I'm playing through ME3 again, and just finished up on Horizon and saved Miranda like a boss. (: And then inspiration struck and I threw down my controller dramatically and picked up a pen and paper and... well, this happened.

It's really short, and again, like always... IT WAS MIDNIGHT.

I need to start writing stories at an easier time. :3


He watched them embrace. Relief was slow to sink in, and he was still terrified for her life. His heart was still thudding erratically against the cage that was his chest, as it had been doing since he saw the video feed of Kai Leng dropping down on her.

"You're safe now." Her beautifully accented voice did wonders to his ears. Heavens, he'd missed her.

Miranda pulled away from Oriana gently, smiling a bit. "Give me a minute, okay?"

And then she turned to him, and he saw everything in those sapphire eyes- his world, his love, his everything. He'd been so close- so damned close!- to losing her today. And his heart was still racing from the possibility, and all he wanted was her.

"Shepard..." she began, breathing his name out slowly, conveying emotion and apology and thankfulness and love through his name, as only she could do.

He shook his head, feeling hot tears sting his eyes as he realized just how close it had been again. And his arms were around her waist and he was breathing in her scent and tasting her lips and losing himself in Miranda. She clung to him desperately and wantingly and he smothered her choked out sob with his lips.

They pulled apart, gasping and faces wet with tears and he caught his breath first, gripping her shoulders tightly.

"Are you insane? What were you thinking, doing this alone?" He shook her slightly and her shock showed in her eyes: Commander Shepard was not one for hysterics. "You should have told me!"

"You have a galaxy to save, Shepard," she told him, keeping composure even as her voice dropped to a whisper. "I didn't want to worry you."

"I was worried! Just FYI!" he snapped at her, though he took her hand and pressed it to his beating heart as he did so. He allowed his fingers to slip through her soft raven hair and for a moment, there was no Oriana, or squad from the Normandy, or Cerberus data, or Reapers. There was only Miranda and everything was perfect even as she was imperfect. His voice broke and he cupped her cheek in his hand he lost himself in her eyes. "If I had lost you..."

Her hand gripped his to assure him of the words she was about to speak, and she pulled his free arm tighter around her. "Shh," she soothed, just as she had spoken to Oriana. "I'm here. I'm okay. Look at me, Shepard, I'm fine."

And even she let herself slip into this perfect world for a moment. And it was just them and nothing else mattered. Her lips met his with fervor and passion that transcended time and cycles of destruction.

She loved him. There, in that perfect bright spot in a galaxy of darkness, she loved him.