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“You really don’t understand just how bad Shepard dances. I still cringe when I remember the time we were partying on Omega,” Joker snorts and looks at Kaidan with what can only be perceived as a challenge in his eyes. Garrus is clearly hiding his laughter, trying to pretend that he’s not listening intently on this conversation. The twitching mandibles are a tell though, if you know Garrus. Kaidan hides his smile behind the edge of his glass and just raises an eyebrow in return.
“I mean, he’s terrible. No control at all in his body just flailing limbs and weird head pops that totally miss the beat of the music,” he continues waving his arms around to emphasize his point. The others nod to emphasize Joker's point and Kaidan keeps his mirth (and his drink) down only with sheer force of will. It has been a long time when he, or any of them, last let down their guards and were this carefree. It shows in the way the glasses are emptied and how the talking takes turns between absurd and and hilarious, at time bordering on juvenile. It's refreshing.
“I have to agree with that. I have witnessed Shepard's dancing causing a waiter to drop their tray and the drinks on it caused a chemical reaction which turned into the bar being quarantined for the next twelve hours,” Garrus joins in, turning away from the quiet conversation he was having with Tali. Or the monologue Tali was having. Kaidan just shakes his head and puts down his glass, not being able to hide behind it anymore.
“I’m certain that Garrus is just bullshitting because of your eternal pissing contest but surely he can’t be that bad?” he asks, glancing over to the other end of the bar where Shepard was chatting with Liara, their heads close to each other, talking in a rapid pace, hands flying as they emphasize each of their points. To anyone else they would have seemed like a couple having a private conversation and the idea momentarily causes Kaidan’s insides to squeeze uncomfortably. Jokers snort giggle eased the feeling by creating a lovely distraction of sprayed beer over his face. Besides he has nothing to worry, he knows this intellectually but the whiskey sometimes brings up fears that he thought long buried.
“Trust us. You don’t want to be on the dance floor at the same time. It should be categorized as a level three threat.” Joker finished his drink, putting the glass down with force as if to press his point.
“But you should still ask him to dance with you,” Tali quips up from her place next to Garrus. When Kaidan coughs and blushes at the suggestion she shrugs. And while the mask distorts her voice it still sounds incredibly smug when she continues: “What? That’s why you brought the subject up isn’t it?” Garrus looks proud as they laugh at him and Kaidan wants better friends.
“You all suck,” he says and picks up his whiskey staring at the glass, not smiling.
“Don’t be like that. You just want him to dance close to you and look at you all sultry while doing his best to punch you in the face with his fists.” Garrus rumbles. Joker laughs so hard that he gets hiccups and Tali hides her hear under Garrus' arm, shoulders shaking.
“Grind his loins against you before tripping up you both by kicking with his massive combat boots,” EDI joins in and everyone stops to stare at her. “I have started reading old Earth romance novels. I find them useful sources of information.” There’s a silence for a moment. “It was a joke," she sounds resigned to the fact that when under the influence none of her human companions can differentiate her joking from facts.
“Right… Anyhow.. Let’s forget that the unshackled AI that could bring the world to its knees likes shitty romantic literature and focus on the matter on hand. That is the hilarious fact that Alenko here wants to dance with the disaster that’s John Shepard," Joker caresses Edi's hand in the same way Kaidan's father had done when his mother had felt miffed by something small. It's a sobering thought, luckily he still has a inch or so left in his glass. He doesn't get the chance to down it because:
“You want to dance with me?” Shephard's voice sounds perplexed but pleased. Kaidan whips around in his chair and stares upwards at his Commander while their friends snicker at both of them. Not knowing what to answer to that he just makes little aborted shrug with his shoulder.
“I have to warn you that I’m not that good at it. Or so I’ve heard. I think I’m fantastic.” And there comes the charming smile that has made knees weak and send shivers down spines. That still makes his heart flutter faster.
“I think you’re too full of yourself. I’ll have to assess your talents, or lack of them, by myself,” Kaidan gets his cool back and with accompanying smirk finishes his drink and puts it on the table, ignoring the snickering and cheers of the others. Shepard grabs his arm by the elbow, dragging him to the dance floor that’s only half full, with a lot of room to choose their spot. Liara drops down in the seat that Kaidan vacated.
“Stop teasing them so much. I think it’s sweet that they finally found each other after all that pining,” she admonishes but there’s a gentle smile on her face.
“I think they deserve it for all the pain and annoyance I’ve been through. I lost count on how many times I had to listen to Shepard moaning about his feelings,” Garrus complains.
“I don’t know whether to watch this shipwreck and drink or hide somewhere pretending I don’t know them.” Despite his words Joker hasn’t taken his eyes of the pair once they left the table.
“Shut up. I want to watch this,” Tali shushes them.
On the dance floor the rhythm is quick and the floor pulses with the base. Shepard releases Kaidan’s arm, stepping close to look at him, their faces inches apart.
“I think after this, we can go somewhere and practice some slow dancing?”
“You’re ridiculous,” Kaidan starts laughing and doesn't stop until he's wheezing from lack of air (There's been a lot of drinks tonight). When he has composed himself, Shepard is dancing. Or what might be called dancing as the enthusiastic head pops aren’t in time with the beat (or with anything really) and his arms are doing movement that looks more like shaking maracas than anything else, his feet glued to the ground, no movement below his waist. Kaidan feels the laughter bubbling again along with the warmth that he has always associated with Shepard. With John. And so, abandoning everything he knows about dancing and just… Throws himself at the task at hand. It involves embarrassing shuffling and awkward finger pointing. Kaidan can feel the crowd giving them dirty looks but he’s feeling happier than in a long while and Shepard is wearing a grin while doing clumsy pirouettes. Their crews cheers them on and occasionally someone joins in. Only ever on for a short while as they leave complaining about bruising and embarrassment, but always with laughter in their undertones, with hugs and claps to backs.
The night ends for them when they get kicked out from the dance floor for ‘dragging down the quality of the place’. Laughing and clinging to each other they return to Normandy. The night ends in their cabin sweaty bruised and just plain happy.