Finding Kaidan during their scarce off-hours on the Citadel proved more complicated than anticipated. Since escaping the latest meeting with the council, Shepard had already visited all the spots he usually frequented when he had some free time.

Thanks to Joker she knew for a fact that he'd left the Normandy a few hours ago but he was neither on the docks with James or Garrus, nor window-shopping for new mods on the Presidium with Tali and even the staff at Apollo's hadn't seen him today which was unusual since his ungodly love for steak sandwiches eventually always lured him there. She hadn't tried calling him yet since she wanted to surprise him with the unexpected one-on-one time, a small sanity check they both desperately needed. But for that she'd actually have to find him first.

Frustrated Shepard punched the elevator button that would bring her to the Citadel Embassies. If she couldn't find Kaidan, she could at least check on some messages and see if there were new guns available at the small kiosk in the Spectre Office. It was neither what she wanted, nor what she needed right now but maybe some work followed by a short trip to the shooting range would give her some inspiration of where Kaidan might be hiding. If all failed, she'd just call him afterward to see if he was free.

Right after the pleasant voice of the VI informed her that her Spectre status was recognized, Shepard could already make out suppressed shooting noises coming from the range that told her she wasn't alone in the Spectre Office. Instantly she dropped her plans to go and see which of her fellow Spectres was doing some target practice. A vague hope it would be the Spectre she was looking for settled in her heart and was soon confirmed when she stepped into the brightly lit room.

Right next to the small computer responsible for adjustments stood Kaidan in an almost textbook shooting stance, balancing a sniper rifle against his shoulder. He looked concentrated and yet oddly relaxed with the unfamiliar gun, focussing solely on the target in front of him, not noticing he wasn't alone anymore. Every shot of the heavy weapon went through his arms, making them shake with the unaccustomed recoil.

Shepard's eyebrows shot up when she noticed the weapon. Kaidan's Sentinel training made him not only very effective with biotics and electronics but also had him favor Heavy Pistols and as of late Assault Rifles which he used with deadly expertise when they hit dirt. Sniper rifles were usually only her type of weapon. Seeing him using her favorite kind of gun felt strange, although she'd lie if she didn't admit the sight made her belly do a pleasant little flip.

Being turned on by Kaidan fighting was hardly new. His passion, his dedication, his eye for detail – so many of his best qualities were found in the marine as well as in the lover, making the lines blur in the heat of the moment. Not enough to actually affect her job, mind you. If that was the case, Kaidan would sit out more missions than not. No, it was more a not always gentle reminder what would wait for her as soon as they were done.

The adept way he moved over the battlefield like a force of nature translated to the bedroom, as did the way his biotics tore through enemies – although the only thing he tore in their more intimate moments was her underwear and sometimes her patience. Still, it made her shudder to think about what else he could do with his biotics that he blessedly did not show on the –

"How long are you going to stand there without saying a word, Shepard?" Kaidan interrupted her line of thinking. He threw a small glance over his shoulder and smiled at her while reloading his weapon. Shepard stepped next to him, leaning against the railing while watching his hands.

"How did you know it was me?"

"Most of the other Spectres don't wear your perfume. And they don't giggle when they see me shoot."

"I didn't giggle!" Shepard huffed, a blush creeping to her face. She gave Kaidan a small shove when she noticed his smirk.

"What's up with the sniper rifle? Thinking about switching to Soldier or Infiltrator training?"

He laughed. "Hardly. I just thought it couldn't hurt to brush up my training. Haven't touched a sniper rifle since basic." He shot her a glance. "Not even yours."

"Damn right not even mine. You can't just touch a sniper's weapon."

"I'm well aware. Believe me, the incident on the SR1 is something I'll hardly ever forget. I'm lucky I still have all of my fingers."

Shepard rolled her eyes. "Don't be dramatic. I wouldn't really have shot you."

"If you say so, Commander."

"So, Major. What do you say about some friendly competition?"

Kaidan snorted. "You've been a sniper for over a decade, Shepard. There is no competition."

"Well, I could use an assault rifle to even the odds. You know how much I hate them. And" She interrupted when Kaidan opened his mouth to object. "I could out my target further behind yours."

"You're an N7 and even if I blindfolded you, I'd hardly stand a chance. I don't have any illusions about myself."

"Blindfolded, hm?" Shepard said, her voice suddenly a bit lower than before. Kaidan rolled his eyes.

"OK, Major, a final suggestion to make your stay at the shooting range more interesting."

Kaidan sighted but didn't interject so she kept going, choosing every word carefully to make the idea that'd just come to her more attractive to him. She'd no doubt that he'd be intrigued by it, but sometimes her Major was still a bit too proper, had his desires a bit too much under control for her liking. It was her mission in life to make him lose it. And like with every other mission, she had a plan to accomplish said mission.

"I say we ditch the sniper rifles and use heavy pistols instead to level the playing field. If you still don't think that's fair, I can still put my target further away than yours."

"I'm waiting for the catch," Kaidan said, voice dry. He knew her too well. Shepard stepped a bit closer to him, cautious eyes following her like he'd expected an attack. He wasn't wrong. His body was radiating heat, bleeding right through their fatigues, making her want to press against him and just ditch her freshly formed plan. Shepard's eyes fell to the scar on Kaidan's lip, making a show of studying it a moment too long, the way she did usually just before she started nibbling it. Kaidan swallowed like he knew exactly what she was thinking of.

Shepard's eyes went up and met his again, her mouth forming a lazy smile. She could see how much her close proximity already affected him. It had been too long since they'd had time for each other, for more than a quick fuck before falling victim to exhaustion, and it was showing.

"So?" He asked, aiming to make his voice sound casual and failing spectacularly.

"One round, one piece of clothing."

Kaidan blinked. "What?"

"One thermal clip right at the target. The one that's further away from the center has to shed one piece of clothing. Shoes and socks each count as one."

"Are you honestly … you want to … really, Shepard? Strip-shooting?"

"Hmhm. Two of my favorite things combined: Shooting things and seeing you naked."

"You can't be serious. We're in the Spectre Office!"

"So?" Shepard asked nonchalantly, already browsing the possible heavy pistols for two that would work for them.

"Someone could walk in at any given moment!"

She rolled her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic, Kaidan, of course not. Bau left a few days ago and as far as I'm aware, we're the only two Spectres on the Citadel right now. Chances are pretty low someone can just walk in on us."

"Pretty low is not zero, Shepard. I'm not fond of having to explain to Hackett or Anderson why the first two human Spectres were found shooting in their underwear on the Citadel."

"Well, I'm certain it would at least make the next report more interesting."

"Shepard..."

"Oh for crying out loud." Shepard huffed and shoved the two pistols she'd picked out into Kaidan's hands. Startled he accepted them before he could think about it. And before he could say another word, Shepard grasped the hem of her shirt with both hands, pulled it over her head, and let it drop to the floor. When she looked up again, she looked right into Kaidan's unbelieving face, mouth slightly agape as he stared at her breasts like he had never seen them before. Rolling her eyes again, Shepard put a finger on his chin to close his mouth while using her other hand to take one of the pistols from him.

"There, now you're even in the lead. Can we start now?"

Kaidan just stared at her with a mixture of amusement, desperation and resignation she'd come to know all too well. And she also knew that it usually meant he had accepted his fate of yet again having to try and contain the fallout of her particular brand of insanity as he liked to call it. Seemed like she had to make it worth his while.

Shepard stepped over her disregarded shirt to the computer to make some final adjustments, placing the targets next to each other almost at the end of the range. It would be a challenge for both of them since she usually used her sniper rifle at that distance and Kaidan liked to pull targets closer with his biotics or switch to his assault rifle.

Falling into an easy shooting stance, she could feel Kaidan doing the same right next to her. A smile played over her lips.

"Ready?"

"Let's just get this over with before someone comes in."

"Have faith, Alenko. And maybe you will even have some fun."

With that, they started shooting until their guns told them it was time for new thermal clips. Shepard shot Kaidan a smile before hitting a few keys on the computer, bringing their targets to them. All in all, it was a pretty close draw, maybe even a bit too close for Shepard's pride. Kaidan surely had become quite capable in the last few years as Liara had already pointed out. Still, he had missed completely one time while her shot at least all had made contact.

Her smile transformed into a grin when she turned to Kaidan who looked less than amused. She wagged her eyebrows while looking at his shirt.

"And off it goes, Major."

He muttered something she couldn't make out but didn't pose any resistance. Instead, he shoved his weapon into her hands and mimicked her earlier movement, pulling his shirt over his head. For Shepard's taste, it went over much too quickly. She'd have loved to enjoy the show a bit more, but it seemed Kaidan wasn't interested in giving her that satisfaction. Still, her eyes rested on his bare chest probably a bit longer than they should have, tracing the muscles with her eyes in a way her fingers itched to. When they dropped to the fine line of black hair that vanished into his pants, she couldn't help but bite her lip, wondering if she should just abort the mission of having Kaidan slowly strip for her and do it herself instead.

"Don't even think about it, Shepard."

He took back his weapon and pointed it at the targets. Shepard let out an audible sigh before turning back. She snuck another glance over to him, admiring the way his muscles moved when he pointed the pistol and started shooting. She was so busy staring that the sound startled her, a blush creeping into her cheeks when she tried to downplay her reaction and get back into the game. She could hear Kaidan's muffled laugh that told her he'd noticed her small blackout.

Unfortunately for her, it also showed on her target that wasn't nearly as dead as it had been before. Every shot still hit the mark, but they weren't as close to the center as Kaidan's. Grumbling Shepard kicked off her shoes. Maybe she should pay better attention if she wanted to get closer to her goal of seeing Kaidan Alenko stand naked in the Spectre Office's shooting range.

Unfortunately for her, again, Kaidan seemed to follow a very similar line of thought by trying to get her naked before him. His shots were frustratingly accurate, making it harder than anticipated to win this small competition that slowly started to take a very, very serious turn. At least she guessed that you could say that because they had both given up to win fair and square and started playing dirty instead.

While Kaidan made sure she always had a good view of either that small path to heaven on is front or his delicious backside he flexed way too generously, she made a show of presenting her breasts to him whenever the opportunity arose – or whenever she could create them.

As luck – if you wanted to call it that – would have it, the last round had just cost her bra, making her effectively as bare chested as Kaidan. A loud swallow was her reward for slowly letting it fall, making sure Kaidan had the perfect view of her hardened nipples. She was almost happy about the cool temperature of the room now as it helped her to create an even bigger distraction.

Gentleman that he was, Kaidan at least tried to not stare all too blatantly – with moderate success. Shepard could make out the growing bulge in his standard Alliance underwear, proving that he was not as cool-headed as he liked to pretend. Too bad for her that said bulge made it increasingly hard for her to concentrate on anything but.

Kaidan watched her like a caged animal, following all her movements like he expected her to seize him anytime. Under normal circumstances, she might have but for that she'd have to give up a game she had every intention of winning.

An idea started to form in her head and she was on the move before it was even complete. Sauntering over to her partner she made a show out of swinging her hips just a tad more than normally. She then made a show of checking the small computer screen showing their progress. If she pushed out her barely clothed ass in his direction a bit too much, well. Things like that happen.

Feeling Kaidan's eyes on her, she threw a glance over her shoulder, smiling when she saw his flicker from her ass to her face.

"Go ahead," she said, being vague enough to irk him even further. "I want to watch you while you do it."

The implications of her bad innuendo had him grinding his teeth, but he stayed silent, trying not to show the effect she had on him. Kaidan's eyes betrayed him. She could almost feel the fire in them creeping along her body, warming not only her skin but setting fire to her core. Maker, what this man could do with a look alone ...

As soon as he started concentrating on the target, though, Kaidan's focus shifted to the task at hand. Shepard could see her victory slip away shot after shot. Turning around fully, she fixated Kaidan's face, studying his features from the delicious scar to his small frown. She wanted to press her lips against it and make it vanish.

"I thought you wanted to watch," Kaidan said, trying not to keep his eyes from his almost naked lover stretching in front of him.

"Oh, but I am." Shepard said, voice sultry and low, just loud enough to make sure it wasn't drowned out by the sound of Kaidan's pistol. When she couldn't get another reaction from him, she bend a bit further while still leaning half on the computer, half on the railing that kept them separated from the shooting area, making sure to mimic the lazy stretch that showed as much of her naked form as possible and that always managed to lure Kaidan back to bed, no matter how late he already was and how much he was insisting on having to leave. Knowing fully well what she was up to, Kaidan did not move his eyes away from his target. A hard swallow was the only reaction she got from him. Desperate times … Shepard lifted one of her feet to have it slowly trail up Kaidan's leg.

The sudden contact had him startle, messing up his next shot completely. Kaidan shot Shepard a nasty look that was met with an expression of pure innocence. With her head, she nodded backwards to the target, well aware he still had a few shots left.

By now Shepard knew Kaidan well enough that she did not have to look at his fingers to know when he would take the next shot. His eyes, his lips, even his jawline were telling her exactly when he was about to press the trigger. And this was when she struck again. His shot went wild just as her toes connected with the inside of his tight, trailing up and down the hard muscles she wished were wrapped around her right now.

"Damn it, Shepard!"

"Hm? Distracted?"

"You can be happy if I don't shoot you on accident."

"Don't be so–"

"Shut up and let me get this over with."

Shepard snorted. "I really hope to never hear that sentence from you again."

Impatience or pure desperation, it was hard to tell. Whatever the motivator, the result was that Kaidan fired his last few shots in an almost frantic speed, as if he wanted to make sure he was out of ammo before Shepard had another bright idea like pressing her foot even harder into his crotch.

Kaidan had barely sidestepped her maneuver, anticipating which part of his anatomy her gentle strokes were aiming for next. He let out a big breath, setting his weapon aside and gesturing for Shepard to get over with her own target practice.

The computer she had been leaning against told her that Kaidan's shots were anything but a master stroke so it shouldn't take much for her to beat him. And then, well, if he already was naked ...

Smirking to herself Shepard placed her feet on the ground, preparing her first shot when unexpected heat washed over her, making her shudder so violently that she was happy she hadn't tried to shoot in just that moment.

She didn't need to turn to see Kaidan standing right behind her, no doubt preparing his revenge for her teasing. Well, he was in for a surprise because she wouldn't– oh.

Kaidan had made another step towards her, now standing right behind her. So close that if she so much as shifted her weight, she would be pressed against him. Before she could entertain the thought of stepping away to escape his touch, she could feel his big hands on the insight of her thighs, pressing them further apart.

Eyes wide she opened her mouth to protest when she heard a small chuckle behind her.

"You can be happy your drill sergeant isn't here to see you, Shepard. What a shameful display for a shooting stance. You know your legs need to be further apart."

"I'm fine, thank you very much." She hissed between her teeth, trying to ignore his still lingering hands. They had left her thighs and were now softly resting just where her legs met her ass, right where he usually placed them to pick her up. The thought was even more distracting than the touch itself.

Aware she could hardly prolong the inevitable, she made a small step forward to escape his hands and free her mind. The reminder of what those hands could do even with the smallest of touches was proving too much of a distraction, especially after their small game. What she had failed to allow for was how much it affected not only Kaidan but herself. Not only seeing him shoot but seeing, feeling him react to her was, well, distracting. Distracting in a way that made her want to toss away her weapon, shove him against the next wall and not let go until their legs gave away.

Shoving away those thoughts Shepard tried to get back into her battlefield mindset, focussing on the task at hand. Just when she was about to shoot, a warm wave of static rolled over her body, taking away her breath and tearing a small whimper from her instead. The high pitched noise drew a chuckle from Kaidan, earning him a nasty look. He held up his hands in a gesture of peace, but the smug smile did not leave his face.

"Stop that!" Shepard demanded.

"I'm not doing anything."

"Right."

Turning back to the shooting area, Shepard started to aim when the same feeling crept over her again, effectively stopping her from pulling the trigger. Her brain blanked, her breath became labored and came in gasps, her stomach was in knots and her underwear soaked. Damn that man and his absolutely not Alliance approved way of using biotics.

"Damn it, Kaidan! This way I'll never be able to shoot."

"Oh, and why is that?"

"You know exactly why."

Suddenly, the warmth was back, pressing against her in a way only another body should be able to. There still was space between them that Kaidan wasn't crossing and yet it felt like there were hot hands all over her body. She could feel him with every fiber of her being, was aware of every breath he took even before it ghosted over her skin. Her eyes fluttered close when he leaned in even closer, speaking directly into her ear.

"Care to explain, Commander?"

Shepard's belly did a flip at the low timbre that usually was reserved for their most intimate moments. Then again, could it get more intimate than standing together almost naked, driving each other insane while hardly touching at all? Shepard wasn't sure she needed an answer to this when the question alone was damn near driving her insane.

"That an order, Major?" She breathed, voice rough as if she had been running for miles or screaming his name for hours. Another moan broke free when another wave of Kaidan's biotics rolled over her, having her grasp the rail for support. While her upper body fell forward, the movement had the slight side effect that her lower body went in the other direction, having her bump right into Kaidan.

The unexpected contact coaxed a moan from both of them when his bulge suddenly pressed against her ass. Through the thin layers of cloth, Shepard could feel the hardness of Kaidan's cock between her cheeks, robbing her of her breath in a way that had nothing to do with his biotics.

The closeness made it hard to even think about raising her gun and finishing the game, although she began to wonder if she should just skip that part and aim for the endgame instead. Kaidan took that decision away from her when one of his hands suddenly snaked around her middle to bury itself in her briefs. The gun slipped from her fingers the same moment Kaidan's slipped between her lips, drawing along her slit and marvelling at the wetness that had already pooled there before he had even touched her.

The clattering of the pistol was loud in her ears, the only sound beside her labored breathing and the humming of the air conditioning of the shooting range. She hardly felt the breeze, her whole body was fixated on the warmth Kaidan was giving her and the heat he was stroking inside of her.

His calloused fingers were moving along her folds like travelling a well-known path but never connecting with one of the points she so desperately needed them to. In his cruelty, he was neither entering her nor giving her release by touching her most precious spot.

"Please."

"Please what, Commander?"

"Please, touch me. Just … please?"

Another chuckle and this time their closeness made it run right through her to her very core.

"I thought I was already doing that."

"You ass."

As if to drive his point home, he used his position to press her ass even harder against his front, moving his hips in a mind-numbing way that almost made her see stars.

"Major..."

"Yes, Commander?" Another rub, another circle, another deep moan, another cuss.

"Fuck."

"That an order, Commander?" He echoed her question, the laugh in his voice drowned out by a moan when she started to move with him and rub her bottom harder against his cock.

"Goddamn it, Kaidan, yes!"

The loss of him was sudden and she didn't know what she should mourn more: his fingers or the feeling of his hardness pressing against her. She didn't have to think about it for long. Before she could decide, Kaidan was back, his hands on her hips. He used his knee to push her legs further apart, making room for him. They both moaned when his cock finally connected with her slick heat.

Shepard's head fell forward, almost resting on the cool surface of the railing while shoving her ass even more against her lover. To her eternal frustration, he did not slip into her straight away. Instead, he slowly rubbed himself back and forth, spreading her wetness and slowly, agonizingly driving her insane. Thinking was not hard, it was impossible. She felt dazed and desperate and almost, almost regretted having him driven to this point. It was pure torture, every touch fueling the fire without ever giving it enough to fully burn, to turn into the blaze she so desperately craved.

His hands were like iron on her hips, preventing any sort of movement that could bring her even the tiniest bit of release. When desperation finally took over and she started to slip her own hand down her body, he captured it, bringing it back to the railing instead.

"No."

More a growl than a word, fingers woven into hers, trapping her without a chance to escape. She couldn't even use her other hand to give herself but a fraction of release as she was sure she needed it to keep herself upright. His hot breath fanned over her back, taking hers away while raising every hair on her body.

"Kaidan..."

Voice hardly more than a strained whisper, she tried to convey everything she wanted in just one word. How much she needed him right now, needed him to let go of his tightly held control, how much she loved him.

Shepard couldn't say if it was that one word, a mixture of curse and prayer and desperation, but whatever it was that finally drove him over the edge of his patience, she was so glad she almost sobbed.

This time, Kaidan didn't play around. Having tired of his own games, he drove into her in one hard thrust that shook them both to their core. She was beyond ready and the tension in his body told her he wasn't faring much better. Neither of them had the volition to draw this out much longer. Her legs were shaking and if it wasn't for Kaidan's iron grip and his leg between hers, she already might have crashed down.

Shepard moaned when he thrust again, drowning out Kaidan's own sounds of pleasure, a voice so much deeper than before. He rocked into her, hard and heavy and she was glad for his support, already feeling boneless despite still having a tight coil in her belly that threatened to snap any moment. They moved together, against each other, chasing the other as well as an end to their own agony.

Kaidan's movements turned almost frantic, although she felt how much he still tried to control himself for her sake. She could have died right now and would still be satisfied, but she knew Kaidan felt different about that. So it came to no surprise when the hand on her hip left its resting place and dipped between her legs instead.

Colors bloomed in front of Shepard's eyes, a scream tearing itself from her already rough throat. Calloused fingers drew small, hard circles on her nub while hard thrusts shook the rest of her, driving her over the edge.

She threw her body back and let go of the railing. With her one free hand, she blindly groped behind her until she could bury her fingers in Kaidan's hair, drawing him closer while she shook in his arms. He pressed his chest to her back, his heart thundering against her skin while his strained breath crept along her ear. The rhythm of his hips long lost to frenzied thrusts, he finally let go of his control as her heat clamped around him, following her into their release.

Together they slumped forward on shaking legs, more than glad for the support the railing the shooting range provided. Shepard rested her head on their still interwoven hands, trying to figure out the mechanics of breathing and standing at the same time, especially with a sweaty marine half-draped over her. She had no idea how they were still on their feet, but she was too blissfully dazed to question it.

Kaidan's head was resting on her shoulder, face buried into her neck. A hoarse laugh crept along her skin, making her shudder and turning it into another moan instead.

"Well, that was ..." Kaidan finally mumbled against her neck.

"Yeah." Shepard breathed, unwilling to move. After a few seconds she added: "So, I guess this was a draw."

"What? No way! You didn't even finish the last round!"

"Because YOU distracted me!"

"I didn't hear you complain. In fact, you pretty much BEGGED me to distract you."

"That's not how it was!"

"You keep telling that to yourself, Sweetheart," He said, placing a kiss against her fluttering pulse. As much as she was unwilling to give him that, she was too worn out to keep the argument going. Besides, they probably should get dressed and leave the shooting range at some point before somebody indeed came in to find the two human Spectres naked in the middle of a heap of disregarded clothes and weapons.

"Well, looks like we have to settle this another time."

"As you wish, Commander. But I doubt it will end any differently than this round."

Shepard grinned against Kaidan's hand, placing a soft kiss against his knuckles.

"I surely hope not."