Everything was set. The Reaper IFF was fully integrated into the Normandy's systems, and the ship should now be able to pass safely through the Omega 4 relay. After the crew had been abducted by Collectors, Shepard gave the order to immediately head to the Collector Base. The ship had everything it needed to handle whatever the Collectors threw at it, it was now time for the people aboard to gather everything they needed to fight the Collectors.
Joker radioed Shepard, "Four hours out from the relay, Commander. I'll let you know if anything happens before then."
The specialists Shepard had recruited were as ready as they could be, the coming mission was the reason they signed on with Shepard. Each took the remaining time to prepare in their own way. Everyone knew they would most likely not return from this mission, and were ready to face death if it came. There were two people aboard the Normandy who were not at peace, Shepard and Tali. Their relationship had just begun a month earlier, but it had been a month of pure joy. Both spent as much time together as they could, knowing the coming mission was practically suicide. They wanted to make the time they had together as special and meaningful as they could, but now both wanted more time.
Tali had been relieved from her shift in Engineering to prepare for the ground mission, but she already completed everything she needed to. Her weapons were clean and functional. Tali's combat drone, who she had named Chatika, was checked and free of any bugs. She had four hours of free time, time she wanted to spend with Shepard. Unknown to him, Tali had passed into the final stage of the bonding process, felz'tiyl. She realized that her very soul was incomplete, and only Shepard could ever complete her. Had this been a normal quarian bonding, Tali would've been formally bonded in an officially ceremony when her partner also crossed into felz'tiyl. But nothing was normal about her bonding. Tali bonded with Shepard, a human with little knowledge of their customs and traditions. In the past few months, Shepard had returned from the dead, saved her multiple times, and confessed his feelings for her. All these events had sped up her process, but her feelings were as true as could be. Also, Shepard and Tali most likely wouldn't have an opportunity to have a bonding ceremony and consummate their bond. She wanted to show Shepard how much she loved him, how she would've never be complete without him.
Tali was normally very traditional, but this one time she decided to disregard tradition. She was going to share herself with Shepard before they faced their imminent death. Tali had done research on how to safely do so, and was as prepared as she could be. She knew Shepard would never initiate this, no matter how much he wanted to. He loved her too much to jeopardize her safety to satisfy his interests, and Tali loved him even more for his selflessness. But this was their last chance to do so, any health consequences wouldn't matter if she died on the Collector Base. They had made plans to just be with each other until they reached the relay, but Tali was going to surprise Shepard with her decision.
Ancestors, forgive me. she prayed as she pressed the Deck One button in the elevator.
Shepard was sitting at his desk, staring at the display full of his model ships. He was as nervous as he had ever been before a mission. Not because he was unprepared, but because of the amount of unknown variables. The Normandy was basically going through the relay blind, with no idea of what to expect. The sound of his cabin door opening broke his trance. Shepard saw Tali step through the door, her hands wringing in front of her.
"Hey Tali, I'm glad you're here." he greeted, he was happy to see her but his nerves had snuck into his voice.
"I wouldn't miss this for anything, my inszel." she said. "This might be our last chance to be together."
She said inszel even though she had passed into felz'tiyl. The term she should've used to describe her feelings toward Shepard was saera, 'my soul's soul'. She didn't use it because she wasn't sure if Shepard felt as strongly as she did, it was a term reserved for bonded lifemates. As far as she knew, Shepard was still in hecs'tiyl, or as close to it as humans could be. They hugged each other, trying to convey their love for each other as best they could. All of a sudden, Tali took Shepard's hand and led him to his bed. They sat down on the edge, facing each other. Tali looked deep into Shepard's eyes, and knew without a doubt she was about to make the right decision. Shepard was her saera, regardless if he knew it. Something deep inside Tali told her that Shepard felt as strongly as she did, but he just didn't realize it yet. He needed her as much as she needed him.
Without breaking eye contact, Tali reached up and pressed her visor release clasps. A hiss escaped as the pressure was released. She took off her visor and placed it on the bed. For the first time, Shepard saw Tali's face. Shepard was shocked she removed her visor, he wasn't expecting this at all. But as he looked upon her face for the first time, his shock was replaced by love.
Oh my God… Shepard thought. She's… beautiful.
He had never seen an visor-less quarian before, and was surprised how closely Tali's facial features resembled a human woman's. The only real difference was her glowing, white eyes. Tali also had two, thin black lines roughly in the shape of a 'v' on her forehead. Her skin was nearly the same shade as his, but paler. Shepard was in utter awe of her beauty, and of her show of trust in him. He knew he was the first person Tali had ever shown her face to. Shepard had wondered at times what she actually looked like under her visor, but was never afraid of what she might look like. He would love her no matter how she looked, his feelings were so much deeper than skin level. Actually seeing her now, Shepard could do nothing but stare and take in her beauty.
Tali noticed Shepard was just staring, and began to feel self-conscious.
Oh Keelah, say something! Does he think I'm unattractive? "John?" she asked. "Is my face...unappealing to you?"
"What? No!" Shepard answered, coming back to reality. "Tali, inszel, you're gorgeous. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
His words weren't exaggerated, Tali's physical attractiveness combined with her personality made her truly the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Shepard's words washed away all Tali's fears, she was so relieved he found her attractive. That had been her biggest worry ever since they began their relationship, that Shepard would find her physically unappealing and leave her. Now that Tali had reached felz'tiyl, she would never recover if Shepard left her.
"Keelah, John,I was so worried you would find me unattractive. And that… you would leave me."
"Tali, I will never leave you." Shepard assured her. "When I fell in love with you, I fell in love with all of you. Even though I had never seen your face, I fell in love with you regardless. And now that I can see you, you are truly beautiful beyond description."
Hearing his confession of love, Tali wrapped her arms around Shepard tightly, and he did the same. Tears of joy streamed down her face, the man she loved so much had accepted all of her. Tali pulled away just enough so her face met Shepard's, and kissed him passionately, expressing how deep her love for him was with her lips. Shepard returned the kiss, pouring the same love into it as Tali did. The sensation Tali's lips felt was more than anything she had experienced, they had never felt anything before. It was fitting that Shepard's lips were the first things they felt. They parted, and just looked into each other's' eyes, their foreheads touching.
Shepard suddenly jumped up, "Tali! You're exposed to the air, and… me! You're going to get sick!"
He knew how serious the situation was, Tali could die from this exposure.
Tali laughed slightly, "Relax, inszel. I took immuno-boosters, antibiotic injections, and herbal supplements to temporarily bolster my immune system. I'll still have a reaction, but it will be mild and nowhere near deadly."
Shepard relaxed, and sat back down.
"You should've said that first." he scolded her sarcastically. "I was really scared for a second."
Tali laughed, "I'm sorry, but I took every precaution. Now kiss me, you bosh'tet."
Shepard joyfully complied, their second kiss filled with as much passion as the first.
As they continued kissing, Tali pushed him down on the bed and got on top of him, her legs straddling his hips.
She broke their kissing, and said in a very seductive tone, "Stay right there."
"Tali?" Shepard asked, propping himself up with his elbows.
She declined to respond, deciding to let her actions do the talking. Her hands pushed back her cloth hood and unlatched her helmet, freeing her entire head. Tali had wavy, jet black hair that reached just past her shoulders. Again, Shepard was surprised with the similarities between human and quarian women. If it weren't for a few differences, it could've been a human woman standing before him. He thought her hair was lovely, and fit right in with her other features. Tali didn't stop there, she kept removing pieces of her suit until there was nothing left. She was obviously nervous, she had never been so exposed before. She felt the air against her skin, causing her to feel new sensations.
Shepard felt he should put her at ease, "Tali, I'm speechless. You have honestly taken my breath away."
She blushed, and seductively crawled back on top of him. Shepard and Tali kissed again, this time exploring a little with their tongues. Shepard gently put his hand on the back of her head, and lightly pushed her into him, not wanting to let her go. He ran his fingers through her hair, feeling how soft it was. Tali did the same, Shepard's buzzcut felt rough in her fingers. She loved how his hair felt, though.
Shepard parted the kiss with Tali, "Wait, Tali. We don't have to do this if you're uncomfortable. I don't want you to feel pressured into anything."
Tali placed a hand on his cheek, and smiled lovingly at him.
"John, I want this. This might be my last chance to share myself with you. To feel your skin against mine. I want this so much." she assured him, and kissed him again to shut him up.
Shepard rolled over so he was now on top of Tali, and stood up so he could undress. He pulled off his Cerberus uniform shirt, revealing his upper body. Tali admired his large biceps, his toned six-pack, and his firm chest. She also noticed his numerous scars, and decided she would ask him about them later. Shepard removed his pants, socks, and boots, then rejoined Tali in the bed.
She initiated this, her pleasure is more important than mine.
He began kissing Tali's neck, sending tingles down her spine. She softly moaned from experiencing the new sensations. She began running her hands up and down his muscular back. With no physical barriers left between them, their skin moved freely against each other. Experiencing all these sensations for the first time, Tali was experiencing pure ecstasy. Finally being able to physically show the love they had for each other, Shepard and Tali made love.
It was an euphoric experience for both of them. To be able to physically express their love for each other was incredible. For Tali, it was being able to finally physically feel someone else's body against hers and the way Shepard made her feel whole. She had been trapped inside her suit for so long, and Shepard, who she was sure was going to be her lifemate someday, was the one who freed her. The way he focused solely on her pleasure, making the experience unbelievably enjoyable, had made her feel wanted and loved in a way she had never felt before. For as long as she could remember, she had tried to live up to the expectations others, especially her father, had set for her. But Shepard accepted her for who she was, never expecting anything of or from her. He just loved her, even with her shortcomings and failures. For Shepard, it was the feeling of sharing himself with someone he truly loved, and who truly loved him back. It hadn't been his first time, but it was the first time love had been the driving force. Shepard felt guilty that he hadn't saved himself for her as she had, but he finally felt complete none the less. And it was Tali, not any of the previous women he had been with, that made him feel whole. Shepard knew deep in his heart that Tali was the one meant for him, the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He needed her, and wasn't ever going to let her go.
The two of them just laid in each other's embrace for a while, feeling nothing but each other's skin and the sheets on top of them. The silence between them proved how satisfied both of them were, both physically and emotionally. No words were needed, in fact words would've ruined the magic of the moment. Shepard and Tali wanted nothing more that to hold their love, breathe in their scent, and never let go.
Author's Note: For my story, I used Tali's canon appearance as seen in the picture she gave Shepard in ME3. I know a lot of people were upset with how BioWare presented her. However, I like her appearance, it lined up pretty closely with how I imagined she looked.