Shepard and Veetor

Before he understood what he was doing, he unclipped the face plate to his helmet. Shepard gasped.

"What are you doing? You could get sick again-"

He cut off her rant by settling his lips over hers. The extranet had told him humans kissed this way, and that was similar enough to quarians. He took cautions though, not to invade her mouth with his tongue for he did not know how sick that could make the both of them."

"V-Veetor," she stuttered once he pulled himself away from her, her eyes seemed much brighter without his shield in the way. He clicked it back into place, knowing he would be swimming in antibiotics later for this one indulgence.

He felt giddy and remorseful for he had not waited as he ought to have for the female to make the first move. He watched her comically wide eyes as she looked at him. He noticed that her face changed color when she blushed as well. Humans were not all that dissimilar from quarians, a few obvious things aside.

"Is... is that how quarians say 'thank you'?' Her voice sounded slightly strained through his suit filters once more.

"Uh, I... no," he whispered suddenly shy.

"Oh thank goodness," Shepard replied brushing a lock of her human hair behind her ear.

"I'm sorry," he forced out in dread, "I should've-"

"No," she said equally forcefully, "no. You did nothing wrong. I..." her eyes searched his mask intently, "I... care deeply about the quarian people."

The way she stressed the words caused Veetor to understand her meaning. She looked down quietly and for a moment they traded places. He could not stop the confident and goofy smile that spread over his face. Shepard. The Shepard, no, His Shepard for he was not going to give her up again; felt something for him as well.

So much passed between them without the need for words or vocal expression, and the easy feeling of being wanted filtered through his thoughts.

She had feelings for quiet and shy Veetor. Who still saw monsters both while awake and in dreams. He gently lowered his helmet to touch her forehead, his arms wrapping around her as if she were a life line.

"Exposing ourselves, or linking our suits with someone else is the greatest amount of trust a quarian can show." He explained for her benefit, "it also indicates a willingness for intimacy..." his words trailed off.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

He nodded his head against her, reveling in their embrace. "My immune system won't be strong enough for a few weeks yet... but..."

Shepard pulled back and looked at him, her cheeks faintly still red and Veetor felt at a loss for words.

"I... um... I think I have to come back to the flotilla for some other business for Tali," she mumbled and glanced downward.

His suited hand traced her cheek tenderly. "I want this to work, I do."

He watched her gaze soften in that gentle understanding she always had toward him. "So do I."

"Uh, Shepard? You really need to come back here and stop this fight. We're running out of chairs in the comm room," a male voice interrupted urgently.

"I have to go," she stated with genuine regret in her words.

Veetor nodded, and watched her leave while waving goodbye. He rested his head on the glass window nearby and looked out on her ship. His heart throbbed painfully as he watched it take off, but she would be back he knew. Then there would be a moment between them free of problems and monsters. A moment just for them, he promised himself.

"Keelah Se'lai," he whispered to the retreating figure of her ship's thrusters, "my love."

---------------

~Ok, so I might have a small thing for all the male's in the mass effect games. You also can now see why I wanted to go with Non-Erotic, sorry if you didn't catch what I said up there about the "Just a love story". Sill review and comm. plzz.