Chapter 11

Lights lit up the large, open apartment. Basic art framed the walls, and dark furniture was placed across the floor. It wasn't as grand as her old apartment, but it was still a sight to see. A large sectional sat in front of a large, sleek television. She stepped down into the living room, and ran her fingers over the smooth material of the couch.

Her eyes followed Kaidan, as he pulled off his sweater and wrapped it around the back of one of the chairs that sat around a round, glass table. Opening the shiny, refrigerator doors, he reached in and pulled out a beer. He cracked it open with his bare palm, took a swig and placed it onto the kitchen counter top. Rose had wandered over to the opposite side of the counter, and was leaning against the corner of it watching him.

"What do you think?" Kaidan asked.

"Its," Rose looked behind her again, taking in the little details of Kaidan's presence over the past few weeks - his leather jacket hanging up near the door, a few empty glasses on the coffee table. She noticed a duvet, and a pillow pushed onto the concrete floor next to the couch. "It's great."

"You know what's probably a good idea?" He said, taking another swig of his beer. She raised her eyebrows at him as she unzipped her hoodie. Kaidan continued, "You should go have a nice, hot shower."

Rose smiled at the idea. She had been allowed to shower twice at the hospital since she was awake, and both times had been cold and uncomfortable.

"Come on." He beckoned. They walked through an archway, and into the bedroom. Kaidan kept the lights off, until they reached the attached bathroom. Lights flickered on, revealing a luxurious shower, and two sink basins. With a flick of his fingertips on a console, water began flowing from the shower head. He ran his fingers under it for a moment before flicking them dry.

Rose began to shimmy out her pants cautiously. She used her feet to kick them off, as they reached her ankles. She stood in her underwear, awkwardly trying to pull off her shirt. "Here." Kaidan offered. He gently pushed Rose's arms up and tugged her shirt over them.

"Don't have to much fun without me." He winked. Rose let out a giggle, and finished taking the rest of her garments off, tossing them to the floor. Stepping back from her, Kaidan quickly placed his lips on hers before the door slide quietly behind him.

Stepping into the shower, the water fell over Rose's body like a waterfall. She hadn't had a real shower since before her last mission on Earth. Running her fingers through her hair, she felt it untangle and tickle her shoulder blades. Spinning around she let the water run down her back, and she began lathering her body with white soap suds. She stood there for a moment, letting the water run down her body before she stepped out - the water automatically turning off.

Grabbing the towel that sat on the corner of one of the sink basins, Rose wrapped it around her body carefully. She rubbed the soft material against her skin absently, before dropping the towel and looking at herself in the mirror.

It was the first time she had truly seen her body post-war. Her Cerberus implants had finally kicked in last week, rebuilding the tissue, making her scars from her surgeries slowly disappear. Veins and muscles seemed to slightly jump out of her skin, giving a toned shape to her figure. But at the same time, she looked so thin- her collarbones popping out, ribs showing, something that still puzzled her to this day. Small dark circles laid under her dark brown eyes, and her damp, messy hair framed her tired face. None of these were new, Rose couldn't remember the last time she looked into the mirror and didn't look tired. It was just apart of being in the Alliance. She looked the same, and hopefully within a couple days she would feel the same too. But for now she just wanted to feel Kaidan next to her, no matter how she looked.

Rose looked down at the clothes that sat in on the bathroom floor. Thinking better of them, she rewrapped the towel around her and walked out into her dark, new bedroom. She fumbled around in the dark until she finally found the console. Lights slowly hummed on, but they were dim - spreading a golden glow across the room.

Two duffel bags sat on top of a slick dresser. Rose dug through them but found they were empty. Opening the drawers below them she found clothes folded neatly inside - hers on one side and Kaidan's on the other. She ran her hand over the silk of her one dress, placed on top the neat pile of clothes before gently closing the drawer. Turning around she faced the bed.

It was modern, with a big headboard, attached night tables. A frame sat on one of them, but it was turned off. Curiosity filled Rose, but it flickered away when she noticed the bed. It was bare - except for the crisp, white sheet that laid on top of the mattress. There was no wrinkle in the sheets, like no one had slept in it. She thought of the duvet and pillows in the living room, and a wave of sadness hit her. Kaidan had slept on the couch the whole time. She felt pain spread through her stomach at the thought of Kaidan sleeping in this big apartment, all alone this entire time. Wrapping an arm around the top of her towel, securing it in place, she walked back out into the main room.

Kaidan had moved onto the couch, laying across it with his head on the side arm. He adjusted himself as Rose sat down in front of him on the edge of the cushion. They sat in silence for a moment, staring at the muted tv with banners of news flashing across. Mass Relay Update: repairs complete. Council News: meeting on a daily basis. Commander Shepard: recovering in Huerta Memorial. Kaidan rubbed her back as they read the last banner, sliding across the screen.

Rose leaned into the gesture, and laid down next to him. He leaned over to edge of the couch, grabbing onto the white duvet and throwing it over them, before wrapping himself around Rose's body. His hand wrapped around her waist and grabbed hers. She twisted her neck around and they kissed each other, gently at first but then harder. They both had longed for this moment for weeks now. Rose had to force herself to push away, "Kaidan.."

"I know love." He kissed her lips tenderly one last time, and Rose buried herself into his neck and clung close to his body. She could feel his muscles rippling underneath his thin, cotton shirt and was getting drunk off of his scent - his musky cologne, beer on his lips, even the smell of his leather jacket lingered on him. She felt a pounding through his chest, matching up to the beat of her own fluttering heart.