Author's Note: Hey there, just some fluff betwixt my two favourite characters. Needed to keep the creative juices flowing, while taking a break from other things. Thanks for following guys. Hope it's ok.
Disclaimer: I do not own Biowares characters.
Cargo Hold View
The textured metal was cool against her palms as she lowered herself to the floor of the cargo hold. She was on her hands and knees, and she laughed, realizing how she must look. If anyone came down here and saw her like this, she'd never live it down. If Joker came down here, he could die. Laughing too hard would probably end badly for him and his Vroliks syndrome. Shepard smirked to herself.
Her dance moves were already ammunition enough for the so-called loyal crew of hers. That she didn't understand. She danced just like everybody else in the stupid clubs. She huffed and crawled along the edge of the wall, watching.
And she couldn't ask for help. That would be worse than someone stumbling in on her. This was something Shepard had to do alone. She owed it to the little creature. She sighed and crawled around another stack of crates, peering through the cracks between the wall and the floor of the cargo hold. She craned her neck until it hurt, trying to see beneath her.
"Mm! Can't say I've ever seen this view of the cargo hold," a deep, metallic voice rumbled. "I should come down here more often."
Shepard groaned and got to her feet, brushing off her uniform.
"Garrus," she grinned. "I was wondering when you'd finally say something nice about my ass," she laughed with a hand on her hip.
"Heh," he laughed breathily and put a hand around her waist, pulling her close. "Looking for something?"
She heaved a defeated sigh. "Yeah."
He angled his head down to look at her, waiting for her to elaborate. She seemed upset by something. But here in the storage room? He squeezed her gently. "Can I help?"
She pursed her lips, almost unwilling to share her dilemma with him. She looked at him, to be sure he wouldn't humiliate Her. Would he?
"I'm trying to catch my hamster." She bowed her head, embarrassed, waiting for the laugh.
"What?" Garrus sounded surprised. "The little guy is down here? Where?" His head jerked around, trying to catch a glimpse. "Have you seen him?"
Her eyes lit up, and she quickly pried herself out from under him and tiptoed over to the back corner of the room. "I've heard squeaking, and I've seen him a few times, but I can't catch him."
He adjusted his visor and moved to the stairs, perching on the third step. "You know Shepard, this ship is actually full of people," his sarcasm did not go unnoticed. "And I'm sure they would have gladly helped you out."
"Hah," she barked. "Are you serious? The crew's Alliance now. This isn't the devil-may-care holiday cruise it was when it was a Cerberus vessel." She flailed her arms, emphasizing her sarcasm, to which he responded with a deadpan expression. She scrunched up her face. "I'm not allowed to have a pet!"
Garrus laughed at the flustered commander, his dual-tones ringing through the room.
Shepard sighed and squatted behind the the currently unused work table, watchful.
"You have to admit," he said in mock seriousness. "It is pretty strange, bringing a hamster onto a warship."
It earned him a scoff and a scowl from the opposite side of the cargo hold. "Grunt begged me to buy it." She paused before adding, "Kasumi even offered to get it for me."
"She probably wouldn't have paid." Garrus grunted, shifting his legs to prevent them from getting numb. "But we both know that's not why you bought him."
Shepard narrowed her eyes, as if squinting would make her see through floor better. Her voice playful. "Yeah. I did it to piss off Miranda." She smirked, only half-lying.
Garrus rolled his eyes, before refocusing on his visors infrared readings.
"Shepard."
"What?" Her voice reaching a higher pitch as she squirmed under the table, trying to keep still, but somehow comfortable. "He was so cute in the shop, I couldn't just leave him there to be eaten by some nasty Thessian boa! I'm too -"
"Shepard!" He hissed, quietly, cutting her off. She followed his nod towards the crates between their positions and fell silent. His visor picked up a faint reading, a little blue blob on the screen. It seemed to be moving, cautiously, towards the space between the floor and wall, behind the crates.
Aside from their own careful breathing, they were both dead quiet for about a minute. Shepard noted how the hum of the drive core sounded considerably louder down here and she wondered how Jack managed to sleep down here for months. Maybe she didn't, and that's why she was such a bag all the time.
Garrus was perched awkwardly on the stairs across from her, with a determined look on him. His mandibles were closed, tight to his face in concentration. An unexpected wave of emotion overtook her for a few seconds, making her chest heave and a little sigh escape her lips. He must have heard it, damn bloodhound that he was, because he returned her gaze momentarily.
Squeak!
Suddenly she was on her toes, primed for a dive she knew she'd have to make if they were ever going to catch this thing. This was the best chance she'd had in days, thanks to Garrus, and she wasn't going to waste it.
They held their breath as a tiny, furry face eventually poked through the space between the metal floor and wall, his whiskers twitching and nose sniffing the air. Shepard made eye contact with Garrus, silently communicating her plan. She nodded towards the hamster, and held up three fingers. He understood.
The creature pulled himself up and onto the floor of the cargo hold without making a sound - though the turian in the room could probably pick up the sound of his tiny claws against the metal - and looked about, his glassy black eyes alert. It scurried around and along the side of the crate, coming into plain view.
Garrus watched as Shepard lowered one finger. Their eyes darting from each other to the hamster. One finger was left. And then none.
He'd never seen Shepard move that fast, or clumsily. She flew out of cover and cupped both hands around the rodent. He seemed to know what was up, though, and wiggled away a half second before she could close in. Straight into Garrus' waiting ambush. His large three-fingered hands were open, waiting for the frightened little mammal to scurry into them. He scooped him up, almost effortlessly, and slid off the step unceremoniously.
"Gotcha!" He exhaled all of the air he'd been holding in.
Shepard was on the floor, her legs sprawled, staring at him incredulously. "How the hell did you do that? He practically ran for you."
Garrus shrugged, holding the hamster up close to his face, nuzzling him. "What can I say? I've got a gift."
She eyed him suspiciously before smiling and shaking her head in disbelief. "I'm amazed."
He laughed and outstretched his arms, handing the creature over to its owner. She sighed and snuggled his tiny body close to her chest. He was fluffy and warm, and vibrating, his heart going a mile a minute. "Oh, Fluffy! I missed you little guy."
"I still think you could've thought of a better name."
"Shut up." Keeping her smile and gaze fixed on the hamster, she cooed, "Maybe I should have named you after Zaeed, like he suggested."
Garrus scoffed. "That's worse." He received a laugh in response.
He stood up, dusting off his hands and backside, and readjusted his visor's settings.
He watched her, sitting there in the middle of the cargo hold, cuddling the little pet in her hands, and he thought she looked adorable. It was a side of her rarely seen by anyone, and he counted himself lucky to be allowed to. Part of him also thought about how much joke material Jeff had just missed out on, but only for a second. Her regularly powerful grip was replaced by the most ginger of grasps, careful not to squeeze the creature too tightly. Her loose, dark hair was tussled after their little adventure, a few strands stuck to her lip. She didn't seem to mind, she was busy cooing happily at her hamster, nuzzling him with her nose and smiling.
His mandibles flared into a soft smile. Spirits, how he'd missed her.
Shuffling over to her he stooped and gently mussed her hair. "I guess I should get back to my actual duties now," he sighed and started to leave.
"Wait!" Shepard snapped her head up to look at him and he stopped. Coming to her feet, she held out her hands. "Say goodbye to Fluffy."
Garrus saluted the hamster. "See you later." Pleased, she brought the hamster back towards her chest with a quiet giggle and he caught her eye. "You too," he added, in a much deeper tone.
Flashing the turian a sly smile, she stepped towards him, pressing herself up against his chest. "Of course. I have to thank you properly for all your help."
Craning her neck to look up at him, while being mindful of the fragility of the hamster between them, she winked. A growl escaped him then and he wrapped his arms around her, snaking them up her back, and kissed her. Deeply.
After a minute they parted and he stepped back, his hand lingering on her hip. She had to take a breath before speaking. "Mm. It's good to have you back."
His mandibles flared, and his eyes were darker. "It's good to be back."
"Come up later," she purred.
"I will," is all he said before he left the storage hold by the stairs and she went to reacquaint Fluffy with his little glass home. She couldn't very well let him run around her cabin, after all.