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Turned out, coming to Andromeda wasn't all that it was cracked up to be.
Zevran knew that it wouldn't be all sunshine and rainbows when they got there, but he at least expected the Initiative to last little more than over a year before breaking out into a full-scale rebellion. Truth be told, he had no stake in the uprising one way or another, but he was one of many who sort of just found their way to Kadara in the aftermath.
By any means, he preferred the lawlessness of the port compared to the Initiative's leadership at least.
And Zevran learned early on in life that it was always good to remain among allies, if possible. There was strength in numbers, after all, and most of his people had already migrated to Kadara by the time he made up his mind.
It was hardly a difficult decision.
While he had plenty of contacts in Andromeda, Zevran considered few of them to be friends, and even fewer were trusted.
Only one of them did he trust with his life, and —so far as others were concerned— he was probably the last person that Zevran should trust with anything.
He and Reyes Vidal had history, though. History that survived the journey across galaxies.
Back in the Milky Way, they were a couple of nobodies, forgotten amongst the crowd. Reyes was from a big family in South America —Chile, if Zevran remembered correctly— and his presence blended into the background, even amongst those he was bound to by blood.
Still, he worked day-by-day to make ends meet.
Zevran, on the other hand, was orphaned at an early age, and orphans on Earth typically didn't last long unless they found a way to survive.
More often than not, that meant running with gangs, and the Crows were one of the most powerful groups out there.
Both of them did what they had to in order to survive. Neither of them would apologize for that.
It wasn’t until they were facing possible imprisonment for their crimes that they were offered an alternative. An escape, or so they were told.
With no other options, they accepted the Alliance's offer to join up. They gave them their time; and, in exchange, the Alliance reduced their sentences until it was all cleared up.
Zevran and Reyes met in basic. Then, they were in the same squad together for the majority of their service, working recon, infiltration, and sabotage.
Of course, their many, many talents managed to catch the attention of some rather unsavory individuals.
The only offer of some substance was from the Shadow Broker's agents, an offer which they foolishly accepted.
What they found out in that time was… troubling, to say the least, but it was only through their resources as agents of the Shadow Broker that they even got wind of the Andromeda Initiative.
All things considered, jumping ship from the Milky Way, starting over completely…
At the time, it was too good of an idea to pass up.
Zevran and Reyes vowed to forge their own path as they saw fit.
Maybe that was why Zevran was so keen on them remaining at each other's side.
When Reyes spoke about going to Kadara, Zevran listened. When he suggested that Zevran join him, the latter couldn't find a reason to refuse.
Together, they were stronger, more cunning.
Reyes had a lot of ambition. Zevran knew that much. He had plans, some of which even Zevran didn't know the full extent of.
But damn it all if Reyes didn't know how to paint a pretty picture for him, promises of the future and what-not.
Although, some days, Zevran was simply waiting for Reyes to take a hint.
Like any other time, they ended up meeting at their usual spot out in the badlands, overlooking the nearby valley while the sun started to sink towards the horizon. Shades of pink, purple, and orange were painted across the evening sky, swirling together in a chaotic splash of color.
Wildlife cried out in the distance.
Smells of sulfur lingered in the air.
By the time Reyes arrived, it was later than their typical meeting would be.
Zevran heard his footsteps, even before he spoke.
"About time you showed," Zevran said, turning to flash him a smile over his shoulder.
Reyes smirked in turn.
He spread his arms out in a show of confidence, as if putting himself on display for Zevran’s appraisal.
"You look like you're waiting for someone," he teased, to which Zevran scoffed with a roll of his eyes.
"You could say that." Without missing a beat, he deactivated his translator, wrinkling his nose in disdain. "I swear, your accent gets worse and worse with each passing day. That program does you no favors."
Chuckling, Reyes deactivated his translator as well.
"So you keep saying," he answered, and Zevran had to refrain from breathing a sigh of relief.
Something about universal translators never did sit right with him. They were convenient, yes, but they were never quite able to capture the entirety of a person's voice.
Even if two people spoke the same language, the software still ran interference, intentional or otherwise.
When it was just the two of them, they simply turned theirs off. It was more comfortable, more intimate even, to be able to communicate without that added barrier.
Stripped free of multiple layers of filtering, they were able to appreciate each other's voices for what they truly were. Both of them spoke English and Spanish, their accents more natural, their dialect more regional. Words and slang passed between them, real and raw and undisturbed.
Hearing Reyes, actually hearing him how he was, always hit Zevran like a breath of fresh air.
His heartbeat quickened when Reyes spoke again.
"Better?" he asked.
Unable to speak at first, Zevran eventually nodded.
"Much better." He beamed, radiant like the sun. "Especially now with that atrocious accent gone."
"Yeah, yeah." Reyes snorted, playfully waving away his comment. "Everyone's a critic."
He stepped forward to stand at Zevran’s side, looking out into the distance.
Each shift of his expression captured —and held— Zevran’s attention. Most might not think Reyes to be an open book, hiding his true nature behind a wall of arrogance and bravado, but Zevran knew better. He knew that it was all a front, designed out of an ingrained sense of self-preservation.
Zevran knew the feeling all too well.
He watched Reyes survey the area, lips pursed, brow furrowed.
Oh, how Zevran wanted nothing more than to reach out to him.
The urge to smooth out the lines forming on his forehead was a tempting one, but Zevran held strong, even as his fingertips itched to close the distance. He yearned to feel warm skin beneath his touch, to feel the flush along the curve of Reyes’ cheeks.
Swallowing thickly, he suppressed such urges.
With his arms crossed over his chest, he balled his hands into fists, then dug them in against his ribs.
"How was your talk with Keema?" Zevran asked, more so as a way to distract himself, but Reyes was more than happy to divulge that information to him.
"It was about what you would expect." He shrugged. "We've done a bit of business in the past, but nothing to this extent. She's wary. She wants to think on my offer first. Not that I can blame her. For the most part, I'm still an unknown factor for her to take into account. At least, in her eyes, Sloane is predictable."
Zevran considered that for a moment.
"And if this plan of yours falls through?" He stared Reyes down. "Hm? What then?"
There was a split second of silence, and they exchanged a pointed look.
"I have contingencies in place, should it come to that," he explained.
"Of course you do."
Reyes scowled, then assured him, "It won't come to that."
"You know, when you say it with such confidence, I almost believe you."
"Yeah? Well, I remember a time when you believed in me unconditionally."
Reyes’ words cut deeper than any blade could, as sharp as his tone.
Zevran winced, turning his head aside to hide his wounded expression.
But he quickly steeled himself against the pain.
He stood tall, met Reyes' eyes with a spark of a challenge.
"Out here, one of us has to be the realist," Zevran retorted, "and the reality of the situation is that you're trying to start a war to claim power for yourself."
"For you," Reyes snapped in an attempt to correct him. "For us!"
He gestured emphatically between the two of them.
"I want to secure our future in Andromeda, Zev. The 'reality' of the situation is that those higher-ups in the Outcasts and the Initiative aren't taking time out of their days to spare people like us a second thought," he spat. "They don't give a damn about us or what we want." He paused, giving his words time to sink in. "Or do you disagree?"
Zevran’s silence was answer enough because he knew, perhaps better than anyone, how these sort of things played out.
He was always expendable, nothing more than a mere pawn in the games of his 'superiors.'
Nothing more than a weapon, than a tool, to be used and discarded.
That's what he was to the Arainai family. Then, the Alliance. And, finally, the Shadow Broker before he jumped ship.
Running his fingers through loose curls, Zevran grumbled under his breath, frustrated.
"So, what are you proposing exactly?"
"What I'm proposing," Reyes said, "is that we determine our own fate, just as we planned."
Strolling forward to stand in front of him, Reyes took Zevran by the shoulders, his touch reminiscent of a lover's caress, gentle yet firm.
It did things to Zevran’s mind, to be on the receiving end of such tenderness.
"We do things on our terms. We stir things up around here, and we come out on top." Without thinking, Reyes cupped his cheeks, Zevran all but melting into his hands. "We take over, run things how we want, and —more importantly— we stay together. Like we always do. Okay?"
It would be all too easy to give in.
Zevran was all about being the masters of their own fate for once, but he wasn't anyone's fool.
He covered Reyes’ hands with his own.
"Tell me," he whispered, searching his gaze for even the slightest hint of dishonesty. "Tell me that you're not just saying what I want to hear, and that you actually mean that. Because if we're in this, we're in it as partners, Reyes. Everyone else is willing to write me off as nothing more than a pretty face, and they pay the price for it. I don't deserve to be treated like that from you, of all people, as well."
Reyes' expression softened in understanding, despite the tightening of his chest.
Zevran hated using that accusatory tone, but he needed Reyes to be upfront about what their future entailed.
“I wouldn’t—” Reyes stopped, took a breath, and tried again. “I wouldn’t do that.” Of course, he was quick to amend his statement, tacking on at the end, “Not to you. Surely, you know that, with you, it’s different.”
Warmth flooded Zevran’s cheeks.
Emotion overrode logic, if only for a moment, but that moment quickly passed when Zevran noticed Reyes glance towards his lips.
“I—” Zevran trailed off, realizing then how close they truly were.
He jumped back, snatching his hands away, as if burned.
Before Reyes could question him about it, Zevran blurted out, “I got you something!”
Reyes raised an eyebrow, but allowed the abrupt change of subject, figuring it would be best not to press the issue.
“A gift?” he asked.
“Something like that,” Zevran answered.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“Ah, but I wanted to.”
He didn’t give Reyes a chance to protest further, reaching into his pack to pull out a metallic canister, tightly-sealed.
When he handed it over, Reyes eyed it skeptically, holding it out at arm’s length.
Zevran snickered.
“Don’t worry, if I wanted to give you a bomb or something equally as sinister, then I would hopefully be smart enough to do so while I’m standing outside of the blast radius.”
“How reassuring,” Reyes deadpanned, unimpressed.
“That’s me,” Zev chimed, “merciful to the core.”
“Uh-huh…”
Twisting the top off with a pop, Reyes hesitated, then peered down into the container, filled to the brim with its mysterious contents.
The instant he recognized what exactly it was that he was holding, his face lit up like the sun.
“Seriously?” He laughed, the corner of his eyes crinkled in delight. “You got me cookies?”
“Excuse me. Correction,” Zevran said, clearing his throat obnoxiously loud. “I got us cookies.”
“Of course,” Reyes said, nodding solemnly. “Where are my manners?”
He took two out, one for Zev and one for himself, and sealed the lid back into place to save the rest for later.
Zevran happily accepted the sweet when it was offered to him.
Oatmeal might not have been his first choice back in the Milky Way; but in Andromeda, Zevran had learned to appreciate the little things in life, especially those that reminded him of home.
The first bite was a shot of pure ecstasy, enhanced by the flavors of warm cinnamon and brown sugar.
“Mmm…” Reyes melted, humming while he chewed. “Nice score. How did you manage to get this ?”
Zevran flashed him a smug smirk.
“You’re not the only one with a silver tongue,” he teased.
“You don’t say.” In spite of his words, Reyes watched Zevran like a hawk, suddenly attentive.
Zevran felt his heart skip a beat.
That piercing stare pinned him in place. Its intensity fanned the flames resting inside him until they threatened to become a fiery inferno.
With molten heat coursing through his veins, Zevran backtracked in hopes of calming his growing desire.
"If you want the truth, though," Zevran told him, "I, uh, helped a friend contain that recent outbreak down in the slums. The locals were grateful, so there was a decent enough profit. I took some creds and cookies, and called it a day."
"What a hero," Reyes crooned.
Zevran shook his head with a fond smile.
"Yeah, you can say that."
Together, they polished off their cookies with the sunset acting as a backdrop for their super secret rendezvous.
After Zevran finished up his chewy treat, Reyes stashed the container into his own bag.
He beckoned Zevran forward with a curl of his fingers, his hand outstretched.
“Come here,” he said, nodding in the direction that would lead them even deeper into the valley, surrounded by mountainous terrain. “There’s something I want to show you.”
“Oh? And, pray tell, what is this surprise you have in store for me?”
“Well, if I told you, then it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore, now would it?”
“Fair point.”
“Hope you brought your hiking shoes.”
Sliding his hand into Reyes’, Zevran had little time to marvel at his rough, calloused grip before Reyes was leading him forward into the growing darkness.
They traversed across the uneven lands with great care. For the most part, they stuck to the shadows, lest they encounter any hostiles lingering out in the badlands that late into the evening.
Thankfully, for all Reyes’ talk, the trek was shorter than Zevran anticipated.
Still, the journey was enough to leave them both with a light sheen of sweat clinging to their skin, their breathing a tad bit heavier than before.
As they climbed up yet another incline, Zevran muttered under his breath, feeling a stitch building in his side.
“Are we almost there?” he whined.
"Why? Getting tired already?" Reyes teased. "Maybe some strong and handsome exile will come along and sweep you off your feet."
"That would certainly be appreciated right about now."
"Then, allow me."
Before Zevran could question him, he was being scooped up into Reyes' waiting arms.
A lone yelp slipped through, but Zev quickly clung to him, wrapping his arms around his neck.
Reyes adjusted his hold on Zevran to distribute his weight more evenly. Only once he was certain of his footing did he proceed.
Zevran stared up at him, enjoying the feeling of being in his arms.
"You were just waiting to do that, weren't you?" Zev said. He pressed the back of his hand against his head, pretending to swoon. "My, my, whatever will happen to me now in the arms of my fearless savior?"
They neared the mouth of a cave, Reyes carefully timing his breaths.
"Hmm…" He hummed in contemplation. "Perhaps we can find a way for you to repay my kindness then."
"And, let me guess, you have an idea about that?"
"Maybe one or two."
"Of course.” As they approached the extensive, cavernous network, Zevran grimaced. “Please, tell me that you know where we’re going.”
Reyes scoffed, “I’m not an amateur, Zevran. Have some faith, will you?”
“I’m just saying, getting lost in some dark cave in the middle of the night, only to be taken out by hungry wildlife or toxic fumes, is not on my agenda for this evening.”
“Come on, now,” Reyes chastised, poking his lip out into a pout. “Don’t you trust me?”
“More than you can ever imagine,” Zevran muttered.
Truth be told, he didn’t even realize he said the words aloud at first, let alone loud enough for Reyes to hear them.
He didn’t realize, not until he was the subject of Reyes Vidal’s entire focus.
To be the center of his attention was both exciting and unnerving, all at once.
Golden brown eyes appraised him with the intensity of a burning star.
His stomach did a little flip in response, his head lighter than normal.
Not once did Reyes flinch in his resolve.
“I assure you,” he said, not once missing a beat, “that your trust is not misplaced.”
Zevran managed a shaky laugh.
“Why do I have a feeling we’re no longer talking about the caves anymore?”
“Because we’re not,” Reyes said, simple as that. He assessed the path ahead, then continued forward. “Let’s go. We shouldn’t be far.”
There was a noticeable swiftness to his stride, a confidence that didn’t falter in the slightest.
Reyes had clearly been there before, his steps measured and sure.
Eventually, when they were well beyond the entrance, a trail of chem lights illuminated the jagged walls in a bright green glow. The smell of sulfur was a bit stronger than it was outside the caves, but it was tolerable, at least.
Before long, they arrived at a large, central chamber.
Reyes set Zevran down onto his feet, both of them standing side-by-side as they looked out over the empty area together.
“Well…?” he asked. He glanced repeatedly in Zevran’s direction, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “What do you think?”
Confused, Zevran kicked a stray rock aside.
“It’s a cave,” he stated, uncertain about what kind of response Reyes was expecting from him.
Reyes chuckled.
“Not just a cave!” he enthused. “Think bigger, Zev! It’s hidden, discrete. Perfect for a base of operations, yes?”
Okay, now that they were on the same page, Zevran could try and envision what he was seeing.
In all honesty, it wasn’t half-bad.
“It has… potential,” Zevran allowed.
“Don’t get too excited,” Reyes joked.
“I just want you to be certain that this is what you want.”
“Heh.” Reyes rubbed at the back of his neck. “It’s not like you to be so hesitant.”
“When it comes to my life, I will be. Don’t let my actions fool you, I do value my survival.” Before he could second-guess himself, Zevran turned to Reyes, cupping his cheek to guide him to meet his eyes. “I value your survival, Rey.”
“Don’t tell me you’re worried about me.”
“Reyes, don’t,” Zevran warned. “Don’t make light of this.”
“I—” Pausing, he blew out a weary breath. “Shit, you’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just that, I got excited at the thought of something like this finally being ours, but I will set this aside for a time if you want to discuss it more. Because I want you to be comfortable with this too, and you can be as involved or uninvolved as you want. I would never pressure you into going through with this; but, if there was ever any doubt about it, I will protect you with my li—”
Zevran had never seen Reyes get so flustered before.
It was endearing, in its own way, listening to him ramble.
But what sealed Zevran’s fate was the protectiveness, the very heat, with which Reyes spoke at the end.
He didn’t even get a chance to wrap up his declaration.
Zevran grabbed him by the collar of his armor and yanked him down into a bruising kiss.
Reyes’ words were cut off with a startled yelp, but that yelp instantly transformed into a pleading whimper.
The kiss ended as quickly as it came.
Zevran gaped at Reyes, horrified.
Trembling fingers raked through blonde curls.
“Shit, shit, shit,” he hissed, unable to look at him. Of course, Reyes’ silence did little to calm Zevran’s nerves. “I crossed a line. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have, not without asking you firs—”
This time, Reyes was the one who cut him off.
He didn’t even hesitate to take Zevran’s face between his hands, crashing his lips against his with renewed fervor.
Zevran released a pathetic mewl into the kiss, his eyes sliding closed as they got caught up in the heat of the moment.
They clung to each other like their lives depended on it.
Unlike their first, their second kiss lingered.
Everything, from the musky scent of sweat on their skin to the sweet taste of sugar on their tongues, left Zevran longing for more. The kiss started off as rough, desperate, but the frantic, all-consuming need to be close to one another soon cooled into a warm, burning desire instead.
Their lips slowed. Their kiss deepened.
They explored each other’s mouths with a tentativeness that was almost bashful.
They didn’t dare part until they absolutely had to breathe, gasping as they broke the kiss, their need for air overpowering their desire to continue.
Both of them felt silent, speechless in the aftermath.
While they waited for the right words to come to them, a chime from Reyes’ omni-tool interrupted them.
Their bubble popped, and the moment settled.
Reyes glanced at the message with a furrowed brow, swearing under his breath.
The way he stared down at Zevran reminded the latter of a kicked puppy.
“I have to take this,” he said, albeit reluctantly. “Uh, but we should definitely…”
“Talk?” Zevran offered.
“Yeah.” Reyes cleared his throat, his cheeks warm with the beginnings of a blush. “Later?”
“Later is good.”
“Right.”
Disentangling from their embrace, Zevran winced at the cold chill that overcame him, sending a shiver shooting down his spine.
Neither of them said much after that.
On their way back to the entrance, they kept exchanging pointed looks, their fingers brushing as they walked.
Zevran couldn’t rightly say who reached out to who first, but it didn’t take long before their fingers tangled together.
They walked, hand-in-hand, until they emerged into the night.
The moon looked down on them from above, casting a soft glow over them.
“I guess I’ll see you later then,” Zevran stated. “I should be able to make it back to the port from here.”
“Of course. Be careful.”
Reyes leaned in and pressed a kiss to his temple, followed by a brief peck upon his lips.
They beamed at each other, their expressions tender.
“Drop by Tartarus when you get a chance,” Reyes said, “and don’t be a stranger.”
With a wink, he turned on his heel and ventured into the night.
Zevran watched him go until he could no longer make out his silhouette in the darkness, left alone with a ghost of a sensation of Reyes’ lips on his.
So, yes, while Zevran thought that coming to Andromeda might not have been all that it was cracked up to be, perhaps some things were starting to look up for him.