Chapter Text
Scott blinked sleepily up at Reyes, leant over him, cupping his face and stroking his cheek with his thumb. His lips moved, curved in a smile, and Scott fought to pay attention.
‘—rd anything I just said, have you querido?’
Smiling sheepishly, Scott responded, voice thick with sleep.
‘S’ry, ‘m ‘wake,’
Reyes laughed softly at him and leaned forward to press a kiss to his forehead.
‘I have some meetings I need to get through this morning,’ he explained softly, ‘then we can spend the rest of the time you’re here together, if you like.’
‘Yes, please,’ Scott murmured as he pressed his face into Reyes’ palm.
Reyes smiled that soft smile that Scott knew was just for him.
‘Go back to sleep, cariño, I just didn’t want you waking up alone and not knowing where I was.’
Scott mumbled a sleepy affirmative, eyes already drifting closed.
—x—x—x—
He opened his eyes again around close to noon, SAM’s voice in his head.
‘Scott, Reyes should be finished with his meetings soon.’
Right, he had a hazy memory of a conversation and a soft smile.
‘Thanks SAM,’
Scott untangled himself from the covers, relishing the way his thighs burned when he stood. His legs trembled but held, so he made his way to the shower. The hot water felt heavenly on his stiff muscles and he felt like he could face the short walk to the galley without shuffling like an old man.
Deciding he needed a good workout to get himself moving again, he tugged on his workout gear, threw on a hoodie, and emerged into the corridor. A quick check in with SAM had told him that most of the crew were off the ship so the galley was blessedly empty, and he was able eat a quick protein bar breakfast in peace.
He filled up a thermos of coffee, figuring he’d stop by and let Gil know what he was doing, just in case he had plans for the Nomad. He’d have to engage the hydraulic lift if he wanted the space to workout but if Gil was working on it, he’d need to find something different to do.
Gil was elbow deep in a console when Scott arrived and was thrilled with the coffee. Scott asked about lifting the Nomad out of the way for a workout.
‘Yeah, go ahead. Nomad doesn’t need any work right now.’
Scott pulled on his headphones and stretched as the Nomad was lifted out of the way. He missed the training gym at the Citadel sometimes, that one had had a salmon ladder.
Maybe Gil could build us one?
An hour later, Scott was shirtless and shiny with perspiration, hanging from the underside of the lift platform by his mag-boots, doing inverted sit-ups. His eyes were closed and he was immersed in his music, back to the cargo bay doors. He finished his set of reps and swung his upper body forward, grabbing a bar in front of him and disengaging the mag-boots. They hit the ground with a thud. He tugged his shirt from where it rested on the terminal, wiped his face and slung it around his neck. He was interrupted by SAM as he reached for his water bottle.
‘It appears you have an audience,’
Scott looked up and saw Reyes, leaning against a stack of crates, eyeing his lover with thinly veiled appreciation. He felt his cheeks heat a little but otherwise enjoyed the promise in his lover’s gaze. He walked over to stand near him, removing his headphones on the way.
‘Meetings all done?’
Reyes slowly traced the contours of his lover’s body with his eyes.
‘Yes, Keema is prepared to meet in a week to figure out the details for your outpost, but until then I am totally at your disposal, querido.’
‘Hmm, sounds amazing,’ his grin turned crooked, ‘I’m sure we’ll find a way to fill the time,’
Reyes laughed.
‘Oh, the plans I have for you, mi cariño,’ he purred, ‘however, those will have to wait. You need to make an appearance in Port and call in on Keema.’
Scott sighed in light-hearted disappointment.
‘You coming with me?’
‘I was thinking I would have that chat with SAM, if you don’t mind?’
‘Of course, make yourself at home,’ Scott reassured him, ‘I can keep myself busy for an hour or two. Just let me shower first and then I’ll make myself scarce,’
Reyes leaned down and picked up a bag that had been tucked behind a crate. He felt a little giddy at the idea, that maybe, he intended to spend the week on the Tempest with Scott.
Reyes clearly hadn’t expected Scott to key him into the Tempest’s systems. He had to kiss the bewildered look off his face.
‘SAM will make sure you don’t do any irreversible damage,’ he reasoned, gently cupping his lover’s cheek, ‘if you need any engineering help then Gil is around, and SAM can contact pretty much anyone for you.’
--x—x—x—
He left Reyes comfortably ensconced in his cabin and made his way out of the ship. He asked SAM to let Suvi, Kallo, Gil, and Lexi know that he was heading out to the Port and that Reyes was on board. He didn’t wait for a response, heading through the cargo bay and down the ramp. Walking along the undercover causeway, he had a great view of the area immediately surrounding Kadara Port. Already he could see minor changes. The air quality had improved, the smell of sulphur almost completely gone from the air. He wagered it wouldn’t ever be gone completely, but it was nice not to be knocked over by it anymore.
Scott waved to Vetra on his way through what passed for customs and waited patiently for the door to the square to open. Looking around him, it was hard to believe that this was the same place where enforcers had been beating people in the street only months ago. Everything was clean and there was no flickering in the neon holograms. Impressed, Scott made his way through the market, trying not to stop and stare at every little difference he could find. People looked happier, better fed. Previously faces had been unfriendly and starved.
The guards he could see posted around were respectful, greeting him with a relaxed ‘Pathfinder’ as he passed them. He made his way toward what used to be Sloane’s throne room, amused to see Keema lounging in said throne and smoking a cigar.
‘Pathfinder, it’s good to see you again,’
‘You’ve done well for yourself,’ Scott responded with a grin
‘What’s the human expression, about having friends in high places?’ Keema waved her cigar and smiled, ‘The charlatan and I agreed it would be mutually beneficial if I was the face of Kadara port.’
‘It’s a good look for you, and I’m sure your people are happy to have an angaran in charge again,’
‘I doubt we’ll ever achieve unanimous approval but yes, Sloane made a lot of enemies, even among your people,’
‘At least the outcasts have disappeared from the port,’
‘Not completely, Kaetus is still moaning in the holding cells, but the others have scattered. I’m told there’s still plenty in the Badlands. Watch your back, many blame you for Sloane’s death.’
‘Unsurprising, but I’ll deal with them when they appear. What will you do with Kaetus?’
‘The safest option is to execute him, but the Charlatan thinks he’s worth something.’
‘Oh?’
‘He was Sloane’s confidant, the charlatan won’t kill him until he’s learned every dirty secret,’ Keema paused and looked at Scott, ‘I told him to tell you earlier, about who he was, but he worried about what you would think. It was adorable really.’
Scott smiled reassuringly at Keema, ‘Don’t worry, I was never upset about it. I figured it out actually, though I didn’t get a chance to ask him before everything went down. Might offer him my services regarding Kaetus though,’
Keema looked at him curiously and his smile turned sharper.
‘I know a few ways to get a Turian to talk, some of them are even polite,’
The Angara threw back her head and laughed.
‘You’ll do, Pathfinder. Reyes is clearly in safe hands,’
Scott’s face went soft as he thought about his lover, currently holed up in his quarters talking with his A.I.
‘Yes, you’ll do,’
--x—x—x—
Scott left the new Collective headquarters. He’d spent just over an hour with Keema, having a drink and being gently teased about Reyes. Scott took it all with good humour and was feeling pretty good. Keema and Reyes were clearly doing a good job of looking after Kadara Port and its interests. He knew he made the right choice all those weeks ago, but it was nice to see it confirmed like this.
He still had some time to kill, and he wanted to take a look around at the shops. He wasn’t overly interested in mods or weapons today, but he was in the market for a new set of armour. His heartrate spiked every time he had to put on his Initiative helmet and he’d finally realised that it was the glass front giving him anxiety. He’d toyed with modifying Kett or Angaran armour, no glass in those, but he didn’t want to be mistaken for an enemy in the heat of the moment.
After about twenty minutes of browsing through other stores, he turned the corner and spied a helmet that looked promising. No glass front, instead it seemed use optics. The colours weren’t bad from what he could see either. He wandered over to the attendant. The watched him approach with a guardedly interested expression.
‘Yeah?’
‘That helmet,’ he said, nodding towards it, ‘You got the rest of the set that goes with it?’
‘Sure,’ the Krogan laid out the rest of the suit on the counter for him to inspect. It could certainly do with some improving, but there was space to carry an extra clip and the gloves wouldn’t impede his grip which would give him an edge on his current armour.
‘I’ll take it,’
Five minutes and a few thousand credits later, he had the gear in hand and was on his way back to the Tempest.
--x—x—x—
After stashing his gear in the armoury, he made his way towards the galley, intending to grab a cup of coffee before checking in with SAM. Before he could step in, the door to his quarters opened and he turned around in surprise, coming face-to-face with a smiling Reyes.
‘Have fun with Keema?’
‘Yeah, we had a good chat, though apparently Kaetus is giving you trouble, need some help with that?’
Scott followed him into the room.
‘I wasn’t aware information extraction was part of pathfinder training,’
‘Never had any Pathfinder training, but in the Milky Way it was part of my job,’ He tilted his head at the intrigued look Reyes was giving him.
‘We haven’t really talked about my background, have we?’ Reyes shook his head, so Scott continued, ‘Taking out people like Sloane used to be my job, and I was very good at it. Mostly infiltration and extraction work, but there was the odd assassination and intel gathering. My XO used to like to joke that my file read like blackout poetry. Not a lot of call for that particular part of my skill set in Andromeda though, at least not so far,’
Reyes looked thoughtful.
‘In that case I’d be curious to see you work, if you didn’t mind the audience.’
He hadn’t expected Reyes to agree, and so easily. Scott was used to his crew that thought they knew him based on who his dad was, but Alec had never done half the things he’d done, even as an N7. It reminded him that he’d have to talk to his team soon, the looks they gave him when he said something that didn’t mesh with their view of him was getting a little annoying and could end up causing trouble down the line.
‘I don’t mind an audience, it’s not something I’ve been able to practice for a while, might even be fun,’
He knew it wasn’t exactly kosher to enjoy that aspect of his former role, but it had nothing to do with enjoying causing others pain, and everything to do with the satisfaction of getting actionable intel. Often his methods didn’t involve any kind of violence at all, he’d employed hallucinogenics and other such tricks to great effect many times. The intel was always more reliable that way.
Reyes sat down on the couch; Scott walked over to join him.
‘That aside, did you and SAM have a nice chat?’
Reyes smiled and looked over at SAM’s display.
‘Yes, I think we’ve got something figured out, though I have to source a part first,’
‘Okay, Vetra’s pretty good at that if you run into any trouble,’
Scott was going to sit next to Reyes but apparently, he had other plans. He grabbed Scott by the wrist and tugged him down to straddle his lap. Scott went easily, settling himself comfortably astride firm thighs.
‘Noted,’
--x—x—x—
Scott watched Reyes move around his little kitchen with interest. After their make-out session was interrupted by growling stomachs, Reyes invited Scott back to his little apartment, promising to cook him dinner. Though the menu was still rather limited in Heleus, he managed to put together what looked like a tasty stir-fry.
The smuggler had removed most of his outer layers; jacket, belts and gloves had all been tossed on the small couch in the corner. Scott was perched at the tiny dining table, elbow propped up and chin in his hand, watching with what was sure to be a soft look in his eyes. He straightened as Reyes deposited a full plate in front of him.
After the first bite revealed that it was as delicious as it looked, Scott ate his meal with enthusiasm, enjoying the pleased smile Reyes sent his way. After dinner, he managed to convince his lover to let him take care of the dishes.
As soon as he’d he placed the last plate in the drying rack, Reyes’s hands were snaking around him, pulling him tight against his chest, mouth at his neck. Scott sighed with pleasure; tilting his head to give him more room. He reached up to grip the arms wrapped around him, pressing them tighter, enjoying the intimacy.
Reyes trailed his lips up to Scott’s ear, tugging gently at his earlobe with his teeth.
‘I like having you in my space,’ he murmured, almost too soft to hear.
Scott made a helpless sound and reached behind him, gripping Reyes hair and pulling him back far enough that he could kiss him. The angle made it awkward, so he turned in his hold, the other’s arms loosening as soon as he let go of them. Arms now free to move, Scott cupped Reyes cheeks, one in each hand, and kissed him.
Slowly. Deeply.
Pouring everything he couldn’t yet say into it.
When he finally broke the kiss, he pressed their foreheads together, both breathing heavily. Reyes had moved a hand to cup the back of his neck, the other traced patterns on the skin at his waist.
‘I like being in your space,’ he confessed into the space between them, ‘and I like having you in mine, too.’
Reyes’ grip tightened in response and there was a beat of silence.
Then Scott’s back hit the counter behind him, Reyes pressed hard against his front. A thigh nudged its way between his and he was kissed until he was dizzy.
He gave up any control he had over the situation without a second thought. Content to let Reyes manhandle him across the apartment to the bed and trusting him not to let him run into anything on the way. He was stopped before running into the bed and he took the moment to yank his shirt over his head, immediately distracted as Reyes did the same. The rest of their clothes followed swiftly after and Scott resigned himself to learning how to take off his lovers clothes another time.
The pause appeared to have brought Reyes back to himself for a moment and he stopped Scott as he moved toward the bed. One hand pressed into his chest, the other winding into his hair. Tightly.
Scott stilled at the touches, covering the hand on his chest with his own.
Reyes looked at him intently, studying his face. The hand in his hair flexed, tightening and releasing.
A question.
So, it going to be like that, is it? Yes, please.
Scott relaxed into the grip and smiled, waiting.
Apparently, that was all Reyes needed. His grip tightened again, and he pulled him into a filthy kiss, not holding anything back. Dazed, Scott let himself be pushed down to the bed, spreading his legs to make room for his lover between them.
If he thought Reyes would prep him quickly this time, he quickly stood corrected. Fingers teased him slowly, and by the time the third one was in, he was fighting himself, desperate to reverse their positions and just sink down. He turned his face into his arm, trying to calm himself.
A hand shot out and gripped his face, cheek in palm and thumb pressing his lips open. An echo of that frantic first encounter in the cave. Scott moaned at the memory.
‘Don’t hide from me,’ Reyes growled, forcing Scott to look at him.
He opened his mouth properly and let the thumb hook over his teeth, holding him open.
Reyes pressed his fingers deep one last time, enjoying the ragged moan it forced from Scott, before removing them and letting go of his face. He encouraged him to turn over, helped him settle on his knees and elbows. He teased him, held him open and ran the head of his cock over his hole. It caught on the rim and pressed inside just enough to stretch before he backed away again. He did this twice, the third time Scott pressed back against him with a low moan.
It was taken as consent, and Reyes snapped his hips forward, almost all the way to the hilt. Another few short sharp thrusts and he was fully seated. Scott had a moment to adjust and then he was forced to brace himself as his lover began to fuck him. Because there was nothing sweet and slow about the way his lover gripped his hips tightly enough to bruise and jerked him back to meet each thrust.
Worked up as he was, Scott couldn’t help the noises he was making, moans flowing freely from his lips. Not trusting the thickness of the prefab walls, he ducked his head, trying to hold back his cries, but Reyes was having none of that.
Reyes leant forward over his back, planted one hand next to Scott to hold himself up, then hooked his forearm under Scott’s chin and forced his head back.
‘What did I say, mi cielo?’ he growled, biting at his shoulder, ‘Cantar para mí, let me hear you,’
Scott gripped Reyes’ arm as best he could while leaning on his elbows, the pressure against his throat just the right side of too much and the change in position had forced him to arch his back, changing the angle to something that was going to make him loose his mind. Reyes thrust a few times and hummed with satisfaction at the sobs he forced from his lover. He pressed open-mouthed kisses against his back and resumed thrusting.
The pace he set was hard and fast. Short, sharp thrusts that quickly overwhelmed and had him long past the point of caring about the noise they were making. He let go of Reyes’ arm and gripped the covers in front of him as his orgasm rushed up to overpower him. His cock pulsed, and he jerked and whined his way through, pulling Reyes along with him.
He spaced for a few minutes, just floating in the endorphins. If he’d been aware of Reyes pulling out, he would have protested. He let himself be moved how the other wanted and slowly came back to awareness, half-sprawled atop Reyes, who was holding him tightly with one arm, the other stroking his hair. He snuggled closer, pressed a kiss to the skin in front of him, and blearily opened his eyes.
Reyes watched him fondly, a soft crease between his brows.
‘Feeling ok, querido?’
Scott nodded as best he could.
‘Feeling great,’
He sounded like he’d swallowed gravel. Nice.
Reyes laughed softly, brushing fingers against his throat.
‘Not too much?’
‘Just right,’
‘Good thing you don’t have to give any speeches tomorrow,’
Scott just grinned sleepily, content to let Reyes roll them both over and settled down to sleep.