#merweek2021

Axel fills up his coffee mug and leans on the counter to take a sip as he waits for his breakfast currently in the microwave. Kaidan comes down the stairs, skipping a step each time, duffle bag slung over his shoulder. He’s going to be gone for next month and it’s something Axel dreads, being home alone, while still on the mend, and while not being able to do very much makes the time go by painfully slow. He grabs the coffee thermos on the counter, all ready to go, for his husband.

“I’m running late.” Kaidan plants a kiss on his husband’s cheek before accepting the offered thermos.

“I wonder why?” Axel gives him a coy smile. He gets a scowl in return. Kaidan starts to pull away but Axel manages to grab a handful of material from his uniform. “Hey. You’re not leaving without giving a proper kiss, are you?”

Kaidan leans in and Axel’s lips curve upwards at one side of his mouth. He makes a content sound when Kaidan’s luscious lips meet his. Kaidan presses his tongue against the other man’s lips and Axel let’s it slide between his. They part after a brief moment, breathless, foreheads pressed together. Kaidan tilts his head backwards slightly so his lips can reach Axel’s forehead and kisses it before pulling away slightly.

“I sent my mother your PT schedule.”

“K-” Axel starts to protest.

“You have to go to them.” Kaidan doesn’t look at him and his lips twitch slightly at the corners.

“Kaidan…” Axel groans.

“And I knew you were going to protest so I made sure my mother’s going to drive you to each appointment.”

Axel’s protest is a deep throaty growl.

Kaidan only smirks as he looks at him, giving him a coy look. “I love you. Be good while I’m gone.” He pecks his husband on the cheek one last time before heading out the door.

It’s going to be a lonely four weeks.

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Plate in hand, Axel heads out on the deck to enjoy his breakfast and coffee. Just when he’s about to sit down, he hears a whimper, one of pain. He’s pretty certain it didn’t come from him. Despite feeling like a rusty piece of junk metal, he wasn’t one to complain about his injuries. He puts his coffee down on the table, and listens carefully when he hears it again. It’s coming from under the deck.

He holds his plate in one hand and the railing with the other as he takes one step at a time. When he reaches the bottom level, he takes a knee carefully and then the other, then goes down on all fours to look under the deck where he finds the owner of the whimpering noise.

“Hey buddy. You lost?”

The dog growls at him, and he chuckles.

“Not the friendly type are we? Or are we having a bad day?”

Shifting himself into a sitting position, he rips a piece of the blueberry pancake and tosses it under the deck.

“Or maybe we’re just hungry?”

Without having any experience with dogs before, he really can’t tell what could possibly be the issue with the dog at the moment. One thing he does know; it might take a while to coax it from under the deck. I’ve got time buddy, lots of time.

Axel looks away, taking a few slow bites of  his pancakes, and looks out to the ocean that’s calm in the horizon on this fine morning. When he looks back under the deck, the small piece of pancake is gone.

“It’s good uh? My husband made ‘em. Doesn’t want me on my feet too much while I’m recovering. We’re probably the same as you and I. Hurting?” He picks up a strip of bacon, biting off a big piece and tossing the rest under the deck. He watches as the dog takes tentative steps forward, sniffing the bacon and picking it up before hiding again.

“You’re gonna be like that.” Axel says as he bites into another one of his bacon strips and licks his fingers. 

The dog looks up at Axel with pleading eyes after it finishes eating the strip of bacon and Axel chuckles. He tosses another strip of bacon and another piece of his pancake before he finishes off his plate.

“I’d stick around a little more but err…Ma’s gonna be here soon to take me to PT. But er…” he grunts as he gets up to his feet, his hip protesting against the movement. “How ‘bout I get you a bowl of water. It’s going to get warm today.”

He makes his way back up the stairs and back to the kitchen when he hears the front door opening.  He pokes his head out of the kitchen and lifts a finger to warn his mother-in-law he’ll just be another a minute. Opening the cupboard doors to all the dishes, he grabs a bowl and heads to the sink to fill it up with water.

“I’m running a little behind, are you almost ready?”

“There’s a dog under the deck.”

“What?”

“Yeah, there’s a dog under the deck.”

“How did it get there?” Helena asks as she takes the bowl of water from Axel’s hands.

“I’ve no idea, but it must have been in the middle of the night because it wasn’t there yesterday, or I would have heard it. It was whimpering pretty bad. It’s not ready to come out though.”

Helena makes her way to the deck while Axel leans his back against the counter. “Sometimes it takes them a little bit to warm up to people, especially if they’ve been mistreated or dropped off somewhere.”

“Why would anyone do that?” Axel’s brows narrow in confusion. He’s never had pets other than his hamster and his fish, but he could never see himself hurting them. His hamster was able to be brought back home, but he made Kaidan promise to take care of his fish in his…no… now Kaidan’s captain quarters on the SR2. As much as he wanted to bring them back home, they just didn’t have the space to have an aquarium that size, despite having even more space in their home.

“Your guess is as good as mine.”  She purses her lips and shrugs her shoulders as if to say I don’t know and makes her way down the stairs.

It doesn’t take her long to drop off the bowl and make her way back up the stairs. “I’ll get some dog food at the store and some peanut butter while at your appointment.” She tells him as they make their way to the front door.

Axel opens the passenger door of the skycar. “Peanut butter?”

Helena chuckles as she gets in the car and starts the engine as she closes her door. Axel climbs in the passenger seat, closing the door shut. “I keep forgetting you’re new to the whole animal thing. Yes, peanut butter. Dogs love it for some reason.”

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Week 2.

Axel grabs a bottle of water, a spoon, a fork, the container of peanuts, and his reheated dinner outside with him. Somehow managing to juggle all items in his hands and under his armpit as he holds onto the railing going down the stairs, grumbling to himself how he can’t wait for his legs to have the stability they used to have. Soon, hopefully.

Sitting down on the grass, he puts the water bottle down and his dinner. He notices the food he put in the bowl this morning had hardly been touched. He untwists the lid to the peanut butter and scoops it up with the spoon. So far, the dog has stayed out of arm’s reach, but Axel has managed to get it to eat from the spoon in his hands the last couple of days. It’s progress. He stretches his arm out and waits for the dog to approach. The dog approaches tentatively and slowly licks the peanut butter from the spoon. “Atta boy. I don’t know if you’re a boy, but I’m going to call you that for right now. Just easier. Hope you don’t mind.”  The dog looks up at him and licks his snout. “It’s good, uh? I’m just going to put this down on the ground so I can eat as well.” Slowly, he lays the spoon on the grass.

He takes the lid off his container containing his dinner, and takes a bite.

He cracks open the lid to the water bottle and takes a good swig out of it before grabbing the dog’s bowl. He tosses the old water and pours the fresh water into and places it by the dog.

“I’ll be back tomorrow little guy.”

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Week 3.

A victory for Axel today when he feels the bump of a cold wet nose against his hand. He doesn’t move though. He lets the dog come to him on its own terms. He’s done such extensive research in the past few weeks that he’s happy his patience is starting to pay off. It’s been a fascinating way to spend the weeks outdoors and still manage to keep his promise to his husband while avoiding any hard physical activities that he is yet to get cleared for.

He spends his day outside, only going in to get some food occasionally and to use the washroom a couple times. He makes sure to bring the peanut butter in the evening when he knows it’s his last time coming out for the day. He makes sure the dog has food and water for the night.

The process is gradual for the rest of the week. But on Friday, the dog nudges Axel’s arm with his snout and sits beside him. Tucked under his arm. Axel pets the tuft of fur on the dog’s chest, a smile forming at the corners of his lips.

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Week 4.

Axel is sitting on the bottom step of the staircase. He puts a dog treat on the grass right in front of it. He shimmies up one step.

So far, he’s managed to get the dog to trust him enough to allow him to pet it. But the evenings are getting colder and he wants to get the dog inside. There’s no way he was going to let it get stranded outside in September. He hates how the weather changes so drastically from day to night.

He places another treat on the second last bottom of the stairs and shimmies up another. He keeps doing this until he reaches the very top of the stairs.

The sound of the patio door opening makes him jump slightly.

“Axel? What are you doing? And why is there a bag of dog food on the counter?” 

He’s been so focused on the dog this last month he forgot his husband was scheduled to be home today. Shit. He wanted to make dinner to surprise Kaidan. He curses at himself for being so distracted, but answers the question.

“I found a dog under our deck. It’s really apprehensive so I’ve been just slowly coaxing it out. Trying to get him inside.”

“A dog? How long has it been there?” Kaidan sits next to Axel. He puts a hand on the younger man’s thigh and pecks his cheek.

“Found him the day you left.”

Kaidan rests his head on Axel’s shoulder. “Been doing this since I left?”

He kisses the crown of Kaidan’s head, “Yeah.”

“You sure it’s a him?”

“I saw his ballsack.”

Kaidan chuckles.

The dog pokes his head around the railing, taking the treat before retreating back behind the stairs. Slowly, it comes back for more and slowly climbs the stairs. When it reaches half way, Kaidan and Axel retreat inside the house, but keep the door open.

About an hour later the dog finally comes inside, running towards Axel, tongue lolling It’s rewarded with head scratches and a kiss on the forehead. His black floppy ears, his bright blue eyes, the white dots on his black nose, and splotches of caramel in his white fur just made him too adorable to resist not petting him.

“Kai. Can we keep him?” Axel looks up at Kaidan, puppy eyes and all.

Kaidan contemplates a moment and Axel is sure is about to refurse, “Sure. I mean you’re alone a lot, he could be excellent company for those long periods I’m gone. Did you name him?”

“Naw. I don’t know what’s a good name for a dog.”

Kaidan smirks, “Mako.”

“I feel like this is a jab at me.”

“You’ll never know.”

“It’s a jab isn’t it? Kaidan…”

“Before the war, my parents and I would play Christmas tunes and spend the afternoon decorating the house. I’m sure we still have grandma’s eggnog recipe in the kitchen cupboards.”

“Christ, this just keeps getting worse.” Leah grumbles.

“You married the Grinch, Kaidan,” Kaidan’s cousin jokes as he lays down the mat for the tree and places the stand on it. “Mind giving me a hand with the tree?”

Leah scowls. Kaidan gives her a coy smile with a shrug before helping his cousin to set up the tree.

“Leah, honey, can you do me a favor?” He uses his most endearing tone he can, “Can you head into the storage and get the box that has ‘Christmas’ written on it?”

She rolls her eyes, placing her mug onto the coffee table. “You’re still not getting me to decorate this damn tree,” she calls out as she heads downstairs to look in the storage room.

“We’ll see.”

It doesn’t take her long to find the blue bin with ‘Christmas’ written on it, tucked under the stairs. Pulling it out, she runs a hand on the lid to brush off the dust that it had collected over the past few years. Hinging from the hips, she picks up the bin and makes her way upstairs.

She puts it on the ground, a little more roughly than necessary, in front of Kaidan. “There’s your stupid decorations.” She drops herself onto the couch and grabs her mug, watching the guys sweep up the pine they dragged all over the main floor.

After Kaidan’s cousin leaves, Kaidan takes a seat next to the bin and props open the lid. Gently he starts laying out all the nut-crackers on the coffee table.

“Ah here it is. Santa.” He pulls out a Santa Claus from the bin. “Dad used to collect them. I think there’s another bin downstairs.”

“I’m not going back down.” Leah leans sinks deeper into the couch and takes a sip of her hot cocoa. She keeps it at eye sight, while glaring over it at Kaidan.

He chuckles. “I’ll go look later. Come on,” he says as he pats her knee, “shall we decorate?” He stands up, and offers her a hand. When she doesn’t take it, he smiles. “Suit yourself.”

“You’re not making me cave in, Major.”

“The day is still young, Commander.” He pulls out garlands, and Christmas ornaments. One has been caught in the hook of one of the Christmas socks. “Hmm. I wonder if mom got your sock ready yet?”

Leah growls.

Kaidan takes his time decorating, on purpose, and Leah knows it. Trying to coax her into wanting to decorate. She doesn’t want to admit to him she really wants to put the Star up on the tree. She always puts the Star up. When she was young, that was her favorite part of decorating the house during Christmas. Along with the hot cocoa mum would make, and the biscuits. She's missed so many Christmases and this one will be the first one since she turned sixteen with a family...her family. She rubs her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Kaidan.” Her voice is low, sheepish.

“Yeah?” He’s doing the final touches with the garlands.

She stands up and bends down to reach the Star in the bin, and walks up to stand next to him.

“I want to put the Star up.” She holds the tip of the star against the tip of her nose.

Kaidan turns around to look at her, a wide smile on his face. He tucks one of her fly-away hairs behind her ear, and kisses her forehead. He bends his knees slightly and wraps his arms around her waist to lift her up, and she places the Star on the tree. When she’s done, he lowers her gently to her feet, and takes both her cheeks in his hands.

“I saw the mistletoe. You did it on purpose.”

“You wound me, Leah,” he teases, as he bends down to press his lips against hers. She wraps her arms around his neck and when he lifts her up she wraps her legs around his waist.

“Jerk,” she mumbles against his lips, but she can’t help herself from smiling either.

Next to him, she scowled and kicked some of the grey snow with her boot. It hit him in the leg armor, but at least there were no rocks in there to make it worse. Still, it made him shiver a little as he shook it off.

“I fucking hate this. Next time, I’m the one making up the straws, I think O’Henry rigged it.” She settled back in, hand near her rifle. “What time is it anyway? Feels like we’ve been out here forever.”

Alistair shrugged his shoulders as he flipped his wrist to check his omni-tool. The glowing numbers told him it was just after midnight, and by earth time it was now December 25th. Something about that made him chuckle, even as he shivered.

“It Chrismas. Merr Chrismas.”

Naturally, his sister groaned. “Not that fucking meme, you do that every year.”

“Just be glad I didn’t send the dinosaur this year.” Alistair beamed at her from his frozen guard spot. “It’s my present to you this year.”

His return present was a hard shove to the side that launched him a few feet sidewise. How thoughtful of her.

“Dork.” Bo rolled her eyes as she watched him climb out of the snowbank he had landed in. “Whatever, that just means that New Years is coming. I’d say raise your hand if you’re glad 2182 is almost over, but I don’t want to get it shot off.”

Alistair felt that heartily as he brushed the snow from his armor and got back into position. All things considered, 2182 had been an especially shitty year. It wasn’t his worst, but it definitely wasn’t one of his better ones. The sooner it was over, the better.

“Well, we put in papers to transfer to a different ship, so maybe we’ll get lucky.” He shrugged. “That Anderson guy that emailed me seemed alright. I got a good vibe from him.”

His remark got him a shrug from his sister. “I’ll trust you on that, not like I have any better ideas. Anything’s better than this.”

That he could heartily agree with.

After that, they lapsed into silence. After all, they had a job to do. At least it was quiet, though those clouds weren’t looking good to Alistair as he checked the aiming mechanism on his rifle. No doubt they were in for a heavy storm – hopefully that wouldn’t impede takeoff.

Naturally, as soon as he thought that the first few snowflakes began to flutter down.

“Fuck, really?” Bo scowled as a few landed on her. “Al, get on a rock or something. I don’t want to lose you in the snow.”

That earned her an eye roll as Alistair finished checking the gears. “Last I checked, I’m wearing black armor.”

“That won’t matter if you’re under the snow.” She was snickering now – asshole.

Oh well. There was no changing her terrible personality. Instead, he focused on keeping an eye on the horizon. Time was still slowly ticking down on their shift. He could already feel the relief of getting to go to bed, but there was still plenty of watch left. Best he could do was try not to freeze in place.

That was proving difficult, mind you. The snow was starting to pick up. It wasn’t white out conditions yet, but it wasn’t pleasant.

“I swear, if you were dreaming of a white Christmas, I’m going to turn you into Frosty.”

Alistair snorted as he flexed his cold toes inside his boots. “Bo, we’re both from Mindoir. Why the fuck would I ask for snow after living there?”

“Brain damage from the implant surgery?”

No, that only affected his fashion sense. Damn, and she was his sister? She should have known better by now.

“No, I’m good.” He shook his head. “But seriously, do you want anything this year? And don’t say to get off shift early, I can’t do anything about that.”

No doubt if he had been able to see her face, she would have been pretending to pout. He could feel it from her very presence. Instead, she just shifted from foot to foot, probably to keep her feet from freezing in the snow. Sensible.

“Damn. You’re a real Scrooge, Al.” She paused, checking the horizon. “I don’t know… I just want something other than this. Doubt you can do anything about that either.”

No, but he wished he could have.

“I’ll send up a wish on the next shooting star for you.” He sighed, shoulders slumping. “Maybe if we both wish really hard, 2183 will be better.”

Honestly, how much worse could it get than this? He’d take anything else.

“For once, I’ll allow your positive thinking to infect me.” Another pause. “And… Merr Crismas, I guess.”

“Merr Chrismas, Bo.”

After that, there was just more silence, punctuated by the soft sound of falling snow on the landscape. In time, they would be relieved. Until then, Bo and Alistair stood there and watched the snow blanket everything in white. In a weird way, it was strangely beautiful as it sparkled in the overhead lights.

It was also fucking cold, but he was trying to look on the bright side. It made time go by faster.

Still, as Alistair stood there, he sent up the quiet hope to the universe that 2183 was going to be a better year. Maybe they could find a different assignment, with a different CO. Maybe they could go under that Anderson guy. He’d only heard good things about the man, though he hadn’t exactly looked hard.

So, quietly he sent that energy to the universe. He doubted anyone heard, but it was nice to think of as he stood there, killing time and wishing more than anything that he could just go to bed where it wasn’t absolutely freezing. It was a simple wish, but it was one he believed in whole heartedly.