"For every action there is an equal or opposite reaction." –Isaac Newton

The soft sunlight soaked into her skin, dancing through their open window and gently waking her up. With a tiny stretch, she sat up in bed and blinked into the light, releasing a small yawn. The spot next to her was cold and vacant as it had been for the past few weeks, but this morning, its emptiness didn't pain her so much.

With contented, curved lips, Reila pushed herself out of bed and stood, stretching again with a faint groan, feeling the muscles in her back scream in protest. Every day the aching in her body seemed to get worse and worse, but that was to be expected, much to her chagrin. At least her strong prosthetic leg helped bear most of the strain, lessening her foot pain.

Opening her bedroom window to let in the fresh Vancouver air, she revealed in its crisp coolness that flooded into the room. She loved the way it soothed her skin, flushed from being snuggled in layers of blankets during the night.

She walked to the kitchen leisurely, her stomach growling aggressively at the mere thought of food. She would really need to go shopping soon - she was running low on all her favorites. Peanut butter, strawberries, ice cream…

"Hello, beautiful."

Jumping out of her skin at the unexpected voice, Reila let out an involuntary yelp, her heartbeat immediately quickening. To her surprise, Kaidan waiting for her, leaning against the kitchen counter with a lazy smile on his face.

"Jesus, Kaidan!" she exclaimed, pressing a palm against her chest to soothe her frightened heart. "You're such an ass."

His grin widened as he pushed off the counter to approach her, his eyes reflecting his amusement. "I got in early. I wanted to surprise you," he said, pressing his lips to her cheek.

Shaking her head, she pushed her bottom lip into a pout. "More like scare the fuck out of me."

He laughed heavily at her expression, pulling her into his warm embrace and squeezing her softly. "I missed you so much, Reila."

She relaxed into his arms, nuzzling against his firm chest. "Mm… I missed you too, Admiral," she hummed against his chest, teasing him with his formal title.

The pressure of his lips against her hair made her smile. She had missed simple gestures like these, soft little touches that reaffirmed how much they loved one another. "So how have you been?" he asked, pulling away slightly to look at her face. "Have you been sleeping well? Eating?"

"I'm not an invalid," she laughed faintly, brushing off his concern. "I've been doing fine."

"And how about our little girl?" he asked, dropping to his knee to come eye level with her gently rounded stomach. Pressing his palms flat against the curve of it, he flashed his eyes upwards to her face with a smile. "Has she been behaving herself?"

She offered a half smile, overwhelmed by the strange picture in front of her. Kaidan's proud, excited eyes, his fingers pressing lightly against the life they had created. She hadn't originally wanted children - she was afraid of making the same mistakes her own mother had. But Kaidan had been very persuasive, and after a few years of marriage, they ended up here - a tiny girl growing within her as they prepared to be parents.

"She's learning how to kick," Reila said with a grimace, remembering the soft twinges of pain that consistently thrummed within her. Mostly while she was trying to sleep, of course.

Kaidan only grinned at his wife's irritation, the pad of his thumbs brushing against her stomach tenderly. Placing a soft kiss in the center, he stood up just to wrap Reila in his arms again. "I love you," he murmured into the crook of her neck, pressing his lips softly against the skin there. "So much."

"I love you, Kaidan," she purred back, leaning away in his arms. With a coy smile, she slanted her lips over his, bringing her arms up to wrap around his neck. He kissed her back earnestly, his fingers tangling into blonde hair to hold her in place against him. She felt a moan hum against her lips, his desire and need from the past few weeks bubbling up in the both of them.

He bit her bottom lip before pulling away, his eyes sharp and darkened with lust. Her breathing had quickened, his simple touches enough to set her body aflame. "Do you want to take this to the bedroom?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow up with a devious grin.

Without a word in response, Kaidan swept his wife into a bridal hold, making a swift beeline for their bedroom. She giggled, peppering open-mouthed kisses along his jawline as he moved, feeling him tense under her touch. The moment he passed the threshold, he kicked the door shut behind them and tossed her onto the bed. With a mischievous curl of his lips, he crawled over her, molding his mouth to hers once more.

And just like that, she welcomed him home,spending a blissful afternoon wrapped up in sheets, wrapped up in him. Each kiss seared their skin, seared their hearts, reaffirming over and over that this is where they belonged.

Heartbeats falling together, singing sweetly to each other.

I'm yours, I'm yours, they sang. And you're mine.

She gazed at the glimmering lights of the universe blur by, her hands pressed flat against the glass. She loved this view more than anything, soothing flickers of infinity flashing beneath her fingertips. Her ship was deep in space now, rushing towards their unknown future carelessly, unaware of the trials that lie ahead.

A soft pair of hands lightly brushed against her waist, settling on the curves found there. An even softer pair of lips touched the skin behind her ear, eliciting a soft sigh from her mouth.

"Kaidan."

She felt him smile against her skin, loving the sound of his name on her lips. He pressed the front of his body against her back, wrapping his arms completely around her body. Squeezing gently, he rested his chin on her shoulder, staring out into infinity just as she did.

"God, it's so beautiful out here."

She had spoken the words aloud, her mouth echoing her thoughts unconsciously. He hummed from his place behind her, the sound tickling her ear next to his mouth. She smiled slightly, a tiny giggle escaping her lips at the sensation.

"You're so beautiful."

His words sweetly struck her straight in the chest, the warmth from his body seeming to seep into every corner of her heart. The love she felt for him was too much to handle, too much to fathom, yet she could never find the words to tell him.

Twisting in his arms, away from the sight of the galaxies buzzing past them, she pressed her cheek against his firm chest, revelling in the sound of his heartbeat against her, reminding her that he was hers and hers alone.

She would spend the rest of her life trying to deserve that privilege. Little did she know that he was thinking the same exact thing as he held her, his whole body humming with the need to prove himself to her, prove that he was worthy enough to have and hold such an extraordinary woman.

Little did she know that he loved her, too. So, so much.

"Don't forget about me, okay?"

She didn't understand the words as she said them - they were strange and out of place in a moment like this, but she felt her soul screaming to say them. When she looked back into his eyes, he didn't seem confused or taken aback. Instead, he stared at her as if she were impossibly perfect, impossibly coveted, the light of her love reflected in his eyes.

Brushing her blonde bangs out of her green eyes, he shook his head at the absurdity of her words. She knew, she already knew, even as he opened his mouth to speak. But with one simple word, he mended her heart by mending his own.

With one simple word, he promised the infinite.

"Never."

THE END.