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Description

Two people a Commander and a Scientist walked slowly down the hall.  The Commander unable to entirely shake his training looks awkward marching to a slow beat next to the graceful strides of the Scientist.  The two stood close, closer then two people who had just met would normally stand, their shoulders almost brushing and yet neither seemed to be able to take the next logical step.  Neither seemed to be able to take the others hand.   Furtive glances were stolen in turn, neither able to catch the other's eyes.  Silence followed them heavy and awkward like a cloud.

Tiberius fixed his eyes forward trying to steady himself.  He felt out of place, out of control, it wasn't something that happened often.  The last time he had felt even a hair on edge like this he had lost a company of soldiers.  This time though was different he was terrified of the feelings sprouted up in him, wary. Yet he was also strangely content for having them. It was good to know that he could still feel after all that had happened to him. He found his eyes wandering to the side, to Liara.  He couldn't help but smile as he took in her aqua skin, the graceful sloping lines that made up her body; that made up the appendages sprouting from the top of her head.  They ran in sloping lines dipping and rising to give the appearance of gentle ocean waves lapping against the sand.   It was different than the hair that adorned his or any human's head but more exquisite, more exotic for its differences.  He tried in vain to match her graceful movements as they made slow progress towards their destination but found he couldn't relax.  The more he tried the more his body began to stiffen into a proper march, protesting against what his mind was instructing. At least some part of him remembered his promise he supposed growing increasingly aggravated at his own stubbornness.  He looked away again feeling that he had stared to long that he had intruded on her privacy, intruded on her modesty.

Liara could feel his eyes on her, a soft pressure that made her blush brilliant shades of the softest pinks and sharpest purples and then the pressure lifted suddenly and she knew it was safe to risk a look.  The Commander, Tiberius he had told her to call him, held his head high his face forced forward. He moved in a stiff manner that only those who've lived life inside the military possessed. His face was a portrait of quickly fading youth,  years of battles had stolen the exuberant gleam from his eyes, his cheeks were slightly hollowed from the stress of their current mission and creases and wrinkles in his skin were starting to make headway creeping outwards from his eyes and mouth. she couldn't help but notice, looking at his profile, that the effects of stress and experience had served to accentuated his rugged features. his strong jaw line was even more pronounced from the hollowed cheeks and his ice blue eyes shone with despair and hurt from the lives his own continued existence had cost on Akuze. She felt guilty about knowing what had happened on that planet even if her first search over the extranet on him had led to numerous articles and reports on his ordeals there. For all that weighed on him. For all that war had stolen from him. She couldn't help but think he's still handsome. His demeanor though was built up in layers the facade changing depending on who he was with. Whenever she saw him by himself or with some of the crew was cold and distant.  When he was with Dr. Chakwas or the Normandy's pilot, Joker, he joked and laughed even if some of it felt forced.  She noticed that whenever he was in her presence his stance and features would soften. He looked if not happy at peace and the gentle smile that would play over his face only added to his physical attractiveness and she even thought she sometimes saw in their conversations little glimmers of life in those deadened ice blue eyes. She hoped that what she saw when they were together was closer to what

She looked at him and resisted the sudden urge to brush her hands through his hair. To run her fingers across the stiff short cut bristles along his jaw line.  They were a mix of red and brown and the Scientist in her couldn't help but be curious as to how human's evolved with that particular feature although another smaller voice said that any human would probably wonder the same about her head crests.

Tiberius lay strapped to a table while she picked the hairs from his head running tests on there chemical composition their physical properties.  He staring back at her his ice blue eyes filled with a hurt and despair that had made itself at home there long before Liara had ever laid eyes on him.. All that remained of what his lost comrades had taken from a once gleaming visage. She has one last test to run.  Feel.  Her hand reaches out to caress his face, he doesn't flinch away.  Her fingers trace upwards along his jaw line taking in the rough texture of those short cut bristles.  They reach the smoother longer hair on his scalp, twisting and gently pulling at it as if testing the limits of hair's tensile strength.  She lowers her face. One more test she thinks as her nose brushes the hair held in her hand.  She inhales deeply relishing in the scent all pretense of scientific inquiry now abandoned serving only as a hollow excuse to assuage her guilt over what she is now doing.  She pulls her head back lowering her hand again to caress his jaw line.  He stares at her the hurt and despair in his eyes gone replaced with an eager longing that echoed her feelings.  One More Test she says as a smile plays over her face and her head lowers again.  He returns the smile and continues to stare into her eyes as her lips part.

"Are you ok?"

She gasped as the illusion in her mind retreated and reality came flooding back.  "I, umm.  Yes I'm alright"  She noticed he was staring at her that gentle smile still on his lips and his eyes inquiring as to what she had been thinking, the loss and hurt temporarily buried. She chastised herself for losing control like that.  She felt wrong, guilty for imagining the Tiberius like that vulnerable and exposed.  She felt a gentle pressure around her hand.

"This is OK, isn't it?  I mean humans normally, but I'm not sure if Asari..."

She noticed she had stopped upon feeling the pressure and just gazed up at him.  Seeing him babble like that made her feel less embarrassed at all the times she had tripped up in their conversations.  She returned the gentle pressure to his hand.  "Yes it's OK."

"Oh, good well umm.  We'll be there in a few minutes."

She smiled as they started onward again.

Tiberius and Liara continued on their path.  Silence still the standard, each still afraid of saying anything of substance to the other.  But they smiled and the silence stood far easier as they approached their destination hand in hand, eye locked upon eye.

"Where are we exactly?" Liara whispered looking in at the crowded dining area that stood before them. As curious as she was it was nothing compared to the stares she was getting back. A mix of simple curiosity, suspicion, and in some cases out right dislike the stares were making her uncomfortable. It must have shown because as she said the words She noticed Tiberius squeeze her hand a little tighter.

"This is the Station's Officers Club. It has some of the best food on station." Tiberius whispered back cupping his hand to hide his mouth as he continued "Don't worry we're not eating here. If we spend to much time around these old codgers and next thing you know I'll be wearing dress blues and bowing to everyone i meet."

Liara tried to suppress a laugh as she heard what Tiberius said. "If we're not eating here how come we stopped?"

"As I said it still has the best food on the Citadel... I meant Station," Tiberius fell silent as the words left his tongue. Stupid, Stupid he thought his mind racing on a way to recover.

Liara couldn't stifle her laughter this time as she looked at Tiberius' face which was quickly deepening into a blotchy beet red.

Tiberius smiled weakly, still embarrassed but happy that he was able to elicit a laugh from Liara. He hadn't heard her laugh before and was surprised at how sweet it sounded in his ears. It was joyful and robust yet the sweet soft notes of her voice carried through every syllable.

"Can I help you with something Commander. Asari." The two of them looked up at a young Specialist who was serving as host, his greeting of Tiberius had been polite enough but there was a bitter disgust in his voice as he laid his eyes on Liara.

"Yes Specialist, you can give us two menus and a wine list please." The tone of Tiberius' voice left no mistake that the please was only there as a formality. The young specialist slowly turned his eye's away from Liara before snapping a quick salute that was only returned with a glare and hurried off to grab menu's for the couple.

When he returned his eye's were still filled with disgust although the rest of his face was composed and measured. He didn't dare look at Liara again and kept facing Tiberius as he said, "may I take you to your seats?" His voice was filled with contempt and Tiberius just gave the man a small smile that belied the hardened expression in his eyes.

"No we'll be heading over to the bar we're only here to order today."

Tiberius took Liara's hand and led her over to two seats at the bar as they sat down he looked down at the thick cut paper the menu and wine list were printed on.

Liara looked curiously at the menu, actually having the menu printed on paper was quaint and well "archaic."

"It may be, but the guy who runs this place is a little old fashioned." Tiberius said with a little smile.

Liara hurriedly grabbed one of the menu's and busied herself concentrating a little too hard on the menu items, her cheeks flush with color. "I didn't mean to, I mean I didn't, that was... stupid of me," She finally managed mumbling behind the menu.

"It's ok Liara, I wondered the same thing when I first came here. Do you have any idea what you want yet?"

Liara continued looking at the menu. All of the food was understandably different than the food she grew up on in Armali, and her translator wouldn't account for the flavor profiles of the dishes on the menu here. "I'm not sure, I've never had; never heard of any of these before."

"Ok well what type of food do you normally eat, seafood, land animals, vegetarian?"

"In Armali we normally ate seafood, my favorite dish was a plate of seared Lumptu fish with sautéd green's." Liara stopped for a moment realizing that as faulty as her translator seemed to be on the menu his was probably having the same issues with her speech. "Lumptu is a small white fish that lives along the coastal reefs outside of Armali, It's flesh is soft and often when its prepared right will melt in your mouth."

Tiberius nodded in understanding at the description Liara gave him. "Here, why don't you try this." He pointed at an item on the menu "It's a Tuna Steak with steamed greens, and you might like this also it's Insalata Caprese. It's a simple salad of tomato, basil, and a soft cheese called mozzarella."

Liara looked down at the menu to read what Tiberius was pointing at. Her translator failed again at the descriptions of the dishes and she decided to trust in what Tiberius was telling her. "Ok. What are you going to have?"

"I think I'm going to have the Penne Arrabiata, it's a pasta dish with a spicy red tomato and chili sauce."

Fifteen minutes later they were walking along another corridor. Tiberius held a large bag with three trays, a loaf of bread, and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc which he had decided would go well with Liara's food even if he wasn't a fan.

"Will you please tell me where we're going," Liara whispered leaning her head towards Tiberius' ear. They had been walking down the same circular corridor since they had left the club behind and she couldn't help but feel that they were making one long loop around the station.

Tiberius jumped, the feel of Liara's breath whistling into his ear startled him and he could feel heat rising in his cheeks as he looked sheepishly downwards determined not to look at Liara until he had regained control. "Sorry its a surprise you'll just have to wait," he eventually answered a mischievous grin on his face.

Liara stayed silent, the answer was the same one he had given every other time she had asked. Instead of pulling her head back away from Tiberius though she left it their letting it rest against his shoulder so that the top of her fringe brushed against the rough stubble on his face. the action itself was so far out of character that Liara surprised herself and almost pulled away when she felt her head make contact with him.

Tiberius settled into the silence and felt the gentle pressure of Liara's head on his shoulder, it surprised him he hadn't expected Liara to act in such a manner but the gentle heat radiating off of her body warmed him and he smiled to himself. It was like one of the fleeting dreams he witnessed between the ever varying nightmares that haunted him and he didn't want to do anything to ruin it.

Description

Two people a Commander and a Scientist walked slowly down the hall.  The Commander unable to entirely shake his training looks awkward marching to a slow beat next to the graceful strides of the Scientist.  The two stood close, closer then two people who had just met would normally stand, their shoulders almost brushing and yet neither seemed to be able to take the next logical step.  Neither seemed to be able to take the others hand.   Furtive glances were stolen in turn, neither able to catch the other's eyes.  Silence followed them heavy and awkward like a cloud.

Tiberius fixed his eyes forward trying to steady himself.  He felt out of place, out of control, it wasn't something that happened often.  The last time he had felt even a hair on edge like this he had lost a company of soldiers.  This time though was different he was terrified of the feelings sprouted up in him, wary. Yet he was also strangely content for having them. It was good to know that he could still feel after all that had happened to him. He found his eyes wandering to the side, to Liara.  He couldn't help but smile as he took in her aqua skin, the graceful sloping lines that made up her body; that made up the appendages sprouting from the top of her head.  They ran in sloping lines dipping and rising to give the appearance of gentle ocean waves lapping against the sand.   It was different than the hair that adorned his or any human's head but more exquisite, more exotic for its differences.  He tried in vain to match her graceful movements as they made slow progress towards their destination but found he couldn't relax.  The more he tried the more his body began to stiffen into a proper march, protesting against what his mind was instructing. At least some part of him remembered his promise he supposed growing increasingly aggravated at his own stubbornness.  He looked away again feeling that he had stared to long that he had intruded on her privacy, intruded on her modesty.

Liara could feel his eyes on her, a soft pressure that made her blush brilliant shades of the softest pinks and sharpest purples and then the pressure lifted suddenly and she knew it was safe to risk a look.  The Commander, Tiberius he had told her to call him, held his head high his face forced forward. He moved in a stiff manner that only those who've lived life inside the military possessed. His face was a portrait of quickly fading youth,  years of battles had stolen the exuberant gleam from his eyes, his cheeks were slightly hollowed from the stress of their current mission and creases and wrinkles in his skin were starting to make headway creeping outwards from his eyes and mouth. she couldn't help but notice, looking at his profile, that the effects of stress and experience had served to accentuated his rugged features. his strong jaw line was even more pronounced from the hollowed cheeks and his ice blue eyes shone with despair and hurt from the lives his own continued existence had cost on Akuze. She felt guilty about knowing what had happened on that planet even if her first search over the extranet on him had led to numerous articles and reports on his ordeals there. For all that weighed on him. For all that war had stolen from him. She couldn't help but think he's still handsome. His demeanor though was built up in layers the facade changing depending on who he was with. Whenever she saw him by himself or with some of the crew was cold and distant.  When he was with Dr. Chakwas or the Normandy's pilot, Joker, he joked and laughed even if some of it felt forced.  She noticed that whenever he was in her presence his stance and features would soften. He looked if not happy at peace and the gentle smile that would play over his face only added to his physical attractiveness and she even thought she sometimes saw in their conversations little glimmers of life in those deadened ice blue eyes. She hoped that what she saw when they were together was closer to what

She looked at him and resisted the sudden urge to brush her hands through his hair. To run her fingers across the stiff short cut bristles along his jaw line.  They were a mix of red and brown and the Scientist in her couldn't help but be curious as to how human's evolved with that particular feature although another smaller voice said that any human would probably wonder the same about her head crests.

Tiberius lay strapped to a table while she picked the hairs from his head running tests on there chemical composition their physical properties.  He staring back at her his ice blue eyes filled with a hurt and despair that had made itself at home there long before Liara had ever laid eyes on him.. All that remained of what his lost comrades had taken from a once gleaming visage. She has one last test to run.  Feel.  Her hand reaches out to caress his face, he doesn't flinch away.  Her fingers trace upwards along his jaw line taking in the rough texture of those short cut bristles.  They reach the smoother longer hair on his scalp, twisting and gently pulling at it as if testing the limits of hair's tensile strength.  She lowers her face. One more test she thinks as her nose brushes the hair held in her hand.  She inhales deeply relishing in the scent all pretense of scientific inquiry now abandoned serving only as a hollow excuse to assuage her guilt over what she is now doing.  She pulls her head back lowering her hand again to caress his jaw line.  He stares at her the hurt and despair in his eyes gone replaced with an eager longing that echoed her feelings.  One More Test she says as a smile plays over her face and her head lowers again.  He returns the smile and continues to stare into her eyes as her lips part.

"Are you ok?"

She gasped as the illusion in her mind retreated and reality came flooding back.  "I, umm.  Yes I'm alright"  She noticed he was staring at her that gentle smile still on his lips and his eyes inquiring as to what she had been thinking, the loss and hurt temporarily buried. She chastised herself for losing control like that.  She felt wrong, guilty for imagining the Tiberius like that vulnerable and exposed.  She felt a gentle pressure around her hand.

"This is OK, isn't it?  I mean humans normally, but I'm not sure if Asari..."

She noticed she had stopped upon feeling the pressure and just gazed up at him.  Seeing him babble like that made her feel less embarrassed at all the times she had tripped up in their conversations.  She returned the gentle pressure to his hand.  "Yes it's OK."

"Oh, good well umm.  We'll be there in a few minutes."

She smiled as they started onward again.

Tiberius and Liara continued on their path.  Silence still the standard, each still afraid of saying anything of substance to the other.  But they smiled and the silence stood far easier as they approached their destination hand in hand, eye locked upon eye.

"Where are we exactly?" Liara whispered looking in at the crowded dining area that stood before them. As curious as she was it was nothing compared to the stares she was getting back. A mix of simple curiosity, suspicion, and in some cases out right dislike the stares were making her uncomfortable. It must have shown because as she said the words She noticed Tiberius squeeze her hand a little tighter.

"This is the Station's Officers Club. It has some of the best food on station." Tiberius whispered back cupping his hand to hide his mouth as he continued "Don't worry we're not eating here. If we spend to much time around these old codgers and next thing you know I'll be wearing dress blues and bowing to everyone i meet."

Liara tried to suppress a laugh as she heard what Tiberius said. "If we're not eating here how come we stopped?"

"As I said it still has the best food on the Citadel... I meant Station," Tiberius fell silent as the words left his tongue. Stupid, Stupid he thought his mind racing on a way to recover.

Liara couldn't stifle her laughter this time as she looked at Tiberius' face which was quickly deepening into a blotchy beet red.

Tiberius smiled weakly, still embarrassed but happy that he was able to elicit a laugh from Liara. He hadn't heard her laugh before and was surprised at how sweet it sounded in his ears. It was joyful and robust yet the sweet soft notes of her voice carried through every syllable.

"Can I help you with something Commander. Asari." The two of them looked up at a young Specialist who was serving as host, his greeting of Tiberius had been polite enough but there was a bitter disgust in his voice as he laid his eyes on Liara.

"Yes Specialist, you can give us two menus and a wine list please." The tone of Tiberius' voice left no mistake that the please was only there as a formality. The young specialist slowly turned his eye's away from Liara before snapping a quick salute that was only returned with a glare and hurried off to grab menu's for the couple.

When he returned his eye's were still filled with disgust although the rest of his face was composed and measured. He didn't dare look at Liara again and kept facing Tiberius as he said, "may I take you to your seats?" His voice was filled with contempt and Tiberius just gave the man a small smile that belied the hardened expression in his eyes.

"No we'll be heading over to the bar we're only here to order today."

Tiberius took Liara's hand and led her over to two seats at the bar as they sat down he looked down at the thick cut paper the menu and wine list were printed on.

Liara looked curiously at the menu, actually having the menu printed on paper was quaint and well "archaic."

"It may be, but the guy who runs this place is a little old fashioned." Tiberius said with a little smile.

Liara hurriedly grabbed one of the menu's and busied herself concentrating a little too hard on the menu items, her cheeks flush with color. "I didn't mean to, I mean I didn't, that was... stupid of me," She finally managed mumbling behind the menu.

"It's ok Liara, I wondered the same thing when I first came here. Do you have any idea what you want yet?"

Liara continued looking at the menu. All of the food was understandably different than the food she grew up on in Armali, and her translator wouldn't account for the flavor profiles of the dishes on the menu here. "I'm not sure, I've never had; never heard of any of these before."

"Ok well what type of food do you normally eat, seafood, land animals, vegetarian?"

"In Armali we normally ate seafood, my favorite dish was a plate of seared Lumptu fish with sautéd green's." Liara stopped for a moment realizing that as faulty as her translator seemed to be on the menu his was probably having the same issues with her speech. "Lumptu is a small white fish that lives along the coastal reefs outside of Armali, It's flesh is soft and often when its prepared right will melt in your mouth."

Tiberius nodded in understanding at the description Liara gave him. "Here, why don't you try this." He pointed at an item on the menu "It's a Tuna Steak with steamed greens, and you might like this also it's Insalata Caprese. It's a simple salad of tomato, basil, and a soft cheese called mozzarella."

Liara looked down at the menu to read what Tiberius was pointing at. Her translator failed again at the descriptions of the dishes and she decided to trust in what Tiberius was telling her. "Ok. What are you going to have?"

"I think I'm going to have the Penne Arrabiata, it's a pasta dish with a spicy red tomato and chili sauce."

Fifteen minutes later they were walking along another corridor. Tiberius held a large bag with three trays, a loaf of bread, and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc which he had decided would go well with Liara's food even if he wasn't a fan.

"Will you please tell me where we're going," Liara whispered leaning her head towards Tiberius' ear. They had been walking down the same circular corridor since they had left the club behind and she couldn't help but feel that they were making one long loop around the station.

Tiberius jumped, the feel of Liara's breath whistling into his ear startled him and he could feel heat rising in his cheeks as he looked sheepishly downwards determined not to look at Liara until he had regained control. "Sorry its a surprise you'll just have to wait," he eventually answered a mischievous grin on his face.

Liara stayed silent, the answer was the same one he had given every other time she had asked. Instead of pulling her head back away from Tiberius though she left it their letting it rest against his shoulder so that the top of her fringe brushed against the rough stubble on his face. the action itself was so far out of character that Liara surprised herself and almost pulled away when she felt her head make contact with him.

Tiberius settled into the silence and felt the gentle pressure of Liara's head on his shoulder, it surprised him he hadn't expected Liara to act in such a manner but the gentle heat radiating off of her body warmed him and he smiled to himself. It was like one of the fleeting dreams he witnessed between the ever varying nightmares that haunted him and he didn't want to do anything to ruin it.