a/n: Alrighty, this is my first shot at a "romance" scene - so I apologize if it under-fulfills! Reviews always appreciated and welcomed! Even corrections and critique :)

Shepard didn't give herself time to look at anyone as she stalked off the shuttle. The ride back to the Normandy hadn't been the reprieve from the encounter back on the planet that Shepard had hoped it would be. She rubbed her forehead as she entered the elevator, oblivious to everything except her own thoughts. She had almost made it the entire elevator ride to her cabin before she realized that Garrus was standing next to her.

He was staring at her. Intently. She fidgeted a bit as they stood there, utterly alone and just enough time had passed from their earlier encounter to make her awkward about it. Was it just flow over anger from the fight, or was there something to what they had been doing? She sighed a bit and began to rub at her forehead again. She was slowly going to overthink herself into a migraine.

To Shepard's immediate relief, the elevator doors slid open and she was able to put some distance between her and Garrus. Once distance was achieved, she turned back to look him in the eyes, not bothering to hide the emotions playing through her – there would be no Commander mask on tonight.

"Was that a pissed off Turian thing, or was that…"

She couldn't finish her question because Garrus had started to growl. Goosebumps ran over her skin as her eyes widened – he was, angrily, removing his armor and unceremoniously depositing it on the floor. She briefly noted that he had managed to get just inside her door before he started his disrobing, and had also locked her door. She gulped as many questions threated to bubble to the surface, a statement rose to her lips despite herself.

"You've been avoiding me, you didn't want to talk to me, to touch me."

She had sounded more hurt than she meant to, she winced at herself and then again when she caught the look on Garrus' face. He paused once he got to his under armor, looking at her with what could only be described as a Turian's version of the "deadpan" look.

"You were avoiding me! Spirits, Shepard, Jane, I've spent two years mourning you! Why would I want to avoid you right when I've gotten you back! You've been avoiding me!"

He was practically yelling by the end, his chest heaving with the effort it took for him not to start throwing things around the room. Shepard couldn't help it, the shock of him finally using her first name coupled with her obvious misrepresentation of the events took her over, she started to laugh. Covering her mouth and shooting Garrus a look of sincere apology as she nearly lost her footing. God she had been so stupid.

"I'm sorry… Garrus, I thought you were mad at me. I thought you were avoiding me, apparently neither of us are very good at reading each other."

She was still chuckling as he closed the gap between them, he placed his hands on her shoulders and looked at her with tender amusement before his face twisted with concern.

"Mad at you? About what?"

She didn't even hesitate in her answer.

"Dying, coming back, I don't kn-"

Before she finished her sentence, Garrus had pulled her harshly into his chest. She could feel his heart thrumming against her cheek, his breath turned angry for a brief moment.

"I would never be angry at you for either of those, especially for coming back. Spirits I mourned you when you died," his voice cracked faintly, "I was so ready to follow you when you found me. I've only wanted to be with you for two years."

His confession broadsided her; obviously she knew he was attracted to her – but that level of devotion? She had no idea. Before she had time to doubt herself out of it, she raised her hand to his unblemished cheek and mandible. All the emotion she was feeling plainly written on her face as the words left her lips before she could censor herself.

"You were the last thing I thought of when…" She stopped herself, she will not relive her death right now, "You were my first thought when I woke up. God Garrus I love you so –"

She slapped her hand over her mouth as the last bit slipped out; she wasn't going to ruin this by pushing him into something he wasn't ready for. She knew he cared, but not to that extent. She looked up at him wide-eyed, terrified at herself.

Garrus simply chuckled and tugged at her wrist, pulling her hand from her mouth.

"I love you too, Jane; spirits it feels so good to say that out loud."

He pressed his forehead against hers, absently wondering if she understood the significance of the gesture. The smile never left his eyes as he gazed into her own blue orbs. He watched the realization of his own confession wash over her, reveling in the feeling of finally having something right come together.

She chuckled nervously before lightly punching him in the chest.

"You're never allowed to die, Vakarian. I would raise you from the dead just to kick your ass around the galaxy. God we're so messed up."

She said the last bit with exasperation at the past few days. Shaking her head, she looked up at him. She felt lighter, freer than she had since waking up. Finally, she was starting to feel like herself. Tentatively moving her hand to cup his neck below his fringe, she pulled him down kissed his lip plates. The kiss was soft, reassuring, she sighed against his lips and closed her eyes for a moment, taking in the feel of them together.

Before she could fully register what was happening, he was simultaneously growling and lifting her to get a better angle. She gasped slightly and gripped his neck tighter, his growl tempo increasing with the action. Never taking his eyes off her face, he moved them further into her room. The intent was clear; they were going to finish what they had started planet-side – only this time they knew what was between them.

The air had been cleared of the emotional baggage, but what about the physical differences? That was going to be a whole other challenge.

As they moved further into the room, Garrus began unfastening her armor, removing each piece like he was unwrapping a treasured gift, his eyes roaming over her face. He planted little kisses – or his version of kisses, more like little nips of his teeth and plates – down her jaw and neck, eliciting soft moans from her lips. Finally, they made it to the bed and he pushed her under-armor down, leaving her in a tank top and pair of black short-style panties. She suddenly felt a little self-conscious at her lack of feminine clothing, but she wasn't allowed to dwell on it for long.

Before she could say anything, Garrus was slipping out of his own under-armor, leaving it bunched at his waist for now. His torso was completely unclothed and as Shepard glanced over him, her breath caught. He was so marvelous, so perfect. She didn't know what she was expecting, never having really seen an unclothed Turian before, but whatever she was expecting – she was pleased with what she saw. She ran her hands over his chest before he caught her wrist and simultaneously growling and flashing a Turian smile. Pushing her backwards more, her legs bumped into the bed she had forgotten was there and she fell backwards with a small yelp.

He fell with her, pinning her arms above her head and using her hands, and a nudge from his knee, to push her more fully onto the bed. He used his free hand to explore her body as she had just been doing to his.

"Let me explore you, please Jane… I've…"

The words that he was pleading stopped when he caught the look on her flushed face. He let go of one of her hands, the other remaining entwined with his. Her free hand gripped the bed, as if to keep herself from ruining his own exploration with her own. She nodded silently to him, breaths coming in gasps from her lips as she ground her hips up slightly against his strategically placed knee. He hissed at the contact, pressing his forehead against the side of her neck as his free hand began to roam over her torso – learning the planes and dips, enticing more moans out of her as his hand slid up her tank top, glancing over her sensitive rib cage and heading closer and closer to her breasts.

Breasts worried him, not that he didn't appreciate that male humans found them attractive, but he didn't know how to handle them. Were they to be handled roughly? Was any of her to be handled roughly? Deciding not to tempt fate just yet, he moved his hand from North to South, deciding that the region he should get to know more was the one under her deliciously tight shorts. She whined slightly at the loss of contact but then moaned loudly as his hand slid under the brim of her shorts. He abruptly realized that there was nothing but flesh under them and he groaned against her neck. She was so hot.

Testing the waters, Garrus found the entrance to her sex and was pleasantly surprised to find it pre-lubricated. Softly, he explored her folds with his finger, careful not to cut her with the sharp plating. His head shot up slightly when she gyrated her hips against his hand, the moan ripping through her throat nearly sending him into a primal state that was against his better judgment. Smiling slightly, he cautiously slid one finger into her and groaned as her muscles gripped it, enticing him further in. What would that feel like against his organ? He shuddered at the thought.

"Tell me how to please you."

The request was more guttural than he normally spoke; the effect not lost on her as she took her free hand and joined his in her underwear. She positioned his rough palm against a nub of skin at the top of her sex, grinding the palm slightly, she squeaked out a moan that was quickly followed by a shudder. She encouraged his finger to move slowly inside of her as she ground her hips in time with his slight thrusts. Before long, she pulled his hand away slightly and directed his already moist finger to the same nub; she showed him how to ghost feather-light touches over the piece of skin that brought her moans out more forcefully, her body shuddering in time with each touch.

He was mesmerized; such a small piece of flesh could cause her to lose control like this? He would have to tease her more often – but for now she seemed awfully close to climax and he wasn't sure he wouldn't join her – which would be embarrassing as all hell since he was still clothed from the waist down. Seeming to mirror his thoughts, Shepard pushed his hand away.

"Please, Garrus. I can't wait any longer. H-Have.."

She couldn't finish her sentence, she didn't have to. In one quick moment, Garrus stood, fully slipped out of his clothes, and was back to being positioned over her. Hiking her legs up around his waist, he groaned as her thighs cradled his narrow, sensitive hips.

"I, I don't know that I can hold back."

He was suddenly acutely aware that his control was slipping. Any control he had was lost when she looked at him with sheer determination and need.

"I don't want you to."

That simple statement threw him over the edge. She was excepting him completely, no fear, no hesitation. He returned the gesture in kind, lifting her hips and thrusting himself into her harshly with one quick movement. She was impossibly tight; he heard her breath hitch as his length impaled her. He started to worry that maybe he had hurt her, but she gripped her muscles around him and he growled loudly at the action – female Turian's couldn't do that.

Relentlessly, his control slipped. Growling and hissing, he thrust into her at a demanding pace. He had just enough peace of mind to register that she was clinging to him, matching his thrusts, and screaming in time with his growls. It was, quite possibly, the most fulfilling moment in his existence, it was the most at peace he had felt in a long time. He was getting so close to spilling inside of her and judging from her heightened moans and screams, she was pretty damn close herself.

Grinding up against him harshly, Shepard clenched her muscles hard as shudders wracked her body. Her orgasm hit her hard and completely. Moaning out Garrus' name more lustfully than she ever remembered saying anyone's name, she felt him tense.

Before he could register what he was doing, Garrus placed his face against her shoulder, his teeth embedding themselves into her soft flesh. She screamed his name out, no pain present, just desire. His orgasm came upon him abruptly, the moment she said his name. He didn't even have time to think about what he was doing, his body going into overdrive as he marked Shepard as his mate – his permanent mate. Her moaned against her flesh as his orgasm moved over him, wave after wave. He jerked his hips multiple times, the need to make sure that she felt every spasm prevalent in his mind.

As his mind started to come back to him, he rolled off of her. He pulled her with him slightly, her leg draped over his waist as she cuddled against his side. Both of them were heaving with the exertion they just put themselves through. Chuckling softly, he felt her snuggle against him before she propped herself up on her elbow to look at him. He couldn't remember a time he had seen her this relaxed.

A twinkle in her eye had him gracing her with a curious glance, she smiled devilishly.

"Again?"