To: Operative Leng

From: The Illusive man

Subject: Udina

Udina has the rest of C-Sec's passcodes. Get them from him. I want the last preparations finalized before the end of the week.

I.M.

Kai scraped his nails through his hair, scratching his scalp as he read through the message one more time. After an indescribable night, dawn brought reality in tow and he couldn't help but feel a bit put out about that fact. He gave the woman sleeping soundly beside him a sidelong glance, a strange flutter in his gut at the sight of her nude form sprawled out on the bed like she was accustomed to sleeping alone.

A small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as he remembered the fun they'd shared the previous night. Last night had been… Kai had no words, but the fondness with which he remembered it was reverent. He and Jane had existed on another plane of reality. They'd melded together, becoming one in a way that transcended flesh. He'd never experienced anything like it. Kai's smile fell at the thought of the Illusive Man's message. He'd never be able to experience anything like it again.

Scooting closer to the beautiful woman deeply resting beside him, Kai leaned down and brushed aside her short red hair. With the nape of her neck now revealed to him, he pressed a gentle kiss onto her warm and pale flesh. The warm feeling radiating inside of his chest was foreign to him.

Jane stirred, animating under the heat of his affection and the proximity of his body to hers. Realizing that their position was a touch too intimate, Kai inched away from her a bit and waited for her to wake fully. He watched her, mesmerized as she threw her toned arms over her head and stretched herself out with a jurrasic-like squeak. When the sleep was wrung from her muscles, and the bones in her back and neck were popped, she met Kai's gaze with a contented simper on her lovely lips.

"Morning tiger," she purred in greeting, her eyes still heavy with sleep. Pulling herself up until her back was propped against the headboard, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yawned.

He had to fight the urge to reach over to her and caress the rise of her cheekbone. Kai's smile was mischievous when she met his gaze again. "Did you sleep well?"

The sparkle returned to her eyes, the same playful one he'd first noticed at Flux, the one that had spurred him on like a frenzied shark only hours ago. Happily, she affirmed, "That was the best night's sleep I've had in a very long time." Adjusting the pillow behind her back, she remarked, "It's a damn good thing that you 'spare no expense when it comes to where you rest your head,' eh, Mr. Leng?"

The smile on his lips grew at the sound of her teasing him. Leaning closer to her, Kai nudged her with his nose until she exposed her neck to him. Nuzzling the arch of her neck, he rumbled, "I'm sure the pillows aren't the only reason you slept so well, Ms. Doe."

A laugh burst out of her then, the sound of her igniting arousal evident in the undercurrents of her tone. "You are such a cocky bastard, you know that?" She brushed him away from her neck before turning on the bed and crawling onto his lap.

They were still naked, too spent the previous night to be bothered to get dressed. Her pert breasts were exposed to him, begging for his attention, but Kai kept his wavering focus on her vibrantly green gaze. He wouldn't be able to ignore her naked body on top of his for long, but he would hold out for as long as he could. Heat was already rushing south and there was nothing to be done against it.

Brushing back her enrapturing red hair, he held her by the nape of the neck and replied, "I don't remember you complaining last night."

Jane hummed, the smirk on her lips growing into a ravenous grin as she too remembered their hours of sensual exertion. Rolling her pelvis over his hardening member, she inquired, "What's to complain about?"

He couldn't think. Her heat was muddying his thoughts, and Kai was losing himself to his arousal, becoming a slave to her warmth and touch all over again. He was only partially aware of the time, his meeting with Udina rearing its annoying head.

His hands rubbed her thighs by their own free will, needing to feel her, encouraging her to keep moving against him even if he knew that they didn't have time for another tumble. Licking his lips as he held her fiery gaze, Kai regrettably stated, "I have a meeting…"

A wolfish smirk curled her full lips. Placing her hands on either side of his head on the headboard, Jane leaned forward and trapped his head between her arms before bringing her lips to his. Without claiming his mouth, she quietly replied, her tone husky and colluding. "And I have a galaxy to save. But that doesn't mean that we can't take advantage of the moment."

She rocked her hips against him, with only the sheets to separate her body from his. "We're not likely to see each other again, and I want to make this last for as long as I can."

Kai's heart lurched in his chest, recognizing his own desires in her statement. Cupping the back of her head, he pulled her mouth the rest of the way and claimed her lips as his own. Her reaction to him was immediate, instinctual. She held his face prisoner in her hands as her tongue danced against his, her body moving with a primal need.

Last night Kai had laid claim to Jane, to all of her. His commands were obeyed, his desires were met, she was his to do as he wished. But now it was morning, and it was Jane running the show. Never being much of a follower, Kai had to resign himself to her lead, he had to submit to this breathtaking and powerful woman. Surprisingly, it wasn't as difficult as he'd been expecting it to be.

When Shepard leaned away from him Kai kept his mouth entangled with hers, refusing to release her tongue from their dance. She smiled against his mouth, as though expecting nothing less from him. Grabbing his hands by the wrists, Jane moved his hold from her neck all the way down to her breasts. Happy to fondle her warm and perky mounds, Kai started to knead her breasts, and freed her lips from his if only to have a taste of her pearled nipples.

A low and sensual groan rolled out of her as he flicked his tongue over her pointed breasts. Jane held him against her bosom, pinning his mouth to her until her breaths turned jagged. She was writhing in his lap, gyrating against him, seeking him out through the sheet. It didn't take her very long to become frustrated by their needless separation.

Sitting up in his lap, she jerked the sheet out from between them. A large grin carved across her lips at the sight of his arousal springing free in greeting. Meeting his hooded gaze, her grin turned into a foxy smirk as she reached down between them and began to stroke his length. Her smirk became dangerous at the sound of Kai's approving growl, and he knew that she intended to torture him.

She stroked him slowly, casually, as though neither of them had places to be, as though this moment of stolen intimacy was the only thing in the universe of importance. Kai couldn't bring himself to disagree. Udina would still be there in an hour, the galaxy would still be at war. Right now, this moment, their time together, it was fleeting and he intended to enjoy Jane for as long as he could.

Jane bit into her lip. She was hovering over his engorged manhood, her entrance so painfully close, but instead of lowering herself onto him she continued to rub him up and down. Kai's grip on her hips was needy, urgent. She was teasing him and he couldn't take much more of it. His gaze roved over her, admiring her magnificent body in the Citadel's faux light of day.

The heat raging inside of him was polysemous. Flames of carnal desire forcing his hands to feel her every curve and dip, fought with a different kind of heat lapping at his chest, consuming his heart, branding him as hers. He'd never felt anything like it, and it scared him.

Green eyes staring straight into his soul, Jane held his gaze as she finally decided to end his suffering. She positioned him at her entrance, moistening his tip with the hot moisture of her folds. A sharp hiss ripped through his clenched teeth at the feel of her molten heat slowly sheathing him entirely. When she was buried to the hilt they stayed frozen like that for a moment, peering into each others eyes while she adjusted to accommodate his girth.

His heart was thrumming against his eardrums, his breath ragged, their combined heat was already pulling a light sweat out of him and they hadn't even gotten started. It was Jane. She had this effect on him, made him feel as though he was running a marathon just to keep up with her. Not only was she worth the race, but just being in her presence made him feel like doing a victory lap as well. Smiling at Jane, Kai brushed her beautiful red hair out of her face. He supposed that was what they were doing right now.

Jane started to move and his mind went blank. His fingers pressed firmly into her hips as she rolled against him, riding him. Each rock of her body was measured, premeditated to drag out both of their pleasure. It was mind numbing. Kai threw his head back, a beastly groan riding out on a heavy exhale, revealing just how amazing he thought she felt.

The silken walls of her fiery core hugged him so snuggly, massaging his length entirely from base to tip, up and down, and back again. Jane leaned back and they both moaned at the intensity of it. With her hand on his shin, she started to pump him in and out of her, and the friction was nothing short of addictive. Her breasts bounced with each thrust, and Kai was enraptured by the sight of her.

She was a fierce and demanding creature. Jane was powerful, strong, determined, and she was that way in all aspects of her life; be it fighting Reapers or fucking strangers. At the rhythmic sound of her body meeting his, Kai knew deep down that they'd done so much more than just fuck. Their sex was more, and he felt like he himself was more when their bodies united like this. He wouldn't call it love making, but he was finding it terribly difficult to come up with a different phrase.

A pool of fire was filling to the brim at the base of his spine. Kai was close to combustion, and he could tell by how Jane's thrusts had lost their rhythm that she was also near her end. Sitting up, he kissed her collarbone before nipping at the sensitive skin of her neck. His hand snaked between them, finding her nub and started to massage it in small circles; slowly at first then growing in speed and aggression.

Before long Jane's arms were wrapped around Kai's neck, hugging him tightly as her riding turned sloppy. Her moans were loud in his ear, stoking the dangerously full pool of white hot heat boiling in his core. When he bit into her neck again, only for his tongue to caress the offended area, Jane's crescendo was met by climax, her pulsating walls hugging his length with desperate throbs.

Feeling himself so close to orgasm, Kai threw Jane onto her back and rammed into her. His body met hers once, twice, three times before the lake of fire finally burst free. A pained cry sounded from him at the intensity of it and, for a moment, it felt as though his spirit had left his body. Sex wasn't normally an outer body experience, but then again what he and Jane did was more than sex.

The sound of their heavy breathing was the only one in the room for a short while, though Kai was next to certain that she could hear the rap of his pounding heart. Peeling his face from the crook of her neck, he stared down at her and couldn't help the satisfied smirk that twitched at the corners of his mouth.

Brushing aside her brilliantly red hair, he asked, "You hungry?"

She returned his smile, a girlish giggle bubbling out of her. He could tell by her dilated eyes that she was enjoying the endorphin rush of their lovemaking- fucking, Kai corrected himself. Jane buried her fingers in his black hair, her grin dopey when she answered. "Starving."

Kai pressed a quick kiss to her neck before peeling himself off of her and standing from the bed. Taking in the sight of her naked body sprawled so beautifully on the bed, he reluctantly turned away from her and walked toward the bathroom. "Let's wash up and grab something to eat."

"I thought you had a meeting." she replied to his back as he walked away from her.

Without looking over his shoulder, he rebuked, "And I thought you had a galaxy to save." and stepped into the bathroom. Turning on the shower, he shouted over the falling water, "We'll grab something to eat on the way to the docking bays. What's wrong with enjoying the moment for a little while longer?"

He hadn't heard her approach. That was why when she replied with a happy, "There's nothing wrong with it at all," from the doorway, it had caught him by surprise.

Kai smiled at Jane, this strange feeling in his chest growing with every step of her casual approach. When she was standing directly in front of him, head tilted back so that she could meet his gaze, she placed her hands on his chest. "We should enjoy it while it lasts."

Placing his finger under her chin, he guided her mouth to his and kissed her. His thoughts returned to the Illusive Man's message. This moment, great as it was, wonderful as it felt, couldn't last forever. She wasn't aware of it yet, but they were enemies. And soon she'd find out.

He'd gone to Flux to find out whether or not the fandom surrounding Commander Jane Shepard was worth its size and, after last night, he had his answer. The answer was no, it wasn't worth its size, it was worth so much more. She was incredible. Jane was the most breathtaking woman he had ever met. Showstopping, ass kicking, and enrapturing as she was, there wasn't a single person in the whole galaxy that could ever compare.

And she was his enemy.

Kai fought to keep his lips from frowning. They had the moment, and they would have it for a little while longer. Right now they were lovers, and right now was exactly where he wanted to be.

'Walk of shame' had never felt more mistitled. Joy, contentment, elation, all fine adjectives for what she was currently feeling. But shame? No, shame was the furthest thing from her mind. Her clothes were wrinkled, her makeup was long gone, and Shepard felt amazing.

Last night had been… there wasn't a word in any human language to describe the experience. They'd been so in sync the entire night, predicting the other's needs and desires, freely giving of their bodies. She'd felt connected to Kai Leng like she'd never felt with anyone before. It was disorientingly perfect, and her head was still spinning.

She watched him as he placed their orders with the food vendor, wondering where this man had come from. His black hair shone like obsidian under the Presidium Common's pseudo daylight, brushed back and away from his face. The volumous, pin straight strands refused to stay put and immediately fell back into his eyes, only to be brushed away again. The man was gorgeous, and Shepard was smitten.

Why had it taken so long for them to find each other? And why was it that they'd finally stumbled upon each other in the middle of a war that was sure to kill her? Jane pursed her lips as she stared at his back, musing over the universe's terribly comedic sense of timing.

When Kai turned to face her again, cup of coffee and plain bagel held out in offering, she accepted the food with a smile. "Thank you," she said, taking a long sip from the freshly brewed coffee. The dark fluid burned her tongue, and she welcomed its bitter heat with a happy hum.

The string dangling over the side of his own cup indicated that he'd gone with tea, black tea to be precise. An observation that Shepard stored away for no reason other than she desperately wanted to know everything about this incredible man. Her heart fluttered when he offered her a small smile before leading them back on their way toward the docking bay.

"I didn't take you for a plain bagel type of person," he commented as they walked, quickly glancing at her before returning his attention forward. Kai's tone was distant when he added, "I figured you to be more inclined to have a full spread for breakfast."

Shepard smiled at his observation, taking a bite out of her painfully lackluster breakfast. After washing down the bagel with hot coffee, she replied, "Normally I am." He met her gaze again and they both smiled at each other, Jane couldn't help but wonder why his gorgeous eyes seemed to shine so somberly this morning.

"Doesn't matter what meal of the day it is," she continued, deciding that she must have been imagining the sadness in his eyes. "I eat every meal like its my last."

He hummed in understanding. Kai met her gaze again and Shepard knew that she hadn't been imagining the dejection in their depths. He glanced away to watch where they were going, before looking back at her, only for the dispirited look to be gone from his eyes. "I imagine that, in your line of work, that could possibly be the case."

Her heart fell, knowing that his thoughts mirrored her own. Shepard wasn't likely to survive this war. Being in the Alliance for as long as she was, fighting in as many battles as she had, Shepard had always known to treat each fight like it could be her last. When the certainty of death was expected, she could more easily appreciate that life was made up by a series of moments. She found it profoundly important to live each moment to the fullest, and she didn't want this moment with Kai Leng to be dampered by dark thoughts.

Shrugging, she casually replied, "Death's a part of life. Whether or not there's a war on, soldier or civilian, we all die eventually. It's the moments that make life worthwhile, and I intend to enjoy every moment I have."

She maneuvered her half eaten bagel into the hand holding her coffee, and intertwined her freed fingers through his. When Kai's surprised, and mildly uncomfortable, gaze moved down to their interlocked hands, he stared at them for a while as though the gesture was new to him. After a second he peered back up at her, a crestfallen shadow in his poorly guarded eyes.

They walked like that for a little while, hand in hand as though they hadn't just met the previous night, but had known each other for years. Not a single word was exchanged as they left the Commons and found their way to the elevator that would take them to the docking bay. Though the silence was far from uncomfortable, Shepard wished she knew what to say to fill it. She didn't want to leave him on this glum note.

They'd spent a beautiful night together. She'd gone to Flux looking for a distraction and instead found a new fascination. Not once had she expected to be so completely enraptured by a man, and yet Kai had done exactly that. The handsome man had gotten under her skin over the course of hours, and now she was sad that their time had to come to an end. In the terms of one night stands, this was definitely not the way that it was supposed to go.

The elevator dinged, the doors parting with a swoosh. They stepped out together, onto docking bay 24 where the Normandy awaited her, where reality was demanding her swift return. Shepard stared down at their still interlaced fingers and thumbed over Kai's knuckles. Her heart was druming somberly against her ribcage, knowing that this was likely to be the last time that they were ever going to see each other again. She fought against the urge to ask for his contact information, knowing that it would probably be better if they didn't reach out to one another, not when starting anything now seemed so pointless.

"So," she started awkwardly, unable to look up from their hands and meet his gaze quite yet. "I had a good time."

He freed his hand from hers with a gentle tug. Tucking a finger under her chin, Kai lifted her face to meet his eyes and Jane could see the uncertainty in his beautiful irises. "So did I." Thumb brushing over her bottom lip, he leaned down a bit before whispering, "You take care of yourself out there, Ms. Doe."

The kiss was a deep one, a farewell, a goodbye forever. Jane grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him closer, sucking him in as though his breath was life. When they reluctantly parted, Jane breathed in a calming breath, forcing the upheaval of depressing emotions back down. She barely knew this man. Them parting ways wasn't supposed to be this hard. Them never seeing each other again wasn't supposed to be this depressing.

Clearing her throat, she tucked her bangs behind and ear and corrected him. "It's Shepard now." She glanced back at the Normandy through the docking bay's expansive windows, fighting back the sadness that was starting to run like oil through her veins. "Our moment is up, Mr. Leng."

The look he gave her was schooled into neutrality. Cupping her cheek in his hand, he whispered almost inaudibly. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" She blinked hard, confused and flabbergasted as to why he felt that an apology was even necessary. He'd done nothing wrong. They'd done nothing wrong. "Last night was perfect," Shepard assured him, her expression sturn so that there would be no doubt. "I'm happy that it happened, and I'm not sorry."

Kai shook his head, gesturing that she didn't understand his meaning, and that they didn't have time for him to explain. Tenderly peeling her hands from the front of his shirt, he kissed her knuckles before releasing her. "It was an honor to have met you, Commander Shepard."

Him calling her anything but Jane felt so sickeningly wrong. She looked him in the eye, knowing full well that he would be able to see the sadness in her expression. "The honor was mine," she replied, swallowing hard against the sense of loss massing in her throat.

Offering him a weary smile, she said, "Good luck at your meeting, Kai Leng. I hope it goes exactly the way you want it to."

"It will." he said in that cocksure way of his.

Her smile grew, happy to hear the arrogance back in his voice. She took a step back, throwing a quick glance over her shoulder to find the Normandy waiting. The smile on her mouth slipped, this was it.

"Guess this is goodbye," mumbled Shepard, mustering the courage to look him in the eye again.

The small twitch of his lips was sympathetic. Nodding, he returned, " I guess it is."

As much as she didn't want to leave, as impossible as it felt to move any further away from him, she forced herself another step back, and then another, until she finally turned her back to him and started for the boarding ramp to the ship she called home.

She could feel the weight of Kai's heavy gaze on her back, could feel her own sense of overwhelming loss grow with each step that distanced them. Without looking back at him, not daring to steal even one more glance, she strode forward until she was walking back through the Normandy's airlock.

"Commander," Joker's mischievous voice greeted her when she walked aboard the cruiser. His grin was playfully accusing when she stopped just in front of the cockpit. Arching a knowing eyebrow he wondered in a sing-song tone, "Did you have a good night?"

The memory of the night before brought a grin onto her lips, and Joker's smile also grew at the sight of her obvious infatuation. "I did," she answered, chuckling lightly at the knowing sparkle in the helmsman's eyes. "Thank you for asking."

EDI turned in the co-pilot's seat and she addressed Shepard with a very human like smirk on her lips. "A package arrived for you, Commander." To the surprised expression that etched along Shepard's face, the AI explained, "It arrived early this morning. Jeff has advised me not to disclose what is inside."

Joker grinned at her, "EDI couldn't decide whether it should've been sent to your room or the armory," he hinted. When Shepard's features turned suspicious, he informed her, "It's in your cabin."

Her curiosity was insatiable. Nodding in gratitude to both of them, she instructed pilot to, "Get us out of here, Joker," before she turned on her heel and headed to the elevator. After quickly checking in with Traynor, she stepped into the lift and tapped her foot as she waited for the metal deathtrap to bring her to the loft.

The elevator doors parted and Shepard hurried into her room, intrigued to find out what had been delivered to her. Once inside, she immediately noticed the box sitting on her desk. She approached the white package cautiously, half expecting it to explode or something equally undesirable to happen. When she was standing in front of her desk and the package hadn't started to act suspiciously, she decided to open in.

Carefully removing the top, her expression furrowed at the sight of a card resting on top of an N7 Hurricane. She picked up the holo-card and flicked it on, her heart leaping into her throat at the sight of what was written inside.

Jane,

For being such a graceful loser.

Enjoy,

K.

P.S. Graceful or no, you're still a loser.

A grin expanded over her lips, her heart soaring with elation. Instead of getting his own weapon with his winnings, Kai had bought her exactly what she'd wanted. It was strangely considerate, she thought before remembering how he was in the bedroom. Though the handsome man liked to project otherwise, he was a surprisingly thoughtful person.

Setting the holo-card down, Shepard picked up the N7 Hurrican and felt it in her grasp. This was a great weapon, and now she would only ever think of her night with Kai whenever she used it. She set it back down inside of the box and decided to change into her fatigues before escorting the gun all the way back down to the armory.

Though she doubted that it would happen, Shepard hoped that she'd see Kai Leng again before the end of this war. If death was inevitable, she'd prefer to die knowing whether or not what she felt about last night was reciprocated.

Thank you to everyone who has commented and followed! I really, truly appreciate your feedback. And, not to worry, I'm not done with these two quite yet!