Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Thessia was not her first choice for a posting. Asari… so ancient and wise — like she'd said to Shepard the last time she saw him — she finds pleasure in taking them down. Gianna loves her job: she loves a good challenge, and this one, she believes, will prove to be a fulfilling one. There aren't many humans living on Thessia among the asari, so she has to be careful to not blow her cover or this could go south real quick, real bad.

But she's good at her job. Damn good.

Gianna sighs in resignation. Three times she did her bun, and three times it came undone on its own.

Three months since the war ended, and there's a long waitlist of people waiting for a haircut. Hairdressers were in high demand and short supply these days.

She settles on braiding her locks instead, and as she ties it in place with an elastic band, she does one more look over at her dress.

Another day, another investigation. War might be over, but corporate crimes never rest.

She takes a sip of her espresso. She gives herself a last once over in the mirror to make sure everything is okay, then makes her way out of her room to start her day.

~~~n~~~

Kaidan makes his way to the Asari Embassy with his datapad in hand. He had first received the message from the asari Councilor as an urgent escort mission. He had thought that one out of the ordinary, but he's a Spectre, and Spectres answer to all Council races, regardless of the task.

Arriving at the reception, the ambassador's assistant, Serena, lifts a finger, advising him she'd only be a moment. She quickly puts whoever is on the other line on hold.

"I'm here to meet with Councilor Tevos."

"Yes, she's expecting you, Major. Go on ahead."

Kaidan makes his way inside the Councilor's office and waits to be greeted as the Councilor finishes up her call. He'd never seen the asari embassy before; everything was always conducted in the human embassy, and he takes a moment to appreciate the sloping architecture. It reminded him of Thessia, when he had been there during the war. A little bit of asari art probably made the Councilor Tevos feel at home, he supposed. He could understand that; he suddenly feels a little homesick.

"Major, I'm glad you came so quickly." Councilor Tevos stands up from her desk and makes her way to the balcony overlooking the Presidium.

Kaidan follows behind her and leans on the railing, waiting for the Councilor to begin.

"I have a favour to ask. I need you to escort the case ambassador back to Thessia. Even among my people right now, things are uneasy, and she'll require a protection unit. Can I count on you? I know it's not your typical mission, but this isn't ordinary times."

Kaidan rubs his chin, deep in thought. He's not going to reject this mission, not outright. He wouldn't do that consciously. He would mull over it, and then wonder if he made the right decision of refusing and regret it later. Instead, he's thinking about setting up his team for this vital mission. He'll want people he can trust, who can be discreet.

My students. Of course, they're trained for something like this.

"Of course, Councilor. You can entrust me for this mission. My students-"

Tevos places a hand on Kaidan's shoulder, interrupting him mid sentence.

"Your students are to be commended for their service in the war, Major. I want to send a Commando of my own. Perhaps she may teach your students a few tricks."

Kaidan's lips curl slightly upwards into a smile at the offer.

"Thank you, Councilor. This could be a good opportunity to work with other species; they hadn't had much experience before the war."

"Wonderful," Tevos makes her way back to her desk. "Our ship leaves tonight, Major. Please don't be late."

"Understood." Kaidan gives her a crisp salute more out of habit than anything else before he makes his way out of her office. He has a long journey ahead of him. There's no more time to waste.

Chapter Text

"I need this case done, Parasini! Our client is on my ass demanding who stole the funds. They want that back from the perpetrator's hands!" Parsons slams his fist on his desk.

Gianna knows he's trying to get a reaction from her, but she doesn't flinch. She's had worse bosses in the past, this man isn't going to swoop and start demanding things of her like this. She won't let him do so.

"She hasn't slipped yet. I can't make my move until she does, sir. You can't rush these things. Tell your client they'll have it when I damn well have it!" She abruptly ends the call to make a show.

Gianna unbraids her hair absent-mindedly, deep in thought. It's been three weeks, still early in her investigation by her [MM1] standards. As she told Parsons, these things take time. She must wait for the right moment to strike. When her suspect has her guard down, she'll reveal everything she needs. Gianna is a snake laying still in the tall grass, and her target is the unsuspecting prey in which Gianna will strike with a nasty bite, taking down her target in one fell swoop. She loves that part of her job, she thinks, watching these businessmen and businesswomen fall so low. A smirk spreads across her face as she remembers Anoleis.

Gianna runs her fingers in her hair, letting her locks fall over her back. She makes her way to the little kitchenette in her hotel room. Even with the war putting a dent in the company's finances, they still managed to get her a fully stocked room. The benefits of working private, she supposes. She wasn't going to look like a gift in a horse's mouth. She pours herself a small glass of wine, then makes her way to sit on the couch.

She sloshes her wine in her glass. All of a sudden, it seems unappealing. She was craving something more substantial. But refusing to waste good wine, she gulps it down, getting just enough of the fruity taste to say she enjoyed it.

Gianna puts her glass down on the coffee table, ignoring everything around her. She heads outs of her room, the door locking automatically behind her, and makes her way to the elevator. She'll treat herself to a large glass of whiskey and a nice cooked meal. Her mind was set, and there's no changing it now.

As she walks down the hall toward the elevator, she hears the faint sound of music playing. She hadn't noticed it before — possibly because it was so quiet and unobtrusive — but it was beautiful. She could almost picture how the musician's fingers kissed the piano' keys. It reminded her of the lounges she'd visited before the war. She enters the elevator and closes her eyes to block her visual senses, letting herself be taken by the music. It's not until the elevator stops at its destination and the faint chime when the doors open that she opens her eyes.

Stepping out, she veers herself toward the restaurant. The same music is playing, but much louder. It's not until she gets to the hostess stand that she realizes that the entire hotel was broadcasting the musician live.

She scans the room, hoping to find a quiet spot away from the crowd, yet be able to easily blend in with the group if necessary. Then she spots him sitting in a booth scanning a datapad. He looked different, but he was unmistakable.

Gianna slows down hard and she tucks a lock of hair behind her hair. Why is she suddenly feeling so nervous? It's not like they've ever spoken before; she'd only seen him as an associate to Shepard, who had helped back in Noveria almost three years ago. And yet…

Her legs move on their own, and she hadn't noticed she'd gotten so close to until she could smell the musky smell of cedarwood mixed with eezo on him.

"Well, fancy seeing you here. What brings you all the out here to Thessia? Wait, forget I ask. Knowing your association with Shepard, it's probably classified."

His eyebrow reaches his hairline as he looks up at her. A curious smile plasters his face. She doesn't miss the slight tilt of his head. He's probably forgotten who she is, and she can't blame; their encounter was easily forgettable.

"Gianna Parasini. Shepard helped me with Anoleis back on Noveria."

It was like the light bulb had suddenly turned on. He tilts his head back and sighs.

"Oh, that's right! I heard that turned out successfully." Kaidan puts his datapad down on the table and folds his arms on the table.

"May I join, Major?" Gianna is already moving to sit down before he nods at her to take a seat. She settles herself into the chair directly across from him.

"I’m here escorting the asari ambassador. It was supposed to be a simple protection detail, but it seems some funds are being funneled out of the government’s finances, and I’ve been asked to investigate.”

Gianna’s ears perk up at this. Her boss had mentioned funds were being transferred from their client’s bank account. She leans in a little, hoping to catch some information off the datapad without him noticing. Could they be searching for the same person?

“Do you have any leads?” She asks, craning her neck slightly.

“None, yet. It’s proving to be a little more difficult with so much of...” he waves his hands. "This."

“Nothing is working like it used to. I get it.”

Kaidan chuckles, leaning back into his seat; he crosses his arms. “I guess you do.”

“You know, Major. There’s something different about you.” Gianna eyes him curiously.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. You’re not as reserved since the last time I saw you. You seem more confident. But there’s something else.”

“Oh?” Kaidan’s lips curl upwards slightly — she almost misses the twitch.

“I haven’t quite figured it out yet.” She studies him, she sees the boldness behind his eyes, the confidence that had not been there before. “Oh, don’t be so bold!”

“I’m not being bold. I’m just intrigued as to what you’re thinking.” Kaidan speaks so low as he leans in a little into her. Gianna smells the mix of eezo and cedarwood as he leans in a little more closer. Fuck, he smells damn good.

“Miss, would you like to order something?” They’re briefly interrupted by the waiter. Gianna looks up to see a young asari looking at her, a menu in hand. But Gianna already knows what she wants.

“Chicken parmesan. Glass of chardonnay, but also? Bring me a shot with whiskey.” Gianna states her order, and the asari heads for the kitchen with her order.

“That’s a bold combination.” Kaidan comments on her selection of choice.

“What can I say? I’m a bold woman.”

~~~n~~~

Two weeks have passed since Gianna and Kaidan teamed up to investigate the Ambassador's stolen funds; however, Gianna feels they have reached a standstill.

She sits in her office, three datapads splayed out on the desk and two terminals actively scanning each of the ambassador's spending. She’s three coffees in, and only surviving on two hours of sleep from the previous night, with her boss on her ass yet again, this morning she is feeling utterly demoralized.

A piece of the puzzle is still missing. The piece she’s been trying to find for the last two weeks. As she scans each activity, she sees the dates for purchases, transfers, donations, and even personal spending. Every categories are erratic. If she compares them to the last two years, there has been a lot more spending than usual — fifty thousand credits more—within the last three months alone. At first, she didn’t find it that unusual considering recovery from the war, but the ambassador kept insisting that only a third of the credits being spent. So where is the rest?

At the bottom right corner of her terminal, a notification pops up:

15:00 Alenko: Hey, found something you might want to see.

15:00 Parasini: What did you find?

15:01 Alenko: More records. Meet tonight. 1800. Usual spot.

15:02 Parasini: I’ll be there [delete] [yes]

15:02 Parasini: message deleted by sender

15:10 Parasini: Looking forward to it.

Gianna’s fingers tap nervously on her thigh. She feels anxious about this meeting.

Relax, Gianna. It’s just a meeting over reports. It’s not like you’re going on a date, she tells herself.

It does nothing to calm her nerves. The palpitation of her heart and the rushing in her ears are feelings she hadn’t felt since her college days.

~~~n~~~

The hostess waves Gianna in as she arrives at the restaurant. There’s beer already at the table waiting for her, and Gianna sighs in relief when she sees the mug. She needs something to calm her nerves before Kaidan shows up. She takes her regular spot at the table and takes a long drag of her beer. She feels her hands shaking slightly, making it a little hard to keep the mug steady. She manages not to spill her drink, at least.

“So take a look at this.” Kaidan jumps right into it when he shows up, sliding the datapad to her even before he sits down at his regular spot opposite of her.

“Well, hi to you too, Major.” She says sarcastically and she puts her mug down.

“Sorry, Hi.” Kaidan says sheepishly, then he points at his lips. “You have, err… you have foam over your lips.”

The goddamned smirk he gives as he slides a napkin over to her makes Gianna’s head reel and her cheeks feel warm. She takes the napkin and wipes her mouth.

“Thanks,” she mumbles against it.

“I had my tech look into the ambassador’s finances a little more closely. That’s how he found where the money is being stolen from.”

Gianna picks up the datapad. “Well, well, well, the mystery reveal itself. I don’t know she the ambassador didn’t mention this before— Oh… this one’s intimate— ”

Kaidan can’t help but chuckle. It’s a deep rumbling chuckle, and she can’t help but feel butterflies flutter in the pit of her stomach when she hears it.

They sit in companionable silence until their waiter arrives with their food, and they scan through the new findings and compare them with the ones they already have.

It’s only when Kaidan reaches for his glass of whiskey does she notice some of the frosting from his cake at the corner of his mouth. She picks up a napkin and lifts it up to him.

“May I? You have a little something at the corner,” Gianna’s lips twitch upwards involuntarily when she notices his neck and cheeks turn a little red.

Chapter Text

“I spotted some more activity today,” Gianna slides the datapad towards Kaidan as he takes his seat in front of her in what has now become their regular meeting place. Every night since she had first spotted him, they met and went over their findings in this booth.

“I’ve also gotten some information from the Shadow Broker.” Kaidan pulls out an OSD drive from these pockets and slides it across the table to Gianna.

He’s been cautious not to divulge the Shadow Broker’s identity. He’d finally reached Liara, who has been extremely busy since the war’s end. She managed to pull through for him, though. And the results… Well, they’d been quite shocking, as Gianna was about to find out.

Gianna arches an eyebrow at him, but she doesn’t ask how he obtained the information. She inserts the OSD drive into her terminal.

“Well, son of a bitch. She’s been right under our nose the whole time!”

“The ambassador is hosting a charity event tomorrow night. Black suit and tie. I’m leading the protection details.” Kaidan slips an admission ticket towards Gianna. “Her assistant will be there.”

“And what better way to steal the money than a said gathering of rich politicians. Major, we might have just hit the jackpot!”

“I’ll pick you up at 1800 sharp. Wear your best dress, Parasini.” Kaidan scoots out from the bench, but the look on Gianna’s face freezes him in his spot for a moment.

Kaidan raises an eyebrow at her. “Is something wrong?”

“You’re like a switch. One minute you’re cracking jokes, the next you’re all business-like. I still can’t figure you out.” She shakes her head in disbelief. “You’re one big mystery, Alenko. And I don’t have much longer to figure it out.”

“Well, then. Perhaps you’ll have to make your way to the Citadel to continue your investigation once this is over.”

“Perhaps I will.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Gianna.”

He doesn’t have time to linger. Sliding out of the seat, Kaidan heads out to make his way back to the Embassy. There are guard posts he needs to figure out, security measures to put and place, and most undoubtedly technical issues to attend to before tomorrow. The last thing they need is cameras to go out if something terrible happens.

~~~n~~~

With the last twist of her bun done, Gianna pins her hair into place when she hears the knock on her door. She does a final touch-up on her lips with her lipstick, putting them together. She tosses the lipstick in her cosmetic bag before heading out of the washroom and making her way to her door.

“Sorry I’m a few minutes early,” Kaidan says sheepishly.

Gianna steps aside to let him inside. “Not to worry, I was just finishing up.” Turning her back towards him and looking over her shoulder, she asks, “Do you mind zipping my dress up?”

“Not at all. You look beautiful.” He says as he reaches for the zipper and lifts it. He doesn’t miss the red creep up the back of her neck and give extra colour to her cheeks. “Are you ready for this?”

“I was born ready to do this,” Gianna smirks as she loops her arm through Kaidan’s offered arm. “Let’s go get this son-of-a-bitch.”

~~~n~~~

It’s a short distance to the Embassy, but being head of security, Kaidan had a chauffeur drive them around. It was one of the few perks that came with the job. He had to admit he didn’t mind it.

The last time he’d been on Thessia, they’d been running for their lives— but most importantly, against time. They had gone to find the catalyst, which had been a failed mission. He hadn’t gotten to enjoy the beauty of this place; he was forced to watch it burn.

Having someone drive him around allowed him to look at the scenery and appreciate its beauty.The asari had done much rebuilding since the war, and seemed to be faring much better than the other races. Courtesy of Liara, no doubt. She’d been devastated that she couldn’t save her people; Kaidan suspected this was her way of paying it forward with some Shadow Broker funding.

When the driver pulled up in front of the Embassy, Kaidan quickly stepped out to open the passenger door for Gianna.

“We need to head to the security room quickly, just follow my lead,” Kaidan said, and he gently placed a hand on Gianna’s lower back to guide her, but he felt her shiver at his touch. It was subtle, but it made him wonder if it had been an unwelcome move on his part.

They maneuver expertly between people who have already gathered together to talk politics and the progress of the rebuilding efforts as they walk inside the doors of the Embassy.

“Make a right over here, then a left at the last door in the hallway,” Kaidan whispers in Gianna’s ear.

She follows the directions to the T, and they find their way to the security room.

“Status report,” Kaidan asks his team.

“Sir, all tech has been set up to pin us if anything happens.” Lieutenant Matthews, Kaidan’s best sentinel, hands Kaidan a datapad. Has Kaidan watched it closely enough? He can see someone already buying chips for the blackjack table.

“Good job, Matthews, keep up the good work,” Kaidan says as he returns the datapad.

“Major, I have sights on the Ambassador’s assistant. I’ll keep you updated on her movement at all times.” Kaidan’s intelligence officer says as she keeps her eyes focused on the monitors.

“Good. Keep up the good work, everyone. Let’s get this done.” Kaidan finishes setting up the official communication channels on his and Gianna’s earpieces before extending his arm out to let her lead the way back to the main hall.

“Would you care for a dance?” Kaidan offers her his hand, a smirk on his face.

Gianna’s cheeks turn a brighter shade of red as she takes his hand, and Kaidan pulls her close. He could smell her perfume; a mix of vanilla with pineapple. Her touch is gentle as she runs her free fingers along his arm and settles them on his shoulder.

They’d been working together very closely the last few weeks, and he thought he shouldn’t want to admit it; he started growing feelings for her. She was genuinely admirable, she was fun and bold, and he admired her.

They glide among the other dancers, blending into the crowd as they turn.

“You’re a natural at this, Major. I didn’t pin you as a type to dance.” Gianna’s breath was warm against his ear as she whispered to him. It sent shivers up his spine, and he did his best to ignore them at the moment.

“One has to keep the element of surprise if they are to outdo their enemies,”

“I’m starting to think you missed your calling, Alenko. You would have done very well as an investigator.”

Kaidan laughed. He couldn’t possibly see himself do anything else than teach his students anymore.

“Sir, Serena is making her way to the vault!” Matthews’ voice over the earpieces interrupts them.

“Let’s go,” Kaidan orders, and he twirls Gianna off the dance floor.

They both make their way to the back of the building and down the west hall, where the vault is located. Kaidan readies his pistol and lets Gianna open the door for him.

“Serena, step away from the console you’re under arrest for credit laundering,” Kaidan aims the pistol directly at Serena.

“Son of a bitch! How did —“

“You weren’t exactly subtle in your transfers, Serena. Although it took a while to piece the puzzle, it was easy to trace back to you.” Gianna lies smoothly and she makes her way over to Serena to cuff her. It was because of the Shadow Broker that they were able to piece together the transferred funds, but Serena didn’t need to know that.

“Great work, partner.” Gianna winked to Kaidan once Serena was restrained. “Now it’s time for me to bring her to lock up.” She guides Serena toward the door but stops next to Kaidan.

“Drinks on me next time I see you at the bar.” She winks and shoves Serena out the door.

Chapter Text

Gianna made her way out of her room with the last of her luggage now packed. She was finally done here, and the next flight back to the Citadel was leaving in a few hours. She just had one more thing to do, and hoped that she could catch the Major before it was too late.

The elevator seems to take an eternity to go down to the main floor this time. She shuffles on her feet impatiently. The longer it took, the less likely she would catch him.

When the doors finally open, she pushes her way out, ignoring the asari cursing at her. She walks little faster than necessary to the restaurant where they had met at for the last few weeks.

She scans the area; she could hear and feel her heart pounding when she couldn’t find him. She was too late.

“Looking for someone?” A familiar voice came from behind, startling her. She jumps a few feet off the ground and grips at her heart.

“Major! I thought you left?” She finally says once she’s regained her composure.

“Not yet. The Ambassador has a few more things she needs to do before returning to the Citadel. I hope you weren’t trying to weasel your way out of buying me that drink you promised,” Kaidan teases as he reaches for one of her suitcases.

“It almost worked, too,” she replies, and Kaidan laughs.

“Come on, I’ll buy you that drink I promised.” Gianna says, and smiles up at him.

Together, they wheel Gianna’s luggage alongside them and make their way to the bar.

“Two whiskeys,” Gianna orders, and the bartender slides two coasters in front of them and pours them both two fingers’ worth of whiskey.

Gianna’s knee bumps slightly against Kaidan’s as she settles on the barstool. They sit close together, and their knees rub against one another when they move. Gianna rests her head on her hand and she looks up at Kaidan.

“I have to admit; I will miss working with you, Alenko. I normally work alone. But you’ve been a god-damn good partner.” She looks up at him through her lashes, and Kaidan can see her blush at the admission.

“You’ve been a great partner as well, Gianna.” Kaidan takes a sip of whiskey to hide the smile creeping up his face. “Have you gotten your next assignment yet?” He asked and he shifts in his seat; his knee brushes along her knee.

“Not yet. It might be a few days before I’m given a new assignment. I’ll probably take some time for myself,” Gianna takes a sip of her whiskey.

“Well, maybe I’ll catch you there?” Kaidan asks.

“Maybe you will,” Gianna looks at her now-flashing omnitool; it was time for her to get going if she wanted to catch her flight. She stands up from her stool, and Kaidan follows suit.

“Just one more thing….”

Gianna leans in, and Kaidan can smell that perfume again, vanilla and pineapple; it smells delicious, and he feels his knees weaken as Gianna’s soft lips press against his. Her lipstick tastes like cherry; he reache out, and puts his hand behind her head to hold her against him.

Kaidan hadn’t expected this, but he wouldn’t let this slip away from him. Her lips part his and he graciously accepts her tongue inside his mouth. He welcomes it, warm and soft against his tongue, and her soft little moan drives him a little crazy, drives him to explore deeper; until she pulls away, breathless.

“I’m still trying to figure you out.” She winks at him, pats his chest, then takes her luggage.

Kaidan stands there, licks his lips and tasting her cherry lipstick as he watches her go.