A/N: In the assault on London in Scar Tissue, Zaeed was not on the ground. He was on Hackett's ship. And Zaeed never proposed at any point. This is what could have been.
Beta: None. Any mistakes are my own.
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London was what Kate imagined Hell on Earth would look like. Too many monsters to count, too few soldiers to fight them.
The first and second hurdles had been crossed, getting through to the Alliance Command Post with Admiral Anderson and taking down the Reaper who blocked the way to the beam that would take them to the Citadel.
Now Kate stood with Zaeed and Garrus, waiting for the order to head to the beam.
Zaeed suddenly turned to her. "Marry me."
She gawked at him. "What did you just say?"
"Jessica Kathrine Shepard, will you marry me?"
She looked at him as if he had two heads. "Is now really the time?"
He shrugged. "Yeah, I think it is. I've wanted to ask you for ages but there's always been another day, a better moment, and I've always been putting it off thinking that next time, next time will be perfect. But now, honestly, there probably isn't going to be a next time, so it has to be now. Because if we're going to die here, I want to die next to you knowing that you're mine. Forever. If we get out of this alive then I swear to God, I'll give you everything. But if we don't, I want the life I'm missing out on to be one I spent growing old with you."
"Kate, we got-" Garrus interuppted.
"Shut up, Garrus," Kate growled over her shoulder. She turned back to Zaeed. "Are you serious?"
Zaeed nodded. "Never been more serious in my life, kitten."
"I... yes! Of course, yes!"
"I don't have a ring," he said. "But-"
She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I don't need a goddamn ring, Zaeed. All I need is you, by my side. Forever."