I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY FORGIVE ME!
Garrus was loathe to let Shepard go without him, but she had been firm; she'd promised to meet Joker, and she was going to go. After all, she had to stop his gossiping early. Garrus knew there was no reason for his worry, yet he couldn't help the sinking feeling in his stomach. But it was out of his hands and he sighed, turning his attention back to the gun. Shepard had already gone, and there was an experimental code splice he wanted to try…
"Gunnery Officer Vakarian?"
He jumped, looking up in the direction of EDI's camera. Even though he knew her capabilities, he sometimes forgot that she didn't need her body on board to still be present. "Yes, EDI?"
"There is a young woman from the Council Offices here to see you. She said it was important."
Council? Hm. He had no reason to be shocked; Sparatus always knew when the Normandy was in port. "I'll be right up, thank you." Whoever he had sent, the Councilor was smart enough to be discreet. At least Garrus hoped so.
The female who greeted him in the CIC was petite, for a turian, and willowy with plates that were almost white and striking black markings along her mandibles and browplates. She smiled politely, barely a shift of her expression, and held out a hand, delicate bracelets jingling from her wrists. "Garrus Vakarian, a pleasure." She was calm, detached as she waited for his answer, but he was sure that he recognized those markings…
As he shook her hand, Garrus noted the fine tailoring of her clothes and the relative softness of her palms. "Likewise, Miss…"
"Ah! Apologies, how rude of me. Valencia Daros, I work as Councilor Sparatus's personal assistant," she replied, releasing his hand.
Daros, of course. Looking at her now, he could see it. "I knew a Kairo Daros back in Basic."
Her eyes lit up and he could see a glimpse of the contagious energy his old friend had always had. "My brother . I thought your name was familiar." A true, sincere smile broke on her face and Garrus couldn't help but return it. "I'm glad Tiber is keeping such good company." On instinct, Garrus checked for lingering crew—there were none, not when they were on shore leave—and Valencia raised a brow.
"Not a lot of people on the ship know of mine and Shepard's relationship with the Councilor," he said, answering her silent question. "Actually, make that no one."
"That would explain why he asked for both you and Commander Shepard," she replied with a sly smile, "But your VI said the Commander was ashore."
VI… right. Garrus nodded. "She is. What did he want us for?"
"Drinks. Time. Contact. He gets lonely." A soft, tender expression crossed her face. "I haven't seen him as happy as he is when the Normandy's in port in a very long time."
Somewhere deep down, Garrus had known that; it was the same reason Shepard had agreed to the bond the three of them now shared, but she had seen it from the start. He wished he had been so astute. "Well, I will gladly meet him, though my lovelier half can't make it." In a conspiratorial whisper he added, "Don't tell him, though. I want it to be a surprise."
She laughed. "Of course, of course. Come, he asked me to bring you myself." He gestured for her to lead and followed at a polite distance. "Satisfy my curiosity, Officer: was it your idea to shoot bottles off the Presidium?" she asked as they descended the gangway.
From his place behind her, Garrus could see the rings woven into her fringe and wondered idly if it had hurt. "Ah, so you were his informant… Yes, it was, but Shepard didn't exactly argue with me." He shrugged, following as she started toward a parked skycar. As they drew closer, his brows rose of their own accord; the car was sleek and top of the line, its engine already humming. "Yours?"
"My pride and joy," she chirped, hopping into the driver's seat. He followed and, once he'd strapped in, she threw it into gear. It leapt into the air and glided forward, banking smoothly from one direction to the next.
"It shows."
She hummed in agreement, but he could see her thoughts were elsewhere. After a moment of silence, she spoke, "I like you, Garrus. You seem like a nice guy. So I'm hoping you won't take this the wrong way." Her mandibles fluttered slightly and he waited. "Don't… Don't hurt him. I know it sounds silly, but I've worked for him since I left basic, and I've never seen him get as close to anyone since his mate left, and I worry that…" She swallowed. "I'm worried that he can't take that again. Just… do me a favor? If this is just… a game, or something, don't let it keep going. I want him to be happy."
Silence stretched between them as she watched the road ahead. What was he supposed to say? Well, telling her the truth wouldn't hurt… Hell, the way she was worrying over the Councilor, they were probably the closest thing to family either had. He knew what happened to Kairo… There was still a trace of that loss around her eyes. "Valencia, I can say with absolute certainty, for myself and Shepard, that this isn't a game. And I will tell you that I love Tiber." He could see her gaze flicker to him, then back to the city in front of them. "I appreciate your concern for him, but I can assure you that you don't need to worry about me or Shepard."
"Good… Good…" She nodded absently. "Thank you, I… I'm glad you didn't take that the wrong way."
"Of course not." Garrus smiled his understanding and cast a cursory glance out the windows. They were getting into a much more affluent section of the Presidium; wherever she was taking him, he had a feeling it would be a lot more than he was used to.
The lounge that Valencia dropped him off at dominated an entire block, with a line around the entire building. Spirits, how was he going to get in? As he approached, he could feel the eyes of the diplomats and entrepreneurs on him; he was still in armor, both it and his face marred with scars of battle while everyone around him was dressed for a luxury evening. Damn, this was going to be terrible. The maître de looked up from his podium and blinked in surprise. "I, uh… I'm supposed to meet the turian Councilor?"
"Ah, yes," the salarian chirped happily. "He said you would be coming, Officer Vakarian. Please, his waitress will take you to him. Xera!" An asari floated over from a private booth and smiled.
"Officer Vakarian, please. Follow me."
Well… Ok. Surprise was the least of what he was feeling. Utter shock was a bit closer. No one was glowering at him, there were no whispers as he passed… He had expected at least one dirty look for being so out of place… He felt a hand on his arm and stopped, coming face to face with an older turian man.
"Officer Vakarian, I've heard a lot about you. I owe you a thank you," he said quickly, "I'm sorry for interrupting you but… my family was on Palaven. I know I have you and Commander Shepard to thank for their safety. Please, enjoy your evening."
"Um… You're welcome. Thank you. Uh…" The man left him and Garrus sought out his guide, finding her paused a few feet ahead with a smile. "Sorry."
"Don't be. My own sisters were in that Monastery. I know what you and Commander Shepard faced by going there. I know you couldn't save anyone but… Thank you, for trying."
"I… You're welcome."
He followed her through the last few twists until she paused to open a door and stepped back to let him through. "Anything I can bring you?"
"Uh… brandy, I guess… Thank you." As she left him, Garrus stepped out onto the balcony; his approach made the Councilor straighten from his place at the railing.
"Garrus, I'm glad you've made it," Sparatus greet him, turning to face him, his glass balanced in one hand. "Although, I expected you wouldn't be alone."
"Shepard was otherwise engaged, but I wanted to come anyway." Garrus replied as he moved to stand beside the older man. "I will say I've never been to a place like this."
Sparatus chuckled. "She's no doubt single-handedly solving the galaxy's problems." He slid a bit closer, leaning against the railing again. "I thought it might be a nice change of scenery to get out of the apartment. My treat."
Garrus laughed. "Actually, I think she's just terrorizing the new sushi restaurant with our pilot."
"The loud one who can't mind his own business?"
"That would be the one."
"I see… Did he ever find out what you two had been up to?" Sparatus asked, sipping his drink with a grin and Garrus snorted.
"No, but not for lack of trying. But, he invited Shepard to the restaurant, and she hasn't had it since her time on Earth. Don't know why humans like eating raw fish…"
Sparatus shuddered. "Bizarre cuisine, I could never stomach it, myself."
"They say the same about ours, you know," Garrus replied with a smirk. Sparatus looked ready to reply but Xera's return stopped him as she gave Garrus his drink. He sipped and hummed his approval. "It's weird... Every time I've gone out before, with Shepard, we get yelled at, or insulted, or blamed for what's happening or for being together… But today people are thanking me. I didn't even know people knew who I was. I don't understand—"
"Officer Vakarian?" Both men turned, each taking a careful step back from the other to create space. The krogan shifted his weight between his feet, hands uncertainly knotted in front of him. "I know you were on Tuchanka, and…" For a second, he looked like he might run, then thought better of it. "Thank you for what you did for my people." He was gone before Garrus could say anything and Sparatus chuckled.
"I see what you mean."
Garrus sighed. "I really don't know why they're doing that… Why come up to me? I'm just a soldier."
Sparatus smiled, looking out over the skyline. "Shepard is our only hope, everyone knows that. And everyone knows about her. And you. Your relationship has turned into a hot topic. But they also know what you've done, both of you. They may have been angry before, but now there's no question that we are at war, and you two are the greatest hope we have."
"Our relationship, huh?" Garrus smirked. "What about you? Have they dragged you into our 'unnatural debauchery' yet?" He didn't mean to sound bitter, yet there it was. There were times that it didn't bother him, but as time went on, it was getting harder and harder to keep from hating the people who yelled at them in the streets.
Sparatus, however, looked shocked. "People really say that?"
"Say it, scream it, write angry messages about it…" Garrus shrugged. "You still want to stick around?"
Sparatus smiled. "Nice try, but you won't be rid of me that easily."
Garrus sipped his own drink and smiled, mirroring the Councilor's posture against the railing. "Good. I'd hate to let you leave us over something like that." For a moment, neither moved, eyes locked with the other's and Garrus found himself leaning toward the older man. That, of course, came with the awareness that they were in public, yet as the time stretched on, neither moved and he decided to risk it. It only took a slight lean forward and he pressed their mouths together, sneaking his tongue to tangle with the other man's. He could feel Sparatus's trill of surprise and swallowed it, sliding over to wrap an arm around the other turian's waist. He tugged their bodies together, slipping his leg between Sparatus's, and began nipping a trail down his neck. "I missed you," Garrus growled, tracing his tongue around the mark he'd left on Sparatus's skin.
"And I you. More than you know," Sparatus purred back, one hand gripping the back of the younger man's fringe. With a rumble, Garrus flexed his talons against Sparatus's waist and gave him a rough bite. "Perhaps we should move this elsewhere?"
"I like the sound of that."
The door clicked close behind them as they entered and Garrus turned on the older man, backing him into a wall and setting about undoing the clasps of his shirt. Sparatus, however, batted his hands away and lunged, scraping his teeth down the side of his lover's neck; Garrus growled in response, letting Sparatus move them away from the wall and further into the apartment. His hips hit the edge of the counter and Garrus flipped them, bending the older man back so he could trail his tongue along the exposed plating below his collar. For all he loved Shepard, there was something comforting about being with another turian, and it was even more true with the Councilor, an experienced older man. Speaking of which… Sparatus had already managed to shuck off some of his armor, leaving his shoulders and chest exposed to the warm air of the apartment. He hummed as more of the plates fell away and Sparatus pressed against him, only the layers of their clothing separating them.
"Somehow, I'm going to have to convince you to stay," Sparatus purred against his neck, dragging his undersuit down his arms. Yet he left it bunched around Garrus's wrists, locking them behind his back, and smirked. "If you all keep up this habit of disappearing for weeks on end, I might have to do something… drastic."
"Drastic, hm?" Garrus asked with a growl, ducking his head enough to catch the Councilor's tongue with his. Sparatus pulled back with a rumble and Garrus grinned.
"Troublemaker…"
"You love it."
"Mmm… Maybe you need an education in how much…" With a quiet growl, the older man ripped off the rest of his armor and tore his undersuit from his body, letting the fabric fall in shreds. Garrus gave a surprised warble, but it subsided into a contented purr as Sparatus trailed rough palms down his body.
"Well, I guess I won't be wearing that again," he breathed, reaching for his partner's clothes, yet Sparatus batted his hands away with a quiet tsk.
"I'm educating you, remember. You don't get to touch." His tongue found the gaps in Garrus's plates, trailing down his carapace, and the younger male melted back against the counter he was pinned to, giving up on resisting. At least for the moment. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he wanted to turn the tables, but… Later. It could wait. Especially if Sparatus was going to keep—
Rational thought dissolved as Sparatus's tongue pressed against his parting groin plates and his breath escaped him a rush. Oh that was not fair… His fingers tightened on the older man's shoulders as Sparatus coaxed his erection from behind his plates and a low whine rumbled in the back of his throat.
"Tease," he finally forced out, opening his eyes long enough to give his partner a dirty look, but Sparatus just chuckled, talons flexing against the plates of the younger turian's thighs.
"Are you complaining?" he asked, lifting a browplate as he leaned back. Garrus's eyes widened and he quickly shook his head, making Sparatus laugh again. "I thought not." He was back on his feet in only a moment and brought their mouths together hungrily.
Idly, Garrus wondered how he had gone so long without knowing what kissing was—it seemed like the perfect, intimate act—but that train of thought swiftly derailed as his awareness came crashing back to the moment at hand: he was completely naked, and Sparatus had still managed to keep his clothes. Oh, that would have to change… While the elder turian was distracted, Garrus made short work of his tunic, taking the time to explore the now-familiar terrain of his lover—no, his mate's—torso. His talons left hot trails on exposed skin and Sparatus purred against him, pressing his hips forward. Garrus hissed at the friction against his already-sensitive length and snaked a hand between them, stroking his partner through his clothes. Sparatus dropped his forehead to Garrus's shoulder as his breath began to come in heavy pants, his hips bucking of their own accord.
"If I had known this was all it would take to drive you mad…" Garrus drawled with a self-satisfied smirk that made Sparatus want to throw him against the wall.
But he didn't. Instead, he planted a sharp bite on the younger man's collar and gave him one order: "Shut up."
And Garrus obeyed, content to occupy himself instead by nibbling a trail up and down Sparatus's neck as he undid the older man's pants. "Anything you want if you talk like that," he purred, finally stripping his partner of his clothes. Sparatus rumbled something nondescript and Garrus grinned, taking the chance to explore his lover's body with his hands.
"You seem to have… a different definition of… Ah, Spirits… shutting up," Sparatus finally ground out, subharmonics wavering as Garrus pressed him back against the wall.
"Mm, well, I'm very vocal about what I want, ask anyone," Garrus replied, his voice a low rumble deep in his chest, "And right now, I want you."
The groan of approval that escaped the Councilor shot straight through him and, distracted for a moment by how sharply it affected him, Garrus found their positions reversed, the wall pressed firmly against his back.
"Prove it."
The challenge those two words held, the stubborn disobedience resonating from the man's subharmonics snapped something within him and Garrus felt a surge of possessiveness crash over him. With a rough, savage growl, he spun them, pressing the Councilor's chest against the wall and biting at his shoulder. He molded his front to Sparatus's back and trailed his tongue along the back of his partner's neck. When Sparatus strained to look at him, Garrus felt a surge of adrenaline and bit hard on the muscle just below his neck. "Gladly." It felt animal, the way his body yearned to take control of his partner. Carnal need ran through him like fire and he forced Sparatus's legs further apart, one arm wrapping around the man's waist as he planted the other on the wall, beside his partner's. "Tell me to stop," he growled, feeling the tip of his cock pressed against his partner's warmth. "Or I won't later."
"Not a chance," Sparatus panted, Garrus's hand spread across the lower part of his stomach, just inches shy of where he desperately needed it to be.
"Good choice." Sparatus's talons left uneven gauges in the wall as Garrus pressed forward, drawing rough moans from both of them; Sparatus's subharmonics cracked and whined as the young sniper rocked his hips experimentally, fingers tensing automatically against the now-scarred paneling. Garrus's hand on the wall slid up to grip the elder man's shoulder as he began to move faster, mandibles flaring as he panted. The pliant body beneath him squeezed and clung to him as he thrust, and he could feel the delicious pressure building in his core. "Fuck I missed you," the younger man groaned, dropping down to nip at his partner's shoulder.
But Sparatus said nothing—couldn't—as his mouth opened and closed uselessly; the groans and moans coming from his throat were echoed by the man behind him and he pressed back against the sniper's hips, changing the angle just enough to make the both of them see stars. "Ah, Garrus, please!" he begged, tilting his head just enough to catch the unfocused blue eyes of his mate. Garrus's hand on his partner's stomach slid down, leaving a trail of fire that made the Councilor's breath hitch when his fingers circled the sensitive shaft of his neglected length. One confident stroke made his vision blur and the elder turian's knees nearly buckled, only the firm, insistent grip of his lover's arms keeping him from falling. His cry was nearly a yell as Garrus matched the pace of his hand to that of his hips, growling and biting more insistently along the Councilor's cowl.
"Tell me what you want," Garrus demanded, his breath ghosting along Sparatus's cheek, his tempo never wavering.
To his credit, Sparatus made a valiant effort at answering before letting out a low groan and bucking his hips forward into his partner's hand. "Don't stop."
Garrus's shaky, breathy laugh betrayed his fraying grip on control before he answered, "Anything else?"
"Shut up and keep fucking me," Sparatus forced out, subvocals dropping into a gravelly, desperate purr in the back of his throat. His hands began to shake against the wall, and he was suddenly acutely aware that he had seconds before his mind left him; euphoric sensation began to steadily overpower all of his other thoughts, radiating bursts of pleasure pulsing from his core as his lover dutifully did as asked.
Just like that, their pace wavered, Garrus's thrust becoming erratic and finally going still as he came with a muted roar, his jaws clamped tight on the back of Sparatus's neck; the Councilor whined at the sudden stop, his heart pounding in his skull. He was so fucking close…
"How much did you miss us?" Garrus murmured as he withdrew, sliding his hand down from his partner's shoulder to stroke along his waist, squeezing lightly with his other hand.
Oh the fucking tease… "More than… ah, more than you can imagine," he forced out, his hips jerking involuntarily as Garrus restarted his ministrations at an achingly slow pace.
"Mmm… Give me a hint," the sniper purred, running his tongue along the back edge of his partner's mandible. "Does it keep you up at night?" His hand on the Councilor's waist tightened, his talons leaving trails of heat along the exposed flesh. "Does it make you ache?" The strangled noise Sparatus made as he sped up his hand was more than enough of an answer, and the younger man purred against his lover's back. "Does it?"
"Spirits, yes." Sparatus gulped in a breath of air, struggling to cling to his last vestiges of control. He couldn't hold out much longer.
A few strong passes of Garrus's hand and Sparatus came with a loud groan, his seed coating the abused wall and Garrus's hand. For a few moments, neither moved, panting and savoring the intimate contact. But it was Garrus who moved first, stumbling back to lean against the counter they had abandoned on their way in. He was grinning insolently as Sparatus straightened and blinked the glaze of euphoria from his eyes, and the elder man narrowed his eyes in mild reproach.
"Troublemaker," the Councilor repeated, a lazy smile spreading across his face as he rolled the tension out of his neck. He carefully stepped around the messy piles of their clothes and bumped his brow against the younger man's, earning a pleased warble in response.
"You love it." Garrus flicked a mandible in a smirk and ducked his head to land a playful nip on Sparatus's neck. But before either could say anything more Garrus's omnitool pinged and the sniper sighed apologetically.
Yet as he read, his brow furrowed and his mandibles pulled tight to his face. Sparatus tilted his head in silent question when the younger turian pushed away from the counter to begin feverishly gathering his armor. "Bad news?"
Garrus's gaze flashed over to him, and the Councilor could see the fire of possessive rage in his lover's eyes. "Shepard's been attacked."
In case you can't tell, I'm really sorry for how long it took to write this chapter. I just got stuck about halfway through it and then didn't make headway for months. =( But, it's finally done! And I know where it's going after this so there should NEVER be a delay like this again.
And huge thank yous to the person who makes all this possible: Greenyoda987
