The bar was quiet that night that much Garrus remembered, among other things. Normally on nights such as these Garrus would be in his room making calibrations, but this particular night he made an important exception. It was exactly three years to the date that Garrus met Commander Shepard, an anniversary that he wouldn't miss for the entire universe. Vakarian, who wasn't exactly the best romantic, liked to think that he had a certain charm when it came to Shepard, he was right of course, just not sure as to what degree.
"It's funny when you think about it" Garrus said to himself after a good deal of questioning himself, "How quick it was. How innocent. It's almost sad really. By conventional standards we should've failed long ago, for more is needed than love to make relationships work. Time being chief among them. Somehow though, someway, we made it work."
The bartender came around from the other side of the counter, for it was one of those bars that had the counter making an entire 360 degrees. The bartender, who was also a Turian, looked past Garrus as if he wasn't even there and only casually began cleaning glasses and preparing drinks. Garrus turned towards the bartender and smiled, waiting patiently for service.
"So what's a guy like you working at this time of night?" Garrus asked curiously, "I mean there's no one here why bother staying open if you're not going to make any money? Besides surely you've got people at home waiting for you."
The bartender said nothing, he didn't even so much as look up.
"I see" Garrus replied, "No family to speak of, so what the hell right? Don't worry, I'm sure you'll have someone eventually."
The bartender sat the glass he was cleaning on the counter and pulled out a beer bottle from one of the racks underneath. Opening the beer, the bartender poured it as carefully as he could. Once the glass was full, Garrus, thinking that it was for him, reached for it. The bartender corked the bottle and put it back where it was, after which he picked up the glass and downed it just as Garrus would have picked it up.
"Excuse me" Garrus said, trying to be as polite as possible, "But what the hell was that? I've been sitting here for twenty minutes waiting for a drink. How dare you pour one for yourself and drink it as if it were nothing right in front of me?"
The bartender was relatively indifferent to Garrus, only letting out a longing sigh, wishing for nothing more than the end of the night. Garrus huffed, disgusted by the bartender's behavior and was just about to leave when out from the corner of his eye he saw Shepard enter the room.
Shepard was wearing a black dress with high heels. It made Garrus feel a bit ashamed of himself, for he was only dressed in his body armor, being that it was one of the few nicer pieces of clothing that he had. As Shepard made her way to the counter, Garrus could only think of a few words to describe what he was feeling, all of them having to do with hearts exploding and random shimmering bursts of light.
"Give me the strongest thing you have bartender" Shepard said as she sat down next to Garrus, who casually re-positioned himself as nonchalantly as possible.
"Here you are" the bartender replied, sitting the drink down on the counter almost as soon as the words passed out of her lips, for he had made an educated guess as to what Shepard would want as soon as she walked in.
Shepard nodded and brought the drink to her mouth just as Garrus spoke again.
"Good to see you remembered" Garrus replied, "For a second there I thought you forgot!"
Shepard said nothing and only finished her drink, after which she motioned for another one. The bartender nodded reluctantly, letting out a heavy sigh at the same time, for he knew that with Shepard in the room it was going to be a long night.
"What's wrong bartender?" Shepard asked curiously, "Something on your mind?"
The bartender froze, he did not want to air his petty excuses and concerns to the commander, but then again, he also did not want to leave the question unanswered or else risk coming across as being rude.
"Honestly ma'am" the bartender exclaimed, "I'd really just like to go home."
Shepard nodded in understanding and gave a small laugh.
"You could close early you know" she replied, "It's not like it's a crime or anything."
The bartender shook his head on the contrary.
"My boss would have my head for that" the bartender explained, "He tells me to stay open late, I stay open late. No questions asked, no complaints."
Shepard shrugged, "Don't worry" she continued, "I won't be long. And just between you and me, I won't tell anyone. Close this place up when I'm gone. Go home and get some rest, you look like you've earned it."
The bartender smiled, slightly embarrassed, for the last thing that he wanted to do was ruin someone's night on his account.
"You're too kind Commander" the bartender said gratefully, "But I can't. There's always someone coming in the late hours, I wouldn't want to miss out on an opportunity."
Shepard huffed, "You really don't have to stay open" she defended, "Anyone who tells you otherwise can answer to me."
The bartender rolled his eyes, personally he thought that Shepard was making it more of a deal than it actually was.
"Don't trouble yourself on my account" the bartender replied sternly, "And don't hurry out of here either. Take all the time you need. I'll manage, I always have, I always will."
Garrus was beginning to get uncomfortable with the bartender, for Shepard slowly had that look in her eye, the look of interest, the same look that he received on multiple occasions. He decided to play it safe and simply take it as nothing before jumping to conclusions.
After a few seconds of nothing save for the sound of Shepard's drinking, Garrus spoke again, this time putting on the pleasantries.
"Did I ever tell that you're beautiful?" Garrus began, "Because if I didn't it's a crime. You should get told that every day."
Shepard sat down her glass on the counter, her right elbow resting comfortably next to it. Her head slightly tilted to the left, a sign that Garrus knew that Shepard was about to get into intimate discussion, an immediate red flag.
"Now see here" Garrus exclaimed as he stood up, too upset to remain sitting, "I will not simply be passed over for a bartender without an explanation. If this is the end of things I at least deserve that if nothing else!"
Shepard ignored him and gave a subtle laugh, causing the bartender, who was busy wiping the other side of the counter, to reappear out of curiosity.
"You know you remind me of someone" Shepard declared
"Really?" the bartender answered, raising his eyebrows skeptically, "Who might that be?"
Shepard sighed as if she were thinking of better times, happier memories.
"Garrus Vakarian" she replied
The bartender only nodded at this, saying nothing as he instinctively refilled Shepard's glass.
Garrus meanwhile, sat back down. Slowly, things were starting to make sense- the bartender's indifference. Shepard's dress. Shepard ignoring him. One drink after the other.
"You must be torn to pieces about that" the bartender said softly, "To go out in such a way. You have my condolences."
"I really don't want to talk about it" Shepard declared sadly, "And call me Jane."
"That's a pretty name" the bartender complemented, "Jane."
Garrus was beside himself, he wasn't exactly sure what to think. He didn't even remember the incident or how long ago it was, to him everything seemed so near, as if it were yesterday.
"How long has it been?" Garrus asked, hoping against hope that one of them would answer.
Instead of answering however, Shepard and the bartender began making casual small talk in an effort to get away from the unpleasantness.
"I see" Garrus replied sadly as he began to cry to himself, "How easy it must be to forget. Time really was the enemy wasn't it? I hoped not to believe it. I hoped that we would last until the stars faded. But I guess that was too much to ask of you. It is too much to ask of you, of anyone."
Garrus slowly rose from his chair and gave himself one last look at Shepard, it took everything he had not to move for her cheek, not to kiss her head or feel her hair. He did nothing, he could only look at the scene before him as Shepard and the bartender laughed with each other about something he didn't even bother hearing. The only thing he knew was that his part in Shepard's life was over.
"Happy anniversary" Garrus replied, his voice cracking a bit at the thought, "I guess you don't like men with scars after all."
Garrus turned towards the bartender, he couldn't help but envy him, for he had what he had worked for, what he had slaved for and what he had ultimately died for, in a matter of minutes. It was insulting to think that all of that-the countless nights spent together, the things that were said, and confessions of love declared-was ultimately meaningless to Shepard, for they were thrown away like tissues, quick, easy and disposable. After a few seconds, Garrus turned towards the door and slowly made his way out of the room.
The bartender, having composed himself, began to shut down the bar for the night. Shepard meanwhile, pulled out what money she had and placed it on the counter.
"Do you miss him?" The bartender replied as he moved out from behind the counter taking the money on his way, "Garrus I mean?"
Shepard bit her lower lip hesitantly as if she didn't want to give an answer. Still despite this, Shepard gave one, first with a simple nod and then by a slow tear that ran down her cheek.
"Not a day goes by that I don't think of him" Shepard answered, "He's been gone six months and he's still everything to me."
The bartender smiled and placed his hand firmly on Shepard's shoulder showing his support.
"I know it's not my place" the bartender continued, "But if you ever need anything, to talk or whatever, I'll be here."
Garrus stopped, for he was not out of earshot quite yet and slowly turned back around, a glimmer of hope entered his heart.
"I may just take you up on that" Shepard exclaimed, "But I'm not looking for anything serious if that's what you're implying-"
The bartender immediately cut her off, for a moment forgetting that Shepard was a commander and that he was nothing but a simple bartender.
"I would never" the bartender defended, "To do so would dishonor Garrus' memory."
Shepard, mostly out of gratitude than anything else, gently kissed the bartender's cheek and smiled.
"Thanks for being here" Shepard said, "I thought for sure I was going to celebrate tonight alone."
The bartender playfully laughed and shook his head, for he would never allow such a thing to happen to anyone, no matter who or what they were. As long as he was in the bar, rank and such things did not matter.
"Happy anniversary" the bartender exclaimed as he hugged Shepard without warning, who didn't even so much as protest at the gesture, "to the both of you."
Shepard nodded and broke away, heading towards the door. Garrus, for his part, could only smile as he followed Shepard out of the bar.
"Looks like you found someone after all bartender" Garrus said as he passed through the door, "You hurt her and I'm coming after you. That my friend, you can be sure of."
The bartender meanwhile, only hummed to himself as he made one final check of the room before locking up and retiring to bed, thankful he stayed open for a minute longer than he wanted to, completely forgetting about the late night customers.