Chapter Text
Reyes turned back to the shuttle as Keema left him to it. She hadn’t come for any purpose he could figure, other than to tease him about Scott. She’d been in a good mood as she left, tapping away at the Angaran equivalent of an omnitool.
He’d stripped off to the waist thanks to the Kadara heat, sweaty from wrestling a stubborn broken part out of a tight space. He’d managed to fit the replacement just as Keema arrived and was now ready to close the panel.
His musings on Keema’s strangely cheerful mood were broken by the ping of his own omnitool, alerting him to a message. There were only a few people that had access to his frequency. His personal frequency was something he guarded tightly, yet he’d given it to Scott before they’d known each other more than a day. Since he and Scott had decided to commit to each other, he’d also passed on his personal frequency to a few of the Tempest’s crew members, though Vetra was the only one that had actually used it so far.
The Turian had taken to sending him photos and videos of Scott. Random moments from their travels and day-to-day life on the Tempest. He had a few favourites so far, the one that she had sent him of Scott laughing at something she’d said was a particular favourite. It had clearly been hilarious as he clutching railing in front of his for support, head tilted back and tears in his eyes.
Putting down the rag he was holding, Reyes turned around to lean on the side of his shuttle. Bringing up his arm to check his messages, he was pleased to see that it was one from Vetra. It was five words and a video attachment a few minutes long. Interesting. Vetra didn’t usually send those.
‘Your boy’s got some pipes,’
Reyes reached out and tapped on the attachment.
The Tempest’s cargo hold appeared. The Nomad took up much of the frame but Reyes’ eyes immediately picked out Scott. He was seated on the rear, legs dangling over the edge and plucking at something.
Was that a guitar?
Sound poured forth and Reyes was unable to focus on anything else for a long time.
‘~It comes and goes in waves, it always runs back but its never quite the same,~'
Scott’s voice was beautiful. He was utterly mesmerised, watching his lover pluck the strings and croon.
‘~I was going for the title, got hit by your tidal wave, oh, can’t stay in the shallows, please tell me I won’t wash away,~’
He’d had no idea that Scott could sing, and sing well.
‘~When it pulls me under, will you make me stronger, will you be my breath through the deep, deep water,~'
He was torn between wanting to demand a performance the next time he saw Scott, and keeping this knowledge secret in case he stopped performing where Vetra could record him.
‘~Thinking I deserve the dream but I don’t deserve the hurting, I want the flame without the burning,~'
He wondered if Scott knew any other instruments. Pictured his fingers dancing over the keys of a piano, while Reyes watched from the shadows, glass of whiskey in hand.
‘~But I can’t find my purpose when I don’t know what my worth is~’
He wanted to reach out and touch him. Sit behind him, Scott between his legs, forehead pressed to the back of his neck and listen to him sing
‘~When I’m sinking like a stone, at least I know I’m not alone,~'
He found himself wishing desperately to be in the same room as Scott, able to close his eyes and listen, knowing that he’d be there when he opened them again.
‘~It comes and goes in waves, it always runs back but it’s never quite the same.~’
The final notes drifted away and Reyes watched as Scott took a breath, put the guitar aside, and laid back on the Nomad.
‘Hey SAM? What time is it at Kadara Port, right now?’
‘It is early evening, Scott. Reyes is likely available,’
‘Thanks SAM, send him a request from the comm in my quarters,’
The video cut there.
Reyes listened to it again and again, until his arm grew too tried to hold up anymore. He forwarded the message and video to the encrypted datapad he was using to store all these precious moments, and sighed. Scott was due to visit Kadara soon, perhaps he could wrangle some treats for Vetra before they arrived. It was the least he could do for a gift like this.
—x—x—x—
Two days later saw Reyes lounging in the VIP room at Tartarus. Laid down on the long couch, one knee up and an arm flung over his eyes. The heavy music filtered though from downstairs, occasionally hitting a note that he could feel through the cushion below him. Not thinking of anything in particular, just, drifting.
The buzz of his omnitool against his brow broke Reyes out of his daydream. Lifting his arm away from his face, he activated the interface, curious.
A message from Vetra, with a few photo attachments.
Glancing at the brief message, 'Slice of life,’, he turned his attention to the first image.
Scott was visible from the waist up, clearly just post workout. Wearing that ridiculously garish Blasto tank, headphones around his neck, skin faintly glistening with perspiration. He held a mug of what was likely coffee in one hand and a datapad in the other, intent on whatever was on the screen, a tiny furrow between his brows. Reyes swept his eyes down to linger on his lover’s gorgeous arms, nicely framed as they were by that neon affront to his eyes.
He stared so long, lost in thoughts of how those same arms might look while Scott gripped the sheets below him, that the screen dimmed.
Sighing to himself, he moved onto the next image in Vetra’s message.
This one was Scott, his engineer, and his pilot. They were clearly mid argument, the Salarian tense like a tightly coiled spring, and Brodie mid gesticulation. Scott was stuck in the middle, pinching the bridge of his nose in an attempt to hold off a headache.
Reyes smiled, realising that this must have been the argument Scott was telling him about last week. It had ended with Scott just walking off. He’d later spoken to them both privately and separately about the issue. Ever the professional, Scott ascribed to the practice of ‘praise in public, reprimand in private’. In organisations like the Collective, the opposite tended to work better, but to each their own.
Flicking to the next and final image, Reyes froze, spellbound.
Scott’s head filled almost a third of the frame, the expression on his face was one of wide-eyed wonder. His face was in profile, turned up towards the sky. Eyes were wide open, snow dusting his hair and lashes. Reflected in his eyes were the auroras that were clearly lighting up the sky on Voeld.
Scott had mentioned on his last visit to Kadara that he was he was headed there next and would be reactivating the vault there, if possible. It appears that he was successful, which meant that he may be headed back to Kadara soon.
Noting the time before dismissing the screen, Reyes stretched languidly on the couch. He had a meeting with Keema soon and he’d have to get up in a minute, but for now he basked in thoughts of seeing his Pathfinder again soon.
—x—x—x—
Reyes was mid bite of his meal when his omnitool pinged with a message. A quick glance showed it was another message from Vetra. Burning with anticipation he finished the last few forkfuls, dumping the dirty dishes in the sink on his way to the couch. The little apartment suited him for now, with its view of the dock and close proximity to the Collective Headquarters and Kralla’s.
Settling in, he pulled up the message, greedy as always for news of his lover.
Vetra’s messages were usually short and to the point, this one was no different.
‘Looks like something out of the recruitment vids’
Curious.
Reyes flicked open the attached image.
It was a shot of the bridge of the Tempest, taken from the bulkhead doors looking forward. Scott stood in the centre, leaning over the navigation station, looking out at planet that filled much of the screen. Clad in his white and blue civvies, he looked every bit the poster boy for the Initiative.
Reyes looked a little closer, noting the tense set to Scott’s shoulders and the tight grip he had on the rail in front of him. His poor lover was clearly in need of a break. Sending the file to his secured datapad, his attention was caught by something familiar about the planet. Before he could give it too much thought, the roar of a ships engines broke the silence.
He glanced out the window expecting to see an inbound shuttle but instead was surprised to see the Tempest cruising in for landing. Leaping to his feet ready to dash out to meet them, he hesitated a moment. This was the first time the Tempest had returned to Kadara since the Outcasts had been ousted. Since they’d decided to explore this thing between them. Should he wait for Scott to come find him? Or should he go find Scott, a little proof that he was serious about this endeavour?
A ping interrupted his anxiety.
Scott.
'Finally back, will wait on the Tempest for you. Missed you,’
Reyes impatiently typed out a response as he dashed out the door.
‘On my way querido, missed you too,’
--x--x--x--
Song Scott is singing: Deep Water - Acoustic by American Authors