Hello everyone. Wanted to get this out within the week, but college loves to make me miserable sometimes. Anyways enjoy!

Chapter 28: Calm Breathing

"Are you sure about this, Kasumi?" Klenon asked while wringing his hands. The girl sitting next to him only nodded for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Positive. It's your shore leave. You should enjoy it," Kasumi said. Klenon shifted awkwardly in his stool.

"It's pretty expensive though. I'll just take something cheap," he said. Kasumi waved him off.

"How about no?"

"Well, if you're gonna be harsh about it..."

Klenon gave his order and a few minutes was given a red- marked tube. He stared at it as if he was having second doubts. Kasumi grabbed the tube, shaking it at him teasingly.

"Come on, tiger. You need more protein in your diet. Hasn't the Alliance been feeding you nothing but bland MRE's?" she snickered. Klenon narrowed his eyes and took the tube from her.

"I don't eat their food, Kasumi. And if Soren is to be trusted, apparently the pound cakes are actually delicious," he said. Kasumi rolled her eyes.

"Just eat the damn thing," Kasumi said light-heartedly. Klenon shrugged and inserted the tube in the underside of his helmet. Immediately he tasted a sweet, warm texture hit his tongue. He couldn't help but release a sigh and planted his visor in his hands.

"You spoil me, Kasumi," he managed to say. Kasumi's bright smile was all she replied with.

"It's a crime if all you ever eat is tasteless paste. If putting a little meat in every now and again brightens your day, then it'll be worth it if my wallet is a little bit lighter," Kasumi said.

Especially if I can just pilfer another one later.

Taking another mouthful of the decadent paste, Klenon tossed a sideways glance at Kasumi, "So what have you been up to lately?"

"Oh nothing serious. Taking jobs here and there. Citadel's ripe for the picking when it comes to opportunity," Kasumi responded. Klenon nodded along, trying his best to pay attention while savoring the sweet taste of the food tube.

"How's Kenji doing? You're not still dragging him around against his will, are you?" he teased. Kasumi huffed, drawing her eyes to the bowl of soup in front of her. A warm, meaty scent wafted from the dancing fingers of steam. Kasumi chewed on her lip as she began to dig in into her own food.

"Well he never said no. So I'll take it as a yes. That so hard to believe?" she asked after swallowing a mouthful. Klenon nodded too quickly for Kasumi's liking.

"When it's you, yeah. A little," he said. Kasumi punched him in the arm. The blow didn't even faze him.

"Idiot. And here I thought I'd treat you to something nice. Is this how you're going to repay me?" Kasumi said while trying to put as much hurt into her voice as possible. Although it was impossible to tell if it held any effect thanks to Klenon's visor.

"Consider it payback for all the times you teased me. We're even now, right?" Klenon asked after swallowing another mouthful of juicy paste. Kasumi banged her fists on the table, shaking her head vehemently.

"Of course we're not. You still owe me," she said. Klenon held out his hands in front of him.

"What could I possibly owe you?" Klenon asked. Kasumi crossed her arms, looking away from him and out the expansive window that displayed the Citadel's beauty.

"A day of relaxation. That's it. That's all I want. Just you and me hanging out like we used to before you left for the Alliance," she said. She turned back to face him, a genuine look of happiness in her eyes, "Think you can pull that off?"

Klenon stared back down at the table. She was right. Times to sit back and relax were few and far between. Spending time with Kasumi was even more scarce. Now was his best chance to make up for it. Klenon raised his gaze to meet hers, a small flutter in his chest, "You don't even need to ask."

A wide smile broke on Kasumi's face. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder, drawing him in even closer. Klenon felt a blush creep across his cheeks as he wrapped an arm around her waist in response. Kasumi patted his shoulder, a pleasant hum leaving her lips.

"…Good."

…

"Ladies and gentlemen! I'm pleased to present to you our expensive poison for tonight!" Soren bellowed as he entered the luxurious hotel room Fredrick booked. Kathleen stared at him with a raised brow. Next to her, Will watched with a slack jaw as Soren hauled a keg half his size in both arms.

"W-Where did you get that monstrosity?" Will asked. Fredrick entered the hotel room with plastic bags in hand and kicked the door closed.

"At the local brewery, of course. Guy said it was this expensive distilled stuff from Sur'Kesh. Figured it add a little pizazz to our shindig," Soren said as he dropped the keg on the table in front of him. The sheer weight of it nearly snapped the legs off the table. Fredrick placed his own bags in the adjacent kitchen, pulling out a variety of foods and cooking ingredients.

"Soren tried to haggle the Salarian to make it cheaper. Nearly had his ass handed to him by security," he remarked. Soren crossed his arms with an indignant scoff.

"Whatever. No rent-a-cop is stronger than Soren Wyatt," he said. He looked to Kathleen and Will on the couch for support only for the latter to stare at the window and the former to start reading a magazine.

"So what'd you guys bring?" Soren suddenly asked. Will looked at him as though he were crazy.

"Wh-…me?" he asked. Soren gave him an exaggerated nod.

"Yes you. Don't be a mooch, Will. Everyone contributes," he said. Will looked around in every direction except Soren's.

"What about Klenon? Is he even going to contribute anything?" he asked. In the kitchen, Fredrick waved him off.

"He gets a pass since he's spending time with the apple of his eye. You Will, have about as much chance to get with a lady as a Vorcha. So you're stuck with us," Fredrick said. Soren turned to Kathleen, who was still flipping through her magazine.

"Kathleen…Don't be a Will. Tell me you got something," he practically begged. Without tearing her eyes away from the magazine, Kathleen pulled out a thin, purple bottle from a velvet bag she kept by her side. The bottle glowed slightly as what looked like three different liquids swirled inside.

"What is that? Why does it look like that? Will it kill us?" Soren questioned. Kathleen looked at him as she swung the bottle from side to side.

"This is Parnitha's Grace. Liquor distilled, bottled, and shipped exclusively from Thessia. Say what you will about asari, but they make some damn exotic drinks," she said as she held out the bottle. Soren popped the top open. Immediately, he smelled a fruity yet spicy fragrance leave the bottle's lips. A small cloud of blue smoke rose from the top, spilling onto the floor before evaporating.

"Jesus. What do they put in this thing?" Soren asked. Kathleen shrugged.

"Beats me. But I think the clerk said something along the lines of trace amounts of element zero and some hallucinogenic agents," she said casually. Soren kept the bottle at arm's length, feeling lightheaded all of the sudden.

"I'm sorry, did you just say hallucinogenic agents?" Soren questioned. Kathleen nodded.

"You wanted a party, right? There's your party," she replied. Soren placed the bottle delicately on the table as if it were a bomb waiting to go off.

"I wanted a good time, not a drug trip," Soren exclaimed. Kathleen raised a brow in confusion.

"The two can be the same thing, y'know?" Kathleen said. Soren wagged a finger at her.

"You…you…irresponsible child," he blurted out. Kathleen broke into an uproarious laughter.

"Really? Is that the best you got?" she laughed. Soren tossed his hands up in the air.

"I really hope Elaine doesn't spring a surprise drug test on us or something. If we fail, I'm blaming you," he said as he retreated back into the kitchen with Fredrick.

"Cool the engines, Soren. It isn't a drug…at least, I don't think it is," Kathleen said under her breath. Will nodded sarcastically.

"Very confident, Kathleen. I'm sure he'll take your word to heart," he said. Kathleen shot him a glare.

"Alright, alright, no bickering guys. We're supposed to be having a party. I'll start whipping up some hors d'oeurves and we can all talk about that," Fredrick said from the kitchen. He pulled out a pack of tenderloin and smirked to himself as he tore open the packing, "I can make a killer beef wellington. You guys are gonna forget all about that health hazard Kathleen bought."

"Up yours, Fred!" Kathleen shouted. Fredrick merely bursted into laughter in response. Despite her insult, a grin grew on Kathleen's face as well. Soren popped open a beer from the fridge, leaning against the wall as the rest of the squad conversed with each other. Breaks were few and far between so it was nice to finally have a breather after the catastrophe in Elysium. Soren checked his omni-tool for the time. It was nearly what passed for evening on the Citadel. He wondered what Klenon had been up to since they left him back in the wards. Opening his omni-tool, he thumbed the electronic address to Klenon's omni-tool.

…

"Kasumi…seriously. It wasn't funny when you did it back in Cuervo…" Klenon said with a dejected sigh. Regardless of his objection, Kasumi snickered at the memory, tracing a finger over his visor to make an imaginary smile, "I'm just glad you don't have a marker this time. We're not immature kids anymore, you know?"

"You can't beat the classics, tiger. I always told you to keep a marker handy to display your feelings but you never listened," Kasumi smirked.

"I can't keep a marker around. And besides, the whole keeping my face hidden thing is my only advantage against you. Since you know, you one-up me in everything else," Klenon retorted as he stared at their reflection in the Presidium's lakes.

"So you're okay with keeping your face hidden forever?" Kasumi questioned him. Klenon nodded in a manner of fact fashion.

"Absolutely. Don't you think it adds a mysterious vibe? Everyone fawns over the mysterious character in the vids," Klenon said. Kasumi raised a brow.

"You watch vids now?" she asked. Klenon stared straight ahead before offering a meager shrug.

"Soren watches them at full volume back at the barracks…I picked up a few things," he said with embarrassment.

"I think your squad is rubbing off on you," Kasumi noted as she leaned back into the tree they were sitting against. It reminded her of when they used to talk on the hill back in Cuervo. The Presidium was as peaceful as always. Aside from the low humming of the skycars above them and the soft crinkling of the water, it was comfortingly quiet.

"They're not bad guys. They can be…a little enthusiastic, especially Soren and Fredrick, but I trust them. They can certainly lighten the mood if nothing else," he said. Kasumi smiled and tented her fingers together.

"I think it's time I finally met them. After all, they're here with you, aren't they?" Kasumi asked. Klenon paused and craned his head to her direction.

"Is that…really a good idea? I mean…not that I oppose it, but…" Klenon hesitated. Kasumi snickered and rose to her feet, holding her hand out to him.

"I promise I won't embarrass you. Wouldn't want to destroy your pristine, man o' war reputation, Nine-Lives," she said as she pulled Klenon up. He rubbed the back of his head, still feeling slightly unsure.

"It's just…" his sentence died once his omni-tool beeped. Klenon held out his arm as the orange interface popped up.

"Heya, K. The party's gonna start soon. You coming?" Soren's voice rang from Klenon's forearm. Before he could reply, Kasumi grabbed his arm and yanked the omni-tool closer to her.

"Just give us an address and we'll be there before you know it," Kasumi said. A pause followed her declaration before Klenon heard a chuckle come from the other end of the line.

"Hey, more the merrier! Tayseri Heights. Apartment 241. Check your I.D with the doorman because we do serve alcohol," Soren laughed before cutting the line. Kasumi's cat-like grin grew from ear to ear.

"They say the most enticing things," she snickered before dragging Klenon to the nearest elevator.

"Uh Kasumi…should we really be drinking? You're the same age as me," Klenon said as the elevator doors shut behind him. Kasumi tossed him a carefree shrug.

"You know, laws get a little fuzzy when you apply them to a galaxy full of aliens. We'll just chalk it up to innocent ignorance," she replied. Klenon anxiously rubbed his arm.

"That…doesn't make me feel any better," he said. The elevator began its long descent into the Citadel's wards. Sky-cars and trucks whizzed by the glass door. All of it was surrounded by the Serpent Nebula's violet clouds. The infant stars that twinkled their growing light were soon replaced by the dizzying skyscrapers of Tayseri Ward.

Once their elevator grinded to a halt, Kasumi led the way as they traversed through the thick crowd of people. Klenon watched as Kasumi moved elegantly through the thick crowd. She didn't brush a single person as they moved closer to Tayseri Ward's residential district. He always knew Kasumi was something of an agile person, but he never guessed she was that skilled.

Then for a split-second, he caught her arm making an odd motion as she passed by a man talking on his omni-tool. It happened so fast that Klenon barely caught it. It almost seemed as if her hand dove into his pocket, but he couldn't be too sure. The offending hand was empty, so Klenon brushed it off as his imagination.

Before long, the two arrived to the apartment complex Soren specified. Kasumi didn't wait to go inside and peruse through the apartment numbers. Klenon followed along, content to let Kasumi find the room for them. However, instead of finding the room via its number, Kasumi ended up finding it by the man in Alliance fatigues standing at the door with his arms crossed. The second he caught Kasumi he held up a large hand, "Hold on now, I'm gonna need to see an I.D,"

"Fredrick, is this really necessary?" Klenon sked as he caught up. Kasumi waved him off, a devilish grin spreading on her face. In one fluid motion she pulled out a card and handed it to him. Fredrick, slightly stunned by her cooperativeness took it and scanned it over.

"Okay…I guess it's alright then," he said as he handed it back. Kasumi took her fake I.D. and slid it back into her pocket before nonchalantly walked past him. As Klenon came to the door, Fredrick nudged him on the shoulder.

"She's a keeper," he whispered to him before walking inside himself. Klenon sighed and shut the door behind him. His squad was gathered around the living room. Bottles of alcohol and a myriad of colorful dishes were spread out over the table between the two couches. The heavy thrum of music reverberated through his body as he joined the others.

"Hey and here's the Red Devils' Golden Boy. Man survived everything the pirates could throw at him and walked out smelling like roses. Not bad for a regular day's work," Soren said as he raised his glass. Everyone else did the same, including Kasumi. Klenon felt the familiar blush cross his face as he looked away, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Did you really need to do that, Soren?" he said. Soren tossed him a liquor bottle in response. Klenon caught it in both hands and stared at the label. A whiskey distilled from someplace called Kentucky.

"Yes, now sit down and drink up. The Red Devils are celebrating tonight!" Soren declared as he collapsed on the sofa next to Fred, downing an entire glass of the whiskey. Kasumi raised her glass and matched Soren's action.

"Uh…Soren? I can't drink this," Klenon said as he held out the bottle. Soren slapped his forehead in a dramatic fashion and tossed him another bottle.

"Here, this is turian whiskey. The cap's got a universal screw attachment. Help yourself," Soren said. Klenon tilted the bottle from side to side, the purple drink inside following his motions. With a hesitant shrug he attached it to the food intake nozzle under his helmet. Immediately a bitter taste hit his tongue, making him physically recoil from the powerful taste.

"Hits you hard doesn't it?" Soren snickered. Klenon struggled to keep his stomach calm as he tried another sip with the same result, "First time is always like that. It's an acquired taste. You'll get used to it."

Klenon swallowed another gulp. The insides of his cheeks burned as the fiery liquid streamed down his throat. His stomach flipped the second the whiskey hit it, making him nauseous. He nearly gagged from it, but tried to calm himself, resulting in a ragged cough. Soren chuckled and downed another glass.

"So what's on the menu, Fred?" Kathleen asked as she rubbed her hands together.

"Anything and everything under the sun. Check it, I used to go to a culinary school before I joined the Alliance. If the whole biotic thing didn't work out, I guess I could have always been the mess sergeant," Fredrick said. Kathleen picked out a piece of thick garnished meat with a toothpick lodged in it and swallowed it whole.

"Damn, you weren't kidding. That's some gourmet stuff right there," Kathleen said whilst chewing. Will make a revolted expression.

"Don't talk with your mouth full!" he exclaimed. Kathleen shrugged and flicked the toothpick in his direction.

"Sorry I couldn't make anything for you Klenon. I'm not exactly experienced when it comes to dextro food," Fredrick admitted. Klenon waved a hand in dismissal.

"Don't worry about it. I actually ate before I came here," he said as he sat down next to Kasumi. Soren raised a brow.

"Oh? Did you treat Kasumi to a nice dinner?" he asked. Before Klenon could even say anything, Kasumi piped up instead.

"More like the other way around," she said. Soren made an exaggerated gasp.

"Klenon! You're supposed to take the lady out to a nice dinner. You're breaking the man's code!" Soren said. Klenon exchanged confused glances with Kasumi.

"Ah don't pester him, Soren. It's supposed to be a party. So kick this thing off," Fredrick interjected. Soren shrugged with a grin and raised his glass again.

"Alright so let's make this a night to remember. A few days ago, the Red Devils had to march to get to hell. But tonight, the Red Devils are raising hell themselves!" Soren hollered. In unison, everyone else raised their glasses and gave their cheers. Klenon couldn't help but smile. After everything they put themselves through, nothing was more satisfying than spending time with the people he trusted most.

…

Klenon couldn't even attempt to move. His entire body felt like it was made of lead. His breathing came short and strained, as if there was an unknown weight on top of him. His head pounded mercilessly. Even forming a thought was enough to send pangs of booze-induced pain through his brain. He cracked one eye open, immediately thanking whoever it was that shut the apartments curtains to ward off the Citadel's artificial sunlight.

The first thing he caught sight of was the reason for his heavy breathing. A passed out Kasumi was lying on top of him on the couch, an arm and leg dangling off the edge. Klenon tried to remember how they both ended up in their position, but his fuzzy memory denied him even a sliver of what happened last night.

Kasumi shuffled from her position, throwing her arm over her head as she mumbled incoherently. Her dark eyes met his before she dropped them down to his chest.

"Last night…" Klenon managed to say. Kasumi buried her face into his suit as she whispered to him.

"I lost track of everything once the keg was empty. Soren and Kathleen said they'd get more…but…"

"But they never even left the apartment."

The sudden voice made both of them hiss in pain. They looked up to see Will holding a glass of water, looking vaguely amused by their state.

"I figured I'd be the only responsible adult here and not replace half my bodily fluids with alcohol. So now I can take care of you idiots that did," he said as he handed the glass of water to Kasumi. Klenon gave him a questioning look.

"If they didn't leave the apartment…where are they?" he asked. Will's amused face broke out again as he answered.

"The bed room. All alone. All night. They apparently found another bottle…but…" Will stopped, only provoking Klenon's curiosity further.

"But what?" he asked.

"It was the bottle Kathleen brought," Will said with a grin. Klenon arched a brow in confusion.

"And…?"

"It turned out to be the most powerful drink of the night. And they both finished it," Will said. Kasumi and Klenon sat up in alarm. The keg of liquor was enough to put them out. If Kathleen and Soren drank that in addition, they could have been in serious danger. Klenon struggled to his feet, slouching his back as he grabbed on to Will for support.

"The bedroom…right?" Klenon asked. Once Will nodded, he hurried over to the only other room in the apartment. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Fredrick sitting on the ground with a frozen bag of vegetables on his head.

Why do people drink if this is how they end up? It's seriously not worth it… Klenon thought as he cradled his head in his hand. His skull felt like it had been cleaved open with a rusty blade. Once he reached the closed door that led to the bedroom, he pressed one hand against it and gave it a feeble push. He expected the worst. But he didn't expect the reality once his eyes adjusted to the darkness in the room.

Kathleen was lying on top of Soren in the bed. That wasn't what surprised him however. What did surprise him was neither Kathleen nor Soren had their shirts on. The former even had her bra-strap undone, but appeared to have passed out before she could take it completely off.

"…Keelah…" Klenon muttered. Will suddenly showed up behind him and patted him on the back.

"Passed out before they could do anything. Of course, I already took a picture. Never know when something like this could come in handy," Will said. Klenon shot him an accusatory glare, "I'm joking! I'm joking. I wouldn't do that to them. Well…maybe to Kathleen."

"What about Kathleen?" Fredrick said as he appeared behind them. Once he caught sight of the scene in the room, he covered his mouth to prevent himself from laughing, "I knew they had the hots for each other. This is too perfect."

Will bent down and grabbed an odd purple bottle from the floor. Its cap was missing along with the bottle's contents, "And here's the culprit. Completely dry, as expected."

"Are they going to be okay?" Klenon asked. Will shrugged.

"The gene therapy the Alliance gave us should give them some amount of respite. That said…we should probably check on them. Just in case." He said. He moved towards the two, holding his omni-tool at the ready. Fredrick sighed and walked off.

"I'm gonna need more water. My head's killing me."

Klenon's gaze lingered on the two a moment longer before he left the room himself. If Soren and Kathleen had gone through much more than they did, there was no doubt they wouldn't remember much of what happened last night either. They'd be lucky if they remembered anything that even happened yesterday.

Klenon passed by the living room where Kasumi was before he went to the restroom, locking the door behind him. Kasumi grimaced, running her hand through her hair. Her hangover was making it difficult to force a thought. Klenon really didn't remember anything from last night. That was a good thing. Because she certainly did.

He had spilled his secrets to her. He told her all about what happened at Elysium. Scraping by for days on the edge of hunger, infiltrating the Alliance base with a fellow soldier, and most disconcerting, the group of enigmatic mercenaries that had supposedly been the cause of all of it. Of course, she already knew he had run-ins with them, but she didn't expect them to be a part of what was being called the Skyllian Blitz by the media and the Alliance alike. It only made her wonder what their endgame was. Why wreak havoc on a prosperous colony then disappear without claiming credit or riches?

Kasumi suspected that the answer lay in the OSD she relieved of them. She had been getting frustrated with how slow the security was falling. She had asked Keiji to find some other methods to speed up the progress, but even that was taking an excruciating amount of time.

Kasumi swallowed a breath. She had to be patient. In her line of work, patience provided prizes. She just had to bide her time, wait for the right opportunities and seize them at just the right time. This was no different than her heists, except there was almost no chance she could be caught.

The ball was in her court now. All she had to do was make the right play.