"Well at least it's nice to know that the legendary Commander Shepard deals with break ups the same as the rest of us mere mortals."
Tegan jumped in surprise, wiping her tears and turning around. She could recognize that voice anywhere.
"Holy shit Garrus, you scared me half to death," she said, letting out a shaky laugh.
"Sorry," he grinned. "Just thought you could use some company. This utility closet is very charming, what a lovely spot for a chat…"
"Figured I wouldn't be bothered here," Tegan replied, her scowl dissolving into a weak smile. "Although I suppose you aren't so bad."
"I'll take that as a compliment. But you do know you have your own cabin, right?"
"Sometimes I like my environment to reflect the piece of shit that I am. Besides, I don't want my hamster to see me cry."
Garrus laughed. "Well that makes complete sense." He walked into the room, taking a seat on a stack of crates beside her.
Tegan paused. "I guess I wasn't really thinking about it, but you're right, this could be considered a break up." She took a swig from a previously hidden bottle. "Although the two year separation might have already covered that. Or you know, the fact that I was dead."
"Ah, trivialities," Garrus said.
Tegan smiled, and they sat in silence for a while.
"You know, I actually wanted to thank you," she finally said.
"For what?"
"For standing by me out there on Horizon."
Garrus looked at her curiously. "Of course, Shepard."
"I just don't know what I expected," she sighed, putting her face in her hands. "I've been waiting to see Kaidan for so long. I mean for God's sake he's the first damn person I tried to contact when I woke up. And it finally happened, and I saw him, and it just went so…"
"Unexpectedly?" Garrus offered.
"Fucking terribly." She stood up. "He literally backed away when he heard I was working for Cerberus. Not evenfor them… with them. Not even that! By them? In association with them? I don't even fucking know." Tegan threw out her arms, spilling her drink on herself. "When he heard I was working 'insert preposition here' Cerberus."
"Shepard, you're a goddamn mess," Garrus said, laughing.
"Yeah thanks, I figured that one out a while ago." She sighed, sitting back down. "I don't know, maybe he was right. I mean what am I doing working with Cerberus? I hate them."
"You know, back when I was with C-Sec, they seemed to think the galaxy was split into good guys and bad guys. They were the good guys, of course," Garrus grimaced. "But we both know that's about as far away from the truth as you can get. I thought Kaidan would have seen that too, but apparently not."
Shepard looked up, frowning. "I mean, thanks for that slice of wisdom, but I don't really know how—"
"Cerberus sucks," Garrus said simply. "It's done really terrible things in the past. It will probably do really terrible things in the future. But that doesn't mean you are terrible. Which is something Kaidan seemed to overlook."
Shepard smiled weakly, before turning away and downing the rest her bottle. "So… what? It's all just okay that we're working for Cerberus? I mean, you trust them?"
"Oh hell no. I'm fully prepared for if they turn on us, or if we turn on them. But this mission that we're doing right now? Defeating the Collectors? I agree with it wholeheartedly. And I think that's going to have to be enough."
Tegan looked back at him, wiping her nose. "I suppose you're right."
"And more importantly Shepard, I trust you. You'll do what's right, I know you will. And because of that, I would follow you to the edge of the universe."
Tegan stopped, her eyes filling with tears. "God damn it Garrus, I had finally just stopped crying…"
Garrus' eyes widened. "Oh no, I didn't mean to—"
"No no, don't worry, these are good tears," she said with a watery laugh.
"I can never understand you humans," he exclaimed, half confused, half worried. "Happiness and sadness are opposite emotions and somehow they both make you leak water out of your eyes and I'm sorry and I don't really know how to…"
"It's alright, Garrus," Shepard laughed, reaching over to take his hand. She saw his body tense, his mandibles moving nervously. He opened his mouth, though no words came out. Shepard smiled, putting her head on his shoulder. Garrus chuckled nervously, but after a few moments, he relaxed and tilted his head to rest on hers. She squeezed his hand tighter.
"And thank you. For everything."