Here you will find random drabbles from across the Mass Effect universe. The stories are in no particular order. I just write them when the mood strikes. I call them 'headcanon drabbles' because they represent thoughts I have about the characters and game, but can't really fit them into bigger stories. So I write smaller ones.

The focus will mainly be on Garrus/FemShep. The Shepard in these stories is all the same, Sonya Shepard. She's a earth born, sole survivor who mainly walks the paragon side.

Date Night

The door to Shepard's cabin opened. Garrus didn't bother looking up, wanting to concentrate on the latest e-mail from his task force. There were days he felt like he had a hundred different jobs, advising the Primarch, dealing with his task force long distance and his role as gunnery chief on the Normandy. This was one of those days.

He assumed Shepard would understand if he didn't give her an enthusiastic greeting. An assumption he doubted when he heard a datapad crash into the wall above their bed.

"Shepard?"

"Shit!" Shepard took a step down the stairs. "Sorry, didn't realize you were in here."

"What'd the datapad do to you?"

Shepard walked over to him, to the small desk in the living area she told him to consider his. The chair wasn't all that comfortable, but he liked having a solid surface to work on. Leaning over, she slid her cheek against his mandible.

"Just received an official answer from the Alliance brass," she said, sitting on the side of the bed. "They are denying my request for an Executive Officer to be assigned to the Normandy."

"You're kidding me," Garrus said, putting down his datapad. "You're drowning in paperwork."

"According to the message I got, since Normandy is operating with a skeleton crew and our missions are generally classified..." Shepard lay on her back, placing her hands on her stomach. "They don't feel that they have anyone with the appropriate skill and clearance level."

"Skill? You need someone to work the crew duty roster and deal with requisition requests, not detailed technical work or anything." Garrus just shook his head. He would never understand the Alliance. Never.

She propped herself on her elbows. "We are never going to get to go on a real date, cause I am never going to have free time, ever. Again."

Garrus stood up then and sat next to her. "We will someday. We'll dress up, go to a bar, it'll be great," he said, nuzzling her neck.

For a moment, he felt Shepard just give in and not think. Those moments were rare and never lasted very long. Sooner than he'd like, Shepard broke their embrace. "Speaking of paperwork." She reached behind for the datapad she had thrown earlier. "We need to go over this."

"What is it?" Garrus asked.

"Pressly had you fill out a bunch of forms when you joined the SR-1, right? New ship, new forms."

"You're joking. Those forms took more than an hour to fill out," Garrus said.

"Wish I was. And I'm supposed to talk to you about your stipend," Shepard told him.

Garrus shifted uncomfortably. "Stipend?"

"You have an official role on this ship, unlike the SR-1. You get a stipend."

"The hierarchy is already paying me to be here, as a liaison," Garrus said. "I don't want the Alliance's credits."

Shepard sat up and glared at him. Honestly glared. The type of glare she gave Sovereign and Harbinger. "Garrus, if you refuse this stipend, I will have another three different forms to fill out. Please just sign it and fill in your bank account information."

"Right now?"

"Just... soon. It's payday on Friday and if this form isn't complete by then there's another form I'll need to deal with."

"And here I thought being the commander of a starship was supposed to be an exciting job."

"It is if you have an XO," Shepard said, her voice sad. "I miss Pressly. That man knew his paperwork."

"There's no one on the ship?" Garrus asked, putting his arm around her waist.

"The next ranking officer is Cortez, but he has his hands full with the armory, requisitions and being the shuttle pilot. He almost has as much paperwork as I do. I couldn't do that to him," Shepard sighed.

"Traynor?"

"She's barely treading water dealing with all the com traffic."

"Then the answer is obvious." Garrus ran his talon down her arm. "Vega."

Garrus couldn't help being pleased at the genuine laugh he heard.

"Oh god, have you ever read his mission reports? It would take more time correcting his work than doing it myself." Shepard looked at him and put her hand on his thigh. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come in and just complain all night."

"You're fine, Shepard," Garrus said, letting his forehead rest on hers. After a minute, he stood up and clapped his hands. "Get up and grab all the paperwork you want to get done tonight."

"There's a definite difference between what I want to get done and what I can realistically complete, Garrus."

"Bring it all," Garrus said, picking up a few datapads of his own. "Let's get a change of scenery. We'll do paperwork together in the Observation Lounge. It'll be romantic."

"Romantic?"

"Exactly. We'll grab some food, put on some music, stare out at the stars."

"Hmm..."

Garrus slowly put his arms around her. "Maybe try to distract each other once in a while, and hope no one walks in..."

"We could always lock the door," Shepard said, sounding amused.

"We could, but where's the fun in that?"

Shepard shook her head with a smile on her face. After grabbing her datapads, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.

"It's a date."