Author's notes: This is actually a scene I cut from my long fic Taproot (Part II, Ch. 3: Of Invasives & Interlopers). I felt it didn't really have a place in the chapter, though I was still attached to the idea of seeing Kaidan and Miranda have a bit of a romantic scene. So this is pretty much how I wrote it in the first draft, no extra editing or polish on this one. I wanted to share because there are so precious few Kaidan/Miranda works :)

For context: Shepard shows up at Kaidan's apartment out of the blue when reporters stalk her place. She doesn't know that Kaidan is getting ready for his first date with Miranda. Miranda shows up and is surprised to find Shepard there. The three of them hang out and Kaidan makes an impromptu pasta dinner. Afterward, he walks Miranda out of the building and Shepard is left alone in his apartment.

The Cutting Room Floor

After dinner, Kaidan walked Miranda down to the lobby of the building. He had wanted to apologize properly all night, but Shepard as a third wheel had made for a wobbly ride. He held his arm out to trigger the door and they stepped into the mild spring air.

"I'm glad to see Commander Shepard has such a close friend watching out of her. Someone who knows her so well."

"Oh, I have to watch out for her alright. Still hitting me with those childish jabs."

Carefully holding the hem of her dress against the back of her thigh, Miranda lowered herself onto a long, concrete bollard. She set her clutch down next to her. "She certainly has a way of stealing the show, doesn't she?"

"Between you and me, I think its worse when she's stressed." Kaidan joined Miranda on the bollard, tugging at the tops of his dress pants before sitting down.

"'Stressed' is a rather generous way of putting it."

"Yeah, well, you know how it is. She's had it really rough, since way before the war."

"Since you were seeing each other?" The heel of Miranda's pump dug into the pavement as she rocked her foot back.

"Uhh…well yeah, I guess you could say that." Kaidan leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "You know, I think there was a part of me that thought I could help her. That I could play an important role for her. She was out there, larger than life, a hero, a leader—doing all these amazing things I thought I could never do. I admired her for it. Maybe a little too much. And when she came back, when you brought her—when Cerberus brought her back—I didn't believe she could possibly be the same person. When I finally realized it was really her, it was too late. We were different people."

Folding his hands together, he surveyed the dark, empty plaza. It was quiet—not even the sound of vehicles or skycars broke the night air. It was as if the world had gone to bed just for them.

"And then Shepard found someone else."

Kaidan snorted. "Yeah, that too." He looked back toward Miranda, his eyes catching hers as she watched him. There was more to the story than she knew, but there was no point in telling her. "Listen, enough about Shepard. I wanted to apologize. Actually apologize."

Miranda shook her head. "There's no need, I—"

"No, please. I was caught off guard—didn't have a chance to really think it through. And I didn't have the heart to say no." Kaidan sat up again. Setting boundaries never came naturally to him, but it was clear that he would have to try harder. "Though looking back, I probably should have. So I'm sorry for ruining our date. I didn't imagine our night going this way."

"How exactly did you imagine it then?" Miranda cocked an eyebrow, a smirk lurking at the corner of her mouth.

"Mmmm….first, we'd have a nice walk to the restaurant, along the waterfront—talking, maybe holding hands if we felt like it? Look out onto the glistening water. Smell the dust everywhere. Listen to the magical sounds of construction equipment filling the evening hours." Kaidan waved his hand in an arc sarcastically.

Miranda crossed her legs and perched her hands on her knees. "And after we took in the lovely atmosphere of the city?"

"When we got there, we'd sit at a table by the window and have an amazing view of the harbor. See the lights of Vancouver. Maybe there'd even be a candle, if we were lucky."

"You pay extra for the candle."

"That's alright, I'm still young-ish and healthy. I can always sell a kidney." Kaidan poked at his side to show her. "And we would definitely not be ordering the pasta. Maybe something a little more sophisticated for the lady? What do you like? Lobster? Caviar? Oysters?"

"Much too much ocean for my taste. How about…a gorgeous tournedos rossini?"

Of course her French accent is perfect. "Ah, a haute cuisine connoisseur, I see. Lab grown beef at exorbitant market price it is. Oh, let's not forget some wine. Merlot from a family friend's winery? I don't trust anyone else to have real wine right now."

"Mmm, but that corking fee will set you back a pretty penny."

"Corking fee, shmorking fee! There's always the other kidney."

Miranda knocked her knees into his legs. "Well don't kill yourself for a nice meal, Kaidan, not on my behalf."

"Mmmm, what else…"

"We'd need a dessert."

"Oh yes, how could I forget!" Kaidan ticked a finger back and forth in the air. "For yooou…I'm going to guess…the tiramisu."

She narrowed her eyes. "How did you know?"

"Just a feeling."

"And what about after the meal?"

"After? Hmm… after…." Sliding his arms out behind him, Kaidan leaned back onto the bollard with his palms, his legs stretched out in front of him. He gazed up to the sky. Stretching this moment out for as long as possible was going to be fun. "First, finish the wine. Can't let that beauty go to waste."

Miranda twisted her body toward him, her knees leaning into his thighs.

Kaidan snuck a glance from the corner of his eye. He let his gaze follow the path from her knee up to the hem of her dress, which had ridden up a little as she crossed her legs.

"What's wrong? You haven't gone shy on me now, have you? What happened to that new found confidence of yours?" She met his wandering gaze and raised an eyebrow. A glint of wickedness lurked at the notch of her eye.

Those crystalline eyes could see right through everything; Kaidan felt exposed, somehow. He cleared his throat. "Mmm, getting a little crisp out here. Give me a sec." Sitting up, he began to roll the cuff of his sleeve back down to his wrist.

Reaching across, Miranda grabbed his hand and gently set it in his lap. She folded the cuff to his elbow in an even, trim roll, and he relished the warmth of her slender fingers brushing against his cool forearm.

Miranda admired her handiwork. "Leave it, I like it that way."

"You like hairy arms, then?"

"I just like your arms. The hair doesn't bother me." She stroked his arm as if to make a point, matting the hair down in one direction.

Kaidan's lips curled into an amused smile. "So…where did I leave off?"

"The wine. We've finished the wine."

"Oh yes, the wine. After paying for the bill—with credits, not with my kidneys—we'd take another stroll, a little warm and tipsy. On account of the drinking…"

Miranda nodded. "Mmmhmm…"

"I'd drape my jacket around you, then my arm, and take you to to the seawall. We'd stop and admire the buildings across the water, the old sailboats in the bay."

Kaidan rose from the bollard. Reaching down, he took Miranda's hand and pulled her up gently.

"I'd turn to you and hold your hands, like this." He clasped her hands in his. Looking down, he ran his thumbs over the backs of her hands, and let his palms whisper with a soft, blue glow.

She reciprocated, her biotics thrumming against his, the force between them making Kaidan's skin tingle. Their hands were a bright beacon lighting the building's path.

"Kaidan…I—" Miranda peered up, her eyes imploring as he leaned in.

Beep …beep…beep…beep…

Kaidan's omnitool lit up. He pulled back. "Crap, just a sec, could be work."

Her mouth opened to say something, but she clamped it shut again as he pulled up his display.

"Heeeeey….Shepard. What's up," Kaidan said, trying his best not to sound put out.

Miranda winced and stuck a finger in her ear as Shepard's deafening voice rang out. "Sorry to bother you again, but do you mind if I use your terminal? I'm supposed to have a chat with Garrus tonight and, uh, mine's at home."

"Yeah, sure, knock yourself out. It's in my bedroom. The door on the right down the hallway."

"Perfect! Thanks Kaidan! Hey, don't do anything I wouldn't do…hehe."

"Uh, you too, Shepard."

"Bye!"

"See you later, Circe."

Kaidan blew a long puff of air through his lips as he raked his fingers over the back of his head. "Um, sorry about that. Again."

Miranda picked up her clutch and held it out in front of her with both hands. "That's alright, I should be going anyway. Early day tomorrow."

"Ah, yes."

"Talk to you before you leave for Benning?"

"Yep, of course." Kaidan gave a rueful smile. "Goodnight, Miranda."

"Goodnight, Kaidan."