Work Text
I had a dream I was dying
But I found nobody there
And if one last night is all that we've been given
Let's live it like we care
Nerves before a big mission were nothing new, but Shepard had never experienced anything nearly as nerve-wracking as stopping Saren. If they or she failed, it was more than just a few lives in the line. Everyone would suffer.Shepard glanced over at her half-eaten-ready meal. She knew she needed her strength, but the thought of food made her feel like throwing up.The door chimed as she picked up another data pad and narrowed her eyes at the endless text. She really didn't have time for interruptions. However, her crew had decided to put their careers and lives on the line to follow her into the unknown. The least she could do was acknowledge them.“Come in,” she called out, eyes still fixated on the small screen.Kaidan stepped inside and found her hunched over the desk with various datapads. If there was one thing he had learned about Shepard over the last few months of working together, it was that she was chaotic when it came to working things out.“Commander?” he asked softly.Shepard sighed deeply, wondering how much longer she'd even have that rank. “You probably shouldn't call me that.” She laughed humourlessly as she stood to address him adequately and then gestured to herself. “I probably shouldn't even be wearing this uniform.”At the mention of her uniform, Kaidan slowly looked her up and down and folded his arms. “Yeah, hell of a thing,” he murmured. “We broke our oath to defend the Alliance so we can keep it.”To her, it sounded like he was still trying to wrap his head around what they had been forced to do.“What happens if this doesn't work out, Shepard? We mutinied, stole a prototype warship - if they wanted to get technical, they can throw in kidnapping.”It seemed like he had given this far more thought than she had. She had offered everyone the opportunity to leave. To their credit, no one had left the ship, and it had filled her with a rare warmth. Their loyalty to Anderson was more than evident to her, and it helped fill her with a sense of confidence that they could get through this as long as they remained steadfast.“We’re a hell of an example of humanity’s best and brightest, huh?” Kaidan offered, a hint of a smile on his face.Shepard shook her head slowly as she looked down at the deck. “I keep reminding myself we’re doing the right thing,” she answered, finally looking back at him with the tiniest sigh. “I don’t believe me yet.”Kaidan hesitated for a moment and unfolded his arms. “It’ll really hit the fan when we get to Ilos. If things don’t go well, I want you to know…” He paused briefly to centre his thoughts and boldly stepped towards her. “Well, I’ve enjoyed serving under you.”Despite how severe the impending situation was, she couldn’t help the sordid thought that warped into her brain at his comment. There had been a lot of flirting between them since she had taken command of the Normandy, and he had been brazen in calling her out in front of Liara. It was an unusual position for Shepard to find herself in, and this was definitely unknown territory. Had Anderson been here, she wouldn’t have entertained the thought of looking at any of her crew like that, but there was an undeniable pull between them.They’d had more than a few late-night conversations in the mess hall, and he made a mean hot chocolate. Shepard slowly looked him up and down and tilted her head with a mischievous grin. “Kaidan, I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of you serving under me. Don’t you think it’s time to rectify that?”“Ouch,” he said with a slight chuckle. “I walked right into that, didn’t I?” Kaidan glanced down at his boots, trying to keep the mood as light as possible and shook his head as he looked back up at her. “We could get drummed out of the service for fraternisation. Of course, we’ll probably get the firing squad for mutiny.”Shepard felt this kind of fraternisation was low on the Alliance's priority list with everything going on.“You know what? You’re right about everything,” Kaidan whispered. She watched him with a curious expression. “I think about losing you, and I can’t stand it.”When he said that, her eyebrows knitted together. A flutter of emotion sent a wave throughout her entire body, and she didn’t dare interrupt him. His voice and the look on his face did unspeakable things to her.“The galaxy will just keep going. Everything, even the Reapers, will come around again. But you and I... we are important right now. And this is what will never happen again. Us.”His eyes were locked on hers as he spoke so openly, and she realised how beautiful they were, golden flecks in a sea of brown. Shepard swallowed incredibly hard and felt her heart pounding as he moved even closer. Kaidan had her full attention, and she was drinking in every single word.“Shepard, you make me feel...human,” he confessed.Her mouth felt parched when he said that, and she’d never had anyone say something like that to her before—had never had someone talk so passionately to her. Shepard continued staring into his eyes and realised that she was in no way uncomfortable maintaining eye contact. How did she even begin to respond to such profound words? Did he even anticipate a response?“I can make you feel much more than that,” she purred. “Come here.”Kaidan felt his skin flush at her words. He hadn’t anticipated laying it all out there for her, but he was glad he did. He figured he had nothing to lose and everything to gain by making his feelings known.“Is that an order, Commander?” he asked with a smile of his own.“Shut up and get over here,” she insisted with a smirk, inching a little closer to him. “Careful, Shepard,” Kaidan said, his tone taking on somewhat of a teasing quality. “I might think that you’re abusing your authority. A serious breach of protocol.” Without another word needing to be exchanged, Shepard reached out to him, and her smile faded as she pulled him to her. She claimed his lips in a fierce kiss, and her mouth was hungry and demanding.Kaidan responded immediately as she kissed him so roughly. He tasted the sweetness of her lips, and it ignited a fire within his veins. Her hands snaked their way into his hair, holding him in place as she deepened the kiss. It sent a thrill through her when she was rewarded with Kaidan moaning against her mouth as his hands moved down to her waist and pulled her closer. He wanted to devour her as he slid his hand up her back, tracing the curves of her muscles through the material of her uniform. He stopped between her shoulder blades and pushed her back a little. Shepard could feel his arousal against her thigh, and it elicited a sigh from her.Breaking off the kiss, she looked up at him, and her blue eyes sparkled with desire. Shepard loosened her grip on his hair and slid her hand down his neck before finally resting against his chest. Her breathing was already erratic, and that was just from one kiss. She bit her lip with a somewhat shy expression, and her eyes searched his. Although she would never admit it to him, she had thought about this moment several times over the past few weeks. Had wondered what it would feel like to kiss those lips and to feel his impressive body pressed against hers.She had seen him showering once, which was purely by accident. The sneak peek of what lay underneath the uniform had her scampering off to her room and willing her hormones to behave.Now, he was standing before her, and he felt the same. It was just one night, and who knew if they would make it home from Ilos? Driven by her fear and her lust, Shepard offered him a shy smile, and Kaidan returned it.Reaching down for his hands, she entwined her trembling fingers with his and led him towards the bed. Her heart was hammering, and she feared he could hear it. It had been a while since she had been intimate with someone, a fair few months since she had escaped yet another relationship when the L word got brought up in conversation. Shepard was pretty good at fleeing when shit got too real.“Do we…I mean…I'm protected against…I'm…” Kaidan began.“We are both clean, Kaidan,” Shepard informed him. After all, they both had routine medical checks. “And I'm up to date on my injection. And you?”Kaidan nodded; like any good Alliance soldier, he made sure to stick to preventing any unwanted pregnancy. Men, as well as women, were routinely injected, and he was cautious due to being a biotic.“Yes,” he murmured, leaning in to kiss her more gently.Shepard stopped. “If you're uncomfortable with…” she began nervously because this hadn't been planned. She would understand if he preferred to use extra protection with a new partner.“I'm comfortable with this,” he promised in between kisses.“Good. Because I'm not even sure if Karin keeps condoms in the medbay in case the crew get horny,” Shepard whispered against his lips.That earned her a chuckle, and he pulled away, smiling down at her. “You have the weirdest sense of humour, Shepard.”Shepard tilted her head to one side. “Does that bother you?” Kaidan smiled, moving her hair away from her neck. “Not in the slightest,” he murmured before kissing it ever so softly, and she moved her head to one side to grant him more access. It felt so incredibly good, and she felt heat beginning to simmer throughout her body.Coming to her senses, Shepard pushed him away, impatiently tugged off her shirt, and tossed it aside. Kaidan was a little surprised at how straightforward she was, but then again, she was very upfront about what she wanted. He swallowed hard as she quickly slipped out of her combats and just stood there in her underwear. It was standard issue, nothing particularly sexy, but as his eyes roamed down her body, he noticed a long scar running from beneath her bra and down to her navel.Shepard was used to a reaction to her scar, and she saw where he was looking. “Present from Akuze,” she stated as if it were nothing and then put her hands on her hips. “You wanna get naked for me?”Kaidan quickly removed his boots, glancing up at her with a raised eyebrow. “Are you always this bossy?”“You seem surprised by that,” she answered with a smirk, closing the distance between them and placing her hands against his chest. Shepard slowly moved them up and down, causing his shirt to create friction against his nipples, and he quickly went to lift his top. Eagerly, she helped him undress by unbuttoning his pants and kissing him with a little more insistence.Groaning ever so loudly, Kaidan felt her slide them down his legs. He stepped out of them, and it was a little awkward to do with the brunette now hanging off his lips. Breaking off the kiss, Shepard took a step back to admire him as he stood in black boxers. Kaidan felt like he was being inspected by her as she circled around him, her eyes taking in every contour of his impressive body. Up close and personal, he was everything she had dreamed of and more. That glimpse in the shower simply didn't do him justice.She bit her lip as she approached him from behind and slid her hands around his waist, immensely enjoying the feel of hard muscle and a trail of hair leading down to forbidden territory.“Shepard…” he gasped.Shepard kissed up his spine to the back of his neck, where the faintest outline of a scar remained. She knew this was where he'd had the implant embedded in his skin, yet his was awful in comparison to her own. Hers came with minimal side effects.“May I…” she asked as she kissed a delicate spot behind his ear, fingers moving down, tracing circles on his hips.Kaidan’s breath caught in his throat when she did that. “Yes…”He barely had time to say the word, and he felt his boxers being tugged down eagerly. Shepard made quick work of her own underwear, and Kaidan didn't even have time to register what was happening as she stepped around him and pushed him back forcefully onto the bed.Landing with a soft cry of surprise, he looked up at her as she unhooked the bra and let it drop at her feet. For some reason, he had never assumed Shepard would be shy, but he had also not expected her to be so brazen.Swallowing hard, he looked at her heaving breasts and down to the apex of her thighs, where a single strip of dark hair disappeared into a V. Every single regulation that had ever been drummed into him was flying out the window faster than the speed of light, and Kaidan was more than okay with that.“You're…” he began, intending to tell her how beautiful she was, but she didn't want or need to hear it. Within mere seconds, Shepard was on her hands and knees, crawling up the bed towards him with a predatory look. She immediately straddled him, and he could feel how wet she was against his swollen cock. He went to take hold of her hips, and she retaliated by grabbing his hands and pinning them firmly above his head.Swallowing hard, Kaidan's breath kicked up a notch as she stared down at him. He hadn't envisioned she could be this intense, but the fire in her eyes made it hard for him to breathe. “There's no rush,” he reminded her softly.Shepard was well aware that they had a fair few hours before they reached Ilos. Instead of saying anything, she simply smirked at him with a wicked expression. She tightened her grip, prompting him to look at each wrist and then up to her in confusion. “I'd like my hands back, Faith,” he whispered.“Faith?” she asked, deliberately grinding herself against his erection. She felt his entire body shudder uncontrollably beneath her. The anticipation of what they were about to do was exquisite, and she hadn't been as flustered as this before. “Little impersonal, don't you think?”Kaidan stared up at her with a bewildered expression. “You're sitting on top of me completely naked,” he replied ever so calmly, “but you draw the line at me calling you by your name?”How could Shepard explain to him without feeling ridiculous that she felt like her first name was a lie? Being called something so virtuous when her soul was stained so heavily was undoubtedly a cruel joke from whatever higher power existed.The nuns had named her, envisioning a path leading her to good. It possibly would have worked as well had she not had the misfortune to be “cursed” with biotics. Instead of giving the man below her a reason, she shrugged and leaned in, kissing his neck softly.“I suppose you've earned the right to call me whatever you want,” she whispered seriously. Letting go of his hands, she grasped his face and kissed him, pushing her tongue into his mouth to silence him. Shepard wasn't experienced with any kind of talk during sex, and it wasn't a habit she was about to develop.With his hands released, Kaidan was finally able to touch her, and although she tensed up at the contact, she began to relax as he explored her body. His hands moved up from her hips and round to her breasts, squeezing gently as his thumbs found her hardened nipples. They felt perfect in his hands, and she was immediately responsive, bolstering his confidence.A soft moan escaped her lips as she broke off the kiss, and she moved to grab his wrists once more. However, she didn't remove them. Instead, she kept them pressed against her as she enjoyed the sensation. Kaidan looked up at her in silence; eyebrows furrowed together as he tried in vain to figure out the enigma that was Commander Faith Shepard.“We can stop,” Kaidan reassured her. “Whenever you want, just say the word.”Shepard frowned when he said that. It had taken a lot for her to sleep with previous partners, but she hadn't bonded with them the same way she had bonded with Kaidan. They'd worked together and had become friends. She felt completely at ease with him and knew she was coming across as strange and weirdly defensive.Her dreams had been plagued by Kaidan ever since she realised she liked him more than a friend, and now she was second-guessing herself. And why?Because she thought all men were the same and only wanted to use her for her body?Kaidan wasn't like anyone else she had ever met before, which was why she was so attracted to him.“I don't do this kind of thing lightly, Faith,” he reminded her.The way he said her name, a name she hated so fucking much, did indescribable things to her. Shepard realised that she didn’t hate it when he said it in such a low, husky tone, and she was convinced he could impregnate a human male with that voice. And his eyes, oh Spirits/Goddess and whatever high power existed, he had such rich brown eyes. When he looked at her, he didn't seem to see her like the fuck up that lived beneath the protective armour of Commander Shepard. No, he looked at her like she was a woman and something good, something pure. He looked at her as though she were someone worthy of affection.She swallowed hard as she released his wrists; she slid her hands down to his arms and leaned in. Kaidan let go of her breasts and opened his arms to accommodate her. Getting comfortable, Shepard pressed her breasts against his chest and cupped his cheek with one hand as she continued studying him closely.“Neither do I, Kaidan,” she whispered. At least, she didn't, not anymore. Shepard bit her lip and shifted so she could kiss him again, this time exploring his mouth as she tangled her hands in his hair. This kiss was much slower and more passionate, and she gave the tiniest sigh.Kaidan pulled her as close as possible as she lay atop him, and he murmured in response. His hands moved up her back, and he threaded his fingers through the wild locks of her hair. Up close and extremely personal, she was intoxicating, and he simply couldn't get enough of her.Breaking off the kiss, he attempted to roll them over and was pleased when she yielded to him. Kaidan hovered over her, brushing hair away from her face and smiled. Leaning in, he gave her a simple kiss.“We can stop anytime you want,” he whispered. “Just say the word.”Shepard nodded quickly. “Okay,” she answered, her voice carrying a rare softness he hadn't experienced before. She wasn't used to having a sexual partner who cared about her comfort throughout the process. Then again, she had never given someone the same opportunity she was giving him.Relinquishing control to someone else was difficult, but with Kaidan, it didn’t seem like such a frightening prospect.“Okay,” he repeated, then began kissing her neck, down her chest and over to each breast in turn. Shepard surprised herself by giving little murmurs of encouragement, gently cradling his head and gripping his thick hair between her fingers. The gesture was rough but not enough to hurt. If anything, it turned Kaidan on even more.His tongue flicked out to tease a nipple, and then he closed his mouth around it completely.“Kaidan,” she hissed.Kaidan immediately dropped it and turned to look up at her in concern.Shepard made a face as she locked eyes with him. “Well, don't fucking stop,” she pleaded, shifting her flush body beneath him.Without a word, Kaidan grinned and resumed what he was doing while he used his other hand to glide down her stomach, tracing along the scar before disappearing into the dark triangle of hair. Moaning, his fingers brushed against the damp curls, and he waited for her to relax. Shepard made a guttural sound, and although he still had a nipple held captive gently between his lips and teeth, Kaidan turned his face subtly to check in with her.Shepard saw him looking up at her, and she moved her hand down to the one hovering over her soaking wet pussy. For a moment, Kaidan thought she would knock the hand away. Instead, she spread her legs a little wider, guiding his hand and pressing him against her most intimate area.His fingers brushed her swollen clit, and Shepard literally whimpered, letting him go and moving her hand back to his shoulder. Kaidan lazily swept his fingers up and down, slowly tormenting her by barely touching her where she craved him the most.Moving his lips from her breast and back up to her neck, he continued peppering kisses there while increasing the pressure. His fingers slid slick either side of her clit, and it was sweet torture as he seemed to be deliberately not hitting it.“Please…” she managed to utter.It wasn't like her to beg, and yet here she was, begging him to pleasure her. “I need…” she continued.There was a question in his gaze as he pulled back to look at her. “What do you need, Faith?” he whispered, wanting to hear her say it, needing to hear her say it.Shepard was no stranger to making demands in the bedroom, but this encounter differed. Her body felt like it would combust, and she needed that final spark to set it ablaze. “I want you inside me,” she replied, her tone full of lust. Then she changed her mind; want wasn't the appropriate word. Shepard swallowed hard, letting every single inhibition melt away. “I need you inside me, Kaidan.”Her words made him groan a little. Hearing her expressing herself like that only made him harder, and she seemed worked up enough to accept him.Slowly, Kaidan manoeuvred himself so he was positioned between her widely spread legs. His cock throbbed with need, and he ran his hands along her powerful but trembling thighs. She was simply gorgeous, and he couldn't believe this was happening.Unsure as to how much lubricating she would need, he took himself in hand and then rubbed the head of his dick against her wetness. The sound she made in response was divine, so he did it a little more, making her squirm impatiently. Oh, she was ready—more than ready.With one slow thrust, he filled her and met little resistance until their bodies finally became one. Shepard let out a soft cry, her nails digging into his shoulders as she adjusted to his size. Kaidan didn't dare move, giving her a moment to accommodate him. She felt so tight and warm wrapped around his rock-hard cock. It had obviously been a while for her, and he wanted this experience to be as pleasurable as possible.Months of dancing around each other led to this moment, and he wanted to savour every second. He brushed the hair away from her face and kissed her softly."Move," she pleaded against his lips, almost sobbing as she felt like she'd lose her mind if he didn't move. "Please, Kaidan, fuck me. Make love to me. Do whatever you want.” Shepard moved a hand to the back of his head, maintaining eye contact as he lifted his head. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Just do something.”Again, she was begging him, and as Kaidan stared down at her, he saw her in a completely different light. Underneath all that bravado and sarcasm was a woman who wanted to be held and loved like everyone else. There was a certain vulnerability in her gaze that surpassed her physical nakedness, and it had a profound effect on him.This woman, this force of nature, was as beautiful inside as she was on the outside. Despite being in the midst of such a carnal act, Kaidan automatically craved more, and he felt ridiculous for the fleeting thoughts of romance that surfaced.In those gorgeous blue eyes, he could see a road leading to more moments like this and picture nights spent together, making love and laughing or simply enjoying one another’s company.In those eyes, he saw a whole world of promise, and he decided that they would survive Ilos and live because he refused to believe that this was a one-time thing.He decided there and then, while buried deep inside her, that he wanted more time to love her. “Kaidan?”Still unbelievably soft and gentle, her voice pulled him from his ill-timed thoughts. He looked down at her bodies still joined, and she was trembling beneath him and willing him to move.“Sorry.”To echo his earlier words, Shepard smiled as warmly as he had ever seen her. “We can stop anytime you want.”That was the problem. Kaidan didn't want to stop. He didn't want this night to end, and he didn't want whatever chemistry that had developed between them to go away.Leaning in, he gave her the simplest of kisses and then began to move his hips with purpose.Shepard whimpered her approval, and she closed her eyes, throwing her head back as he made slow and deliberate thrusts. He felt so good inside her, as if they were made to fit perfectly like the pieces of a well-crafted puzzle.Increasing the speed of his thrusts, Kaidan slowly took her hands in his and guided them above her head. Her eyes snapped open in alarm, and her body tensed, not in a good way.Kaidan immediately stopped, releasing her hands and placing his hands on either side of them. Shepard kept her hands where he had left them, resting against the pillows, eyes searching his as her chest heaved.He used his left hand to support himself and cupped her cheek ever so gently with his right. His thumb brushed small circles in a soothing gesture, and Kaidan wondered who had hurt Shepard so much in the past to provoke this kind of reaction.Who had broken her trust to the point she couldn’t let her guard down, even during sex.“I won't hurt you,” he promised quietly. Shepard's face contorted into a grimace, not from physical pain but from somewhere deep within. She moved her hand back beneath his left one and then silently grabbed his right one, pinning her hands beneath his own.“I'm good as long as you warn me,” she whispered, shifting her hips, and his cock twitched inside her. “Okay?” he asked.“Okay,” she murmured right before his mouth clamped down on hers.As her fingers interlocked tightly with his, he saw it as a green light to increase the pace. Kaidan’s thrusts became faster, harder and deeper as he desperately sought to drive them both over that sweet edge. Shepard’s muscles clenched around him, and he drew back from her as he needed to see her face. He craved to see her in the throes of ecstasy.Shepard’s breath came out in short pants as she looked up at him with a half smile. Her eyebrows were delicately knitted together. “Oh fuck,” she managed to utter but held his gaze, her lips parting in a silent plea. She closed her eyes tightly, throwing back her head, and she tightened both her grasp and her legs around his waist.Kaidan couldn't escape even if he wanted to, and he drove himself in and out of her like a man possessed.A beautiful blue haze rose up from her body, and Kaidan’s lips fell apart in surprise. He had no idea that her biotics reacted like his own, and he realised that he needed no signal from her to know she was close to orgasm. The sight was beyond breathtaking; she glowed like a goddess, and he wanted to worship every inch of her body.
“Faith,” he whispered; the tail end of her name turned into a groan as his own skin grew inflamed with a wave of bright cerulean. Her eyes opened again, and her gaze softened when she saw his biotics flickering to life.“Oh fuck,” she managed to utter as he looked incredible.Kaidan offered her a twisted smirk right before he released her hands. It allowed Shepard to pull him down to her, and he buried his face into the crook of her neck as he continued pounding to completion. He closed his eyes as he shuddered uncontrollably, emptying himself inside her until he feared there was nothing left.His name was forced loudly from her lips, and Shepard's body shook as her fingernails dug deeply into his back. Her final cry was ever so quiet, but it was so sexy to know it was him who had delivered her to this state of bliss.The sensation was beyond anything he had ever experienced before; there were simply no words to describe how she felt around him and beneath him, how her biotics merged with his. She was intoxicating, and her little flares of dark energy only heightened the buzzing coursing through his body. Kaidan realised that he had never climaxed like this in his entire life. And as a male teen, he had become very acquainted with his body. They lay tangled in the aftermath of mind-boggling pleasure, and he could feel her heart racing against his chest. Kaidan tilted his head to look at her. She seemed on the verge of tears, but he didn’t speak or want to ruin the moment. He was afraid to shatter the comfortable silence, scared to let her go in case he woke up to realise this was just an elaborate dream.Hell, he would be content to lie here for the rest of his life and just let Saren annihilate the galaxy, as it meant he would have died an incredibly happy man.“That was incredible,” Shepard said once she could trust that she had regained the ability to speak. “I had no idea…”Kaidan knew precisely what she was going to say as he had never been with another biotic either. “I don’t think there are even words to describe what happened,” he said with a confident chuckle.Her lips quirked into a smile as he shifted off her and lay beside her, casually resting his head on his hand. His hair was messy, and he looked utterly adorable in this light, and Shepard swallowed hard as she realised it wouldn’t suck waking up to a sight like that every morning.She quickly pushed that thought away and locked it back deep within her as those thoughts were forbidden. And not just because she had fucked her incredibly hot lieutenant, but because she was a lone wolf and emotional entanglements would derail her from the mission.The galaxy didn’t wait for love or any feelings it threatened to unleash.However, this could be their first and final night together, and Shepard was happy to suspend reality for a few more hours. She was willing to pretend that this man loved her and that she dared to love him in return. Leaning in, she gently pressed her lips against his and sighed deeply as they parted. With his face only inches from hers, Shepard gave him a warm smile.“Stay,” she pleaded softly. “But what about?” Kaidan asked, eyes gesturing towards the door and indicating where the rest of the crew would be getting up for breakfast in a few short hours.“Let ’em talk,” she interrupted tenderly, reaching up to trace his jawline with her fingers. Her touch was featherlight, her thumb brushing his chin as she tilted his face toward hers.Kaidan didn’t argue further. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her, letting her settle against him, and it wasn’t lost on him how profoundly intimate the gesture was.Laying her head on his chest, she realized that for the first time ever, she felt a rare sense of safety. Shepard had never stayed long enough to fall asleep with sexual conquests, not even those she had been in a relationship with, and she had certainly not let them have some semblance of control like she had Kaidan. In his arms, she felt a warmth swelling up inside her that she didn’t deem herself capable of. The feeling was foreign yet not unwelcome, at least, not with him.Kaidan’s breathing evened out, and she realised he was falling asleep. His hand gently moved to the small of her back while he pressed a soft, almost absentminded kiss into her hair. The gesture was so natural and just so fucking intimate that it threatened to undo her completely.A single tear escaped the corner of her eye, rolling silently down her cheek as she stared into the dim light of the cabin. She silently wrestled with emotions she’d spent a lifetime suppressing. Was this what she had been denying herself all these years? Was this what it felt like to trust someone implicitly? To let someone see the parts that she was just too afraid to show?Shepard’s lips curved into a faint smile as she closed her eyes with peace firmly planted in her heart.