Cross-posted from tumblr. Speculation for the Citadel DLC.

"Kaidan, I don't like interior decorating." Shepard blew an errant strand of hair out of her eyes, and fussed with an imaginary crease in her blue crew shirt as she whined, "Can't we just shove a bedspread on and call it a day? Hell, that's all we'll use anyway."

Kaidan threw her an unimpressed look, his lips twitching. "Ha, ha," he laughed sarcastically. "You are so funny, Shepard. What made you become a marine rather than a comedian? You'd make millions with your own stand-up show back at the casino."

Shepard grinned and rolled her eyes. "You know. I try," she said, all false modesty. "I think these up while in the middle of dodging Reaper lasers. Passes the time."

"Don't try and distract me," Kaidan warned, trying not to smile. He turned back to the rows of brightly coloured fabric decorating the asari upholstery store (they had every shade imaginable, some Shepard had never even heard of. What the fuck was 'Bluebeard Puce Night' anyway?). "We need some tasteful drapes."

"Oh god!" she suddenly barked into her comm, "Garrus, come save me!" Shepard winked at Kaidan, as Garrus ignored her tragic wailings. Probably too busy pulling the card shark act with Jimmy.

"I can't take it anymore." She pointed one long, warning finger at her partner. "You start talking about 'expensive but tasteful' drapes and I swear, buddy, you will be sleeping down in the crew deck for the duration of this war, and Jimmy and I will turn the apartment into a beer-drinking and vid-watching palace."

He threw down the indigo drape he had been running over his fingers for thread count inspection, and turned to her. "Shepard, I live in your cabin too, you know. And if I wasn't there to pick up your crap all the time, it would be a health hazard. Don't be such a baby and help me pick out a colour you like."

"Did you just call me - the Saviour of the Citadel, the Conqueror of the Collectors, the Slayer of Reapers - a big baby?"

He sniffed, turning back to his drapes. "You are. A whiny one."

"I changed my mind," she huffed, trying to ignore the asari who was frowning fiercely at them over her armful of pillows. "You can't come live with me in my nice big apartment. Only babies live there." Shepard desperately tried to keep the laughter bubbling up in her chest bursting out of her mouth, as she tried to frown at him seriously. "All to myself, yep."

Kaidan grinned slyly. "You're gonna keep that far-too-big-for-one-person bed all to yourself?" He somehow managed to inject an extra note of huskiness into his voice, and Shepard knew she was screwed. She felt a jolt right behind her naval as she thought of what they would be doing that night.

Hell yeah, she thought. That apartment was so worth it.

Finally, they got to be like a normal couple and actually be affectionate somewhere besides her cramped warship cabin. He could even cook her that dinner he kept promising was his speciality, but in three years had never had a chance to make.

It was almost like having an actual life outside of war and sorrow.

Shepard felt miraculously like she had three years ago. On Intai'sei, when everything was perfect. The shore leave they had before everything fell apart. When they were young, and thought they had all the time in the world.

Maybe it was time to take their missed opportunities back. To claw some happiness in the midst of Reapers, husks, dead friends, and seize their future. She had no idea what would happen one day to the next, but life waited for no one, and one day she would defeat the Reapers.

Their Citadel apartment was their first step.

"Maybe." She raised her eyebrow, affecting a cool tone. "Maybe not. Depends. Are you gonna just pick some damn drapes, take me to lunch and buy me a nice, big, juicy, steak sandwich?"

Without waiting for a response, making sure the disdainful asari had a good view; she gave his rear a nice, firm pat, and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

He lips rose in a smile beneath her lips, his eyes laughing.

"I think that could be arranged."

They left, Kaidan paying for his precious drapes, and Shepard had to agree internally that they really were expensive but tasteful. Nice, soft and comforting. She never had a nice home.

They were going to build a nice home together.

"Heh, heh," she laughed to herself, watching as Kaidan moved ahead of her into the elevator. "Can't wait to try out that bed."

"What was that, Shepard?"

"Nothin'."

The elevator doors slammed shut behind them.