Everybody just fell asleep after rough day. Though people like Kasumi and Tali woke early chased by their thoughts. When Tali got up and went to mess hall it was early enough that no operatives where here and crew already ate. Even Gardner was absent, probably doing some maintenance.
Tali sat herself by one of the tables and just stared at the tube of meat paste on her tray. She wasn't really hungry. She was so absorbed she didn't realized that Kasumi sat next to her, also zoned out, without her usual smirk.
"And here I thought I was the only light sleeper...What's up fishbowl?" Kasumi asked softly.
"I couldn't sleep"
"Welcome to the club. Any particular reason for it? Maybe one named Shep?" Tali's eyes went wide an she tried to stutter some answer. "Don't act like you're not Tali." Kasumi wrinkled her nose.
"No-How-" Tali still was unable to say anything coherent.
"Relax girl, I'm not laughing. I wanna help actually."
"Help? How? Why?" She sputtered with panic that somebody knows about her little crush.
"I like you Tali, you're nice. And Shep helped me a lot. I watched you two. There's some chemistry here but you two just don't want to admit it." Kasumi smirked and regained her cheerfulness. "Did you know that the moment you stepped on this ship, Shep was stealing glances at you? I thought it was just him, but once I figured that his asari friend flipped him, I knew that some sense knocked to his thick head.
"Liara did something to him?" Tali spoke with raised voice. She envied Liara that she stole Shepard, stole her little fantasy. "How could you know?"
Kasumi only smiled. "Max reads his brother and I can read Max." She was skirting the truth a bit but hey, no point telling details that weren't neccesary.
"Okay...but that doesn't change anything. Even if I wanted to...I can't see that happenning. That suit, and a different DNA and..." Tali started babbling nervously.
"Tsk tsk tsk oh fishbowl...You really think a guy like Shep would give up on you because of you're suit? Come on..." Kasumi waved her hand. "He's so stubborn he'd round up all scientists in the galaxy to snake you out of those leathers if that's what you'd wanted."
"He's a stubborn bosh'tet but I'm not sure if he really feels anything for me." Tali tried not to slip into fantasy of Shepard being interested in her.
"Tell you what, you just observe the man, think a bit, decide on your own okay?" Kasumi wanted to add something more but a familiar voice entered the mess.
"Cause I, I think of you now and then
The memories never end when gravity pulls you in"
Max walked, no he bounced into the mess, singing to himself. Oblivious to girls in the corner he started preparing some meal for himself.
"Kheelah...what-" Tali started in hushed tone but Kasumi silenced her. Girls observed how Max cheerfully wiggled slightly to some rhytm while he sang to himself.
"Mmmmm" Kasumi tried not to purr. Tali glanced at her utterly lost.
"Hello-" Kelly entered mess to get some coffee but stopped and dropped her jaw staring at the show. Kasumi waved at her to sit with them and be silent.
"Ummm what is happening?" Tali blurted unsure what actually is happening.
"Just Max being his usual self I think..." Kelly whispered with her eyes fixed on Max's ass. "Not that we complain, are we Kelly?" Kasumi teased, delightfullly knowing that he's out of redhead's reach.
"Not at all" Kelly muttered. Max started new tune then.
I like to get my fucking fade on
I'm feeling sexy, I'm like "ooh"
Then haters try to get they hate on
But I'm too sexy, I'm like "ooh"
At the second "ooh" Kasumi noisly inhaled while Kelly went red. Tali also couldn't stop but stare a bit but didn't comprehended why Kasumi and Kelly are so flabbergasted.
"What-The-Fuck...Max!" Shepard entered the mess and prompted Max to turn around. He tapped on his omni-tool turning music down from his cochlear implant "What?" then he realized he wasn't alone.
"You were here the entire time?!" He shouted slightly blushing. Kelly went redder than her hair, Kasumi grinned while Tali thanked ancestors for wearing non-tansparent visor as she was redder than Kelly.
"You guys are weird..." Jester grimaced pretending to be disgusted. Then John laughed and everybody looked at him. "Only you bro...End of show ladies! Tali, square upgrades with Miranda ASAP and Kelly go set schedule the shore leave and upgrades for crewmen, Kasumi? Just don't steal anything that'll get us in trouble..." John left after a second, postponing breakfast.
Kasumi walked up to Jester still standing near the stove.
"Enjoyed the show kawaii?" Jester asked.
"You bet" Kasumi fought urge to kiss him.
"Then you'll enjoy Harlequinn's ramen. Eat up, my little thief" Jester handed a bowl to Kasumi.
"How did you- nevermind, arigato" Kasumi took the bowl and chopsticks and sat by the table. Jester joined her quickly with cup in his hand.
"This is great. Not just good. It's great" hooded kleptomaniac munched on noodles.
"Happy you like it. I'm not big on cooking but I learned how to make the best ramen possible." Jester chuckled.
"I wonder where." Kasumi smiled. Jester put on harlequinn's smile. Story time.
"Remember that whole story with crab enchilada? Well the other side of it was that the cook responsible for this was very old japanese woman named Sue. Snarky and cranky old hag. Nevertheless I nagged her long enough until she told me why she's so bitchy. Her family left her. Children and grandchildren just decided she's useless and moved without her. She had nobody."
Kasumi listened with slight gloom, that hit close to home. "After that I started helping her in the kitchen while I was free. In return she wasn't so bad for me and taught me a few things about life and cooking" Jester winked and smiled. "Gonna have to toast old lady one day for those lessons."
"Mmmmm evidently. Thanks Max." Kasumi finished her ramen. "Before you walked in I had a nice chat with Tali. Been trying to get her put on some moves on Shep."
"Yeah, they kinda fit. Contradictions and all that" then Max laughed realising something, "Funny thing is I had similar talk with Logan about Tali earlier"
"No way..." Kasumi brought hand to her mouth.
"Yup, two little devils, aren't we huh?" Jester gave Kasumi quick peck and stood up. "I'll catch you later, got some groceries to make"
"Groceries?"
"The ones that make boom" Jester laughed and left.
/.../
"Commander, Jack would like to see you in her hiding, she seemed more deranged than ever" Kelly spoke to Shepard when he entered CIC. Chambers was still enticed by the sight of Max in the mess. Maybe she'll be able to take him out on some shore leave?
"Okay...anything else or you're still just daydreaming about my brother's ass?" John smirked watching Kelly blush. Damn, the tables have turned, if Miranda will make googly eyes on Max, he'll throw a fit and call quits on the females...Except Tali, she wasn't staring, hopefully.
"T-That's all Commander" Kelly muttered and turned quickly to her console pretending to be busy.
/.../
"Jack!" Shepard decided to yell before entering biotic's little nest. Once he walked down he saw her pacing around, distraught.
"Shepard! Look man, I have thoughts...Like little bugs crawling in and out of my head! I can't make it stop." John raised eyebrow. She's high or something?
"Jack, what's happening?"
"You know Cerberus and I go way back yeah? Raised in a facility, drugged, tortured, all peachy stuff? I've found it. Now it's abondoned the file says. Teltin facility on Pragia. Dakka System." Jack was quickly spitting words still pacing. "I wanna go there.I wanna place a big ass bomb in my old cell and blow this shit sky high!"
John pondered on it. Jack would be more to the point with this done...They have some upgrade's to make but they'll be over in two days...
"We'll get there in three days tops. You're okay with that?"
"You mean it?"
"Yeah. I'm straight with my people."
"Then yeah. I'll manage three days" Jack relaxed visibly.
Leaving Jack, Shepard thought about chat with Tali. No, he wasn't ready for talk about all this. Maybe later...
/.../
John entered Miranda's office. She was buried in some reports. Damn secretary, at least paperwork was done on time.
"You have a minute Miranda?"
"Yes. Thank you for helping me with my sister by the way."
"Don't mention it. How it went? You looked happy." John recalled seeing watery eyes and smile.
"Great. She was surprised but adjusted quickly. We have some similarities. We love classical music. She plays violin you know?" Miranda was smiling. Looked almost human.
"Nice, not an easy skill. Could use knowing something more than how to kill people" John chuckled.
"It feels good to contact her. I thought that it would be better for her to never know me but...you were right. Thank you Shepard."
"I'm glad it turned out okay. Everything good here? No problems?"
"None, beside that Max requested insane amount of credits for upgrades and raw materials to build explosives." Miranda slightly scowled at that.
"We'll if it weren't for his toys we'd be dead already few times so give him all he wants."
"Understood...Shepard?" John stopped near the doors. "Would you like to have a lunch with me? There's a lot to talk about...reports and some recent...activities" Miranda was slightly stammering. John raised his eyebrow. Then it hit him. Or more likely she was hitting. On him. Oh hell no cheerleader, I'm not one for dolls anymore. Specially one devoted to Cerberus...
"Would like to Miranda but you know...duty calls, no rest for the wicked, that kind of stuff" John spoke and quickly left.
Mental note: avoid her office.
John shivered and decided to catch up with Max. Armory as always was filled with music. Thankfully this time no wiggling.
" 'Sup bro?" John slapped Jester in the back.
"You caught me last minute, just going for some explosive groceries and upgrades. Wanna come along? Maybe hit up the bar a bit?" Max was already wearing his armor but with black hoodie on it. John thought about Tali in engineering and Miranda on crew deck and then about Kelly in CIC...
"Yeah just give me a minute!"
/.../
"You really should find yourself some clothes man" Max commented on John's attire. Shepard managed on a whim order some jeans and jacket to be delieved to the Normandy. No mission now and he was tired of walking around in armor.
"Yeah, maybe I'll find something now. It's all I have beside Cerberus rags." John shrugged.
"Relax, we're gonna have a girls day but men's way" Max chuckled. "talking and shopping just without growing tits..."
They scored few upgrades from tech kiosks and a gun mod schematics, Max insisted on it.
"Trust me bro, you won't regret it" he said with his insane smile of evil genius. "Inferno ammo is awesome!"
After that they hit a mall. A huge one, but Max quickly found on the extranet a guide and led John to some man's wear store. John quickly burned 500 credits but bought leather jacket, cargo pants and high boots to match.
"That's some badass vibe Logan" Max gave him a thumbs up looking at new clothes.
Having a walk in search for ordnance supplier, Max started difficult topic.
"So, what made you ran from the ship like all hell?"
"Being poked by people I don't wan't to. Just before I came to you Miranda was hitting on me. Offering a lunch." John shivered. Maybe she was hot, maybe super intelligent but at the same time simply unattractive as concrete wall.
"You're shitting me Logan? Tell me, I did not just heard that!" Jester made hilarious shock expression then was holding his sides laughing.
"Don't laugh man, she tried even telling me she loves classical music..." John knew if there was one thing that Max couldn't stand...
"KILL IT BEFORE LAYS EGGS!" Jester yelled in sheer terror. "Man, that's just sick. Some Cerberus way of breaking you into mindless servant..." Now John was laughing, at his brother's reaction.
"Anyway I told her I got some stuff to do...Then I recalled that Kelly was stalking us both in CIC.. And Tali...well..."
"Yeah what about her?" Max looked more curious than amused.
"I don't know, been thinking about going to talk to her but..."
"But your balls dropped off after making first step towards it. And honestly that's a damn sign that she's special to you - you're afraid to fuck it up." Jester shrugged. "Believe me."
"Says the 'I'm not ladies man' guy. Either one of this is bullshit." John jabbed.
"What do you mean?"
"Oh come on, others may believe you went for a casino with Kasumi but you can't lie to the family Max." John pressed, curious what happened that night.
"Was I that obvious?" Jester smirked.
"Yep, while asking for shore leave for both of you."
"Fuck...alright, yeah I confess. I set up a date. Happy now?" Max replied bit annoyed.
"Nope, tell me some details. No fluffy ones just some hard facts."
"It went great. First base kind of great. I'm not cheap fuck nor is she. And I love it. Her actually." Max said nervously adjusting his hood.
"Really? Like for real? Damn...Not that I'm against it Max. Just she's not much of sharing person."
"You woudn't even believe. She's just like a lock. You have to push the right buttons to get her open. We both are and we both figured it out. Similar creatures" Max lost smirk. He looked tensed. Commited.
"Well that's good. I remember you got some issues with those things in the past..." John tried to break the sudden tension.
"If by 'things' you mean shallow dolls you fucked every friday then yeah. That was an issue for me. Life is more about putting heart and less dick in other person John. I was taught that long ago. You just recently. Then think about it and connect it with Tali." Jester was piercing John with his stare saying this.
"I will. As a matter of fact I keep thinking about it all the time." John replied. "And don't get so worked up okay?"
"Yeah, sorry. You see? Finally you put me back in line for once" Max laughed. "Just don't babble it to anybody, about me and 'Sumi. Scuttlebutt will go eventually but as far as I know, that girl controls every rumor on the ship."
"You got it."
"Right... We're here" Max entered some shop. They bought a load of components along with raw magnesium, thermite and ordnance packets. "Kid in a nitroglicerine-candy store" as Max put it using Cerberus credits.
Going back to the Normandy they both felt little relieve airing some grievances and feeling little tighter as brothers each time they had a talk like that.