Drabble Prompt on Tumblr was "Stay." with my OT3 Shenkarian (Shepard/Garrus/Kaidan) but with a turned human Garrus (it's kinda explained).
It was a simple word, but was full of meaning. It had been a couple months since that facility on some backwater planet, since he been shackled to the floor by an automated system, since he had told Shepard and Kaidan to go after every attempt to free him was futile, since gas had filled the room, pain flooding his system and overriding his senses. Since he had regained consciousness something else. Plates, gone. Scales, gone. Mandibles, gone. Whatever had happened in that room had changed him, gotten rid of everything that made him Turian, turned him human. His clan markings still stretched across his face, one side still heavily scarred.
Thick brown hair long enough for him to run his fingers through covered his head, curling slightly at the ends, and a neatly trimmed beard covered his jaw that wasn't scarred.
The biggest adjustment wasn't walking, or using hands that suddenly had two extra fingers, or even getting used to the different foods, it was where he stood with Shepard and Kaidan, where he now stood as a human in their relationship. He handled that with his usual grace: by avoiding them. There were doubts. What if they no longer wanted him? What if the only reason they had was because he was a Turianand therefore "exotic"?
He caught the pain in their eyes every time he left the room when they entered, or when he saw them already there, but they were avoiding him as much as he was avoiding them and it did nothing to dissuade his fears. The longing he felt when he saw them together, catching moments in a quiet hallway, curled together on the couch in the lounge was strong, but he wouldn't burden them with his presence if they no longer wanted him.
He stopped sleeping with them in Shepard's massive bed in the Loft, staying in the crew quarters, curling up on a bedroll in the main battery, or sleeping on one of the couches in the lounge. Human clothes were also something to get used to, especially their lounge wear, as Turians didn't really have anything like it.
Heading into the lounge to do just that, he stopped when he saw Shepard asleep already on one of them, a datapad on the floor. She was still in her N7 hoodie and BDU's, her boots kicked off. Going over to her, he brushed her hair away from her face with his fingertips, his heart clenching at the sight of her so peaceful. Spirits, he missed her.
She made a small noise as he gathered her into his arms, picking her up off the couch and carrying her to the elevator. He knew Kaidan had gone to bed hours ago, and it wouldn't hurt to bring her to bed as well.
The Loft was dark, illuminated only by the liquid light of the fishtank and he could see Kaidan asleep on the bed, having kicked most of the covers off himself, his biotics making it so he was almost constantly warm. The man was a living space heater, and back when he had scales, Garrus loved curling up against him, feeling his warmth sink into him.
Carrying Shepard to the bed, he laid her down, staring at them for a moment before going to leave.
"Garrus." He stopped at his name, turning back around to see them looking at him. "Stay."
"Please."
Shepard took off her hoodie and slid her pants down her legs to set them on the floor as Garrus, the former Turian, crawled onto the bed and laid between them. He's never done that before, the scales usually ensured he was on the outside, but now he was in the middle, Kaidan at his back and Shepard curled against his chest. He felt Kaidan's lips touch his neck and Shepard reached up to trace his lower lip with her thumb.
"We missed you." Kaidan whispered against his neck as the three of them drifted off to sleep.