AN: So sorry this took so long to get out! I was hit with a case of writer's block for this particular story!
Chapter Three
Garrus was being slowly coaxed into consciousness by the sensations of soft, human lips pressing into the sensitive, unplated skin underneath his jaw. With a growling purr, he tightened his arms around the small woman in his arms. "That's certainly more effective than the alarm I set," he mumbled, his voice deeper than usual and still coated with sleep. He groaned as he felt the warm tingle of her biotics caressing over his skin.
"I can always let you go back to sleep," Carli teased, moving closer and closer to his mouth, her warm breath tickling his across his skin. "if you want."
Keeping his face free of expression, he grabbed her pillows and shoved them behind his head to support his fringe so he could roll over onto his back comfortably, and closed his eyes. "Sounds good."
Shepard pulled away, gaping at her turian. "Seriously?"
He tried not to grin and failed, as he opened one eye to look over at her. "What? I'm tired. You woke me up before the alarm. I still have time to sleep."
Pursing her lips, she crawled over him, straddling his hips. "Come on, Garrus," she whined. "You left me here all day to watch that horrible movie. You promised you'd make it up to me."
Garrus couldn't hold back his chuckle at her pleading tone. "Ah, Carli. Fleet and Flotilla isn't that bad."
Crinkling her nose, she gave him a dubious look. "It's not that good, either."
"True. Great soundtrack though."
Rolling her sapphire eyes, Shepard leaned forward, pressing her forehead to his. "Now, are you gonna start making it up to me," she shifted her hips, grinning seductively as his breath caught in response, "or are you going to waste our shore leave on sleep?"
The turian gripped her hips to still her movements. Oh, how he wanted to give into her. Hell, his plates had started shifting the moment she placed those soft, fleshy lips on his skin, and her being above him wasn't helping. But Garrus had very specific plans for this evening, and he wasn't about to ruin them. Still, he couldn't stop his hands from trailing up her back until one of them reached the amp port at the back of her hairline, gently bringing her mouth down to meet his.
He could feel the triumphant grin against his mouth plates as she slid her small, delicate hands up his chest to caress his fringe. "I missed you today," she breathed.
Pride and happiness swelled in his chest at her words. Never in a million years had Garrus thought he would ever meet a woman who wanted him, let alone miss him in his absence, especially a human woman. Before meeting Shepard, he had resigned himself to be nothing more than a casual fling among turian females. He was far too awkward around the opposite sex when it came to initiating in conversation that didn't revolve around weapons or military jargon.
Conversations had always been easy with Carli, up until their relationship finally shifted when he had inadvertently mentioned a prior liaison with a certain recon scout during his time in the turian military, leading to their decision to "blow off steam" together. Then, of course, he wasn't able to keep his foot out of his mouth. She didn't seem to mind, though. Apparently, she found it endearing.
Reaching up, he gently removed the elastic band from her hair, watching, mesmerized, as it cascaded down her shoulders to the top of her breasts. He couldn't stop the urge to run his talons through the silken dark strands. "You have no idea how much I would have preferred to have been with you today," he kissed her again, slow and sweet. "But we'll have all day tomorrow just the two of us. How does that sound?"
"Mmm," she smiled, trailing kisses once again down his neck, finding the sensitive area once again with her tiny, blunt teeth. "Sounds perfect, but I say we start the festivities right now."
Garrus stifled a moan as she shifted her hips over his teasingly at the same time she bit down harder on the spot on his neck. "Carli," he groaned, his hips instinctively bucking up to meet hers. He was really hoping to save this until after the party, but she was making waiting incredibly difficult.
Sensing his indecision, she sat up, grinning impishly down at him before removing her sweater in one quick motion. Shepard gently grasped his hands in hers and slowly drew his hands up her sides to rest just under her bra.
The turian swallowed hard, his throat dry as his body and mind warred with one another. He'd made very specific plans for this evening, plans he was looking forward to. But, spirits, she was driving him mad. Plus, the war was keeping them both so busy that they didn't get to spend as much time together as either of them would have liked.
Shepard shifted her hips again, slow and deliberate. Screw it, his body finally won the battle. He sat up and drew her closer, pressing his mouth to hers as his hands found the back clasp of her bra.
The screeching alarm from his omni-tool blared to life, causing both of them jump. Garrus groaned as he flopped back down onto his pile of pillows, both relieved and highly disappointed at the interruption.
Shepard, though, was just annoyed. "What the hell is that for?"
He chuckled at her peeved expression. "We have reservations at the Ambiance in just under two hours. We have to get ready."
She grinned, a slow, seductive tilt of lips as she leaned down once more to run the tip of her tongue over his mouth plates. "That's my favorite place."
"I know."
Trailing a hand slowly down his carapace and stomach… and dipped lower. "Two hours, huh? Plenty of time."
Growling, the turian gripped her hips, and in one swift movement, had her pinned beneath him. "You will be the death of me yet, woman." He kissed her quickly before moving away and off the bed, amused at her disapproving scowl, he gently grasped her hands and pulled her up with him. "Come on. Into the shower with you."
She pouted, sticking her plump bottom lip out as she leaned against his chest and gazed up at him from underneath her long eyelashes. "You're not going to join me?"
Garrus snorted at her pitiful, yet oddly sexy expression. "Carli, if I join you, we'll never make it out of the apartment and we'll miss our reservations." he nuzzled his nose into her hair before pushing her towards the bathroom. "Now go."
Shepard stuck her tongue out at him as she brushed past him, but stopped half way to the bathroom, her shoulders slumping. "Ugh. The Ambiance is classy restaurant. The only thing I have to wear is that horrific N7 dress."
He laughed, ushering her out. "Don't worry. I'll have it sorted out by the time you're finished." he pushed her into the bathroom , closing the door on his way out, effectively cutting off her response.
Garrus waited until he heard the water turn on before heading to the guest room where he'd hidden his purchases, laying everything out on the bed for her. Satisfied, he went off to get himself ready, nervousness and excitement settling in his gut.
Carli stared open mouthed at the items that had been arranged neatly on the bed for her. She ran a hand over the silky texture of the dress. Garrus had chosen an entire outfit from top to bottom, and even underneath. Heat rushed to her face as she imagined the adorably awkward turian rummaging around a lingerie store. Her adorably awkward turian. The dress's color even reminded her of his colony markings.
The dress itself was stunning, though a little short, (stopping at just above mid-thigh) and...revealing for her tastes. Granted, she was used to her standard military fatigues and combat boots, not pretty dresses and high heels. Heels! How in the hell was she supposed to walk in these things?
Biting her lip, she tossed her robe aside and replaced it with the barely-there underwear and strapless bra before sliding the dress on. She smirked and rolled her eyes the moment she looked into the full length mirror and realized why he had chosen this particular dress.
From the right side, it looked like your typical cocktail dress with a three-quarter length sleeve. The left side, however was sleeveless, leaving her bare from her collarbone to her fingertips. It covered her at her breast, held together with a crystal studded clasp, enough covering to keep her modest. Two more clasps held the dress together just under her ribs and another above her hip.
Shepard had to admit, the dress did great things to get figure, though she felt way out of her comfort zone. Granted, anything outside of her BDU's or a pair of jeans and a t-shirt were out of her comfort zone.
She took a deep breath. She might be uncomfortable, but for Garrus, she'd suck it up.
Fastening the last clasp on his formal tunic, Garrus ventured out of the guest room, his stomach in knots. Would Carli like the dress he had chosen? Probably not, as anything that didn't bare the Alliance colors or were made of mesh and alloy were out of her norm.
His mandibles fluttered nervously as he made his way back to their bedroom. He froze in the doorway as his eyes found her, his breath caught in his throat.
Shepard was standing in the bathroom, her back to him as she piled her mass of wavy dark brown hair onto the top of her head in that way that she had described as a "stylish mess."
The turian swallowed hard. She looked incredible; the dress's material clung to her well toned body like a second skin. He was dangerously close to canceling their dinner reservations and saying to hell with the party. Shepard would never know, right?
A low rumble unconsciously started vibrating from his chest when she bent down to adjust the straps of the silver heels, causing the back of the dress to ride up the back of her thighs. He caught a glimpse of the lace edgings of the thigh-high stockings she had paired with the dress.
Shepard spun quickly, startled. She laughed breathlessly. "Dammit, Vakarian. Warn a girl you're there next time, will you? Save me from a heart attack." she scolded half-heartedly before turning back around to finish applying her makeup.
He chuckled as he moved towards her, crossing his arms over his chest, which he admitted to himself, was mostly to keep from touching her. He leaned against the door frame. "I do believe I have inadvertently resigned myself to a night of torture."
Garrus watched as Shepard's lips quirk into a knowing smile from her reflection in the mirror. "Oh?"
Pushing himself off the door frame, he slowly moved behind her, his hands automatically finding the curve of her hips and nuzzled his nose into her hair, savoring the lovely, floral scent. "You look incredible, Carli. It's going to be hell trying to behave myself in public with you looking like that."
She giggled and turned in his arms and reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. "You brought it on yourself, you know." Leaning up on her toes, she pressed a kiss to his mandible, smiling at the smudge her lipstick left behind and wiped it away with her thumb.
He sighed wistfully and pressed his forehead against hers. "Is it too late to cancel? You don't really need to eat, right?"
She snorted as she pulled away from him and exited the bathroom, making sure to add a little extra sway to her hips. "Sorry Vakarian, that ship has sailed. We humans have a saying back on Earth: 'You snooze, you lose'."
He watched he walk away and growled. "Spirits, I really hate losing."
Shepard watched with barely contained amusement as her turian lover fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat. "Garrus? Are you sure you're alright? You've been acting strange all night, and I know it can't just be about the dress."
Garrus huffed, his mandibles flaring wide in embarrassment. "You say that, Shepard, but you haven't noticed all of the other men and woman checking you out all evening."
She snorted, placing her napkin onto the table. "You're delusional, Garrus. You're also deflecting my question."
The turian took a deep breath and reached across the table, taking her hand in his. He gently ran his thumb over her knuckles. The hand, once being so foreign to him with it's much smaller sizer, incredibly soft texture, and too many fingers now familiar and welcome. Those hands now represented a place of warmth, and comfort. Home. "You know, Carli, you've pretty much ruined me for the woman of my race," he paused, considering his words. "actually, you've ruined me for other women in general."
He was rewarded with a radiant smile on those soft pink lips as she raised his hand to her face, and pressed a kiss into his palm. Her azure eyes shining brightly as she regarded him. "Easy there, Garrus. You'll spoil a woman with talk like that."
Garrus chuckled, giving a slight tug on her hand to bring her forward enough so he could press his forehead against hers. "I'm okay with that."
They gazed at each other for a moment before he spoke again. Taking another deep breath, he leaned back slightly so he could see her face clearly. He briefly entertained the thought of how human males managed to do this without having a panic attack. Turian culture was so much easier.
He swallowed hard. He could do this. "Carli, I -"
"Could I get you two anything else?" the voice of their asari waitress interrupted.
The turian had a hard time suppressing the growl that started to rumble in his chest. Leaning back, he reluctantly let go of Shepard's hand, the moment effectively ruined. "Just the check, please."
Afterwards, Garrus ushered Shepard towards Purgatory. It was still another forty-five minutes before he had to escort her to the party. Plenty of time for a drinks maybe a little dancing.
He and the rest of the Normandy's crew had always teased the commander about her dancing, but the truth was, given the right music and tempo, she would get so caught up in the beat that she became just as graceful and sexy as she was on the battlefield.
Now here she was, her back pressed against his front, her arm stretched back around his neck, in the darkest corner of the club, with his hands tightly gripping her hips as they swayed to the music.
Garrus found himself not caring about all of the eyes watching them. Some of them judgmental due to the their unusual pairing. Turian and human couples weren't unheard of, but they certainly weren't commonplace. Others stared because of their respective statuses. There weren't many people these days who didn't know who Carli Shepard and Garrus Vakarian. The rest were staring because of envy, hungry eyes staring at the gorgeous woman in his arms.
She was his, and if the rest of the night went as he hoped it would, she would be his for the rest of their lives.
He buried his face in the crook of her neck, taking in her scent, a mixture of floral and spices he couldn't name, but was undeniably Shepard. He was secretly grateful that she couldn't hear the nervousness and anxiety screaming from his subharmonics.
Before he could stop himself, he slowly traced the line of her neck, up her jaw, stopping to nip gently at her ear. He grinned when he felt her shiver in his arms, and knew it had nothing to do with being cold. "Marry me, Shepard."
Shepard froze, and he immediately he began to panic. Spirits, did I say it wrong? Had he been misinterpreting their relationship this entire time? No, that couldn't be right. Carli had told him on many occasions that she loved him, and even if he had never said it back -
Realization smacked him hard in the face. Stupid turian! He scolded himself. Up until now, he hadn't realized it, but he had never said it back. Instead, he'd always answered it with a kiss or pressing their foreheads together. Could she really doubt how he felt about her?
Slowly, she turned in his arms, her blue eyes wide with shock as they met his terrified ones. "Wh-what?"
Garrus swallowed hard and pressed his forehead against hers in desperation, his heart threatening to beat out of his chest. "I love you, Carli Shepard. You have effectively ruined me for anyone else, human or turian. I want you as my bond mate - my wife - if you'll have me."
Carli stared at him for what seemed like an eternity. He opened his mouth to say something - anything - to get her snap her out of her dazed stupor. "Shep -"
His words were cut off by the press of her lips to his mouth plates and her arms snaking up to wind around his neck.
Shocked, it took the turian a moment to process what was going on before responding to her heated kiss with equal fervor. He moaned low in his throat, his own arms wrapping around her waist to pull her flush against his body.
"Yes," she whispered against his mouth. Pulling back slightly, she gazed up at him, her smile almost shy as tears glistened in those lovely sapphire pools. "nothing would make me happier than to be your mate. I love you, Garrus Vakarian."
He drew her to him again, assaulting her mouth with those human kisses he had grown to crave.
"Home," she demanded, breath warm on his face as her hands slid underneath his tunic to tease the unplated skin there. "take me home."
Yes, he thought, home. He needed his woman in this moment more than he needed the air he breathed. But the apartment was so far away.
He was vaguely aware there was something else he was supposed to be doing, but spirits, Shepard had his brain so addled with desire he couldn't think straight.
Looking around, he spotted a door in the back and pulled her towards it. A part of him felt a little ashamed for his impatience, and that their perfect evening shouldn't end in a broom closet, but his need for his mate in that moment was too intense. I'll make it up to her later, he silently promised.
Garrus felt the smallest vibration coming from his omni-tool, that he knew he should check, but Shepard's tongue was suddenly in his mouth and all thoughts that didn't surround her were lost.
Somehow, he managed to get the door opened without breaking contact with the alluring woman in his arms and pulled her into the darkness of the room.
Breathing ragged, Shepard wrapped herself around him, her soft mouth nipping at his as her nimble fingers teased the skin behind his fringe, eliciting a soft moan from the turian.
The light suddenly flipped on as an ear splitting shout of, "Surprise!" and "Happy Birthday, Shepard!" reverberated throughout the room.
The couple froze, arms and mouths still locked together as they were met with the sounds of uncomfortable throat clearings, shouts of encouragement, and snickers of amusement.
Slowly, Shepard's head turned away from his, eyes settling on the familiar faces of her Normandy crew as they took in the couple undignified embrace as she finally registered what was going on. Her voice was low and threatening as she pulled away from him and smoothed her dress.
"You are so going to pay for this later."
If you'd like to see what Shepard's dress looks like, this is it: (just remove ALL spaces and replace the "dot" with a .)
image3 dot oasap dot com /o_img / 2014 / 03 / 07 / 37760 - 213814 - big / sexy - one - arm-mini - club - dress - blue dot jpg
I figured our resident turian would find that dress drool worthy ;)