Curious Jealousy- a F!Shenko Fic

Chapter Fifty-Two: Jokes and Consequences

She stood in the CIC at the Galaxy Map with her arms crossed and watched all of her crew re-board- some, very clearly, were still feeling the effects of the shore leave. This was her favorite place to be whenever the crew was boarding- whether after a leave or for the first time. From what she could see, the crew had, indeed, taken full advantage of having a multiple-day leave.

That got her thinking of her own leave.

Hope couldn’t deny the fact that her leave was strange, but it was perfect for her. She was never one to sit around idly, doing nothing but watching a vid or what-not- it was the reason that she had joined the Alliance on her 18th birthday as opposed to going groundside like her grandparents wanted. No, she was a woman of action. She enjoyed a good fight and loved a good mission. The fact that she was against a cloned version of herself was a bit…unsettling…but that didn’t top the list of strange missions. Then, afterwards, she finally admitted that she loved Kaidan and reconnected with him.

She was pleasantly happy.

“Better wipe that smile off your face, Commander,” Joker said over the comm, “or people might start thinking you got some and enjoyed your leave.”

She enjoyed things like that as well.

Joker treated her like just another marine- not some hero to be held up on a pedestal. They had known each too long and been through too much for them not to have moved beyond the basic Flight Lieutenant/Lieutenant Commander relationship that had been the basis back when they first began the fateful journey on the SR-1.

She also knew that he didn’t expect her to answer.

“Who said I didn’t?” she shot right back, earning a few people to stumble and look openly surprised at her.

She could hear Joker choke on whatever he was drinking. He hadn’t actually expected her to be so open about what she and Kaidan had done- of course, she hadn’t been, but even that small admission was surprising. She smirked and idly thought, One point Shep, Zero Joker.

“Mind if I ask you a question?”

Shrugging, she turned and settled her weight on the bar right in front of the Galaxy Map. With an absent hand gesture, she answered, “I always make time for my crew.”

“So, in all the vids I’ve seen, there’s this thing that biotics do….”

“You mean one of your porn vids don’t you?” she asked, rolling her eyes. When he just snorted, she smiled. “What is it?”

It seemed that everyone froze in anticipation. It was at that time that Kaidan came in through the airlock and stopped in at the helm to check in with Joker.

Well, that gave her a brilliant idea.

“Well, in the vids,” Joker began and Shepard could hear his shit-eating grin that was definitely on his face, “they do this thing with their biotics that greatly enhance the…ahem…stimulation for the woman and increases the intensity of…you know.”

Well, she had to give him credit for, at least, not being too lewd while talking over the comm. Had she been in the helm, there was no doubt that he would have been more verbal.

“What the hell are you talking about, Joker- why would you ask EDI things like that?” Shepard could hear Kaidan ask (somewhat muffled). It was very obvious that Kaidan didn’t know that Joker was talking to Shepard over the comm.

She couldn’t help the grin that came over her.

“Curious minds and all that,” Joker chuckled.

She could feel the weight of everyone’s eyes on her.

“Well,” she began with a small smile, knowing that Kaidan would then be barreling down the walkway to the CIC, “I would be lying if I-“

Right on cue, Kaidan hurried forward with wide eyes, his face and ears practically florescent red. “Commander,” he hissed.

“Sorry, Joker, I’ve got to cut this short. I forgot that I had a scheduled meeting with Major Alenko- maybe another time.” Shepard noticed a perceptible air of disappointment from everyone in the CIC.

Joker chuckled over the comm before cutting it off. Fighting a smile, Hope walked away from the Galaxy Map and stood at ease in front of Kaidan. “Major.”

Kaidan stared down at her, not sure whether he wanted to strangle her or kiss her. It was a toss-up at that moment.

“Before you two go have your meeting, you’ve got a message at your private terminal that you might want to look at, Commander,” Joker informed them.

Shepard gave Kaidan a small smile before turning to her terminal and opening her messages. The message was from EDI, so she didn’t think twice about opening it. There were two files attached.

As soon as she saw herself being kissed by Kaidan before being wrapped in his arms, she instantly felt something akin to nerves begin to rile up. She felt Kaidan move in behind her as a reporter replaced the vid that had been taken at the fundraiser.

“It seems that love can, indeed, blossom in the strangest places and during the extraordinary times,” the reporter began.

Kaidan leaned around her and turned the vid off. He rested his hands on her rigid hips. “Talk to me, Hope,” he murmured, for her ears only.

“Joker,” she said, activating the comm beside her terminal. “Tell me about this vid.”

There was a moment before Joker began to speak. “Well, after the reporters initially ran it, it hit the extranet and went viral.”

Shepard nodded and headed to the elevator, leaving a confounded Kaidan behind her. Just as the doors were beginning to shut, he hurried in after her.

“Hope-“

“I wasn’t actually going to tell him anything,” she informed him in a monotone.

Confused, Kaidan asked, “What?”

“Joker. I wasn’t going to tell him that what he was talking about actually is something that biotics do and you do very well.”

That might even have been flattering (embarrassing, but flattering), had it not been for the complete lack of emotion in her voice.

“Hope, talk to me.”

“I just cost you your career,” she murmured.

“What-“

“Commander, Admiral Hackett is on vid-com,” Joker informed her.

Sighing, Kaidan pushed the button to return to the Command Deck. “How many times do I have to tell you that it doesn’t matter?” He took her chin in his hands and leaned his forehead down on hers. “Worst case scenario, they discharge me for fraternization. I’ll still have a job under the Council. Don’t worry about it.”

Closing her eyes, Hope tilted her face up to kiss him. “I’ll fight like hell to make sure that you keep your post in the Alliance,” she murmured.

When she stepped back and turned to leave the elevator, she decidedly ignored the open stares. Straightening her shoulders and wiping her face clean on emotion, she marched to the conference room to have it out with Hackett.

It was sure to be interesting.