A/N: To clarify, yes, default male Shepard is my Shepard's older brother! This was written very quickly, please excuse any poor grammar of spelling!
It was supposed to be a little mission on Illium. Commander Shepard was always doing nice things for people, this was no different. A young human her age was working a kiosk when Shepard heard her freaking out.
"Oh, God…" the woman had moaned, trembling between bursting into tears and passing out. Shepard, who was with Kasumi and Jack, approached the woman.
"Are you all right?" Shepard asked. The woman jerked at her voice and turned around, her makeup running with tears.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you," she said. Shepard shook her head.
"It's okay. Can we help you with anything?" The woman hesitated, eyes darting side to side as if debating.
Then she spoke. "M-my husband's in the hospital. I just got the call that he might not make it. My vehicle's being borrowed by a friend and I don't have my money to pay for a transit car because I left my credits in my car. I can't see him." Shepard nodded, pitying the woman. She thought about Thane for a moment, then shook herself out of it before it progressed. 'I can't think of Thane like this. He's still here with me.'
"Ma'am, I can pay for the transit car," she offered. The woman shook her heard fiercely.
"No, I can't! I'm a stranger." Shepard went up to her, patting her shoulder.
"Your husband needs you. Don't worry about the money. We'll escort you" She nodded to Kasumi, who went to get a car. The woman burst into tears.
"Thank you," she sobbed, clinging to Shepard. Shepard's heart tore. This woman was going through something she hoped wouldn't come to her, but she knew it would happen.
Shepard sped the car through traffic, Jack sitting next to her and Kasumi and the woman in the back.
"Shepard, you really want to help this chick?" asked Jack. Shepard didn't take her eyes off the road.
"Her husband needs her, Jack," she replied patiently. Jack shrugged.
"Whatever. You find a guy, fuck him, and move on. Don't waste your time with the hassle of being with him. You might end up going through shit like this." Before Shepard could retort, Kasumi piped in.
"Like Shep?" she chirped. Jack groaned.
"Dammit, now I'm sorry."
They reached the hospital the woman asked for, who hurried to get out. They raced to the reception desk.
"I'm looking for Dekan Thinitos. I'm his wife Arami," said the woman. The receptionist, a bored asari, flipped through her Omni-tool.
"Room 315. It's in ICU, so we can't allow visitors to contaminate the place." Shepard furiously moved forward.
"Her husband is dying," she hissed, angry at the asari's aloofness. "Show some compassion."
Sympathy flooded the asari's face.
"Oh, I'm sorry." She sounded genuine. "Go right in."
"Bitch," Jack muttered before following Shepard, Kasumi and Arami into the elevator.
Once the floor was reached, Arami rushed into the room marked '315.'
Inside was a dark blue drell with an oxygen mask on. Shepard froze. 'No way, it can't be…'
"Dekan!" Arami cried, collapsing at his side. Dekan struggled for breath, surprised to see her.
"Arami? You shouldn't have come. I-" He coughed, violent and long-lasting. Kasumi's hand flew to Shepard's arm and grasping it to comfort her. She knew about Shepard's relationship with Thane. His room was right next to hers after all.
"I-I don't have much time." He sucked in a breath, smiling weakly at Arami. "I didn't want you to see this." Arami bent to kiss him, removing the oxygen mask with the utmost care.
"I'm your wife. If I'm not here until the end, it means I never loved you." Dekan looked happy.
"I love you, Arami. Come closer." Shepard felt tears down her face. To her left was Kasumi, crying under her hood. To her right, Jack was struggling not to cry.
"Fuck this shit, I'm out." She turned and stomped out before she rubbed at her eyes with her arm. Shepard was about to chastise her when Dekan coughed again.
"Kepral's is a cruel disease," said Arami bitterly. Dekan smiled.
"It truly is. But I have a few moments left, I want it to be with you." He closed his eyes.
"Kalahira, I wish for forgiveness. For not being beside my love for the rest of her life, for not loving her enough to call myself her husband. Arashu, watch over my beloved siha, her heart is true and worthy of your praise. Amonkira, grant my siha the strength to move on for I cannot." Arami closed the gap between them and kissed him one last time.
Shepard was led out by Kasumi, who shut the door as Arami sobbed into Dekan's blanket, the machine flat-lining sound buzzing in the room. She struggled to remain indifferent, tears slipping onto the ground.
"Shep," said Kasumi quietly.
"Normandy. We need to go back to the Normandy." She spoke fast, not caring if she jumbled the words.
The girls were back in the Normandy at record speed. Joker whistled.
"Home sweet-Hey!" Shepard ignored him and ran off.
"What's happened to her?" he asked, preparing to take off. Kasumi wiped off the rest of her tears and sighed and stood behind his chair, leaning on the head rest.
"Well..."
When Shepard went into the elevator, her brother was just leaving the armory.
"Sis?" The elevator shut before he saw her face.
She was on her way to the cabin, stripping off her armor until she was bare. When the elevator opened she dumped the armor in a corner and changed into a tank top and sleep shorts. She jumped onto her bed and cried everything she was bottling up inside. She didn't want to lose Thane. She knew how hurt she would be, this was all her fault.
Seeing Dekan and Arami at the hospital only told her everything she would feel when Thane would reach that point. If she broke it off with him now, she might as well shoot herself with the Cain. Thane would be even more miserable then than he probably was now.
"EDI," she called out, her voice cracking.
"Yes, Shepard? You seem distraught."
"No, just…call Thane up please."
"Right away, Commander." She had to stop crying. She didn't want Thane to think she was some weakling. She was his siha, goddammit.
"Siha?" She jumped, seeing him approach the bed. When was he there?
"Thane." He saw her tears, concern filling him to the core.
"You were crying again." She sniffed, holding her arms out to him. He removed his jacket and joined her in the bed, holding her closely to his chest.
"What happened?" She snuggled into him, feeling him just there. She hoped he wouldn't disappear from his arms.
"To put it short, we were in Illium helping a woman get to the hospital. Her husband was dying from Kepral's." He sucked in a breath.
"I see. You…imagined us in their position?" She nodded dumbly, her voice choking with tears.
"I don't want to lose you." She sobbed and clung onto him. He held her tighter, trying desperately not to cry.
"And I you." She released him a bit to kiss him, which he returned gladly. His tongue slipped into her mouth, caressing hers gently.
He was there. He was there with her. He wasn't leaving her now. She thought of what Liara told her.
"It's not about how much time you have. It's about what you do with it." Her voice rang out in her head and soothed her significantly. She would love Thane until the end. She wouldn't worry about anything else for now.
When he thrust into her, her body arched to meet him. Their bodies rocked together, illuminated by the light from the fish tank.
"T-Thane!" she moaned, feeling her peak. He didn't stop, thrusting harder and faster. Their moans filled the room.
"Siha," he panted, finishing. She shuddered and held onto him, resting her cheek in his.
He didn't leave her side.
Read and review! Got a prompt? I'll try it out! I can't do anything with hardcore lemon though…please provide a lemon or I can try the best I can! I will not be posting soon as I have another story to write a chapter to, and college is out to kill me so war is ON!
-winternightlullaby out