A/N: I own nothing. Enjoy!
Edited with less Jacob hate. It's been four years and going back to read some of these stories makes me cringe at how awful I was.
Shepard thanked Rupert with a silent nod and took her usual seat at the mess hall table, taking her time to say a few hellos to her crew mates. Settling down all by herself, she picked up her fork and began to chow down on today's dinner, macaroni and cheese with a side of chicken strips. She sighed when she bit into the chicken strip, the middle of it slightly cold. Not fully cooked.
Pushing it aside, she made do with eating her mac n cheese instead. She could hear the noise of the elevator door opening but paid no mind as she continued eating, not bothering to eavesdrop on her crew's conversations. The sound of footsteps came closer and closer with each step, a large shadow overcoming her. She slowly looked up, spoon in hand, and saw that it was the man known as Jacob Taylor.
"Mister Taylor." She said with a bob of her head, looking back down to her food. She had no problem with him, she just didn't want him to sit by her. But alas, the man did, scooting his chair a few inches closer she noted, and folded his hands on the table. "Need something?"
Jacob just shook his head, gazing over at her with those intense dark eyes. Shepard inwardly sighed, not at all interested in the man right next to her. With a friendly smile that held no promises of romance behind it, she pushed back her chair and grabbed her plate to dump it. She could hear Jacob following her and she rolled her eyes, turning around to face him. "How are you doing Commander?"
Resisting the urge to spit out a 'I'm not interested', she instead said a calm and steady, "Better than ever Mister Taylor." She knew it got on his nerves when she called him that and hoped maybe it would send the message loud and clear. Joker's voice interrupted their conversation.
"Um…Commander, Jack went into Miranda's office for a little visit. I suggest you go in and stop them." Joker said almost nervously, perhaps for the fact that the two biotics might ruin 'his' ship. Shepard wondered how she didn't see the raging Jack go into Miranda' office but paid no mind.
"I'm on it." She said back in her commander voice, looking up at the ceiling.
"Take pictures." Joker said a little bit more playfully, that nervous glint gone from his voice.
And with a grin Shepard said back, "Heavy risk…but the priiiize." Jacob whirled around at her, eyes wide with surprise, hands slightly shaking. He felt his face go red, biting hard on his lip to prevent from gasping in shock. The thoughts that went on in his mind at the moment were, 'How did she know I practiced that line?'
Shepard didn't notice the now almost freaking out Jacob and went into Miranda's office quickly, hurrying to stop the biotic induced 'cat fight'. Jacob stood still, not sure if he wanted to wait for his Commander to come out after the resolution of the fight, or to hide out in the armory. Still filled with indecision by the time Shepard came out, he turned to her and gave a nod, a passive look on his face that masked his embarrassment. Shepard merely quirked an eyebrow at him, arms crossed. "Jacob."
Shepard went past him to sit back down into her seat, kicking her feet up on the table. Jacob numbly walked by the tables, sulkily making his way back to the elevator. He could still clearly hear the conversations of the crew.
"Hey Commander! Pass the salt will ya?" Hadley said with a grin, waving his hand around to catch her attention. Shepard nodded once, flicking her wrist to toss the salt shaker across the long table. Just right when it landed in front of him, Matthews bumped into the table and the salt shaker rolled off, landing on the ground with a small 'ping' noise.
Shepard sighed, using her biotics to lift back up the salt shaker. She stood up all dramatically, raising her hands with the glowing biotics, and pulled her one hand up. "Gravity is one mean mother huh?" She ended the spectacle by planting the salt shaker on top of Hadley's head, who looked rather amused by the whole thing.
On the other side of the room where Jacob was still making his way to the elevator, he froze. Did she just say what he thought she said? She did…Jacob clenched his fists, and recalled to himself that he said that plenty of times.
Shepard started to tell the 'grand tale' of the fight between Lawson and Jack to the crew members, who were bored and wanted another story out of their Commander. At the end she said with a wink, "So much for peace."
Jacob wanted to bang his head on the wall right when he stepped in the elevator, groaning in both embarrassment and frustration. "That's my thing."