Work Text:
The sound of sea birds crying out awoke them, and although they had grown used to it over the years, there was still a part of them that listened for the hum of the engines or waiting to be summoned to the bridge.
It was a state of readiness that only a soldier could grasp, a little voice in the back of their mind that was always anticipating the next fight.
With a soft groan, Shepard rolled over, arm extended to make contact with the body beside them. The spot was cold, so they shifted a little closer, expecting there would be at least one other person with them.
Still, no luck.
Shepard opened one eye, then the other, frowning deeply.
Lifting their head, they rubbed their eyes so hard they almost saw stars and realised that not only was their partner, Kaidan Alenko, awake and gone, but their other partner, Thane Krios, had also woken up before them.
Flopping back to rest their head against the soft pillow, Shepard stared at the ceiling and wondered why both men had insisted on getting up so early when there was no war to fight and no work to do.
The Reapers had been kicked back to Hell two years ago now, and although their beloved Thane had been given a death sentence, it was Miranda Lawson who saved the day.
When she was held hostage by her maniacal father, she managed to obtain years of research, and some of it paved the way to developing an effective treatment for the Drell. It had all but reversed the effects of Kepral’s Syndrome, thanks to the creation of synthetic organs to replace the damaged ones.
In the words of the brilliant scientist, if she could bring someone back from the dead, creating organs would be child’s play.
Despite the multiple surgeries and Kaidan pacing back and forth in worry each and every time, Thane grew more easily winded. His primary concern had been keeping up with both Shepard and Kaidan, and both had reassured him that they’d never leave him behind. Ever.
Fortunately, there was no need for him to work as an Assassin anymore; hell, none of them were required to act as they did before the Reapers. Shepard and Kaidan were still Spectres and still held their respective positions within the Alliance, and although it was long overdue, Shepard finally got a promotion.
However, despite all the accolades and titles and positions, Shepard had everything they ever wanted right here.
They had a roof over their head and the people they loved by their side. In fact, they considered themselves to be blessed.
In a modest house next to the ocean, a vision of Kaidan's, and, thanks to Thane's ability to tolerate far more humid climates, it became more than that; it was their home. Something Shepard could never have envisioned before, not after the way they had been forced to raise themselves when they were younger.
Each had their own bedroom; there were times when they needed their own space, but all the beds were big enough to accommodate the trio. Sometimes all a person needed was to be wedged between a tall, dark and handsome biotic and their sensitive yet deadly former assassin. It was the best fucking sandwich in the entire galaxy, and Shepard was more than happy to be the filling.
Sighing, they blindly searched for a T-shirt and found Kaidan's blue Spectre one on top of the thick duvet cover. They swiftly pulled it on, and as it was a little longer than the ones Shepard wore themselves, it covered their underwear before reluctantly leaving the warmth of the bed.
Shepard slowly walked barefoot along the carpet to the top of the stairs, flexing their neck from side to side.
With the way the house was designed, the landing had a view straight onto the heart of the place, which was the open-plan kitchen and lounge. Kaidan’s design, as he had the vision for this house that he had brought up during the party in Anderson’s apartment right before they took down those fuckers at Cerberus.
Despite not being the most sentimental of people, at least, not openly so, the thought of David Anderson drove a pang of grief into their heart. His death had been a blow; all those whom Shepard had lost over the course of their career remained with them—every single one.
Pushing the thought aside, they leaned heavily on the railing. Still suffering from the last few remnants of sleep, Shepard yawned and peered down to see the reason why both their lovers had left them to sleep.
“Fuck,” they muttered, the word a lot softer than it should have been.
Christmas decorations hung from every available space in the lounge, twinkling lights and an array of greens, golds, and reds adorned the walls, where framed photos of them and their families and friends hung.
In the centre of the room was a 12-foot Christmas tree, meticulously decorated, and Shepard furiously rubbed at their eyes, wondering just how long this shit had taken while they snoozed.
“Kaidan Alenko! Thane Krios! You'd better show yourselves right now.”
Despite the edge to the voice, their expression was soft as they continued to gaze at the tree. Because of their upbringing, holidays weren't something they celebrated, and it definitely didn't happen in a cosy place with decorations.
How could Shepard be so mad that they had two people in their life who cared and loved them as much as Kaidan and Thane?
What surprised Shepard even more was how Kaidan and Thane had also fallen for one another during their respective stays at Heutra Memorial on the Citadel.
Kaidan knew all about Shepard's relationship with Thane during his absence. At first, it hurt; the Drell had become a fast friend, and then he understood the appeal: he could see why they had fallen for him.
And a few months later, after dancing around feelings, almost dying yet again, and no more Reapers, the trio had achieved a higher state of bliss.
Well, for the most part.
Sometimes living with two people just as stubborn as they were had its disadvantages, and one of them was having two men plotting their demise in the form of festive decorations.
“I swear to all the Gods that I will beat your asses and not in the fun kinky way you guys like,” Shepard continued, gripping the bannister and finally descending the stairs to go in search of their wayward partners.
That’s when it hit them; the scent of freshly baked cookies and hot cocoa emanated from the kitchen. Kaidan had always said that, growing up, his mother would bake cookies and that a kitchen should always smell like it. He was an overly sentimental guy, but that only made Shepard love him all the more.
Despite liking him when he was their Lieutenant, they had fallen hopelessly in love with him because of who he was beneath the armour.
Standing behind the kitchen counter, wearing the galaxy’s most hideous Christmas jumper, was Kaidan. It was blue, with giant snowflakes on it, exclaiming that he was cool. Next to him, Thane had been coerced into wearing one, and his was a Christmas tree with flashing lights that blinked intermittently.
Although they hadn’t been happy to wake up to the house looking like demented elves had attacked it, their lips curled up at the sides, and then they began laughing, even bending at the waist to put their hands on their knees.
Kaidan stirred the huge saucepan of hot cocoa to go with the cookies. Perhaps it wasn’t the most conventional breakfast, but it was tradition, and despite their protests, Shepard knew what day it was. Or at least, he hoped they had remembered, as sometimes they forgot things or pretended to so they could get out of something.
“See, babe,” Kaidan said, addressing Thane as he glanced at him. “I told you they would love it.”
The Drell seemed a little more sceptical, glancing at the biotic, then back at Shepard, who was now wiping tears from their eyes.
“Your mother has been busy, Kaidan,” Shepard exclaimed, knowing that it was Mama Alenko’s Holiday tradition to knit everyone these ghastly-looking things. Despite this being their first Christmas together in their own home, they were well aware of the Alenko family traditions, having spent time at the Alenko Orchard after the war, when they had finally recovered enough to be discharged from the hospital.
Kaidan simply smirked at their lover, then carried on adding a little cinnamon to really give the hot mixture some flavour.
“You should see the one she made for Kolyat,” Thane said, walking around the counter and reaching out his hands to take Shepard’s. He raised them both to his lips, placing a delicate kiss upon them, and despite how long they’d been together, Shepard would never get tired of the gesture. “Did you sleep well, Siha?”
“I did,” Shepard murmured, glancing over at Kaidan, who was now pulling the sweet gingerbread treats out of the oven. Their mouth watered as there was nothing quite like his grandmother’s special recipe. A man who could cook and fuck was a gift sent from the Goddess, and Shepard thanked them every single day for these two wonderful men. “Although,” they continued, looking back at Thane. “I would have preferred waking up with you; it’s too early to be awake.”
The baking tray clattered as Kaidan set it on the cooling rack. He pulled off the oven mitts, which were also Christmas-themed, and finally approached Shepard. “If it were up to you, Shepard, you’d never leave the bedroom,” Kaidan quipped.
“You don’t usually complain,” Shepard replied, their voice taking on a far huskier quality.
“Well, despite taking many beatings over the years, I haven’t lost my mind,” he answered, warmth and love radiating from those whiskey coloured eyes that Shepard could spend a lifetime looking into. “Not yet, anyway.”
Shepard returned the smile. “Glad to hear it, Kaidan,” they whispered, then looked back at Thane, whose smile was just as intimate as he released their hands.
“There is one other thing, Shepard,” Thane stated.
Of course, there was always a catch. Shepard tilted their head to one side. “Go on…” they murmured.
The smile turned into a wry little smirk, and it didn’t help when Kaidan joined in. Both men looked up, and Shepard followed their gaze to see that they had inadvertently situated themselves beneath a sprig of mistletoe.
“Oh come on!” Shepard uttered, taking in the sight of it and puffing out their chest.
Thane moved a little closer to their right, his voice low in their ear as he leaned in. “It’s tradition, Siha,” he reminded them.
When Thane used that low tone, Shepard knew that they were in a world of trouble. That, combined with Kaidan’s voice, meant that they could do anything to them and they’d only beg for more. It was why, despite acting all pissed off at being forced to be holly and jolly and festive, they secretly loved it, as both men seemed more than willing to embrace the season's real meaning. Family.
“I don’t need some sprig of plant to give me a reason for kissing you,” Shepard pointed out.
Kaidan moved himself to their other side, hand resting comfortably at the small of their back and grinning. “No,” he said, brushing his lips gently against their left temple, lips as warm as ever. “But it’s fun.”
Sighing dramatically, Shepard couldn’t contain themselves any longer and positioned themselves so they could grab Kaidan’s right hand and Thane’s left. “Come here, you fucking disasters,” they said, voice laced with affection as they leaned in to capture Thane’s lips first in a sweet, but simple kiss.
The Drell smiled, then watched as Shepard focused their attention on Kaidan, eyes searching his before leaning in and kissing him just as softly. Their lips moved against one another in a slow and steady kiss, and as Shepard drew back, their stubbornness had melted away entirely.
“You’re too good to me,” Shepard whispered.
“That’s because I love you, Shepard,” Kaidan reminded them, then looked over at Thane, reaching out and taking his other hand. “We both do.” He leaned in and kissed Thane, indicating that he wasn’t getting away with not being kissed under the mistletoe.
Shepard felt Thane’s thumb brushing their knuckles as he locked lips with the beautiful biotic; the fact that both the men they loved had fallen for one another made their heart feel as full as the night sky was full of stars.
“I love you,” Shepard stated, causing them to separate slightly and look back at them with gentle smiles.
Managing to tear their gaze away from their partners, Shepard looked around the area again, at the glowing tree with its soft, twinkling lights, and appreciated it a little more now that the initial fear of the holiday had ebbed away. It wasn’t that Shepard didn’t appreciate the gesture; it was that, at times, they didn’t feel worthy of love, and the fact that they had someone special actually to spend it with now was a hard thing to wrap their head around.
Old habits liked to present themselves, and sometimes all it took was cookies, hot cocoa, and mistletoe to make them go away. Shepard looked back at Kaidan and Thane, their two favourite people, who were looking at them like they were the centre of the universe.
“So where’s my sweater?” Shepard asked, sounding exasperated but willing to join in the festivities, even allowing themselves to be a little bit excited about it.
Kaidan looked years younger when he grinned and quickly excused himself to get it. With a smaller smirk, Thane watched him head into the other room and then pursed his lips together.
Shepard frowned a little as they gauged Thane’s reaction. “It’s not that bad, is it?” they asked.
Thane coughed into his hand and then straightened up. “It’s…different,” he managed to say diplomatically.
As Kaidan returned, he held up a bright red sweater that had a massively oversized reindeer head right in the centre. Two huge googly eyes had been attached in place of its normal ones, and Shepard’s eyes widened, glancing to Thane and back down at the ghastly garment.
With a childish grin, Kaidan made a grand gesture, shaking it so the eyes moved in different directions. Thane’s lips twitched as he clearly found it amusing, then both men were far more invested in Shepard’s reaction.
For a moment, Shepard folded their arms and scowled, seeming to scrutinise the creation. “That’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” Shepard commented, their tone stern.
Kaidan’s shoulders sagged. Thane’s brow furrowed.
Shepard broke into the goofiest smile ever as they practically snatched it out of Kaidan’s hands so they could pull it on. As with all his mother’s creations, the sweater was comfortable, and although hideous, it was also somehow perfect.
They looked up to find their partners staring at them fondly, too fondly, in fact. Not that it was a sight they’d ever tired of. Never.
Sighing happily, Shepard held open their arms to showcase the most fucked up reindeer in existence, and they wore it with unmistakable pride.
Thane smiled, eyes shining. “Perfect,” he whispered.
“Adorable,” Kaidan added, his grin still wide.
Shepard’s cheeks reddened a little at the compliments, then reached out for their hands, tugging them both to them, before wedging themself between the two people who made the universe just that little bit more bearable.
"Just wait until you see the matching pyjamas I got us," Kaidan murmured into their hair.
"Don't push your luck, Alenko!" Shepard growled, though they couldn't help but smile as they rested their forehead against his.
The embrace was warm, and it was home, and although it would take them a while to get used to their circumstances, they guessed that the holidays really were the most wonderful time of the year.