer, Year 1, pt 17

An update! Hey! Another chapter I had partially written and finally did something about!

Full chapter over on AO3!

"So you're having these dreams every night, now?"

The question was quiet, for all the bar wasn't overly crowded at this time of day. Not entirely empty, a few regulars seated in the booths on the other side of the main room for lunch, but Kaidan didn't want to risk drawing unwanted attention. 

Bad enough Everett looked asleep on his feet.

The other man fought back a yawn as Kaidan watched, largely failing, and rubbed at an eye. 

"Pretty much, yeah," Evvy replied, blinking down at the glass in his hand as if needing a moment to remember how it had gotten there and why. "S'not quite like the other ones, though."

"Yeah?"

Everett's brow furrowed and he resumed cleaning the glass. "Keeps taking me somewhere I don't recognize." He glanced up, catching Kaidan's eye, and added, "all the others are places around here, in the Valley. I mean I guess this place could be, too, but not any part of the Valley I'm familiar with."

Kaidan hummed, leaving off on any follow-up as another customer wandered over to place an order. Everett managed a smile, a little tired around the edges, and excused himself to drop the ticket off to the kitchen. 

Kaidan resettled on his bar stool, absently tapping his fingers against the side of his glass of lemonade, puzzling over the details Everett had shared with him so far. The dreams in and of themselves weren't anything new; Evvy had told him about them once it became clear they were a recurring thing. Some tie or other with whatever forest spirits resided in the abandoned Community Center, and he didn't think it was a coincidence that the dreams had started taking on a different tone when Liara had vanished. Some kind of warning, he figured, though to what end he couldn't begin to guess. Liara was gone, the circumstances as uncertain now as they had been before, and they already knew about mines. 

"What'd this place look like?" Kaidan found himself asking once Evvy had returned. The other man sighed, leaning a hip against the bar as he considered. 

"It was… dark? Seemed like a swamp, maybe? Not really the climate or environment for that sort of thing around here, but I guess stranger shit has happened."

"And is this coming from our, uh… Community Center friends, too?"

"Yes and no?" Everett grabbed a rag, absently scrubbing at the bar top. "It feels different, somehow, but they're there, still. But kinda like they're along for the ride, and I have no idea who's driving." He chewed on his lower lip a moment before glancing up at Kaidan again. "And… you don't have weird dreams, right? Or visions or…whatever this is?"

Kaidan shook his head, reaching out to cover Evvy's hand with his own. The other man looked exhausted in more ways than one. Maybe they weren't going through the same thing, but he remembered what it had felt like, to have something going on that he couldn't easily share with anyone else. Remembered how isolating it had been, how isolating it still could be, and the irony of finally finding some sense of common ground in this place so tucked away from the rest of the world he'd known wasn't lost on him. 

He just wished he could do more to help Everett.

Maybe I can… He drew a fingertip along the exposed line of Evvy's wrist, following the trail of his tattoo. Maybe there were things he could do, things he just didn't know about yet. 

Maybe it was time he headed back to Liara's tower to see if he could dig up any other answers. 

He stopped at home after his lunch with Everett before making his way to the tower, following the main trails down into the grassy stretch of land immediately to the south of his farm. A ranch was situated off to the east, owners he still hadn't properly met yet, and farther down from there was a cottage settled near the edge of the river. Some loner lived there according to Everett, a woman largely uninterested in socializing with the rest of the townsfolk, and Kaidan supposed he could appreciate that. 

Wonder if she's seen anything though… Doubtful, though he had to wonder if Everett knew everyone in the Valley who was…aware… of the sort of oddities they'd encountered so far. Monsters in the mines clear on the other side of town were one thing, but it wasn't entirely outside the realm of possibility that someone living in the shadow of an honest-to-god wizard's tower might've seen a thing or two. 

He just doubted they'd know enough to understand what they were seeing, if they'd seen anything at all. 

Absolute last resort, he thought, angling for the path that would take him past the lake and to the tower in the distance. And not without Evvy. Someone keen on maintaining their privacy probably wouldn't like some strange new neighbor appearing on their doorstep asking weird questions. 

The tower didn’t look any different as Kaidan drew closer -- no change in the air, no change in general atmosphere, just as empty and dark and dreary as it'd been the last time he'd come here. He pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside, setting the portable lamp he'd snagged from his cabin on the table to help brighten the darker corners natural sunlight couldn't quite reach. 

If he'd been hoping for some evidence that someone may have come and gone, he was sorely disappointed. A fine layer of dust lay over every surface, kicking up as he shuffled around to investigate. He sneezed rapidly in succession, eyes watering, and made a mental note to come back with a broom and duster to clean the place up a little. 

Least I can do for her, he thought, stubbornly refusing to accept the possibility that she may not come back at all. 

He made his way towards the far side of the main room, hefting the lantern closer so he could read over the spines of the books she had arranged on the shelves back there. Plenty didn't bear titles at all, and of the ones that did, many were in a language he couldn't read, or written in characters he didn't recognize. Several of them bore evidence of heavy use -- dog-eared pages in some that he took off the shelf and flipped through, notes scribbled in the margins of dense text or complicated diagrams. Whatever sort of power Liara had, Kaidan already knew it was a fair amount more complicated than what he himself could do -- if his was more a manipulation of physical properties (mass, if Liara was correct, and so far as he could tell that definitely tracked), then hers was something more akin to the sort of magic you'd hear about in fantasy novels. Spells and shit, components and wands and potions, things that required some measure of care in order to elicit certain results. 

Kaidan carefully shut the book again and slipped it back into its place with a sigh, glancing around with a frown. Some of the books struck him as…guides, almost. Textbooks, like the sort you'd expect to see in a school or library. He never had asked Liara where she'd learned, and if she were making her own notes in these books it stood to reason someone else had written them. 

But who? And where would they have come from? Could they even be contacted?

Or maybe she has something laying around, some diary or…or…wizard's address book? 

He felt stupid even thinking it, but he couldn't exactly picture Liara making do with something like a phone. Her home was hardly the epitome of modern technology or comfort, the tower something so out of step with the times he wondered if it'd been here long before she'd come to live in it. 

He stepped back from the shelves, looking up towards the ceiling, then towards the curtained off area near the back. 

Well, she clearly doesn’t sleep on this level, he thought, taking a deep breath and stepping forward. He pulled the curtain back, revealing a wooden door with an ornate handle -- a handle that turned, much to his relief, allowing the door to slide open. The air beyond wasn't as fresh, not helped by the stone cut of the spiraling staircase beyond, and he figured it'd be in his best interest to open some of the windows on his way up. 

Please don't let this be a mistake.

[mtreebeardiles]

Stardew Effect, pt 18

Gotta start shaking that rust off, eh?

Full chapter over on AO3

"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?"

"Maybe keep things simple? Like 'Y' for yes, 'N' for no…" Kaidan offered after a moment of watching the bird stare intently at the keys. "Are you Liara?"

The bird glanced at him before shuffling across the keys -- stepping on several, leaving a trail of nonsense on the word processor Evvy'd pulled up. 

"Well."

"Hang on, hang on…" Everett leaned forward, a grin twitching at his lips. "She's got it!"

Well, shit, Kaidan thought, bemused, as the bird deliberately found the 'Y' key and held it, adding a string of y's at the end of her initial line of random keystrokes. 

"Do I want to ask the obvious question?" he began after a moment. 

"Hmm?"

"How do we know if she's telling the truth?" 

"…you think someone else got cursed into bird shape?"

"Or someone else can turn into a bird at will," Kaidan pointed out. "And if Liara did get cursed…how'd she wind up in the mines?" 

Everett frowned, leaning back in Kaidan's hold. "Well," he began after a moment. "We already know Liara can teleport, remember? I don't know if it's that far-fetched to assume someone else can initiate the teleporting. Could explain how she wound up where she did."

"But they bird-ified her first?"

"I didn't say it wasn't extra," Everett replied with a shrug. He tapped against Kaidan's knee. "We could try asking her a few questions? See if we can't suss out if she's the real deal?"

Some of the other man's excitement had ebbed, and Kaidan couldn't help but feel responsible for it. He knew it was the right call -- neither of them knew anything about the sort of power Liara wielded, and their own separate experiences with the strange and unusual was overshadowed by how much more strange and unusual the Valley was proving to be. 

It paid to be cautious. 

[mtreebeardiles]

WIP Whenever

Hokay, so since writing has been sporadic, I figured I'd drop this here in response to uhhh some stuff I was tagged in, but idr what those tag games were for so have this!

Just another scrap that I hope to turn into a little holiday special for next month idek I just miss writing goofy fluffy shit

Tagging uhhh @theoriginalladya @tiny-banana-time and whoever else wants to share what they're working on!

This is in tradition of those Hallmark movies where the leading lady leaves her boyfriend for some hometown sweetheart, and focuses on the man who gets left and what happens to him after. Not an original idea, sure, but it's a fun one and I'm a sucker for sappy romances and lord knows we could use more queer ones eh

Kaidan shifted, rolling on top of the other man and considering him for a long moment.  "If you're asking whether you're my bisexual awakening, I'm afraid that particular honor goes to Mr. Lee Pace." Everett cocked an eyebrow, a smile twitching at the corners of his lips. "Any specific role?" "…Thranduil." Everett blinked. “Like…like in The Hobbit?" "He makes a very sexy elf lord!" Everett was all-out laughing now, the corners of his eyes crinkling and those delectable dimples flashing through the close-cut of his beard. Kaidan decided then and there that he needed to do all he could to see that expression on the other man's face again and again, as often as possible. It was such a stark contrast to that first cool, distant impression that Kaidan half-wondered if he'd imagined it, back at the airport.  How could anyone mistake this man for someone cold? "Tell me I'm wrong," Kaidan went on, trying his best to sound indignant. The effect was spoiled somewhat by the fact that he was trying his best not to laugh, too.  "You're not wrong," Everett conceded, reaching up and looping a hand around the back of Kaidan's neck. His fingers played with the shorter hairs there and Kaidan shivered. "But you are adorable."

[mtreebeardiles]

Anniversaries (Shawn x Leigh)

This was supposed to be for a prompt and then the theme went a different direction halfway through lol

Also on AO3!

Shawn Shepard hated early mornings.

 He saw little point in being up before the sun, and even less point if no one else was awake, either. But that certain day in late August Shawn made sure he was the first one up, almost a full hour before Leigh's usual alarm.

 There were certain things worth bearing, after all, and for Leigh Shawn would've put up with things far worse than being awake at such an ungodly hour.

 Since the end of the war, the Systems Alliance had added two new holidays to its roster: one celebrating their victory on the day of that final battle and another, later, remembering that victory's cost. Memorial services, each major city home to some structure or construct erected in honor of the fallen, and Leigh himself had been part of the project overseeing London's. Completed as they neared the end of London's own restoration, Shawn had been dating the Major a few years at this point and was intimately aware of the effects it had on the other man. 

 Guilt, survivor's or otherwise, was never an easy thing to navigate. 

Two years of watching it tear Leigh apart in the lead-up, two years of seeing the man he'd come to love withdraw into himself, isolate, tossing and turning as sleep grew restless under an onslaught of nightmares, two frustrating years feeling helpless as Leigh seemed to think he deserved to suffer in silence and Shawn had decided this year was going to be different. He was going to be proactive, present, utilize all the things he'd learned about his partner, be as much of a bulwark against despair as he reasonably could be. 

 You can't help the way someone feels, Kaidan had told him once. But you can be there for them, in whatever way you can. 

 And maybe Kaidan's own efforts with Evvy hadn't magically cured his brother of his depression, but he could tell it helped. Little lights in the darkness, anchor points to hold on to, and that's what his brother-in-law stressed as most important. 

 Recovery wasn't a road they could travel for their partners, their pain not something they could take away, but that didn't mean they couldn't find some way to help. To be there. To remind them of the world outside the shadows that plagued them. 

 The little things still mattered -- and waking up at 4 AM was one of the smallest things Shawn could do. 

 Less small was making breakfast.

 Shawn's kitchen experiences ranged from disastrous to mostly edible, and the mostly edible had largely been possible with Leigh's assistance. But he'd been practicing this one whenever he could, something relatively straightforward that Evvy had taught him when he'd visited a month ago. 

 Eggs, cinnamon, bread, and whatnot… how hard can it be? 

 He still wasn't sure what made the toast French, but decided he didn't care enough to ask. All that mattered was he could make it without setting the kitchen on fire and that it was one of Leigh's favorites.

 His first few attempts made their way into the garbage before long, the consistency not quite right, and he glared at the third one for charring slightly on one side. But the fourth effort was fluffy just the way Everett had shown him, and he smiled in triumph as he plated them up with a side of freshly sliced strawberries and drizzled syrup on top. A cup of coffee added to the tray and Shawn hoped Leigh wasn't fully awake just yet. 

 Surprises were best kept until the last second, after all. 

 He smiled a little as he slipped back into the bedroom, tray in hand, and he moved with exaggerated care to quietly set it on the side table. Then he knelt beside the bed, watching him a moment. Soft light from the doorway fell across his face, deepening the shadows that clung underneath his eyes, highlighting the slight furrow between his eyebrows, and Shawn reached out, gingerly smoothing his fingers along his forehead to ease it. 

 "Mmm…"

 "Hey, love," Shawn murmured, keeping his voice low. His fingers trailed down his cheek, along his jaw. "Wake up."

 "Mmm?"

 He bit back a laugh as Leigh's eyes cracked open, blinking blearily at him. Sleepiness soon mixed with confusion. 

 "…time's it?"

 "Almost…quarter to five?"

 Leigh's frown deepened. 

 "Are you okay? Is something wrong…" He trailed off as he sat up, and Shawn could tell he was smelling breakfast as he inhaled deeply. He bit his lower lip in an effort to hide his smile, feeling a flutter of nerves in his belly. He was pretty sure he'd used the right amount of cinnamon…

 "…honey, did you… you made me breakfast in bed?" 

 "Well no, I made me breakfast in bed but I figured maybe you'd like to watch me eat it," Shawn teased, unable to hold his smile back at Leigh's huff of laughter. 

 "French toast?" he asked as Shawn straightened and grabbed the tray, setting it on Leigh's lap. 

 "That is your favorite, right?" Shawn asked, caught in a flare of uncertainty. 

 "French toast with strawberries," Leigh replied, his smile widening. "Definitely my favorite."

 He scooted, careful not to tip the contents of the tray, and patted the spot beside him. "Even better if I share it with my favorite person."

 Shawn was definitely smiling by now, feeling his nerves start to settle only to kick back up once he was next to him and watching as he took that first, crucial bite. 

 "Hmmm…"

 "…too much cinnamon? Not enough?" Shawn asked, watching him intently. 

 "It's perfect, honey."

 Still, Shawn's eyes narrowed. "You're not just saying that to make me feel -- oomph! Mmm…" Leigh had taken the opportunity to pop a bite of the toast directly into his partner's mouth. He grinned, chasing it with a kiss. 

 "Perfect," he reiterated, lingering, and Shawn was kissing him back. 

 Maybe it was too early, and maybe he'd want to go right back to sleep afterwards, but Shawn had to agree that breakfast in bed with a side of sweet, sugary kisses was definitely a great start to the day. And for a hard day like this one? 

 It meant a lot that he could start Leigh off with a smile.

[mtreebeardiles]

Okay, bear with me here, because I've got three sets of questions:

Evvy/Kaidan - 22, 32, 52

Shawn/Leigh - 17, 35, 36 (because I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this for Evvy/Kaidan! lol)

Ashley/Piper/James - 7, 13, 18

Pretty please! <3

Ah thanks!

Evvy x Kaidan

22) What reminds each of their partner?

Scent-wise, cinnamon will always remind Kaidan of Everett. Cinnamon rolls are a staple in their relationship, from friends to lovers to spouses, something he wakes up to every morning smelling and knowing all is well because Evvy is Up and Baking, and if they happen to be apart well…Kaidan has been known to try and replicate them on his own :) Otherwise, he does have a few candles haha

For Evvy, the various sweaters/hoodies he steals from Kaidan are pretty good reminders ;) But beyond theft, spotting a new bit of tech if he's out and about will immediately bring Kaidan to mind, for the countless nights Kaidan would very excitedly talk to him about specs and upgrades and just generally being an adorable nerd in Everett's direction. Certain spots on Earth also bring Kaidan to mind because of all the stories he's told Evvy over the years, and are much nicer to think about than his own memories of home.

32 ) Who's the better storyteller?

Depends on the story! Both of them like listening to the other speak, but Everett would argue that Kaidan has the better personal stories while Everett is better at making things up for fun

52 ) Describe their weekend getaway

Somewhere Evvy might not be too easily recognized, where he can indulge in a little adventure with his partner and not have to worry about it winding up on the news. There are parts of them that miss the action, the thrill of running an op, and while neither regrets leaving the service it does feel nice to lend their skills to a good cause -- quietly, of course.

Makes relaxing in hammocks on a beach somewhere all the more rewarding afterwards hahaha

Shawn x Leigh

17 ) Who's more likely to pull the other in by the waist and kiss them passionately?

Shawn, 100%. Learning he loved kissing was an epiphany for him -- learning that Leigh likes how strong he is and how easily he can take him into his arms? Even better, since it means he gets That Smitten Look and Shawn loves That Smitten Look ;)

35 ) Who's more artistic?

Leigh! Shawn has nicer handwriting, but Leigh likes to sketch, and has been known to dabble with paint from time to time. Definitely something Shawn encourages he do more once the London Restoration Project is in the rearview. 

36 ) Who's more likely to fire up the stove at 2 am because the other woke up in the middle of the night hungry?

Leigh again haha, though Shawn would follow him into the kitchen like a pathetic cat. This would also happen if Leigh woke up hungry, because Shawn can't be trusted to use the stove on his own still

Ashley/Piper/James

7 ) Would they build a pillow fort together just because?

Actually…yeah, I think so! Especially if/once Ash and James learn that Piper has never done so, only to realize they've unleashed a monster when they see how competitive she gets 

13 ) Who's the bigger tease?

Ashley, for sure. She's got a penchant for quips and can't refuse a good innuendo to save her life. Plus -- it makes her partners laugh ;)

18 ) How likely are they to have fur babies? How many and what kind?

Oooh, tough one. Once things settle down into more of a routine, I can see them maybe going for a cat or two. Piper would feel bad trying to have a dog in such a small space with little yard, but there are plenty of creative ways to enrich the home for a cat's enjoyment. As to the type, no specific breed, just adopted from a local shelter, and no more than two due to space :)

[mtreebeardiles]

I'm back, as I've decided that I like this one, too:

they’re sick and finally fall asleep sprawled out on the sofa ..meaning you can sit for a few minutes yourself

If you'd like 😊

always happy to get prompts! <3

Have some Evvy x Kaidan!

Also on AO3

Everett winced as a hand smacked into him, startling him from the remnants of sleep. He'd always been a light sleeper, and a restless one, though retirement had helped with the former if not so much the latter. It wasn't unusual for him to toss and turn throughout the night, stealing blankets or curling around Kaidan in his attempt to get warm. What was unusual was Kaidan shifting about in their bed and, based on the cool air against Evvy's legs, making off with most of the blankets. 

"…Kaidan?"

Everett sat up, tapping his omni-tool to bring up the lights. He kept it dim, just enough for his eyes to adjust and see his partner curl around a pillow once Everett was no longer as easily  accessible. "Nerdlet?"

He reached out, his frown deepening when he felt how hot to the touch Kaidan's skin was. His partner always ran warmer, but Everett knew what standard Kaidan-heat felt like and this was notably higher than that. 

"…Honey?" 

Everett shifted, gently pressing the back of his hand to Kaidan's forehead, his cheeks, while his 'tool took his temperature. Below him, Kaidan groaned. 

"Hey…" Everett ran a soothing hand along Kaidan's arm as the other man slowly blinked his eyes open and peered at him blearily. "You feeling okay?"

"Mmph." 

"Got a bit of a fever."

"Mmph." Kaidan frowned, nestling deeper against the pillow. "'don't get sick."

"Pretty sure you do," Everett pointed out, patient. 

"Nope."

"Your temperature says otherwise."

"Mmm…"

Everett sighed, running his fingers through Kaidan's curls, noting the sheen of sweat on his brow. "Anything else bothering you?"

"…maybe."

Everett hid a smile, shaking his head. 

For all Everett knew he was a difficult patient, he rather felt Kaidan could put him to shame when the other man was really feeling ill. He got sick so rarely that Everett thought Kaidan was under the very mistaken impression that he was too healthy to fall prey to viruses and the like. 

"Tell me," Everett encouraged, his touch gentle. 

"Head hurts."

"Migraine hurt?"

"Mm no." Kaidan heaved a sigh as Evvy moved to rub along his neck, seeking out the tension there. "Pressure."

"Sinuses?"

"Mmm…"

"Anything else?"

"Throat."

He did sound raspier than usual, Everett noted. "Sore throat, sinus pressure… might be an infection."

"M'not sick."

"Kaidan."

An eye peeled open, narrowing at him. 

"I hate to break it to you, Nerdlet, but you're not a superhero," Evvy went on. "You get sick just like the rest of us."

"I don't have tiiiime."

"You have sick daaaaaays," Everett retorted, mimicking Kaidan's whine. Kaidan snorted and Everett smiled a little in victory. "Use them. You want me to run a bath? Some nice steam?"

"Mmm…" Less grumpy, more interested. Everett's smile widened a touch. 

"Maybe I'll wash your hair for you, rub your temples a bit to help with that tension," Evvy went on, his tone musing.

"Mmm…"

"Make you some delicious chicken noodle soup, with some of that bread I baked last night…"

"M'getting up." 

Everett chuckled, leaning down to kiss Kaidan's nose. "I'll start the water."

----

Everett helped his partner into the tub, the bathroom filled with steam that Kaidan breathed in deeply. Up and about his cough became more apparent, and a diagnostic run through Evvy's omni-tool confirmed his suspicions of something viral. 

"Dot?"

"Yes, my dude?"

"Place an order for… let's see…" Evvy scrolled through, tapping the recommended medications. "Have it delivered, alright?"

"Will do."

"Thanks."

"Evvy…"

"Yeah, honey?" 

"M'achy."

"I'm sure you are." Everett settled at the head of their standalone soaker tub, shampoo in reach. Once Kaidan had moved on from Denial, he tended to settle right into Very Needy. Everett didn’t mind, he found, even though Kaidan was always a little embarrassed about it after. He liked taking care of his partner, liked knowing he could, that he had a schedule now that allowed for the freedom to do so. Calls made, arrangements settled, et voila, the two of them had time off to see to their needs. 

PTO has shore leave beat, he thought as he helped Kaidan get his hair wet. 

Kaidan was breathing a little easier, his cough less severe after a long, soothing bath. He was practically falling asleep in Evvy's arms as Everett toweled him off and helped him into a fresh set of pajamas, but perked up enough for soup once he'd been deposited on the couch. Something in his stomach, medication delivered and taken, and Everett could only smile as Kaidan sprawled out on the length of the couch, his head in Evvy's lap. 

Everett shifted to make himself more comfortable, heaving a sigh and smiling as he absently ran his fingers through Kaidan's curls. His head fell back against the couch, eyes fluttering shut, content to just…sit. Be there. Have a moment to himself as Kaidan rested. Mentally run through the checklist of things he had to do around the house, chores he ought to catch up on while his partner slept, and smiling all the wider as he realized the obvious:

He had no intention of moving any time soon.

[mtreebeardiles]

Touches Asks - how about Touching #5 - feeling their pulse - for Kaidan and Evvy?

Thanks so much for the prompt! Have some Leviathan fun for the boys ;) AO3

Kaidan dropped his barrier with a grimace, sending a flare of dark energy outward, letting it rip into the Reapers surrounding him as much as he used it to force them back. Husks screeched, their distorted cries just audible over the howl of the wind, but they were the least of his concerns as one, no two, Brutes advanced towards the line he and James were desperately trying to hold -- the last defense between them and Steve.

The pilot was providing cover fire as best he could, monitoring the Kodiak's systems for something, anything, to show if Evvy's descent into the unforgiving ocean below had amounted to anything -- if the risk to their Commander's life had been worth it. It was hard to concentrate, panicked thoughts fraying at the edges of Kaidan's composure, but he wasn't about to crack now.

Just hold on, he thought, again and again, and he wasn't sure who the words were for.

He felt it, then, like a shift in the air somehow, a pulse not unlike the one they'd felt upon trying to land on this godsforsaken planet. A ripple of something, a flicker against the outer edges of his senses, disconcerting and disorienting but gone as quickly as it'd come. He didn't have time to ponder it, a rush of water and metal dragging his attention sharply to the right in time to see the Triton Mech burst out of the roiling waves below.

Its hulking form lurched, unsteady, and his heart lodged in his throat as he watched it begin to tip backward, and his biotics were primed, ready to grab, to Pull, when the front compartment was forced open and the body within was roughly ejected.

Everett landed with a clatter on the slick surface of the ruined ship, his cough a tinny, weak sound over crackling comms before his suit systems seemed to give up entirely -- cutting off all sound, all biometric feeds Kaidan could use to assess his status as the Commander went limp and unmoving against the deck.

"Cover me!"

He didn't wait to see if James complied, moving with single-minded determination towards Evvy. A crack drew his attention briefly enough to see the two Brutes slam into each other, and the glowing flash of remaining artifacts tucked aboard the ship made him wonder at the connection, but he didn't let it phase him for long. He slid to Everett's side, hauling him up with arms under his armpits.

"Cortez!"

"Ready to fly, sir!"

A flash of relief, and he allowed himself a second to enjoy it before re-focusing. Gunfire was petering out behind him and then James was at his side, helping to haul Everett's inert body towards the lowering Kodiak.

"Normandy?"

"Had to reroute, sir, once the Reapers were inbound," Steve replied. "Receiving coordinates to rendezvous now."

Kaidan wasn't sure if he acknowledged Steve's words, his attention drawn back to Everett. He pulled up his omni-tool, frustration warring with discipline as the Commander's suit remained stubbornly offline.

"Fuck it." He tore off his own helmet and tossed it aside before working to get Evvy out of his armor. "Help me get this off of him."

James knelt at Evvy's other side, the burly lieutenant making quick enough work releasing him from the outer armor that Kaidan could work on freeing himself from his own. Once Evvy was down to his undersuit Kaidan sought out the pulse point in his wrist, cursing at how sluggish it was, how frigid Everett's skin was.

"Need to warm him up," he murmured.

"Take the rest of this off?"

"Yeah, it's useless right now. Strip him down."

James nodded while Kaidan fetched two of the emergency blankets stored at the back of the Kodiak. He lay one down, letting James re-settle Evvy's body onto it before stripping down further himself. He sat, pulling Everett up and against his chest. His omni-tool was out, scanning, pulling up direct feeds for Evvy's vitals that the inactive suit VI had been blocking.

"Grab that blanket -- thanks." James was already moving, draping the second blanket over the two men. Underneath, Kaidan rested one hand on Evvy's chest and the other lower down, near his groin, shifting the blankets enough to keep an eye on his body temperature.

Easy, easy, not too fast…

Kaidan's skin was limned blue as he concentrated his biotics around his hands, at the points where they pressed to Evvy's skin. Gentle, gentle, not too hot, just an easy warming…

Everett groaned, eyelids fluttering, and Kaidan pressed soothing kisses to his cheek, his neck, his shoulder, not thinking of the audience he had and frankly not caring either way.

"…hey." Everett's voice was a hoarse croak and, in that moment, the most beautiful sound Kaidan had ever heard.

"Hey, Nerd," he whispered.

"…did it work?"

"I think so," Kaidan replied. He still wasn't sure what the goal had been, what Everett had managed to do down there, but the Kodiak was airborne and the Reapers seemed pretty intent on ripping each other to shreds instead of them. A win by anyone's definition, he hazarded. "We're heading back to the Normandy."

"Mmm good." Everett turned, curling more into the warmth of Kaidan's body, though Kaidan kept his hands where they were, always keeping an eye on Evvy's core body temperature. "M'cold."

"I'll fucking bet."

Kaidan exhaled, pressing another kiss to Everett's hair before murmuring, "Never do that again."

Everett only gave an unintelligible hum, burying his face in Kaidan's neck.

----

Kaidan left James and Steve to handle cleaning up their armor and the Kodiak once they were back aboard the Normandy, hefting a blanket-wrapped Evvy in his arms and carrying him to the lift. He managed to type out a message to Chawkwas, telling her he was taking the Commander to his quarters if she wanted to check on him. Otherwise, all Kaidan wanted to do was get Everett tucked safely into bed. His own scans had shown Everett's temperature safely restored, but he certainly wasn't about to turn away the doctor from double-checking.

The biotic trick seemed to have worked, at least, Chawkwas seeming satisfied with Everett's vitals once she'd come and gone to run her own scans. Kaidan was nearly boneless with relief, dropping onto the edge of the bed once she'd left and turning to trail his fingers along Everett's cheek.

"Hey," he murmured when those gray eyes flickered open.

"Mm hey." Everett frowned sleepily at him, eyes narrowing a touch. "…too far 'way."

Kaidan laughed, shaking his head, leaning down to plant a kiss to Everett's forehead before obligingly getting up and stripping down. He slipped under the covers with him, tugging Everett's body gently into the curve of his own, smiling at Evvy's satisfied sigh once his arms were around him.

"Better?"

"Mhmmm."

"Good." Kaidan pressed tender, soft kisses along Everett's shoulder, up to his neck, letting his lips come to rest at the pulse point below his jaw. Felt it, steady and strong, and heaved a relieved sigh of his own.

[mtreebeardiles]

trying not to laugh too loud when you discover they talk in their sleep and say some very questionable things

for the sleepy prompts! for whoever it might apply to, in any setting :D

Ah, thanks so much for the prompt! Enjoy some pre-ME2 Evvy and Kaidan! :D

Also on AO3!

Kaidan was accustomed to sneaking into Evvy's cabin between shifts, having the schedule down pat to avoid detection. In and out, usually a few hours at a time if they could manage it, activities ranging from reading to cuddling to more… involved means of spending time together. Spending an entire sleep cycle was risky, and they didn't do it very often, but when they did Kaidan quickly learned a few interesting…quirks, his new boyfriend had while asleep. 

For one, Everett was restless. The man rarely went to sleep and woke up in the same position, shifting throughout the night. With Kaidan there that usually meant finding increasingly odd ways to snuggle close, as if even in sleep Evvy couldn't help but seek out his warmth. One memorable sleepover had ended with Kaidan waking up as the little spoon when he distinctly recalled falling asleep as the big one, Everett wrapped in all of the blankets and attached to his back like a caterpillar in a cocoon clinging to a branch. 

There was the occasional kicking and sometimes Evvy's hand would smack into him when the commander rolled over, but the second curious quirk was one Kaidan hadn't been expecting.

"Sharp."

"What?"

Kaidan wasn't sure what had woken him up this time. Some manner of jostling, most likely, tipping him back to wakefulness. He blinked at the ceiling, eyes adjusting to the semi-dark, the only source of light the faint glow of Evvy's idle holoscreen on his desk. 

"S'too sharp."

Kaidan frowned. He turned his head to see Everett sleeping nicely for once, the younger man's arm thrown across Kaidan's waist and his head resting against his shoulder -- out cold, so far as Kaidan could tell. But he had definitely said something. 

Kaidan gently prodded him. A furrow appeared between Evvy's eyebrows at the touch, but he otherwise didn't stir. 

Maybe it had been a remnant of Kaidan's own dream? If it was, it was all but gone by now. He sighed, letting his head fall back against the pillow, eyes drifting shut as he thought about how early he needed to get up if he expected to slip out of this room without getting caught, when Evvy spoke again. 

"Gotta…mmmm. Berries."

Kaidan's eyes opened. 

"…what?"

"S'too sharp."

Kaidan turned in Evvy's hold, Everett frowning as his pillow -- Kaidan's shoulder -- vanished. He snuggled closer to compensate. 

"What's too sharp?"

"The pie."

"…Excuse me?"

Kaidan bit back a laugh as Everett let out an exasperated sigh. "The rhubarb pie. It's too sharp."

"Don't you usually cut rhubarb with custard?"

Kaidan bit his lip as Everett's frown deepened. 

"No."

"Pretty sure people do."

"Don't like it."

Kaidan reached out, gently running his fingers through Evvy's hair until the frown eased. 

"So. Berries?"

"Mhmmmm…"

"Any berry?"

"Strawberries," Everett sighed. He shifted, wrapping his arms around Kaidan, tangling his legs with his. 

"Strawberry rhubarb pie," Kaidan murmured. He kissed Evvy's forehead. "Sounds delicious."

Evvy didn't respond, features smoothing out, and Kaidan could only smile. 

The next morning Kaidan didn't see Evvy again until deeper into the morning shift. The commander was seated in the mess, frowning down at a datapad and prodding it with his stylus. 

"Tough report?"

"Hmm? No." Everett sat up with a sigh. "I was trying to think of how to tweak this recipe…"

"…rhubarb pie?" 

Everett's eyes narrowed. "…yeah."

"Strawberries."

Everett frowned at him. 

"…what?"

"To cut the sharpness." Kaidan poured them each a cup of coffee and, after a quick glance to confirm they were alone, planted a quick kiss to Evvy's shoulder before sitting beside him. 

"Who are you and what have you done with Kaidan?"

Kaidan laughed, waggling his eyebrows. "Maybe I've learned a few things!"

Everett's frown deepened and he prodded Kaidan's cheek. 

"Okay, okay. You told me."

"I did?"

"Yeah, last night."

"…I feel like I would have remembered talking about pie, Kaidan." Another prod. "Also pretty sure my mouth was… otherwise occupied." This last was said in an undertone, setting a pleasant thrum of heat through Kaidan's veins. The lieutenant cleared his throat. 

"You talk in your sleep."

"I do not!"

"Okay, then I'm psychic."

Everett stared, expression caught between aghast and disbelief. "What else do I say?"

"Nothing more interesting than pie so far," Kaidan mused. He cocked his head. "Think I should start recording you?"

"Kaidan!"

Kaidan flashed him a grin and a wink as he got to his feet. Others were streaming into the mess, putting a necessary halt on their conversation. 

"But if you're going to be making pies, I'm rather fond of peach," Kaidan went on. Everett's eyes were glinting with promised mischief.

"I'll keep it in mind." 

Kaidan smiled, heading for the elevator, idly wondering if he could get away with another sleepover soon.

[mtreebeardiles]

Celebrations, pt 1 (Everett x Kaidan)

Needed some fluff after that piece on the Blitz, haha Also over on AO3!

With a relationship as tumultuous as theirs had been, torn apart by time and circumstance, it wasn't too surprising that certain things had slipped through the cracks. Birthdays and anniversaries and holidays in general were left by the wayside as their trajectories took them to Ilos, to Alchera, to Horizon, to Mars, and finally here, to Earth and the Citadel still attached to it, and even then things had to wait. Recoveries mental, physical, not to mention restoration of their homeworld, and their schedules could only allow for so much.

 But it had been just over a year since the Battle of London, and Kaidan was ready to stop casting these things aside. 

 He made sure he'd wake up first that certain morning in April, alarm a silent vibration so as to not disturb Evvy. He slipped out of bed, careful and quiet, padding out of their room and down the hall where he'd hidden his gift in Shawn's closet. Shawn himself was out, spending the night with Leigh down in London to give Kaidan the day with Evvy before they were all supposed to meet up later. A check of his messages confirmed everyone else had successfully made it to the station last night and were ably keeping themselves busy with Ash and Piper while they waited. 

 He smiled, a warmth in his chest as he retrieved the carefully wrapped package from the depths of Shawn's closet. Everett never cared much for his birthday, often citing the fact that it was made up and therefore nothing to fuss over, but Kaidan knew his misgivings stemmed from a discomfort of being paid attention to, for being cared for out loud and in such an overt way. It had been a bit of a challenge, helping him learn he was worthy of receiving affection in the same way he so freely gave it, but therapy and his ongoing recovery seemed to be making headway at last. 

 Still, Kaidan didn't want him overwhelmed. Baby steps. 

 He tucked the package under his arm and slipped back down the hall, managing to get back into bed with the gift tucked under his pillow without Everett stirring once. 

 He snuggled close, letting himself drift a little so when Everett's alarm went off a while later he seemed appropriately sleepy. 

 "Good morning," he murmured as Evvy shifted, stretching. He waited for his partner to turn completely around before leaning in to catch his lips with his own in a tender kiss. 

 "Mmm g'morning." Everett was fighting back a yawn, blinking blearily at him, but he was smiling. You're my favorite thing to wake up to, he'd told Kaidan once when he'd asked him what the smile was for. That's reason enough, isn't it?

 Kaidan's own smile widened at the memory, and he kissed him again. Everett hummed, pulling him closer, and Kaidan could feel his frown as one of his hands made to slip beneath him to draw him flush. 

 "Uh… is there something hard under here or is the pillow just happy to see me?"

 Kaidan chuckled, shaking his head and kissing Evvy's nose. 

 "Very funny."

 "What've you got there, nerdlet?"

 "Oh, just a little something…"

 Everett squinted at him, sitting up. Kaidan's fingers itched to reach up and settle his sleep-mussed hair. 

 "…Kaidan," he began.

 "Everett," Kaidan replied in the same tone. 

 "…you got me something, didn't you?"

 "For what?"

 "My birthday."

 Kaidan couldn't help his grin as he sat up in turn, tugging the gift out from under the pillow. "You remembered your own birthday!"

 "Kinda hard to forget with so many of you reminding me all the time," and while he tried to sound sulky about it he was smiling a little. Shy. Self-conscious. Kaidan leaned in to kiss him again. 

 "We remind you because you're worth celebrating," he murmured. He cupped his cheek, running a soothing thumb along his cheekbone. "But it's your pace, Evvy. If anything is too overwhelming, all you have to do is tell me, okay?"

 A hesitation, Evvy chewing on his lower lip, but he slowly nodded. 

 "Okay," he whispered. Kaidan kept stroking his cheek until he felt some of that tension ease. Everett reached up to cover his hand with his own, eyes on Kaidan's as he turned to press a kiss to his palm. Kaidan relaxed a little in turn -- none of this was to stress Everett out, after all -- and settled the package in his lap. 

 "Go ahead," he murmured, encouraging, and Everett took a deep breath before working the ribbon tied around it loose. 

 "Kinda heavy…" Everett trailed off as he slipped the wrapping paper away, dead silent as his fingers trailed along smooth, supple leather, catching and tracing the letters and lines embossed in the light gray hide. 

 "…where?" he breathed, eyes flicking up to Kaidan's before they fell back to one book, two books, three, four, each bound in different colored leather, each bearing the title of their respective stories with artwork to match. 

 "I figured third time's the charm," Kaidan replied, watching him. "Found a bookbinder who works with leather and got you a matching set. Expanded editions, complete with maps." 

 Everett bit his lip, carefully opening the Fellowship and gasping, soft, at the map inside, rendered in intricate detail, the way the original editions had back in the day. 

 Everett inhaled shakily, exhaled slowly, and Kaidan rested a gentle hand on his knee. 

 "How are we doing?"

 "I love them," Everett whispered, voice thick, and his eyes were overbright. "I love you." He sniffled, tears spilling down his cheeks as he carefully set the books aside and tugged Kaidan to him, firm, holding him tight. "I love you so much, Kaidan. These are… this is perfect." 

 Kaidan gave him a squeeze, sniffling a little himself at that point. "There is a bit more…"

 "More?"

 "You're always worth more, Evvy."

 Everett clung to him a moment, gathering himself, before slowly pulling back and swiping at his cheeks. Kaidan snagged The Hobbit and showed him the inside cover:

 To Everett, with love, from Kaidan

I am never lost when I wander with you

 Everett couldn't help it; he broke down, tears coming in earnest now, hand over his mouth in a vain attempt to muffle them, and Kaidan carefully rubbed his back. 

 "Are you okay?" he murmured and Everett responded by pulling him into another hug, his tears soaking into Kaidan's shirt. 

 "I love you," he whispered, again and again. "I'm…"

 "Shh, it's okay," he assured him, pressing kisses to his hair. "Take your time, Evvy. We have time."

 A quiet laugh, and he sniffled, pulling back enough to nuzzle his nose to Kaidan's. 

 "We do, don't we?" he whispered. "Have time."

 "Together," Kaidan agreed, smiling, cupping his cheek and patiently kissing his tears away. 

 "No matter what?"

 "No matter what."

[mtreebeardiles]

Fic Author Self Recommendations

Ah! I think I got double tagged by @theoriginalladya​ and @mallaidhsomo​, many thanks!

When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you’ve written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love.

Oh boy do these have to be finished works haha, let’s see...

In no particular order, fave finished pieces:

No Matter What | Rating: M | Pairing: Mshenko (Everett) | An in-between piece transitioning from ME2 to ME3, and some of my favorite prose written from Evvy’s third-person limited POV.

Nightmares and beacons and warnings centuries old, echoing in his skull night after night after night. Final pleas of a race long gone, and only he could serve as their mouthpiece. They would have chosen better, he was sure, if they'd just had the option. Would've chosen someone who could inspire trust, respect, not this caricature of a man who could only try, all his shadows pulled constantly into the light for others to scrutinize.

After the Collectors, after the Bahak System, Shepard finds himself stuck in ways he never would have imagined.

The People You Meet on Omega | Rating: M | Reyes Vidal & Everett Shepard | Pre-Andromeda one-shot delving into some of Reyes’s backstory and how he came to know about the Initiative. Inspired by flashbacks in my larger mreyder fic that I wanted to play around with some more.

He's twenty-five when he winds up on Omega, seemingly for good.

A broken city for a broken man, filling the cracks and the seams with shadows and smoke, and he slips into the not-so-subtle underbelly with an ease that may have worried him, once. There's a currency here, a language he's willing to learn, prices paid in blood and bone, loyalties tested and burned. Cleverness in fingers and tongue, the art of misdirection, information as precious a commodity as the basic necessities he'd once smuggled for those in desperate need.

But Hope's End is gone, her people lost, and Reyes has nothing left but ghosts.

---

Reyes has a decision to make.

Intangible Things | Rating: M | Pairing: Mshep Clone x Major Coats | This was completely spur of the moment when a one-shot featuring Everett’s clone popped into my head and wouldn’t leave until he’d gotten his story, and now he’s got several haha. The fic that started my favorite disaster, Shawn Shepard.

...He looked like Commander Everett Shepard, Hero of Elysium, Alliance Golden Boy, Savior of the Citadel, first human Spectre. And he was none of these things. He'd tried to be, once -- recently, even. It had been only a few months since the admittedly ill-advised, harebrained scheme to steal Commander Shepard's identity, get his access codes, steal the Normandy and… And do… something.

-- After the plan to steal Commander Shepard's life spectacularly backfired, his clone is left struggling to pick up the pieces and figure out what it takes to be his own person.

Some things are easier said than done.

Mystery Requisitions | Rating: T | Pre-mshenko | One of my earliest one-shot character tests for Everett Shepard and Kaidan Alenko, pre-relationship

Kaidan Alenko is determined to solve the puzzle of the mystery baker.

Reassessments | Rating: T | Cora Harper & Reyes Vidal | An early character test for these two, exploring the sort of tone/theme I wanted to carry over into my main mreyder fic. I know most make these two antagonistic, but I ain’t convinced ;)

Stranded in a frozen city, Cora finds herself rescued by an unlikely ally.

And since I was tagged twice, two bonus In-Progress fics that I’m having a blast writing:

Stardew Effect | Rating: M | Pairings: mshenko (Everett); mshep clone x Coats (Shawn; Leigh) | Prompted by discussions in discord and I made good on my threat to combine Mass Effect with Stardew Valley. It’s been super fun and an interesting challenge so far!

A troubled youth, a soul-crushing job, and living life as the resident freak has worn Kaidan Alenko down. So he's quitting his job, abandoning his city life, and running off to the country, to a place his grandfather left him before his passing, to see if a new place, a fresh start, can rekindle his sense of wonder again.

Restoration | Rating: M | Pairings: Mshep Clone x Coats (Shawn; Leigh), with some mshenko in the periphery | THIS came about from a prompt LadyA sent me that I felt could be expanded considerably, and the next thing I knew I had Coats’s family tree sketched out and everything sorta snowballed from there. Chapters alternate between ME3 and Post-ME3.

Then: Warnings unheeded translated to despair and destruction during Reaper Occupation on Earth, the remains of the System Alliance military holding as best they can against the onslaught. Desperate tactics, overwhelming loss in the face of an overwhelming force, and it's all Major Leigh Coats can do to stem the bleeding of his broken city.

Then: a clone grapples with a budding sense of self-awareness at conflict with what is asked of him. Plans gone wrong, and uncertainty in the aftermath, but the Reapers have come to the Citadel and he has other choices to make.

Now: two men grapple with an aftermath they weren't sure they'd ever see, four years down the line, and must reckon with the cracks their pasts have left behind.

Also i am terrible at summaries lordy lordy

Let’s see... tagging @theoriginalladya (you said you had more! let’s see ‘em :D ), @tiny-banana-time, @solstheimart (not sure which of yours is appropriate for this tag), @urdnotflexthejedibard, and @illusivesoul if you like! 

[mtreebeardiles]

Indulgent Curiosities (Everett x Kaidan)

WELP.

Also on AO3

It had started by learning something about his husband that he hadn't known before. 

 A visit with friends back at the old apartment on the Citadel, beers and music, fire crackling in the fireplace, and of course Jack had steered the conversation to an increasingly raunchy game of "either/or."

 "Evvy," she'd said, flashing her former Commander a wicked grin. "Lace or silk?"

 The implication clear enough and there had been an expectation that Everett would smile and wave it off in quiet, good-natured amusement as he had been all night, but this time he'd taken a moment to consider it. 

 Really consider it.

 "Lace," he'd answered at last, smile impish as he sipped his beer. 

 "Lace?"

 "I don't like the texture of silk on my teeth."

 Coy, with those eyes alight with mischief, and most of their friends would have written it off as him joking. But the glance he'd given to Kaidan as they moved on to their next target -- Garrus -- the wink he'd sent his husband's way, eyes trailing along Kaidan's form, told Kaidan it had not been a joke. 

 Probably. 

 He hoped it hadn't been, anyway, looking down at the package he'd scooped up from the front porch the moment he'd gotten the notification it had arrived. 

 One way to find out. 

 He didn't have a plan, per se, and nearly lost his nerve once he had the lacy articles free from their packaging. He'd gotten two pairs -- who was he to turn down a sale? -- material light and almost delicate in his hands, and while he knew he'd sized it as best he could it was still hard for him to wrap his mind around wearing something like this. It just didn't seem like enough, really, to cover or support or…

 Or I guess that's kinda the point, isn't it?

 Lingerie was meant to be revealing, after all. 

 Better try it on first anyway, he thought, shimmying out of his clothes. He'd come up with a plan once he was sure he could even pull this off. Another moment of hesitation, fingers trailing along the lace underwear, and Kaidan steeled himself, slipping them on carefully. 

 They fit better than he'd been expecting, though he was unused to the way the fabric hugged his body. The construction was very different from the standard boxer briefs he still wore after all these years, sitting higher in some areas, lower in others. The material felt…nice, he decided, giving a little wiggle. He took a deep breath, bit his lip, and finally went to look in the mirror. 

 He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but beautiful wasn't it. He blinked at his own reflection, hands trailing down, running along the lines of the lingerie. The cut gave emphasis to different parts of his body in ways he hadn't been prepared for, the soft arch drawing attention to the tapering of his hips, the dip in the back when he turned to see inviting to the idea of a lover's hand coming to rest there. The lace itself hugged to his ass in a way that drew the eye to its curve, and the front…

 Well. 

 And my thighs look amazing. 

 When had he ever considered his thighs? But with so much of them bared, showed off by the same arch of fabric that highlighted his hips, he couldn't help but notice them, run his fingers along them, only belatedly realizing he was smiling a little at himself. 

 He felt… good. Not self-conscious, not ridiculous, but strangely, wonderfully…good.

 "…Kaidan?"

 "Shit --" 

 Startled, Kaidan whirled around, wide-eyed, to see Evvy standing in the doorway. 

 "Wh-- you're uh. You're home early," he stammered out, cheeks flushing. Everett could only blink, his own eyes wide, taking in Kaidan from top to toe. His husband's cheeks flushed right before his eyes, and he saw his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, hard. 

 "…I uh. It was supposed to be a surprise," Kaidan attempted to explain. Gray eyes flicked up to meet his, and Everett moved into the bedroom until he was standing in front of him. 

 "I'm plenty surprised," he assured him, hands hovering a moment before coming to rest on his hips. He was still looking him over, eyes drawn to all the spots Kaidan himself had just been appraising. 

 "Do you…like it?"

 Evvy turned his gaze back to Kaidan's, dimples flashing as he smiled. 

 "Kaidan, you've always been gorgeous," he whispered. "And this? God. If you were trying to get me to forget my own name by looks alone, I think you've succeeded."

 Kaidan laughed, his own smile widening, feeling his shyness melt away under that warm, loving gaze. 

 "Good," he murmured, catching his husband's lips in a kiss, melting into him before pulling back as an idea occurred to him. 

 "…we're the same size, right?"

 Everett cocked an eyebrow. 

 "I think so?"

 Kaidan flashed him a playful grin, and went to work unbuttoning his husband's jeans.

[mtreebeardiles]

Shawn x Leigh Snippet

WHY IS TUMBLR BROKEN

omg here’s just the text, other one is getting deleted

Random snippet that may or may not get used, mostly voice testing in small bits since I’m not great at writing kiddos

“So when does her natural armor come in?”

 Leigh glanced over as the question was asked, hiding a smile at how intently Mordin and Evie were watching as Shawn cradled Erin in his arms. Shawn snorted, shaking his head as he gave the little one her bottle.

 “Humans don’t get natural armor,” he reminded the two young Krogan. 

 “What.”

 “Leigh and I don’t have natural armor,” he pointed out, cocking an eyebrow. “Nor do Evvy, Kaidan…”

 “I just thought maybe you lost it in some horrible accident.”

 Both eyebrows went up at that. “Kinda negates the point of natural armor then, doesn’t it?”

 “I didn’t say you had good armor, Uncle Shawn,” Mordin retorted, rolling his eyes. 

 “Besides, even Krogan wear extra armor,” Evie pointed out with a shrug. She reached out, gently tapping a finger against the baby’s hand. 

 “And she’s so squishy! That can’t be safe!”

 “Human babies need their parents to help keep them safe,” Leigh explained as he moved to join them. Mordin scooted to his sister’s other side, giving Leigh room to settle beside his partner and their daughter.

 “You guys are also squishy,” Evie said, narrowing her eyes at them. 

 “Yeah, you’re gonna need some help,” Mordin agreed. He reached past his sister to give Erin a little pat on her foot. “It’s okay, Erin,” he informed the baby solemnly. “We’ll give you real protection.”

 “Maybe we can make her some armor?”

 “They gotta have armor for babies!”

 Leigh bit his lip against a laugh, catching Shawn’s eye and returning his smile. He leaned in, kissing his cheek before slipping an arm around him, watching as their little girl observed her adoptive cousins over the top of her bottle. 

 Who needs natural armor, he thought, when your adoptive extended family includes Krogan, quarians, Turians, asari, and badass biotics? 

[mtreebeardiles]

Negotiations (Everett x Kaidan)

Also on AO3

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“I feel like,” Kaidan began, turning down the blankets on their bed, “as the taller person in this relationship, logically you should be the Big Spoon.”

He grinned as he heard Evvy’s exaggerated hum of consideration from the en suite. He emerged a moment later, toweling his face.

“Good point,” Everett replied. “I am, however, mere inches taller. So the better point is width.”

“Width?”

“You have broader shoulders than me,” Evvy explained, tossing the towel into the hamper. He moved over to Kaidan, resting his hands on his shoulders and looking him over from top to toe while Kaidan struggled to maintain a Serious Expression.

“I mean look at you! These beautiful shoulders, these arms, that chest!” As he spoke Everett’s hands slipped up and down his arms before his fingers ghosted along the hair of Kaidan’s chest, finally splaying just below his collarbones. He heaved a satisfied sigh. “Just made for holding.”

“…very good points all around,” Kaidan replied after a moment, fighting back against the shivers Evvy’s knowing touch elicited. His own hands came to rest on Everett’s hips. “And all very true. However.” He gave Evvy a tug, hands slipping around to grab handfuls of his ass as he pulled him flush. He smirked in satisfaction at Everett’s sharp intake of breath.

Evvy wasn’t the only one who could play dirty.

“However?” Everett prompted, biting his lower lip in a vain attempt to keep his composure, eyes alight with that playful mischief Kaidan loved so much.

“I,” Kaidan began, leaning in to capture his lips himself. “Feel so incredibly safe when you’re the one holding me.”

“That’s not a —god—that’s not a measurable quality!”

“Doesn’t make it any less valid,” Kaidan retorted, smiling against Evvy’s skin as he moved from his lips to his neck, teeth and tongue finding each sensitive spot until Everett was writhing and breathless in his arms, his quiet laughter buried against Kaidan’s shoulder.

“Then my feelings of safety are equally valid!” Everett clung closer, all but relying on Kaidan keeping him on his feet at this point.

“Very true.” He nuzzled against him, giving Evvy a nip and earning fresh shivers from his partner. “Agree to switch?”

“Agreed,” Everett gasped out, his own hands seeking Kaidan’s hips and pulling him even closer as Kaidan gave him another squeeze.

“I’ll be Big Spoon tonight,” he went on, earning a few shivers of his own as he murmured in Kaidan’s ear, giving a little nip. “But you’re taking charge of what you’ve started here, sir.”

Kaidan chuckled, giving him another squeeze before spinning them around, gently pushing Evvy back onto the bed. Everett grinned up at him, cheeks flushed, eyes glinting, and Kaidan had to pause a moment, take it all in, marveling yet again at his great fortune to have found a love as warm and playful as this.

“Absolutely, nerd.”

He moved onto the bed after him, settling between his legs for now, capturing his lips in another kiss and delighting in the laughter he caught there.

[mtreebeardiles]

Armor Upgrades, pt 3 (Everett x Kaidan)

Oh hey, there’s a part three to this! 

Full piece on AO3

Steaminess included

Everett Shepard had seen his fair share of impressive biotics ever since the SR-1, but Kaidan always managed to take it to another level. 

 Once wary of the dark energy he himself could wield, it had become something almost admirable the first time he'd seen the then-Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko use it. Something about the other man's control, his calm, his deliberate, intentional usage just… spoke to something in Evvy, the way so many things about the other man did. Cautious admiration had turned into something deeper once Kaidan started teaching him, and Everett would be lying if he said there wasn't something inherently thrilling in the way Kaidan used his abilities. 

 And maybe a touch distracting, sometimes, too.

 "What's this for, then?" Breathless laughter against him and Evvy was patient enough to let the other man catch his breath before diving into another searing kiss. 

 "What do you mean?" Everett panted, seizing Kaidan's lower lip between his teeth and sucking. "We're just…making sure the Kodiak is all good after that mission."

 "Is that what we're doing?"

 "Mhmm. Gotta be thorough."

 "Oh, well, when you put it that way," and Kaidan cupped his cheeks, drawing him back in, gently urging entry and Evvy all too happy to give it to him. His soft moan muffled against him as Kaidan slipped his tongue into his mouth, kissing him with a fervor that sent ripples of goosebumps across his skin. 

 "…think the shuttle bay is clear yet?"

 "Probably." A moment, resting against each other, long enough for Evvy to get his disordered thoughts back in order. He took Kaidan's hand, tugging him out of the Kodiak. 

 The shuttle bay was clear, for the moment at least, but he knew it wouldn’t stay that way for long. For all he figured most if not everyone aboard knew he and Kaidan were a thing, he still felt it appropriate to keep personal things…private. 

 And right then, he wanted to get very personal.

 "We not kitting down?"

 "Upstairs," Everett replied, flashing a sly look Kaidan's way. "Figured you liked it so much the first time…" He laughed as Kaidan moved faster towards the lift, tugging Evvy along this time. 

 The last time had been a bid to remember, to reassert their own boundaries and redraw them in the wake of what they wanted. It had ended with some much needed reconciliation, Evvy thought, and he didn't regret that the evening hadn't gone as he'd originally planned. 

 Their heart-to-heart had been far more important than any physical intimacy.

 Now, though, they had settled into a rhythm that worked for the both of them, and that meant sharing space again, going into the field again, carving out moments to be together again. 

 It meant seeing his brilliant, amazing partner in action again, and remembering how his finesse could set butterflies loose in his stomach. 

 Evvy's armor was a turn on for Kaidan; Kaidan's skillful displays of biotics was one of Evvy's.

 And that skill had only gotten more impressive in their time apart.

[mtreebeardiles]

Random Evvy x Kaidan fact

Everett insists Kaidan go up to bed first pretty regularly. It takes Kaidan a few years but he finally realizes it’s so the bed will be toasty by the time Evvy gets there