Miranda raised her head as the elevator doors hummed open – finding herself staring at Shepard. She could tell he was taken aback by her by the way his eyes glimmered and his mouth hung agape. She was wearing a light blue dress, it ending just below her knees. As she adjusted the spaghetti strap hanging over her left shoulder, her gaze fell back to the floor.
"What?" She questioned Shepard insecurely, shifting her stance to an uncomfortable one. She was the most confidant woman in the galaxy – with good reason – but when Shepard's eyes glimmered like that, she always fell into that same feeling of nervousness – similar to when they had their first date.
Shepard shook his head, trying to get out of the daze he was in. He responded, slowly – and unsure of what to say, "You… uh, look amazing, Miranda," he paused, staring at her grayish-blue eyes, "Better than amazing… You look beautiful."
She blushed, and when Shepard held out his hand in an invitation, she hesitated briefly – she wasn't sure why, but she did. Eventually taking his hand after a couple of seconds, she flashed him a disarming smile, "Thank you," her eyes scanning his physique as she spoke, recalling just how well Shepard looked in a tux. She smirked, and in a coy, flirtatious tone, replied, "You don't look half bad yourself."
Shepard let out a small laugh as he pulled her closer to him, the lines of his face slowly beginning to show a strong sense of uncertainty as she rested her head against his chest.
'He's afraid to even touch me,' she thought, watching as his hand hesitated slightly before outlining the curve of her shoulder, ascending to her face. She leaned her head against his rough palm; the feel of his skin sending shivers up her spine, her cheeks pulling her lips into a small smile.
Shepard gently brought her closer, using his hand to draw her face up to his. She stared into his greenish eyes, sensing all kinds of emotions pulsing through his head. She longed for him to kiss her, desperate for his rough lips to connect with hers, to send that feeling of passion coursing through her body.
But it never came. He was hesitating, nervous, and afraid. Qualities she had never seen him so openly show before. It frightened her slightly, but it also reminded her that to him, this night was more important to him than probably the venture through the Omega-4 relay. It was then that she slowly started to understand just how afraid this man was of losing her.
It was either that – she pondered – or the fact that one of the new crewmates, Billicks, had been staring at them for the past 10 minutes. Shepard's gaze turned to the man – who immediately rushed out of sight when his eyes connected with the Commander's.
Resting the side of her face against his chest once more, Miranda listened to the beating of Shepard's heart as she inquired, "You're nervous."
The question caught him off guard slightly, "Nervous? About what?"
"The crew replacements," she looked up at him, "You don't trust them, do you?"
He sighed, looking at the door that the crewmate had just exited through, "I don't. But I trust Anderson – and if he says they are good people, then I believe him."
"Shepard, if you wan-"
"No," he stopped her, his voice turning serious, "I'm not going to let some unfounded fear ruin this night for us. It's too important. You're too important."
She could tell that he wanted to kiss her right then, to convince her how much she meant to him, but she could sense the hesitation.
'Just do it, Shepard – kiss me, please!' Her body pleaded, every bone in her body aching for him to do it. But he wouldn't – and she knew he wouldn't until the moment was right.
He brushed her hair behind her ear, his gaze watching his fingers work, "Do you recall Sha'ira?" He asked in a slightly awkward tone.
She nodded, "The Asari Consort, right? What about her?"
"Well… I really couldn't think of a peaceful place for us to be able to be alone," his eyes met her's, "so I called in a favor with her. I know that most of the people will probably be bugging both of us if we go out walking in the Wards or Presidium, so I asked her if we could use her private chambers for one night. She agreed."
She smiled up at him, "She did, did she? And what can I expect to find in this private chamber?"
Shepard blushed, "Well… uh," he cleared his throat, smirking, "You'll just have to wait and see. It's a surprise."
"Oh, I do love surprises," she said, smiling up at him.
He pulled away from her slowly and held out his arm for her, "Shall we go then?"
She nodded, taking his arm, "Yes, lets."
They walked together, arm and arm out of the Normandy – and into the quiet evening of the Citadel.