Curious Jealousy- a F!Shenko Fic

Chapter Twenty-Five: Warning

It wasn't like it was his first time to step on the new Normandy- he was perfectly aware that he had escaped from Earth in it. This was different though, more relaxed- tension still ran high, but he could see that the crew was trying to keep calm between the battles. They had the upmost belief that Hope would pull them through. It seemed that her ability to command loyalty was still intact.

Everyone stopped and stared as he walked by with her and he could hear them whispering. Shepard continued on as if she didn't hear them, but he wasn't so delusional to think that she was that oblivious. She was obviously waiting to gauge his reaction.

He's the superior officer…will he try to take command of the ship? one person asked his neighbor and Kaidan could feel their eyes on the back of his head.

You think anyone will follow him if he does?

You hear that he held a gun to the Commander? Even after all the Cerberus squads she's blown up, he kept his gun pointed at her!

Kaidan tried to block out the voices of the crew. He also wanted to answer them.

No, he would insist, the Normandy is her ship; I couldn't take it from her any more than I could have pulled that trigger.

Is that why he had kept it trained on the center of her chest? Because he knew that he couldn't take her life? It didn't matter…except for the look on her face…that changed everything.

Shepard reached around him and pressed the button to call the elevator to the CIC. Her expression was painfully blank- not even he could see beyond the cool mask she had put up. "You can set up shop in the Starboard Observation Lounge." Her expression slipped into a coy expression as she gave him a small smile and said, "I know how strongly you feel about the stars." She shook her head after her words and she slipped back into her blank face.

"I never thought the stars were very pretty or romantic…they were always just stars- balls of gas or planets…it didn't really matter," she informed him, standing at an observation point in the wards. They had time to kill before she had to visit Anderson and he had stopped to admire the view.

Even after all the time he'd spent in space, the view still managed to take his breath away…the romance of it all was still ever present. "How could you not think the stars were beautiful as a child- let alone now?"

"Born and raised in space, I never had to look up through atmo and imagine seeing and traveling through space- I was living it."

He gave her an indulgent smile and shook his head and he longed to reach out and wrap an arm around her waist. "Look beyond all of that, Shepard, and see the beauty of it all." He took a step closer and lowered his voice. "It's okay to let your guard down for a while and appreciate everything around you."

He hated how easily she was able to mask her emotions. He'd rather her just tell him everything- let him see her anger and tears and joy. He-

"Garrus," Shepard greeted as the elevator opened to reveal the Turian.

"Shepard," he answered, his mandibles twitching enough to indicate a smile. Then his expression turned to Kaidan. "Alenko." His mandibles seemed to be twitching more towards anger, his eyes hostile.

"Commander, Councilor Valern would like to see you on the Citadel," Joker interrupted the uncomfortable situation.

She looked down at her omni-tool and worried her bottom lip. "Okay, tell him I'll meet him in the embassies in about fifteen minutes," she sighed and smiled at Garrus. "Mind doing me a favor, Garrus?"