A/N – Thank you to those of you who decided to read this. I appreciate your time, and I hope you enjoy the hot/sweet Shenko smut, which served as both a distraction during my writers block for the chapter "Politics" in my fic Reflections as well as a way to play out my fantasies of Kaidan in dress blues… Seriously, Bioware, you couldn't have dressed him that way when he went to testify at the beginning of ME3? Guess all us fangirls just have to use our imaginations!

You don't need to read Reflections to follow this, and it doesn't involve any plot from that story. This is post-destroy, Shepard is still recovering from her injuries in a hospital outside London and she and Kaidan are engaged and Shepard has been promoted to Captain. They are in a conference room of the hospital, having just completed a conference with the quarian Admiralty Board, and are both in dress uniform... shenanigans ensue~

this fic deserves its M rating, and is very very NSFW, so if you aren't into that type of thing, look away

"Major," Shepard barked out in precise tones, "present for inspection."

Kaidan glanced at her in surprise, not sure where this was coming from, but decided to indulge her. She had earned it, with that impressive feat of persuasion she had just performed. He snapped to attention in front of her chair and saluted smartly. "Is there a problem, Captain?" he inquired.

"No problem at all, soldier," she told him in sultry tones, "except that you haven't kissed me in hours. You should correct that oversight immediately."

"Aye, aye, ma'am," he replied, as if she had just given him an order in combat, and leaned down to comply. He braced himself on the arms of her chair and just before his mouth met hers he breathed against her lips, "You're amazing."

She grinned and moved her mouth away from his, avoiding his kiss, extending the game. "You're amazing…" she repeated his words back to him, trailing off on a questioning note at the end.

He chuckled and gave her what she wanted. "You're amazing, ma'am," and was rewarded with his kiss. Their lips met in hot passion, mouths opening, tongues touching. He brought his hand up to hold her chin in place and devoured her.

Shepard herself wasn't sitting quietly through the kiss, she reached up to run her hands through his hair, fisting handfuls of it as their kiss deepened. She moaned against his lips, trying to get even closer. If she could find a way to crawl inside him, she would.

Kaidan pulled her gently up out of the chair, making sure to support her so that her weak legs wouldn't have to carry her whole weight. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, then went back to kissing the breath from her. He felt her hands come up to his collar, to begin the long process of unbuttoning the dress blues. On an impish impulse, he broke their kiss and drawled, "I'm not sure I can pass inspection like that, ma'am."

Shepard smirked, appreciating that he was willing to play this game, enjoying their shared humor. "Oh, I don't know, Major," she breathed as she revealed the tight tee stretched over his chest, her only impediment to that fine flesh underneath now, "I'd say you were passing with flying colors. So far." To illustrate her point, she ran her hands over the expanse of his chest. Slowly.

"Happy to serve, ma'am," Kaidan chuckled, appreciating the sight of this woman – his woman – so distracted by his own form. When he saw she planned to push his jacket off his shoulders, he stilled her hands and reversed their positions, allowing her the support of the table behind her so that he could have his arms free to assist. Jacket disposed, he decided it was time for his own inspection and began unbuttoning hers.

She watched his hands on her carefully through hooded eyes, loving the sight of him touching her as much as she loved how it felt. When he had finished unbuttoning, she too, gave her assistance. She figured it was her turn again and reached for the hem of his tee, untucking it from his pants, and dragging it slowly up over his chest. At about halfway through the process she couldn't resist, and leaned over to kiss the sweeping planes she had just revealed, while struggling to push his shirt up and off blindly.

He took pity on her and pulled the shirt up and over his head for her, enjoying the feel of her lips against his hot skin, her warm breath nearly tickling him. He brought his hands up and threaded them through her fiery hair, holding her close to him. When she reached a nipple and bit it gently, he realized she was still in that mood, and he gave a sharp tug at her hair. "No biting, today," he told her with a smile.

"Is that an order, Major?" she asked him in a tone that would shoot her to stardom in any porn vid. Not that he was going to allow that. Ever.

"That's a request, ma'am," he told her softly, bringing her face back up to meet his kiss. He nibbled at her lips anyway, defying his own words.

"Mmmm," she breathed out against his mouth, "breaking the rules of engagement. I may have to throw you in the brig." She nipped him back, laughing against his lips.

He went back to kissing her, drowning in her taste, the feel of her under his hands, and he reached down and boosted her slightly so that she was sitting on the table behind her. She arched a brow at him, not expecting it, but threw her arms around him and kissed him back, obviously not displeased. She felt his hands come up to cup her breasts over the shirt, kneading gently and she moaned into his mouth to encourage him.

He too, untucked her shirt, as she had for his and broke the kiss so that he could draw it off in a swift motion. He was impatient to reach the perfect pale flesh beneath. He unhooked her Alliance issue bra and groaned a bit to see her perfect breasts displayed to him again. His mouth literally watered a moment later when she pulled her arms from his neck and rested them at her sides, reclining on her elbows then threw her head back and arched her back. He knew she was blatantly displaying herself to him in silent request and he happily answered. He brought both hands up to cup her breasts and stroked her with near reverence until she pleaded, "Kaidan," on a moan. He once again answered the appeal she didn't voice and brought his mouth down to her nipple, tracing it with his tongue before he drew it in his mouth to suck softly.

She slid her arms back around his neck, kissing the flesh she could reach as he continued to tease her breasts, then she reached down and unbuckled his belt, unzipped his fly and reached her hand in his boxers to find his hard flesh. She was amazed in this moment as every one before it at how hard yet velvet soft he could be at the same time, and she took him in her fist, exploring him.

Kaidan let her nipple slide out of his mouth with a wet sound and groaned against her; she was amazing with her hands. And her mouth. And… well, with everything. She was distracting him from his goal though, and he captured her mouth and moved her hands away from him, for now. He managed to unbuckle her belt blindly without breaking their kiss, and he pulled her back into his arms, off the table so that he could drag both her pants and underwear down off her hips. Mission accomplished, he boosted her back up on the conference table, not even taking a moment to pity the janitorial staff that would be cleaning the room later. Fuck them. He pulled her remaining clothing off, leaving her in nothing but her boots. God, that was hot.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer to her, sliding to the edge of the table so that her naked flesh could meet his still too clothed self. She gave a moan of disappointment, then reached down to push at his pants and boxers, trying to fix it. He took pity on her and pulled back a bit from their embrace to complete her work. Now naked enough, he pressed himself against her, just shy of where she wanted.

Kaidan leaned his forehead against hers, staring into her eyes and brought his hand between them, stroking her heat, finding her slick and wet and ready. He stroked her clit, not enough to make her come, just enough to tease, and she closed her eyes and moaned her enjoyment. Not willing to wait any longer for what they both wanted, he fisted himself and brought his flesh to her entrance. Then he paused, and waited for her to open her eyes, questioning him. With a raised eyebrow, he said, in his most proper military tone, "Permission to come aboard, ma'am?"

She laughed up at him, slapped his shoulder and said, "Dork," then gasped as she felt him seat himself in her to the hilt. No matter how many times they had performed this act, that first moment of entry stole her breath with each repetition. It was the feeling of completeness, of home, that swept over her in that moment. She knew she was where she was born to be.

He tried to set a slow pace, but they were both impatient. Their teasing had stoked the fires of desire for each other and they were both ready for those desires to be fulfilled. They worked together, in hard swift strokes, panting and kissing whatever flesh they could reach, both inches from the fulfillment they sensed just out of reach. She got there first, on a particularly hard stroke, she went stiff and viced around him, gasping her pleasure against his throat. He followed her, soon after, groaning her name. When he could move, he captured her mouth in a sweet kiss, then whispered, "I love you, Captain," against her lips. She smiled and returned the sentiment, "I love you too, Major."

After they had redressed, and she was settled back in her chair, preparing to return to her room, she was surprised to look up and see Kaidan kneel down in front of her. She reached out to touch his face, staring into those gorgeous whiskey brown eyes, and waited. Kaidan reached in his pocket and brought out a small box he had been carrying for some time. He had tried to find exactly the right moment, the right setting, but he had realized at some point earlier that every moment with her was perfect. He opened the box and offered her the contents.

She saw the gorgeous ring nestled in the black velvet setting. Engraved gold with a flat setting of the most perfect square cut emerald, deep and verdant green, surrounded by the fire of diamonds. She looked back up at him and asked, "What's this?"

"An engagement ring," he informed her, searching her face for clues. He had picked the emerald because it reminded him of her eyes, though it didn't nearly do them justice to his mind. He had hoped she would appreciate the otherwise simple ring, designed with a flat setting so that it wouldn't get in the way of her active life. "I believe it's traditional," he continued his explanation, "but if you don't like it…." He trailed off, alarmed, when he saw the tears.

"Oh, Kaidan," she breathed, "It's beautiful. I love it."

He kissed her softly then took the ring out of the box. She'd have to wear it on her right hand for now, he knew - her left was still encased in the brace; fingers too swollen for it to fit. He slipped it on the third finger of the wrong hand then kissed it gently. It would do for now, and he'd put it in its rightful place soon enough. Later, he would tell her about the words engraved inside the ring, the ones he had said to her a day that seemed so long ago now, but that he still meant with everything he was: The greatest challenge of my life and the greatest reward. He stood up and took his place behind her chair and pushed her back to her room.