#s;tbd

Non-Sexual Acts of Intimacy // Accepting

♦: Slow dancing ( @milwyr )

     Kaidan hums along to his music as he cooks. He’s got some 21st century crooner on. Well, not some. He really appreciates the singer. He could sing along or dance all day to her. When Jules isn’t telling him to shut up, anyway. Not that he would listen. 

     He sees said woman wander into the kitchen, shaking her head at his music choice. Sometimes it’s easy to forget he’s her husband. He’ll see the rings on her finger when she toys with her hair or takes his hand and he’ll remember it’s them now. He’ll get used to it eventually. Probably. Maybe. He turns the heat down on the stove as she tries to sidle past him to the sink. Catching her around the waist, he pulls her against his chest.

     “Kaidan, don’t,” she starts, smiling up at him despite the protest, the warning. He just grins back and takes her left hand in his right. She knows she’s lost. A tentative hand rests on his shoulder and he leads her away from the stove. 

     The song changes just in time to something that suits the mood. He pulls her closer, rests his head on hers. He sways them to the music, slow and comfortable. He tries not to push her. She hasn’t been finished her PT for too long. But he can’t resist holding her like this, knowing they’re both alive and bonded for life. 

     “Kaidan, what about—”

     “Dinner’s fine, Jules. Relax. Dance with me.”

     So she does. He smiles as she melts against him, letting him lead. He hums along to most of the song. He remembers dancing with her like this at the wedding. It hadn’t been much (and press had been banned), but it was special enough for the both of them. The ceremony didn’t matter much to anyone, honestly. They were together in everything but marriage. They’d survived so much and still stood when others hadn’t. But they’d brought their friends together, danced like this, danced like they had at that last party. It had been a celebration for something bigger than them in the end.

     The song crescendos into the last chorus, and Kaidan can’t help himself. “Let me photograph you in this light, in case it is the last time that we might be exactly like we were before we realized...” He continues to sing as releases her waist and encourages her to twirl. She does with a laugh. One day she’ll admit she loves this. He tugs her back against him again and dips her, finishing the song with a smile on his own face. She looks into his eyes for moments before gripping at his collar, using him as leverage to lean up and kiss him. He pulls her to her feet, lips never leaving hers. Thank God they’re both here. It’s not always perfect, it can’t always be. But this is. And they have a long time to enjoy moments like this.

     Juliette breaks the kiss, hands moving up to cup his jaw, brush over his cheeks. It’s his turn to almost melt. “I  h a t e  when you do that,” she sighs, her smile proving there’s no heat to her words. He smiles back, resting his hands on her waist.

     “And that’s why you married me, right?”

     “No, I married you for your cooking.” He laughs at that. She leans up to kiss him again. “No... that’s exactly why I married you. I love you, Kaidan Alenko.”

     “I love you too, Juliette Shepard.”

     “That’s Juliette Alenko to you. You’re a special case.” One last kiss and she’s pulling away, resuming her trek to the sink and pulling him with her by the hand. “Now finish dinner before I die of hunger.”