Admiral on Earth

"When the Reapers come, we must stand side by side. We must fight against them as one. And together we can drive them back into dark space! "

[youdidgoodchild]

bursts in here like whaddup guys who wants some anderson loving??

[theirishborncommander]

He shook his head not wanting to hear the sympathy from the older man. “It-It’s fine.” Liam rubbed his face. “I have a cot down here.” He sniffled still staring a the floor. “It’s not safe to go upstairs yet. The floor is pretty bad.” 

[youdidgoodchild]

“Okay.” Squeezing Liam’s shoulder, he turned to look around the house, taking it all in as best as he could. Why the retired commander had chosen here to run to, he didn’t know. Didn’t want to know. All he could do was try and get him to a better place. “Okay. Let’s go get you down.”

[tempestpioneer-deactivated20180]

@youdidgoodchild

A copy of fornax in her hand , an ‘ahem’ exposed dancers outfit on , Ryder was listening in on conversations pretending to be a stripper from choras den on break. Not an Asari stripper but one of the human girls. She even had her hair and makeup done to match.

An agent emailed her apartment and told her to keep up her usual locations but today she was assigned to listen in at flux as the boss got a tip that someone was making a huge drug deal. She expected as such a disguise would be her only way to appear inconspicuous so here she was.

She only heard usual dance floor babble and someone failing to flirt tragically. So there was nothing on this side so maybe she’d listen in from one of the tables near the bar where the groups usually waited. Though as she got up she ran face first into an old friend .

“Fancy seeing you here. ”

[youdidgoodchild]

Information wasn’t something he was used to needing. Not when he had a long list of sources that readily supplied him with it. It left him chaffing, wondering just when the steady stream had started to dry up, and if this was going to bet he way it was from now on. 

His frustration had forced him from his office. The walls starting to close in around him, until they threatened to collapse on him and drive him over the edge of sanity for the day. And so he had left, hands in his pockets, wandering the Citadel looking for something. Anything really. Eventually his wandering had taken him to a bar, one he had only been to a handful of times, but at least it was something familiar.

Something not work related. 

Moving into the bar, he hadn’t expected to see anyone he knew. Let alone a face he’d instantly recognize. Blinking a few times, he stared at Ryder taking in her all too revealing outfit with a raised eyebrow. “I don’t want to know.” Were the first words out of his mouth. “But let me say I like you better with more clothing on.”

[youdidgoodchild]

i’m splitting my time tonight between anderson, kaidan and connor. if i don’t answer right away i’m likely on another blog. if we’re mutuals feel free to ask for my skype!

[youdidgoodchild]

"Is that the part in which I should question our sanity?" (willreignite)

“Our sanity?” 

He wants to laugh at the question, exhaustion making him wonder if maybe he misheard the commander. But a look at her has him realizing that he has not. That she’s really standing there asking him about sanity. His breath leaves through his nose, a sad attempt at a chuckle, though he’s far from amused. 

“What sanity, Shepard?”

[theirishborncommander]

He flinched at the sound of his father’s voice. Blinking he stared down at the floor. “All…” He swallowed heavily. “All of his stuff is still up there. I can’t go up there.” 

[youdidgoodchild]

“Liam-” His shoulders slumped, and he squeezed his son’s arm tightly. He hadn’t known that even after all this time, Liam still hadn’t gone through any of it. A pang of guilt went through him. He should have been here for his son. Should have been the pillar of support he was supposed to be. But instead he hadn’t been. “I’m... I’m sorry.”

[theirishborncommander]

He gently rubbed his cheek across David’s shoulder. “I don’t know if I can sleep.” He wouldn’t look at David in the face as the man pulled away. He stared at his shoulder. “I don’t sleep up there. I can’t.” 

He dragged the back of his hand across his face. “I sleep down here.” 

[youdidgoodchild]

“You what?” Horror made his voice louder than he meant it to be, and he stopped to try and control himself. Swallowing, he moved and forced his son to meet his gaze. “Liam Shepard, what the hell do you mean you sleep down here? Why?”

[theirishborncommander]

He had been going non stop for the past few days since his last bad episode. No sleep meant there was no nightmares. But, no sleep made his visions worse. Pressing his neck against Anderson’s neck he sighed. 

He knew the man was right. That his visions never did this. David was solid here holding him. His father was here. Right here in the house he was born and raised in till he was three. The man was right here right now. He sagged against Anderson a little exhaustion finally settling in.  

[youdidgoodchild]

He stumbled as Liam sagged against him, his knees and spine protesting the sudden added weight to his barely held together frame. Grunting softly, he pulled one hand away from Liam and reached for the spot he had left it leaning. Fingers wrapped around the handle, he used it to brace himself beneath his son’s weight.

Gently he patted Liam’s back. “Hey,” his voice was soft as he started to pull away. “Maybe we should get you upstairs to bed. You look like you haven’t slept in years.”

[uxorpraefecti]

“What, you were serious about that?”

[youdidgoodchild]

“Surprisingly enough I was.”

[theirishborncommander]

He held onto David’ by the elbow sniffing heavily. “I…” He swallowed heavily unsure how to answer the question at first. “I,” He stared at David’s chest for a moment. He bit his bottom lip. “I don’t know.” He finally got out. “No one has asked me that in awhile.” 

He held onto his father for dear life. He moved forward again hiding his face in David’s shoulder still not really believing that the man was really here. 

[youdidgoodchild]

“Son-” All words died in his mouth, and it was all he could do to hold Liam tighter. As if that would somehow erase six years worth of pain and misery, give them a chance to forget it all happened. Fingers digging into the taller man’s back, he pulled him closer and tried to sooth him. 

“It’s okay, Liam. I promise it’s okay.” Rubbing one hand against the ex-commander’s back, he forced back sobs, not wanting the other to see him break down. “I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

[youdidgoodchild]

noise of disgust. “there goes my retirement.”

[theirishborncommander]

“What the hell are you doing?! Did you do that to yourself?!” -pour daddy anderson

“Me? You’re the one breaking into people’s homes. So, you want to tell me what you want, David?” 

[theirishborncommander]

The blood was raging though his ears in time with racing of his heart he barely heard the cane hitting the floor. He had dreams of getting a hug from his father for the past few years. His fingers dig into Anderson’s back holding on to him tighter. 

Hiccuping Liam lets out a shaky breath slowly pulling back. “Your leg,” he reaches up with a large hand to brush some tears from his face. “You okay?” He rubbed some dirt across his wet cheeks. 

[youdidgoodchild]

He refuses to let go for a few more moments, the loneliness that had settled over him during Liam’s absence lifting just enough for him to hold tighter. So many moments he had wished for this, wanting nothing more than to have Liam with him, alive and whole, and it was finally happening. 

In the end, he had t let go, and his breath left him in a loud sigh of mingled disappointment and relief. His son was alive, and despite all the hurt they had both been through, they were both here. Leaning heavily on his good leg, he waved off the ex-commander’s concern. “I’m fine. Nothing I can’t handle. More importantly, are you?”

[youdidgoodchild]

“I wish I could explain this away, but honestly, there’s no point to it.”

[youdidgoodchild]

papa is disappointed in everyone. 

‘stop fighting all of you and give me chocolate instead.’

[youdidgoodchild]

“i think i’m starting to regret everything i every said about you.”

[youdidgoodchild]

"I guess this is goodbye.”

Anderson doesn’t turn to look at the commander, his eyes sealed tight against the galaxy. “It’s never good-bye. We’ll both come back from this.”

[theirishborncommander]

Liam swallowed. “They’ll be here soon, right?” He held on tighter to Anderson in case he slips through his fingers. “We can’t move. We have to stay here. Basic combat first aid, remember?” 

[youdidgoodchild]

“Sure they will. Alenko and all the others.” It hurts to talk. Like nails dragging along the inside of his throat and extending to the rest of his body. Pain. That wasn’t something he had ever expected to feel as he died. Oh no. He had expected all sensations to dim and die out all together. Not these spikes of feeling that came and went as they saw fit. 

[theirishborncommander]

“What the hell are you doing?! Did you do that to yourself?!” -pour daddy anderson

“Me? You’re the one breaking into people’s homes. So, you want to tell me what you want, David?” 

[theirishborncommander]

He jumped at the first contact of his father’s hands on his shoulders. Goosebumps raise across his arms at the first physical contact he’s had with someone in six years. In the first few moments Liam didn’t move till the dam broke. His face hidden in Anderson’s shoulder with his arms around his father’s chest. 

For a moment Liam felt like he was an young lieutenant again after Akuze once the nightmares had finally let him go. “Dad,” he sighed heavily as the tears ran down his face soaking Anderson’s jacket. “Oh God, Dad. I’m so sorry,” his sob was muffled by Anderson’s shoulder. He muttered that he was sorry over and over again as he cried holding his adopted father as tight as he could. 

[youdidgoodchild]

He moves to rub the ex-commander’s back, but his cane gets in the way. Without a second thought, he drops the cane to the floor, the metal clattering against the wood and hurting his ears. But he doesn’t care, his fingers digging into Liam’s back, he holds his son as close as he can, almost entirely forgiving him for everything. He’s been hurting so much, but it’s more than obvious the other’s been hurting even more.

“It’s okay.” He promises, though he knows it’s not entirely so. They can talk about things later, when they’re both being more rational, and David’s had more time to process the thought that Liam’s alive. “It’s okay, son. I’m here."