Miranda/Kasumi
Farewells
They stood side by side, never speaking, never glancing at one another, but never leaving one another's side. They stood as they were issuing commands and the routes they were meant to be taking. Soon later Miranda and Kasumi found out they would be on opposite sides of the world and without any communication until the fight was done, if they even survived. Kasumi held the sky while Miranda was sent down in the trenches.
The orders were done and given and they walked out the conference room without a word either, but the thief couldn't handle it anymore. They had spoken about the war plenty of time in the past, but never while they fought it, never when they knew they had to commit to the risk of dying. It was just too painful.
"Miranda wait," the thief called for the first time in what felt like days. She laid a hand on the ex-Cerberus agent, urging her to stop and as she turned the words were suddenly lost.
"What is it Kasumi?" Searching through the words in her brain she thought she had stood there at least a full minute before answering.
"We need to talk, about...About what's going to happen.' She lifted her head to looking into the agent's eyes, soft and pleading that not even Miranda could refuse.
With a silent sigh Miranda took her hand and lead her to an empty room that would be full of soldiers come lunch time, and for many it will be filled with people enjoying their final meal.
"We never talked about us in the war have we? Not properly I mean." It took all her all her strength, but the thief managed to say the words without choking and without showing the tears building up; looked like the hood was doing what it was supposed to be doing.
Pushing them back she heard the former Cerberus agent struggle to reply, as if she was having the same problem Kasumi had, "We never wanted to."
"I know, I know that but...,' a crowd of people talking from a far distracted her for a time. It was nearly noon and they soon would be flooded with hungry people.
"We can go somewhere else if you like," Miranda offered, but Kasumi didn't want another place. They were there, they were talking, and all she needed to do was find the right words, the right sentence to explain what she was feeling. Alas it was harder said than being thought.
Shaking her hooded head she said, almost screaming her words, "no, it doesn't matter if they come. I don't care if they form distance from us I need to say something to you right here and right now!"
Miranda was slightly taken aback, not from the scream, but from the tears welling up in her eyes. The thief, cunning and smart, thought she could hide them, but they were becoming overwhelming and it showed.
"I mean, how could they put a gun in our hands, ship us off far away from each other where we can't protect one another; without our consent, without our wishes to stand and fight by one another's side at least?!"
"You're not just talking about them... Are you?" Her voice hollow, her eyes avoiding Kasumi's while the tears came streaming down and her heart aching from the whimpering noises escaping from the thief's mouth. "How could you Miranda? After everything we had been through? You want us to part ways like this, to separate forever?"
"No! That's not what I want," taking the thief within her stone arms she hugged her tightly, running her hand through the thief's hair under the hood and silently hushing the whimper for her and herself as she bit down on her lower lip, lifting her raven head so the tears would hold. It was rubbing off. But she must be strong, she must and if not for herself, then for Kasumi.
"Then why did you sign up? I know you want to fight and I know you want to help Shepard, but... We could be far away from here, somewhere safe where we can call home; away from this madness with only us two. Don't you want that too?'
More than you can imagine. The agent thought, but couldn't bring herself to say it. She had a duty, not to Shepard and not to herself but for her planet, for humanity and what it stood for. If she turned back now then it would all mean nothing and she would have shamed herself for not fighting.
However she would have shamed herself more if she heard Kasumi was killed.
"You must be strong Kasumi. You will always keep in radio contact with me no matter what those bastards in suits say, you keep talking while we keep shooting, do you hear me?'
Kasumi lifted her weak head, confused and distraught. 'So, we won't be saying good bye? Not just yet. Not really,' her voice turning hopeful again through the closed throat.
The agent, through pure strength and fear of her own feelings, let out a smile and used her index finger to slightly lift the thief's chin up and used the other hand from under the hood to wipe away Kasumi's tears. "No. If you have as much faith in Shepard, in the whole fleet and that damned Prothean device as I have, then we will never say goodbye."