Summary: Mass Effect I. Oneshot. One-sided Joker X Shepard.

Category: Romance

Rating: T

Comment: An entertainment piece on my part, with fluff and therefore not as in-character as Joker would be. Has been edited (after two years of being untouched) so that the fluff doesn't make you cringe (too much, I hope) with sugary sweetness.

Those that Fly

By AngelSyn

Commander Shepard. Earthborn war hero of the Skyllian Blitz, and now the first human Specter for the Citadel Council.

It was a great service record in print, to be someone born in the slums of Earth with no real formal higher education, to have struggled through the ranks of the Alliance and then held off an enemy battalion single-handedly on the colony of Elysium.

Becoming Specter was unexpected at first but the logic was obvious; she was a hero in the Alliance Military and could handle herself and a team with ease. And her natural edge, honed through so the years of living rough in the shadowy places of Earth that not many humans would want to acknowledge, made her dangerous.

Formidable.

And yet she rarely used that edge, outside of battle her demeanor was calm, business-like, her words spoken with politeness and with sincerity behind her meaning.

Shepard was detached most of the time, her calm was unshakeable even in the chaos of hunting Saren, her radiant green eyes, which were too brilliant, too piercing to miss the details, were always constantly scanning the situation, her mind constantly assessing, judging, deciding.

Always finding the most efficient way to complete missions while netting the greatest reward, always regulating the crew members, settling disputes with a firm but fair view, making sure they all ran at full capacity.

Those with talent were never ignored, those with advice were always listened to, and those who needed or wanted to talk would easily get Shepard's attention usually without even asking.

Straight from day one of the Normandy's fateful shakedown run Joker had found himself… unnerved by Shepard, which was unheard of in Joker's books, even Captain Anderson, with his reputation and medals could barely make him blink. When Nihlus came aboard, Joker was not uneasy because of who the turian was as a person, but because the turian signaled to Joker to expect trouble… Shepard on the other hand made his hairs stand on end because of who she was, having the convenient but spooky ability to have her presence felt when and where she wanted, which was definitely not right.

He also found it rather unsettling that his CO rarely ever felt some kind of emotion from her usual objective calm, only showing brief signs of approval or dislike and not much else.

Yet Shepard drew Joker to her, whether she knew it or not, whether she intended to or not, hell, the entire crew, Alliance and alien alike, were all slowly drawn to her. Not because she was some hero, but because of the greatness that was her, that made her into a hero.

Joker sometimes thought his mind was deteriorating almost as fast as his fight against falling for his superior.

But no matter what, their loyalty to their Commander Shepard was sealed.

At least Joker could keep up a relatively normal exterior of his sarcastic self most of the time, even when Shepard came up to the bridge to speak to him, though his heart did things that never happened before. Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder if his CO could hear how loud and fast his heart would beat for her, as if trying to reach her, calling for her. Rather pathetic really, and Joker often rolled his eyes at himself for it.

"Hey, Commander" Joker nodded in greeting, surprised at seeing his superior up so late. "Something you need?"

"Only to check how you're holding up" Shepard's eyes were unmoving but Joker was sure she had registered every detail, from his lack of sarcastic quips to his slightly tired look in his eyes emphasized by the ever so slight shadows under his eyes.

"Everything's good…" Joker's reply trailed off at the look Shepard was giving him.

"Go to sleep, Joker; I won't be dying because my pilot wasn't getting enough sleep" Shepard smiled ever so slightly, and Joker felt his heart twitch.

Stupid thing.

"Don't worry about me, Commander; besides, look who's talking" Joker replied. "You look like you haven't slept in days; been counting your medals?"

Suddenly Shepard laughed, a sound that Joker had never heard before but definitely wouldn't mind hearing again. Her sudden piece of happiness thrummed through Joker's body and swirled his thoughts, his own mouth smiling without his consent and a chuckle bubbled in his throat.

"If I didn't need the best to pilot this ship, I would have made you cut the sass long ago, Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau" Shepard said with a smile, one that would forever be part of the many memories of her, memories that would haunt the pilot.

"Get some sleep, Joker" Shepard repeated, this time her tone softer, "The ship's in autopilot and will be for the next few hours. I don't mind where you sleep, just get some rest, because of all the people I want flying this ship I want it to be you."

"Aye aye, Commander" Joker replied as he watched her leave, all the way until she was out of sight, before turning back to the controls, and under his breath (or was it just in his head?) he breathed "I'll make the Normandy do more than fly, Shepard, I'll make her dance for you."