John sat in the locker room, staring down at the reflective face plate of his new helmet. He couldn't believe he'd left Sam on the Covenant ship. He should have stayed, should have done something—but he knew he couldn't have. Sam's suit had been broken; he wouldn't have survived the vacuum of space.
"John?" The Master Chief looked up from his helmet, seeing Kelly a few feet away. He didn't speak, just watched her as she moved toward him. He couldn't see her features under the armor, but her voice and movements gave her away. Each step was precise, as though she would move too fast if she weren't careful. "John, it wasn't your fault."
John reached out, grabbing her waist and pulling her closer, resting his forehead against her stomach. "I should have done something."
"You did everything that you could." Kelly's hands cupped his cheeks, lifting his face away from her so that she could kneel without hitting his head against her armor's chest plate. She reached up, removing her helmet and setting it on the bench next to John. She leaned toward him, letting her forehead rest against his. Her hand settled on his shoulders.
John closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her so close. He felt like they hadn't been this close in forever, and just her presence seemed to ease his pain and guilt. His hand remained on her waist, gauntleted hand running over the black under-layer of her armor. He cursed the suits at that moment. He wanted to feel more of her, feel better as only she could make him.
"You were stronger than me, on that ship. If you hadn't pulled me with you, I would have stayed." Kelly's words were soft and quiet. "If it weren't for you I would have gladly died back there, like a selfish fool."
"I wanted to stay, but we couldn't," John defended. It wasn't clear if he was defending the choice to Kelly or to himself. His hand gripped at her waist, his other hand moving to grip her forearm. "I would never leave you behind."
A smile spread over Kelly's face. "I know that." She lifted her head from his. John opened his eyes and her blue met his brown. They stared at each other for a few moments.
Kelly moved forward, tilting her head a bit to the side. Their lips met and everything melted away. The only thing that John was aware of was Kelly's mouth on his, and her body, which he pulled closer to him. All of the recent events on the Covenant ship vanished from his mind. The kiss deepened as they fought to taste more of each other.
They broke away from each other, staring at each other. Kelly leaned up a bit, placing a kiss on John's forehead before she stood up. She didn't say another word before she picked up her helmet and left the locker room.
John was left sitting in silence. He had lost his best friend that day, but he'd managed to save the woman he loved. His tongue ran over his lips, still able to taste a bit of her. He savored it while he could, knowing it would be a long time before he enjoyed that taste again.
John flipped over his helmet and slipped it on. He wasn't sure how she had done it, but he felt better. He stood, his purpose renewed. Sam may be dead, but he would do all that he could to stop the Covenant, to protect the other Spartans, to protect Kelly.
Note: these stories won't always be in chronological order. I am also willing to take request of pairings that readers want to see, though I refuse to do CortanaXJohn. Please only SpartanXSpartan pairings. Spartan II and Spartan III accepted.