#aidan shepard

[thievinghippo]

fantasticflynn said 13!

This is Aidan Shepard. He is a soldier and absolutely convinced himself that he was not smart enough for Tali. He crushed on her pretty hard when she first came back to the SR-2. Garrus teased him mercilessly about it when Aidan told him.

Before Tali joined the SR-2 in ME3, she and Shepard texted a lot. They would send each other settings to use for their various sex toys. (Got to keep the long distance relationship interesting!)

[thievinghippo]

Aidan Shepard

Class: Soldier

Origin: Spacer Ruthless

Romanced: Tali

Aidan worried he had nothing to offer the Alliance except dead soldiers, thanks to his leadership history. Then came the Beacon and he ran with it, trying to do as much good as he could to make up for his past. Paragade. Destroy Ending.

[thievinghippo]

“Is that my shirt?” ME or ME:A (whichever fits your mood)

This ended up being Shepard and Tali. (And got really long…)

#

Tali stayed on the bridge while she watched the Normandy leave Rannoch’s orbit. She stayed on the bridge until she couldn’t see her homeworld any longer. Unlike the last time they left orbit, her heart didn’t break. Because Rannoch was safe now. And the quarians were home.

Even though the quarians had a home, Tali still felt slightly out of place. She and the other admirals had been sleeping in the guest quarters on the ship. Now the other admirals were gone and she would be working in engineering.

Staying in the quarters off of the war room felt wrong. She could always go back to that small space near engineering. That was the area where she slept for her first two tours on the Normandy. Small and cramped, but it had been hers. It was the first time she ever had a room to herself.

The truth was Tali didn’t want to sleep there, either. If she was completely honest, she wanted to stay in Shepard’s quarters, with him. Now that the other admirals were gone, they didn’t need to be discreet any longer.

But suggesting that didn’t feel right somehow. They were his quarters. If he wanted her there, he would tell her. Best to take her small bag of belongings and go to engineering.

After saying goodbye to Joker, Tali left the bridge and walked into the CIC. Shepard was standing at his workstation, talking animatedly to Specialist Traynor. It took a moment to realize that her bag was resting on the counter next to his console.

“Tali,” he said with a smile on his face. A smile that reached his eyes. Her smile, she liked to think. “Figured I’d help you get settled in.”

“Stealing my belongings. I see how it is, Shepard,” Tali said as she picked up her bag.

He jerked his head towards the elevator and together they walked inside. Once the doors closed, he turned to her. “So this is just a thought,” he said and Tali realized he sounded nervous. Nervous. Shepard. “Instead of going to that poky room by engineering, maybe you could stay with me? I’ve got plenty of space for the two of us.”

Tali pressed the button for the captain’s quarters without having to think twice.

#

After, once Tali had taken an extra antibiotic and put her suit back on, she decided to unpack her bag. Shepard half sat up in bed, one hand behind his head. That’s the picture she wanted of him, she thought. When he was relaxed and completely at ease. It wasn’t something she got to see very often.

“Mind if I unpack?” she asked, already standing up.

“Go for it,” Shepard said. He pointed towards a dresser of some sort. “Top drawer is yours.”

“That confident that I would join you, Shepard?” Tali asked, teasing him.

He shrugged a shoulder, but there was a smile on his face. “I had an inkling.”

It didn’t take long to unpack. Spare parts for her suit, some scarves. Her toiletries. Like most quarians, she simply didn’t own much. Then without thinking, she took the last thing out from the bottom of her bag.

“Is that my shirt?” Shepard asked.

Crap.

After Shepard had announced he was turning himself into the Alliance, Tali had taken the shirt in a moment of panic. She had been absolutely sure she would never see him again and she wanted something, anything, really, to remember him by.

And it had helped. When she had been back with the fleet, she would lift up her mask, take out the shirt, and let the scent wash over her. On the worse nights, when the other admirals wouldn’t listen, or the day the Reapers invaded, she would wear the shirt to bed. She had looked ridiculous, wearing the shirt over her environmental suit, but she still wore it.

“I thought I lost it,” Shepard said excitedly. “Anything I brought back with me from the Cerberus tour got destroyed when the Reapers invaded. I thought I’d never see it again.”

Tali held the t-shirt out to him. It was a bright blue color, with a big red letter C and smaller letters spelling out the word Cubs. The other words said World Series Champions 2018. Tali kept forgetting to find out what those words actually meant.

“Last world series they ever won before the league went bust,” Shepard said, sliding his hands over the lettering.

“I think I accidentally picked it up before we all left the SR-2,” Tali said, trying to sound nonchalant. “Glad I could bring give it back to its rightful owner.”

He pulled the shirt on over his head. “It smells like you,” he said quietly.

No point in lying about it now. “I might have worn it a few times,” she admitted. “On bad days.” He’d understand.

Shepard looked down at the ground, and if Tali was reading him right, he might be blushing a bit. But then without a warning, he stood up and walked over to his desk.

Curious, she followed him into his study area. Just as she made it to the top step, she watched Shepard pull out one of her scarves from a drawer. Not a big one. One she might use to tie around her arm.

“Only reason this survived was because I had it in my back pocket when the Reapers hit,” Shepard said. “It helped a lot. Especially on bad days.”

Without thinking, Tali took off her mask and kissed Shepard hard. She could feel him kissing her back with just as much force.

She knew things wouldn’t be perfect. How could they be when the Reapers were everywhere? But things were different now, now that she was back on the ship and back with Shepard.

There would still be bad days. Plenty of them, she was sure. But now they would face the bad days together.

And that made all the difference.

[captain-spandex]

How about all the evens for your fav oc

(I literally rolled around saying nooooo bc choosing a favorite between my children? Hard but doable lol)

Aidan Shepard

2: If your OC wants to buy a firearm, what it might be for?

To either intimidate/harm her enemies and/or protection.

4: Would your OC want to involve themselves in humanitarian work ? If yes, then for what? If not, then why not?

No, not voluntarily. She just really isn’t cut out for humanitarian work given the fact she is a selfish asshole lol

6: Does your OC have a realistic image of their own intelligence?

Not really, she’s in actuality exceptionally street and book smart, but she’s never thought of herself in an academic sense (mostly because she’d rather solve problems with brute force if she can).

8: How is/was your OC’s relationship with their parents?

She never knew her parents given that they gave her up for adoption when she was born (+ sealed records) 

10: Does your OC guard their emotions by being tough? If not how would they?

By being tough, mean, and really stoic. She very rarely lets anyone get close to her

12: What is one of the most primary things your OC feels that is missing from their life?

She would say nothing. She really is missing R&R though. She works way to hard and way too much. Needs a vacation.

14: If your OC gets into a fight with their best friend, would they wait for their friend to make up with them, or would they try to make up with their friend?

If she thinks she’s right (99% of the time lol) she will wait. And I mean seriously she can wait for months if not years if she has to. She doesn’t know how to admit she’s wrong

16: Is your OC good at giving others validation of their feelings and making them feel understood?

Surprisingly, yes if she’s friends with said person. Like I said she doesnt let people get close often, so when she does she’s pretty loyal. With that loyalty also comes validation and understanding. 

18: What kind of intrapersonal values does your OC have? (values about their self, what makes them feel like a valid person)

She never lets others take advantage of her. If (somehow) someone does theyre dead to her (literally or figuratively doesnt matter). She doesn’t forgive, not easily. 

20: Does your OC hurt others often unintentionally? If yes, how?

No, if she hurts someone its on purpose.

22: How does your OC usually show affection? Are they openly romantic or more restricted with their affectionate emotions?

If she grows attached to a person romantically (Liara in Mass effect) she is very dedicated to their happiness and shed be very open with her affection

24: How would your OC react if they got humiliated by someone in a group of people?

Very very poorly. She’s much to proud, and would most likely lash out and embarrass the person much more cruelly.

26: What is the most intense thing your OC has been battling with?

Besides the Reapers Intense self doubt, depression, paranoia and anxiety and suicidal thoughts

28: How would your OC react if a bully stole their lunch money in high school?

Tackle them to the ground and punch them repeatedly. Kinda like the scene from A Christmas Story?

30: What makes your OC defensive quickest?

Talking about her failures, criticizing her in general, making fun or teasing her love interest.

Thank you soo so much for the ask, Dani! I super duper appreciate it!

[captain-spandex]

i get overwhelmed by how much i love aidan shepard like... this girl.... this kickass lady.... is so cool and renegade and gay for her gf i just...... love her.... my girl

[captain-spandex]

Aidan Shepard: in a constant state of judging you~~