Elevator
An elevator is a dangerous place to be caught alone with an assassin.
Shepard hadn't seen many Drell in her days, most came from Kahje and few ventured off the Hanar world. This new Drell assassin who had been assigned to her team was the first she had ever spoken to. They all were very unique, coming in an array of colors: some teal, some blue, some rainbow, and she had even heard of rare yellow and orange. All the patterns on the body were slightly different, much like a fingerprint; she knew this from her Guide to Intelligent Species anatomy book back when she was just a student in the Alliance. She looked him over. Her attention was drawn to the textures and coloring of his scales, and she briefly wondered what the rest of his body looked like under his jumpsuit and jacket. The patterns must continue down his back, arms and legs. I wonder what he looks like under all that leather, she thought to herself.
She was glad to have this deadly assassin on her team, but the strange confession of his imminent death was looming in her mind. Why had he said these things so freely before he had accepted her mission, before anyone knew him? Surely he wasn't feeling sorry for himself but rather letting people know he was disconnected from any ties he had previously and was willing to fully sacrifice himself for this cause. The thought of it not only intrigued her but slightly depressed her, even though she did not know him.
He stood tall and elegant as they wrapped up their debriefing in the conference room.
"Where shall I put my things? I'd prefer some place dry, if anything is available."
EDI chimed over the hologram in the center of the oval table "The area near the life support plant on the crew deck is slightly more arid than the rest of the ship."
She watched him shift his weight slightly. "Ah. An AI? My thanks."
He bowed slightly at the waist and exited.
"He seems quite civil." EDI seemed as intrigued as she was.
Shepard followed suit, exiting the conference room with Jacob, following him to the armory. She had a few things to take care of before she turned in for the night. She unstrapped her pistol from her thigh and placed it delicately on the table. She then pulled the Collector particle beam from the large holster on her shoulders and put it down with a thud. She had recently recovered this from Horizon and was quite proud of it. Jacob would be refilling ammo and performing any needed maintenance on the weapons. She said goodnight to him as she headed to Mordin's lab. Her resources were coming along nicely and the research for the ship's new shielding was well under way.
Looking over the data pad in her hand, she headed for the elevator. She was heading down to the mess hall to get a quick bite to eat, then calling it a night. She glanced up and saw the door just closing and ran over, sticking her hand in between the doors to catch it. The doors parted as she squeezed inside. Obviously whoever was in here was going down, because her quarters were the only thing above. The door closed as she looked up from her data pad. Thane.
He stood well over six feet tall, the dark green patterns on his head covering his textured lighter green exterior. He had a fringe of scales like little flower petals sticking out just behind his dark red ribbed neck, and she briefly wondered what it felt like. His tight leather jacket accentuated his muscular shoulders, and his underlying jumpsuit revealed delicate scales on his chest. His brows were heavy set and lips plump and full, his eyes were ebony with the slightest emerald iris. He was staring right back at her.
She turned her gawking face to the floor and blushed, shifting awkwardly on one foot. She gulped the accumulated saliva that had settled in her throat, and she could hear the sound echoing in her ears.
"Oh, hi, I um... hope you like it here." What the hell was that? All my military training and I can't even give a proper welcome or give a salute?She felt the heat in her cheeks grow and knew he saw a rosy glow under her pale cheeks and scattered freckles. She was as red as her ruby hair.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Shepard." He looked down at her bemused, the corner of one side of his mouth shifted up slightly in small smirk, his white teeth peeking through. He nodded his head, hands clasped behind his back as the door of the elevator opened. He put his hand out in a 'after you' sort of manner and she gladly took the invitation to escape.
Pissed at her unexpected bodily reaction, she turned sharply out of the elevator without looking back. This was no way to act towards someone she barely knew, let alone someone who was terminally ill risking their life for her cause. She felt very unprofessional, and the redness in her cheeks and the roiling in the pit of her stomach stayed with her throughout her meal.
In between missions, she made a point to visit Thane in life support. She often checked in and visited all her crewmates, and she wasn't going to let her reaction on the elevator divert her from his quarters. Their conversations were always polite and professional, and the embarrassment and silliness of her initial reaction in the elevator faded, eventually disappearing from her mind.
She learned a lot about him over the next few weeks, from his polytheistic beliefs, life with the Hanar, his son Kolyat whom he had been out of contact with for years, to his deceased wife, Irikah. She felt a strong connection with the things he said and at one point, she thought she might have feelings for the man. She stubbornly dismissed those thoughts; it had simply been curiosity for this new species, nothing more.
But soon the curiosity Shepard had turned into an urge to see him almost every night. Shepard found herself frequenting the crew quarters more than normal in hopes to cross his path. Occasionally she would work up the courage to sit next to him at meals, and butterflies in her stomach flitted mercilessly when their legs or shoulders brushed. She would often catch the Drell studying her as he stirred his tea leaning the weight of his hip against the counter in the mess hall. He would smile at her and she would give a quick grin as she turned her head to the floor. When Shepard brought him on missions, he would often carry extra thermal clips for her as the Carnifex ran out quickly, once or twice taking the gun from her and replacing clips while she used her sniper rifle.
One evening she was returning from engineering after some business she had to attend to with Tali. Once again, her head was down and buried in a data pad when she slammed the up button. She noticed a pair of sleek, large black boots. Thane. Her head shot up. What the hell was he doing down here? Caught off guard again by the stealthy assassin, she smiled shyly. She put the data pad to her side and nervously glanced around, hoping that Grunt or Zaeed would soon exit there own quarters to head for dinner at the mess hall.
He nodded his head at her as he said, "Good evening, Shepard."
She gave a weak smile in return as the elevator door opened; it appeared she would be going alone with him. Dammit!she thought. Alone with him was the only time she ever felt vulnerable. There was a strong, thick tension in these closed quarters with the Drell, and she didn't enjoy the uncertain feeling or the way her body betrayed her in front of him.
She stepped in and he followed as she stood at the right corner of the elevator, him at the left. What the hell is he looking at? Not that she minded it. She pressed the button for her quarters at the same time he pushed the button for the crew quarters. Their fingers slightly brushed and it sent chills up her arm and down her spine. Ok, pull yourself together, why do you fall to pieces when he is within ten feet? You need to say something.
"Thane. Didn't expect to see you down here," she said with a monotone voice.
"It seems as though I often catch the Commander off guard," he said with a mocking tone.
Was he teasing her? Did he see the redness in her cheeks, the way she clenched her fists and bit the inside of her lips when he was around? Did he see right through her?
The elevator jolted and slowly began to ascend. She stood frozen, staring down at her feet, data pad clenched at her side. The tension between them was insurmountable and she could feel a buzzing electricity of energy between them.
Without warning, Thane leaned forward and threw the side of his fist into the elevator buttons. The blast of biotics caused sparks to fly out of the controls. Startled, Shepard jumped back dropping the datapad, and it shattered at her feet. She saw a bright red button glow from the elevator controls; he had hit the emergency stop button. Her throat tightened, her heartbeat quickened and she glanced up.
"What the fuck, Krios?!" She stood upright, her own biotics resonating off her skin in reaction to the surprise.
"Shepard, I apologize, but I must confess." Thane paced in the small confines of the elevator. "I needed to see you alone. I have asked Amonkira to grant me strength in the hunt of our enemy, but instead she brings me you."
He closed the gap between them, and brought his hand to her chin, tilting it up slightly. He peered down into her green eyes, looking into her soul. Shepard gaped at him, first in anger. The nerve of this guy! But the irritation towards him left as quickly as it came. She wanted him.
She placed one hand on his chest, and with a small biotic burst, pushed him against the opposite wall of the elevator. Surprised at her reaction, Thane took her hands in his own, turning her shoulders to the left so her back was against the hard surface. He pulled her hands above her head, pressing them into the elevator wall. Her heart was now beating out of her chest as she looked up to see his large ebony-green eyes gazing into hers. He pushed his muscular body against her and kissed her mouth passionately, and she gladly reciprocated.
The taste of his full lips and his sweet tongue in her mouth was ecstasy. He released her hands from the elevator wall placing them gently on either side of her head, entangling his fingers within her hair and feeling her soft skin beneath his thumbs. Her hands also took the opportunity to explore, as they went to the front material of his jumpsuit and felt the hard abdominal muscles beneath. The looping and dancing of each others' tongues in their mouths made her weak in the knees along with a slight euphoria she started to feel from the effects of his saliva. He felt her waver and moved his hands from her hair to her thin waist supporting her with his strong grip. As she moved her hands to his exposed chest, he lifted her at the waist and she wrapped her legs around him. Shepard lightly pushed her hips into his and he responded with a slow, heavy thrust firmly adhering her to the elevator wall. Oh shit! she thought as the intensity of the moment picked up. Shepard let out a small moan and Thane pulled her in tighter. Her hands slowly worked their way up from his exposed soft scaly chest to his ribbed neck, and she explored his soft ridges with her fingertips. She felt a deep vibration coerce through her hands and it seemed to resonate from deep within his core.
A voice broke over the intercom. "Shepard, the system has told me the elevator has been stopped. I am checking on your status. I have informed Tali and she is working on getting the elevator moving again."
They pried themselves from one another as Shepard gasped for air. "Everything is okay EDI. I must have hit it by accident."
"Acknowledged. You should be moving shortly. Some of the crew are concerned."
Really? It had only been a few minutes and half the ship knew she was stuck on the elevator? She realized Thane was still looking down, staring at her. He lowered her off the wall, her feet finally finding ground. Their hands had found each others while EDI spoke and their fingers were dancing softly on the others'. The elevator lurched and she stumbled, Thane catching and steadying her with his body.
"Well, that was interesting, and quite unexpected. My body and mind act in strange ways when I am around you. I apologize, Shepard, although I do not regret it," Thane said as he pulled himself away from her putting himself on the opposite side of the elevator.
"You seemed to have planned this, Krios. What the hell were you doing in engineering? Spying on me?" she asked loudly, acting mildly annoyed although she felt quite the opposite.
Before he could respond the door opened on the crew deck. Garrus, Kasumi and Doctor Chakwas stood at the elevator entrance looking in. Shepard's chin was slightly chaffed from the friction of Thane's facial scales against her mouth, her hair amiss, data pad smashed on the floor, shirt twisted and wrinkled. Thane stood perfectly composed on the other side of the elevator, smiled at the three gawkers and exited as if nothing had happed. As they watched him pass, no one said a thing, they just stared at Shepard.
"Um, Commander, is everything all right?" Garrus finally asked, breaking the silence.
"Fine, Garrus," she said, running her fingers down through her hair and smoothing her shirt. "Now if you will excuse me." Violently she hit the button to her quarters, the door slowly closing with the three of her best friends looking in.
The door sealed. Oh... My... God...she thought as she picked up the smashed data pad pieces alone again in the elevator. The door opened to her quarters and she quickly exited elevator, not wanting to see it for a long time.
She sat on the edge of her bed and buried her head into the pillow. What just happened? But the excitement of it all and the pumping of adrenaline had proved to be a welcome distraction from missions they might never return from.
Weeks had passed since the stunt Thane pulled on the elevator. The missions they faced in that time were long and arduous, and not much time in the day remained but for sleeping and eating. He started to seem distracted and distant. Shepard suddenly saw less of him at meals and he asked to be excused from one or two missions.
She had just finished mining resources on some off world planet as Kelly looked up at her and said, "Thane would like to see you in life support." She nodded a thank you as she walked away, heat settling in her cheeks.
Would he confess his feelings for her? She quickly dismissed that thought as silly; what happened in the elevator was just a result of the sexual tension between them. The mission was too risky and his life was too short for them to get involved. It pained her slightly, the thought of what could probably never be.
The life support doors whizzed open and she approached him from behind.
"Thane, Kelly said you needed to talk."
"Yes, Shepard, sit." He offered her the chair across from him.
"I used my contacts to trace Kolyat. He has become - disconnected. He does what his body wills." Thane seemed very worried and distracted. Not exactly what she was hoping for in this conversation.
"He's become what? You'll have to explain that one to me," Shepard said, confused.
Thane stood up walking over to his impressive sniper display on the wall, and she followed. As he spoke he stared straight through it, not looking at Shepard.
"Disconnected. The body is not our true self. The soul is. Body and soul work as one in a whole person. When the soul is weakened by despair or fear – when the body is ill or injured, the individual is disconnected. No longer whole. Something happened that should not have. He knows where I've been, what I've done. I don't know his reasons, but he has gone to the Citadel. He has taken a job as a hit man. I would like your help to stop him. He is - this is not a path he should walk."
He was clearly very upset and torn up about this news. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. He flinched slightly, the memories of his past and Irikah slowly creeping up on him. Shepard listened intently as they discussed the pain of his past life, the funeral of his wife and the shattered relationship that resulted with Kolyat.
"We will go to the Citadel right away," Shepard said to him dutifully.
"Thank you, Shepard. I will return to my meditations." He gave her a sweet smile but immediately sat back down at the table with his back to her, not speaking again. She felt a pain for him and his life as she put her head down and exited his room. A deep feeling of loneliness settled into her body.
She had helped all her crewmates with their issues, so it wasn't like this was a huge surprise. But what about what happened in the elevator? She kept questioning his actions and why nothing had resulted, but did she want it to? The frustration and unanswered questions were too much and she headed back to her quarters for a solid night's sleep. They would be docking the Citadel early in the morning, business and supplies to take care of, and now they would hopefully find Thane's son.
The mission was a success, and she saw up close the painful relationship between a son and father, and it hurt her to watch it unfold. She distanced herself from Thane afterward, taking others on the missions and eating her meals alone in her cabin. It was obviously what he wanted. He had occasionally caught her glance or brushed her shoulder with his, but she ignored all advances and went out of her way to avoid him. She could not replace Irikah, nor did she want to. But of course she had feelings for him, an intense love for what he stood for, who he was and everything he did. She buried these feelings and held them close to her heart protecting them from his view.
The mission to obtain the Reaper IFF was looming over their heads and many needed an excuse to get off the ship and relax one last time. Many of her crew did not observe or celebrate birthdays so when Joker insisted in partying at Purgatory for his birthday everyone took it as a welcomed distraction, finally some time to relax to let loose. After a congratulatory drink with Joker, everyone seemed to disperse and do his or her own thing. Zaeed and Grunt headed straight for the bar, while Kelly, Garrus, Tali and Kasumi went straight to the dance floor. Shepard wasn't one for dancing; she preferred to watch the others and all the people around her. She scouted out a table through the smoke and neon lights and spotted a square corner table. Perfect. She preferred to be alone on most occasions, and she would sit and enjoy a drink overlooking the large club.
The music was loud and she could feel the bass in her heart. With the buzz she was getting she didn't mind it, and she welcomed the feel that tingled through her body. Her mind drifted to Thane. He rarely joined in on these festivities, but rather spent the time with Kolyat or in his room on the Normandy. She was a bit disappointed she hadn't seen him yet tonight, as she sipped from her cool glass. She scanned the room watching two Asari dance on a table together, some Turians roughhousing with humans, one spilling a drink on the floor, Salarians in a deep conversation, probably discussing singularity or some other profound topic. A Drell leaning at the bar finishing a drink... A Drell? The only ones she had seen on the Citadel were Kolyat and Thane. As she looked closer she saw the pattern on his head and the way his body moved. It was him.
As he turned his eyes met hers, and he started to approach her from across Purgatory. Her heart skipped a beat and she tried to compose herself from the growing intoxication looming in her head. He had on a new red and black jumpsuit under a grey and black trench coat that went to his knees. He adjusted the collar as he walked, his face confidant as it always was, and many female heads turned in his direction as he walked, in awe of his species and his beauty. It was hard to control the mix of emotions she felt, and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, playing with the rim of her glass with a finger.
"Shepard. May I?" He stood tall over her glancing down.
"Thane. I didn't expect you. Yes, please sit." Instead of sitting facing towards her, he pulled the chair next to her, his firm muscular deltoid ever so slightly brushed the exposed skin on her shoulders. Damn, she thought to herself as he turned his head to face her.
"I wanted to apologize for my actions," he said solemnly.
Which actions, the elevator stunt or completely ignoring me until I helped you with your problems stunt? she thought, annoyed.
"As I told you before, I was in my battle sleep for a long time. I had little to live for past my next assassination. You have awoken me. I have come to terms with Irikah's death, I have made amends to my son, I fight a battle for all species against a worthy foe. I do this all because of you, my Siha."
His words caught her by surprise. "What did you call me?"
"Never mind for now. I want you to know, I care for you. I am sorry I was not more open earlier. I felt something pulling me towards you from our first conversation in Dantius Towers, you pushed me and challenged me and I never felt more alive. When you asked me to join your mission, I felt you were the battle Goddess sent to me from the heavens. You forced me to deal with the demons I buried for so long. I have prayed to the Gods and they have answered. Everything I need sits right before me."
She was astounded by his sweet words and confession. "Thane, I have feelings for you too, more than you could know. It's hard though, I don't want to have you now to lose you later, but I care deeply for you. When you told me about your son and Irikah, it seemed there could be no place for me." His skin was a dark green now, in the dim lit club of Purgatory. The lights played tricks on her eyes and she saw his scales glitter in a rainbow of colors and his dark eyes reflected the flashing lights.
"There will always be a place for you, Shepard. The Gods do not answer a prayer twice unless it is meant to be. I have ignored them for too long. Now it is time to come forward and be truthful. You ignite the fire in me. A fire to be a better man for my son and to continue to live on." His hand moved from the clasped position on the table to find her hand on the stem of her wine glass. He took it into his own, and kissed it. "I need you."
She melted at his words and when he touched her, the cool soft skin of his hand was all she wanted to feel and she was frozen, at total loss for words. "Thane… I ..." All of a sudden Garrus came by their table. Surprised and annoyed, she flinched, taking her hand away from his.
"Early morning tomorrow, Commander. I'm rounding up the crew so we can get outta here." He looked down at them a bit suspiciously, and their close proximity to each other. He raised an eyebrow at her and smirked. "Oh, well, uh, take your time."
"Yeah, Garrus, you're right. I'll see you back on the ship." She looked at her watch. Damn, it was only midnight... Couldn't she have a bit longer? With that she cleared her mind and stood.
"We should get going, Thane." He stood behind her, placing his fingers gently on her hips.
-
They stepped onto the Normandy together, Thane with a protective arm on her shoulder. As they approached the elevator she remembered the other encounters with him in the closed quarters and now looked forward to it. She pushed the button for her quarters, but as she went to hit the crew quarters button, he grabbed her hand and pulled it away. He didn't release but rather pulled her in with his grip. He enveloped her with his long muscular arms, wrapping himself around her body. He then buried his nose in her scalp smelling her soft hair, and placed a kiss on her forehead. She responded by nudging the skin on his chest with her nose, his scales smelling of a salty musk that was intoxicating. The door dinged and opened at Shepard's cabin. He released her and bowed slightly extending his hand, palm faced open
"After you," he said. She shot him a mischievous look as she walked through the doors, grabbing his outstretched hand and pulling him out of the elevator and into her cabin.
~end