First Steps

He was the unseen, the silent blade. She was the protector, the shining lance
Together, they will fight.
Right and wrong are more often shades of gray than black and white.
Can they change the fate of the galaxy?
Can they save each other?

"Thane, are you in here?" Kasumi poked her head into life support. "Of course you're in here. You're always in here. I need your help for a minute."

"Of course, Kasumi." He shook himself out of his introspection to reply, "What is it that you need?"

"This way, you'll see." Thane followed her out the door but he didn't have long to wonder, they took just a few steps down to the Port observatory. She positioned him inside the door and he waited patiently to see what she had in mind.

Shepard appeared around a set of carved wooden screens. Instead of her usual shipsuit or uniform, she wore a sheath of a dress with a wide golden torque around her bare neck. She was tucking something into the low neckline, started speaking before looking up and seeing him by the doorway. "Okay, do I have this stuff on righ...Thane! What are you doing here?"

He did not answer, stood staring at her, all senses focused on the vision before him, as close to shock as he ever got. Black leather over pale skin. Flyaway hair tucked behind delicate ears. Arms and legs somehow more slender than when covered by armor or cloth. The image imprinted on his mind in absolute clarity. It was several moments before he realized that Kasumi had begun talking.

"...needed a male opinion, and Thane was the closest. Really. And from his reaction, I think you've got it right. Tell her, Thane. Thane? Normandy to Thane, come in Thane!"

"I..."A few tries before the words escaped his throat. "Shepard, you do look magnificent."

She shook her head, tugging uncertainly at non-existent wrinkles. "It's nice of you to say so, but I'm pretty sure I prefer my armor."

"Come on, Shep, you look fantastic. Do I need to drag someone else in here to prove it?" Kasumi mock-threatened.

She glanced at Thane through lowered lashes, a light pink colored her cheeks. "No....no. One is plenty, thanks."

"Good. Now, for the next item. Do you know any dances?"

"Dances?" Shepard asked blankly.

"Dances," Kasumi replied firmly. "This guy likes to have classy parties. Here, this one shouldn't be too hard, but it makes you look totally great. It's something from a few centuries ago. Do either of you recognize it?"

Strains of music started up, a tune that lilted and skirled through the small room. Some ancient frazzled images appeared on Kasumi's omnitool, couples moving in dramatic patterns. Shepard shook her head in the negative, but Thane cocked his head, listening to the music while watching the figures twirl on the dancefloor. "Ah. A waltz, isn't it?"

"Sort of. It's a variation called the Rumba. It's a bit more energetic but so very elegant."

"I do recall that from my studies of history. My training was very thorough."

"Perfect memory. So jealous. You lead then."

"Hmmm. Kasumi, maybe I'll be fine without it," Shepard said, sounding intimidated.

Kasumi put on her best coaxing expression. "Come on, Shep. Even Thane knows how to dance. I'd have to stab you out of embarrassment if you did that shuffle of yours at Hock's party."

"Okay, okay," Shepard sighed as Kasumi started the music again.

Their first try ended in tangled limbs and embarrassed looks, hands in awkward places. He thought he saw the faintest smile cross her face as she snatched her hands away, folded them behind her back.

"I think we need to try that again. And Shep, stop trying to get Thane to stare at your cleavage."

"Kasumi! Drell don't even have cleavage, do they?"

"Then why is he staring?"

"It is quite noticable, siha," Thane murmured softly, his gaze fixed at a distant point over her shoulder.

Kasumi laughed at the indignant expression on Shepard's face. "Try to think of it like a battlefield," Kasumi advised, still chortling. "You know how to run an obstacle course, right? Just do that, only with, you know, rhythm."

"I'm a biotic, Kasumi. I stay back and slap singularities into people's faces. PhysEd was never my strong point."

"Perhaps the concept is still similar, Shepard. In biotic training, you must listen to your body's instincts, let them guide you through the currents of energy. Let yourself feel the music in here," he pressed one hand to her belly, "And in here," other hand against her breast.

"Listen to him, the man makes sense. And see, he's totally into your cleavage. Let's try this again."

Their next attempt was better as they both learned the rhythms of music and bodies. As he guided her into the third repetition, something between them clicked into place. She became flowing silk in his arms, their gestures synchronized, singular with the strains of melody. Their tempo increased into the finale, chords triumphant, ecstatic, haunting. He felt his lungs straining with effort, with something else that made it hard to breathe. She seemed overheated, almost burning in his arms, quicksilver and liquid.

He couldn't look away from her. The music ended yet they stood locked in place. Huge darkly lined eyes stared up at him. Rising color flushed her cheeks. Tongue darted out to lick parted lips. His breath quickened.

The sound of Kasumi clearing her throat broke them out of their trance. "That was...pretty much perfect. You two look great together. But much as I hate to break this up, we're going to be late if we don't leave right now."

His limbs felt oddly reluctant to release her into Kasumi's care, she too seemed hesitant to leave, turning to keep him in view as Kasumi firmly towed her toward the door. "I'm coming, I'm coming. I'll catch you later, Thane?"

"I look forward to the occasion, siha."

"Come on Shep, you can moon over Thane later."

Shepard shot a long-suffering look at Kasumi for that last remark, the doors slid closed as he heard her start, "I was not mooning over him!"

A/N: This is meant to be a shorrt, sweet chapter to illustrate the growing bond between these two. Kasumi is apparently a closet matchmaker! The heavy stuff is coming up, keep reading! All feedback and reviews are welcome and responded to.

Thanks to kiwibliss for her reviews, and finding me the Rumba, and Hermia S for her skillful reviewing, and help with the summary. As always, NSAS gets a nod from sheer awesomeness, and all characters are property of BioWare.