"How do you get this damn thing off?"

"My suit is not a 'damn thing'."

"No, I mean this thing."

Shepard was tugging violently at his collar. Tali would have laughed if she wasn't so turned on. She grabbed the shirt and yanked it out of the waistband of his pants. Shepard tore it open, causing all the buttons to pop off and soar across the elevator.

Gloved hands raked themselves over his chest, a friction that made his blood boil.

They lashed at Tali's suit, removing whatever they could without exposing her to the air. Belts dropped, the cloth loosened around her.

"What floor are we on?" Shepard whispered feverishly.

"I don't know."

Tali dragged Shepard's shirt down his arms and trapped them at his waist. With a growl he jerked his arms and ripped it across his back. Tali's purple cloth was somehow removed without any damage.

Tali tugged the remaining shreds of Shepard's shirt off, then undid the belt of his pants and whipped it out.

Shepard hooked one of her legs around his hip, ran his hand up to grab and pull her tight against him. His other hand roamed over her suit to mold his fingers around her breast.

Keelah.

As if in answer to a desperate prayer, the doors swept open.

They stumbled out, both trying to push or carry the other inside the next room.

"Decontamination in progress."

Tali pressed Shepard against a wall. Her hands went up his chest to his shoulders to dive down arms that were circled around her.

With a groan, Shepard flipped them so her back was on the wall. His lips trailed down her neck to her breasts where he placed wet kisses all over her suit.

Tali arched into him, wanting nothing more than his mouth on her. She clawed at his shoulders, frustrated she could not feel his skin.

"Damn this suit!" she growled.

Shepard took her wrists in one hand and trapped them above her head while the other set itself at the base of her mask.

Eyes fixed on each other.

"I want you," said Shepard.

"I want you more."

Tali could see the sweat on his brow, the desire in his eyes, his nostrils were flared and his lips were parted.

"Is that a challenge, Miss vas Normandy?" Very deliberately his tongue snuck out of the corner of his mouth and passed over his top lip. Her glowing eyes fluttered to it, her breathing turned to panting as he dragged it down and across the bottom lip. Then he pulled both lips inside his mouth and slowly released them, soft and moist.

"Bosh'tet." Tali made some sort of animalistic growl as she fought to free her hands.

"Decontamination complete."

Shepard pulled the mask away and threw it over his shoulder as the lovely face of Tali lashed out, sank her teeth into his lower lip and tugged him closer. She purred as she sucked on his lips, once inches away, now warm, wet and willing on her flesh. Her mouth was ravenous over his and her eyes rolled when their tongues played.

He let go of one of her hands to work on removing her suit, wondering if he would ever be able to get it off before they both went insane. Her free hand grabbed his head and their kiss heated to a dangerous level.

They broke from the kiss with an audible smack.

"Keelah, you're so hot," Tali said, referring to the warmth of his skin.

"So'r you," Shepard replied as his lips glided along her jaw.

At last he got one arm free of the suit and started to work on the other. Tali was trying to regain control of her senses until she realized that Shepard's chest was now open to her.

Shepard was completely distracted while he struggled to get rid of the suit. He'd just freed her other hand when Tali leaned in, flattened her tongue on his neck, and dragged it down to his chest.

"Mmm..."

His eyes popped open as she licked him all the way to his waist. Sharp pleasure jolted his loins and his pants felt tight as Tali rolled him back against the wall.

"Stop that," he rasped.

She moaned around his nipple.

Her hands were everywhere, shaping themselves over the bumps and crevices of his muscles. Her fingers stroked his nipples. One of her roguish hands trailed down, following the valley of his abs.

"Tali, maybe we should... wait... n-no let go, Tali. Tali!"

He grabbed her arm, whose hand was buried deep in his pants. Three alien fingers wrapped themselves around him and squeezed. His head dropped back against the wall and his jaw went slack. She rubbed him while her tongue ran up his neck to his ear and her breath sent shudders to wrack his body.

"You feel so good, John," her voice even sexier as the words slurred from her lips.

His muscles twitched and jerked. Unknown to him, the chemicals of the wine were fully in his system now and were not allowing his body to find relief just yet.

"T-Tali... you're drunk. Y-you're not used to drinking this much."

"I need you inside me," she whispered as she nibbled on his ear.

"Oh God..." Suit. Off. Now.

Shepard reached in after her hand and managed to pry it away from him. He flipped them and pressed her against the wall and her hips rolled with his. He turned her body around, but she pressed her back into him with a wanton moan. His eyes went to the top of his head as her round backside rubbed against him. He thrust a leg between hers and raised his knee along the wall until she completely straddled his thigh. She had to grab it to keep her balance and the siege on her senses was momentarily interrupted.

"John, Keelah, I can't think straight."

"I know the feeling," he replied in a voice that shook. He finally got the chest part of her suit off. Unable to resist, his hands ran up her sides and they both sighed when he cupped her breasts. She leaned into him and her naked back met his broad chest.

Tali gasped, "Now, John. Right now."

He dropped his leg and they frantically removed the lower half of their clothing. Then Shepard's mouth was on hers and he grabbed her legs and pulled them around his waist. His tongue and erection thrust inside her and she moaned greedily, fingers raking his back, taking in as much of him as she could.

Shepard withdrew and entered again, stroking her harder, faster, deeper each time.

She sucked on his tongue and shivered as his hand slid between her legs and rubbed where she joined with him.

Insanity entered the mix of their rhythm. Shepard's hands moved to brace himself on the wall, rapidly increasing the pace as Tali clung to him, crying out for more. Just as his arms and legs began to shake they finally, finally came, trembling so hard Shepard stumbled. Tali shoved against the wall, holding on to him and taking most of the fall in her hips, forcing him even deeper when they hit the floor. She linked her fingers with his, holding them above his head as she rose over him and rode out the climax, gasping breathlessly all the way to oblivion.

...

When Tali peeled her eyes open she was laying on Shepard, who was still knocked out. Somehow she managed to roll away from him and drag herself to her feet. Slightly dizzy, she made her way out of the decontamination room, feeling as though the wine had at last run its course.

One thing is certain, she told herself after she exited the bathroom, there isn't an ounce of stress in my body.

She was almost to the bedroom when she heard a door open behind her.

"Tali..."

She turned. He was standing naked in the doorway, gripping the side with one hand. His eyes were set hungrily on her and his shoulders were rising and falling with heavy breathing.

"Tali, I think..." He advanced on her, pushing away from the wall. "I think I drank too much wine."

Her eyes widened and she backed away, forgetting that the bedroom was right behind her.

"Tell me to leave and I will." He spoke softly and his face was clenched in what looked like pain, as though it were incredibly hard to control the fire that flickered in his eyes.

"You know that I won't," Tali heard herself say.

She was suddenly hauled off her feet and straight into the bedroom by over two hundred pounds of muscle.

...

Tali woke to find herself face down on the mattress and, for the first time, did not feel Shepard's hands clawing at her. An arm and a leg were draped over him while the others hung off the side. An odd position considering she always liked to snuggle against her husband.

She heard a grunt, felt her limbs gently lift and then lower onto the mattress. Shepard muttered "bathroom" before getting off the bed.

After laying quietly for a minute she decided to try moving. Slowly pushing herself up, she gradually nudged her legs to the edge of the bed and draped them over the side. Attempting to stand caused breath to hiss through her clenched teeth and she sat back down.

A warm presence swiftly came to her side.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You don't wince over nothing. What hurts?"

"Just, uh, a little sore," she gasped, her hand gripped her thigh.

Realization dawned on him. "Aw, Tali, I'm so sorry. Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, feeling like a monster as he wrapped his arms around her and stroked her back soothingly.

"It's not that bad," she murmured against his chest, allowing herself to be lulled by his hands and deep voice.

"Here," Shepard gathered her in his arms and carried her out of the bedroom. Too tired to wrap her arms around his neck, she folded them on her stomach and rested her head against him.

They entered the room with the pool, saw through the window that it was dark outside. The soft lighting and reflection of the water guided Shepard along the side toward the hot tub.

"Hot water might relieve some of the soreness. It will help you sleep better."

Shepard grabbed a towel and dropped it next to the tub. He tested the water with his feet, then stepped in and lowered .

"It will sting a bit at first, but you'll get used to it."

She squirmed a little when the water touched her, but Shepard was slow and patient and soon he was sitting down. He positioned Tali to sit snugly between his legs, back towards him, the water level with her shoulders, and turned on the jets.

"Feels good," she murmured.

"Yeah."

He placed his large hands over her shoulders and gently kneaded the muscles in her neck. Then he moved down her arms, wringing his fingers slowly along the tired limbs all the way to her fingers. He gave all six equal attention before sliding up to her shoulders again and worked his thumbs into her back. Tali slumped forward, allowing him to move lower, easily able to spread his hands over her petite back. He placed light kisses along her shoulders as his hands moved down her spine to her hips.

"Lean back," he whispered in her ear.

She did, sighing as she melted into his body. Her head dropped back on his shoulder and Shepard's lips trailed along her exposed throat as his hands moved to rub the muscles of her chest. They moved lower to massage her breasts. Lower still to her thighs, rubbing up and down, outside and in.

The jets finally stopped and she twisted, lifting herself into his lap and rested her side against his chest with a content sigh, nuzzling his neck. One of his arms circled around her shoulders while the other reached for her waist, gathering her closer.

"You forgive me?"

"I already did."

Shepard chuckled. "You can't let me off that easily. How about tomorrow you decide what we do and you can order me around?"

She murmured an affirmative.

"What else can I do for you?"

"Just talk to me. I love the sound of your voice."

He smiled, bending his head down to her ear, letting his breath caress. Talking in soft tones, lips hovering, tender kisses placed here and there. Arms and hands gently rubbed her skin, pulling her ever closer. Hot water embraced her and the soreness eased away. Tali tried to stay awake, to listen to him, but the gentle rhythm of the pool's reflection on the walls made her eyelids droop and the quiet ripples of the water soon drifted away.

Shepard cuddled her until it was time to get out. He wrapped her in a towel and carried her to the bedroom. After drying both of them off he set her down on the bed and curled himself around her back, fitting his legs behind hers before pulling the warm blankets over them.

She mumbled something and shifted.

His arms wrapped around her, pulling her body tight against him.

"How do you feel?"

"Mmm... I think Mordin can keep his stress relieving ideas to himself."