"Don't look at me like that Ashley." It's not my fault we ended up having to camp in this bunker." Protested Kaidan as Ashley glared at him.

"Yeah I know its Shepard's fault." There was a squawk of indignation from Shepard in response, the sound amplified by the metal crate the Commander was rooting though.

"Oh sure blame the driver. Not my fault the Mako broke down."

"Oh it is when it breaks down due to the crazy stuff you out it though." Retorted Ashley. "And now we have to wait in this bunker until the storm clears so we can be picked up. Not to mention the heating is piss poor."

There was an exhausted sigh and Alec pulled his head out of the crate.

"How many times do I have to say sorry? Look I am sorry I broke the Mako, I am sorry we have to spend the night in this bunker, I am sorry the heating is pretty much broken but I am not saying sorry about there being only two blankets." He said angrily and went to set up proximity sensors near the door, his footsteps heavier than his normal stealthiness.

"Now you've pissed him off." Stated Kaidan.

"With all due respect Lt, shut up." Kaidan folded his arms and glared at her.

"How come whenever someone says 'with all due respect' they mean 'kiss my ass'?" Ashley smirked and snorted with laughter at the retort. Yep, she was starting to rub off on the Lieutenant. Then Alec returned.

"Because that is what 'with all due respect' is code for, Alenko. Found any other blankets?"

"Only the two sir, someone is going to have to double up." Kaidan said, gesturing to the two mattresses on the floor, and the two blankets in Williams' arms. There was an awkward silence. The three of them were pretty good friends, but the type of friends who didn't share a bed.

"Okay let's do this the easy way." Shepard rummaged around in a crate and produced a stick of thin plastic. He broke it into three uneven straws and held them out to the others. "Whoever gets the longest straw gets to bunk alone. Ladies first."

Ashley pouted as she withdrew a stubby one. When Alenko chose his one and the two men compared, it was clear Alec was the winner.

"You'd better not steal the sheets LT. Or snore." Muttered Ashley as she set up the mattress her and Kaidan would be sharing.

"Funny. I was about to say the same to you, Chief." Shot back Kaidan.

Alec just shook his head and curled up, letting sleep claim him. He was pretty sure as he fell asleep, there was a slight tug of war over the blanket.

'Yup', he thought, 'acting like a married couple. They really need to get a room on shore leave.'


When Alec woke up, he looked over at where Kaidan and Ashley were. Shepard had to blink a few times to make sure his sleepiness wasn't making him see things.

Instead of sleeping separately, his Staff Lieutenant and Gunnery Chief were curled up together, both sleeping like babies. It was then he realized that they weren't just curled up or hugging but were spooning, actually spooning.

Well, to be accurate, Ashley was spooning Kaidan, her arms wrapped around his waist and face buried in his neck. They both looked damn comfy, little smiles on their faces, both at peace. It was kinda adorable, especially with the bed hair they both had. Ashley's had slipped out of the bun and was now a tangled mess, falling into her eyes and face. Kaidan, he looked a lot more youthful in his sleep, the curls slipping from the hair gel he used to tame it.

They shifted slightly, Kaidan wiggling closer to Ashley, her grip tightening around his waist. Shepard had to quickly put his hand over his mouth to stop his laughter from spilling out. When he managed to curb it, he got up. Grinning like the Cheshire cat, he crept over to his subordinates and took a picture with his Omni-tool. As Joker said, 'pictures or it didn't happen'.

Picture taken, he returned to his warm bed and waited for them to waken. Their reaction would be interesting to watch and he had to see it. Soon Kaidan stirred, groggily opening one eye and looking around. He clearly wasn't a morning person, which explained why Alec always saw him in the morning with two cups of coffee.

"Morning Alenko." He said, his voice full of mirth, which Kaidan picked up on.

"Commander." Replied Kaidan, suspiciously, narrowing his eyes at Alec. "Why do you look like the cat that ate the canary?"

"I just didn't peg you as a little spoon." Replied Shepard bluntly. There was a groan from behind Kaidan and Ashley popped her head up, some hair sticking up at weird angles.

"Little spoon? What are you going on about Skipper?" She half-asked, half-yawned. It was then the two marines clicked onto the fact they were currently spooning. Both of their reactions varied vastly.

Kaidan's eyes widened and he seemed to be mentally shooting himself as he groaned and covered his head, and blush, with the blanket while Ashley merely shrugged and curled back up beside Kaidan, causing Shepard to let out a bark of laughter.

"Ashley, could you please let me go?" Kaidan asked, pulling his head from underneath the blanket, the blushing now gone.

"Why L-T? Let me guess you don't like being the little spoon?" Came a muffled response.

"I am perfectly fine with that but right now-"

"So you've been spooned by a lady before?" Interrupted Ashley, sounding intrigued.

"Don't change the subject Williams. Just let me get up." Alenko tried to sit up causing Ashley to hold him tighter and wrap a leg around him as well.

"Nope. You're warm and cuddly." Stated Ashley, snuggling as close as possible. There was an annoyed sigh from the Lieutenant.

"I am not cuddly." He muttered sulkily.

"Yes. You are cuddly, like a teddy bear." Alec watched as Kaidan flushed a very deep red and let out an indignant cry.

"I am not a teddy bear!" Ashley chuckled and merely kept hold of Kaidan.

"Just accept it Alenko." She then sniffed Kaidan's hair. "You smell nice too… what shampoo do you use?"

"Chief, joke's over cut it out." Ordered Kaidan though gritted teeth as he blushed an even deeper shade of red.

"Give me a reason."

"Fine, Shepard is about to wet himself with laughter." Ashley glanced over at Shepard who had stuffed his hand in his mouth to stifle the laughter, which caused him to shake with the effort of keeping it in; even tears of laughter were appearing in his eyes. Alenko narrowed his eyes at Shepard, an unspoken 'I am going to kill you' hanging in the air as Ashley chuckled to herself.

"You are both going to suffer for this." Muttered Kaidan, trying to sound serious, but Shepard could see the little smirk at the corners of his mouth.

Mind you, that threat might become real if Kaidan found out about the picture Alec had taken and even more so if he showed it to Joker.


Headcanon: Kaidan is always the little spoon.