It's a good thing Shepard's bed in his cabin is a big one, not that the Normandy lacks in space for its crew in general but sometimes he gets lonely.
James always sleeps in the middle, at first they put him on the edge but he pushed everyone else out of bed with his tossing and turning so that got changed. Then Joker moaned about being next to Shepard who always climbed half on top of whoever he was sleeping next to, so he moved to the edge. It took a few false starts but eventually an arrangement was found that suited everyone.
Those nights there were no nightmares, only the slight snuffling and James's light snoring - for a brief moment they were all…good. Those mornings Shepard woke up last, warmth spreading inside his chest at the sight of the others watching him sleep, each in their own way caring for and about him.
By unspoken agreement they never mentioned the arrangement to Anderson, or Hackett - neither did any of the crew, though it was common knowledge. Shepard was their commander and he deserved whatever small moments of respite he could find.
