A/N: Vorcha Girl gave me the lovely prompt for this pre-Shenko ficlet, and she also beta read it for me. Thank you for both!
It couldn't be that hard to find a hotel room on the Citadel, right? At least that was what Kaidan had thought, but apparently with all the dignitaries and other people there to celebrate the victory at the Battle of the Citadel rooms were scarce.
Kaidan groaned after being turned away from yet another hotel and closed his omnitool in a moment of frustration. He hadn't been surprised to hear the VOQ was full, but he also hadn't expected it to be so difficult finding a room somewhere else. Swearing quietly under his breath he opened his omnitool again and pulled up the list of hotels on the Citadel to check if he had missed any. A frown tugged at the corner of his mouth while his eyes flew over the list quickly.
There!
He quickly dialed the number only to hear the disappointing sound of a busy line. Well, it wasn't that far; he could be there within a few minutes. He hailed an empty skycar and sent a quick thank you to all known entities as he got in and told the driver where he wanted to go.
Not even five minutes later he stepped into the hotel and almost came to a dead stop when he saw the familiar figure of his commanding officer at the front desk. Even without the uniform he would recognize her posture everywhere. He couldn't help his gaze from lingering on her for a moment before giving himself a mental kick.
"Evening, Shepard," he said, stepping next to her.
"Kaidan! Are you hunting for a place to stay, too?" A genuine smile lit up Kris Shepard's face.
"Yeah. It's crazy."
"Tell me about it!" she replied emphatically. She was about to say something else when the clerk appeared.
"Here is the keycard to your room, ma'am. It's not our largest room, but it has a lovely view. Enjoy your stay." He handed her the keycard and then turned his attention to Kaidan. "Can I help you, sir?"
"Uh, I need a room for the night -," Kaidan began.
"Sorry, but she," the hotel clerk interrupted and inclined his head toward Shepard, "got the last free room."
"Oh. Okay, well -."
"We can share," Shepard said suddenly, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. The two men turned to look at her in surprise.
Kaidan shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Okay, uh, thanks. If you really don't mind?"
"I don't mind. Really, we can share. I wouldn't have suggested it otherwise. It'll be fine!" she repeated, laughing softly at his flabbergasted expression.
The clerk shrugged, giving them a strange look as he typed something into the front desk terminal. "Enjoy your stay."
Kaidan picked up his bag and followed Shepard to the elevator, his heart beating just a little bit faster than it should have now that he was alone with her. They rode up in silence, both focusing on the door in front of them.
"Shepard, this is a double room, right? With two beds? " he asked as they reached the room.
She gave him a quick look and held the keycard against the scanner. "I didn't ask, to be honest," she answered, pushing the door open when the light turned green. Kaidan followed her inside and stared at the bed. Singular. Bed. A simple standard double bed. No wonder the clerk had given them this funny look.
Just great.
"Well, the clerk was right about the great view," Kris said, gazing out of the large window granting a breathtaking view of the ward arms and the nebula beyond. She dropped her bag onto the bed, and then let herself fall onto it with a loud sigh as well. Kaidan stepped into the room slowly, and closed the door behind him. She turned her head at the soft sound of the door falling in place and looked at him.
"Everything okay, lieutenant?" she asked with a humorous note in her voice. He didn't reply right away. He glanced at the furniture in the room, and his heart sank. There wasn't even a couch, just two armchairs next to a small coffee table. Shepard pushed herself up so that she rested on her elbows. "Cat got your tongue?"
"No," he finally said, putting his bag on one of the chairs. His gaze flicked over to her. "Just figuring out our sleeping arrangement. You can have the bed and I'll sleep on the floor."
She snorted. "Don't be ridiculous, Alenko. There's no reason we can't share the bed! It'll just be a little cozy." She kicked off her boots and stood up to take off her jacket, dropping it onto the other chair before stretching like a cat and yawning loudly. "I, for one, am going to catch some shut-eye. And it's not as if we've never had to spend a night in a close space before. Remember that time in the Mako, when we lost radio connection with the Normandy and had to wait all night for pick up?"
He instantly saw the flaw in her comparison, but refrained from pointing out that they had been wearing armor and had had seats of their own. After digging into her bag for her toiletries Shepard padded into the bathroom, returning shortly afterward stripped down to a tank top and skivvies.
The light of passing skycars danced over her toned muscles as she walked through the room and he turned away, looking out over the ward arms. He took a deep breath. It was going to be fine; they were both adults and it wasn't the first time he'd had to share a bed with someone.
But never with a superior officer who you've had a crush on for almost ten years, a small voice whispered in his mind as he made his way into the bathroom.
When he entered the room again she was already in bed, lying on her side, one arm atop the covers, the thin blanket hinting at the curves of her body beneath it.
Come on, you've undressed next to her countless times, you've helped her with her underarmor. Relax.
He laid down next to her, trying not to think what had passed between them only a few days earlier. He had lent her a hand getting up, and they had collided, holding on to each other so they wouldn't lose their balance and coming to a stop with her face only centimeters from his. He remembered the feel of her hand on his chest and the way she hadn't pulled away immediately. Her lips had been parted almost expectantly, and he had been so close to kissing her.
He wished he had.
He swallowed and closed his eyes, forcing himself to relax, but it was useless. She was so close to him. He could feel the body heat radiating from her and the low hum of her biotics brushing against his, pulling and calling softly; a gentle whisper of dark energy.
"Good night," she whispered turning her head slightly to look at him through half-closed eyes, her voice drowsy. His heart skipped a beat. She looked beautiful.
"Good night," he replied and rolled onto his side, facing away from her. He lay completely still, the faint scent of her perfume drifting over to him. It reminded him of a fresh sea breeze. She shifted her position slightly, pressing her backside lightly against his and he suppressed a groan. The problem wasn't that he didn't enjoy her being so close to him, but quite the opposite. He wished he could turn around and run his hands over her lithe and lissom body, feeling her soft skin and toned muscles shift under his touch. Annoyed with himself he punched the pillow and all but buried his face in it.
She had to know what she was doing to him.
Why should she? the cruel little voice said again. You're her friend and subordinate, nothing more. But go ahead, torture yourself some more.
He listened to the rhythm of her breath becoming deep and regular. She shifted positions again, turning around and draping her arm loosely over his midriff, murmuring unintelligibly in her sleep. Her breath was hot on his skin and he let out a long, quiet sigh.
This was going to be a long night.
You could just enjoy it.
After a few moments he carefully pushed her arm away, hoping that his nerves would calm down once there was no immediate body contact. She mumbled, rolling over to her other side, and he let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. Slowly he relaxed and fell into a dream-riddled, uneasy sleep.
Several hours later he woke, hair tickling his nose, an unaccustomed weight on his upper arm, and the heat of Shepard's body pressed against his, wrapped in his embrace. He opened his eyes and glanced down at their tangled limbs. He swallowed hard and let go of her, the heat of a blush rising up from his collar.
"Uh, Shepard," he began, slowly easing himself free.
She opened her eyes and they widened with shock. "Oh! I'm sorry, Kaidan." She scooted away and stared at his shirt for a moment. "I drooled on your shirt," she added quietly.
"Really? I hadn't noticed." He sat up, rubbing the back of his neck and glanced down. He missed her warmth already. They looked at each other sheepishly, both not seeming to know what to say. "Is it okay if I call dibs on the shower?" he asked eventually.
"Sure," Shepard replied quickly. Then, after a short pause, she added, "You're a very comfortable pillow."
Grabbing his shower kit and fresh clothes Kaidan headed into the small bathroom. He turned to close the door, and glanced at Shepard. Their eyes met, and he held her gaze for a moment before shutting the door with a soft click. He exhaled slowly.
She had smiled.
Maybe someday he would tell her how he felt.