Hello all! I've revamped this story because I got bit by the bug of erotic creativity and procrastination. To my dismay and surprise, this is STILL the only Peebee/Jaal story on FFnet. I KNOW I can't be the only one who ships these two, because they're just SO DAMN CUTE! I guess that makes my call to all you writers out there to make more Peebee/Jaal lol. The dialogue is taken straight from the game, because that's what inspired this story to begin with. I don't own these characters or anything related to Mass Effect. Enjoy!

Zetalia Ryder loved hearing the trifle banter that went on between her teammates. Specifically between her two blue and purple aliens, Peebee and Jaal. The two got along like peas in a pod, sometimes a little too well, basically gushing about each other's biology, cultures, technology, anything really. She thought it was funny that Peebee had such a fascination and admiration for the Angara's ways of expressing their emotions so openly, considering the fact that the Asari was not always the most willing to share her own, and was the last one to officially settle into their strange little family of misfits.

Kallo, their expert pilot and resident gossip, liked to speculate that having true, open and meaningful relationships was one of Peebee's main motivators in life, she just refused to admit it or didn't want to accept it for a long while because of the whole manipulative, narcissistic ex-lover situation with Kalinda. Zeta had the sneaking suspicion that he was right, but she'd never mention it to the Asari. It was best to keep the majority of Kallo's gossipy theories to herself. Though she had noticed that the salarian was most often right. He would arm-chair-psychoanalyze the crew all the time, hypothesizing about the reasoning behind other people's certain behavior while almost never bringing attention to himself at all. Zeta would only ever briefly consider those psychological implications, but decided to take Suvi's advise not to push it with her favorite salarian. If he was going to share something with her, he would. It just had to be on his own time.

The ground team had just tackled another remnant sight on the vast desert of Elaadin. Ryder and Peebee were scrounging through the bots they had taken out for any spare parts as Jaal stood watch making sure no more came around. The sight had more than usual oversized and seemingly hyper-powered assembler bots with more sophisticated shields. The largest one, Peebee was about chest deep in at this point, scrounging its inner parts to figure out how it made the smaller breacher bots so much faster than other assemblers.

Jaal turned and watched the Asari bury herself in the rem-bot, a term Zeta had recently coined. He admired how completely she explored the remnant, always trying to discover its inner workings. It was not unlike his own fascination with taking technology apart and putting it back together again. They were from different galaxies, two million light-years apart and yet they shared similar characteristics. It was a profound thought. Jaal wasn't sure if it implicated an all-powerful, intelligent being that created all life in the universe like Suvi and Ryder believed, but it certainly did not hurt their stance on the subject. If all life across the universe was fundamentally the same and the Asari had the capability to mate successfully with any species… Jaal got lost in the wonder of it all. He could hardly begin to understand the depth of that concept. In his mind's eye, it was like he got lost in the vast expanse of the stars, seeing just how microscopic everything was when compared to the magnitude of the universe. How, in this immense cosmos could these specific beings come into contact? What were the odds they'd ever meet? It almost seemed like it was meant to be. Even when Peebee and Ryder finished scrounging for parts, he was still visibly affected by his mind's wanderings.

"Jaal, you ok?" Peebee asked as they drove across the rolling dunes.

"Hm? Oh, yes. I just…" Jaal thought for a moment, trying to find the words to accurately explain. They did not come, but perhaps he could spark a conversation about the subject with the question that set him off in the first place. "Peebee, have you ever wondered…"

"If the angara can reproduce with the asari? Hell yes I have!"

Those weren't the exact words he was going to use, but they pretty much hit the nail on the head. He'd recently learned that idiom from Gil. "Oh, wait. You have? Hmm. I have too. The implications are profound. It would suggest the universe is… holistic. That you're meant to be here."

"Is this a proposition, Jaal?" the asari inquired, turning her head to face him. The upper part of her painted black mask wiggled as she raised Her eyebrows in surprise and a playful smirk danced on her lips.

Jaal was taken aback by her response. "Hmm. I don't understand."

"Should we find out if we're reproductively compatible?"

Oh. That's what she meant. Jaal's face heated up and a deep eggplant blush colored his cheeks and "neck flaps" as Peebee called them. He hadn't meant to come off that way and struggled awkwardly as words completely eluded him. Her golden eyes stared at him, dancing with that signature coquettish charm that always made him stare back. He could feel his chest warm as the blush deepened. He'd always admired the asari. In fact he'd become quite fond of her. Her spontaneity, her acute intelligence, her compassion. That last one was always apparent to the angara, but it was something she liked to hide behind flippant jokes and trifle banter; although he'd come to learn that poking fun was another way the asari showed affection. He wasn't sure what to say. He couldn't deny the fact that this "melding," as Peebee had called it, sounded like a wondrous and profound experience for both parties. Two beings truly becoming one. It was then he realized just how much he liked the idea of sharing something like that with her. Oh…

Peebee laughed, throwing her head back mirthfully. "Just a harmless flirt, my friend."

Jaal's blush lightened but did not yet completely dissipate. A harmless flirt. Really? Maybe it was his imagination, but he swore he saw in her golden eyes a glimmer of… hope? Perhaps that was too strong a word. Anticipation, or excitement? Regardless, there was just some small thing that he couldn't put his finger on that made him believe that her "harmless flirt" was motivated by not just her insatiable curiosity, but her genuine interest in the angara himself. He knew she cared for him. They fought together, bled together, wept together even. Was it possible that their connection went beyond mere friendship?

"Wow. You two really are adorable," Ryder smirked.

They drove for a short while in silence until coming up on another remnant site. Shooting at enemies did wonders for clearing Jaal's mind of the embarrassment he suffered earlier. In the chaos of flying bullets and flashing lasers, an idea popped up in his mind. He'd definitely get Peebee back for her "harmless flirt."

"Let's do it, Peebee." Jaal stated resolutely as they huddled into the Nomad once more.

"Uh, do what?" She asked incredulously. Hm. Perhaps this "do it" idiom only worked in context of a suggestive conversation. Good to know.

"Let's find out if asari and angara can mate. You and I. We can be pilgrims."

Jaal watched the color drain from Peebee's face. "Jaal, um… yeah. That's not exactly in my immediate plans."

"You mean, you'd let someone else beat you to it?" he bated.

Plum blush deepened her indigo skin as the asari faltered with her words.

"Hmm. I didn't think you were…what was that saying, Ryder?"

"All talk?" Zeta declared, pointing a finger in the air.

"Yes, all talk. Peebee, I'm so disappointed. And hurt."

"Oh, did you two rehearse this, or something?" she laughed nervously, shifting her gaze between the human and angara.

Jaal raised an eyebrow at her and folded his arms. "Just a little harmless flirt.