Well, apparently people over on the kink meme liked this, got nominated for 'Best het story (FemShep/Garrus)' but didn't win. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy that people liked it enough to remember it come peoples choice time. So, no beta. Hoping I caught all the mistakes, but I am sure there are still some grammar oddities and a couple words that are not real, but should be.
Well, for wanting something to go right, this wasn't. After some fumbling with toggles, zippers, and buttons, they decided it might be better for them to take off their own clothing. Each was faced with the unfamiliar and slightly unsettling form of nakedness.
Shepard faced with thick leathery plating in sharp looking angles and spurs. Garrus faced with soft skin and rounded plateless curves. Also the hair, kept short but still visible both on her head and between her legs.
Not to be daunted, Shepard reached a hand towards him. Her fingers slowly exploring the surface of his plates, then tracing the edges.
"Umm, there's not a whole lot of feeling through the plates." His mandibles gave a soft flutter, an after image of their nervous action from when he first entered her room with offerings of wine and music.
She let her hands drop back to herself, draped across her stomach. She bit her lip and he couldn't help but wince. But blunt teeth did not draw blood, despite the indentation.
Then it was his turn to draw her closer, lean forward and try brushing his mandible over the shell of her ear. That hair had a weird texture, tickling the sensitive inner surface. It almost seemed to be something going right, until he went to dip his face to her neck and found his mandible tangled in said hair. To both their painful immediate discomfort.
It was an awkward few moments of fumbling before she simply suggested he cut through the hair to free himself. It sounded painful, but she didn't fuss and assured him that hair didn't have any nerve endings in it.
"Maybe we should just cuddle?" She suggested, almost seeming defeated.
"Cuddle?" After the hair incident he seemed leery.
"Put on our PJs, curl up against each other, hold each other close?" A half smile, like she expected him to decline and she wasn't going to let herself be disappointed by it.
"With clothing on?" He started to relax a little. That seemed to be a little less overwhelming, and less likely for other injury to be done to one another.
"If it's too weird we can just stop now, but it would be nice not to be alone. Even just for one night." She wasn't looking at him now, her head had turned to the side and one of her hands was waving as if to dismiss this whole night already.
"Could I… could I build us a nest for that?" It sounded like something comforting a mother would do for a child, or two siblings might do. A memory of shelter and warmth.
"A nest?" It was her turn to question, eyes coming back to his face.
His mandibles bobbled again and he scratched nervously at the back of his neck. "Well, blankets, pillows, … maybe couch cushions too. Those would be soft, but still stiff enough for walls." When he said it out loud it sounded really childish. It was his turn for his eyes to find something infinitely interesting on the clean floor of her cabin.
"I haven't made a blanket fort since I was a little kid." The tension started to leave her body, a small laugh actually managing to huff out.
"Ah, ya. I guess it is a bit childish." It was stupid to suggest this, she was going to laugh at him, as if this wasn't awkward enough as it is.
"Of course it is. This is going to be great." Her voice and features warmed and she placed a hand on his arm.
"Wait, what?" She liked the idea?
"Let's make a supply run to the linen closet to get more blankets. PJs first though." She was turning away and heading for her closet.
She didn't hear his soft sigh, how can you be in love with a woman and just not be able to find a way to make yourself make her feel good? He grabbed his clothing and threw it back on as she found a tank top and some loose pants that tied in front of her belly.
She leaned against his side as they looked over their 'nest.' Her mattress had been pulled from the bed to form the floor of the fort at the foot of the couch. The cushions from said couch made up the walls and a tumble of blankets and sheets were draped over to form a ceiling and to fill in any cracks therein. There was a front entrance large enough for a grown turian to crawl through, and a back exit up onto the high ground of the cushionless couch hidden by a sheet. You know, in case of attack.
"We did good, now let's see how comfy this nest of yours is."
He rested his chin on the top of her head for a moment, "Thanks, um, you didn't have to let me design it."
She gave him a smirk that he couldn't see, but could hear in her voice. "Well, it was your idea." A playful nudge in the ribs, "And if it collapses on top of us we both know whose fault it is."
There was a teasing growl to his voice, "Yours of course, trouble follows you close enough to make me jealous."
She felt her cheeks get a little warm as she stepped away from him. "I don't know what you are talking about."
He followed behind her as she crawled into their nest, careful not to nudge any walls. "Maybe I just have a better view of your situation from your six. I do tend to catch all those things you miss."
A pillow to the face and a playfully growled "Smart ass." met him in the inner space.
It took a little shuffling and a deweaponized pillow for her head to rest on, but they found a way to fit together. Him resting on his side, another pillow under his waist and a few more stacked up for his head. Her curled up against his chest with the pillow to keep any pointy bits and edges of his chest from stabbing her.
In the dark confines of their shelter they both managed to find a little space to breathe easy. It is hard to remain tense when another warm body that you trust is laying close against you.
He decided to take another chance and very carefully ran the claws of one hand through her hair. Being very certain to make sure his fingers were completely free of the entrapping strands before he went back to her temple to start again.
She made a soft noise in the back of her throat and curled even closer. "I'm sorry, I've never been any good at being intimate."
He rumbled softly, "This doesn't count? This feels nice."
She bapped him softly on the shoulder, "I meant the whole without cloths intimate thing."
He let his fingers run through her strange hair once again. "Shepard. I don't mind that this is how our evening ended."
Her laugh had a bitter note to it. "Even turian guys use that line when sex doesn't work out?"
His mandibles snapped to the sides of his face tightly, "It's not a line, Shepard, at least not from me."
She sighed softly, "I'm sorry Garrus." Curling her body even closer to his.
He ran his fingers through her hair again and the tension bled from her body.
"I didn't tell you why that recon scout was at my throat." He took her quiet for permission to continue, "Apparently I am oblivious to when women like me, unless they outright tell me to my face." His voice got quiet, "I, uh, never really had a whole lot of interest… even with… you know."
She lightly brushed a hand over his shoulder. "You would be ok if… this was what we had?"
He rumbled softly, "I already said this feels nice, didn't I?" Fingers once again running through her hair, he was starting to get used to the feel of it between his fingers. "Yes Shepard, I would be happy if this –is- what we have. I just feel bad that I couldn't make you feel good."
She moved her gentle touch to his face, lightly running over his markings. "Garrus, this is everything I need. Knowing that you have my six…" A slight smirk coming to her lips, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "I never really had a whole lot of interest… even with… either."
They were silent for a while, simply enjoying the insulated warmth.
He shifted so his forehead brushed hers, almost hesitant as he spoke, "I would have an interest in… this."
She closed her eyes, savoring the warm feel of his hide. "So would I."