"Shepard, I…"
"Kaidan, it's alright."
Shepard felt the smooth caress of Kaidan on his face. It was a feeling he had longed for since arriving, barely – alive, to the hospital. He remembered it all too vividly; the heat scorching his armour, the shrapnel piercing his skin, the pain of the rocks crushing him, then all of a sudden blurred white lights above his head and the sound of his partner's voice keeping him alive.
"Shepard?" Kaidan's glistening eyes connected with Shepard's, "Is it the neurochemicals again?"
"I'm sorry."
"No, no, don't say that." Kaidan could see his heart pulsating out of his uniform. The man he loved the most, just lying broken on the bed, once a strong soul, now nothing but a battered empty vessel. He wanted to cry, and he knew he could – Shepard was his soul mate! But no, things were hard enough as they were, especially after the death of so many great men and women: Cortez, Anderson, he remembered them all.
"You just saved the galaxy!" Kaidan said with a forced smile, "What the hell are you sorry for?"
Shepard stayed silent for a while, looking deeply into the thin air, "I'm alive."
Confused, Kaidan exclaimed, "What?"
"Somehow I'm alive and the others aren't," Shepard replied with a deep breath, "Cortez, Anderson, and all the soldiers who fought by my side, just, Dead."
"Here, here, it's not your fault, it was the reapers!" Kaidan comforted holding back his tears, "And you kicked their asses into dust." He took one deep look at Shepard.
Unable to contain himself further, Kaidan bowed his head so Shepard could not see the tears seaming out, "I love you so much!"
Shepard wanted to reach out and hold his Kaidan, but he couldn't, he was too weak and could barely eat as he was, "I love you too." It was all he could say…
But then he thought of something more, "Kaidan, think back," he took another deep breath, "do you remember our Citadel date?"
Kaidan nodded his distressed face.
"Well, we're going to have a lot more days out like that."
Kaidan's face lit up a bit more.
"And do you remember our time in my apartment?"
Kaidan began to smile.
"We're going to have a lot more bed times like that." Shepard smirked.
Finally, Kaidan laughed, "this is why I love you Shepard; you always know what to say."
"If it helps, sign my cast."
The nurse came up to give Shepard his food. She commented on how much of a hero and survivor Shepard is; to which Shepard was glad to hear and left as quickly as she came.
"Here let me help you with that." Kaidan took the fork from Shepard and began to feed Shepard. It hurt him to have to do that, knowing how much pain and suffering Shepard must be in. But bit by bit, bite by bite, grunt by grunt, Kaidan stayed there for him and never left.
When he had finished Kaidan kissed Shepard, "I'd been longing to that the whole time."
Then with no warning, Shepard's comrades began to enter the room: Liara, Garrus, Tali, EDI and the rest of the crew.
"Wow, might get a bit crowded in here!" Shepard laughed.
"Thank the goddess you're alright!" Liara came in with her face beaming.
"Keelah sa'lai!" Tali came in without her mask on.
"You look pretty, Tali." Shepard forced out.
"It's all thanks to you Shepard."
"Guys?" Kaidan said under his breath.
"Oh, yes, sorry." The crew murmured awkwardly.
"What are you lot up to?" Shepard said to the smirks of the crew. With Kaidan looking nervous, Garrus held up the word "WILL". Grimacing like a child, Tali held up "YOU". Shepard's heart pounded, could this be? Liara held up "MARRY". Shepard was overloading with emotions, all his pain just disappeared as Kaidan stepped in and held up "ME?".
There was a brief silence and a tense look on Kaidan's face until Shepard just said, "Yes." He began to laugh and Kaidan came over and hugged Shepard and then felt Shepard's warm lips against his. The atmosphere had turned mushy and riddled with love.
To the crew's amusement the sound of pretty violins and a soft piano came from EDI, "I believe this fits the event."
"Well, I guess we have our romantic movie scene." Kaidan joked.