At the Edge of Heaven
folder
+M through R › Mass Effect
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
22
Views:
33,713
Reviews:
12
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
+M through R › Mass Effect
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
22
Views:
33,713
Reviews:
12
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do now own the copyright for Mass Effect or its associated characters. This story is simply for fun and I do not make any money from this work.
Memories and Shattered Hopes
There is a slight jump in the timeline from chapter 7 to this one. The events of Freedom's Progress will be touched on in the next chapter, but chapters 8 and 9 flowed better emotionally, in my opinion, in the order presented instead of a pure chronological order. This is due to the presentation of the story in chapter 9.
* * *
Her smile tormented him. The mischief sparkling in her eyes, the playful silliness twisting her lips, and the confident certainty setting her pose… he remembered taking the picture. He smiled.
* * *
He was just having fun, burning a few hours after duty and taking a few shots for mementos. He was a sentimental sort. He grinned at the latest picture: Liara’s hands clapped over her mouth, standing over Kaidan covered in food from her upended tray. Kaidan’s stoic sigh was captured perfectly. Shepard shook his head and laughed. That laugh was cut short as he grunted in surprise from running into something. The quick and loud retort made him wince, though it also made his heart flutter.
“Hey, watch it!” Ashley spun to face him, her face scrunched with annoyance. Her expression quickly softened, however, and a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Should have known it was you, Skipper.”
“O really?” he couldn’t help but smile in return. “And why would that be, Chief.”
“Rough, clumsy…” her eyes squinted slightly as she pulled closer to him and whispered, “And I know you want to tackle me and rip all my clothes off… Sir.”
Shepard was silent for a moment, struck still by Ashley’s playful answer. He could feel her breath glide across his skin and he shivered briefly before finally smiling and taking one step forward, trapping Ashley between the nearby bulkhead and his body, one hand pressed against the wall and the other holding the camera loosely.
“And just what would you do,” he leaned in, his lips almost touching her ear and whispered lightly, “If I did just that.”
She gave no answer and he chuckled into her ear before leaning back to gaze into her eyes. She gazed up at him, eyes burning with desire, and he slowly leaned in.
“Maybe we should find out…” his lips drew closer to hers and she trembled slightly in anticipation. He could feel her hot breath wash over his lips. He was finally going to kiss her. He was finally going to taste those wondrous lips.
“Commander, we have an incoming message.” the intercom blared loudly above their heads. Shepard closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He silently cursed the horrid timing. He wanted her so badly. But he sighed again, gave one lingering glance at Ashley, then reluctantly pulled away.
“I’ll take it in the comm room, Joker.” He sighed and then smiled one last time at Ash, who took one deep steadying breath, before turning towards the nearby stairs to the command deck. He took a few steps before noticing the camera still in his hands then smiled. He turned back around. “Hey, Ash.”
“Skipper?” she turned in the elevator, a smile still on her lips and the passion and need burning in her eyes, her body poised to pounce. She wanted to rush over and wrap her arms around him. He grinned at his luck.
“Smile.” A quick, intense flash lit the room. Ashley shook her head and Shepard only shrugged and laughed in reply. With knowing and hopeful smiles, they both turned from each other and went back to their duties.
* * *
He missed her. His fingers lightly brushed the smooth metal frame of the photograph as the memories swirled through his head. Tears burned his eyes.
He hadn’t expected to find the picture. He had thought it lost, a piece of debris in the emptiness of space. But here she was, smiling that beautiful smile, that hungry passion beaming in her eyes… forever. This was all that he had left now. He had lost her. He had given her up. He had sacrificed his love... for duty.
He hit the desk in front of him and swore. He had lost everything. He had nothing left to live for, yet he still lived. He dropped his head into his hands and let the tears flow. He wasn’t dead. It had finally and fully hit him. He wasn’t dead. He was supposed to be dead, but he wasn’t. He had held a tiny glimmer of hope that it was all still a dream. So he had played along, followed the script. He did his duty. And his hopes were dashed by the harsh, jagged edge of reality…
* * *
“Shepard? Is that…” her voice shattered his final illusion. His heart sank in his chest and he sighed as he finally accepted the bitter truth. With a hopeful disbelief and a slight wave of her hand, Tali shattered his last hope, “you’re alive?”
He screamed inside.
* * *
Her smile tormented him. The mischief sparkling in her eyes, the playful silliness twisting her lips, and the confident certainty setting her pose… he remembered taking the picture. He smiled.
* * *
He was just having fun, burning a few hours after duty and taking a few shots for mementos. He was a sentimental sort. He grinned at the latest picture: Liara’s hands clapped over her mouth, standing over Kaidan covered in food from her upended tray. Kaidan’s stoic sigh was captured perfectly. Shepard shook his head and laughed. That laugh was cut short as he grunted in surprise from running into something. The quick and loud retort made him wince, though it also made his heart flutter.
“Hey, watch it!” Ashley spun to face him, her face scrunched with annoyance. Her expression quickly softened, however, and a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Should have known it was you, Skipper.”
“O really?” he couldn’t help but smile in return. “And why would that be, Chief.”
“Rough, clumsy…” her eyes squinted slightly as she pulled closer to him and whispered, “And I know you want to tackle me and rip all my clothes off… Sir.”
Shepard was silent for a moment, struck still by Ashley’s playful answer. He could feel her breath glide across his skin and he shivered briefly before finally smiling and taking one step forward, trapping Ashley between the nearby bulkhead and his body, one hand pressed against the wall and the other holding the camera loosely.
“And just what would you do,” he leaned in, his lips almost touching her ear and whispered lightly, “If I did just that.”
She gave no answer and he chuckled into her ear before leaning back to gaze into her eyes. She gazed up at him, eyes burning with desire, and he slowly leaned in.
“Maybe we should find out…” his lips drew closer to hers and she trembled slightly in anticipation. He could feel her hot breath wash over his lips. He was finally going to kiss her. He was finally going to taste those wondrous lips.
“Commander, we have an incoming message.” the intercom blared loudly above their heads. Shepard closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He silently cursed the horrid timing. He wanted her so badly. But he sighed again, gave one lingering glance at Ashley, then reluctantly pulled away.
“I’ll take it in the comm room, Joker.” He sighed and then smiled one last time at Ash, who took one deep steadying breath, before turning towards the nearby stairs to the command deck. He took a few steps before noticing the camera still in his hands then smiled. He turned back around. “Hey, Ash.”
“Skipper?” she turned in the elevator, a smile still on her lips and the passion and need burning in her eyes, her body poised to pounce. She wanted to rush over and wrap her arms around him. He grinned at his luck.
“Smile.” A quick, intense flash lit the room. Ashley shook her head and Shepard only shrugged and laughed in reply. With knowing and hopeful smiles, they both turned from each other and went back to their duties.
* * *
He missed her. His fingers lightly brushed the smooth metal frame of the photograph as the memories swirled through his head. Tears burned his eyes.
He hadn’t expected to find the picture. He had thought it lost, a piece of debris in the emptiness of space. But here she was, smiling that beautiful smile, that hungry passion beaming in her eyes… forever. This was all that he had left now. He had lost her. He had given her up. He had sacrificed his love... for duty.
He hit the desk in front of him and swore. He had lost everything. He had nothing left to live for, yet he still lived. He dropped his head into his hands and let the tears flow. He wasn’t dead. It had finally and fully hit him. He wasn’t dead. He was supposed to be dead, but he wasn’t. He had held a tiny glimmer of hope that it was all still a dream. So he had played along, followed the script. He did his duty. And his hopes were dashed by the harsh, jagged edge of reality…
* * *
“Shepard? Is that…” her voice shattered his final illusion. His heart sank in his chest and he sighed as he finally accepted the bitter truth. With a hopeful disbelief and a slight wave of her hand, Tali shattered his last hope, “you’re alive?”
He screamed inside.