Work Text:
commissioned art of Kristofer Shepard by rosenkow on tumblr
The knock at his door comes just as Kris finishes tying off his boot. Hoping it isn’t anything overly important, he calls out, “Enter."
He isn’t surprised when Alenko walks through the door. The man is as by the book as Kris has ever met in the Alliance. “Commander. Pressly said you should see this ASAP.”
Dread fills him; those words never bode well. Meeting his staff lieutenant by his desk, Kris is already reading the datapad almost before it’s in his hands. He skims through the information three times, humming softly to himself in agreement with the assessment before scrolling back to the top. “All right, let's input the coordinates into the galaxy map, and we’ll head out there on our way to Noveria.” A soft sigh escapes at the thought of cutting leave short for everyone, but there’s nothing to be done about it. Setting the pad on his desk with a stack of four others he runs a hand through his hair before bringing it down over his face to rub against the scruff along his jaw. “Williams isn’t going to like cutting shore leave short.”
Kaidan, who has stepped off to the side, replies in a half-distracted tone, “Hmm? Why is that?”
Kris frowns over at him, something about the lieutenant's distracted tone striking him as downright strange. “She and Tali have been planning this get together at Flux for weeks.”
Alenko doesn’t respond to this explanation. Odd. Kris reaches over and taps the man’s shoulder. “Something wrong, LT?”
There’s a hint of a sheepish smile at being caught at something as Alenko turns towards him, but what that is, Kris can only guess at. “What? No, why do you ask?” Alenko replies just a little too quickly.
The reason for Alenko’s distraction becomes quite clear as he moves away from the desk. “You seem a little preoccupied,” Kris observes as he takes the frame in his hand, waggling it just a bit in his hand at the lieutenant.
Alenko huffs softly and ducks his head while rubbing at the back of his neck, but not before Kris catches hint of pink filling his cheeks. In the short time they’ve known one another, it’s been rare for catch the man in such an emotional reaction to anything let alone something as simple as a photograph. ‘By the book,’ is a phrase Kris has heard whispered more than once through the ship.
“Sorry, sir. Just…” Alenko nods at the photograph in Kris’ hand. “Pretty girl.”
And then suddenly, Kris has his answer.
A slow, lopsided smile spreads across Kristofer’s face as his gaze drops to the image. Using a finger, he gently traces the shape of her face. “Yeah,” he replies quietly. Thoughtfully. It’s been far too long since he’s spoken with her. He ought to fix that. Soon.
It’s no surprise Alenko notices her, really. Sofia looks more like a super model than an Alliance soldier who achieved N4, and she always draws attention from those who see her, whether in person or in a simple, casual photograph.
Alenko clears his throat, pauses, then hesitantly asks, “Someone back home, sir?”
“Hmm?” An odd question... Replacing the frame back on his desk, Kris shrugs. “Oh, no. Well, sort of, maybe? We grew up on ships and space stations. Does that count?” He turns back to Alenko to find him frowning.
Something in the intensity of his eyes sets a wave of butterflies loose in Kris' belly. Oh?
Inhaling deeply, Kris tests the waters. “That… that isn’t what you were asking. Is it?”
Alenko shakes his head. “Who is she?”
Kris smiles fondly at the image. “Sofia? She's my older sister.”
Alenko blinks twice. “That's your sister?” He looks between the picture of the blonde haired, blue eyed woman and Kris' green-eyed, darker features a couple of times as if searching for the resemblance.
It’s enough to pull a deeper, full laugh from him as well as a flash of heat to his cheeks. “Yes. Well. Spend any time around me, Alenko, and you’ll find out that I’m the black sheep of the family,” he quips as he rubs a hand along the dark scruff that prickles along his jaw and chin. “Literally. Apparently, my looks are a throwback to my great grandfather, Blackjack Kristofer Suarez. The scoundreliest scoundrel that ever lived, or so I’ve been told.”
“Oh yeah?”
Kris shrugs again. “That’s what they tell me. It’s because of that they named me for him.” But not just because of their shared looks, if any of the hints of 'expectations' he’d overheard over the years were an indication.
Occasionally, he wonders if he’s disappointed the rest of his family by turning out far different from his ancestor.
Grabbing his N7 jacket off the back of his chair, he joins Alenko who now waits for him by the exit.
“What was his story?” Alenko asks as they head through the Mess and up to the CIC.
The ship is mostly empty at this point; R&R is appreciated by all members of the crew during their hunt for Saren, and most have already gone ashore. The first wave of Alliance maintenance crew is already aboard and working on the ship.
And yet, Alenko is still in uniform.
Kris comes to a stop next to the galaxy map and turns to the other man. “Tell you what, LT, Williams and Tali have put a lot of effort into this ‘event’ of theirs, and it would be a shame if you were to miss out on it. As of right now, you are off duty. I’ll set the coordinates while you go change into something more befitting the occasion. Meet me back here and as we head over to Flux, I’ll tell you the whole sordid tale.”
“Change?” The lieutenant blinks owlishly as if suddenly realizing Kris is dressed in more casual clothing and not his BDUs.
“You were planning on going, weren’t you?” Kris asks. He knows full well Alenko has agreed to go – they’d been sitting right next to each other in the Mess when Williams had asked them just days before. “It’ll be fun. Trust me.”
“I... Yes,” Alenko finally replies. “Of course.” Turning to head back down to change, he calls back over his shoulder, “You’ll really tell me the story?”
Kristofer nods. “I will.” Then lowering his voice to a whisper and using his hand to shield his mouth from anyone else who might be looking, he adds a lure he’s pretty sure will hook the LT for good, “But you can’t tell anyone else!”
Kris almost laughs as Alenko’s eyes flash with curiosity. “Be right back, commander!”