This is inspired by RP on twitter- just writing drabbles inspired by the RP.

It was a dance, just like combat. Shifting, keeping balance, watching carefully. There were differences to this dance, however.

Look for boundaries, respect them instead of demolish them. Find weaknesses and balk, checking the boundaries before either avoiding them or tending them, as opposed to taking advantage of them. Instead of reading nonverbal cues to predict movement, read unspoken cues to discern how delicate or comfortable the situation was.

The first boundaries had been found, stepped over, and the next set of defenses were ready to be examined. The rhythm of this particular dance had been found, but the music was still settling to the newly found rhythm.

Flirting had never been so hard until now, but unlike the others, this was delicate and worthy work. Touches were calculated, reactions observed and kept in mind with each retreat, every advance. So far, only mild annoyance tickled at her implants, minor hesitations before reluctant admission.

It felt like ages had passed from the moment she had followed him through the door, leading to the moment where he sat her on his armory table, instilling her with the boldness to wrap her lean legs around his slim waist. It was a pleasant distortion of time, though. Running fingers over the barcodes inked on his arms, trailing fingertips over the Ouroboros on his neck, feeling his muscles move against her, she was glad of the odd lengthening of time between them.

She was still learning to keep all of her feelings from crossing the QEC, to keep needless emotions from interfering across their link. Right now, more than ever, she was fighting to contain the sense of smug accomplishment, and wild, panicked giddiness that warred in her chest.

She was smug because of all the Tianshi, she was the one in his room with her legs around his waist, fingers tangled in his loose hair. She was the one going on two-man missions, dancing and gleefully slaughtering turians, blades flashing and adrenaline singing in their veins. Of all the Tianshi Cell Phantoms, she was the one whose mind he paid attention to the most.

It was the same reason she was feeling the flush of anxious glee that bordered on paranoid euphoria.

Why her? She was smug, gloating to herself that she was the one with his lips on her throat, his fingers scratching at her scalp and pulling her hair, sending chills down her spine that they both felt- yet she couldn't help but wonder why SHE was the one he picked.

The other Phantoms were just as talented as she was. Was it because she happened to be the one that reached the skycar first that day during the coup, becoming his assistance after disabling Shepard's vehicle? Was it when she was the first to volunteer for the QEC? Had he been watching her train? She didn't know, but something she did, somewhere along the line, had caught his attention. She wanted desperately to know what it was, so she could continue exhibiting the trait he'd admired. She wanted-

A sharp exhale of breath escaped her as his lips drew back and his teeth nipped at her neck with a teasing pressure, chasing all thoughts from her mind save for him. Her legs tightened around his waist and her ribs hitched as she inhaled violently again from feeling his hand move to open her underarmor.

She offered no resistance, arching into his touch, his free hand resting on the curve of her spine, and the appreciative sound in his throat made her innards turn to hot liquid in her abdomen. A grin spread on his lips against her skin.

"Don't hold back from me, Leta."

That was all it took. That voice, deep and sensual as a dark wine, with the quality of velvet being rubbed the wrong way, was all it took to break down the wall she was trying to hard to keep up. She let go, the want, the need, the second guessing.

He fell silent for a few moments as he peeled her underarmor off, running hands over her bare sides and back. She shuddered, eyes closing as she leaned into his touch as though it were sustaining her. A laugh, low and soft, rose in his throat, and her eyes flew open.

"...what did I do?"

He lifted his face, coming back to eye level with her, and she found herself unable to look away from his face, the electric blue burning into her own eyes- eyes that still had remnants of the greyed turquoise, but in time, would soon be the same electric blue. A small price to pay for the prowess her implants gave her in battle. A smile curled the corners of his mouth as he put his hands on the table, to either side of her hips.

"Your doubts," he said simply, his face inches from her own. "Do you honestly think I would dally with someone who wasn't worth my time?"

Thoughts from his mind brushed her own- images of her, fighting on Menae, darting between targets, ninjato flashing, her body a supple white blur between the panicking turians. She blinked- seeing herself fight from another's eyes was not something she'd expected to see, especially in an admiring tone from HIM.

Another soft laugh issued between his teeth as he flashed the smallest of smirks at her, lifting a hand to tangle in her hair, crushing his lips against hers. His other hand trailed silent promises down her spine, and with a moan, she clutched at him, trying to undo his underarmor with trembling fingers.

'Don't second guess yourself or my interest in you again, Leta,' he murmured in the back of her mind, his mouth too occupied with tasting her own to speak aloud.

'I expect the best from my Tianshi, and demand the best. I usually get what I want.'

She sighed through her nose as the underarmor finally slid from his chest, her fingers greedily running over the taught muscles laid bare.

'And what is it you want?' She inquired quietly, fingertips trailing over his skin. He grinned against her mouth and pushed her flat against the table, never breaking contact with her, his tongue tasting the inside of her mouth ravenously.

'You. Am I going to get what I want, Leta Weyland?'

Leta hooked her legs around his waist, hands tangling in his hair as she kissed him back, and for a few moments, both Phantom and assassin were silent, drunk with want of one another.

'I'm not used to getting what I want, but since this is a mutual desire, I should certainly say so, Kai Leng,' she finally responded.

She would remember the grin- both the one in her mind and the one on her lips- for the rest of her life.