Chapter Text
Sara adjusted the plate of sliced paripo fruit for what must have been the twentieth time. She was nervous; ridiculously so. Even fighting kett or gargantuan Remnant serpents had never made her as anxious as this. Not only was it her first time hosting an Angaran dinner but she was also attempting to seduce her guest. It was madness. She almost wanted to call the whole thing off but Jaal had assured her it was the right way to go and, shit, did she want this to work between them.
They’d been relatively chaste since their visit to his family - a few stolen kisses here and there but nothing more. They both wanted to wait until Evfra had either been brought into the fold or… well, Sara was trying not to think about the alternative. Relationships with the Resistance were tenuous as it was. Fuck, she hoped she wasn’t about to blow everything they’d worked for. Jaal had told her not to worry, that Evfra wouldn’t hold a grudge either way, but somehow she doubted that.
Voices in the corridor outside her cabin stopped her fussing in its tracks. She stood up, straightening her dress and tossing her hair over her shoulders.
“Ok, SAM,” she muttered. “You remember the drill?”
“Of course, Pathfinder. The doors are to be locked after entry, with no admittance save for emergencies,” the AI recited privately.
“And what’s the safe word if things go south?”
“’Nautilus’. I already have an array of scenarios to hand, Sara. There will be no difficulty in extracting you should the situation become unpleasant.”
Sara sighed.
“Thanks, SAM,” she murmured. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that. Now, kindly make yourself scarce? This is hard enough without having a running commentary in my head.”
“Of course. Good luck, Pathfinder.”
The doors hissed open a moment later. Jaal walked in with Evfra close beside him, his eyes bright and his lips curved in a brilliant smile.
“Sara, dearest!” he greeted her. “I hope we are not late. The marketplace was a little crowded.”
“Of course not,” she replied. “It’s great to see you both.”
She glanced at Evfra, who was dressed a little differently that she was used to seeing. His clothing was darker, simpler, though he still wore his customary blue scarf around his neck and shoulders.
“It was gracious of you to invite me, Pathfinder,” he stated, a little stiffly. “I… appreciate your hospitality.”
“It’s my pleasure. And please, call me Sara. Can I get you something to drink?,” she asked, gesturing over to the table. “We have tavum or a Thessian wine if you’d prefer?”
“Tavum will be fine, thank you,” replied Evrfa, as Jaal led him to sit down. “Though only a little, if you will. There’s no telling if or when I’ll be needed.”
Sara nodded and busied herself pouring drinks. Her hands felt unsteady – could they tell how nervous she was?
“Come now, Evfra!” Jaal scolded his leader. “What are we fighting for, if not for moments like this? There’s no need to be frugal.” He took the pitcher of tavum and elmohk juice from Ryder’s hands and made a point of filling the glass right to the top. “There!” he declared, heartily. “Don’t want to be… stars, what is that term Liam uses… a buzzkill?”
“That’s the one,” laughed Ryder.
Jaal thrust the glass at Evfra, who levelled a withering look at the other angara. If Jaal noticed, he didn’t react. He was too busy beaming at Sara, the softness in his eyes telling her he knew exactly how anxious she was and doing his best to placate her without words. Ryder smiled back weakly. Gods above, he was the sweetest thing. If nothing else, it was worth coming to Andromeda just for him.
She poured another couple of glasses before joining the two men on the sofa. Tavum was a little on the sweet side for her taste but she was determined to make an effort tonight. She wanted Evfra to feel accepted and was more than happy to embrace every aspect of Angaran culture she could to make that happen.
“So, what have both been talking about?” asked Sara, reaching for one of the plates. Jaal had told her that Angaran dinners – even social ones – were much less formal than those of her own culture. A comfortable setting and lots of bite-sized foods that guests could pick at freely were a must.
“Jaal was just telling me about the krogan colony on Elaaden,” Evfra replied. “It sounds quite intriguing.”
He speared himself a slice of paripo on one of the tiny forks they’d picked up in Aya and Sara felt a rush of delight at seeing him actually loosen up a bit.
“You should go sometime,” she blurted, excitedly. “Assuming you can, of course,” she added. “I know how busy you are. But what they’ve done there is fascinating.”
Evfra leant back in his seat, chewing thoughtfully.
“They’re a hardy people, your Krogan,” he mused. “I hear their old home was even less hospitable then their new one.”
“What, Tuchanka? Fuck, it was a mess,” exclaimed Sara. “You think Elaaden is hot? Damn. And don’t get me started on the wildlife.”
“So you’ve been? Tell me about it.”
Surprised, Sara glanced from one angara to the other. Jaal smirked at her over Evfra’s shoulder, nodding his head as subtly as he could manage from only inches away. She watched his hand slide towards Evfra’s. It was a brief touch, a graze really, but it brought something akin to a smile to Evfra’s face.
“Um… all right then,” she shrugged. “What do you want to know?”