Work Text:
Shepard bounded up the stairs of her apartment block, keen to get the ice cream to its intended destination before it could melt in the heat of the Citadel's artificial summer weather.
Life post-Reapers had left her with a lack of things to do. Now retired, she and Miranda had settled into a modest apartment in a quiet corner of the Presidium. Here, less people bothered the two of them as they attempted to navigate the unfamiliarity of domestic life, and as such the many quests once placed upon her had dwindled significantly.
If she were being honest, she missed it. Running errands for people, even though they were often dangerous, unreasonably requests, had scratched an itch in her brain and gave her a sense of fulfilment beyond her important task of saving the galaxy. Now that she had all the free time in the world and her entire future stretched out in front of her to do as she pleased, she found that she was getting twitchy for the satisfaction of a job well done.
That's why she had recently taken to setting herself her own quests, or 'missions' as she called them, to combat the boredom of no longer having any objectives to complete as she went about her day.
This afternoon's mission was to surprise Miranda with her favourite flavour of ice cream. It had taken some work to figure out what that was, with Miranda contending that she'd never considered such a trivial thing before, but eventually she admitted to enjoying a simple strawberry ice cream over some of the more complex options out there.
“Not that I've eaten many before, mind you.” she'd added afterwards, and Shepard took it as a challenge to change that.
Shepard swung open the apartment door and announced, “Hey, Miranda! I have a surprise for you.”
Miranda glanced up from her work to see Shepard striding towards her with an ice cream cone in one hand and a bag of groceries in the other.
“Ah, Shepard. You've come back at a good time. I need your thoughts on...”
Miranda's words trailed off as Shepard stuck the ice cream cone in front of her face.
“For you.” Shepard explained, without explaining anything at all.
Eyeing up the cone, Miranda glanced at Shepard with a questioning expression.
“Is there any reason for this?” She asked.
“Do I need a reason to treat my girlfriend to ice cream?” Shepard teased. Taking in Miranda's skepticism, she added, “Look, I know there's a lot to do with coordinating the recovery efforts now that the war is over, and I'd rather see you stressed out over this than some of the shit we had to deal with before. Even now, I can see you're doing good work. But I just wanted to remind you that life isn't only about work. It's also about taking the time to enjoy ourselves purely for the sake of enjoyment. Sometimes that means taking a break to eat ice cream.”
Miranda raised an eyebrow, but accepted the cone gratefully. “You're one to talk. How long have you been following that philosophy? Your work ethic rivalled mine during the war. I know for certain that you weren't one for taking breaks.”
Shepard shrugged. “I wasn't always Commander Shepard. There was a time before the weight of the galaxy rested on my shoulders, back when I was a kid and my parents encouraged a laid back attitude in me. It's like that long-lost part of me is starting to resurface now that it's safe to do so. That, and I started yielding to the crew's suggestions that I should rest more back on the Normandy, so I suppose that has managed to stick with me.”
Miranda gave a small smile. It was good to know that Shepard had those who were looking out for her aboard the ship, and it was nice to hear her talk positively about her childhood despite the trauma she experienced at a young age. It was more than she'd ever had herself.
As if reading her mind, Shepard said, “You've worked constantly throughout your life because of Cerberus and your father. It's no wonder you never stopped to consider something as mundane as your favourite ice cream flavour.”
“It never occurred to me to do so. Trivial– I mean, normal, everyday things like that, were part of a separate world than the one I was living in. I wasn't designed to appreciate the joys of an ordinary life.” Miranda shook her head. At least she had an ice cream to enjoy while discussing the uncomfortable depths of her past. “This is all very new to me, Shepard. I haven't adjusted yet to the life of an ordinary person. I doubt I ever will in full.”
“Perhaps not.” Shepard conceded. “God knows I haven't gotten used to it yet either. I'm enjoying our newfound freedom, sure, but I miss having things to do. I may have complained about it at the time but running errands for people was fun. Now the only person giving me missions to complete is myself... And occasionally you.”
Miranda smirked. “'Missions'? I'm surprised to hear you using that word with how hard you fought the Alliance just to retire. I figured you'd had enough missions to last a lifetime.”
“Pssh, that's not the same thing! Those missions had actual life or death stakes. Now the worst thing that'll happen if I fail is that I'll disappoint a few people.” Shepard chuckled. “Anyway, my point is that maybe you'll never feel fully acclimated to ordinary life and that's fine. A lifetime of extraordinary experiences isn't gonna vanish just like that.”
Shepard gained a look of determination, slipping into the motivational tone of voice she usually reserved for inspiring her crew. “The main thing is that we take each day as it comes. We can't expect ourselves to transform into upstanding citizens, but if we try to adapt little by little, the things we struggle with now will get easier.”
Sensing that Miranda wasn't convinced, Shepard continued, unswayed from her perspective. “I know for a fact you've got the ability to do it. After all, it was you who decided we should meet in the casino that night while I was still on shore leave, and it was you who showed the initiative to take a break and enjoy the galaxy we were helping to save. This is really just a continuation of what we started there. Except now, it's no longer a fleeting moment of joy amidst the horrors of the war. There's no battle for us to head back into. This is now our permanent reality for us to spend the rest of our lives getting used to.”
Miranda couldn't hide her impressed expression. Shepard certainly hadn't forgone the intensity of her convictions since the end of the war. A quiet sense of pride welled inside her chest at the thought that Shepard held that night in such high regard. It had been an unusual, impulsive decision on Miranda's part, but Shepard helped her through her doubt as they navigated the night together. It was no different than what Shepard was doing for her now.
“Well, you've not lost your ability to give a pep talk.” Miranda remarked, amusement evident as she enjoyed her ice cream. “You're right, though. Who knew we'd live to see the day where learning to function in normal society would be one of our biggest concerns? It was always a distant what-if. It didn't feel truly possible so it was something I'd rarely allow myself to dwell on.”
“Hah, tell me about it. It's hard to believe our days of being 'trouble-shooting space divas' are over.”
There was a hint of melancholy in Shepard's expression at the thought of no longer having the thrill of fighting side by side with Miranda, but she mostly felt relief that their lives weren't in danger anymore.
If only there was a way to experience that excitement in combat again, without any of the real world risks of getting harmed...
An idea hit her.
“The Armax Arena opened again recently, so if you ever wanna relive the fun of destroying Collectors, let me know.”
Miranda considered the offer. “You know, maybe this time we can take on Cerberus together instead. It might provide some stress relief now that they're no longer a threat.”
“I like the way you think.” Shepard grinned. “How about it? We can drop by whenever you're not knee deep in datapads.”
“That'll be a long time, by the looks of it.” Miranda chuckled. “But... I can make time for it. For you.”
Shepard's grin shifted into a softer smile. Perhaps this would be another step forward into the ordinary life they now shared together— the ability to find the balance between healthy recreational activity while remaining true to the familiarity of what made them who they were, repurposed for safety now that the danger was over. That Miranda was willing to step away from her work for it was a sign of how important this was for her as well.
Oblivious to the warmth growing in Shepard's chest at the joy of her realisation, Miranda ate the cone of her ice cream, deep in thought.
Shepard had made a good point, she reflected. In years now past, ignoring her responsibilities to enjoy a frivolity would've made Miranda feel foolish. Now she was finding that she welcomed the break from her work. With Shepard's support, she was beginning to feel comfortable with spending time on the mundane things she used to neglect. Even if it wasn't something she strictly needed, there was something about the concept of enjoyment purely for enjoyment's sake that she was beginning to warm up to.
It was becoming easier each day to adjust to life without the ever-present threat of danger that had chased her for years. For the first time in her life, Miranda realised she felt truly at peace.