Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect

A/N – A massive thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter. Your support just blows me away! I meant to get this one out a few days ago, but I've been busy and I struggled to make time to write. Sorry! Buuut I think you'll all enjoy it.


The presidium was alive with noise and colour as James strolled along the commons, his hands stuffed casually in his pockets. The Citadel sky was slowly changing from pale blue to pinkish-orange in a simulated sunset, and the bright splashes of colours were mirrored in the lake's shimmering waters. It was a beautiful sight and he paused to watch it, wistfully remembering afternoons spent along the beach in San Diego as a teenager, watching the sunsets and dreaming of a different life.

His brown eyes reflected the rippling colours in the water and he rested his muscled forearms against the railing, glancing down at the lake and smiling as he thought about the good times. San Diego, a city of sun, surf and sand, was still the place he called home and he hated to think what he'd find when he got back. It was a beautiful city and he missed the salty smell of the ocean, the warm rays of the sun and the thunderous sound of the waves crashing on the sand …

An excited shout dragged him from his thoughts and James turned just in time to duck out of the way of a gaggle of hanar who were blundering towards the lake, scattering amused people in their wake. The jellies were talking excitedly to anyone who would listen, their tentacles flailing wildly through the air as they proclaimed over and over that the age of the Enkindler was about to arrive.

James snorted to himself and couldn't hide his grin; clearly, they hadn't met Javik.

He appreciated the giant jellies for their contribution to the world of action vids, but not for much else. In truth, all hanar reminded him of Blasto, and thanks to a certain tasty snack, Blasto reminded him of Shepard.

Shepard.

Tonight was supposed to be their first official dinner date, since James couldn't bring himself to count the junk they'd eaten on their first date as real food, but so far things hadn't gone to plan. He sighed and looked out over the lakes again, a cool breeze whispering along his skin as he leaned against the railing. Shepard had been called to an urgent meeting with Tevos, and he'd been killing time on the commons for the last hour waiting for her.

It wasn't that he was upset with Shepard for having to go to a meeting, but it was frustrating as all hell because, as a couple, they'd missed some important milestones in their relationship. He'd been planning to make amends for that tonight and really sweep her off her feet. Sure, they'd had their toe-curling first kiss up in her cabin, and they'd had an unforgettable first night together, but they'd never actually gone on a proper date.

He sighed and pushed away from the railing as the sky began to fade into a deeper purple and blue, pin-points of artificial stars twinkling in the sky. It felt wrong, being Shepard's boyfriend and sharing her bed without having done anything really romantic for her. He wanted the chance to take her to an expensive restaurant, buy her flowers and chocolates, and to invite her back to his place for coffee. Even if they were Alliance marines in the middle of a war, they were still a couple and where he came from you treated women in a certain way.

He could almost hear his tío's voice in his ear, reminding him to use the Vega charm to woo the women and not just to charm the pants off them. His uncle Emilio was the one who drummed it into him as a teenager to always treat women with respect, and to go the extra mile to sweep the woman you loved off her feet.

Sorry tío, but better late than never, no?

It was his intention to sweep Shepard off her feet tonight, even if things didn't go as planned. He'd booked a table at the sushi restaurant that everyone raved about, and he'd bought flowers, chocolates and champagne. He was feeling a little silly about pulling out such clichéd moves with Lola, but at the same time he was excited to see her reaction, especially since he had a sneaking suspicion that Shepard hadn't gone on many actual dates.

It was a pity they'd missed their reservation at the restaurant because of Shepard's meeting, but there were other places they could go; Liara was always raving about an asari restaurant on the lower levels and Kaidan claimed that Apollo's cooked a mean steak. Honestly, he didn't mind where they went, so long as Rennah enjoyed herself.

Besides, the champagne, chocolate and flowers were waiting back in her cabin, and he was pretty sure that those alone would bring a smile to her face!

A few weeks ago he wouldn't have even tried giving Shepard flowers and chocolates. No way. She would have laughed at him for sure, or maybe eaten the chocolate and chucked the flowers. But over the past few days he'd seen some differences in her. She was still her usual grumpy self with most people, but around her friends there subtle changes in her way she acted that showed she was mellowing a little.

He liked to think that he'd had something to do with her softening a little, but he knew it hadn't been him alone. He suspected that the real catalyst for her changes had been Cain, or rather, what he'd tried to do. When the psycho had taken them prisoner, Shepard had expected the crew to let Cain get away with her. Instead, her friends had stood up and fought for her, and that small act had changed something inside of her.

With a ping, his omni-tool called him from his thoughts and James moved to more secluded area of the commons and opened the message. It was from Shepard! For a brief shining moment his body surged with happiness, then his stomach plummeted as he saw the message wasn't even for him. It was a bulk message to all of the crew for an immediate recall to the Normandy, with a departure time of two hours.

Disappointment surged through him and James curled one hand into a fist, fighting not to let the emotion overwhelm him. The magic of the evening vanished in one crushing wave and, frustrated, he whirled and began to storm back to the Normandy. Whatever had gone on in her meeting with Tevos must have been really damned important if she had just sent out a recall without bothering to even cancel their date …

"James! Wait!"

He paused mid-stride as Shepard's voice rang out and turned to see her sauntering up behind him, her high heels clicking on the path. Without even realising what he was doing, he let out a low whistle as his eyes swept up her body, tracing over the curves that her little black dress clung to so faithfully. Her dark hair tumbled freely around her face and over her shoulders, black as ink and so shiny it reflected the lights of the Citadel.

She looked smoking hot.

His body clenched with need and he had to swallow twice before he could speak, "Lola!"

Her full red lips curved into a smile and she paused in front of him. "What's a guy like you doing in a place like this?"

"Well, heading back to work apparently." James moved closer to her, until his chest brushed against hers and he slid an arm around her waist, glad they were in the shadows without anyone to see them. "Although how I'm supposed to get any work done when you look like that is beyond me."

Shepard laughed and her eye, a dark indigo in the dim light, twinkled as she ran a hand lightly up his arm, her nails dragging along the fabric of his shirt and sending shivers down his spine. "Well, we do have a whole two hours until Joker can get us cleared to leave. Our date doesn't have to be totally over." She linked her arms around his neck and slowly pressed her body close to his. "I know we missed our reservation, but to be honest I'm not really hungry. How about if we go someplace a little quieter for now and you can cook me something back on the Normandy?"

She was so goddamned sexy that James knew he was in real trouble tonight. His intentions to romance the hell out of her vanished under a crushing wave of lust and he nodded at her dumbly, his body stirring as she curled her nails into his arm. Shepard could have asked for him to do anything for her, and in that moment he would have done it to make her happy.

"Whatever you want, Lola." His voice dropped to a low aroused rumble, and he struggled to get his body's reaction under control.

Come on, Vega! You're an Alliance marine! Not a horny teenager!

"Excellent!" She flashed a blood-tingling smile at him. "We can play hooky for at least an hour, I estimate."

Shepard swung away from him with a throaty laugh and pulled him through the crowds, leading him towards the lakes. It took all of thirty seconds to work out where she planned to go and James chuckled as he slung an arm about her waist. For the moment, off duty and out of uniform, he didn't care if anyone saw them out and about together; it felt good to touch her.

"Are you planning on climbing that ladder in that little dress and heels?" James asked as he set an alert on his omni-tool to go off in an hour.

"Are you offering to carry me?" She retorted as she paused by the railing and slid her shoes off. "Now, if anyone asks …"

"Let me guess, we're on official Spectre business?"

"You got it." Rennah cast a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching, then vaulted over the edge and vanished into the foliage. James followed a moment later and, hand in hand, they slipped into the keeper tunnels.

"You know," he paused at the bottom of the ladder and looked up as Shepard vanished into the gloom. "I'm going to have to take this slow because of my chest."

She paused and peered down at him. "Do you want to go back?"

"Nah." James opened his omni-tool up to give himself some light, grinning as he looked right up Shepard's dress at her lacy underwear. "Besides, I like following you up ladders too much."

She muttered something that sounded like 'perverted ass' but there was a smile in her voice, and she resumed climbing. The journey to the platform seemed quicker than it had the first time, though his chest was aching by the time they reached the top. Shimmying up a giant ladder in the dark while recovering from surgery was probably not the smartest thing he'd done in his life, but for her he would have done anything.

The view was stunning out on the platform and lights stretched out in all directions, a shimmering ocean of glowing neon signs. Almost as beautiful as Lola. He watched as she sank down onto the ground, curling her legs under her gracefully and letting out a soft sigh.

"You know, I never get tired of this view." She reached up and caught his hand, pulling him down beside her into the shadows. "It reminds me of why I'm fighting so hard to stop the Reapers."

"It looks a little like home to me." James felt Rennah turn to look at him but he kept his eyes on the lights and elaborated, "of San Diego, I mean. It reminds me of my tío and my father and of all the people who were left behind on Earth."

She curled into the arm he put around her. "Is there any word of your family?"

"No." He shook his head and refused to let his mind linger on what might have happened to them.

Shepard made a sympathetic sound, and her hand found his in the dark. "I'm sorry, James. I hope they're okay."

"Me too."

He pulled his eyes from the glittering vista and traced a calloused hand down the soft skin of Shepard's cheek as she watched the lights. Did she realise how much she'd changed over the past few months? From the outside looking in, it seemed that some of her old wounds were healing. As though the rage that always simmered beneath the surface was fading a little and she was more at peace with herself.

His heart thumped harder in his chest as she turned to look at him, her gaze full of need as she subtly shifted closer. James slid his hand to the back of her neck and pulled her closer, their lips meeting in a gentle kiss that made his greedy body crave more. It was was electric, and the instant he felt her mouth against his he wanted to have her in every way possible; to kiss every inch of her body and thrust himself into her host moist core while she moaned his name …

No.

He clamped a lid down on those thoughts and rigidly took control of himself. Tonight was not about jumping in the sack with her, although they may well end up there. Right now, he wanted to make Shepard feel loved, for her to know how much he cared for her. Not for her to think that all he wanted was to fuck her senseless at every chance he got.

"I love you." Shepard dragged her mouth from his and sucked in an unsteady breath, gripping his hand tightly. "I don't say it as often as I should, but I do."

James' chest swelled with pride and love, and he bumped his forehead gently against hers. "I love you too. I still don't know how I got a girl like you, but I'm the luckiest guy in the world. You mean everything to me."

Words weren't enough and James kissed her again, groaning appreciatively as her her tongue tangled against his as she deepened the kiss. He caught her to him and, though his chest wound pulled tight, he let his hands wander down her body, enjoying the feel of her soft curves against him. It was exhilarating to hold her again, to have her wrapped around him and making those small girly noises that made his blood fizz.

Did she feel the same? Was it just as intoxicating for her?

Shepard dragged her mouth from his again and laughed, letting herself fall back against the ground as she grinned at him happily. "I've missed your kisses, Jimmy."

"I kissed you when I was in the hospital!" James defended himself as he reclined beside her, easing himself down carefully.

She snorted waved her hand dismissively. "Those little careful pecks weren't real kisses."

"Well, next time I wind up in hospital I'll kiss you like this …" He leaned over her, cupping her face with his hand as he trailed small kisses up the line of her jaw until he reached her mouth. She tasted of peppermint gum as he kissed her slowly, teasing her lips apart before he dipped his tongue into her warm velvety depths, and trailed his free hand down her body to cup her ass.

She whimpered and trembled as he kneaded her flesh, her mouth hungry against his, as though famished for his kisses. His need for her sung through his veins, and he moved his lips down her face and neck, nuzzling and nipping the soft skin of her throat as she clutched him tightly and panted. He always marvelled that he affected her like this, that such such a strong, fierce creature could become putty in his hands.

"James …" Shepard whispered his name sweetly and her hands drifted under his shirt to caress his muscles.

It felt good, too good, and with a gargantuan effort, James broke away and rolled onto his back, his chest heaving with unfulfilled desire. He had to stop now. If he didn't stop now he was going to end up making love to her right here on this platform, and he didn't want that to happen. If they made love tonight, he wanted it to be special and intimate.

"Not here, not like this," he managed to murmur to Shepard. "I want to take my time and love every inch of you."

She made a disappointed sound, but nodded. "Mmm, that does sound nice."

They lay in silence for a time, the quiet ambiance broken only by the distant sound of sky cars and the odd wail from a siren. Rennah looked up at the sky, idly trailing her hand up and down his arm as she lost herself in her thoughts. He could almost hear the wheels in her head turning and he wished he could see inside of her mind, to truly know the woman inside.

"I don't know what have done if I'd lost you." Shepard spoke up unexpectedly, her voice soft in the darkness. "Back on the Normandy. When I thought you were dead, I …" Her voice trailed off and she held him tighter, unable to finish her sentence.

"Lola!" James sat up and looked down at her, concern jolting him out of his happiness. "You're not going to lose me, okay?"

She looked up at him and smiled weakly. "I hope so, because I'm not sure if I'd want to save the world without you in it."

It was one of the sweetest things Shepard had ever said to him, but it sent chills down his spine for reasons James' couldn't place. There was silence as Rennah sat up and looked out over the Citadel, resting her chin on her knee. The bright neon lights cast a glow over her features and threw half of her face into shadows, giving her an air of mystery. He ached to reach out and run his fingers through her hair or pull her into a hug, but she needed this moment to say what was on her mind.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and grinned when she saw his frown of concern. "Don't look so worried. I'm not going to go jump off the top of the Citadel if something happens to you. But I've been fighting for other people all my life, never for myself. This is the first time I've had something of my own to protect …"

He kissed Shepard before she could finish speaking, his mouth crashing down on hers as he struggled not to do something stupid like cry. A wave of intense emotion rippled through him and he crushed her to his chest, silently swearing that no matter what happened, he'd find a way for them to get through this. The Reapers, Cerberus and Cain could go fuck themselves, nothing was going to come between them.

They stayed like that, wrapped in each other's arms, until James' omni-tool broke the peace with a chirp to alert him that their hour was almost up.

"We should get back." He smoothed her hair behind her ears and pressed his lips to her forehead, shivering as a faint static zap from her biotics tingled across his skin. "Unless you want your ship leaving without their Commander."

"They wouldn't dare." With a derisive snort Shepard climbed to her feet and helped him up, linking her fingers with his.

A stupid grin crept across James face as they made their way back through the keeper tunnels. Tonight might not have been the grand sweeping gesture that he'd planned, but it had been every bit as romantic as he'd hoped. And he had a sneaking suspicion that once they got back to the Normandy, the night was only going to get better.


A/N – They deserved a little bit of happiness before I dropped them in the fires of Thessia, right? As always, I'd love to know what you thought!

I also wanted to quickly rec. some ongoing Shega fics that I adore! Careful What You Wish For by Jules Hawke, Bailamos by Nicniviean and After the End by Ghrelt. If you aren't reading them already, go and check them out!