I'm so glad people are enjoying the story! I had fun writing this next part, hope you like it!
Mordin's lab was a haphazard jumble of technology and samples. It wasn't that it was messy – Thane suspected Mordin did not hold with disorganisation – but there were just so many… things. Everywhere. Every surface was covered with gadgets and equipment, and there was even a jar that contained what looked suspiciously like some sort of insect eggs. He decided that he'd rather not know what kind of bugs Mordin was cultivating, recalling the earlier discussion about eating habits. The Salarian turned upon the door opening, and he greeted Thane,
"Ah, excellent, Thane. Wanted to speak with you. Have noticed your, ah, interest in Commander Shepard. Wanted to ensure proper health and safety measures are put into effect, in event of physical intimacy." If Thane had been any other man, he might have choked at Mordin's frankness. As such, he merely raised his brow slightly in surprise.
"I did not realise there were precautions necessary, doctor," he said, "I could simply perform some… research on the extranet and-" Mordin cut him off.
"No no no, extranet not useful. Too much irrelevant data, erroneous information. I have prepared several documents-" Thane was concerned now – how many documents worth of health and safety information could there be? "-and am forwarding them to your Omni-tool. Also, including information on human sexual anatomy, erogenous zones, preferences, and positions. Should be enough to get you started." Thane was reeling, but managed a quick nod before Mordin continued, "Also, be careful with oral contact, could cause mild hallucinations for humans-" Thane cut him off,
"Hallucinations?" he asked, concerned, "Of what? Are the effects long-lasting, or-" This time Mordin interrupted him,
"Very mild, coronas around light, slight blurring of some colors. Nothing to be concerned about. Also, advise use of antihistamines for Shepard, prevent rash from skin-to-skin contact that may occur first time or so." Thane managed to stammer out a reponse.
"I… thank you, Doctor Solus," he said. Mordin waved a hand, dismissing his thanks.
"No trouble, happy to help. Just want to make sure crew is safe, optimal for mission. Shepard could use stress relief, good for her health." Thane turned to leave, unsure of what else to say, when Mordin added one last thing, "Oh, and Thane?" he turned back,
"Yes, Mordin?"
"Have fun." The Salarian winked, and Thane nearly had a stroke. Mordin smiled in a way that almost seemed fatherly, and a stunned Thane nodded his thanks again, and walked back out of the lab and towards the elevator. That had been unpleasant, to say the least. The only thing that he could hope was that Shepard hadn't heard any of it. He didn't want her to think that he viewed their relationship from a purely physical perspective. Passing back through navigation, he spotted Shepard heading his way. He gave her a small smile, and she returned it with one of her own, a genuine expression that made her beautiful eyes light up.
"Hey Thane," she said, "Everything okay?" Her concern touched him.
"Yes, Siha," he answered, "Everything is fine. I was just speaking with doctor Solus about a… private matter." A very private matter, he added in his head. She nodded, and placed a hand on his arm. The sudden contact surprised him, and he was moved by the intimacy of it. His warrior angel cared for him. He still almost couldn't believe it.
"Okay, just let me know if there's something going on with your health, got it?" He nodded his assent. "Oh, and Thane?"
"Yes?"
"Are you free for dinner tonight? I'd love if you could join me in my quarters around 19:00." He tried not to betray his sudden flare of joy at the mischievous tone to her voice. Whatever she had planned, he had the feeling it would not be something he would soon forget.
"Of course, Siha. I would be delighted to join you for dinner," he answered. Her responding smile was like a ray of sunshine.
"Great," she said, "I'll see you then. Now, if you'll excuse me, Mordin said he wanted to talk to me about something." She walked off to the tech lab before Thane could recover and stop her. He was rooted to the spot, mortification spreading through his body.
"Are you all right, Thane?" Yeoman Chambers asked, "You look like you've seen a ghost." Thane fumbled for a moment, unable to come up with the right words, then gave up and simply turned and headed to the elevator, leaving Kelly Chambers standing with a puzzled look on her face. He escaped into the small space and pressed the button for the crew deck. He may not be able to prevent Shepard from facing a similar conversation as he'd just had with Mordin, but there was nothing that could make him wait around in navigation to face her when she came out from that lab. He leaned his head against the cool wall paneling.
"Damn you, Mordin," he whispered to himself.