#im really enjoying the thoughtfulness theta has for miranda

[nerdrehab]

I would like to share a scene I just wrote and haven’t finished. Its from my new Mass Effect WIP. Enjoy.

Scene

Distraught from Shepard’s admittance that he no longer has feelings for Miranda, she isolates herself. Although still on the run from Cerberus, they must continue to lay low. In an attempt to brighten Miranda’s spirits, Theta takes her out to a night at the Citadel, in order to relax and forget about Shepard.

Just hang out, they said.

It’ll be fun, they said.

Theta nervously tugs at the collar of their dress shirt. They had worn the five piece suit once before, but it was ages ago and now it felt tighter than they remembered. To make the night a little more relaxing for Miranda, Theta got a room on the Citadel for the woman to have her privacy and her thoughts, it was only enough for one night, but they figured she needed it after everything. With Miranda off the ship temporarily, Theta took advantage of the time to panic as well as change into fresh clothes that they hoped would give the illusion that they both were just relaxing. At fancier places that Theta ever thought possible, but they figured going all out would be a good distraction.

Theta’s hands move to their tie, tugging at it awkwardly as they glance around, still somewhat nervous about the idea that perhaps they overdressed. Perhaps the black fitted blazer was too much, the dark gray waistcoat buttoned up neatly beneath the blazer. It was the tie, the tie. They tug harder on the dark green tie, thinking better of it and trying desperately to take it off in their momentary panic.

The color of deep rich red catches their eyes, angling their head up to see the figure approaching them. Miranda, dressed in a rich red dress, the length barely catching the floor as she walks. Every part of the dress upwards hugging the gentle dip of her hips, even up her neck to perfectly hold her jaw. The center of the dress a delicate crisscross over her abdomen, open at just the right places, holding her breasts but allowing just the slightest gleam of their underneath. There’s barely a shoulder to the dress, just enough leaving her forearm bare while her hands and the rest of her arm remains concealed underneath long silken gloves.

“I was worried I had overdressed.” Theta barely registers Miranda’s words, their eyes frozen in shock. Gloved fingers grace their chin, slowly closing their agape mouth. “Careful, you’ll drool.”

“I…” Theta scrambles for words, thrown off by her playfulness. Trying desperately to blink back into focus. “You look amazing, Miranda.”

“Thank you.” Miranda smiles, stepping back a moment to get a look at Theta, a hand resting on their arm. “You don’t look too bad yourself.” They gulp loudly at that, their fingers still looped into their partially undone tie. She steps back towards them, removing her hand from their arm, going to the tie around their neck. Theta releases their grip on the tie, letting Miranda straighten up the knot once more, even with the woman’s eyes on the task, they could still feel her lingering gaze. “And thank you for this.”

Theta nervously rubs the back of their neck, glancing away from Miranda to try and compose themselves again. “You don’t have to thank me. It’s the least I can do, for making you put up with me the past few months.” They say lightheartedly.

Miranda laughs softly, resting her hands against their waistcoat, the tie comfortably in place once more. Her head angles back up, locking a steady gaze with Theta, making them lower their hand from their neck. “It’s not always terrible. I think you’re starting to grow on me.”

“Oh good.” Theta takes a step back, still offering a shy smile in return. “Because I’d have gotten sick of me at this rate.” They hesitate again, reaching behind them to rub the back of their neck but stopping themselves and quickly shaking off the nerves. “So, I have dinner lined up for us. Sushi place, I think you’ll like. Shall we?” They offer their arm, a leather glove slipped over their mechanical hand as they offer.

“We shall.” Miranda replies, slipping her arm into Theta’s, letting them tuck her arm in as they both walk to the restaurant.

~*~*~*~*~*~

After dinner, they both lingered at the strip for some time before finally retiring to the Presidium, aiming to bring Miranda back to her temporary room, but neither are ready for the night to end quite yet. They find their ways closer to the Presidium pools, walking along a smooth path that winds itself around the gardens, following along the water line. At this time of day on the Citadel, the place is empty, most people having already retired for the night or still living it up back at the strip. It gives them both a minute alone.

“I never imagined I’d ever find myself here.” Miranda muses, holding her arms against herself. Even with the gloves, her forearms were bare, and there was little doubt the dress could effectively keep her warm. On instinct, Theta removes their jacket, carefully draping it over Miranda’s shoulders, her eyes suddenly widening at the motion, glancing at Theta as they quickly shove their hands into their pockets.

“Why’s that?” Theta quickly stammers, covering up the moment by keeping the conversation going.

Miranda offers a small smile, turning her head away as her hands grasp the jacket tighter around her. “I’ve always been severe. Focused on tasks than ever trying to take… a break. Cerberus was my life for so long until.” She closes her eyes. “Until John made me realize what was really going on, but I didn’t know what to do really once I left. I just stayed focus on protecting Ori.” Her eyes cast down, her feet halting her walk as she stares at the pavement beneath them. Theta stops a step after Miranda, turning slowly to look at her as she speaks. “I told John once the only thing I can ever take credit for are my mistakes. At least I know I was never wrong about that.”

A nervous tick, one that Theta had already recognized over the past few days. With everything regarding Shepard propping up again, not to mention Oriana, it became a very frequent tick. Miranda reaches her hand up to her chest as it always does, but Theta quickly stops her, softly grasping her hand and pulling it to her side.

“Stop it.” The serious hitch in Theta’s tone draws Miranda’s surprise. “Do you think you made a mistake by having feelings for him? I don’t think it was.” The words make Miranda’s head lower more. Gloved fingers lift Miranda’s chin, Theta’s concern visible in their eyes as they gaze into hers. “The mistake is the fact that he gave it up not the fact that you fell for him. How is it a mistake to have human nature? What else have you done in your life thus far? How many of those were mistakes?”

The words stagger Miranda, her mouth slightly agape and stunned. Theta lets their fingers lower from her chin, keeping her gaze. “I’ll tell you. You saved your sister, three times. You brought Shepard back to life, despite the fact that he’s an enormous dick with red scars.” A small smile plays on Miranda’s lips, encouraging Theta to continue. “You’ve successfully eluded at least two fully trained assassins from Cerberus. People dead set on killing you, but they still haven’t got you. You took down your father’s project at Sanctuary. I’m pretty sure you saved the Council at one point too from a bioweapon. None of those were mistakes, you did those things.”

The shock remains on Miranda’s face as she tries to recover, resting a hand on Theta’s forearm, their hand reaching up to cup her elbow. “That’s not fair.” She murmurs under her breath. “You know everything about me.” She smiles. “How am I supposed to compliment you?”

“That was my plan all along.” Theta admits playfully, using their free hand to adjust their jacket around her, keeping it in place to keep her warm. “This night is about you, not me, and I aim to keep it that way.” They step back, letting Miranda’s hand slide down the length of their arm before turning, tucking her arm against their side.

“Fine.” Miranda relents happily, keeping herself close to their side. “Then I want to know something about you, tonight. Just one thing.”

Theta sighs, but keeps walking, nodding. “Shoot.”

“Where did you grow up? What made you join the Alliance in the beginning?” The question makes Theta grin, at least happy with the simplicity of it.

“I was a colony kid, grew up on a small colony in the Attican Traverse, nothing much to say about that. Single mom, she fought hard to try and raise me on her own, but it was difficult a lot of the time. I wasn’t the most hospitable of kids. It didn’t get much better for her when I met Alex.” Theta’s voice lowers at the admittance. “I grew up knowing what the Alliance did, they protected us. There were so many other colonies in the traverse that weren’t as lucky as us, colonists got killed, but we survived. I grew up wanting to be the helpful force that those other colonies needed. I wanted to help. So, that’s what I did, I joined the Alliance as soon as I was able. Sent any extra money to my mother in return while I served.”

Miranda hesitates, her hand squeezing Theta’s arm. “Your mother? Is she?”

“No. It was a few years into my service that I got wind of her death. Nothing traumatic, she just got sick. You can only live for so long after struggling for so much of it, eventually it takes a toll on your body and your mind. When I heard I was kind of, glad to hear she was finally resting.” Theta shrugs, perking up more with the change of topic. “Anything else?”

“How did… you lose your hand?”

“How long have you been waiting to ask that?” Theta chuckles, making Miranda hesitate. “Its fine.” They quickly add. “My last Alliance mission, I was with Alex. She rushed into the fray and I went in after her, when I was trying to call for back up, a batarian caught me off guard. Took my hand as I tried to avoid him.” They explain, patting Miranda’s hand to reassure her. “I told Alex to get out of there, leave me behind. I took out the batarians around me with my gun, I popped the heatsink and…” They grimace, still smiling as they hold up their other hand, the skin on the palm of her hand still scarred and mauled by the event. “I grabbed it to cauterize my arm.”

“You didn’t.” Miranda says, a bit stunned by the admittance. “That’s what you… meant, by not intentional.”

“I did.” Theta chuckles, rubbing the back of their neck with the mauled hand. “Not my smartest move, but it worked.” The thought makes Miranda chuckle as well, squeezing Theta’s arm.