Thank you, as always, to my lovely friend and beta, Mordinette. She's so quick and efficient at getting these edits done for me, and she's just an amazing friend. Honestly, I'd be lost without her!

So this is my first venture into writing Shega, so I hope I did the pairing justice. I've been working on this fic for months, and had hoped to have it finished by Vorcha Girl's birthday. Sadly, that didn't happen. It's very late, and I apologize for that. But I hope she likes it anyway! I have a soft spot in my heart for this pairing now. They're too cute.

James Vega was a nervous wreck. This was the day he'd been waiting for, for as long as he could remember. This was a day he was certain would never come, even in his wildest dreams.

His first official date with Alisha Shepard.

He and the commander had been dancing around each other for well over a year. The initial attraction between them from the moment they'd met in Vancouver when he'd been assigned as head of her guard detail had sent his head spinning. James already had a huge crush on her before they'd even met, so he couldn't stop himself from flirting with her. Shepard was an incredible woman. She was a hero to so many. He had seen every interview, every vid they had ever made about her. He admired her as a soldier, and as a powerful biotic.

But getting to know her as Alisha Shepard, the woman behind the Commander, was better than anything he'd ever expected. She was everything they claimed on the battlefield; fast, dependable, one of the best damned shots he'd ever seen. But over the six months she'd been his charge, he quickly learned that she was so much more. She was kind, generous, and beautiful. She was sweet, and James found himself in a difficult position; he was pretty certain he'd fallen in love with her.

He found himself wanting her, and sometimes, despite her professional attitude, he often entertained the idea that she could want him, too.

But nothing had ever come of it. After everything that had happened on Fehl Prime, he was too much of a coward to admit how he felt, too afraid to break regulations. He didn't trust himself to be able to separate his personal life from his professional one. His career came first, and he refused to make that mistake again.

That didn't stop him from flirting with her, though. At first, it had just been to see her reaction. Alisha became increasingly more flustered each time, and James found that he liked the reaction she had to him. He enjoyed watching the blush spread from her cheeks, down the slender column of her neck to disappear underneath her BDUs, and he wondered just how far down it reached. After working side by side with her throughout the war, it became more difficult to keep things strictly professional. He'd thought for certain that these feelings would eventually fade over time, but regardless of how hard he tried to fight it, they only seemed to intensify. It appeared to be just as difficult for her, too.

They were finding any excuse to touch each other. Sparring in the cargo bay, bumping shoulders in the elevator. They gravitated towards each other like magnets; he'd had to stop himself from leaning in to kiss her so many times it scared him.

And then that damned party happened, and he'd fucked everything up. James found himself drinking pretty heavily, to try to get his mind off of her. It hadn't helped, though; the smell of her permeated the apartment, driving him mad and poking at his hidden desire for her. He found her drinking and playing cards with Ashley and Tali later, and had managed to drag her away, and into the kitchen where everyone else had started dancing. He vaguely remembered being unable to keep his hands off of her, and she seemed to be struggling as well.

It had been too much in the long run, and they'd ended up in bed together.

James felt his face heat up as the memory resurfaced. He tried to force it back so he could concentrate on his cooking, but he was failing.

Alisha had looked so beautiful lying there next to him with his arms still tightly wrapped around her, their fingers laced together at her waist. James could still clearly recall the floral scent of her blonde hair, splayed wildly across the pillows, tangled and messy thanks to his fingers running through it. He could still feel the silky softness of it.

He admired the contrast of their coloring; hers a pale alabaster and lightly freckled, against his naturally darker skin of his Hispanic heritage. Polar opposites, but making it that much more appealing. James had dreamed of this; of waking up beside her, to coax her awake with nothing but hands, lips, teeth, and tongue. It took everything within his power not to lean over her now and simply indulge himself in his desire. He could feel every angle of her pressed against him, one of his long legs stretched comfortably between hers. His heart clenched at how right and perfect she felt in his arms.

Until she'd opened those beautiful grey eyes. It had been brief, but he'd seen the shock and confusion cross her face. All of the happiness he'd felt quickly vanished and was replaced by a relentless guilt. He felt sick; he'd taken advantage of her.

Once that realization had sunk in, he had to get out. That was when he made the biggest mistake of his life. He'd asked that they forget it had ever happened, that they never speak of it again.

It was one of the hardest things he'd ever done.

The look on her face had torn him apart. He could see the hurt and disappointment, and James hated himself for it. He wanted desperately to take the words back, but before he could get the words out, Alisha had wrapped the sheet around her body and, with as much dignity as she could muster, stood and made her way to the bathroom. He'd just barely heard the "get out" before the door closed behind her.

He couldn't remember how long he'd stood there, staring at the closed door before his brain finally kicked into gear. He'd dressed quickly and ignored the quizzical expressions of their friends before heading back to the Normandy in a haze.

Things had been awkward ever since. Their easy friendship was gone, and Alisha had even kept him off the ground team. James had become so accustomed to having her back, it had been torture to be left behind. She refused to speak to him unless it was strictly business related.

It wasn't until the final battle on Earth that she approached him, apologizing for her behavior. He couldn't believe it. She was apologizing to him for being unprofessional and falling for him, and for misreading him.

James had been so stunned that he'd simply gaped at her, his heart pounding so loudly in his chest that he was certain she could hear it even as London died around them.

She'd started to turn away from him, and the last of James' control broke. He pulled her to him then, pressing his mouth to hers and wrapping his arms around her. Her lips were sweet, slightly salty from tears she'd refused to let people see. He poured everything into that kiss; all the desperation, the regret, the fear...the love. He wanted her to feel it all.

Alisha had reciprocated, kissing him back with a fervor that sent his blood burning. She was all lips, teeth, and tongue, and James found himself wishing he could take her away somewhere safe and make up for all of the time they'd lost in their stupid dance.

They'd both been breathless when they reluctantly pulled away. Alisha grasped his hand, and pulled him towards the make-shift war room, and he knew she wasn't going to leave him behind again.

She'd brought him on the final push to the beam, though James didn't remember much of what happened after he and Garrus had been nearly crushed by the Mako. It was a blur, but he could vividly remember the worried expression on Alisha's face as she screamed for the Normandy for an e-vac.

He remembered the searing pain he'd felt when she'd half carried him off the battlefield before handing him off to Garrus and ordering them to go. James pleaded with her not to leave him behind, even if he could barely stand. He couldn't let her go and face this alone.

Alisha had touched his face, a soft, sad smile tugging at her lips.

"Come back to me, Lola," he ordered, trying to keep his voice from wavering. "I've got a lot to make up for."

"So do I," she replied, pressing a hard kiss to his mouth, and he could feel her lips trembling against his before she turned away from him and ran towards the beam.

She didn't look back.

The ten months it had taken for the Normandy to crawl back to the Sol system had been excruciating. All of the Mass Relays had been destroyed along with the comm buoys, so they'd had no means to contact Earth, or anywhere else for that matter.

It was the uncertainty that tortured him the most. Not knowing if Alisha had survived... not knowing if he'd get the chance to apologize, to atone for his mistakes, to make things right between them.

The relief that washed over him when they'd finally reached Earth and learned that Shepard had survived nearly overwhelmed him. They'd quickly found her location and learned she was in a hospital in London. Rescue teams had found her on the Citadel, buried under rubble in the keeper tunnels, barely holding on. But she'd pulled through, just as she always had, just as James knew she would. She'd have a few more scars for her trouble, but she'd wear them proudly.

The naked relief he'd seen on her face when he'd walked into her hospital room had nearly sent him to his knees. James wasted no time talking. He wasn't playing games anymore; he marched right in and claimed her in a heated kiss, making her his.

He'd spent every moment he could by Alisha's bedside after that. They spent countless hours talking, finally allowing all professional barriers around them to come crashing down, learning everything they possibly could about each other that they'd been afraid to show before.

Now, she was finally discharged, and he could hardly contain his nervous energy. James felt a little guilty for not meeting Alisha at the hospital, thankful that Esteban had volunteered to play chauffeur for the day. Cortez had been with her through most of her hospital stay, and had been a part of the rescue group who'd found her. His shuttle had crash landed during the battle, and James had been afraid that he'd lost them both. But luckily, he had two of the most important people in his life safe and sound, and they'd had each other to lean on.

Not only that, but Cortez had opened his home up to him, and was now extending the invitation to Shepard. Housing was still scarce while Earth was being rebuilt, and Steve had managed to snatch up a two bedroom unit. Now he was graciously allowing the two of them to stay with him, regardless of the fact that it was hindering his own blossoming relationship with Alisha's physical therapist, a nurse named Caleb. Steve swore to him that they weren't interfering, of course. James would find a way to make it up to him someday.

He was determined to make things work. He owed it to himself and to Alisha. They'd done a lot of talking during her stay in the hospital, and they were going to give this thing between them a chance. She'd already accepted his apology long ago, but he needed her to know just how much he cared.

He wanted to make sure dinner was perfect. It had cost him an entire month's salary to get everything he needed to make his abuela's famous Camarones al mojo de ajo. Getting his hands on the shrimp alone had cost him a small fortune, but his Lola was worth it.

He smiled as the scent of the shrimp simmered away in the garlic, bringing him back to a happier time in his childhood. He just hoped she liked it. It had been one of his favorite dishes growing up, and getting to make this for her was like sharing a part of his life with her.

"That smells incredible."

He spun to find Alisha leaning against the doorframe, grinning shyly at him. He'd been so preoccupied with his thoughts he hadn't heard her come in.

"Hi," she greeted him warmly, taking a few tentative steps into the room. His mouth went dry at the sight of her, her long blonde hair hanging loose for once instead of swept back into a ponytail or braids. He desperately wanted to run his fingers through the soft strands. The only time he'd ever seen her hair down was the one and only time they'd…

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to force the image away as he turned and lowered the heat on the stove before turning back to her. He grinned, and slowly closed the remaining distance between them, his hands sliding onto her hips to draw her in closer. "Welcome home, Lola."

It always amazed James how small she actually was. Commander Alisha Shepard had always seemed larger than life in all of the vids he'd ever seen, and yet she barely reached his shoulders, but she seemed to fit perfectly in his arms.

She laughed softly, her arms coming up to wrap around his neck. "Steve and Joker are just downstairs. They wouldn't let me bring my own stuff up."

James chuckled, widening his stance to drop his height enough to be almost eye level with her. "You'll just have to get used to that, Lola. You're moving in with two overprotective guys. We're all about chivalry here."

Biting her lip, Alisha slid her hands down his neck to rest on his chest. "I hope you don't mind, but I invited them to eat with us. I just figured it would be a nice way to thank them, you know? Cortez did a lot for me while you guys were gone, and Joker is still upset about EDI... "

James did his best to swallow his disappointment. He'd hoped for a nice, quiet evening alone with her, but he couldn't deny that she was right. She would have been alone all of those months after the war if not for Cortez. He felt a little guilty about not inviting them himself.

"If it's not okay, I mean, I can always - "

He smiled, cutting her off by reaching up to tug her lip free from her teeth. Truthfully, James knew he could deny her nothing. "Whatever you want, Ali."

Alisha pushed up on her toes and placed a soft kiss at the corner of his mouth. But before she could pull away, James turned his head and caught her lips between his as his hands came up to frame the sides of her face.

Humming with approval, Alisha pressed herself tighter against him, wrapping her own arms around his waist.

James' hands slid from her face to tangle themselves in her hair, enjoying the feel of the silkiness of it against his calloused fingers. He coaxed her lips apart to deepen the kiss, pressing her back against the island counter. He groaned with impatience when he felt her small hands press against his chest. "You're going to burn the food."

"Shit," he pulled away quickly, ignoring her laughter as he resumed his cooking, thankful nothing had actually burned. "Get outta here, Lola. You're distracting me."

Alisha pouted playfully, reaching over and grabbing a slice of cucumber out of the salad bowl. "Fine, I'll get out of your way," she teased, adding an extra sway to her hips as she turned to leave, knowing he was watching.

James growled. "Bruja."

She laughed, the sound sending a pleasant shiver down his spine. She left him to finish his cooking, reaching the lounge room just as Steve Cortez and Joker were settling themselves into the living room. "James banned me from the kitchen," Alisha whined, throwing an arm around Cortez's shoulder as she flopped down on the couch between her two friends.

"Not my fault, Esteban," James called out in defense. "I almost burned dinner because she was being all distracting with those lips. And those hips of hers are damn near hypnotic."

Steve shook his head, grinning. "I can see I made an excellent choice of roommates."

Alisha smiled, wrapping her arms around her friend. "Thank you again, Steve. You have no idea how grateful I am to you for letting me stay with you."

Steve hugged her tightly. "No need to thank me, Shepard. After everything you've done for me? It's the least I could do."

"Hey, what about me? The cripple helped carry your stuff up here too, you know?"

Alisha raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "There were two bags, Jeff."

He shrugged. "I gave moral support."

Laughing, she released Steve to turn her attention to her best friend, wrapping herself, carefully, around him. "Thank you, Jeff. For everything."

His response was immediate; he encircled her in his arms, tucking her head beneath his chin. "Just stop trying to die on me, will ya?"

She gave a laugh that sounded more like a sob. "I'll do my best."

Joker was still holding on to her as James entered the room, grinning at the display. Alisha loved all of her Normandy family, but the bond between the two of them was unbreakable. James had even been a little jealous at first, until he learned it was strictly a platonic kind of love. "Oy, amigo. Get your hands off my girl," he teased, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. "Dinner's ready."

A few minutes later, the three of them were seated at the table while James placed the food in front of them. Alisha tried to help, but every time she got up, he shot her a warning look to sit back down.

Finally, when all the food and drinks were taken care of, James took his seat next to Alisha, flashing her a warm smile as she leaned over and placed a soft kiss to his cheek. "This was really sweet of you, Jimmy. You obviously went to a lot of trouble."

He beamed at her. "My pleasure, Lola. You never got the chance to try any of my food on the Normandy, and I've been dying to cook for you."

Joker gaped at all the food, his mouth watering. "Is that shrimp?"

James nodded. "Pulled some strings," he proclaimed proudly. "Made my abuela's famous camarones al mojo de ayo."

Alisha eagerly dug into the shrimp and moaned in pleasure, causing a wave of heat to course through Vega's body. "Oh, my God. James this is -" She stopped, eyes going wide.

James immediately began to panic, placing a hand on her back. Was she choking? Was the food that bad? He'd checked the shrimp; it was cooked fully and tasted fine. Was she allergic? "Lola? You okay?"

She shook her head, reaching for her water glass. Her face had gone bright red and tears were running down her cheeks.

"Vega?" Joker asked slowly, eyeing his food suspiciously. "What exactly is in this?"

"Nothing! Just shrimp, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, and chipotle -"

To his utter shock, Joker burst out laughing, grabbing his fork, and began shoveling food into his mouth. "Get her some milk, she'll be fine."

"What?"

"Shepard's sensitive to hot foods," Cortez explained gently, handing her his own glass of water when she'd finished hers, which she gulped down greedily.

James gaped, feeling completely miserable. He hadn't even considered this could happen. This was just one more thing to add to the ever-growing list of things he had to apologize for. "Fuck, Lola. I'm so sorry. I didn't know." He sighed, raking a shaky hand through his hair. "I used the last of the milk this morning."

Alisha whimpered, unable to talk through the pain. James could see beads of sweat forming across her brow.

"There's some fudge pops in the freezer," Cortez informed him, his expression concerned. "That will have to do."

Joker continued eating his dinner as if nothing happened. "This is really good, though." He laughed as James shot him a look. "Oh, come on, Vega. Shepard's taken down batarians, thrasher maws, and saved the galaxy three times over. She's not going to get taken down by a damn chili pepper."

James rolled his eyes, gripping her hand, and guided Alisha into the adjoined kitchen. He lifted her onto the counter before turning to rummage through the freezer, and sighed with relief as he finally found the fudge pops. Carefully, he pulled off the packaging and silently handed it to her.

Alisha accepted it gratefully, eyes rolling in the back of her head as the coolness soothed her aching mouth and tongue.

He watched her as she sucked on the frozen chocolate. Her grey eyes found his as he closed the distance between them, slipping between her legs and cupping her face in his large hands. "Dammit, Lola. I'm sorry. I'll make this up to you, I swear."

Her grey eyes softened as she gazed up at him, bringing her free hand up to trace the scar across his lip. "Not your fault, Jimmy. You didn't know," she assured him.

James watched, raptured, as the fudge pop slipped between her lips again. He closed his eyes, resting his forehead against hers as shame crept through him. The sight was doing funny things to his insides, filling his head with inappropriate images.

And by the hint of amusement shining in her grey eyes, she was well aware of the effect it was having on him. She grinned, swirling her tongue around the pointed tip of the chocolate. Slipping her free arm around him, she drew him closer as his lips found her neck.

"Hey, if you guys could stop making out with each other long enough for me to finish my dinner without causing my to yack, I'd appreciate it," Joker called out, tossing a piece of bread at the couple.

"Take it to go," James growled into the curve of her neck, teeth nipping along her jaw.

Alisha laughed, swatting his chest playfully as she pulled back, biting into the fudge pop.

He groaned. "Oh come on, Lola,"

Her only response was a grin, sliding the fudge pop further between her lips, teasingly slowly as she peeked at him from underneath long, dark lashes.

"Alright, that's it," James declared, sliding his hands underneath her and hoisting her over his shoulder.

She squealed in protest, laughing as she struggled to hold onto what was left of the frozen treat. "Oh my God, James! Put me down!"

"Nope." He turned towards their friends, who were laughing hysterically at their antics. "Sorry to cut dinner short, fellas, but we've got business to attend to elsewhere."

He couldn't see her face, but he was certain she was blushing heavily. "James!"

James' only response was to playfully smack her on the backside.

Cortez laughed as Alisha continued to struggle half-heartedly against his hold. "That's more than I needed to know, so I think that's my cue to leave." He stood, patting Joker on the shoulder. "Come on, I'm heading out to see Caleb anyway. I'll take you home."

"Thanks," Joker mumbled, nose scrunching in mock disgust at his friends. "Things are getting a little too mushy here for my tastes anyway."

James didn't argue as he turned, giving them a wave over his shoulder before giving Alisha another affectionate pat on the backside. "Adios, amigos."

Alisha tried to call out a farewell to her departing friends, but could only manage a wave through her fit of giggles as James carried her upstairs.

James lay on his side, tracing feather-light fingertips along the curve of Alisha's spine. Sweat still cooling, and limbs still entwined, a small, content smile spread across her face as she snuggled closer.

He kissed her slowly, lazily, savoring the taste of her. They said nothing for a long time, just lying in comfortable silence as their hands continued to explore each other. After what seemed like an eternity, James sighed, pressing his lips to her forehead. "I'm sorry."

Alisha pulled back far enough to look up at him. "What for?"

"For that night. Me, being stupid and walking out like I did." He paused, his brow creasing as he struggled to find the right words. "I wanted that night to happen for so long, and I handled it badly. We were drinking, and I took advantage -"

"Stop." Alisha silenced him by placing two fingers against his lips. "I wouldn't have been there if I hadn't wanted to be." She paused, chewing nervously on her bottom lip. "I admit, the morning after left a lot to be desired, but that night was the best night of my life."

A slow, lazy smile spread across his lips, hazel eyes darkening. "Damn, Lola. I know I'm good, but the best? Naw," he teased.

She laughed, stretching her body in a way that caused arousal to rekindle within him. "Well, it's not like I have anything to compare it to, so don't get too cocky."

James froze as the reality of her words crashed over him. "What? Were you...?" He stopped, swallowing hard. "Just me?"

Alisha blushed as a small, shy smile touched her lips and nodded. "Just you."

Guilt and regret slammed into him. He felt unworthy to be given something so undeniably precious. She'd chosen him, trusted him. Drawing his hand up, he traced her full bottom lip with his thumb. "Why me?"

Her grey eyes searched his face, her expression telling him the answer should have been painfully obvious. But she entertained him anyway. "I grew up on a ship, with a strict mother. I was the only kid my age running around on an Alliance vessel," she explained. "People had such high expectations of me when I finally enlisted, because I was Hannah Shepard's daughter. So, I focused on my career to live up to those expectations. I put everything else on the back burner."

James listened intently, even though this knowledge wasn't new to him. He brushed a lock of blonde hair behind her ear and urged her to continue anyway.

She sighed, tucking her hands underneath her cheek. "After Elysium, people started treating me different. They stopped seeing me as a woman, as anything other than Commander Shepard. Guys were either too intimidated by the title, or were after nothing but the prestige of bedding the Commander Shepard." Her small, slender fingers came up to trace his features. "You were the first one to see me. You, James Vega, make me feel like Alisha."

He was struck speechless. He'd felt different forms of love in his life, from his family and friends. He'd had girlfriends in the past that, back then, he would have sworn had been "the one." But not one of them held a candle to the way he felt about the woman in his arms. This time, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that this - what they had - was the real thing.

"I love you, James."

James surged forward, capturing her lips and swallowing the startled gasp that escaped her. His hands were everywhere, mapping out every inch of her skin, every scar, every freckle before one cupped the back of her head, tangling themselves in her hair. His breath washed over her when they finally pulled apart. "Have I told you how in love with you I am?"

Alisha stared at him as a slow, radiant smile tugged at her kiss-bitten lips. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. "No, I don't believe you have, Mr. Vega."

"Well then," he murmured against her lips, rolling her over so that he once again hovered above her as he settled between her legs. "Let me show you."