"Goddamn piece of shit," she muttered under her breath, blowing her hair out of her face and leaning over the workbench in the armory. "Why won't you just fucking do as I want!"

She had taken apart her ML-77 Missile Launcher to clean it and try to determine what had caused the jam on her last mission from Neith. After pulling it apart she found the problem but now she was having more trouble putting it back together and it was making her angry. For some reason the trigger was misbehaving and refused to slide back into place.

She heard the door slide open and rolled her eyes. Jesus Christ. The last thing she wanted to deal with was Jacob and his stupid smile. Sure, fucking had been nice, fantastic even and she had to give the man props: he knew what the hell he had been doing and damn if she didn't have one of the best orgasms ever, but now every time he saw her he acted like an idiot and she had the urge to punch him in the nose. To her it was just sex. Hell, she'd kicked him out of her cabin as soon as they were done. She wasn't interested in a relationship with him. No, definitely not Jacob. Her sights were focused elsewhere but she had to relieve sexual tension somehow and masturbating just didn't cut it, even with her specially ordered toy.

"Jacob how many times do I have to say it? We fucked, that's it and if you say another goddamned word I will hit you."

"I guess it's a good thing I'm not Jacob then, is it?" Motherfucker. Shit. Goddamn it.

She turned around, her face heating up in an embarrassing and uncontrollable hot blush and nervously pushed her bangs out of her face, tucking her hair behind her ear, and gave a weak smile accompanied by a breathless, nervous laugh. "Garrus," she wiped her sweaty palms on her pants. "I didn't know it was you. I thought-"

"I was Jacob? Clearly." She bit her lip, her heart rate climbing to the point of painful and tried to figure out what to say as she tried to destroy the stupid butterflies that were flying around in her stomach just from seeing him standing there, leaning his shoulder against the wall with a slightly amused look on his face. He was too sexy for words and her mind wandered, briefly, to wondering how his talons would feel digging into her hips. "Chambers told me you were in here fighting a losing battle with your missile launcher. I thought I'd come and try to help. Maybe calibrate it for you."

It wasn't like she kept her sexual adventures on the down low or tried to hide them, truth be told she could give a shit who knew but she didn't exactly want to broadcast it to Garrus. His opinion was the one that mattered most. She was sure he knew already, but having him hear it from her left her feeling strange and she didn't know what to do with that feeling. Best to squash it. It wasn't as if he felt the same for her, he'd never tried to come onto her before, so why should she care?

"I'm telling you this fucking thing hates me. Every time I try to do anything with the piece of shit it gets even more fucked up. I give up. I'm using a new missile launcher. Maybe I'll give the avalanche a try," she said, casting an angry eye towards the heavy weapon that was still partially dismantled. It looked pitiful and she wanted to throw it out the airlock for being so damn difficult.

"It can't hate you. It's an inanimate object, Shepard." Asshole. He was patronizing her and she absolutely loved it, especially when he smiled at her, his eyes twinkling. He pushed away from the wall, a rumbling chuckle escaping his broad chest at the site of her.

His visor picked up on how fast her heart was beating and how it continuously climbed the close he got to her. For a moment he was concerned that she was going to have a heart attack once he was standing next to her and he gave her curious look, hiding his knowing and satisfied smile at how she reacted to his presence. He tried not to puff his chest out too much.

"You okay? Your heart is going to pop out of your chest." She blinked at him and felt her cheeks becoming hot once again.

"I'm fine. I'm just really pissed at this thing," she motioned her hand over the sad looking missile launcher. She watched him as he expertly picked it up and began putting it back together with sheer ease. Something about watching his hands gracefully work on her weapon made heat pool between her thighs. Shit. Hopefully he wouldn't be able to smell her arousal but to try and hide it she squeezed her legs together. Bad idea, it just put awesome pressure there. While he worked, his attention focused on his task, she let her eyes wander over his body appreciatively.

Since acquiring Garrus back when she was chasing down Saren and the Geth she had done exorbitant amounts of research on Turians. Now she could put some it to good use, she thought as her eyes took in the length of his fringe. From what she had been able to find the length of male Turians fringe was a big deal and if it was too short he was not taken seriously, generally get stuck in shit jobs and it also meant a lack of testosterone or something wrong either mentally or physically. If the fringe was too long then he was an overly dominating male, most Turian women would steer clear of men with long fringes. But Garrus had a nicely shaped, perfectly long fringe. His generally meant that he was one to breed with and could land almost any job, rising in rank quickly in the military.

When she had issued a 24 hour shore leave when they hit the Citadel she had found herself in bar listening to a group of female Turians who wouldn't shut up about how hot Garrus was and wondering what he looked like beneath his armor. It had taken every inch of her willpower to not strangle each and every one of them, but it had also left her happy to know that the object of many nightly fantasies and unrequited feelings was considered "devastatingly handsome" amongst the Turians.

Even though the entire Turian species was tall, height still differed in their race. It seemed that height and fringe length ran parallel to each other. Garrus was tall, measuring at an impressive six foot five and she loved a tall man. She wasn't short by any means. She stood at an impressive five foot eight but even then the top of her head came to just below his shoulder.

He was an impressive figure with his muscular forearms, long powerful legs and his broad shoulders and wide cowl. Even his mandibles turned her on and she wanted nothing more than to straddle him in the gun battery and suck on them. She wanted to dig her nails into the sensitive skin under his fringe, with her legs hooked over his hips as he poun-

"There!" He cried in triumph at having fixed her weapon, jerking her away from her naughty thoughts and she blushed in embarrassment looking down at the now complete ML-77, disbelief crossing her face.

"How the fuck did you do it?" He gave her a confused look, his brows coming down over his eyes.

"Weren't you watching?" He sounded slightly crestfallen and she felt her heart lurch at the sad look on his face.

"Of course," she covered quickly, mentally kicking herself in the ass. "I just can't believe you did it so fast when the fucking thing refused to work for me."

"Oh. Well I've been doing this shit since I was fifteen. It's like a second nature to me. In the Turian military we're taught to use every single weapon so we're well versed for all types of combat situations."

I wonder what his teeth would feel like nipping at my throat, she thought then shook herself. Focus Athena.

"Yeah the Alliance doesn't do that. You're taught based off of your class. And I've never used a heavy weapon until Cerberus resurrected me. Either way, thank you. Now I can put this bitch up and not worry about it. Besides, Kelly said Grunt is about to explode in the cargo hold. I should probably check on him." He shook his head and smiled at her. "Jesus Christ that would suck is he exploded. He'd bring the entire Normandy down and I'll be damned if I am going to fucking die. Again," she added as an afterthought, laughing. A dark look flickered over his face and briefly she wondered what it was about it, but decided not to press the issue.

She went to step around him when she felt his warm hand circle her wrist and she looked up at him with a question forming on her lips but it died when he spoke.

"I should have never left the Normandy. It's my job to watch your six and I failed you," he started, the pressure from his hand increasing as he drew her closer. "When Tali called me to tell me about your death… well, it was one of the hardest things I have ever had to deal with. Then when I couldn't take it anymore I ran off to Omega. Not seeing you or hearing your voice for two years was absolute torture. Then I saw your N7 insignia through my scope holed up in that fucking place and for a moment I thought I had died. I'm not losing you again."

While he was talking his hand had snaked up her arm and down her back coming to rest on her waist, his fingers were gripping her waist tightly and she was so close to him she could feel his breath tickling the stray hairs that were escaping her messy bun. She swallowed, her face hot and breathing fast. She didn't know what to say and he was so close to her. Never before in her 29 (or was 31 now?) years had she ever received the look he was giving her.

"I'm not going anywhere, Big Guy. You never failed me. You could never fail me," was all that she could manage to work out of her dry lips.

He pulled her even closer and she held her breath, not knowing what to expect. This was different and entirely foreign to her. She was also more than just a little confused, but fuck if she was going to look at a gift from God too closely. She firmly believed that if he didn't kiss her soon Grunt wouldn't be the only one exploding if the wetness between her legs was any indication of her current state of arousal.

"Athena," he rumbled, bringing his head down towards hers. If he didn't have his hands on her she would have melted into a gooey pile of what once was Commander Athena Shepard. When his soft leathery lips touched hers she rose on her tip toes, sliding her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him as tightly as she could given the fact that he was wearing his stupid armor.

His tongue touched her lips and her mouth opened, greedily pushing her tongue against his and moaning. That seemed to be all the encouragement he needed as she was suddenly pressed against the wall, his hands sliding over her clothes, unhooking her overalls and pushing them down over her hips.

In her hazy state she fumbled with the clasps on his armor and he brushed her hands away. While he fucked with his armor she peeled off her underwear and top, telling EDI to lock the doors and let no one inside. Once the last piece of his armor fell to the floor with a loud clang his hands were on her, his body pressing her back against the cool wall of the ship as his mouth traveled down the column of her throat to press heady kisses to her pulse point.

"Garrus," she moaned when he grabbed her legs and rested them on his hips, his thick erection slipping into her, filling her like no other had before. He paused, dropping his forehead against her collar bone as her body adjusted to his size.

"Tell me you're ready," he growled into her ear, his tongue running along her earlobe while his talons dug into the soft light colored flesh of her generous hips. The only thing she could do was moan and roll her hips against him and immediately he started pumping in and out her, his growling and grunting filling the room mixed with her cries of pleasure every time he hit her G-spot.

She felt the first orgasm slam into her and her muscles spasmed around his thick cock, earning a deep, throaty and distinctly Turian rumbling sound from him.

"Fuck. Garrus." Expertly he slid his hand between them and his finger found her engorged clitoris. She squeezed her eyes against the pleasure; crying out she dug her nails into his shoulders, scratching down his plates.

In one swift movement he shifted their position, swiping his arm across the workbench and planted her there, bringing her ass to the edge all the while his body never leaving hers. That was probably sexiest thing a man could have ever done and damn if she wasn't turned on even more by his carnal and manly display.

"I've wanted you for so long," he murmured in her ear as his hips snapped against hers, his finger rubbing her clit.

She hooked her ankles together and leaned back, her fingers plucking at her nipples watching as his ridged blue cock slid in and out of her, feeling another orgasm building in the pit of her stomach. He grunted at her display and leaned forward, one hand gripped her waist while the other ripped the ponytail from her hair and his lips slid over hers.

She tilted her head back, giving vent to a loud moan. "Tell me you're close," she whispered, her voice hoarse. He nodded, his hips speeding to an erratic movement and she rubbed her clit. Now was probably a good time to tell him she was a squirter but no need to ruin the moment by trying to explain what it meant.

With one last slam into her, he tilted his head back and practically roared as his body tensed with his orgasm. Watching him was enough to put her over the edge and she came with full force, her body shaking and crying out as she gushed her hot liquids around him.

As their breathing returned to normal, he rested his forehead against her shoulder and idly she stroked his fringe, basking in the warmth of after-sex embers. When he finally pulled away and they got dressed she looked at him.

She knew she shouldn't be hurt and upset, there was never anything spoken ever before, but she was hurt. She loved him and had loved him since she recruited him. But if this was all he could or would give her then she would take it with a smile. He quirked a brow plate at her and paused before saying anything.

"This was amazing," he said smiling.

"It was. But now I have to check on Grunt." She bit her lip and turned to hurriedly exit the armory but he caught her arm and turned her around to him, his eyes searching hers.

"What's the matter?" He always was too intuitive to her feelings. Damn him.

"Nothing, really. I know Turians ease tension through sex and I think it's a great stress reliever," she said, pulling her arm out of his grasp and once again turned to leave.

"Athena," he murmured. She whipped back around at the tone of his voice, anger bubbling inside of her.

"What Garrus? What the hell do you want me to fucking me say?"

"Spirits, Athena I don't know! Maybe something other than you only did this because it's what Turians do?" She wasn't sure what he wanted her to say and that frustrated her. Did he want her to profess her feelings for him? When she didn't answer his face turned into an angry mask, his mandibles clenching tightly around his face. "Right. Sorry. I forgot. You pretty much fuck anything that walks on two legs then leave them once you're satisfied."

That felt like a slap in the face and the pain must have shown on her face because instantly he reached for her, but she shook her head and backed away from him. Her brows drew down over her eyes and she swallowed.

"I have to get to the cargo hold." Quickly she exited the room, blinking back the tears that were pooling in her eyes. What should she expect? She didn't exactly have the best reputation but for him to think he was just another good fuck was the most painful thing. Kelly said something to her but she ignored her, stepping into the elevator.

Before the doors shut Garrus slipped inside and pressed the stop button once the door slid shut around them, trapping her in with him.

"I didn't mean it," he said, looking down at her.

"No, you did and that's okay. I can't blame you for thinking that and it's my own damn fault," she relented, refusing to meet his gaze.

"I don't want this to be a onetime thing." Using his fingers he lifted her head up, forcing her to look at him.

"I never wanted that. I want you Garrus. Someone I can trust." He gave her a smile and bent down to press his lips against hers.

"Good because it's going to take more than the Collectors or Reapers to come between us."