Plink … Plink … Plink … Plink … Plink … The sound of the military issue boots on the cold metal floor of the Normandy was deafening. It wasn't that Kaidan was having a one of his migraines. He hadn't had one of those in a few weeks. But as he stood there at attention, watching his XO enter the deck for the first time, the world went silent, or at least for him it did. If he were in a movie, this would be the part where the protagonist sees his love interest for the first time and the film slows down to a crawl as her hair silkily flows over her shoulders. Only trouble was, this wasn't a movie and he wasn't the protagonist of anything.
So why was she having this effect on him? Kaidan glanced at her again. She was petite but muscular with her auburn hair pulled into a regulation bun at the nape of her slender neck. Her uniform settled nicely over all of her curves. He had never wanted anything as badly as he wanted to reach out and loosen her hair and watch it fall over her back and shoulders. He wondered just how long her hair would be. Was it long enough to reach to the small of her back. He gulped. These thoughts are crazy. Maddening, even. Why was the world slowing to a crawl? And why was it that all he could hear was the plink … plink … plink … plink … plink … of her boots on the floor. Only now, the plinking was joined by the pounding of his blood rushing through his veins. How was she having this effect on him? She had not even spoken to him yet.
"Get it together," Kaidan thought, panicking as soon as he realized that the plinking of the boots had stopped and she was standing in front of him.
"At ease, Lieutenant." She said, saluting, and his strong, muscular form relaxed into parade rest position only he kept his head held high. If he didn't know better, he would swear he could feel her eyes moving over his body. He couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking as she took in her Lieutenant. He chided himself. He wasn't "HER" lieutenant. He just happened to be one of the marines she would take on groundside missions. He needed to realize that she was his superior officer and there would never be any "ownership" implied among them. But he did know that. He wasn't sure why he was having these thoughts at all, much less why he felt the need to defend himself to…well…himself. Kaidan tried to snap out of it. He at least hoped that she thought he looked like a capable soldier, if nothing more. He must have been making quite the face of concentration because with a lopsided grin she offered him her hand for a firm shake and asked him what was on his mind.
As their hands touched, he saw a spark of blue and felt the tingle as his biotics flared and quickly recessed. Surprised, she gave a small yelp like the sound of a dreaming puppy, he noted with amusement, as she shook her hand out in front of her. His amusement quickly turned to embarrassment as he realized that he had lost control of his biotics at the mere touch of her hand. "Sorry, Ma'am." He quickly offered. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"
She laughed and said, "Of course not. I just wasn't expecting that." Her laughter had a melodic sound to it. He thought he could listen to that music for the rest of his life, before he shook his head and realized what an idiot he was being. She was not only his superior officer, but she was superior in every way, he thought a little dejected. She was beautiful, even in her military issue uniform with her hair severely pulled back and knotted above her collar. She could have her pick of men, he knew, and he also knew that she was tough as nails, as he had done his research and found out that she was the sole survivor of Akuze. She had to have some serious strength, Kaidan thought, to not only physically survive that, but to survive the nightmares that must have ensued afterwards.
"Yeah. Sometimes biotics get a little buildup of static electricity, but I don't usually allow it to discharge on to my superior officer." He nervously laughed.
"That's fine, Lieutenant," she said, "I'm a biotic myself, so I get it. I usually try to ground myself before a handshake. Just try to warn me next time." She laughed the incident off and Kaidan knew it was forgotten, at least for her. But for him, he was doubly embarrassed now, because that meant she knew that he was either sloppy or unable to control his biotics. He didn't like the idea of Shepard thinking either of those things about him. Kaidan knew he should have grounded himself before he took her hand, but he had just been so distracted by her he had forgotten. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came, so he closed his mouth again before something stupid decided to rush out.
"I should go." Shepard grinned broadly as she turned away from him, "I've got a ship to inspect and a whole lot of crew members to meet." She said over her shoulder, "But this has been very…stimulating…" Kaidan was sure he could hear the amusement in her voice. "Maybe we will talk again after I have had a chance to get settled in."
"Yes, Ma'am." Kaidan said and as she walked away he finally let out the breath he had been holding for who knew how long. "Well, that went well." He said to himself as he turned to go back to his station on the ship, needing to bury himself in his work and give his mind the chance to work out what had happened. How had he become so instantly attracted to someone? How was he so attracted to his senior officer, no less? And how had he lost control of his biotics enough to let her experience a shock at his handshake? These were upsetting thoughts. As he went back to the console he pulled up the personnel files and flipped through till he could see the parts of Shepard's file that weren't classified. She was smiling at him so sweetly. Hi breath caught in his chest again and that's when he knew. He was in trouble.