Eos
A/N: First, a big thank you to everyone who clicked on that little green text at the bottom of the first chapter. Who's awesome? You're awesome.
Special thanks to leogrl19, who has helped me tremendously in bringing Miranda to life and putting all of this together. She should really be considered the co-author to this chapter. As such, she's even awesomer. I strongly recommend that everyone checks out her story, A is For Apostate if you're at all interested in Dragon Age: Origins, and specifically the character of Morrigan. [/cheap plug that she didn't even pay me for]
Ahem!
Summary: So, I decided to make this more than just a one-shot! Eos (a.k.a. chapter 2) sees Adrian and Miranda sorting through the events of the night before. The morning after, basically. Just don't expect loads of angst from this chapter, for there is little to be found. Quite the opposite, in fact as I try to justify the M rating and provide a fun, yet believable contrast to the first chapter.
As before, any and all feedback is still greatly appreciated.
Shepard awoke with a groan.
"Oh God...fuck."Was the first thing that he thought in his newfound consciousness.
The last time he checked, the Collector base that he and his team blew to smithereens had been hidden behind the Omega 4 relay; not inside his head. Simply opening his eyes seemed to increase the throbbing in his skull tenfold, and what little food he had eaten the day before threatened to come back with a vengeance.
Usually, Shepard could handle his alcohol, but that bottle filled with a liquid the name of which he couldn't even pronounce would've knocked out an entire clan of krogan, and he had been stupid enough to have poured all of it down his throat. He felt like his liver was desperately trying to escape his body by way of his mouth. At times like these, he wondered just how the hell he managed not to accidentally shoot himself in the foot every time he picked up a gun. Or even managed to operate said firearm.
Waking up wasn't all bad, though.
After getting used to the pain for a few seconds, the commander became aware of the warm, feminine body pressed tightly against his back. The arm around him gave a slight squeeze and the body pressed even more snugly against him.
Oh yeah, definitely feminine.
There were far worse things in the galaxy to wake up to than spooning with Miranda Lawson, Shepard reckoned; at the moment, her warm breath against his neck mostly caused him to get angry at himself over the massive hangover that was currently ruining what would've otherwise been a wonderful moment.
Despite the drinking binge that he'd gone on the night before, Shepard still remembered every little detail of what had transpired between them. Words spoken; tears shed... the taste of her lips. If it had been anyone other than Miranda that he'd broke down in front of like he had, he'd have been quite embarrassed right now. But since it was her, it somehow made it ok.
It was strange just how liberating it had felt to let all those pent-up emotions pour out after countless years of suppressing them. It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Every bit of the pain from wounds both old and fresh was still there, but it had been dulled considerably. It was bearable once more.
They had only known each other for a handful of months, but Shepard knew that he trusted the woman next to him implicitly. He'd take a mass accelerated slug for her without even thinking about it, and deep down he knew she'd do the same for him. The former Cerberus operative had proven herself time and again to be someone you could count on in the thick of battle. He had also found out that she was incredibly loyal and committed to whatever cause she believed in, as well as to her friends. She had earned his trust as surely as he had earned hers.
The two of them had flirted back and forth throughout their mission: they had become close friends and even spent those last few moments before the final assault on the Collectors in each other's arms. However, neither of them had ever been willing to really breach the subject of their feelings for each other. Every time that their conversations had strayed even close to that topic, Shepard had quickly joked it away with some line about 'admiring her body' or 'I'm just trying to get you into bed, Ms. Lawson'.
"Why is it that whenever I try to be suave, I end up sounding like a complete pig?" Shepard thought to himself.
Fortunately, Miranda had played along those times. But things were different now.
Now, there were no Collectors to worry about. No suicide mission ominously looming over them like a dark cloud. The Reapers were still coming, but for the moment they could hopefully enjoy some relative peace. Shepard figured that no matter what, Miranda was probably going to stick around the Normandy; around him. She was just as committed to stopping the Reapers as he was, and the Normandy would always be at the forefront in the battle against said Reapers. Her sticking around meant that for better or for worse, they needed to lay it all on the table. What they had shared with each other those few hours ago was in many ways far more intimate than any amount of sex they'd had right before their supposed suicide mission. After last night, there was no turning back; he had revealed too much of himself, and she had been so much more than a friend. The only direction available to them now was to move forward.
They really needed to have a talk.
The fact that at the moment, Miranda was peacefully sleeping very closely next to him, gave Shepard no small amount of hope over how that talk would turn out.
The commander had more pressing concerns, however. The incessant throbbing in his head showed no signs of lessening any time soon - he'd need some painkillers. That would require untangling himself from the brunette's warm embrace - surely waking her, and going to see Dr. Chakwas down in the medical bay. A choice between pain relief and Miranda?
"...I can tough it out." Shepard convinced himself.
Just as a part of Shepard started to regret his choice, he felt her beginning to stir and her breathing pattern change. She was waking up.
"Mmm..." Miranda moaned out, albeit sleepily as her hand's touch on his chest squeezed slightly before her fingers slowly trailed across the defined ridges of his pectoral muscles, her lips curling into a soft smile as she felt a once steady pulse spike noticeably, "Now, this..." Her smile became mischievous as her hand's direction took a more southern route, aiming for his abs, "I could certainly get used to."
While the rest of his body froze, Shepard felt his abs involuntarily twitch and convulse under Miranda's electric touch.
"Oh God." Shepard inwardly groaned. Didn't she know what it did to him when her voice took on a tone like that? "Of all the fucking times to be cursed with a hangover like this..." He mentally cursed to himself.
Might as well let her know that he too was awake. "So, uh...good morning?" Shepard tentatively stated...Or asked.
She chuckled softly, her body pressing even closer to his own, wishing to further amalgamate her body heat with his. "Yes; it is." The brunette answered back, her blue eyes finally opening to the world. "The savior of the galaxy, twice over, conveniently missing a towel I'm quite certain was there last night." Her fingers played with the sensitive skin of his lower abdomen as her lips pressed into the back of his neck. "I don't not like this…Though I am curious as to how I remain fully clothed. Did I have my way with you, Shepard?" You could hear the smirk in her voice.
"I... never thought I'd answer a question like... that with this, but: I hope not." Came Shepard's response, as he struggled with forming complete and coherent sentences. Between the soft pair of lips constantly brushing against his neck as Miranda spoke, and the patterns that her fingers were lazily drawing dangerously low on his abdomen - she wasn't making it easy. "That is something I'd definitely want to remember." Shepard continued, "Honestly, I don't remember much after I-uh... well, you know?"
"Very eloquent, Adrian. Real fucking smooth." His mind scolded him.
"Rendering the infamous Commander Shepard to broken sentences and unintelligible fragments?" Miranda asked rhetorically, finding his obvious lack of composure somewhat amusing. "I do believe that's grounds for a bit of narcissism on my part." From the second half of his words on how he wished to remember, she smiled, though gone was the mischief there mere seconds ago. "I have little doubt. No one has said that I wouldn't refresh your memory, however." Her eyebrows furrowed, slight lines of worry creasing her otherwise flawless forehead as she removed her hand from his abs and gently massaged his temple, finally expressing the concern she held for his actions last night; even he had to be feeling the effects of drinking a whole bottle of alien alcohol. "How are you feeling?"
"You mean other than the intense feeling of embarrassment and shame over what I can remember of last night? And considering getting my shotgun and splattering my brains all over the walls just to make the pain stop?" Shepard sarcastically replied with rhetorical questions. "Peachy."
While her gentle touch on his temple did little to ease the gargantuan headache he battled with, he could still appreciate just how soothing the affectionate gesture felt. "I'm still curious, though. Just how the hell did we end up in the same bed with me naked, while you're fully clothed?" The clear amusement over their situation was apparent in the commander's tone. "Not that I'm complaining." He quickly added.
The woman frowned. "You have nothing to feel embarrassed or shamed about. You didn't…" She hesitated to find the right words for the situation before beginning again, "I'm glad that you shared what you did. It had to take a certain level of…Well, I am happy you were able to confide in me." Pausing in her ministrations to his temple, Miranda laid the back of her hand on the front of his head before letting out a knowing tsk when she felt how warm it was. "You have a hangover. It's only your own damn fault – I don't know what you were thinking drinking that entire bottle of liquor." Scooting up, her face was now at the side of his head, securing her lips on his shaven head despite her chastising tone; it was a silly thought: that such a thing could actually make his hangover go away, but there was this new urging inside of her, one that wished to comfort this man. "You didn't even touch the wine I brought you, you ass." The woman accused, though there was not a serious fragment in it as she smiled – even more so from his question. "I thought we already went over this: I seduced you, obviously." She quirked a challenging brow at him, "Or could it be that you believe you are such the alpha male that a woman in your bed fully dressed is next to impossible?"
Momentarily forgetting the cranial torture he only had himself to blame for, Shepard couldn't help but smile at the playful and challenging tone in her voice. "Hey, I've saved the entire fuckin' galaxy twice - your words, not mine! That's as alpha male as it gets, toots." He replied with a chuckle.
"Yes; you did – which is the sole reason why you're being allowed to call me 'toots'. If I were you, I would enjoy it while it lasts; there'll be a limit on this 'savior of the galaxy' excuse of yours soon enough." The brunette responded back, amused and actually pleased that she had gotten a chuckle out of him after what they had been through last night.
"Even if what you say is true and you seduced me, just what the hell did you do to me that left one of us stark-naked and the other very much fully covered? Do I even want to know?" A smile still blatantly obvious in Shepard's tone as he continued, enjoying their lighthearted banter.
"Are you accusing me of foul play? Especially when it was your own devices that put you into this mess in the first place? If memory serves, Shepard, there's no need for fancy tricks on my part to get you in bed…or into a cleared engine room, for that matter." Miranda's tone lowered considerably on the last part as she repositioned herself once more to have her lips next to his ear, a single leg draped over his exposed body as she smirked. "Go figure."
While the reminder of their encounter a few days back, combined with her husky voice at the base of his ear, was having a definite effect on him; Shepard was determined to say his piece before he lost his train of thought. "To answer your earlier question: no, I wasn't really thinking when I emptied that entire bottle. Well, I was thinking about something but it was..." Shepard trailed off as the smile slowly vanished from his face. Reaching for her hand, he gently grasped it with his fingers. Taking on a far more serious tone, he continued. "Look, I... about last night? I just..." He couldn't seem to find the words. He brought her hand up to his face and briefly pressed his lips against it. "I... what I'm trying to say is: thank you. For... being there." He concluded.
As he reached for her hand and squeezed it gently, Miranda's playful smirk melted away into an appreciative smile as she opted for silence while he began to discuss the events of the former night, seeming to be at a loss for words on how to truly express the…emotion the night had brought, just as she had. Warmth flooded through her system when he gave the light kiss on her hand, his thankful words and sincerity meaning more to her in that moment than he could possibly know – all she wished that night was to be a source of comfort, and here he was confirming that she was just that. "You've already done the same…with Niket and my sister." Using her draped leg to her advantage, Miranda swung her lithe form to rest on top of his as she forced him to his back, blue eyes searching the depths of his own as they were now face to face. "I wished to be what you were to me on that day…A person I felt I could begin to trust;" She trailed her fingers down the side of his stubbled cheek, tasting what was to come next in her mouth before releasing them to him, "depend on…."
Shepard stifled a groan as he found himself suddenly rather self-conscious and at a definite disadvantage when the still clothed brunette straddled his vulnerable, bare form. Catching his first actual glimpse of her since the night before, he couldn't help but wonder just how she could possibly look as irresistible as she did first thing in the morning? Smell as good as she did? He could've sworn that her genetic tailoring seemed to include immunity to morning breath, as well. Maybe he was just too caught up in the moment to notice.
"Miri..." There was so much that he wanted to say following her confession, things that he needed her to know; but his voice wavered and he trailed off as soon as he began speaking. Those clear azure eyes, the silky strands of her dark hair that were lightly tickling his face, her tender touch on his cheek and the comfortable weight of her warm curves on top of him were all providing a far too pleasant distraction for him to be able to concentrate. How could this one, single woman drive him this crazy? He swore he could actually hear his own heartbeat reverberating throughout the room. At the moment, the rest of the galaxy could go fuck itself for all he cared. For Adrian Shepard, time stood still and no Reapers had ever even existed. There was only himself, Miranda and the bed they lay on.
His hangover all but forgotten now; his hands instinctively drifted to her hips and his fingers found their way underneath the hem of her dark shirt, lightly caressing the smooth skin he found hidden beneath the obtrusive fabric. He hoped that she'd see at least a fraction of the things he couldn't currently vocalize displayed in his unwavering gaze.
"Hmm…?" The woman trailed off questioningly with the use of her childhood nickname from his lips, though it sounded more like a satisfied purr – she adored it when he was the one to call her that, the words once only reminding her of the life that she'd left behind, now making her body tingle with arousal from his gravelly morning voice. Miranda could only smile as he simply stared up at her, a mixture of what seemed to be amazement and adoration mingling in his blue-grey orbs that were impressively expressive and easily told her everything she needed to know. Such was the nature of their relationship; neither of them were the best at conveying…feelings, but they were not blind, and they certainly were not stupid. She brought her own wall fully down and let herself lose her senses in the intoxicating sensation that was him as her eyelids lowered over topazes darkened with desire, the man beneath her making what others easily admitted as being perfection feel undeniably sexy. When she felt his warm hands go straight to her hips before beginning to travel underneath her shirt, she cooed amorously from the feel of his calloused fingertips on her skin, immensely enjoying the searing hot touches against her increasingly yearning body. Hands taking their own action, her once gentle touch against his cheek became slightly rougher, fingernails dragging down the coarse stubble before they continued down his neck before she leaned forward to cement her lips to his and once more savor his taste; her other hand stayed busy against his strong chest, playing with the malleable steel as she began to suck on his bottom lip before releasing an amused breath. "…Looks like another part of your body is beginning to wake up as well. Now, how did that come about?" Miranda ground her hips against his to further emphasize her point, looking up to him coyly as she bit her lips to restrain a laugh.
"Don't ask me -- I swear it has a mind of it's own!" Was Shepard's immediate response, followed by an involuntary moan as she ground down on him. The look of pure lust in those topaz orbs sent shivers down his spine, the feigned look of innocence on her face only served to further increase his arousal.
Hangover? What hangover?
"Three things, Miri..." He began, emphasizing her name as one of his hands trailed down her side, his fingers snaking just beneath the waistline of her pants as the other hand buried itself in her flowing locks. "First: you're an insufferable tease." He continued, before firmly bringing her head down to close what little distance remained between their lips. He couldn't remember ever wanting anything as much as he wanted her at the moment. His hands roamed underneath her shirt, frantically searching for whatever bare flesh they could find as their tongues duelled. He broke their liplock to be able to liberate her from the irritating and interfering garment. "Second: you're wearing far too much clothing." Shepard wrapped his arms tightly around her slender waist as he sat up as well as he could from his position, never breaking the embrace. After relishing the feel of the skin on skin contact for a moment and nuzzling the sensitive skin of her neck with his rough, stubbly chin; he trailed a series of small kisses and nibbles upward until his lips were at her ear. "Third..." He whispered longingly -- without warning, he suddenly used his upper-body strength to his advantage as he flipped her over on her back in one, smooth motion and immediately pinned both of her wrists with one hand to the mattress in a firm grip; making sure not to be too rough. "Third..." He repeated, as a triumphant, boyish grin spread across his features due to the turn of events. "...Didn't your training include any hand-to-hand combat, Ms. Lawson?"
"And, whatever could those be, Adrian?" The brunette combined the sultry tone with a deliberately slow incline of one of her slender brows; she wasn't entirely unaffected, though as a delicious shiver ran down her spine – the commander was learning, and quickly, what turned her on, though she had always been a quick study as well. Her smirk returned from his boldness as his hand appeared to seek instant gratification while peeking through the hem of her pants, but her eyes closed while approval played across her face when he began stroking his fingers through her hair, a soft moan exiting her lips from the amazingly comfortable feeling. Ears catching his comment on how much of a tease she was, the curl of her lips only grew as she leaned her head into his touch. "Ohh…"She opened her eyes to look at him thoughtfully as she pinched her shirt upward before tugging a large wrinkle created in the fabric with a single finger, torturously exposing more and more of her firm stomach. "You could be right. Should I take it that you wish for me to stop, then?" Miranda concluded with a wink before he grabbed her and forced her lips to his own; his tongue easily breached the defenses of her mouth as she met him head on, tongue dancing wildly with his own as he sought to claim her; she parted their lips briefly to expel another humored breath, though it quickly turned into a moan as his hands now plunged beneath her rolled up shirt, touching; pressing; clawing whatever bit of her that he could, before insisting with his actions that her shirt was now a hindrance that could no longer be ignored. "Eager, hmm?" The woman accused teasingly as she obediently lifted her arms over her head, her dark locks falling in waves against her shoulders yet again once the top was removed; she shook her head slightly to jostle the messy strands before chuckling. "Are we feeling self-conscious? An easy enough dilemma to fix." She snatched his arms and planted both his hands at her hip, her intense gaze on him as she wiggled against his touch and inch by inch out of her pants. "Strip me then. Make us even." Clearly, her challenge was not taken lightly as his hands moved only slightly upwards to her waist, as he rose to nuzzle into the crook of her neck, the woman gasping with delight from the feel of his rough stubble before she bit her bottom lip once more, barely restraining the groan he forced out of her as his mouth nipped and sucked at the delicate skin there. "Addy…mmm…" Miranda moaned out to him as she reached for the back of his head and pushed him closer, craning her chin to the side to reveal more of the now taut skin of her neck – God, she wanted him to devour her: it all felt so good. When he finally reached her ear and began to nibble on her lobe, she couldn't control an almost violent convulsion as his warm breath combined with that seductive, hushed voice, telling her what his third point was, made her nerves scream. Before a response could even be given, the woman was suddenly on her back, wrists strung up above her head as he was looking down at her victoriously, the grin on his face insufferably smug no matter how much it simultaneously aroused; she flexed her wrists against his hold. "I have – though against less…underhanded methods. Hand-to-hand combat can be a bit tricky when my hands are restrained, Commander." Her azure orbs flashed with mischief as her legs then rose and clutched tightly against his torso, "Though you've seemed to have forgotten about my legs." She raised her hips to grate harshly against his yet again, a self-satisfied smile as she remained there for a few amazing seconds before dropping to the mattress as her foot caressed the side of his leg, "How careless."
"Ok; I admit to there being some flaws in my plan." Shepard contemplated the turn of events aloud as he stared down at the now half-naked woman who filled his senses. One of her legs still tightly clinging to his torso; the way the other's foot was touching his bare leg only added to the impure thoughts consuming his mind. Not only was she still frustratingly enough wearing her pants, but no matter how he tried to convince himself otherwise, the brunette was still in complete control of the situation despite him currently pinning her down. All it took was one raise of an eyebrow, a playful smile, her dark hair splayed around her head like a halo and a mischievous gleam in her eye and he was back under her spell. And what she was doing with her legs?
"You, Ms. Lawson...You are trouble." He admitted. "But you're my trouble." He added, a playful hint of possessiveness in his voice. Hoping to make his point, he lowered himself down to gently bite, suck and nibble on her earlobe and neck once more, never letting go of her wrists; enjoying the fact how he got to explore her this time: find out what made her tremble with desire, how to best elict a moan from her lips. He hadn't had that luxury in the engine room. He ceased his ministrations of her momentarily to pull back enough so he could look into her eyes. "I like it. Addy." He said with a smile, accentuating it with an affectionate peck to her lips before he worked his way down to her collarbone.
"Some?" Miranda questioned while rubbing her foot on the inside of his bare thigh, making teasing advances upward every few seconds. "I firmly believe that if I didn't enjoy ogling my handiwork, you would be underneath me right now, begging for more." The woman laughed when he told her that she was simply trouble. "First, I am a tease, and now I am a troublemaker; will you bring your entire arsenal of 'T' words against me tonight, Commander?" When he told her that she was indeed 'his trouble', she smirked from the declaration, the clear possessiveness in his statement causing heat to course through her very veins. "Yours, indeed. Though I would prefer you claiming far more from me than mere trouble; parts more…tangible." She hummed her pleasure as his lips worked against her earlobe, sucking and grinding the delicate skin between his teeth, presenting her neck to him as well when he descended: his slow tongue setting the nerves there alight as he treated the area as if it were sacred. A soft whine of protest left her mouth when she then felt him stop, blue eyes snapping open to identify the source of his pause only to see his own staring intently at her with a warm smile that made her mouth tingle with the sole desire to taste him again; the brunette was filled with a satisfying warmth from his confirmation and granting of her wish as he delivered a gentle peck to her eager lips. "Do you?" She smiled brightly, wanting him to know that his appreciation meant a considerable amount. "It did take quite a while to come up with something half as compromising as 'Miri'…" She trailed jokingly before her eyes closed again from his gratifying actions; eyelids fluttering as he nibbled a path to her collarbone and plunged his tongue into the small dip of her clavicle. With a light shiver, her eyes opened only slightly as she reveled in the feeling he produced within, it making her drunk with longing – his ministrations as wonderful as they were frustrating. Thighs taking his waist again, Miranda brought his form closer to hers, parting his legs with a knee before bringing her own inside them. "So, let us imagine your plan is flawless, then: you have me at your will, hands restrained while I remain powerless against your intentions…" Her topaz orbs glittered against smoky eye shadow, as she seductively writhed against his hold to enforce this fact, "What will you do with me now?"
"Whatever. I. Want." Shepard practically grunted each syllable as he brought his hips down and settled down firmly on top of her, only the thin fabric of her bra and those accursed pants interfering with the intoxicating skin-on-skin contact; reveling in the friction caused by her slight writhing. He brought his face as close to her as he possibly could, his lips constantly brushing against hers as he spoke. "Maybe I should keep teasing you?" He separated his torso from hers just enough to be able to run his free hand teasingly down her neck, brushing over the swell of her breast as his fingers eventually found their way down to those infuriating pants. Deftly popping open the top button, he suddenly stopped. Letting his fingertips linger for a moment on the untouched flesh just beneath the waistband, his hand soon traveled back up the path of smooth skin that it had followed down there. He lowered himself fully on top of her again, barely a hair's breadth between their lips once more. "...Keep building that appetite?" The commander hungrily whispered. "Or perhaps I should just rip these fucking pants off and have my way with you. Would you mind? You do seem quite eager, and very willing." His free hand roughly pulled at the fabric covering her thigh for emphasis. "I could consider a third option as well..." He trailed off for a moment. "I won't have it said that I mistreat my...prisoners." He leaned back far enough so that he could see her entire face as he continued, a smirk playing across his lips. "I might consider letting go of your hands if you promise to behave." His gravelly voice taking on a mock-stern tone, the playful gleam in his lustful gaze never vanishing. "A promise to misbehave would probably yield the same results." The smirk turning into a massive grin; Shepard was loving this. "So, Miri...what'll it be? If I let you go, do you think captor and prisoner could work together? Do you think we could work out a compromise and...cooperate?"
"Sounds promising." The captured woman responded back, though hardly focusing on her words and far more on his own, the growl to them that only confirmed his yearning – a contented moan reverberating in her throat as he joined their hips together yet again. While slightly perturbing that she could not feel his skin fully against hers, the fabric of her pants was not so thick that she could not feel his growing desire rubbing against her, making her damp from her own arousal as she used every available opportunity to grind harshly against him. She captured his bottom lip when he came closer, lingering there as he spoke, tugging on it gently before giving a quick nip and letting it go. "But I assumed that was myrole, Shepard – being the tease." Now that he was pressed so very tightly against her form, her lips had full access to his face, teeth nibbling down his chin before she deliberately drew slow designs against his skin with her hot tongue. "Let us stick to what we're good at, hm?" Raising a curious brow when he disconnected his torso with hers, Miranda sucked in harshly as his hand found its way to one of her deprived breast, savoring the feeling no matter how short while her abdomen quivered from his calloused fingertips' touch grazing over the exposed patch of skin; she grinned. "I stand corrected." She felt his hand's weight at the opening of her pants and it excited her as she met his touch, thrusting her lower body toward it as he effortlessly popped the sole button, but making her groan with impatience as he halted his actions – said groan hurriedly transforming from annoyance to pleasure as he caressed the skin so close to her waiting heat only to torturously drag his fingers back up the electric path he made, both their bodies cemented together yet again. Though his whisper brought more of the satisfying tingles, her eyes narrowed from his game, her body literally screaming now for some form of release as his rough tug of her pants made her writhe against his body in an effort to bring them down even more. "Do I seem eager? If I do, it's only because there's not much I can do with you." Her legs held his own in a vice grip, forcing him to remain where he was. "Your present condition being what it is and the lost use of my hands. The next logical step would be for you to strip what remaining clothes I possess, correct?" She met his massive grin with a superior smirk, listening to his conditions and the choices she gave before tilting her head in mock thought. "Mmm…So I could misbehave and receive the same result? No doubt you would enjoy it as well – let's see." Her entire body began to glow, a soft blue illuminating both of their forms as they rose into the air, the brunette chuckling as her quarry's expression immediately changed from that self-assured grin to lips parted with shock; Miranda turned, revolving them slowly until she was on top, lowering them an inch to the mattress before letting them fall to gravity's pull, their bodies bouncing lightly against the bed. "Addy…" She whispered huskily, pulling a hand free from his now relaxed grip of her wrist as she tiptoed her fingers down his chest, "It seems you've forgotten about my biotics as well – another fatal flaw in the great Commander Shepard's plan. But now that I'm in control…" His arm was seized as she placed both his hands on her hips, pulling them down as her pants descended more and more revealing her lacy panties. "Let's do this right."
Shepard couldn't help but laugh heartily as he felt his body slowly starting to rise up from the bed as the woman beneath him began to glow with a blue light. He was quite impressed with the considerable control Miranda exhibited over her biotics as she carefully reversed their positions mid-air. A part of his brain couldn't help but wonder just what else she could do with her biotics...He loosened his grip on her wrists, they were now hers to reclaim should she choose to do so. She didn't disappoint, as her fingers were soon tiptoeing across his body; the delicious sensation of her dexterous digits once more exploring him giving him goosebumps. The sound of the nickname she'd given him moments earlier escaping her lips in a whisper made it hard for him to control himself. Fortunately, she didn't seem to want him to do so. He willingly followed her lead as she guided his hands to her hips, wiggling them slightly as they finally started removing those meddling pants in unison.
No more teasing.
The commander cupped the side of her face and pulled her lips back down to his own, his tongue tentatively darting out begging for entrance, which was instantly granted. As their tongues duelled, his hands tugged and pulled at her pants, managing to get them down almost to her knees in their current position of her straddling him. Eagerly he caressed and massaged the newly exposed flesh of her toned thighs, and grabbed a generous handful of her firm ass; something he had wanted to do for quite some time. Her small moans and whimpers against his lips sent him into a frenzy, producing a rumbling and almost primal growl. He couldn't take it anymore; being so close to her, and yet so far away. One of his hands hooked it's thumb underneath the lacy fabric of her panties, starting to peel them off as his other hand worked it's way up her back to unhook her bra.
"Uh, Commander?" A disembodied voice suddenly echoed through the room. It was Joker.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Shepard muttered under his breath into Miranda's lips before virtually shouting his response. "This had better be important, Joker!"
"I know you said not to disturb you before you vanished into your cabin yesterday, but I figured you'd want to know that we'll be landing on Omega in a while." Joker informed the agitated Commander. "You said you wanted all hands on deck when we got there."
Adrian cursed to himself, why couldn't they have been in transit for at least an hour longer? Or a day?
"Was there something else, Joker?" Shepard failed miserably in keeping the frustration and anger away from his tone.
"Oh, I just hope I didn't interrupt anything, Commander." Joker clearly enjoyed pushing Shepard's buttons.
"Not at all, Lieutenant Moreau." Shepard's jaw clenched in frustration as he unconsciously tightened his grip on Miranda's hips.
"So you weren't playing tonsil hockey with Miranda just now?"
"Joker!" The Commander barked, he had no patience for Joker's games right now.
"All right; all right! Sheesh. Joker out."
Shepard released a heavy sigh as he looked into Miranda's azure orbs, the moment ruined. "I'm going to kill him." He whispered in a gravely serious voice.
There was no amount of words in any known language that could describe the exasperation Miranda felt from hearing Joker's voice filter into his room, a frustrated explicative escaping her once occupied lips as she buried her face into the crook of his shoulder – her aching body would kill her for this later. She placed a single hand on his chest when she felt his grip on her hips tighten from anger, delivering several small pecks on his shoulder in an effort to calm him down…And distract her mind from fulfilling its urge to take the man before, the full brunt of her biotics being the warm welcome to anyone who saw fit to disturb them. At the mention of 'tonsil hockey', however, the brunette could not help but shoot up from him, blue eyes glaring at the voice receptacle as she had to bite her lip hard to keep her voice down. "Crippled bastard…." When he was finally dismissed, her expression softened from the commander's burdened sigh, the look he gave fully expressing not only how sorry he was, but how pissed he was as well; continuing to rub the spot she held on his chest, she leaned her forehead against his own before smiling lightly. "And I'll whop him over the head with my wine bottle; it should be put to some use."
Despite his incredible frustration, Shepard still couldn't help but smile sincerely at that last comment. Stroking her sides with the pads of his thumbs, he tried to force a more cheery voice. "I suppose we should get up."
Nodding solemnly to his supposition, the woman couldn't help but grin as her blue orbs flashed to his lap."Or...down in your case."
"Ha-ha. Very funny." Though his tone might've indicated annoyance, the story told in his eyes was one of genuine amusement and appreciation. He loved how easily they fell back into their rapport.
"You're not helping with that, you know? Lying on top of me, looking at me all sultry-like."
At his fake laughter, she smiled and dragged two fingers against his cheek, letting her lips linger against the stubbled flesh. "Ooh, now that's a fun word -- sultry..." Miranda repeated his adjective with just enough of a hushed tone that she knew it would affect him, "And what if I said I couldn't help it -- especially when so close to you?"
The brown-haired temptress straddling Shepard obviously knew exactly what she was capable of doing to him with the careful use of her accented voice. Why did duty have to call right now? He brought both of his hands up from her hips to affectionately tuck loose strands of her dark locks behind her ears before cupping both sides of her face in his palms. "Miri, I think it's obvious just how badly I want this...you. Hell, if I had my way we wouldn't leave this bed for at least a week. But we both know that it'll just be that much harder to get up the more we delay it. And we will have to get up, unfortunately." He paused to give her a brief kiss. "I'll make this up to you, Miri. I promise."
"Believe me, Addy...I know. There just never seems to be enough time for the two of us...." The woman admitted with a sigh as her eyes lingered on his chest, avoiding his gaze before she forced herself to look up at him, a fragile smile on her face. "So, hurry up and get dressed before I change my mind;" She poked his chest teasingly, "if I see you naked a second longer, I won't be held accountable for my actions." Pressing her lips hard into his chaste kiss, she tasted of him what she could, hoping it would get her through the rest of the day. "And I know you will: the trouble is waiting. There are..." Miranda dropped her hands away as she disconnected her body from his, pulling the pants bundled at her knees back up, "also things we should discuss later." She turned to reach for her shirt, not knowing why she suddenly felt so apprehensive that she had to look away to say the next words; while the physical was easy, she was still struggling with some of these foreign feelings and how to properly express them. "About us."
The sight of Miranda's apprehensiveness over a simple thing like referring to the two of them as 'us' just about made Shepard's heart melt. In no small part due to the fact that he would've been exactly the same, had their roles been reversed. "Hey..." He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, turning her head so he could look her in the eye. For a moment he just explored her topaz eyes with a warm smile gracing his lips, not uttering a word. Soon, the smile turned slightly lopsided. "Just so we're absolutely clear: this discussion...It's not going to be of the 'it's not you, it's me' variety, is it? I'd just like to know whether I have something to look forward to throughout the day or something to dread."
Her breathing hitched as he captured her chin, not expecting the action, nor his inclination for her to look his way -- did he not understand how awkward this was for her? Feeling the undeniable searing gaze that could only belong to him, she quickly shifted her eyes away, pupils darting to some convenient distraction until she faced the inevitable: slowly; hesitantly; the woman's orbs met his own stormy-blue stare. What she saw made her chest tighten with adoration; his gaze patient as well as his smile as he rubbed his thumb soothingly against her chin...Until his smile became lopsided and utterly goofy: Miranda sighed, pushing his head away while she rolled her eyes from his question. "Idiot."
"Hey, I'm not the one that was genetically engineered to possess a genius-level intellect. So I can't help but to come across as a giant idiot in comparison. Someone's going to have to bring the stupid to the table in this here relationship, might as well be me." Shepard continued his joking, hoping to appease her.
Miranda laughed; she truly appreciated that fact about him: no matter what the situation, he was always able to improve her mood and make her feel comfortable. "So, we both agree that you'll be the amusing idiot, then? Good -- I rather like that in a man: I'm certainly lacking in the sense of humor department." Placing both hands on either side of his face, in a gesture similar to the one he held her in before, she willed herself not to look away. "I...This is definitely not a 'it's not you, it's me' discussion: you have nothing to fear...I actually hope it'll be quite the opposite. A chance to express how much...you've come to mean to me." She exhaled, as if a small burden had been lifted, even if it had been halting. "Is that all right?"
"I..." Miranda's sincere response to his earlier question caught Shepard off guard. "That's...good. I mean, you..." He had no idea how to respond. Deep down, he knew exactly how he felt and what he wanted to say, but that was something that he would have to build up to eventually. Letting his hands and lips tell the story was one thing, looking her in the eye and saying everything out loud was another. Sighing, he tried again. "It's...more than all right." She deserved a better response and he knew it wasn't fair towards her to leave her hanging like that, but for the moment he couldn't vocalize the things he wanted to. He removed one of her hands from his cheek in order to bring it to where he could press his lips against her open palm, hoping she'd understand his reason for being so flustered; he finally decided to settle for the truth. "I think that'll get me through the day." It wasn't the whole truth, but he hoped she'd settle for it for now.
It was...nice to see that her words were affecting; from the obvious stuttering and hesitation to how cute the normally unflappable soldier was when flustered, Miranda did not stop the smile that spread on her lips when he kissed her palm -- not that she was seeking vengeance: it was just a comforting feeling to know she was not the only awkward one given the situation. "Among other things most commonly involving a bed, seclusion, and a sealed door...Scratch that." She stated before smirking, "We've improvised without a bed before and I'm sure you know I'm not shy, Commander..." The brunette trailed, giving a soft peck to his check before leaning in to his ear, "Just get me that sealed door, hm?" Leaning back as if she had done nothing, she gently tapped his face twice to show he was a good sport before fully disengaging with him and the mattress, replacing her shirt as she walked to the door, one last look behind her shoulder. "Oh, and Addy: don't keep me waiting." With a touch of the panel, the door slid open as she departed with a wink and a wave of her hand, the door closing quickly behind her.
As the door closed in front of Miranda, Shepard released a breath he had been unconsciously holding in. Scooting over to the side of the bed, he sat up; the cold floor beneath his bare feet bringing him back to reality as he ran both of his hands across his stubbled face in frustration, his head suddenly pounding once more. There were plenty of things that he -- they -- needed to get done. But he knew that he'd be constantly distracted by thoughts of her throughout the day; trying to figure out a way to ensure that the two of them finally got some much needed and uninterrupted time to themselves. Her parting wink and playful tone still playing in his mind as he searched the closet for something clean to wear, made him sigh over the hours they'd have to spend apart.
This was going to be a very long day.