By the time she stumbled into her cabin at the end of the day, Shepard was hot and dirty and of no mind to do anything more than settle down for a well-deserved nap. Unfortunately, it seemed Garrus had other ideas.
No sooner had she stripped the sweat-stained shirt from her back and maxed out the cold water gauge in her shower than her door hissed open and Garrus stepped through.
"How did it go?" She could see him taking in her disheveled appearance, mandibles flickering in dismay at the sight of the gash on her forearm.
"Looks worse than it is." She mumbled, covering it with her free hand self-consciously. "As to the other, about as well as you would expect. Captain Gavorn is grateful, but if I don't see another vorcha until the day I die it will be too soon."
Garrus stepped forward and turned her in his arms, holding her close despite the dust and grime. "You should have taken me with you."
"That would have been unsporting. I had to even the odds a little; you and I would have taken them out too fast."
"You're always so sportsmanlike." He rumbled in her ear, brushing the red strands back from it with a gentle hand. Shepard leaned into him gratefully, content for the moment just to rest in his arms.
"Were you going to take a shower?"
"Are you saying I stink, Vakarian?"
"I'm saying you've smelt better."
Shepard laughed so hard her entire body shook, tears gathering in her eyes from the force of it. She leaned back against his chest, raising a hand to trace the lines of his face.
"You're so honest. I knew there must be a reason I love you so much."
"I knew there must be a reason you married me." He purred, nuzzling her hand, nipping a finger with a sharp tooth.
"Hm. It was the scars. Definitely the scars. Irresistible to more than just the krogan females, I can tell you."
She yelped as he pulled her from her feet, dragging her to the bathroom with his arm looped around her waist. "Shower now; tell me all about my attractive scars later."
"Why not both?" Shepard twisted from his grip, leaning back against the glass of the cubicle as she slowly unzipped her pants. One hand steadied her as she toed off her boots, kicking them away thoughtlessly.
She grinned at the appreciative look in Garrus' eyes.
"A little help here, Vakarian?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
She gasped as he shredded through the thick material with a vicious swipe of his talons, "Garrus! You didn't have to destroy them!"
"More fun that way."
She couldn't find it in her to protest, not when he was brushing that wicked tongue over the pale skin of her throat, feeling the steady beat of her pulse in the hollow of her neck.
Shepard gasped as he nipped her playfully, hands rising up to fumble with the straps that held his armor in place; "Why the hell do you wear this aboard the ship, anyway?"
"I am always prepared."
"For what? An armed assault by pirates? You sound like a boy scout."
Garrus growled, nipping her softly and she redoubled her efforts to get him out of the constricting gear.
"You want to help me out with this too?"
"Not if it means I have to take my hands off you."
Show-off; in little more than a second her bra lay on the floor, and she had only just got that first blasted catch undone.
"Garrus," she whined pitifully.
He chuckled softly, palming her breast as his thumb scraped over the peak of her nipple, swirling small circles there until she gritted her teeth in frustration.
"Garrus, armor off. Now. You can take that as an order."
"Yessir."
He pulled away and Shepard hurriedly divested herself of her pants as Garrus fumbled with the clasps of his armor, the task made a trifle more difficult owing to his trembling hands. Shepard smiled wickedly, turnabout was fair play after all. She closed the distance between them quickly, rocking her hips against his, hands skimming up his waist to his neck. She traced her nails in small patterns there as Garrus' breathing quickened.
Stubbornly he pushed her away, fumbling with that last damned clasp and dropping the armor carelessly to the floor. It was unlike him to be so callous with his gear, but she was grateful he was finally hurrying.
Shepard reached for him again and he came willingly to her arms, open palms running down the curve of her waist to pull her closer, pressing into her throat to begin a gentle assault on her collar bones. She gasped softly as he nicked her skin deliberately only to lap at the tiny wound.
Mindful of his sharper edges she curved a leg about his and pulled, forcing him to stumble into her, pushing her harder against the glass. She pressed her face to the side of his throat, "What about that shower?"
She stepped in, gasping as the cold water hit her flesh; Garrus shuddered as he stepped inside, automatically shielding his sensitive skin from the cool water.
"It's freezing, Shepard."
Shepard hummed softly, "Then come here and hold me. I'll keep you warm."
Garrus chuckled softly, pressing into her, hands clasping her hips to him roughly as she arched and rocked against him. She would probably end up a little chafed later, but it would be more than worth it for this. She delighted in Garrus' murmured chortle as her hands skimmed down his plates to that vulnerable place where leg met torso, one hand glided between to run her nails along the small space there.
"It can't be that cold." She whispered against him.
"Not for long, anyway." He reached back blindly to fumble with the tap and Shepard gasped gratefully at the feeling of warm water against her bare flesh.
"I'll never get clean if you hog all the water." She twisted neatly, catching him off guard to press him into the wall where she had stood but a moment past.
Garrus groaned as her teeth attacked the flesh around his throat, nimble fingers slipping into the gap between his legs to tease the hidden area there; she curled her fingers up into him and he rose on his feet, hips arching into her touch unconsciously.
His hands skimmed her back, clearing away the grime and massaging into sore muscles, skimming down to grip her ass so she could move more forcefully against him.
She pulled back, a playful smile tugged at her lips and mischief lit those beautiful eyes. "Care to help me?" She reached back, grabbing for the cloth draped over the tap, fumbling at the slippery bottle perched on the ledge and dumping a generous amount of soap onto the washcloth. She handed it to him, and after a minute's thought he took it, turning her around to rest against him. She braced herself firmly, but couldn't resist the urge to continue her taunting rocking motions, delighting in his soft growls and involuntary twitches.
He skimmed the cloth over her waist, running a slow circle about her navel that grew smaller and smaller until he dipped his talon into it, curling it lightly until she jumped. Her fingers dug into the hard plates behind her in warning; she could play this game too.
Fortunately, Garrus didn't seem to be any more of a mind for games than she. The rough cloth rose to circle a breast, lingering longer at the task than was strictly necessary. She raked her nails up his hips, catching at the joins in his plates until he bent his head forward and clamped her shoulder firmly in his mouth. The message was clear, and she would heed it for now.
Garrus' maddeningly slow ministrations continued, sweeping the cloth first over her neglected breast, pinching the rising nipple unexpectedly so that she gasped, head falling back even farther so that his tongue could trace along the line of her throat. He pulled his hands away abruptly and Shepard ground her teeth in frustration, turning in his arms, "Would you rather I washed you?"
"Turn around."
She wasn't in a mood for taking orders; Shepard snatched the cloth from his hand and swept it down her front, lingering near her center, muscles jumping as she massaged at her hip bones, slipped down between her legs to swipe at the wetness there.
"I suppose I can take care of it myself."
Garrus caught the hand and pulled it to him, forcing her to brush the cloth down his middle until she found that intriguing gap in his plates once more. She smiled up at him as she slipped inside, grasping him firmly in hand. Garrus' head connected with the wall a little more forcefully than he'd intended. He hoped he hadn't broken anything.
Shepard slipped her hand slowly up his length, feeling the plates widen a little more as his muscles tensed. She drew him out, stroking a finger teasingly over the tip until he growled and arched away.
She pressed her body more firmly into his, hand rising and falling faster until Garrus' talons gripped her hips tightly; she knew there would be bruises come morning, but she couldn't find it in her to care.
He buried his face in the hollow her throat once more, his gasps and sighs spurring her on. She pressed a kiss to his cowl, tongue darting out to taste him as she slowed her rhythm; tightening and loosening her grip until she could feel the small tremors running through him.
He jerked as she closed a hand around his base and ran it firmly to tip, fingers grazing the flesh lightly. She gasped as she felt his warmth on her.
"Now you're really going to have to get me clean."
She yelped in surprise as he surged forward, talon thrusting into her before she could do more than take a single step backward. She groaned and shifted as his his clever fingers found her clit, pinching ever so carefully until she arched away, overcome by the sensation. She writhed against his palm, craving that friction until finally she could feel the first pulse of release.
Shepard jerked against him, meeting his bright eyes as she felt the tell-tale flush suffusing her cheeks and spreading down her chest. His mandibles flickered in to his equivalent of a smirk, but she couldn't find it in her to object. He thrust steadily into her until at last she subsided, falling forward against him, her hands curling on his chest.
He leaned down to pick up the cloth at her feet, skimming it up her leg and back to her center, caressing softly until she pulled away. He turned her in his arms once more and swept it over her form, lingering along her hips and waist, chuckling at the way her body responded to him even now.
"Care to join me for that nap?" Her voice was low and husky and he thrilled to hear it.
"Absolutely."
They didn't bother assuming any of their old attire before crawling into the clean sheets; Shepard had dried Garrus quickly, scrubbing a little roughly she knew, but she didn't hear him complaining any. He'd skimmed the cloth over her curves, watching the way her skin reddened under his steady regard. "Interesting how humans can turn color to suit their emotions, and all over too."
She nudged him playfully, "I think you've had enough fun torturing me; you want to hurry up and finish? Every moment we waste here is a moment less spent with my precious bed."
"I thought I was your first love?"
"A very close second." She rose on her tip toes to press a kiss to his cheek, drawing him to the bed by his hands.
"I have a confession to make." She could see his hackles rising.
"What have you done?"
"Don't say it in that tone. I took a commission for an old friend; you might remember Lorik Qui'in?
"I repeat: what have you done, Shepard?"
Shepard frowned, "He suspects that one of his employees may have made off with some restricted data. I told him I would retrieve it for him."
"Just a smash and grab then." Garrus sighed with relief.
"In theory, it should have been. Unfortunately, his intuition turned out to be correct; his mole could be working for those pirates I teased you about earlier. It's a little urgent."
Garrus pushed her back so that she sprawled on the bed, pulling him over her, "It can wait for a few hours."
Shepard smirked, "I suppose so."