They were different from the very beginning.
He was experienced, she was not.
She was quiet in the hull; he was loud.
And, to his surprise, when he was gentle she was…well, she wasn't always.
Even with the Drift, there was a lot about Mako that Raleigh still had to learn.
And he wanted to.
After it was all over, they returned to the Shatterdome. They didn't really have anywhere else to go.
With the Breach closed for good, and all the Jaegers gone, the future was wide open—not only for them, but for everyone. Everyone who had survived.
Both Raleigh and Mako changed back into their own clothes. Raleigh, without a word, began to pack up his bunker.
Mako didn't question him. She sat quietly on his bun and watched.
Every few minutes, he had to touch her or acknowledge her—a quick brush over her knee, tucking a piece of her hair out of her face, or even just a smile in her direction.
Even in his own little world, everything seemed to revolve around her.
The whole process took maybe an hour and a half, and that's because Raleigh would often pause and look intently over some of his photos. In a rush, it could've been done in a half hour flat.
Once it was finished, he returned to Mako. He stood before her and took her hands in his.
They locked eyes.
"Mako, I—"
She gently interrupted him with their joined fingers placed over his lips.
She shook her head softly. He didn't need to say anything.
So, slowly, he took her face in his hands, and brought their lips together.
And their shared life simply went on from there.
A/N: I wrote this a couple days after I watched Pacific Rim the first and only time. Oneshot.