Quick note: There was a little bit of confusion about the end of the last chapter. Let me explain it a little; The T on the test tubes meant Thane. They were the samples that came from Thane's lung. In other words, Shepard broke the glass and infected herself with the bacteria from his lungs. Kinda intimate in a morbid way, huh?

Some things are worth dying for

But baby, that ain't me

I'm sorry that you couldn't escape

This curse of me

"Shepard..." His salarian features twist in horror as his gaze lands on the bloody, glass-splintered mess. He tries to form a response, but his quick mind is at a loss for words. "You... Big mistake. Big, big mistake."

Suddenly, Mordin's alien fingers grip Shepard's arm and drag her to the nearest sink. He seems frenzied, rough skin guiding warm water over her wound. Blood and glass decorate the metallic drain. Her mind reels, trying to find something that she should feel, getting nothing. The whole scene feels unreal, like she's watching through someone else's eyes.

"Kepral's Syndrome in bloodstream. Waited too long to clean wound. Sorry, Shepard." Mordin's normally quick speech drawls, heavy with defeat. Shepard glances at the cut on her palm, now thoroughly cleaned. It looks no deeper than a papercut.

"Will it affect me?"

"Uncertain. Will need to monitor your condition. And, Shepard?" She meets his gaze, jade eyes full of curiosity.

"Next time I tell you not to touch something, don't touch it."

The bed under Thane's lazy body trembles, tell-tale sign that the Normandy has reached its destination. He lets out a quiet sound of displeasure before jumping to his feet, a powerful display of agility. The assassin makes his way off the ship, thrilled to feel the warm, dry air against his skin again.

His siha nowhere in sight, he's free to do a little souvenir shopping. He's not much of a shopper, but... it's been 10 years since he's had a woman to buy things for. He doesn't have to go far; the shop is right next to the hotel. The store has sandy walls, proudly donned with numerous types of clothing, artwork, and other miscellaneous items.

"Good afternoon! Can I help you find something?" The energetic cashier bounces from her post, excitement radiating off of her small body. The assassin acknowledges the girl with a slight upturn of his lips.

"I'm looking for something to surprise my love with." The cashier grins brightly at him, shoulder length red hair flowing behind her as she takes off into the depths of the store.

"Is she a dress kind of woman?" The short woman tugs on the side of a dress, revealing it to the drell following closely behind her. Cool shades of green and blue form shapes of some sort of tree he doesn't recognize, fabric fraying drastically at the bottom. There's a small loop at the top, attached to two straps that are meant to wrap around the neck.

"No, she's not. But I like this." His voice is deep, enjoying the image of his siha in the dress. He steps forward to gather the fabric in his hand, testing its smoothness. He's reminded of his fox friends, and how soft their fur is. He begins ruffling through the dresses, using his perfect memory to choose a size. Hanger in hand, he turns to face the small woman again.

"Will this be all?"

Shepard wanders to her hotel room, immediately greeted by the pleasant scent of vanilla. A few more steps in, and gentle music meets her ears.

"Really, Thane?"

"You don't like it?" She lets out a shocked gasp as strong arms snake around her waist, followed by warm breath ghosting over her ear.

"It's not that, I just..." He cuts her off with gentle kisses trailing down her neck, pausing occasionally to nip at her hot flesh. She tilts her head to the side, holding back the shiver that's teasing her spine.

"You've given me more than I would ever dare to ask for. Let me treat you to a romantic evening." He ignores the silent command and unwinds himself from her body, disappearing before she can even register that he let go. He returns with the smooth summer dress he bought earlier, dark eyes pleading.

"I confess, not everything I have planned for tonight is completely... selfless." Shepard's eyes land on the beautiful dress, instantly growing defiant.

"No. No dresses." She purses her lips, eyes darting away from the assassin in front of her. He's begging her with every inch of his being, and she can sense it entirely too clearly. With a dramatic sigh, she tugs the piece of clothing from his grip and storms off to her temporary bedroom.

The fabric hugs her figure perfectly, gently caressing every curve. Its texture closely resembles silk, creating a delicious sensation as it moves against her skin with every step. Her senses are on fire, completely submitting to the onslaught of pent-up lust. They'd teased each other relentlessly for so long, but now... She's finally confident in her ability to push the fear aside and be one with him again. Though, that may be because of his disease that's now coursing through her veins.

"You look stunning, siha." His husky voice pulls her attention in his direction, finally noticing that he bought something for himself, as well. A thin cotton A-shirt hangs from his muscular shoulders, exposing his toned arms. The black cloth clings to his body, leaving less to the imagination than his environment suit did. His legs are covered by dark grey athletic pants with white stripes trailing down both sides.

"Thank you." She feels a flush rising to her cheeks, flustered from his intense gaze. His dark eyes are so full of passion, her heart begins to flutter with anticipation. A soft disappointed sigh escapes her lips when his nimble fingers wrap around a feminine wrist, instead of the friction of his lips against hers like she had expected. The quiet sound reaches his ears, the only proof he needs that his romantic efforts have not been in vain.

"I want you to teach me how to cook a human dish." He starts tugging her towards the kitchen, pausing to flip on a light when he notices the dusk filling the suite with shadows. Shepard revels in the way the night seems to accentuate his sexy assassin side, darkness obscuring his features to make him look deadly. Mysterious.

"I don't know if I have enough to make anything impressive..." She's only partially paying attention, more aware of her body's reactions. He's trying to overload all of her senses with his sexual prowess, trying to make her curious. Make her realize he has far more to offer than the emotional mess that happened before they attacked the Collectors.

To emphasize her point, she swings the refrigerator door open, revealing its vast emptiness. A deep chuckle rumbles in his chest as he pulls the woman against his body. His hands fall to her hips, his chin resting against the silky flesh of her shoulder.

"We'll make do. You deserve this; to be properly courted. I didn't have the means to do so last time..." An innocent statement at first, but it quickly drags Shepard to that night, the sight of him coming into her quarters and looking completely broken down. How she had used her body to soothe him, over and over again. She acted selflessly, focusing on bringing him more pleasure than he'd ever felt. Now, it's my turn to do so for her... The thought brings a playful gleam to his features, lips teasingly grazing the waiting flesh of the junction between her neck and shoulders. He loves listening to her pulse race as his mouth ghosts over her skin, possibly the best thing his assassin training has ever given him.

"Is that what..." She pauses to choke back a moan as he gently nibbles at a patch of sensitive skin. "...this is all about?"

"Mm. If you don't stop me now, I'm going to say 'to hell with dinner' and drag you back to your bedroom." He pulls away from her smooth skin, feeling his control wavering more than he'd like it to.

"There's a table right here." She purrs, unable to hide her grin as he digs his blunt fingernails into her hips, deep growl resounding from his chest.

"Next time. I'm trying to be romantic." His voice is thick with arousal, but Shepard still feels the need to face him, hands caressing his textured cheeks.

"You are being romantic. That's exactly why I'm telling you that you can skip the meal. I'm not sure what I've been waiting for, now that I think about it. But the wait is over, I know that much." He turns to plant a kiss on the inside of her palm, confusion overriding his features when the contact makes her wince.

"What happened to your hand, siha?" She feigns surprise, eyebrows shooting up like it's the first time she's seen the wound.

"Hm, I don't know. Maybe my armor pinched my hand while I was taking it off." Thane could tell instantly that it was a lie, the pitch of her voice just a tad higher than usual. What he doesn't understand is why it stings so much, to know she's finally lied to him for the first time.

Author's Note: Please don't kill me for breaking the sexy mood, I promise it'll be back in the next chapter! It just makes sense to me, that he'd notice the cut during such an intimate situation. This chapter isn't beta'd because I wanted to post it right away, please forgive any mistakes. Reviews will make me write the next chapter faster!