Chapter 1 - Forgetful
The hot water pounded his broad back in a steady, soothing rhythm, loosening at least a little of the tension in his muscles. James' eyes were closed in utter bliss. The mission had been tough, Geth Hunters and Primes coming at them from all sides. More than once he'd felt sure they were finished, but Shepard hadn't given up. She never would.
As soon as he'd been out of the shuttle, he'd headed straight for the shower, and doubtlessly so had Kaidan. No such luxury for the Commander, though - she'd been called to the Comm Room the moment they'd set foot on the Normandy again.
Getting out of the shower, James reached for a towel, wrapping it around his waist without bothering to dry off first. He felt bone-tired, more than ready to catch some sleep. With a sigh, he gathered up his sweaty fatigues from where they were lying in a crumpled heap on the floor and dropped them in the fancy laundry chute thoughtfully provided by the Cerberus engineers. It was only when the lid snapped shut that he realized he'd forgotten to bring a change of clothes. Mierda!
He looked down at himself, forcing his tired brain to come up with a solution. Ah, well. It wasn't so bad. He would sneak a look out, make sure no one was around and dash over to the elevator. Once he was down in the Shuttle Bay, it was only a few steps to his own private corner. Esteban would probably spot him and give him an earful, but he could deal with that.
His plan made up, he opened the door just a tiny crack and peered around the corner. All clear. And he was in luck. The elevator's panel showed that it was on his floor - no waiting. Taking a deep breath, he tightened the towel around his hips, let the door slide open and ran.
He made it to the elevator without interference. Leaning back against the closing doors with a grateful exhale, he reached for the controls, ready to head straight for the Shuttle Bay - and froze in place when they lit up just before he touched them. Priority override. Captain's Cabin. James swallowed. Oh shit! The elevator whizzed smoothly upward, leaving him no time to come up with any sort of strategy. Before he even knew what was happening, the door slid open again, and he was face to face with his commanding officer.
He'd been through a few tight spots with Susannah Shepard, and he knew she wasn't easily flustered. But when her eyes lit upon him, her mouth dropped open in a perfect o-shape. "James? What the blazing-" She shook her head in disbelief. "I hope you have a damn good explanation for this, Lieutenant!"
His face felt so hot he just knew he was blushing like an Asari maiden. "Commander, I... look, I was in the shower and I forgot to bring-"
She rolled her sky-blue eyes impatiently. "Never mind. What do we do now?"
"Well, I was just going to go down to the Bay and-"
"You can't." Shepard's hand flew up to her mouth, whether to hide a smile or to stifle a shocked cry, he wasn't sure. "The Quarian admirals will arrive there any moment now. I was on my way to greet them." She cleared her throat. "And I don't think it would go down well if I do so with a half-naked marine at my side."
Shit, shit, shit. James didn't know what to say. "Lola, I..."
"Don't you dare call me Lola now, James!" Shepard's lips were thin with furious determination, and he could see she was thinking fast.
"Commander. The admirals' shuttle has just arrived. You'd better get down there quickly, or there might be a diplomatic incident." Was there an undertone of amusement in EDI's voice over the intercom?
"I'll be there." Shepard huffed in exasperation. "Lieutenant. In there." She gestured toward her cabin. "And stay in there until I tell you to get out. That's an order."
He stumbled over the threshold, too stunned to speak. The elevator doors were already closing, and so was the door behind him. "Holy hell!" He grabbed for the controls, but they lit up a bright red.
"Sorry, Lieutenant. Commander's orders. You are to stay here until she tells you otherwise." Yup. Definitely amused. EDI was enjoying this far too much.
With a colourful curse, he turned to look around. He'd only been here once, when he'd talked to Shepard about joining the N7 programme. The place was pretty impressive, with the giant aquarium and the elegant leather couch. Not his kind of place, though. And anyway, it was hard to relax knowing you were in your commanding officer's quarters wearing nothing but a towel.
Gingerly, he sat down on the couch, trying to get comfortable among the padded cushions. They were nice and soft. And he was really tired. He wondered how long it would take Shepard to come back. Maybe he ought to try and persuade EDI to let him out. She could even make sure he wouldn't run into anyone else. Or maybe he should... A huge yawn escaped him. Some part of his brain protested that he needed to stay awake, but now that the adrenaline was wearing off, the exhaustion hit him at full strength. Before he knew it, his head sank down on a soft pillow and his eyes fell shut.
Susannah Shepard made her way up to her cabin silently cursing the day that lay behind her. The mission had been taxing enough, but the negotiations afterwards had been worse. Try as she might, she didn't really get along well with Quarians. Talking to a mask, without the clues provided by facial expressions, was hard for a visual person like her. Sure, body language and nuances of tone were a big help, and she was getting better at this, but God, it was exhausting.
Inside her cabin, she headed straight for the showers, eager to wash off the sweat and the nastier memories. As she turned on the spray, she briefly wished Cerberus had thought of adding a tub to the cabin's many luxuries. What she wouldn't give for a long hot soak now! She showered quickly but thoroughly and slipped on her old nightshirt. It was just an oversized white T-shirt really, with a faded Blasto logo, and it was worn and frayed in places, the fabric soft from many washings.
Yawning, she walked down the steps toward her bed, automatically reaching for the remote to dim the lights down and switch on some relaxing music. Stretching lazily she turned to face the couch - and only just bit back her cry of surprise.
James! Oh God, I'd completely forgotten about him! She hadn't really considered her choice of words when she'd told him to stay and wait for her return, but yes, of course. He was just following her orders. And he must have been knackered, considering how he'd thrown himself into the fight earlier today. She smiled fondly at the memory.
He was sleeping on his back, his powerful body stretched out with abandon. The towel had slid up a little, just barely preserving his modesty, and Susannah unconsciously licked her lips. Such an amazing body, all sculpted muscle and smooth, flawless skin, enhanced by his tattoos. She'd always been curious how far they went and whether he had any on his chest and back as well. She took a step closer to satisfy her curiosity, but right then his eyes snapped open, immediately widening in shocked surprise.
"Commander. Oh God, I'm so sorry." He scrambled to pull down the towel, his face heating up in one of those adorable blushes.
Just like him, really. For all his flirting and his big mouth, he'd always retreated at the last minute so far, much to her disappointment. Despite their obvious attraction to each other he had insisted on keeping things "professional." It seemed ridiculous in view of everything going on around them, but of course she would respect his wishes. Or so she told herself.
Yet she couldn't help but notice how hard he was trying to keep his eyes on her face. If she wasn't very much mistaken, he was fighting a losing battle. She stretched slowly and deliberately, and sure enough his gaze travelled downward, taking in her barely covered body and her long, naked legs. Her nipples hardened against the thin fabric of the shirt, and he swallowed audibly. Maybe tonight...
"Like what you see, James?" Susannah almost winced. Her husky voice sounded strange to herself, and the line was cheesy at best. She really had to do better. God, when was the last time she'd even tried to seduce anyone?
"I..." He was blushing even more now, but he stayed where he was, as if glued to the couch. She did her best to hold back a smug grin when she realized he probably couldn't get up without embarrassing himself even further.
"It's alright, LT." She stepped even closer, trailing a finger lightly down his chest. "So do I."
He gasped at her touch, but at the same time he caught her hand firmly. "Lola... Commander. We can't. There's regs and-"
"Fuck them." Susannah flinched when she realized how abrupt she sounded. "Look, James." She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "I like you a lot. And I want you. Besides... the way things are, with the Reapers and everything else, none of us may be alive in few months. Don't you think we're a little past worrying about regs?"
He closed his eyes, shuddering all over, letting go of her wrist. "If you put it like that... Do you really want me?"
"God, yes." She couldn't resist any longer. Dropping on her knees, she ran her hand up his strong thigh and slipped it under the towel, keeping a careful eye on his reaction.
He moaned when her fingers closed around him, his hips bucking up sharply. Oh, but he felt nice. Thick and hard, and so warm! Touching him sent a rush of heat to her core. Bending down, Susannah carefully pushed the towel aside and placed a soft kiss on his hot skin.
"Lola! Damn it, you-" James hands were in her hair, tugging impatiently at her braid. "Please."
She smiled to herself. Without letting go of him, she reached up with her other hand and quickly untied her hair. When it fell around her face like a golden curtain, he made a strangled noise, somewhere between awe and lust. "God, I've wanted to see you like this forever."
"Like this?" With a mischievous smile, she slid higher, straddling him and grabbing the hem of her shirt in both hands. "Or like this?"
He gasped again when she yanked off the shirt, revealing she was naked underneath, but his eyes took on a determined gleam. Firm, strong hands grabbed her waist and then he was kissing her, and she nearly forgot how to breathe. Those full, warm lips were doing things to her that she couldn't explain. God, when had she ever been kissed like this before, with such single-minded focus and devotion? It was addictive.
She couldn't get enough of his mouth on hers until he moved deeper and found her nipples, sucking gently, then flicking his tongue against the sensitive buds. Within moments, she was keening with lust, grinding herself against him, and he pulled back with a stuttering breath.
"Wait a minute." Taking several deep breaths, he held her at arm's length, struggling for control. "Dios, you feel so good."
One of his large hands wandered up her thigh, and she opened up willingly for him, trembling with lust when he slid a finger deep inside her heat. "So wet for me." There was pride in his voice, and something almost like reverence, and it made her throat go tight.
"Only for you," she whispered in his ear, and he went taut under her hands again.
"Please." He lay back, pulling her with him. "I need-"
She nodded, stroking his cheek with infinite gentleness. Catching his eye, she pushed herself up a bit, then carefully lowered herself down on his hard shaft. God, he felt so good! So big that he was stretching her a little, a faint burn that made the feeling of being full all the more delicious.
And all the time she was drowning in his gaze, revelling in the sincere affection and admiration she could see there. She moved her hips, slowly and carefully, but even that tiny motion made it more than clear neither of them would last long. He whined softly, unable to keep his hips still, and she was shaking all over with need. When she repeated the motion, the muscles in his stomach went taut as ropes and his hand went up to her neck, pulling her into another long, deep kiss.
"Déjame... let me." His mouth against hers, he started a slow rhythm, his hips moving upward in small, steady thrusts that drove her insane.
She was getting hazy at this point, and unsure of what exactly she was whispering in his ears, probably begging him not to stop, to take her harder, deeper, faster. Whatever it was, his eyes went dark at her words. Without apparent effort, he flipped her over, spreading her wide and then he began to move in earnest.
Susannah cried out with delight when he found the perfect spot inside her and held her firmly in place, hitting it over and over until she screamed again, overcome with a pleasure so intense she nearly passed out. He kept going for a few more thrusts, then she felt him join her, trembling all over with the force of his orgasm.
"Good?" There was a hint of insecurity in his voice when he began to pull back and she instinctively locked her legs around his waist, drawing him back in.
"Perfect." She tapped her finger lightly against his lips, enjoying his renewed blush. "We should have done this a long time ago. Don't you agree?"
He didn't reply, but the smile spreading over his face was answer enough.
This was written for suilven as a thank you for organizing the CMDA Secret Santa Fic Exchange. Big hugs and thanks to you, suil, and also to zevgirl for betaing this for me.