A/N: I skipped over the little chat at the beginning of ME3. There wasn't much to add there for this story. But I still cannot unsee that redhead who was with Anderson who double-takes on Kaidan's ass as Shepard comes up in the Alliance building before the Reapers hit! Haha! Sorry about the wait. Life. But I am back and so is some humor, so enjoy!

HERS

Earth was under attack by the Reapers, Shepard was standing in the cargo bay of the Normandy as the door closed, and Kaidan was standing there beside her. It was a hell of a day. A day she would just as soon forget.

When Anderson threw her her tags, she couldn't help but catch Kaidan's eye as she put them over her head. I wonder if he still has mine. Probably not. Too much time has passed. She tucked the tags inside her shirt and turned. "I'll be in my quarters. Let me know when we reach Mars."

A slight snort came from Kaidan's mouth. "I'm sorry, your quarters? I'm pretty sure I'm the ranking officer here."

"It's my ship, Kaidan. The only thing different about it is that the Alliance painted over the Cerberus symbols." Shepard walked away. "I guess whoever gets there first…"

Both started running for the elevator. Kaidan was taller and therefore had longer legs, so he reached the elevator first, but Shepard smugly noticed that it doesn't make the elevator come faster. When the door opened, they both pushed their way inside. Kaidan slammed the button for the top deck. Shepard just stood there with a slight smirk on her face. Dumbass. I'm already in here.

"I guess we're at a bit of an impasse now, aren't we?" she said.

"Yeah, I guess we are," he said nonchalantly.

An awkward silence followed. This elevator always took too damn long. Except for when it didn't…Shepard's mind started filling with memories of stolen kisses and soft giggles that they had shared together in the SR-1. Now they were standing on complete opposite sides of the elevator fighting over the damn CO quarters.

"Why don't we share it?" Shepard suggested, not completely innocently. "We both have plenty of work to do that requires peace and quiet."

"Shepard, I don't think that would be the best idea." Kaidan scratched the back of his neck. I always loved that little tell of his. He's uncomfortable. He's nervous.

"I didn't say share a bed. The bed is mine. You can have the couch. It's long enough for you."

"What the hell, Shepard? You are quite a bit smaller than me, and could more easily be comfortable on the couch." He didn't say no to sharing!

"What ever happened to chivalry? I thought you were a real proponent of that old-fashioned idea." Now, she was smiling. It was warming her heart to see him irritated.

"Now you are just trying to piss me off, aren't you?" His eyes shone in a way she hadn't seen in a long time.

"It's easy to do." The elevator door swished open. Using a biotic throw, Shepard slammed Kaidan against the back of the elevator as she scampered out toward the CO quarters.

"Hell no!" Kaidan shouted as he quickly recovered and lifted Shepard away from the door and back into the elevator. He then flipped out his omni-tool to unlock the door.

"You nasty son-of-a-bitch!" Shepard squealed and leaped out of the elevator before the door swished shut again. This is fun. I don't think we ever competed against each other for anything before. Probably a good thing. Shepard continued to smile naughtily.

Kaidan unlocked the door and they both stepped in to the room, trying to shoulder the other out of the way. When his shoulder slipped a little behind hers, Shepard ran and threw herself face-first onto the bed.

"MINE!" she yelled triumphantly, and rolled over on to her back, grabbed the comforter and wrapped it around her, rolling back and forth on the bed. "Mine, mine, mine," she laughed. She sat up and picked up a pillow. "Did you miss me? I know you did. That damn Alliance house arrest place couldn't even give me a nice pillow."

Kaidan stared at this demonstration of Shepard's, arms crossed in front of him. "You've got to be kidding, Shepard."

Surrounded by white fluffiness, Shepard looked at him innocently. "The bed is mine. The pillows are mine, and You. Can't. Have. Them."

It took Kaidan all of two steps to reach the bed from the upper level of the quarters by the desk where he was standing. He grabbed the comforter and pulled it out from under Shepard, flipping her over. She maintained her hold on the edge as she tumbled.

Kaidan continued to pull on the blanket, grabbing in the middle so that he would have more leverage with it. With one hard jerk, he wrenched it free from Shepard's grasp and she fell forward off the foot of the bed, near his feet.

This time Kaidan laughed in victory. "You never said the comforter was yours. It's mine now, baby!"

Shepard kept low to the ground as she watched him gloat. Then quick as a flash, she lunged at his knees, wrapping her arms around them, buckling them and sending him crashing to the floor.

"Shit!" Kaidan yelped. Their bodies lay perpendicular with Shepard's arms still wrapped around Kaidan's legs that were across her torso. He tried to kick free, but her grasp was strong.

"Come on, Shepard. Let me go."

She could feel the warmth of his body and that old, familiar hum of their biotics together. She basked in the enjoyment of it, but held his legs tighter. Her body began to ache with desire. It has been so long, and he's the only one.

When Kaidan finally started to twist his body, she felt her grip begin to loosen. She wouldn't be able to confine him much longer. She laughed inside her head at how ridiculous they looked. Bedding strewn about, lying on the floor…in bondage. Shepard just couldn't help her salacious thoughts. The whole damn galaxy was going to hell, but she was going to find something good in it, somewhere. He just happened to be right here with her.

Kaidan was sitting up, pulling at her fingers. When he broke through, he grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the floor, breathing heavily from the exertion. Shepard's breath wasn't completely steady either, but that had more to do with the man on top of her.

"Kaidan." Her voice came out so much softer than she wanted. Her eyes searched his. I still need you. I've never lied to you. Please believe in me again. His eyes quickly turned away, and he cleared his throat. Standing, he kept his hands on her wrists as he helped her up. Shepard wanted to believe that they were lingering, holding her like she wanted him to. His grip loosened, but he didn't let go. He suddenly felt softer. She started to ever-so-slightly lean in to him, to rest her head on his shoulder, but…

"Major? Commander? We're about 10 minutes from Mars." Joker's timing was impeccable.

"We'll settle this later. Agreed?" Kaidan said firmly.

HIS

As soon as he saw Reapers in the air, Kaidan rushed with James Vega to where the Normandy was docked for its retrofit. After trying unsuccessfully to contact his parents, he ordered Joker to get her in the air. It wasn't long until Kaidan heard from Anderson and they went to collect him and Shepard.

Even though she was under house arrest of sorts and he hadn't seen her until today, his mind was still consumed with thoughts of her. He could easily have blamed the Alliance for that. They sent him and a couple of his spec ops team to investigate why Shepard had destroyed that mass relay near the Batarians.

When he arrived back on Earth, he was set to testify on what he found. What he had found was the Reapers were invading the galaxy and it was only by a miracle that they escaped to return. Everything Shepard had said was true.

When she leaped onto the Normandy, he had no reservations about working with her again. When Anderson threw her the dog tags, he couldn't help but wonder what she felt for him. The breeze from the open door cooled his own tags and he could feel them lying against his skin.

"Welcome aboard, Shepard." Kaidan tried to sound authoritative. I outrank her now, so why do I feel so out of my league?

Shepard seemed aloof. "I'll be in my quarters. Let me know when we reach Mars."

Wait just a goddamn minute. "I'm sorry, your quarters? I'm pretty sure I'm the ranking officer here."

"It's my ship, Kaidan. The only thing different about it is that the Alliance painted over the Cerberus symbols. I guess whoever gets there first…"He eyed her suspiciously until she took off running.

"Hmph," Kaidan gloated as he reached the elevator first. Shepard just crossed her arms and stood there. When the door opened, he tried to push past her, but she wasn't so easy to move. Hitting the button, Kaidan stared at the ground as the elevator started its ascent.

"I guess we're at a bit of an impasse now, aren't we?" she said. She's always been so damn cocky. It's sexy as hell.

"Yeah, I guess we are," he said. Who is the commanding officer on this ship? Anderson gave her the orders, but I do outrank her. Is she still a Spectre? I hadn't heard anything about her being reinstated.

"Why don't we share it?" Shepard said, breaking through his thoughts. "We both have plenty of work to do that requires peace and quiet."

"Shepard, I don't think that would be the best idea." She does know that I'm a man, right? I'm not made of fucking steel.

"I didn't say share a bed." Shepard rolled her eyes. "The bed is mine. You can have the couch. It's long enough for you."

"What the hell, Shepard? You are quite a bit smaller than me, and could more easily be comfortable on the couch." Wow, that was a lame objection. Why am I even entertaining the thought of sharing a room with her? Shit.

"What ever happened to chivalry? I thought you were a real proponent of that old-fashioned idea." Damnit, we weren't together that long and she can just play me like a violin. I love her. A gleam entered Kaidan's eye as he caught her playful jibe.

"Now you are just trying to piss me off, aren't you?"

"It's easy to do." Before he had a chance to say anything back, the elevator door opened and Shepard unleashed a biotic throw sending Kaidan sprawling backwards.

"Hell no!" He flared blue and sent Shepard upwards into the air, setting her gently back down inside the elevator. He then flipped out his omni-tool to unlock the door.

"You nasty son-of-a-bitch!" Shepard squawked. A smirk appeared on Kaidan's face. I can be just as stubborn.

The door flew open and Kaidan tried to wedge in front of her. Shepard pushed back with her shoulder and somehow she got past him, running and diving onto the bed.

"MINE!" What the hell is she doing? It's a bed. She started baby-talking to a pillow. "Did you miss me? I know you did. That damn Alliance house arrest place couldn't even give me a nice pillow."

"You've got to be kidding, Shepard."

Shepard's defiant eyes met his. "The bed is mine. The pillows are mine, and You. Can't. Have. Them."

Two can play this game. Kaidan yanked the thick blanket out from under Shepard.

Just a little more, Kaidan thought as he continued to pull more of the comforter toward him. Shepard was trying desperately to hold on. With a strong tug, he won. "You never said the comforter was yours. It's mine now, baby!" He stood over her beaming, as she lay on the floor. Yep, man 1, woman 0.

Shepard's sudden tackle took him by surprise. "Shit!" Kaidan fell hard with her arms wrapped around his legs. He had had enough now. It was time for the game to end.

"Come on, Shepard. Let me go." She didn't, and actually tightened her grip. He started to get annoyed until he noticed the humming in his body. How many nights had I dreamed of holding her again? Feeling this very sensation. Kaidan felt another sensation in the lower half of his body, and he began to twist uncomfortably. He had to get away before his body betrayed him.

It wasn't working well, so Kaidan sat up, trying to hide his slight excitement and to start pulling at her fingers. Damn, she has one hell of a grip. Still her strength was no match for his. He grabbed her wrists and used his full body weight to hold her down. They were face-to-face. He blinked when he saw no anger, no defiance, no playfulness in her eyes. Just something else…It's been so long since we were mentally bonded. I wish I knew what I am seeing.

"Kaidan." Her voice was tender and distracting. He wanted to forget it all and just kiss her. But we have our duty. He gingerly lifted her up and kept his hands clasping her wrists. No words were spoken. Kaidan didn't think words would fix anything. Just being together, maybe that would, just maybe.

"Major? Commander? We're about 10 minutes from Mars."

"We'll settle this later. Agreed?" Kaidan said, annoyed. Joker must have a death wish.