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He’d seen pictures of her. Hell, who hadn’t? Ashley bloody Williams, the second human Spectre.
But seeing her in pictures and then seeing her in person we two entirely different things.
The first time Coats saw her in person was when he was providing covering fire as he pulled them out of a hotzone in London. And seeing her, this woman who had been one of his only contacts for the past few months, with words of encouragement and promises of aid that he actually believed…
Seeing her with guns blazing and making good on those promises was more than a relief.
He was too practical a man to romanticize the feeling into anything more than that, but it was one of those that would probably have had a more imaginative and creative sort of bloke composing poems and writing songs and whatnot.
She managed to catch him just after he had spoken to Shepard, before going to see his men. “Major,” she said with a smile, saluting smartly.
He saluted back. “Spectre,” he said, the corners of his lips twitching up into a small smile.
“It’s good to finally meet you in person.”
“Likewise,” Coats said with a small chuckle. “You uh… had a bit of a rough ride getting here, as I understand.”
“Hah! Yeah, something like that.”
“Well, it’s appreciated, Williams.” He let out a long breath, a mixture of relief and nerves fluttering in his stomach, relief that there were more here for the fight, nerves because of the fight, and what if it wasn’t enough. “Really appreciated. I wish we had more time to talk but…”
“I know,” she said for him.
Coats cleared his throat awkwardly. “Good hunting, Williams,” he said authoritatively. “And… stay safe.”
“Yes, sir!” She saluted smartly again and Coats nodded, walking towards the door to the corridor but feeling like… he hadn’t done something quite right, but not sure what else to do.
“Ask her out for a drink!” a voice stage whispered when he got to the door.
Coats scowled and glanced around the shadows, and sure enough, Ellie Rawling was there, leaning against a pillar, confident as you please, and gesturing silently for him to “about face” and “finish the mission.”
He squinted at her, not getting it, and made the gesture for “repeat?” back at her. Rawlings sighed exasperatedly, rolling her eyes, and gave up on official signals.
“Ask her out for a drink!” she hissed.
“We’re in the middle of a bloody warzone,” he hissed back.
Rawling made a rude gesture at him. “I meant afterwards, you moron!”
Coats hesitated and Rawling scowled at him, pointing a warning finger at him. “Don’t you dare finish that thought, Coats. Now, go and get the girl!”
He let out a long suffering sigh, but quietly grateful for Rawling’s intervention. “Williams!” he called out across the largely empty courtyard, causing her to turn just before she headed up to the command centre.
“Sir?” she called back.
“Would you… uh… I mean,” he cleared his throat and stood to attention. Rawlings sniggered to his left and he put a hand behind his back to make a rude gesture at her. “When we finish this, would you… uhm… care to join me for drinks?”
There was silence for a moment, and he winced, embarrassed. Eventually, though…
“I thought you’d never ask,” Ashley responded with a grin. “Drinks’ll be on me, Major.”
“Ben,” he said suddenly, and Rawlings made a noise of surprise.
“Sir?”
“Ben. My name is uh. Ben,” he finished awkwardly.
“It’s not his real first name,” Rawling called out from the shadows in a singsong voice.
“Fuck off, Rawling!” Coats hissed back. Ashley grinned and laughed.
“There’ll be time enough for me to find out your full name when we get back… Ben,” she said with a grin, trying out his name. “Stay safe out there.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
When they parted ways this time, Coats felt a little better. He had no idea what would come of this but for now… he had something to look forward to.
“You’re cute when you’re crushing.”
Coats felt his eyebrow twitch in irritation. “I hate you.”
“Love you too, skipper.”