"A Dance Among the Stars"

MaleShep/Tali

Written for "Leather & Lace Challenge 2019" - Prompt - Slow Dance

Summary: Tali couldn't help but desire everyday to be like this; no war, no fighting. Just peace and serenity for the rest of their days.


The vid-screen rolled the end credits for Fleet and Flotilla, but neither Tali'Zorah nor Commander Adam Shepard paid any attention. Instead, they were content on holding each other close. The soft music from the movie's ending was the only sound that filled the silence in Shepard's new apartment.

A part of Tali just simply wanted this moment between them to never end – a moment that was just the two of them, with peace looming over instead of the war that raged outside the Citadel, and just… live a normal life.

Reclaiming Rannoch was a huge step in seeing that vision come to life. At this point, it was a matter of ending the damn war. Only then would they begin a new life together on her homeworld. They would build their home on beachfront property and live out the rest of their days in serenity.

The war was coming close to an end, they both knew it… but it still felt so far out of reach.

Inwardly, Tali shook the thoughts from her head. The war was the last thing she wanted to think about.

"Dance with me?" Shepard suddenly asked, his voice breaking the quiet between them. Nearby, the vid-screen had hushed.

Tali moved her head from his shoulder to stare at him through her purple-tinted mask. "Dance?" she inquired almost skeptically. "But Adam-"

"Yeah yeah, I know, I can't dance. I've heard it from everyone. From Garrus, from Jack. Even Legion had something to say about it once," Shepard grumbled with a hint of amusement. "But that's because you've only seen me dance to club music." His leaned his head a little closer to her until he was barely an inch from her mask. He lowered his voice at this next words. "Have you ever seen me slow dance?"

Upon him mentioning it, Tali couldn't recall him ever slow dancing. She tilted her head a little as she felt somewhat curious. "Well… no."

Shepard smiled at her. "Then let me show you. Just give me a moment."

He took a step back as he activated his omni-tool. While he pressed a few commands, a sudden thought came to Tali. "Wait… Legion said something about your dancing?" she asked in astonishment. "When was this?"

"It was while we were celebrating our victory on Omega after we destroyed the Collector Base. While I was doing what everyone keeps calling the 'Shepard Shuffle,' Legion chose that moment to mention that my, and I quote, 'dance efficiency and effectiveness to gain an organic's admiration is rated at 4.9 percent out of a 100.'"

Upon hearing that, Tali tried all she could to suppress her laughter, but… it wasn't working, not with how much she giggled like she was a teenager who just heard a dirty joke. She even tried to 'cover' her mouth with both hands, and her shoulders shook with each laugh that escaped her.

Shepard glared at Tali despite the amused smirk on his face. "Laugh it up, dear."

"I'm sorry," Tali giggled as she started to calm down. "It's just… I wish I was there to hear that." Tali suddenly felt somber as she thought about Legion… and the fact that he was no longer with them. "I miss him…"

Shepard frowned just as he pressed a button on his omni-tool. "Me too…"

Soft music began to play from the sound system that was installed throughout the apartment. Only then did Tali notice that the lights in the apartment had dimmed - enough to see their surroundings, but still gave the room a romantic feel.

Despite the somber mood that hit them moments ago, this seemed to lift their spirits just a little bit.

"I made a discovery yesterday that I thought was neat," Shepard mentioned. "Wanna see it?"

"Sure," Tali answered.

Shepard pressed another command on his omni-tool. Almost instantly, countless small, white lights danced across the walls, ceiling, and floor in a gentle, circular motion. Each small glow glittered like a cluster of fiber optic lights with every movement.

To Tali, it was like standing among the galaxy's stars. It was gorgeous.

Shepard took her hands in his. Tali let him pull her close before he wrapped one arm around her waist. Tali instinctively rested her left hand on his shoulder as he took her other hand into his, their fingers laced perfectly despite his two extra digits compared to hers. From there, he led her in a slow and gentle sway.

Like before, when she serenaded him with her favorite song from Fleet and Flotilla, they stared into each other's eyes. Not for the first time since they met, Tali thought that she could look at Shepard all day if it was possible. Thinking about that was why it took her a few moments to realize, to her surprise, that he was actually good at slow dancing. Not only did he lead well, but he also kept up with the music's rhythm. More importantly, he managed to not step on her toes. That last part never happened to her, but she recall that it did happen to Ashley three years ago at Flux during shore leave one evening. Tali winced at the memory. At least Ashley was wearing heavy boots that night.

"I'm impressed," Tali admitted. "Where did you learn to dance like this?"

Shepard smiled before he responded. "Would you believe me if I said my Dad taught me?"

Tali tilted her head out of curiosity. "Really?"

"Really." He chuckled as though he remembered something. "He and Mom used to waltz together at Alliance benefit events. They left quite an impression that it became kind of a tradition for them to dance at least once for the crowd. I probably would've appreciated it more if my sister and I weren't bored to tears every time we were dragged to those events as kids. He taught me when I was a teenager because he felt it was a skill I should learn if I ever find myself wanting to slow dance with someone I love."

Tali giggled at that. "Did he ever guess that you would fall in love with a quarian?"

Shepard smiled. "Probably not, but…" He leaned a little closer to her. "I think he would've loved you anyway."

"Really?"

"Really. You're sweet, you're selfless, you're brave… and you put up with my otherwise bad dancing."

That earned another laugh from Tali. "Glad to hear it. And for the record…" She closed the space between them by leaning her head into her shoulder. "I love your dancing… no matter what kind it is."

"And I love you, Miss vas Normandy."

Tali snorted. "Nerd."

"You love it."

"I do, you bosh'tet. And yes, I love you, too."

That got a laugh from him before they both fell silent. They continued to gently sway to the soft music that played. Even when the music ended a few minutes later, they still danced among the beads of light that glittered in the room. For the second time tonight, Tali couldn't help but desire everyday to be like this; no war, no fighting. Just peace and serenity for the rest of their days.

"Adam?" she whispered.

He gently nuzzled the side of his face on top of her head. "Yeah?"

"…I wish we had everyday like this."

She felt Shepard's arm tighten around her waist. Their gentle dance had stopped. "Me too, Tali. Me too. Maybe after…"

He left the sentence hanging and Tali knew why. Their future was uncertain. Who knew what would happen – and who would be left standing - once this war was over. With tears stinging her eyes, Tali held Shepard close to her. She never wanted to let him go…