Commander Elyssa Shepard (commander_shep) wrote in spinningcompass, @ 2014-08-11 03:37:00 |
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Shepard wasn’t exactly sure how to dress coming to someone’s apartment for a date. She didn’t want to seem too flashy, or too frumpy. She wasn’t used to dating a civilian. Or as one. Was one date considered dating? That was a question she pondered as she stood in front of the door for 1602, in her N7 formal uniform, consisting of fitted dark slacks, pressed with a sharp crease, draped over boots buffed to a high shine, and a tailed high collared shirt in dark blue and black. She held a bottle of wine in her hand, and forced herself out of her thoughts before she knocked. Standing in relaxed posture befitting the uniform. Hoping she wasn’t over dressed. Or underdressed. --- Ty’s nerves were somewhere between raw and bloody. The run he had gone for hadn’t really helped, neither had the shower. He really wished they had set a time. He wanted to have everything ready by the time she arrived. Lay the table, prepare the salad and the grated sweet potatoe and carrot mix. But the actual frying had to wait for later. He needed to get started soon if he wanted to be done by five. No one would show up before five. Most likely not even six. Seven maybe? He should really just ask. His clothes needed changing. He had simply shrugged into a pair of loose jeans and a t-shirt and towel-dried his hair. Definitely not a look he wanted to sport at a first date. At least, the place was its usual clean self. Anders and him had the same standards when it came to tidiness His phone was snatched out of the pocket’s of his jacket and he had just started to type when someone knocked. He glanced at the door shortly. Had Scotty forgotten something? “Yeah, come in,” he said loudly. --- Shepard took a deep breath, and held it as she twisted the knob and pushed open the door. Ducking a her head a little before she pushed the door closed behind her. “I hope you don’t mind, I brought some white wine.” She wasn’t sure what he was cooking so she couldn’t be sure if it would really go. But the taste was nice, so she saw no harm in bringing it along. She knew she was a little early. Maybe a lot early. But it was either come early or stand in her apartment pacing the place until it seemed like a reasonable time. Working up a sweat she had just washed off. No early seemed like the lesser of the two evils. --- The woman standing in the door wasn't the person he had expected. And she looked stunning. His nerves made him glance back at his phone shortly before meeting her eyes again. "Uhm, you... you look beautiful. I - sorry. I didn’t expect you yet," he glanced down at his own attire and bare feet. "I -" He motioned to his own room. "I still need to get changed." --- “You look fine as you are.” Shepard wasn’t one to blush, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have a little bashful smile. “I probably over did, I can’t say that I’ve ever been on a date as a civilian.” She looked down at herself. Glad that she hadn’t gone with the formal uniform. Or the one with high boots. “Sorry I’m early, very early, I decided being early was the lesser of the evils, over everything else I could do waiting.” And if she were honest, she wanted to see him again. --- Ty smiled at her. Her words implied that she was just as nervous as he was. He had been on plenty of dates, especially first ones. Still, he got nervous. There were dates when it was better and dates when it was worse. This definitely belonged to the latter. "No, you look great. Don't apologise for looking great," he said. "Shall we do the cooking together? I was planning on steaks, a salad and fried grated sweet potatoes and carrots." He remembered her mentioning that she liked steak and might have gotten out of his way to get some. --- “Thanks.” Shepard rubbed the back of her neck. Though a little of her nervousness zapped out the second he asked if she would help. “Steaks? Real, used to moo, steaks?” She was a little surprised that was his choice. Almost as if he’d read her mind. Again. Sure she’d mentioned liking them, but had she conveyed the fact that she missed them in that simple fact? Placing the bottle of wine on the counter, and with a flick of a few buttons she shrugged out of the fancy shirt, a simple white undershirt beneath, just so she wouldn’t have to mess up the uniform, she draped the shirt over the back of the couch. She felt like they were on level playing field now that she was a without it. “Alright what do you want me to do?” --- “Uhm, yes,” Ty said and padded over to the kitchen counter. “How about you get started on the salad while I look after the sweet potatoes?” he suggested, as he started to fetch the ingredients from the fridge. Knives and boards were openly visible. “Oils and vinegar are in there. There’s a drawer for spices. I’ve got yoghurt, lemons, garlic, onions, tomatoes, cucumber, walnuts… uhm, yes. Anything else you need?” --- “If I weren’t a rational woman, Ty, I might say I was in love.” Shepard teased, though only a little. The saying might go ‘the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach’, but she knew it wasn’t too far from the truth for her too. “Do you mind if I saute the garlic a little? Or would that be in the…” She paused as her omnitool chirped. Pressing a button or two she paled just a little. “We might not be able to go dancing after all.” As she gazed over the alerted message. “Unless you want to stick to your living room.” And then she’d have to find a place to sleep. --- Shepard earned herself a smile. Which crumbled moments later. “What do you mean?” he asked, blinking and cocking his head to the side. --- “Well, apparently there’s a warning out for everyone to stay indoors after dark. Unless we scarf dinner and book it to the club, or the pub, and spend the night there.” Not that she wanted to rush eating a steak. She was all for whatever he wanted to do. “Not that a werewolf scares me, but if this is a person… I can’t say I’d want that on my conscience.” Shepard had seen bigger and badder things than a werewolf, and taken them down. Not that she’d ever seen a werewolf before. --- “A werewolf?” Ty asked. He had known about Mitchell’s state of undeadness but not that there was a werewolf around. “Things like that really should not surprise me anymore. Yet…” He shook his head. “Where do you live?” --- “I’ve actually got to the point that there isn’t a whole lot that surprises me as far as lifeforms go.” She’d seen so much on her travels that it was hard to be. “Though it isn’t impossible.” Shepard admitted. She began pulling out the makings for the salad. She didn’t want to go home. She didn’t want to end the date before it started, and if that meant going outside and facing a werewolf, after it was all over then so be it. “Stark Tower. It’s closer to what I’m used to back home.” Not the ritz, of course, but the automation, and the style. --- “You can stay here if you want,” Ty suggested. “And it doesn’t… you know… there are two empty bedrooms.” He wouldn’t mind things going that way. His heart told him that she was special. But it was only their first date. “I can even give you a t-shirt to sleep in… and I’m sure we have a spare toothbrush.” The thought of waking up and knowing she was in the apartment was appealing. “That way we can have our second day right tomorrow morning.” He wasn’t sure if it wasn’t too forward but he always had problems hiding his eagerness. --- “Breakfast as the second date doesn’t mean I’d be put in the friend box would it?” Of course if it meant she spent the night she was sure it didn’t. But a little teasing never hurt. She brushed a few stray hairs behind her ear. “If it doesn’t put you or your brother out… I’ll cook breakfast, and possibly put off borrowing the shirt until morning.” She’d never been one to sleep clothed. The most she’d been able to manage without squirming out eventually, was the military issue camisole and panties set. --- “That sounds perfect,” Ty said. “And I promise friend boxing you is as far from my mind as possible. So… what was the oddest creature you have met so far?” If werewolves did not surprise her, she must have met quite a fair bit of beings. He wondered if she had ever met someone like him. Did aliens have gods? Would gods reveal themselves in the future? --- “Don’t get me wrong, being in the friend box wouldn’t be a bad place to be, I just…” A wicked little grin tugged at her lips as she peeled the garlic. “Well, I’ll let you figure that part out.” Unless he wanted the answer, of course then she’d give it to him. But she really hoped the expression she wore said it all. Not that she expected tonight to end between the sheets, but she had high hopes for the eventuality. Snagging one of the knives she began chopping the garlic into fine slivers. “Oh, I wont be in the way if I saute this, will I?” She pointed down to the little bulbs. She pondered over the odd aliens she’d met. Puffing out a breath. She chopped a little more garlic. “You know, I’m not sure. Husks were pretty freaky, but they weren’t exactly creatures, more like humans forcibly made into synthetic beings.” --- “No, go on” he said quickly at the garlic question, a bit embarrassed that he had forgotten to answer her question before. The answer to his question was not what he had expected. His disgust was clearly displayed on his face. “Why would anyone do something like that?” he asked. The images it brought with it were straight from science fiction horror movies. It seemed too horrific for something to happen in the real future. New Zealand’s own history should be enough to remind him that it wasn’t but it was a new form of cruelty. --- Once she was pleased with her pile of garlic she rooted for a pan, and scraped it in once she found one. “Did I tell you about the war?” Shepard could vaguely remember what she’d said. But it was so hard her mind wanted to dance around that memory. It was strange. That only happened when she tried to remember the last moments on the first Normandy. It was slightly off subject but she ventured anyway. “Do you want any of the garlic for the steak?” It was probably not a good first date food, but she liked it. And did come prepared just in case the night ended well. --- “Yes, if there is enough,” Ty said. He had finished stacking the kitchen counter with bowls and food and put the bottle of wine into the fridge. His eyes were on the potatoe as he thought back to what she had told him. “You’ve told me about synthetic beings? Reapers, I think it was.” --- “There will be just enough,” She’d make sure of it. After all she just wanted enough to flavor a bit of oil and vinegar. She moved back to the board and chopped a few more bulbs. Tossing them in the pan. “They were the ones that wanted to make synthetics of all life in the Milky Way. Or Most of it anyway. Husks were what humans became, Asari’s were far scarier.” Shepard made a face. “Not that I was really afraid of them, just that because they were biotics they could make you feel fear, even if you weren’t really afraid. If that makes sense?” She sprinkled a little of the oil into the pan, and stirred up the garlic with it, so the flavor would go farther. So she could use less garlic, and leave the rest for him. “After we’ve eat, I can use your tv and show you a little bit of what I’ve seen if you want to. It’s not all that pretty, but some of it is…” She had no words. --- “Yes, I would like that very much,” he said and looked up from the now naked potatoe. Next came the carrots. He had been tempted to look her up, figuring that she was probably from some sort of medium. But for him it was an invasion of her privacy. Seeing where she was from had to wait. “So, what are biotics?” --- “Biotics are people who have been exposed to the dust of element zero, which is called eezo, while still in the womb. They develop… Powers I guess you could call them, and they generally get fitted with chips so they can control the powers, and enhance them.” She pulled the garlic off the heat, pouring just enough, with a few chunks, in a bowl, and setting it off to the side. Leaving the rest in the pan, off the heat. Moving back over to the salad bowl, she collected a cucumber and a tomato. Cutting each into slices. “My second go at life, some how I got exposed, don’t know if they did it on purpose, or if it was just a.. side effect to what they did to bring me back to life. I’m a biotic, when I wasn’t before. Not as powerful as Kaidan, or an Asari, but I can throw my weight around with it.” --- He looked slightly baffled at her when she revealed that she had powers as well. The potato grating was forgotten for a moment. “What kind of powers do you have?” he asked, curiously. He rested the half-grated potato on the bench and watched her from the side. --- “I have four that I specialize in. One is an armor, it protects me from actually taking any damage, up to a certain point, after the shielding of my physical armor goes down, and then when it goes down it goes down with explosive force. One is a cryo blast, it can freeze a person, or uh a target, at a distance for a short time and one where I can overload synthetics.” It as weird talking about it, really. She’d never had to explain it to anyone before. It distracted her just a little, and the knife in her hand slipped, slicing into her finger. Shepard hissed softly and stuck the digit in her mouth, out of habit. Taking it out she pressed her thumb just below the wound. “And another power, clumsiness.” She joked. She wasn’t really, but didn’t see harm in making fun of herself. --- Ty’s attention was solely focussed on her now. His eyebrows raised as she mentioned the freezing. He flinched shortly when she cut herself. “Do you want a plaster?” he asked, smiling softly. He wasn’t even sure they had one but he felt the need to offer. --- “Nah it should stop in a second. A paper towel maybe?” She knew a plaster would just get in the way as she tried to finish putting the salad together. She was just glad it wasn’t deep enough to expose any of the cybernetics. She wasn’t sure how she’d explain that bit. Shepard moved to the sink and started the water to run over the cut. “I didn’t bleed on the cucumber did I?” --- Ty moved over next to the fridge to rip of a sheet of the paper towels. “Here,” he said, stepping over and handing it to her. He glanced at her cut first, making sure it wasn’t too deep. Then he shifted his eyes to her former workstation. “No, it’s good.” --- She folded the towel a few times and wrapped it around her finger. Offering him a smile. “Thank you.” Shepard found herself watching his lips a beat later. But she only let herself have a moment. The temptation there. To just lean closer and screw the 90%. Instead she cleared her throat, and forced her eyes to meet his. But she didn’t move away. And she was pretty sure that her heart beat was juuust barely quiet enough not to be heard. --- He caught her look and his eyes widened slightly, his own expression becoming more intense. He brought up his hand and softly touched her chin. The touch left him with a tingle. His heart was beating far too loudly and the room had shrunk down to her. For this moment, the only thing that mattered was her. His eyes sneaked a glance at her lips before they locked back to her eyes. --- Shepard was going to blow off the want, the almost bare need, but when he touched her chin. She practically shivered, “Oh hell with it.” She whispered, and closed the gap between them. Pressing her lips to his. Giving in, when at any other time she would have resisted the urge. One hand rose to catch the back of his neck. --- Ty could have sworn that his heart stopped for a moment. His eyes shut. Both his hands moved around the back of her head, drawing her in closer and deepening the kiss. He knew what he wanted and that was right in front of him. --- In that instant she was glad she’d shed the thicker top to her uniform. She could feel him, really feel him, against her. Glad that she’d requested him stay as he was. Shepard dropped her hands to his chest. Letting fingers lazily curl, and rest against the thick muscle. Enjoying the feel of his lips against hers. Hell she even enjoyed how he took lead in the kiss. She argued with herself internally, part of her said step back, it was the first date. A kiss was one thing… The other part demanded she stay where she was, and simply enjoy the contact. So stay she did. --- Ty broke the kiss. He pulled his head a little bit away from her, dropped one of his own hands down to her waist and sneaking it around her. He smiled at her, glancing from her eyes to her lips and back up. He searched for any sign of emotion on her face. --- Her eyes warmed when his met hers again. “If I didn’t know better I’d say you had a very different sort of ‘dance’ in mind.” Her voice had turned a little husky. The kiss had definitely been what she hoped for. Shepard used cheek to hide the fluttering in her stomach. The quirk of her eyebrow dared him to quip back. Or drag her off into one of the other rooms. Though maybe that wasn’t the sort of first date he wanted. --- While she talked, he glanced deeply into her eyes. He didn’t let go of her. The hand around her waist stayed where it was. “Plans can change,” he whispered and leaned in to kiss her again. Dinner plans were forgotten. If he was unlucky, he had Hodr back by tomorrow. And being unlucky was kind of his thing. With Hodr around things would be a lot different. --- If that was what he wanted, she was set to give it to him. Her hands eased up over his chest, along his shoulders. A low rumbled groan purred into the kiss. Shepard stepped into him trying to ease him back with her body, against the bench. How long had post war need been pent up inside her? It seemed like forever. The need to feel alive, the need to feel curling in her stomach. Her fingers chased down his body again, curling into the bottom of his shirt, and pulling it up, breaking the kiss only long enough to haul it over his head. They needed to taste his skin. And her hands almost quivered as the tips eased over his ribs. --- Habit nearly kicked in when he felt her hands wandering to his shirt. He wanted to push her away from his clothes, protecting her from his cold skin. But he didn’t have any, not right now. He was as warm as she was. So instead of stopping her, he helped her with his shirt. He decided that it was his turn. She had already seen his chest, it was only fair if he got to see hers. He pushed her own shirt up, then stopped himself with a half-grimace on his face. “Anders - we should…” He finished the sentence by glancing at the door of his bedroom. --- Shepard got the idea. He didn’t want his brother to walk in. She leaned back, made sure the stove was off, and stepped away from him. Leading the way toward the door his eyes jerked too. “No harm in letting his mind spin.” Reaching behind her she pulled the shirt up and off and left it to lay in front of the table. Stepping out of one shoe, then the other, and leaving them like she’d just walked out of them, another few steps and she unbuckled her belt, then unbuttoned and unzipped her trousers, and let the weight of the belt carry them down, before stepping out. Leaving her in a black bra, matching panties, and thigh high dark blue stockings. When she reached his door, she glanced back at him, with a little wicked grin. Hoping he didn’t mind, as she opened the door, stepped just out of sight and removed the black bra. Dropping it just on the outside of the door. --- At that moment the front door opened and Anders voice filtered through as he closed behind the blond. “Can you believe this shit? We have to stay inside all night because of a fucking werewolf. This place just keeps getting weirder and wei…” Anders trailed off as his gaze landed on his brother and he arched an eyebrow. “What you do, get too warm?” he asked before his other eyebrow rose as he spotted the trail of clothing leading to his brother’s bedroom. A wide grin spread across his face. “Did I interrupt or are you taking a breather?” --- Ty’s hands were just on their way to his belt buckle when Ty stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes that had been staring at the spot where Elyssa had stood moments ago snapped towards his brother. “Uh,” he said dropping his hands. He glanced back to his bedroom door, then back to Anders. Shit. Right now, Hodr would actually have been useful. He could feel the blood pumping to his cheeks. “Give us a second,” he said, before rushing over the floor to collect Shepard’s clothes. Clothes that would go back onto her body now. Damn, why did Anders have to show up now? --- Shepard didn’t blush. She hadn’t been all that modest since her first year in basic. But she wasn’t about to flash Anders the goods, that would be just too easy. So instead, the ginger haired woman peeped around the door frame. They were all adults, right? She glanced down at her bra puddled just out of reach to keep her descent. “Hi Anders. I would shake but…” The but being rather obvious just then. It was strange that she knew who he was. That she had known he was Ty’s brother when she’d forgotten who Ty was. There was obviously going to be a rain check in order. --- Anders couldn’t hold the laugh in at his brother’s reaction. He hadn’t seen Ty blush since before he became Hodr, he had forgotten he could go that red. He opened his mouth to tease his brother for it but was stopped by his chick’s voice. He followed her eyeline down to her bra and grinned widely. “..but you’re butt naked with nowhere to go?” --- Ty had picked up the last piece and glanced up at Elyssa. She decided to play it cool. A lot cooler than he felt. He threw her a quick smile before closing the distance between them and adding the bra to the clothes he was handing her. “Sorry,” he mumbled as he held out her stuff. He really needed to get his own place. But so far, as irritating as Anders could be, it had been good to have a part of his family close. --- “I am not naked.” Shepard played at looking apologetic, but really she wasn’t. She stuck out one of her stocking covered legs. “But I was well on my way to getting there.” No mercy, she had no mercy for the violently blushing, adorable, man that stood in front of her. Careful not to expose herself to Anders, at least, she took her clothes from Ty. “Don’t be sorry. I’m not.” Oh sure the romp was put off for a little bit. But getting to this point was pretty enjoyable. “You can make me scream obscenities later.” Shepard was plenty used to putting on more clothes than what he handed her, on the run so it only took a moment, and a little juggling, to put on what he’d handed her. She didn’t even bother closing the door, in case Ty wanted to peep. --- Anders’ grin merely widened at her words and his head tilted a little bit as she stuck out her leg. “Sexy. I like her,” he said to Ty, trying not to crack up at the expression on his brother’s face. “Wow, bro, I can’t decide if you look like a kicked puppy or a teenager that’s been caught out by his mum or something. I forgot you could blush that deep.” --- Neither his brother’s nor his hopefully future lover’s words helped the colour in Ty’s face. “Yes, so did I,” Ty said and sighed. Ty did sneak a peep, more out of accident than on purpose. He moved himself into the doorway, just to make sure Anders’ sight was blocked and simply looked back to where Shepard was standing. The peep was well worth it though. “Indeed, very sexy,” he said when he turned back to his brother, silently cursing him for being around. Well, it was all about anticipation, wasn’t it? --- Shepard made quick work of pulling on her trousers and teeshirt. She simply folded the rest and piled them on her shoes. Part of her knew that Anders would notice, there was just something there, he was that kind of guy. She had to wonder if Ty would notice the lack of her bra. Once dressed she eased up against Ty, wrapped an arm around his waist and pressed her lips to the back of his neck. “I guess we’re cooking for three?” Not that she minded. A deep down feminine part of her enjoyed the idea for cooking for more. It was something she buried rather deep. “You’re not the sort to poke at a woman’s bad dancing, are you Anders?” She called out, just loud enough for Ty’s brother to hear. --- |