Part 5

He decided to go and meet Emi to tell her how he felt. He arranged them to meet in a cafe inside the Citadel. It wasn't exactly the most romantic environment ever, but it'd do.
He ordered his drink and a sandwich then sat down. He even brought her a Turian apple juice since human food was poisonous to her. And a straw so she didn't have to take off her helmet.
Finally she arrived. She sat opposite him and thanked him quietly for the juice. His heart beat faster and faster and he couldn't help but messing around with his plate as a nervous reaction.
"Emi," he began.
"Thomson..." she said at the same time.
"Oh. Wait. You can go first."
"No you can. Mine can wait. Is yours about Cerberus?"
"Actually, no... It's about us. Like... Damn it's hard to explain without saying it..."
"... You can tell me. Whatever it is. Even if you're going to send me back to the Migrant Fleet for causing so many problems..."
"I'm not going to... I... I love you, Emi."
He heard a sharp intake of breath. His heart sank.
He had just made a fool of himself.






...







"... You have no idea how much I wanted you to say that," Emi responded finally, "... And I love you too."
"I didn't mean as friends..."
"... Neither did I."
"So you actually love me? For real?" Thomson asked.
"Of... Of course I do. You rescued me twice, you're so nice to me, you respect me... I love you so much..."
Thomson closed his eyes. Then opened them. Still the same world. He wasn't dreaming.
Their hands entwined across the table, her three fingers taking refuge in his five.
"But... I'm human," Thomson told her, "Someone like you could never love me."
"... And I wear a mask all the time. Someone like you could never love me..."
"What are you talking about? You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen..."
"... Really?"
"Really."
Their heads touched next. He kissed the smooth glass of her mask where her forehead would be, and then her lips.
"... Sorry I can't kiss you back," she mumbled.
"Don't worry. It's just nice to kiss you."
Under the table, she moved her feet on top of his. He kissed her helmet again and squeezed her hand.
"I think it'd be a good idea to go back to the Falcon, don't you?"
She nodded, "... Definitely."

For the hour after, they did nothing. Not even speak. They laid on Thomson's bed locked in each other's embrace. His hands were securely on her waist and he was staring at her helmet. She stared back. They were laid on their sides looking at each other. Emi's head was on his chest. Both were completely happy.
"Look," he told her finally, "We could sterilize the air in here so you could take your suit off, if you want..."
She shook her head, "... I want to. But I can't. I need to boost my immune system for a few days before I can take it off and when I do, it can only be for a few hours... Sorry..."
"It's fine. I just want you. The rest can wait until you're ready."
"I'll start taking tablets tomorrow."
"Are you sure? It's a big step Emi..."
"Yes I'm sure. I've never been more sure about anything... I love you, Thomson."
"I love you too, Emi... Oh, and you can move into my quarters. Just saying."
"... We'll have to get a decorator in though," she giggled, "... It looks like a barracks."
He kissed her mask again.
"There is one thing I can do..." she said, "... But for thirty seconds at the most... I can let you see my face... If you want to."
"Are you sure you will be alright?"
"Yes. I'll be fine. I had a doctor run some tests... any more and I'd get ill but if it's only a short amount for a short time..."
Her hands moved to the pink-purple glass that coated the faceplate of her helmet. There was a clicking, then a hissing noise. The mask came away in her hand.
Now Thomson had something better than her mask to stare at. Her face was sat in the lower part of her helmet. Her skin was an extremely light shade of purple. Closer to the colour of his skin than the colour itself. Her eyes glowed slightly as she looked at him. Her features were delicate, almost elfin, in nature. Her face was perfect. Slim, curved cheeks and a small nose. Her lips looked equally as nice. Her eyelashes looked to be blue in colour. There were what looked to be two blue wires - some sort of regulators - at the top of her forehead. And her entire face was framed by light brown hair.
She smiled at him, and they kissed. Properly. Her lips on his.
"You're beautiful," he told her, "With and without your mask."
She clicked the glass back in place and a whirring noise was audible as her suit decontaminated her face.
"My lips have never been kissed before," she told him, "... That was my, and our, first ever real kiss... when you kissed my helmet that was the first time it had happened so... thank you... it's one of the best things that has happened in my life..."
"You are the best thing that has happened in my life. We haven't known each other for that long but... you're amazing."
"... Thanks... if you could see my face again now I'd be blushing... no one has ever said I was amazing..."
He kissed her helmet and held her hand and they continued laying on his bed. They didn't move for another hour.