Note: From now on, I will be writing out the length of time that passes in the story between chapters.
Time Elapsed: 4 weeks and 6 days, Terran Coordinated Universal Time (TCU)
"Hey, Tali," Shepard addressed with a smile. He'd promised to visit his newfound friend, and he was not one to break a promise.
"Hi, Shepard," she greeted back.
He gave her a friendly squeeze before addressing his reason for visiting. Now, usually, Shepard's visits were mainly for chatting, but he'd said that today was supposed to be special. "So, I just got through with speaking to Clint," he began.
"And?"
"Since you're not showing any aftereffects from the crash, he said I can take you out for a while!" He did a poor job of concealing his joy, but soon composed himself, "I mean, if you want-"
"Shepard," Tali said, containing her happiness much better than her medic friend.
"Um, yeah?"
"I'd love to."
"Uh, great!" Shepard stuttered, "I'll let Clint know. How does, say… tomorrow sound?"
"Great," she replied.
"Alright then," he smiled. "See you then… Oh! Almost forgot: it's supposed to rain tomorrow. If you don't have anything, I'll bring you a coat."
"I'll keep it in mind."
On that note, Shepard walked out of the room, where he was stopped by Clint outside again. "So," he began, "I guess you'll be taking the quarian out tomorrow?"
"You heard, huh?"
Clint nodded. "You've really gotta work on not revealing your plans ahead of time, Shep."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. I gotta get back to work."
/-the next day-/
"Wow!" Tali said, utterly astonished at what she saw. "And all humans have one of these?"
"Well," Shepard replied, "not every human, but a lot of men do. And they come in a bunch of different sizes and colors."
"Really?"
"Yup."
Tali picked the puppy off of the ground, "He's so cute!" The little hound licked at Tali's helmet, ever curious to the being behind it.
Shepard smiled, "Y'know, if you want, I could get you one."
"Thank you for the offer, Shepard," she snickered, setting the little dog back down, "but I don't know the first thing about keeping a pet."
"Oh well, it's the thought that counts, I guess." He sighed, "You know what?"
"Yes?"
"It's kind of weird, but everything that's happened has told me to hate you for, well, leveling town…"
"Sorry about that, by the way."
"…And yet, I don't." He sat on a bench behind him. "You show up unannounced, destroy town square, and I don't think less of you for it. I can't explain it, but since you arrived, I've had mixed feelings about everything that happens anymore. I find little solace from the fact that no people were hurt, or that the city's being repaired even as we speak, and it's killing me inside. I try to rationalize everything going on in my head, but nothing fits together." He sat back. "…You wouldn't believe it, but Clint's first explanation for my emotional turmoil was that I liked you. Now… Now I'm starting to think that it may be true."
"Shepard…"
"And not that fuzzy feeling a kid gets when a girl gives him a bite of her candy bar, either. He meant-"
Tali gave him a warm hug, silencing his story at least briefly. "You talk too much." Shepard paused, but slowly eased into the embrace. "You may be the single nicest human I will ever meet…" She pulled back, looking into his eyes, "…and I wouldn't have it any other way."
Shepard smiled as the first drips of rain began pattering down. Tali yelped in surprise before he pulled his coat around her. She was warm, despite the surrounding cold. "C'mon," Shepard said, "let's get you back to the clinic."
"Why, if there's nothing wrong with me?"
"Well, you don't exactly have anywhere else to go, do you?"
"Not exactly," she replied, "but I was thinking…"
"Yeah..?"
"Maybe, while my ship is fixed… Maybe I could stay with you?"
The comment alone nearly knocked Shepard on his ass. "Uh-um…" he stuttered, trying to find the answer that wasn't there.
Tali giggled. "I'm just kidding, Shepard."
"Uh- right…" He let out one last nervous chuckle before they returned Tali to the clinic.