Surprise in humans was one of EDI's favourite emotions to study. There was so much variation in what caused it and how individuals coped. And Jeff was giving her a front seat viewing of in. It looked as if he'd actually jammed when he had finally processed what EDI had just said and suggested.

'...a date?' he asked her, as if he needed clarification because he'd misheard.

'Yes Jeff.' She replied, a distinct note of disapproval creeping into her voice.

'...like here. Now?' he stammered.

EDI regarded him for a moment, calculating the odds and the approach that would possibly deliver the best outcome. Although she was unsure what the best outcome was. Ordinarily, she believed that it would be for them to go on a date. But if she pressured Jeff into spending time with her, it could have adverse effects on their relationship in the long run. Why did he hesitate? The question popped up out nowhere. She had never really considered him neither accepting nor declining the offer when she had offered it. So why did he?

'Jeff...are you ashamed of me?' The answer seemed so simple. She had heard him refer to her on a number of occasions in the Citadel as his Personal Assistance Mech, although he had insisted it was a ruse so others wouldn't be weary of her presence. At first she had accepted that with a fair degree of annoyance, but now she was starting to wonder if there was more to it than that.

She immediately regretted asking it when she saw the pained look on his face at her implications.

'No EDI...I'm not ashamed of you. I mean look at you. You're hot! It's just...other people might get jealous when they see us together and then I'll have to let you beat the crap out of them. And I'm not sure my ego could cope with a girl beating people up...the rest of me could, but that's best done behind closed doors rather than in the Presidium.'

As usual, he used a lot of words to explain himself, without actually explaining himself. He wasn't ashamed of her; he was ashamed of himself and ashamed of everyone else, that they'd react badly against seeing them together. Organics were odd in this respect. Despite everything they professed, many of them were exceptionally judgemental towards anything outside of 'the norm'. It made EDI sad when she witnessed this, but she was heartened by people like Jeff and the Commander, who thought outside the box and encouraged others to do the same.

'I'm sorry Jeff. I didn't mean to sound so harsh. I just' EDI began only to be silenced by a finger placed gingerly on her lips. She looked at the owner of the finger with a frown, wondering why he'd stopped her apology.

'No EDI, I'm the one that should apologise. I've been a dumb shit. I think going on a date with you would be awesome. But...do you still want to go on a date with me?'

He lifted her finger away, a shy smile playing at the corner of his lips, a concerned look in his eye as if steeling himself for her to say no.

'Of course I would Jeff.'

'Awesome!' Jeff grinned widely before he stopped and looked at her. 'Any preference on what you want to do?'

The pair had planned to go and buy some equipment for the ship, to check at the refugee camps and in the embassies for any word of Jeff's family on Triptree and return to the Normandy. Now, a how new set of parameters were opened up for the pair of them. What did EDI want to do on the Citadel and what would contribute as a worth pastime to that could be classified as a date.

'I have seen little of the Citadel, perhaps we could go sightseeing. We could easily rent a skycar, maybe even go to the top of the Presidium like Shepard and Garrus did?' The idea made sense as it would mean that Jeff didn't have to walk as much, and he always had stories about the places they visited aboard the Normandy, and he had visited the Citadel many times through his career and with the Commander.

'Sounds like a plan. Although I think we might have to skip the top of the Presidium...unless you want Shepard having to bail us both out of the slammer. C-Sec doesn't take too kindly to people messing around up there. I heard someone got five years for jumping in the lake.'

The day passed in a much more comfortable atmosphere for the pair, and all too soon Jeff was complaining that time had gone over too quickly and that they should return to the Normandy to relieve the skeleton crew. They had driven all over the accessible parts of the Citadel and even stopped for noodles in a cafe on Zakera ward. Jeff had told EDI about Shepard's fight against Saren and Sovereign and the part the original Normandy and the Alliance had played in the final battle. EDI had many questions about Sovereign, but refrained from asking as she believed it would have broken the mood of their date. They had chatted about many things before Jeff had informed EDI that they should return. EDI had discreetly contacted Liara to see if she could find anything on Triptree through her Shadow Brokers network, but had so far drown a blank, but the time they had spent together seemed to have distracted Jeff from the main reason they had left the ship.

'Thanks EDI.' He said to her as the airlock cycled up and opened to admit them, closing and locking behind the pair while the pressure was equalized and the inner hatch could open. 'I had a great day.'

EDI smiled back. 'I did to Jeff; we should do it again sometime.'

There was a pause for a moment before EDI found herself being kissed by Jeff. In the second after his lips touched herself, she was reminded that a kiss was often an acceptable way to finish a date and began to reciprocate, stepping forward carefully, into Jeff's embraced. The sensation was an interesting one that affected her systems more than she thought it would. The positive feedback seemed looped, so much so that she didn't register that that next words she heard spoken belonged to neither her, nor Jeff.

'You Vanguards fire off your powers like they're bullets from an exceptionally crowd pleasing gun! No finesse.'

The voice belonged to Major Alenko.

The Commander and Major had opened the outer airlock to enter and caught Jeff and EDI snogging by the inner airlock door, almost completely unaware that the airlock had shifted in pressure twice before being exposed to intruders with nowhere else to hide.

EDI took them both in at a glance. Their date had appeared to be successful as they had returned together, they had also clearly visited some of the shops of the Presidium as Shepard had her arms full with a number of new model ships for The Loft as well as some different fish for her tank, whereas Major Alenko was pouring over some new mods for his assault rifle and omnitool. They appeared to be arguing over biotic powers.

The two couples just stared at each other for a second; unsure who was more gobsmacked at the situation. The seconds seemed to stretch out forever before a booming report for Lieutenant Vega to hold the airlock broke the shock and he stumbled across the extremely awkward situation.

EDI felt Jeff step as far away from her as he possibly could as James piled in with the Commander and the Major, both of them trying to keep amused grins from their faces at the look of embarrassment on Jeff's face. EDI noted he'd gone a rather interesting shade of red in the face and his heart rate had shot up as if he was going to have some sort of heart attack. It was clearly an extreme and acute case of embarrassment from getting caught kissing like a teenager. EDI almost smirked herself, this had given her something of a giddy thrill but she could understand Jeff's reaction too. She would have to help him get over that.

Once more the airlock outer door closed and the pressurisation began, the atmosphere of barely contained emotions thickening with each moment. James glanced between the two other pairs, clearly suspicious he'd missed something.

'You're just bitter you have to rely on these primitive things called 'guns' to get things done.' Shepard quietly sniped at the Major, doing her best not to burst into giggles at the situation, carrying on with her argument before they had stumbled across her pilot and ship getting more intimately acquainted.

'Says the girl who takes an SMG everywhere with her.' Major Alenko shot back, amusement steeped his voice.

James said nothing.

EDI was registering everyone in the airlock as the cycle nearly completion. There was a distinct mix of emotions going on in such a small space and Jeff breathed a huge sigh of relief when the inner door finally opened, moving quicker than EDI could've thought possible, no doubt fracturing something in his haste to get out away. Everyone piled out, but the Commander called out to him before the bulkhead closed on the cockpit. She watched Jeff look up instinctually as saw Shepard give him a cheeky wink and a raised thumb before she herself was called back.

'Hey! One woman-wrecking ball!' It was James this time, standing with Major Alenko.

'Stop giving him ideas Kaidan...he's young, dumb and impressionable and I'll have to kick both your collective asses for such insubordination.'

They wandered off, leaving Jeff and EDI alone.

'Sorry about them.' Jeff grumbled to her as a way of an apology.

'No apology necessary Jeff. It was quite thrilling.'

'Getting caught by the two most senior ranking crew members?

'No Jeff, the kiss.'

'...oh. Yeah, it was pretty awesome.'

Jeff grinned as he settled into his chair and began a systems check, he whistled to himself as he worked and EDI regarded him. It was almost hard to realise that, moments ago he seemed fit to burst with embarrassment and now, here he was, grinning like the preverbal cat. Organics were odd creatures, but she liked them. Especially the one in front of her.

'We should do it again sometime.' She told him as she took her station. 'though next time it may be preferable not to get caught.' She cut him off.

'Once we've sorted out whatever's happening with the quarians, you bet that shapely ass of yours!'

She shook her head. She would have to do some more research on this dating thing. More investigation was clearly needed.