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Date & Time: Mid-morning on the 28th
Location: Training hall
Characters: Kaidan Alenko, Alice Shepard // closed
Summary: Kaidan and Shepard beat each other up a little bit
Warnings: Violence and UST :'|

[Things between Kaidan and Shepard had not gotten better.

He'd been hopeful, after the simulated memories situation. But the problem was that they needed to talk about what had been going on between them, and while Kaidan was usually all for talking, this situation was a little different. Namely, if he brought up what it was that'd been bugging him the past few weeks, he'd have to admit to a whole hot of other feelings that he wasn't sure either he or Shepard were ready to face just yet.

Which is why Shepard can find him taking out his frustrations (shirtless) on a training dummy. No biotics, just pounding the stuffing out of the thing with his fists.]

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[They have a thing for being partially naked, don't they?

Shepard's morning routine is usually the same. A run outside of the city after she wakes up, and then back to the training facility. It's as much to train herself as it is to watch other people, maybe pick up a partner. So when she hears someone pounding on a training dummy and spots Kaidan instead of another regular, she leans back against a wall, arms crossed over her chest.]

How about a partner?

[He stills for a moment at the sound of her voice, before delivering another savage punch to the dummy. Her words bring to mind...well. Something other than sparring partners.

He backs away from the dummy to face her, rubbing his forehead with the back of his hand. No, I don't.] Sure. [Wait]

[She pushes off the wall, a smirk tugging at her lips as she cracks her neck a bit to loosen up.] Sure you're going to be able to keep up with me, Major?

[He doesn't return the smirk, continuing to look pretty serious] I think I can manage.

[So much for joking, Shepard supposes. Not that she's surprised by his attitude. They haven't really spent any time trying to figure each other out, not since... That night.

But she's not good at talking.

This? This is easier.] We'll see. [She steps forward, raising her arms.] No biotics.

[He sighs, and then nods. If he'd been in a better mood, he might have teased her about being scared] Makes sense. [He pulls his own arms up, watching her warily. It's not in his nature to attack first]

[And it's exactly in Shepard's nature to attack first, stepping forward and lashing out with a jab of her first towards his gut. He wants to be serious about it, and that's fine.

But it makes her stomach tighten uncertainly. She doesn't want it to be this way.]

[He doesn't want it to be this way either, which was why he hadn't want to agree to sparring in the first place. But he has, for reasons he doesn't want to examine too closely.

He slides out of the way of her fist, using the momentum to get into her personal space and hit back, dancing away again quickly. When you're a biotic, you learn to be fast on your feet - but she's one, too]

[That's where they differ. Shepard sees nothing wrong with sparring. It's fun and a great way to let off steam. They're still friends, aren't they? Friends can have friendly spars.

Yeah, because this totally feels friendly.

She grunts at the hit, but pushes through it, following after him when he dances back. It's true her biotic training has made her quicker, but she's also been training in hand to hand for a long time. She feigns left and goes right with her punch this time.]

[Usually that's how Kaidan sees it too, but he's having trouble not attaching significance to every interaction they have, lately.

He's caught up enough in his thoughts that he doesn't notice the feint, her fist connecting solidly with his torso. It hurts, but he doesn't stop; his hands wraps around her wrist as he diverts her forward motion, throwing her over his hip. He's mostly sure she'll be able to roll out of it. Like, eighty percent.]

[She doesn't see that one coming, eyes widening in surprise as she's pitched forward. Roll out of it, she does, popping back up on her feet. One corner of her lip quirks up before she leaps at him, slamming her weight against him. He falls backwards on the practice mat, her hands on his shoulders to pin him down.

If he's going to toss her to the side, she's going to tackle him. Simple as that.]

[That lip quirk should have warned him, but he's not fast enough. Kaidan braces herself for her weight best he can, but she's heavier than she expected. The hit the ground, a sharp exhalation of air leaving him as it happens. And then her hands are on his shoulders, legs on either side of hips and for a brief, desperate second something else entirely flashes through him. Want.

He can only hope it doesn't show on his expression. His lower body twists in an attempt at distraction and then he flips them both. He's panting hard as he hovers over her, hands at his wrists and pinning them to the ground. They're closer than is strictly necessary for this hold, staring into each others' eyes]

[She's got him pinned down and suddenly it's not really about the thrill of a fight anymore because this is exactly what she's been imagining for... Well, months. Years. All she would really have to do is scoot down just a little and...

And suddenly she's on her back, a breathless laugh on her lips despite herself, fingers flexing when he pins her wrists down. This isn't regulation. Not even close. It's too personal, way beyond even unfriendly sparring. He looks good from this angle, like he belongs there.

She definitely wants him there, and there's a hitch in her breath as her eyes darken with want.]

[He notices that hitch in her breath and for a moment he lets himself wonder what it would have been like. If he'd accepted her offer that night. Let himself have some part of her, if he couldn't have what he really wanted.] Shepard. [His voice is low, quiet, and huskier than normal. He can't seem to break eye contact.]

[She loves him. That and the thought of wrapping her legs around his hips are the only thoughts flitting through her mind right now. He's so close, and he's just staring at her.

And she loves him, which is stupid. How does she even know if it's love or not? It's not like she's had a ton of experience. But thinking about somebody for three years is a pretty good sign, right?] Kaidan. [Her voice is breathy, needy, almost pleading.]

[And then she says his name, and he knows he can't. It's an all or nothing thing for him. There's no way he could ever pretend it's just something physical, and she doesn't need the burden of his feelings.

He clears his throat and then pushes back, getting smoothly to his fault. He clears his throat and walks away, towards his towel] Sorry. I think I'm done for the morning. I gave the dummy a going over before you got here.

[Shepard should have been expecting it, really, when he moves away from her and walks away. She stays on the floor, staring up at the ceiling of the hall, one leg drawn up so that her foot is planted on the floor. She flexes her now-free wrists, quiet for a moment.

And then, in a soft voice:] Is it because I died? Because of whatever Cerberus did to me?

What? [He turns around instantly, and the look on his face is so clearly startled that it's obvious the answer to her question is 'no']

Edited 2012-08-29 05:51 (UTC)

[She sits up then.] I've been throwing myself at you practically. I don't know what more you need from me, so if it's just you not being attracted to me, I need to hear it. [Because it's confusing when he seems to be into her and then... does things like this.]

Throwing--? [Something is slowly starting to become apparent to Kaidan. Like how maybe he's been reading this situation wrong] Shepard - Alice. [He opens his mouth to continue speaking, only to realise that he has no idea what to say. He takes a half-step back towards her instead, scrambling for the right words]

I thought - I thought it was only physical. On your side. I didn't want to get involved when it wouldn't - when I couldn't keep it on that level. Personally. [Something like hope enters his tone, and he can't keep it out]

[He says her name, that elusive first name of hers that nobody uses, and she sighs softly as she turns her head towards him, watching him carefully. Watching as he fumbles for words and takes that step towards her. Despite the serious air of the situation, her mouth twitches into a smile.]

Have you ever maybe thought that I kind of suck at relationships? The only long term one I've managed to keep is with the damn ship and her damn crew. [A pause as she climbs to her feet.] It's physical, sure. But there's no only.

[He steps closer again so they're in each other's personal space again, although not so close as to be uncomfortable. His hand lifts, almost like he's about to touch her cheek, but he stops himself. For now.]

Are you saying--? [He breaks off, shaking his head. He's an adult, it's obvious what she's saying] God, I've been an idiot. Alice, I've wanted you - I've wanted to be with you for three years now. The other night, I - I wanted it all, and I didn't think - I didn't realise-- [There's a faint wince from him here, and how he's failing to get his words out. He takes a breath, and decides to go for simple]

I love you, Alice.

[Her eyebrows go up in faint amusement, smile sliding easily into a smirk instead. He's fumbling around like a teenage boy confessing to his crush rather than a grown man, but she supposes that it's okay. It's apt. This whole thing, it fits them, fits who they are.

She ducks her head when he speaks. Three years. He's wanted her for that long, and they're only now... Only when they've been torn from their home and thrown into Exsilium. Now that there's time.] You really are an idiot, Alenko. I don't know about you, but I don't just ask anyone to my bed. [Anymore, at least.

She steps up to him, closing some of the space between them.

I love you, Alice.

Well that's exactly what she wants to hear, but the words get stuck in her throat when she tries to say them back. One step at a time, Shepard. One step at a time. So instead of speaking, she just throws herself at him, pressing her mouth against his in a surprisingly soft kiss.]

[He hadn't exactly been expecting her to say it back - he hadn't known what to expect. So when she all but throws himself at him, he's anything but disappointed. His arms go to her waist immediately, tugging her closer to him as his lips ease over hers, returning the kiss. It's slow, gentle, and almost heartbreakingly intimate. For a moment, he forgets everything about where they are, how they got there, everything except for her]

[Her arms wrap around his neck, pressing herself tight against him. It's been awhile, and part of her is desperate for more, but she somehow keeps hold of her restraint. He feels good, better than what she's imagined. Probably because he's real, and did he say that he loved her? She threads her fingers into his hair, tugging him closer.]

[The urge to find the nearest horizontal surface and relocate is strong, but Kaidan - well, he's not that sort of guy. He keeps her body flush against his though, even has he breaks the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. He doesn't want to let go.

A faint chuckle escapes him] We're in the middle of the training hall, you know.

[Forget horizontal; Shepard would go vertical if he wanted. She wants it. There's a murmur of disappointment when he breaks the kiss, eyes closing briefly as she takes a deep breath.]

You talk too much, Kaidan.

[One hand leaves her waist, slides her hair out of her face before just cupping her cheek. The whole situation has happened so fast, he can't quite believe it's real.] If I talked a little more, we might've gotten this whole mess sorted out sooner.

[He steals another kiss because he can, short and sweet]

[She finds herself leaning into the hand, staring at him with a look of amusement. Honestly, she thinks if he talked less and did more, they would have been together already, but she's not about to say it.] I could have been more obvious. [Maybe.

She leans back a bit, coy smile playing on her lips.] So, I'm thinking we both could probably use a shower.

[His thumb rubs back and forth over her cheek, softly. And then she leans back and opens her mouth and he coughs a little, ducking his head] That's...true. [And then his tone dips a little, becomes more playful. The edge of a smirk dances on his lips; he's not always a loser] There are a couple of other things I could think of, though. [aka let him romance you, Shepard]

[She grins at the playful tone. Her hands drift down to his shoulders and over his bare chest, dropping whatever coy act she was going to at least attempt. One thing about Shepard, she's not very subtle, and she doesn't care.] So I should assume that we're not really going to be leaving the apartment after we get back, are we?

[She takes a step back, moving away from his hold. Even though she wants to go back, wants to stay attached to him. There's another step back.] Whatever you want, Kaidan. [aka go for the romancing then.]

[A small shiver works through him at the path her hands take, and a soft chuckle leaves him at her comment. There's a thought that they're taking this too fast, but - it's been three years. And Kaidan doesn't want to waste any more time.] Well. Eventually.

[While Kaidan can definitely do the teasing thing when he puts his mind to it, he usually ruins it with his man feelings. She steps away, but he reaches out and takes her hands gentle in his, tugging her back towards him. His lips brush over her knuckles as he looks her in the eye] I want you, Alice.

Eventually is something I can live with. [It's not like they're going to be called out to battle anytime soon, she supposes. And she's waited so long for this, for this chance.

As much as she wants to satisfy her desires, it's things like this, him taking her hand and not letting her go, kissing her knuckles, that really set her off. Heart thumping, breath coming out in soft pants. She looks back at him.] Then what are you waiting for?

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