I think the ratio of time between chapters is improving, don't you agree? :P

Chapter 13: Something Simple

The bar was not a big one, but there were still a fair few people arrayed around the interior. This being Ilium, the patrons were primarily Asari, but there were a smattering of other races. A few human men chatted up some Asari maidens at a standing table, a pair of Turians were discussing work over drinks, and a surly Krogan nursed a mug of something green and bubbling. None of them seemed overtly interested in Miranda. Well, actually, several seemed very interested. Two of the humans had tried their luck with Miranda before moving on to the much more receptive Asari. Prior to the humans arriving, one of those Asari had also approached Miranda, before being sent packing back to her giggling friends. Asari maidens could be as insufferable as their human generational counterparts.

The important thing was no one seemed to care why she was there, and her surreptitious sweep of the bar's security systems revealed no more spyware than was normal for an out of the way Ilium establishment. Her trip here, making use of no less than three modes of public transport, had been completely untraceable, and her itinerary masked her absence with the pretense of making checks with her Ilium sources. It helped that she had actually done so briefly earlier in the day. All these precautions and all her vigilance made it all the more embarrassing when Shepard casually arrived unobserved beside her at the bar and commented:

"You know you can relax, Miranda, it's just drinks."

24 Hours Earlier

"Drinks?" Inquired Miranda with a tone that implied Shepard had just suggested they eat spiders.

"Yes Miranda, Drinks. They usually come before a kiss, so I felt we had some catching up to do."

Miranda said what she felt she should, despite an almost overwhelming desire to the contrary, "Do I have to explain why thats a bad idea?"

Shepard might be smirking. It was hard to tell because Miranda was steadfastly resisting looking up from her terminal at him. "If it would make you feel better."

"It really wouldn't." Miranda conceded. "But I felt like it needed to be put out there." She gave up on reading… whatever it was she had been staring at for the last few moments and turned her attention to Shepard, who was leaning far too nonchalantly against her wall. There was no way he could know that was her favorite glaring wall. If he did, maybe he was trying to protect it like he did every other bloody thing in the galaxy.

"Listen-"

"Look-"

They said simultaneously. A brief pause before Shepard jumped back in, determined to say his piece.

"Listen Miranda. I'm interested in you. And I don't like to presume, but I think you feel the same. We might not have planned this, but that's where we're at." Taking her lack of interruption as an invitation to continue, he did so. "I'd like to see where this goes."

After a moment of working this over, Miranda responded wryly, "So, drinks, is it?"

"Yes, and if you hold that eyebrow up any longer, your face is going to stick like that."

Miranda lowed the eyebrow in question self consciously. "Shepard, if we're going to do this, and I'm not agreeing to anything yet…"

"Let me guess, you want this to stay between to the two of us."

"In so many words, yes. You understand why, don't you?"

"Some drama about emotional detachment?" Shepard should mind his own eyebrows.

"This is serious. If the Illusive Man believes I've been… compromised, my position here becomes much more tenuous."

The insufferable smirk returned, this time in full view, "Do you feel compromised?"

"No," she said. Yes, she thought. "But it's all a matter of perspective."

"Isn't everything?"

"Now you're just acting childish." she scolded.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I should be asking where you want to go."

"I haven't even said yes yet." Miranda protested.

Present

As Shepard raised his hand to catch the attention of the bartender, Miranda noted the presence of a fresh cut along his forearm. Judging by the fact that it was already starting to heal and fade, she assessed he had applied medigel, but it was still visible. Earlier that day Shepard and Garrus had traveled to the business district of Ilium looking to recruit a Drell assassin named Thane. Intelligence indicated he was no longer employed, but was present on the Asari dominated planet for unknown reasons. The Illusive Man, or whomever did his profiling work, had evidently decided he might be an asset worth investigating. Miranda had intended to join, but Shepard had insisted that just himself and Garrus could easily handle a quick pick up in the business district. Obviously that had gone according to plan.

"Shepard," Miranda said sternly, grabbing his arm to examine the wound. "What happened to your simple pick up operation?"

He tried to pull his arm away unsuccessfully. "I learned that construction sites have more explosive crates than you might expect. And that Asari businesswomen can be vindictive."

Satisfied that he had not damaged himself too significantly, Miranda released his arm. "And in your mind that is an adequate explanation?"

"Maybe not, but I didn't come here to discuss business." His smile disappeared. "There's something I need to know."

In spite of her self, Miranda asked apprehensively, "What?"

"What's your drink of choice?"

Tension diffused, the two passed the next hour in relative calm. At Shepard's insistence, nothing they discussed had much to do with… anything really. They just talked. At some point they landed on the topic of Ilium itself.

"I have to admit, we could learn a lot from the Asari, Ilium is cultural masterpiece." Miranda felt very strongly Shepard should be aware of this for some reason. The three glass of Thessia Red he had bought for her so far all agreed. "I mean, here we are, on the edge of civilized space, and they've built up a planet with metropolises that rival those on earth." Miranda frowned. "Metropoli. Metropolis?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," admitted Shepard. "Probably better."

"I don't know," Miranda commented, "your vocabulary is extremely impressive for someone who never even finished High School."

"Was that damnation by faint praise?" asked Shepard. A grin told her he wasn't serious.

"I'm serious, Shepard," she said unnecessarily.

"I know," he replied, equally unnecessarily. "It's just too easy to wind you up."

"You are terrible." Miranda groaned.

"Ah, but at least for a brief moment," he gloated, "I was impressive."

"You mispronounced impossible." That got a chuckle from Shepard.

"You know, I think you were lying to me," he said with an almost accusatory tone.

Miranda gave in to the inevitable, "Oh yes? About what?"

"You told me that Oriana was funny, and that you didn't share the trait. But I think, somewhere in there, you've got a sense of humor."

It was Miranda's turn to affect a serious tone, "I'm afraid, Commander, that's classified information."

"Your secret is safe with me." Smiles lingered on their faces for a long moment before they became conscious of their prolonged eye contact and disengaged. Shepard coughed, while Miranda engaged her forth, nearly empty, glass. There was a moment of silence, but not an uncomfortable one.

"We've been gone a while, we should probably get back," said Shepard. "I'm not sure I trust Joker to be unsupervised for this long." He glanced pointedly at her drink, "You probably want to finish that, so I'll head back first. You've got a few hours until we're leaving for the Citadel."

As he got up to leave, Miranda spoke, "Shepard."

He stopped and turned expectantly, "Yes?"

Miranda opened her mouth, then closed it again, before settling on, "Thanks. For the drinks."

He smiled, "My pleasure."

A few moments later Miranda was alone in the bar. The evening had been… nice. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting. Perhaps something more sordid, a secret affair? This had just been like a night out with a friend. Or what she assumed normal people did on a night out with a friend. Her experience in that area was limited (read: nonexistent). Something simple. She would never have guessed, but it had been exactly what she had needed.

Author Notes:

Yeah I know. Pure and utter indulgence. I did mention this would be a pretty fluffy chapter, didn't I? Aside from that though, I wanted to make it clear I don't do prolonged drama. I've seen some versions of Shepard and Miranda's story that stretch the drama all the way until near the end of the third game. I mean, I guess that's one way to do it if that's your thing, but in my mind, Shepard and Miranda are both mature adults, and while there would be some initial denial, and there will certainly be some dramatic moments in their story, things don't need to be doom gloom and broodiness forever. That's just not the foundation for a relationship outside of Hollywood. I'm ranting. I'll shut up.

Anyway I'm seriously not sure how you make metropolis plural. Metropoli and metropolises both sound wrong! I think I'll get a trained team of meese and gooses on it right away.

This chapter is pretty short, because I wanted to make sure I keep putting stuff out, and I didn't want a tonal whiplash when I get back to more plot stuffs. I think some of my older chapters could do with a bit of spacing out. Or maybe I just hate everything I write that's older than what I'm currently writing. Or maybe I think too much. Miranda, pass me one of those drinks...

Stay tuned for plot and stuff to come. And hamsters. Probably.

Cheers.