Chapter Eight
Sometimes life can taste so sweet
When you slow it down
You start to see the world a little differently
When you turn it upside down
Paloma Faith – Upside Down
Complete. That was the only word that Kaidan Alenko could use to describe how he was feeling right now. Everything outside of this bed was irrelevant. Sara's heart was beating against his own, her pretty face buried in the curve of his throat as the soles of her delicate feet rubbed tenderly over the curve of his muscular calf. Her arm was draped over his waist wrapping around torso and holding him as close as could be.
The fingertips of his left hand stroked blissfully down along the length of her spine and back up again as she dozed fitfully upon his chest. His lips brushed across her hairline lightly, causing her to mumble in her sleep before Kaidan sighed contently. This was the way it was meant to be between the two of them, simple, loving and blissful. His large palm splayed along the the bottom of her back, admiring the way the sheets barely covered her heart shaped ass. That was a sight he didn't think he could ever get bored of, it sent a thrill through him that he was the only one that got to see her beautiful naked body.
A glance at her digital clock revealed that he needed to get up before he was late for his shift. He was reluctant to leave the shelter of Sara's warmth. He had known for weeks that it had been a while since she had slept properly. Every day he had watched the dark circles under her eyes getting worse and worse. Saren was a heavy burden for anyone to carry but she wore it well. In front of the crew she put on a brave, impassive face and even he himself at times had believed her to be infallible. It wasn't until moments like this that he remembered how vulnerable she was. Under that gleaming N7 armour she was still human like the rest of them.
Kaidan placed a butterfly kiss upon Sara's forehead before he slipped out from underneath her sleeping form as carefully as he could, so not to wake her. Sara responded by pressing her face even deeper into his pillow before she tucked her right arm underneath it. Kaidan smiled briefly to himself before grasping the fresh white sheets and pulling them up until they reached her shoulder blades. He cast one last look at her slumbering form before gathering up his clothes and retreating to the shower.
Sara's scent still clung to his skin like the sweetest of fragrances and it caused him to stiffen as his mind played over their passionate night the two of them had spent together. Jesus, he remembered that deviant little noise she made as he hit that pleasurable spot deep inside her, the way her bright blue eyes shone with adoration as he stared through them and into the depths of her soul. It had never been like that for him, Kaidan had never made love before Sara. Everything else before her had simply been a build up to this very moment.
The heat from the shower felt so good on his bare skin. He hadn't realized the toll that the latest mission had taken on his weary body until he felt all of his muscles begin to unwind. He hadn't realized the tension that he had been carrying in his shoulders until this very moment. Sara's story had unnerved him in ways that were savage and primal. Knowing what his lover had survived had only made him respect her ferocity even more. From the very beginning there had been a will power in Shepard that resounded through every fibre of her being, it was that drive that encouraged people to follow in her footsteps. Kaidan could see where it came from, her lease of life was a gift that the people in her settlement had not afforded. She was a sole survivor and she had already made their memory so very proud.
Kaidan reached out for the cream coloured bar of soap that was placed high on the ledge that ran along the interior wall of the shower. He sniffed it tentatively before applying it to his skin to make sure that he wasn't applying anything feminine that the other members of the crew would pick up. He was aware now more than ever of the very fine line that Sara and himself were treading. Neither had of them had entered her quarters with the intention of making love but it had happened and Kaidan wouldn't change that. He knew that their personal relationship had changed and they were over stepping the boundaries of their regulations but he thought that they could both respond professionally in terms of their jobs. Besides he thought the rules may have changed a little considering that Sara was now a Spectre. There was a whole different set of rules that Kaidan wasn't sure of and he wondered if truthfully it was the fact that Sara was so accustomed to the Alliance rules and regulations that was currently holding them back.
Behind him the door to the bathroom opened and Kaidan turned around to find himself facing Commander Sara Shepard as she stood naked before him. Jesus, she was beautiful. There was no bashfulness on either of their parts as they drunk in each other's nudity. Already this was normal for them and that was something Kaidan found he treasured. With other women it had never been like that, after sex he usually found himself pulling on his t-shirt and boxers to hide the rivets of white scarring that marred his chest. With Sara he wore his scars like a badge of honour because he knew that was the way she saw them and it gave him a confidence that he hadn't felt before.
"Hi." he found himself murmuring, his chocolate brown eyes locked firmly on her as she strode to him so that their nude forms were barely inches apart.
His cock was already hardening, seeing her naked had started the ball rolling but having her in his vicinity was enough to make him ramrod straight. There was a power in her that was like no other, the desire he felt for her was passionate and consuming, whipping itself up inside of him like a frenzy. His skin was already prickling with anticipation as those pretty blue eyes of hers darkened in response to his arousal.
"Here." she said, removing the soap from his open palm before lathering it between her own hands and placing it back on the shower shelf. "Let me."
Kaidan exhaled deeply as Sara's deviant, soapy hands caressed the contours of his chest. Her fingertips danced along the trails of white left by his scars as her pretty blue eyes fixated upon them. To her the damaged tissue was a curiosity, she traced their patterns slowly causing Kaidan to close his eyes as he revelled in the sensation.
"No one's ever touched my scars before." he revealed, his voice rough with want as she allowed her fingers to follow the lines of his hips.
"They never really understood how amazing you are." Sara said quietly as she tilted her head to peer up into his gorgeous brown eyes.
The two of them were generating a lot of firsts. The night before had awakened something inside Sara that she had never known existed. Making love had always been something she read about in books, it had never been real until she met Kaidan. The way he made her felt was indescribable, the things this man did to her went far beyond the barriers of normal comprehension. He was an angel in her eyes, one that had lived and fought just so he could save her from the crippling darkness that was beginning to bear down on her shoulders.
Kaidan's fingers wound through the chain of Sara's silver dog tags, tugging her gently until both of them were pressed against each other, huddled underneath the gloriously warm water. His mouth covered Sara's as his fingers raked through her damp red hair drawing her even closer to his sexy naked form. There wasn't a chance in hell that Sara could ever deny him as his tongue traced along the seam of her lips, seeking access. She kissed him with a ferocity that vibrated trough her lithe body like a firework exploding.
Their moment was interrupted by the sudden, loud beeping that appeared to be coming from the direction of the bedroom. Kaidan pulled away slightly slightly, his eyes ablaze and his breath ragged as his dark eyebrows furrowed into a frown as he struggled to place the noise.
"Oh Hell." Sara cursed, diving out of the water and snatching up a plush white towel on the way out of the shower.
Kaidan found his lips twitching at the scene before he turned the shower off and grasped his own towel from the tidy stack. He could hear Sara's sweet voice talking in that calm, professional tone that he associated with Commander Shepard as he dried himself off in the bathroom. He realized that the interruption must have been the chiming of her personal terminal and he struggled to push away the thoughts of what they would have gotten up to if it hadn't interrupted them. It didn't take Kaidan long to pull on his uniform before he fastened his watch to his wrist, catching a glance at the time. It was probably for the best that the two of them had had to separate otherwise he definitely would have been late for his shift.
He stepped out of the bathroom to the sound of a male voice echoing throughout Sara's small cabin from the console she was seated at. The laptop was turned towards her so he couldn't see the face of the man talking to her but he knew from the voice that it Anderson. He was probably asking for an update after their detour to Terra Nova. At some point during her own disappearance from the bathroom, Sara had thrown on her own Alliance uniform. Her short red hair was already drying at the ends and she raised her vibrant blue eyes to Kaidan acknowledging his presence with little more than a look.
There was no time for a proper goodbye, not unless they wanted Anderson to find out about their budding relationship. So Kaidan rose his hand silently to wave goodbye before he let himself out.
Hey guys, I know I said this story was completed but these two will not leave me alone! I hope you enjoy the way their relationship is developing.
Anon: I am so glad you loved the smut. I was trying to hold off so badly but the two of them had had enough of waiting around. Thanks for the review!
Gracie: Thank you very much for your kind words. I would have liked to see what happened in the hours in between missions, I think the two of them would have had a lot of talking to do. I think she would lean on him just a little in the situation she is in. Thank you so much for the review!
