Christmas mShenko

In defiance of the Nostradamus-anon. Have a ten minute speed-write fic!

It’s well after midnight when the call comes in. Kaidan’s
omni-tool is set to emergency calls only, so it begins to blink in its dull
orange glow and then beep when he doesn’t open the line after a few seconds.

He raises his hand groggily to his eyes, squinting at the
glow with a frown. “From headquarters,” he mutters, knowing that the
quiet noise has woken Shepard beside him by the way the other man shifts and
scoots down to get further under the covers.

Shepard grunts. “Better be a damn good reason.”

Kaidan answers the call to his earpiece so as not to disturb
his partner further. Shepard has taken to retirement like a fish in water;
ignoring official calls, staying in his pajamas all day whenever he feels like
it, and eating more junk food than he’d ever have allowed himself in any given
year before now. But all of those idle, sleepy musings are torn from his head
in a second right after he accepts the call with a drowsy, “Major Alenko
speaking.”

The way his posture stiffens when he sits up properly,
dangling his legs over the edge of the bed and leaning his head down to press
his fingers to his forehead like he’s suddenly fighting off a headache, makes
Shepard take notice. He raises up on his elbow to study the biotic’s tense
back, now fully awake from a small rush of adrenaline and anxiety that floods
him. No normal news ever made Kaidan act like this before.

He’s quiet until Kaidan disconnects the call and the room
goes dark again, save for the blue light of the clock on the bedside table.
Complete silence for nearly a full minute. Shepard reaches out and touches
Kaidan’s shoulder. A breath shudders and sighs out of Kaidan as he leans back
into the warm hand splayed against his warm skin.

“Kaidan,” Shepard says.

“It’s my dad,” Kaidan answers so softly, Shepard
almost misses the words. “He’s – they – I mean, they found him.” He
turns sideways and his eyes track over Shepard for a second before settling on
his face. “He’s alive, Shepard.”

 Automatically, Shepard’s hand slides down to squeeze
Kaidan’s arm as his heart skips a beat. “We have to go,” he says
breathlessly.

Kaidan smiles and his voice is clouded with tears. “He
lost a leg and an arm, but he’s gonna be okay. He’s been in a coma. A John Doe
until he woke up. He’s okay.” He falls forward right against Shepard’s
chest, though the angle can’t be the most comfortable one, squashed as he is
practically in his partner’s armpit.

“If we leave in the morning, we can get to Vancouver by
Christmas morning. I’ll commandeer us a ship with my Spectre authorization if I
have to.”

The sure, serious tone makes Kaidan laugh his most genuine
laugh in nearly two years, and though a bit of a romantically cheesy thought,
Shepard considers it to be an incredible Christmas gift. Kaidan getting his
father back and Shepard getting genuine happiness from the person he loves most
in the world.

Kaidan kisses him briefly and throws the covers off,
climbing out of the bed. “I’ll pack now.”

It’s the best reason to give up on sleep. Shepard salutes
him teasingly and turns on his omni-tool and the desk lamp to change their
holiday plans.