My Girl Lola part 8

    It's been two weeks since I woke up in Shepard's apartment, alone in bed. I reached out for her only to find her missing, her side of the bed already cold. It couldn't have been a dream since I was laying in her bed, not mine, for which I thanked my lucky stars. If I had woken up to find I had dreamed the whole thing I would have really been pissed.

    The smell of fresh coffee wafting up the stairs quickly answered the question of where she went. I swung my legs to the ground and stretched with a satisfied smile. Last night was incredible. Let's just say the hot tub was only the opening act. I pushed up off the bed and to my feet, retrieving my boxers from the floor and slipping them on before heading down the stairs and towards the kitchen. 

    I turned the corner into the kitchen and stopped short, a smile curving the edges of my mouth. Shepard was standing in front of the stove dressed in her panties and a tank, swaying and singing along to "The Girl From Impanema." I leaned against the counter and used that moment to take her in. How could this woman manage to be so many different things? The bad ass commander, the graceful dancer, the passionate lover, and this morning the adorable woman cooking breakfast in sock feet. I have no idea how she does it, but she's everything I could ever want and then some. Shepard put more bacon in the frying pan and sang,

    "Tall and tan and young and lovely, the girl from Impanema goes walking-"

    "I don't know about the tall part, Lola," I interrupted, "but I agree with the rest." She didn't start at the sound of my voice and if she was surprised to find me watching her I saw no sign of it. She just sent me a sly smile over one shoulder.

    "We can't all be hulking behemoths, James. And last time I checked my height didn't keep me from kicking your ass." I walked towards her, the look in my eyes hungry for more than food. I stopped behind her, put my arm around her waist, and began to sway with her to the song.

    "Trust me when I say I have no complaints about your height, or any other part of your body for that matter." I pressed a kiss behind her ear and then rested my chin on top of her head, a perfect fit. I could hear the smile in her voice when she spoke again. 

    "Well I guess you would know, Lieutenant, judging by how thoroughly you examined it last night." I took a small step away from the stove and spun her around to face me, putting one hand on her waist and taking her hand in my other one. I led her in a slow, intimate dance while the singer in the background crooned what I was thinking-

    How can he tell her he loves her?

    I knew she wasn't ready to hear it, not by a long shot, but that couldn't stop me from feeling it. I'm in love with Lola, a fact that I wouldn't be embarrassed to tell the universe if I didn't feel like she should probably be the first one to know it. Well, besides Esteban, but that was unavoidable. I decided to leave that problem for future James, since that guy's probably a jerk anyway, and just enjoy the feel of Lola in my arms.

    "The bacon's going to burn," she said, looking up at me. I smiled down at her.

    "Then let it burn," I said and kissed her softly. Shore leave ended that day at noon so we didn't have much time for anything else after breakfast. Well, except for that quick shower. Together. I'm sure I don't need to elaborate. 

    Then we were off again, saving the galaxy one mission at a time. Two missions in the last week, in fact. We're on fire. And, true to Shepard's word, I have yet to spend the night in her cabin. Though I have spent quite a few afternoons in it, and sparring in the cargo hold has turned into one of my very favorite pastimes. Esteban has started making himself scarce around that time. I guess he doesn't particularly like our new rule of "kiss goes to the victor." That's okay though, I like it more than enough for the both of us. 

    Unfortunately there will be no sparring for us today. We've been ordered back to the Citadel for some R&R by Admiral Hackett, a full three days while the Normandy gets some TLC. Lola already warned me I'm not allowed to hijack her schedule again. Granted she told me this while we were up on the couch in her cabin, one of her legs draped across mine and holding hands, so it made me a bit more amendable.

    I'm currently down in the cargo hold taking care of some inventory for the armory when my omnitool rings, an incoming call from Lola. I answer it with a smile.

    "Well hello Gorgeous." She returns my smile with one of her own, accompanied by a blush so faint you wouldn't see it if you weren't looking for it. I am. It's a new look on her, happy without a touch of bitterness, and I swell with pride that I helped put it there.

    "Hey James. How's the inventory coming?" I shrug.

    "It's coming. How's the Citadel?" I haven't even made it off the ship yet. "Have you even been to your apartment or are you still in meetings?" She rolls her eyes. She doesn't think she works too much, I disagree.

    "Actually, that's where I'm at right now. I just got a message from Joker asking me to meet him at that Ryuusei sushi place for dinner." I groan. 

    "Damn it, I was planning on taking you there for dinner tomorrow night." Stupid inventory. She laughs. 

    "Tell you what, you can still take me there and I'll pretend it's my first time, all right?" I grumble but agree and make a mental note to mess with Joker's chair in the cockpit for retribution. "Anyway," she continues, hopefully oblivious to my internal plotting, "I was thinking since this dinner is fairly early maybe you'd want to meet back at my place for dessert? Around, say, 9 o'clock?" I grin, any thoughts of revenge quickly forgotten.

    Here's the thing, despite being able to find some alone time together we haven't made love since that morning in her apartment. I'm not saying there hasn't been a few hot and heavy make out sessions, but nothing further than that. There seems to be some line in Shepard's head between life on the Normandy and life everywhere else, a line she isn't ready to cross yet, and I'm okay with that. I've had to make use of a freezing cold shower a few times, but I'm not about to push her on this. I told her I could wait and I will. However, I'd have to be an idiot not to jump at her offer.

    "9 o'clock sounds perfect, Lola. I should be done with all this by then." And if I'm not this inventory will just have to wait until tomorrow. Her smile turns coy.

    "Great, I'm looking forward to it." She ends the call and I'm sure the look on my face screams love struck fool, but I don't care. I hurry through my task and have all the weapons put away within an hour. I'm glaring at all the paperwork waiting for me when my omnitool rings again. I answer it without looking, convinced it's my girl.

    "Hello Beautiful." A male voice clears his throat.

    "As flattered as I am, Vega, I think the Commander would kill us both." I glare down at the screen.

    "Aren't you supposed to be at dinner with Shepard?"

    "About that," he says, and for the first time I notice his heavy breathing and the shifting view behind him. It seems like Joker is trying to get somewhere in a hurry. "Turns out it was an ambush. Shepard sent me to go get you guys while she tries to rescue the intelligence officer that tipped us off. Granted it was a few seconds before the actual attack, but hey, it's the thought that counts." I've grabbed my armor out of my locker and am putting it on in the elevator before he's finished his sentence. I've never noticed how slowly this thing moves before.

    "Is she armed?" I ask, switching the call to voice only so I can fasten my armor. I hear a skycar door shut on Joker's end.

    "She took a pistol off one the mercs as I was leaving, but she's not in armor." He mutters something about being bait that I don't quite catch. The doors open to the CIC as I'm snapping shut the last closure on my armor. Just Shepard armed with a pistol against an army of mercs? At least without all her gear weighing her down she'll be able to unleash her biotics more frequently. Still, without armor she's a sitting duck. I jog through the CIC towards the air seal.

    "What were her last known coordinates?" 

    "Ryuusei Sushi in the wards. I'm sure once you get close enough you can just follow the gun fire." I'd make a sarcastic remark but I'm pretty sure he's right. I flag down the first shuttle I see and direct them towards the Silversun Strip. Hold on, Lola. I'm coming.