Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect

A/N - This story started it's life as a drabble which I was going to delete, but instead decided to cannibalise and rewrite as something sweet and fluffy. I love James and Shepard as a couple and I wanted to write a nice oneshot about them finding love with each other post ME3. A big thank you to Zulija, who unwittingly inspired this story with her lovely writing and TLCinbflo who read over the early cannibalised drabble and gave me feedback.

Cover Art is by Mimoru-Chan on DA!

There was something soothing about painting, Jane decided as she dipped her roller into the tray and began to apply more of the beautiful white paint to the walls. Across the other side of the room James was on a step ladder and Cortez was next to him, the men bantering light-heartedly about the game of biotiball they'd watched last night. They'd opened up the large french doors that led out to the balcony as they painted and a gentle breeze wafted through, sweetly scented by the pine trees that surrounded Shepard's new house.

It had been a year to the day since the Reapers had been defeated and Jane Shepard had saved the galaxy by activating the Crucible. There had been good times and bad as humanity struggled to get back on their feet, and Jane herself had had some ups and downs as she recovered from her injuries. It had been lonely, recovering in a hospital on Earth while her crew and friends had been light years away in space, but at least she hadn't been completely alone.

She'd had Cortez and Miranda to help her get through her recovery, and though she'd been grateful to have such good friends to depend on, she'd missed her crew mates. She'd missed Liara, Garrus, Tali and James. God, how she'd missed James. He'd become one of her closest and best friends while they'd fought the Reapers, and she hadn't realised just how much she'd come to rely on him being there for her until he wasn't there anymore.

She'd missed him so much that it had hurt, and slowly she'd realised that her feelings for him weren't entirely platonic and that they went further than just a crush. It had taken her completely by surprise to realise she'd fallen in love with the young marine, and she'd fought tooth and nail to be sensible and not succumb to her feelings. There were a myriad of reasons why it was a bad idea to even think about James in a romantic way; he was too young, he was her friend and after the blast on the citadel she was a shadow of her former self.

She'd broken both legs in multiple places, as well as breaking her pelvis, ribs, collarbone, cheekbones and had fractured her skull and spine. One of her arms had been mangled beyond repair and had had to be amputated, though they had been able to tissue clone another and reattach it. Miranda had helped with the most crucial repairs to her synthetic body parts, while Cortez had helped with her physiotherapy as she recovered.

To look at her most people wouldn't have guessed how badly she'd been hurt, but the truth was she would never be the same again. The internal damage from the explosion meant that she would never have the family she'd dreamed of having one day, and many of her synthetic parts had been so badly damaged that they would require further monitoring and repairs as more of Earth's big hospitals came online. She'd spent her life being the strongest, faster and the best, and suddenly she wasn't anymore.

She never would be again.

It took nine pain-filled months, but by the time the Normandy limped it's way back to Earth she had almost been physically back to normal and Hackett ensured she had a place of honour amongst the Alliance dignitaries gathered to welcome them home. She'd been promoted to the rank of Admiral, partly because so many of the upper brass had been lost that they had to replenish their ranks and partly in acknowledgment of the role she'd played in defeating the Reapers. It was a double edged sword, as it meant she was destined for a desk job.

None of that had mattered to Jane at the time; she'd just been looking forward to seeing all of her friends. When they finally arrived and strolled out the airlock, she'd only had eyes for James, and he'd only had eyes for her. He'd bolted down the ramp, ignoring Hackett and the other dignitaries, and had run to her, picking her up in his arms and spinning her around. For the first time in months Shepard had forgotten she was a broken shell, and she'd laughed and cried as she clung to him.

Then he'd kissed her and the world stopped.

The moment was frozen in her mind with crystal clarity; the feel of his lips against hers, his strong arms wrapped around her and the smell of his aftershave. But the kiss had also brought her crashing back to Earth and reality had returned in a blaze of camera lights as the media went into a frenzy. She hadn't known what to do, and when she and James had finally managed to escape the reporters, Jane had known for sure that getting involved with him would be a terrible mistake.

She didn't know what he'd been playing at, if it was genuine affection or merely a spur of the moment thing, but it had hurt. Loving him when he was so obviously just playing about with her, was a game she was going to lose. And though it felt as though someone was ripping her heart out, she had distanced herself from James; blaming him and his kiss for the media frenzy and for putting her in that awkward position.

James had been frantic when he realised she was upset with him, and had done everything in his power to put things right, but it had been to no avail. She had been a coward, too scared to tell James how she felt, and had used the media storm that had been created as an excuse to back away and refuse to see him. It was almost ironic that after all the time she'd spent missing him and wishing he was back with her, she was the one who was hiding from him.

That had been three months ago, and since then she'd seen James on only two occasions; once at an official ceremony when he had been promoted to the rank of Commander and a few weeks ago at a party at Cortez's house. The experience at the party had been horrible; she'd thought James was still in space on assignment and had had no idea that he was coming along. Seeing him walk into the party and the hopeful look he'd thrown in her direction had been enough to make her panic.

She'd retreated immediately, locking herself in a bedroom and hiding from him until Cortez had come looking for her. Steve had always had a way of calming her down and prying things from her, and before long she'd told him everything; how she'd fallen in love with James on the Normandy but had to keep the distance between them because it was the best thing to do. She'd cried when she confessed how much she missed him as a friend, a confidant and as something more.

Steve had been quiet as he'd listened to her pour her heart out, but when she tried to justify her decision by stating that it was the right decision to make, his response had been simple, "If it's the right decision, then why are you crying?"

Why did it hurt so much?

She'd explained it to Cortez as best she could, that she was a broken shell of a woman, and certainly not the person who James had been friends with on the Normandy or the solider he had looked up to. She wasn't going to be the pathetic older woman who fell for the cute young lieutenant that would only ever see her as a buddy. Yes it hurt, but it hurt a hell of a lot less than it would when James rejected her and broke her heart.

She'd had no idea that Cortez was bringing James with him today, and when she'd opened the door and seen both of them standing there she'd almost slammed it shut again. Steve had been sneaky though, and had come in before she could make excuses and send them away, carrying tins of paint and being so friendly and helpful that sending him away would have seemed ungrateful. James had been on his best behaviour too; friendly and charming and unerringly polite.

Jane wasn't sure if she was disappointed in his lack of interest or relieved.

She paused for a second and put the roller back in the tray, smiling as she felt the cool breeze from the window brush against her skin. Then, yawning loudly, she arched her back and stretched, sighing happily as all her cramped muscles got some circulation back into them again and her joints popped. She turned around, ready to begin painting again and caught sight of James watching her, a look of intense yearning in his eyes that made her heart flutter, but he looked away so fast that Jane wondered if she'd imagined it.

"Damn!" Cortez put his roller down and turned around to face her, wiping his hands off on a rag as he gave her an apologetic smile, "We're getting low on paint. I guess I miscalculated how much we'd need."

"Esteban…" There was a warning in James' tone and Shepard frowned in confusion as an unreadable look flashed between them.

"I'll just run out and get some more. I'm sure you two can hold down the fort without me." He gave James a hard look and then smiled at Shepard, "I won't be long."

Jane swallowed hard as Cortez gathered his wallet and keys and left, neither she nor James moving as they both listened to the sound of the sky car revving and then the sounds of it fading into the distance. A roll of nervousness swept through her and she quickly turned back to her painting, grabbing the roller and getting back to work, desperate to look busy so James wouldn't engage her in conversation. She could feel his eyes on her as she worked, but she steadfastly ignored the tingle of awareness as his eyes swept over her skin.

Against her better judgement, Jane looked back at him and when she saw him glance over at her, she put her roller down and turned to face him properly, planting her hands firmly on her hips, "What is it?"

"What?" He gave her an innocent look that didn't quite reach his eyes, "What did I do to earn the grumpy Shepard look?"

She narrowed her eyes, unwilling to let him wriggle off the hook when he was making her so uncomfortable in her own home, "You keep staring at me."

"You look good." For a second, James looked surprised at the words that had come out of his mouth and his eyes widened, than he laughed and gave her an easy going smile as he shrugged, "And honestly, I've missed watching you, Lola."

The sound of him saying her nickname was enough to make her shiver, and she quickly turned back to her painting, her heart hammering in her chest as she tried and failed to think of something to say. James was a flirt, he'd always been a flirt, and the fact that he was making these comments meant nothing, so she shouldn't read anything into it. He'd be gone soon enough and then she could return to licking her wounds in peace and solitude, without James Vega making her heart ache.

"You do look good, you know." James added when the silence stretched on, a playful tone in his voice, "I don't think I've ever seen you look quite so…cute."

She was dressed in faded black denim jeans and had thrown one of her old Alliance dress shirts on over a skimpy green tank top. The dress shirt was loosely buttoned and was so stretched and faded that it didn't matter if paint spilled on it. She knew she didn't look sexy or alluring in her current get up, but she could help but flush a little at his words and the way he was watching her.

"Thanks." It was all she could think of to say as she pushed some of her unruly red hair behind her ear.

Unnerved by his honesty, she concentrated on painting and she and James worked silently for a few more minutes. A loud thump sounded and she turned to see that James had jumped down from the ladder, he dropped his roller in his empty tray and stretched much as she had a few moments ago. Casually, he wandered over to the French doors and the balcony which looked out over the jewel coloured waters of the lake below and James whistled appreciatively as he admired the view.

"Nice place you got here, Lola." He commented as he leaned against the door frame and continued taking in the view, "I always imagined you settling into a place like this, out in the wilds where you could be alone."

"I was lucky to get it." Jane kept painting, trying to ignore the shivers of awareness that tingled down her spine when he called her Lola. She was a grown woman for goodness sake and she should be able to control her emotions, so why was she always reacting like this around Vega?

She heard him turn away from the windows and step closer to her, watching her paint, "So how are you? I heard the Alliance has offered you a spot on the Defence Council?"

"Yeah, I'm still thinking about it though." She kept her roller by her side and turned to face him, giving him a tired smile, "You know how much I love politics, although I suppose I'm not much good for anything else these days." Despite her best efforts, bitterness dripped into her tone like acid and James's lips thinned as he watched her.

"That's not true." He took a step towards her and his voice almost trembled with passion, "You're amazing. You destroyed the reapers for fuck's sake! Stop belittling yourself because you got a little banged up."

Jane swallowed nervously at the emotion in his voice and shrugged as she evaded his eyes, "I don't want to talk about it. I'm still not sure what I'll do." She stared at the white walls, the paint still glistening and wet, "Anyway, it's none of your concern, is it?"

It was a cruel thing to say and from the corner of her eyes she saw James jerk as though she'd hit him, his warm brown eyes staring at her in confusion as she continued to ignore him. There was a pause as Vega walked over to get his roller from his tray and then walked back to her, dipping it into her tray and beginning to paint beside her. Jane was painfully aware of his huge imposing body alongside her own and she had to concentrate extra hard on not letting paint drip everywhere as her mind went into overdrive.

The silence stretched on between them and Jane's stomach twisted nervously as she wondered if she'd gone too far. She didn't want to hurt James, but having him around her when he didn't feel the same way was torture. Even if James was attracted to her, he was too young and hot headed to be serious about a relationship for long, and he'd never shown the least bit of interest in her, well, aside from that one kiss.

"Shepard." James sighed and put his roller down and turned to face her, his face sombre and voice hesitant, "I can't keep pretending everything's okay between us. I have to know why you stopped talking to me?"

Jane sucked in a breath at his unexpected question and accidently dropped her roller, it clunked to the tarp covered floor and sat their leaking paint while she stared at it stupidly, "I didn't…I was…" She stumbled over her words and scrambled frantically for an excuse, "It was…just that…I wasn't comfortable after that kiss…and the media…"

"Really?" James put his roller down in the tray and picked up hers to do the same. When he straightened, his face was determined and his jaw had a stubborn set to it, "Because when I kissed you, you were laughing and happy to be with me again. I saw it in your face; you missed me just as much as I missed you! I thought you felt the same way as I did…"

No no no! Shepard shook her head and stepped back from him, "Please, don't…"

"Don't what?" His chocolate eyes blazed fiercely as he followed her, matching her step for step until she backed into one of the unpainted walls, "Don't tell you that I spent nine agonising months on the Normandy wondering if you'd died? Wondering if I was ever going to see you again? Don't tell you that you were all I ever thought about and dreamed about?" Bitter emotions scraped through his voice and James drew in a painful sobbing breath, "Don't tell you that I fell in love with you?"

Shock! Shepard felt it reverberate through her body and her eyes widened in surprise. When she'd rejected James, she'd thought he'd been hurt because his ego had been bruised or that maybe he'd been saddened at the loss of a friend who was also his idol, she'd never dreamed that he felt the same way that she did. Her mind and body seized up and she stared at him wordlessly, unable to process anything beyond the fact that he loved her.

"I came here today because Esteban told me that you had feelings for me too, and I…I had to find out why you cut me out of your life." He reached out a hand to touch her face and Shepard pulled away, her eyes begging him not to pursue this any further, but James wasn't deterred. "What did I do to scare you away? Did I move too fast? Did I frighten you? What was it? Tell me!"

His voice was commanding and Jane choked back a sob, "I'm not who I used to be, James. I can't go back to being that woman. I'm going to need more operations, I'll never be able to fight on the battlefield and I can't even have a family." She sobbed before she could stop herself, "I'm not the woman you fell in love with. I'm broken…"

"I don't care!" James' face tightened and he ran a hand through his close-cropped hair, "I don't care if you can't do those things. I love you! If you have to go through more pain than why can't I go through it with you?" He looked at her expectantly but Shepard only shook her head silently and James gritted his teeth, "Say something!"

"Because…because…" Shepard felt tears well up in her eyes and she finally couldn't keep the agony in her heart from spilling out anymore.

With a sob she crumpled to the floor like the broken thing she was and hid her face in her hands as she cried. She was only faintly aware of James as he knelt beside her, his voice breaking as he begged her to stop crying and apologised for upsetting her. He pulled her into his arms, holding her to his solid chest as he and wrapped his strong arms around her. Slowly the tears receded until she was quiet again save for the odd hitch in her breath, her eyes closed as James pressed his lips to her forehead and ran gentle hands through her hair.

"Shhh, it's okay. I'm sorry I lost my temper, I didn't mean to make you cry." His voice was forlorn, as though he was certain he'd blown his chance with her. "I've just been so lonely and it hurt so much when you wouldn't even talk to me, and now I've ruined everything..."

Shepard shook her head and clung to him tighter, "I'm the one that ruined everything, I'm so sorry I hurt you."

"I understand if you don't feel like I do, or if I scared you." He sounded sick at the thought of having scared her, "I just don't want to lose you completely. I love you so much."

"God, I've been so miserable." Jane swallowed back the tears that were threatening to fall again, gathering all her courage as she confessed, "I ran away from you because I was afraid of being hurt and afraid of letting you down. It's probably too late for you to believe me but…"

"But?" For the first time there was hope in his voice.

Jane took a deep breath, unable to believe how stupid she'd been, "I'm in love with you too." She kept her gaze locked with James' and saw the surprise and happiness flash through them like quicksilver. "I never thought you would love me too and I didn't want to ruin your life by holding you back or tying you down." She tentatively took one of his hands, lacing her fingers through his, "But all I really wanted was to be with you. I was just so scared of letting you down and getting hurt."

"Oh Lola." James sounded both amused and frustrated, and his hand crept up to cup her cheek as he shook his head and smiled, "You can be so dense sometimes. I've been in love with you for a long time. You're the first thing I think of when I wake up and the last thing on my mind when I fall asleep."

He tilted her face up and brushed away the remnants of her tears with his thumbs and then slowly lowered his mouth to hers, his warm chocolate eyes closing as their lips met. The kiss was tentative at first, a mere brush of his lips on hers, then it deepened and became something more. Her need for James, which she had buried so deep inside of herself, rose to the surface and with an impatient groan Shepard opened her mouth to his, the kiss turning wild and hot.

Months of pent up frustration and longing crashed over both of them in an overwhelming wave and Shepard let it sweep over her, letting go of the sadness that had dogged her since she'd run from James. It was still unbelievable that he loved her, really loved her, but when she pulled her mouth from his to catch her breath she could see the love in his eyes, as deep and warm and rich as chocolate.

"You really love me?" She asked, twining her arms around his neck and leaning in for another heart-stopping kiss.

"God, yes." His arms tightened around her and he pressed his forehead to hers, "I love you. I want you. I've missed you."

He flashed a gorgeously happy smile at her and kissed her again, pulling her more firmly onto his lap where Jane felt the very physical proof of how much he wanted her. She let her hands slide down his wonderfully muscular arms and across his chest, splaying her hands out and feeling the rock hard muscles under her palms. Gently, she trailed her fingers down his chest and lower over his abs.

James made a sound of pleasure and jumped when her hands slid under his shirt, exploring the acres of bare skin in a much more tactile way. His eyes, which had slowly closed, opened and he watched her hesitantly as her hands drifted up, following the curves of muscles until she reached his shoulders. She slowly trailed her fingers down his chest again, a smile curving over her lips as James let his breath out in a hiss.

"I can, uh, take this off if you like, Lola." His voice was low, rough and masculine and sent shivers down her spine, and the look in his eyes was very male and very sure of himself.

"I'd like that. I'd like that very much." Jane felt a sharp stab of desire race through her as James dragged his shirt off and tossed it aside, rolling his shoulders and flexing his muscles as he saw her watching him.

He was every bit as fantastic as she remembered, his bronzed skin was warm to the touch and his tattoos were a temptation she couldn't refuse. She lowered her mouth to one side of his chest and then the other, pressing her lips to them and then kissing her way up his neck, along his jaw until she nibbled on his ear. James groaned louder and his hands tightened around her waist, his body trembling under hers.

She wriggled a little bit on his lap, enjoying the delicious sensation of his body under hers, and slowly began to unbutton the old shirt she was wearing, dragging it from her shoulders and dropping it to the side. Her tank top was even easier to dispose of, and she pulled it over her head in one movement. James drew in a quick breath at the sight of her in her bra, and when she reached around to unclip it he reached up and halted her movements.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" He sounded breathless, and Jane could tell that although James was being a gentleman, he was very aroused and near the point of no return. "I didn't come here to sleep with you and I don't want to rush you into…"

"James." Shepard interrupted him with a whisper as she shifted her hips on his, settling her weight meaningfully on his lap, "I've spent three lonely months thinking about you. I want this. I want you."

James' gentlemanly hesitation vanished in an instant and a triumphant smile slashed across his face, "I've thought about you, about this, a lot too. I just want to make sure you're not going to get cold feet tomorrow and regret this."

"Never." Jane kissed him hard, groaning into his mouth as his hands slid from her waist down to her ass, squeezing and then kneading her skin.

He lifted her into his arms and climbed to his feet, his muscles bunching and coiling under his skin as he carried her, "I know you've only just moved in, but you have a bedroom, right Lola? I'll be damned if my first time with the woman of my dreams is naked on a tarp and covered in paint."

She laughed and nodded to a doorway left of the French doors, "Through there."

James carried her through, avoiding stacks of packing boxes and kicking the door shut behind him. Her king sized bed with its plain white duvet made him pause in his tracks for a moment, then he strode forward and knelt on the edge of the bed while he placed her down. His usually warm eyes were burning with heat and they followed her movements in an almost predatory way as she pushed herself into a sitting position and reached around to finally unclip her bra.

"You're so beautiful." James didn't even seem to notice the scars that covered her from the multitude of operations she'd had over the past few months, it was like he saw straight through them.

He was far more gentle than she had ever have imagined as he eased her down on the bed and took his time to touch and taste every part of her body, his battle worn hands a stark contrast to softness of his lips. Jane felt free of the inhibitions which had kept her prisoner for so long, and when their remaining clothes got in the way of further explorations, they got rid of them with no second thoughts. She wanted James more in that moment than she could ever remember wanting anything before.

Shepard reached out to touch him, wrapping her long fingers around his huge length and smiling wickedly when he cried out and shuddered against her, goose bumps spreading over his skin. Carefully, she traced her fingertips over his tip and down his shaft, enjoying the sudden power she had over him and his seeming helplessness when she touched him. When he finally rolled over with a growl and trapped her under him she laughed and looked up at him with large inviting green eyes, her body wet and aching with need.

"Please." She pressed her mouth to his, her tongue dipping tantalisingly into his mouth as her body moved restlessly under his.

James wasn't slow on the uptake and he slid a thigh between hers, the sensation of their skin to skin contact enough to make Jane's breath catch in her throat. She felt as though was on fire, burning with the intensity of her need, and she writhed against him helplessly as he kissed a path along her collar bone and neck. When he spread her legs and positioned himself at her entrance she was desperate to accept everything he could give her, and she wantonly urged him on with small moans and cries.

So much time had been wasted while she kept him at bay and hid her feelings, but somehow she knew that everything had been building to this moment. Finally, when Jane knew she couldn't take any more of his teasing, he began to push inside of her and she whimpered against his mouth and wrapped her legs around his waist. Moaning something that sounded like her name, he thrust into her hard and sheathed himself in her tight welcoming body, his throbbing length filling her completely

The sensation of him, so hot and hard inside of her, was everything she'd dreamed and more, and when he pushed her hair back from her face and looked into her eyes lovingly, Jane murmured his name, her heart feeling as though it would burst with everything she felt. This was what she'd spent the last few month thinking of in the dead of night; James making love to her.

He kissed her so hard that she was pressed back into the bed and began to pump in and out of her, his hard length thrusting inside of her. It felt unbelievably good and she gasped as he began to move faster and harder, one hand sliding under her pelvis as he tilted her hips up to meet his movements. She arched her back and clung to him, her fingernails digging into his shoulders as he found that magical spot inside of her and she panted and moaned in razor sharp bliss.

"James!" Shepard cried his name as she eagerly moved against him, her heart thundering in her chest as she ran her tongue along his lower lip and then captured his mouth with hers.

She could barely think straight as a languid warmth seemed to spread inside of her, starting somewhere in her belly and then tingling all throughout her body. It a kind of tense pleasure that was lazy and electric at the same time, coming in waves that built and built until once more Jane was certain that she couldn't take it anymore. James was moving deeper now, his thrusts less controlled and more rough and hard as he wound one hand in her hair and kept her pinned to the bed.

Finally the exquisite pleasure broke over her in a dizzying wave and Jane cried out, a feminine moan of intense joy that she was helpless to hold in. James groaned her name as he pounded inside of her one final time, deep and hard like he knew what she wanted, and then surrendered to his own ecstasy, his body trembling and shuddering as hard as hers from the force of his release.

Spent, James kissed her as he held himself up on his forearms and then carefully dropped down next to her and pulled her into his arms, running concerned hands down her body. Shepard nuzzled his neck and trailed loving lips along his stubbly jaw as her fingers traced those tattoos that she loved so much. She felt completely sated and fulfilled, and lying here quietly with James seemed like the perfect way to finish the day…

"Shit! Cortez!" Shepard sat up, her heart pounding as she wondered if he'd come back and seen their scattered clothes or heard them in the bedroom!

"You don't need to worry about Esteban, mi amor." James let his fingers drift down her spine and flashed her a not-so-innocent smile when she raised a suspicious eyebrow at him. "Cortez brought me here because he wanted us to 'patch things up' and 'sort ourselves out'. I'm not sure if this is what he had in mind," His smile broadened, "but I was supposed to message him when I needed a ride home."

Jane chuckled and sank back down on the bed beside her lover, unsure if she was cranky at Cortez for being so manipulative, or more grateful than she could put into words. "So Cortez planned this all along?"

"Well," James pulled her back against him with a smile, "I don't think he planned this, but he was pretty damned adamant that if he got us alone together and I told you how I felt, that things would 'work themselves out'."

"Well, he was right." Shepard grinned and rolled over so her body was spooned against his, "And since you've been abandoned at my house, how about spending the night and letting me run you home in the morning?" She glanced over her shoulder at him as she asked, and was relieved to see his eyes twinkle at her.

"I'll be your prisoner, Lola. I'll even make breakfast in the morning." His arms wrapped around her waist and he kissed the nape of her neck, "Although I should probably let Esteban know that I won't be needing a ride home."

"Tell him I said thank you."

"Oh, I will! Trust me." James chuckled as he began to tap out a message over her head, seemingly as reluctant as she was to break the closeness between them.

It was funny how things worked out, Jane thought as she lay contentedly in James' arms and let her mind wander. In the space of one day they'd made up for months of loneliness and pain, and become as close as it was possible for two people to be. It felt right and it felt good, and for the first time since the war had ended, Shepard felt like she had a purpose and a future.

…And she owed Cortez big time.

A/N - D'aaw! Cortez the match maker! So much fluff! I hope you all enjoyed this little fic as much as me - if you would like to read more Shega I have a few more fics which may tickle your fancy!

I'd love to know what you thought, so reviews and feedback are quite welcome!