A/N: I actually wrote this over a year ago on AO3, but I'm terrible with my cross-posting and completely forgot to upload it on here! I'd like to add more drabbles, though, so keep a look out!
This is the first Mass Effect fic I ever wrote, with my first Shepard, Emilia - Spacer, Sole Survior, Vanguard. Reading this wants me to go back and play the trilogy all over again...

(also, who's excited for N7 day next week?! I am!)

As always, I own nothing, credit goes to Bioware and EA etc.

Sanity Check

"What did I call it?" Kaidan breathed in Shepard's ear, causing her to shiver, "A sanity check?"

"Mm," she turned her head and kissed him, as though she would never tire of it. God, it had been too long. But so, so worth it.

They were lying in Shepard's bed, limbs tangled clumsily around each other in a desperate attempt to make up for lost time before shore leave officially ended. She had forgotten what it felt like to touch him, to have his arms around her, and it was a beautiful distraction in such an ugly war. Well – not that Kaidan was merely a distraction. She had never spoken the words in her previous life, but he meant a lot more to her than a wartime, spur-of-the-moment fling.

She hoped that he understood that.

"You know, Shepard..." Kaidan looked like he was about to say something serious, until his stomach gave a huge growl, and he broke off, blushing. Shepard giggled, feeling her own stomach do the same. Damned biotic metabolism. Obviously their, ah, exertions had proved a little too much. Shepard reluctantly rolled out of bed.

"Hold that thought," she said, rummaging in her – very untidy – desk drawers until she found what she wanted.

"Cereal bars?" questioned Kaidan, arching an eyebrow as Shepard threw one at him. She shrugged nonchalantly, ripping the wrapper off of her own.

"I need energy. And so do you." A slow, wicked grin spread its way on to her face. "Why, did you think we were done?"

Kaidan blushed again. "I wasn't going to presume anything."

Shepard threw another cereal bar at him. "Bullshit."

He caught it, barely, and started laughing. "You are ridiculous." She spread her arms in a 'who, me?' gesture, and he rolled his eyes. "Shepard, you're perched on your desk, stark naked, eating out-of-date cereal bars so you can convince me to have sex with you again."

Shepard giggled, and raised an eyebrow. "Is it working?"

Kaidan met her eyes. "What do you think?"

"Huh. I was thinking that I could seduce you with my biotics. But, never mind. You're obviously not interested..." She drew out the last sentence, trying not to chuckle as Kaidan looked continuously more flustered.

"No, I'm, uh – th-that sounds...I-I am interested, Em. Of course." He ran a hand through his hair, and smiled sheepishly. Hearing him call her by her first name did things to her that she couldn't quite explain. She pretended to flutter her eyelashes at him.

"Well, Major." Shepard quickly finished her cereal bar, and stood up. Kaidan was still lying on the bed, propped up by his elbows, and was looking at her with such a mixture of admiration, desire and slight confusion that she felt her face heat up. Focus, Shepard.

"Commander," he replied, his voice husky. Shepard willed herself not to just throw herself at him there and then. Carefully, she focused as she had been taught all those years ago at biotic training, and her biotics sprang to life. Since she wasn't using them in combat, she was able to spread the energy around her so that she was bathed in a warm blue glow. Kaidan looked on in astonishment.

"Didn't know you could do that,"

"Neither did I, until recently." She spread her hands out in front of her, watching the energy spark back and forth. "When I...came back, they had to replace my implant. I'm an L5n, now."

Kaidan whistled in approval. "Impressive. Is it bad that I feel really turned on right now?"

"That was the intended effect, Alenko."

"Well, you'd better get over here then, hadn't you?"

Shepard smiled, a real, genuine one. "With pleasure."