This story's inspiration came from a writing prompt I received over on ao3. I'm really much more active over there, and we have a little writing community (including a discord) set up, so if you want to see my notes on these as well as join our merry band, then head on over there. Hope you like this one, as there will be several more chapters to go before it's done.
"Back during my Pilgrimage, I used to walk around near that sushi place and watch the fish through the window." Tali began, staring starstruck through the apartment window at all the hovercars zipping past, speaking in a ponderous, oratory voice, as though giving some grand speech on the virtues and felicities of self-betterment.
Shepard could only roll his eyes as she continued.
"I knew they'd never let me inside, but I'd think to myself…someday, when I've proven my worth to the galaxy, I'll go there for dinner."
She whirled slowly on him like a triumphant lawyer winning their case, pure accusation.
"And then…you broke their floor."
He spat out a laugh.
"I'm fine, by the way." He drawled.
"Glad to hear it." She teased with an all-too-satisfied cock of her head. "Truly, I am…but I would be gladder still if you were fine and that restaurant hadn't been destroyed. Did you really have to be so…destructively negligent?"
"Negligent?" he scoffed. "You're negligent when you forget to mention the death squad I had after me at the time."
"I didn't forget." She insisted with a little smirk that colored her voice so deeply he could practically see its shape in his mind's eye.
"So glad to hear that my brush with death left enough of an impression on you to last a few hours in your memory." He countered dryly. "With this in mind, I'm sure you can understand that I valued my own life a hell of a lot more than the structural integrity of a damn sushi restaurant, just then."
Her voice carried that playful tenderness he so adored as her hand came down to squeeze his forearm.
"I want you to know…that I also value your life more than that sushi restaurant…"
"Gee, thanks, love. That means a lot." He answered dryly.
"…but only barely."
An exaggerated groan spilled from his throat.
"Don't be an ass." He begged with a roll of his eyes.
"Mm. Alright. Since you asked me so nicely." She acquiesced, turning back to face the window. "Still…would've really liked to try that sushi."
His brow furrowed a touch as he pondered the question, realizing that the loss of that one restaurant didn't need to be so dream-crushing as she'd made it out to be. The others had all trickled out of the apartment ten minutes ago, off to find their own amusement wherever it lay, explore this part of the Citadel with which none of them were familiar.
It was just them, and there were hours yet until they had to attend that charity gala with Brooks on an infiltration mission. He had no plans for what to do until then, and neither did she seem to, so the opportunity to kill time with a bit of fun was just a little too irresistible in his mind.
Deciding then it's what they'd do, he stepped up behind her to wrap his arms snugly around her waist, set his chin atop her veil.
Her hands instantly setting atop his, her form melting into his, the low pleased hum he could hear as well as feel, all stood to drive him from these plans, the moment lovely enough for them to live in it, savor it for hours and never tire of their embrace's soft bliss, but nevertheless he found his voice.
"You still can try sushi, if that's what you want. I refuse to believe I destroyed the only sushi place on the Citadel. There's gotta be others, and you and I are gonna find 'em."
She turned a little in his embrace, looking fondly up at him and brushing her thumbs across his knuckles.
"Really?" she asked lightly, seeming to be a little touched at how he had seen through what was mostly a joke to the genuine curiosity underneath, wanting to allow her to try this new experience.
"Really. We've got some hours to kill, and getting to see you try sushi is as good a way as any to do that, so far as I can see."
"I think so, too." she agreed. "It's only…I've heard so many people say it's simply delicious, even when it's adapted to turian physiology. I just…hope they have the proper sterilization equipment."
"They will." He assured her. "If I have to front the cost for the machines themselves, they will."
She gave another little smile, another pleased sound, before letting go of his hands with apparent reluctance.
Stepping away with no small measure of his own reluctance, he walked up the stairs to the apartment's master bedroom in order to grab his credit chit, knowing immediately that the amount on it would easily cover any expenses their choice in dining might demand.
Descending the stairs, he found Tali there belting on a holster at her hip, an Arc Pistol already slid within the black leather, the proprietary weapons system developed for the Rannoch campaign quickly having become her favorite, in spite of the personal animosity she felt for the cold, almost geth-like Admiral Xen.
And though he still shared in that feeling, he had to admit that it was effective.
Of greater importance to him at the moment was the fact she was wearing a holster at all.
Despite all her joking, the attempt on his life had frightened her greatly, and a little smile came to his face as he thought back to her frantic voice over the comms as she'd rushed to his position, the tight hug she'd wrapped him in after finding him down in the Wards and driving off the last of his would-be assassins.
Though he wished she hadn't had to, it was nice to be worried over, cared about.
As he approached, he reached out to rest a hand on her shoulder.
"I doubt they'd try something again so soon."
She met his tender gaze with one a little more serious.
"It cannot hurt to be prepared for the worst. I wasn't there for you the first time, but I will be this time…if it comes to that. They won't lay a hand on you if I have any say in it."
He gave a wide smile at his new bodyguard.
"Thanks, love. I feel safer already."
She reached down into the duffle she'd brought up to the apartment, containing her few possessions, pulling out what he recognized immediately as his favorite Carnifex and holding it out to him.
"Here. I brought this down for you."
His smile widened at her consideration.
"How very thoughtful of you. But I doubt it's necessary. I have my biotics, remember?" he offered, giving a little flare of blue around his hand as a reminder.
Her eyes fell from his a moment, seeming to relive the bit of fear she'd felt earlier in the day.
"I know that, but…can you still carry it for me? Please? It would…make me feel better."
His face softened from his teasing, not wanting her to have to worry over him ever again, especially not during their leave.
"Of course, love. For you." He agreed warmly, reaching out to take it and belt on a holster of his own.
She looked relieved to hear it, giving herself a once-over before, apparently satisfied, she gestured toward the door.
"Shall we go, captain?" she chirped.
"I believe we shall." He answered her as they both walked out toward the door.
Once outside the apartment, she brought up the orange holographic interface of her omni-tool, eyes voicing a question.
"I'll look up the nearest restaurant on the extranet. Do you want to call a cab?"
After pondering the question a few seconds, he had a far better idea, setting a halting hand on her forearm.
"Don't bother with the extranet, and I won't bother with a cab. How about we just go find that restaurant ourselves, see what we see along the way?" she offered her.
She cocked her heat at him bemusedly.
"That doesn't sound very…efficient."
"Don't be such a geth." He scoffed. "Might not be as efficient, but I bet it'll be a hell of a lot more fun. C'mon, where's your sense of adventure?"
"I'm trying your food, aren't I? Isn't that adventurous enough?"
"Not nearly adventurous enough. We're on leave, may as well make the most of it, see all this corner of the Citadel has to offer."
"It hasn't exactly made the best impression on me so far." She grumbled, just a touch rueful once more at thinking back on the danger he'd been in, before continuing, an entirely different sort of sadness slightly coloring her words.
"And besides, the public of the Citadel has never been…the most kind to me."
His demeanor shifted a little to match hers, and he reached down to take both her hands in his own.
"I understand. Truly, I do. But it's not gonna be like that, this time. Egotistical as it sounds, if people recognize who I am, they're not gonna say a thing about you. Not a thing."
Her eyes were born into the floor, and he could see that doubt flowing through every inch of her form, that insecurity and fear of rejection instilled into her by years of galactic prejudice even after all he'd tried to ease it.
"And besides, if anyone does, well…that's what the pistols are for, aren't they?"
A little giggle spilled from her lips, but even so he could tell the idea still discomforted her, so he opted for another angle, one he was sure would work.
"Tell you what, let me sweeten the pot a little bit. We are going to a casino tonight, after all. Gotta get in the wagering spirit. If you don't find our little sushi hunt and any of its detours fun in any way…then I'll rub your shoulders for fifteen whole minutes."
Her eyes snapped up immediately to meet his, eagerness radiating from her in waves, even causing her to bounce on her toes a little.
He could not help but smile at the effectiveness of his tactic. Since that day a little over a year ago, after they'd first made love, when he had given her a shoulder massage to ease the aches brought on by her sickness, she had become quite strongly addicted to the sensation, half-begging for it most nights before bed and usually getting it.
Though in truth he enjoyed doing it for her, knowing the happiness and relaxation it gave her, relishing in the pleased noises and praise of his technique it always brought out, as was typical of the two of them, a game was quickly made of it. He'd resist, make every excuse for every insistence on her end as to why he wouldn't or couldn't, but eventually he would always cave and let them enjoy the moment they'd both wanted from the start.
There was little he could offer that would be more enticing than a good backrub, and he knew it, smug self-satisfaction rising up in him for how well it had worked.
After a little anticipatory moment, she gave her answer, amusement dripping heavy from her tone.
"Make it thirty."
"Don't be ridiculous. Twenty." He chuckled.
"Thirty." She insisted, squeezing his hands in pleading.
He gave a crook of his eyebrow and a little pout of his lips.
"That's not how you negotiate. C'mon, love, work with me."
She feigned stubbornness a moment longer before seeming to genuinely consider her next bid, though really he already knew what it would be.
"Twenty-nine."
"Twenty-two." He countered, absolutely adoring this little game.
"Twenty-five." She pressed.
He gave a dry chuckle before putting on an indignant face.
"Twenty-five's robbery, and you know it. You'll get twenty-three, and that's my final offer."
She let go of his hands to instead loop about his neck, feigning sweet sultriness in a way he found both enticing and adorable.
"Are you suuuure you couldn't bump it up to twenty-three and a half?" she purred, thumbs coming up to brush shiver-inducingly at his earlobes.
At last, he decided to give in to her little show, letting an exasperated groan flow out from his lungs in a great huff, trying to act as much of a sore loser as she normally was.
"Fiiine. You've got yourself a deal. Twenty-three and a half minutes of shoulder rubbing, but only if our little trip isn't fun to you. And don't you lie about it!"
"I would never lie." She chirped in mock horror, as though wounded by the insinuation.
"Yeah, sure you wouldn't." he grumbled, and she giggled triumphantly a moment longer before cocking her head at him.
"Wait a moment…what is your end of this wager? You aren't holding any fine print out on me, are you?" she asked playfully.
His arms found their way to the small of her back, pulling her flush against him.
"I don't get anything out of it, anything besides a night out on the town with you. Worth a lot more than you seem to think."
A little touched smile found her features, and before he knew it her helmet was pressed firmly against his forehead in a kiss, eyes blazing tender fire as they spoke such a multitude to his own, of all she felt, of a promise to cherish this for all it was.
They held each other a moment longer before she pulled back, a bit of that playfulness returned.
"So if this wager is so one-sided, then that means that all my negotiation skills were wasted." She teased.
"Pah!' he scoffed. "Haggling's a joy all its own to you. I swear you're more similar to a volus than you think. The suits, the argumentative shrewdness…the dwarfishness." He ended with a devious fox-like grin.
Her jaw dropped in indignation.
"I am not short."
"Short to me." He pressed, standing a little over a head taller than her.
"Not short to most humans." She defended herself sheepishly.
"I wasn't talking about most humans, I was talking about me. And to me…you're short."
She gave a groan in defeat, not able to argue any longer the obvious state of things, turning her back on him in her irritation.
"C'mon, don't be like that." He insisted with a hand on her shoulder. "Besides, I think you like me being taller than you."
She turned to face him, flustered if her guess was right.
"Well…maybe a little." She admitted, and he smiled to at least have gotten one small victory out of all this.
Fun as their game always was, though, he decided then that they really ought to get going.
"Right, we've sparred long enough, I think. Let's get going."
"Right behind you."