This idea was prompted to me by a reader:

"...I can see Vu getting totally hit on by other Turians while on the Majestic. Mostly because her mark means one of two things, one being that she is in fact mated, but also that she totally knows how to handle a Turian. Which will only cause Garrus to get all territorial…"

Thanks, Des! Hope you like it!

"You sure you're alright?" Garrus asked again, "This isn't going to be like that time you took a bullet for me back at C-Sec, played it off as a bruise, then a week later we found out you had three broken ribs."

I shook my head with a reminiscing smile, "I'm fine, Garrus. My armor's a lot thicker than it was back then." I poked gingerly at the impact area on my thigh, "Just a bruise, for sure."

The devastation Cerberus caused on the Citadel was appalling. We had stopped them, of course, but not before one of the Normandy's old crew members took an assassin's sword to the gut. Shepard had just left us to go check on Thane in the Huerta Memorial Hospital. Word was, he wasn't going to make it. I personally had never met the guy, but the drell had sure put up one hell of a fight. It was impressive to witness.

The entire Normandy crew did what we could to clear up the majority of the mess and help the wounded into the over-crowded hallways of the hospital. Once C-Sec thanked us, assuring that we had done all we could, everyone was relieved for 48 hours of shore leave. Shepard had a lot of loose ends to tie up on the Citadel, especially with that dramatic shit Alenko had pulled back there with the Council. Udina was dead, and good riddance. I never did like that guy. If she had asked me, I would have told the Commander to leave Alenko's bitchy ass there when were left dock. In fact, I mulled over the thought more than once. I was her second in command, after all.

It was disturbing how quickly things fell back into step considering all that had just transpired at that place. Shops reopened, business sold their products, and hotels ran their front desks with a polite smile. The asari concierge greeted us as though nothing had happened, smiling brightly.

"Welcome to the Majestic! Checking in, sir?"

Garrus placed Jack's card onto the table, "Yes, we have a reservation under this number."

She typed the number into the console, "Ah, yes, It looks like we have your down for our honeymoon suite. Congratulations!"

Garrus and I shared an awkward, embarrassed glance, "Thanks."

"Here is your room key, and our bellhop will take your things for you. Also, please accept a gift of levo-dextro champagne as our congratulations for you and your beautiful bride."

We were covered in soot, sticky with sweat, and still dressed in our blood-splattered armor. The compliment felt out of place, but I grinned politely. My confused mate leaned over to me as the asari finished the transaction, "My beautiful what?"

"Human term for a new mate."

"I see."

"At this rate, the whole damn Citadel is going to know."

He stood back up straight and shrugged, "Maybe it's not such a bad thing."

After we made it to our room and our things were delivered, we took advantage of the much needed privacy to fulfill number 235 in my list of Garrus Vakarian fantasies; shower sex. It was even better than I had pictured it. As he lifted me up by my thighs and pinned me against the tiled wall under the foggy heat of the water, I took brief notice of the angry black and blue bruise that was already starting to encircle my left leg. It wasn't pretty, but it would heal just fine. The Majestic boasted a spectacular levo-dextro restaurant on their first floor, and after enduring the last month of Normandy's fine cuisine, we both agreed to make it our number two destination of the evening.

"I'm going to order a steak the size of my face", I quipped as we rode down in the elevator, "I want to be so full you'll have to carry me out of there."

Garrus laughed, "Yeah well, if they have actual Palavenian sho'k'tokt, you'll be carrying me out."

"Pala-who? I think my translator just cussed at me."

We shared another laugh as the elevator dinged, signaling our arrival. In my hungry haste, I made to step out as the doors slid open, nearly bumping headlong into the chest plates of another turian entering the lift.

"Oh! Excuse me", I blurted.

He eyed my neck with a flick of his mandibles, "Excuse me."

Stepping aside, his arm opened the way for me to pass while his eyes traced my body. I heard a low rumble in his chest as I passed. What a creep. I chose to ignore it, men were men no matter what the species. My evening dress was classy, not too revealing, but it did show off my bond markings very clearly. Garrus had hummed his approval in the mirror behind me as I dressed that evening. To hell with secrets, we decided. What was the harm in letting people know who we belonged to?

A hand slid into mine, squeezing me affectionately. I glanced up just in time to notice Garrus glaring back at the turian standing by the elevator, no doubt still eyeing my ass the way he was when I had passed him. I rolled my eyes lightly, he had always been overprotective.

Another asari met us with a smile at the hostess' podium as we approached, "Good evening. Table for two?" We nodded, following her to a darker corner of the restaurant lit only by candlelight in the center of the table. "This is our most intimate seating area, will it do?"

We concurred with another nod before Garrus pulled my seat out for me, a rather chivalric, human gesture. His breath brushed my ear as I took a seat, "I've done my research."

I smirked. So had I.

The menu looked incredible, so many choices. I had no idea what to pick. "Hmm. We might be here for a while. I could eat everything on the front page as an appetizer."

I had expected Garrus to come back with some playful banter, but he sat silent. My eyes rose over my menu to catch him glaring to his left where our private table overlooked the rest of the room. My sight followed his to the point of interest: another turian male propped nonchalantly at the bar, and looking right at me. He hadn't noticed my mate glowering. Finally, Garrus dropped his menu and turned in his seat, challenging the other turian with a heated stare. He took note, raised his hands into surrender, stole one last glance at me, then turned to speak the bartender. According to my own research, this was not uncommon. Territorial behaviors were even somewhat expected amongst mated couples.

'A turian woman might view their male as weak or unfaithful if he fails to challenge other male suitors who may attempt to woo her', said the article written by a salarian doctor. 'Many males will respect the sacred symbolism of the bond markings, but others, especially younger and more virile males, may view the opportunity to woo a female away from her mate as sport. Impregnating a mated female is largely the goal of this game, allowing the challenger to spread his own genetics."

Boys. I will never understand them, no matter what species they are.

Garrus seemed to be satisfied by his challenger's reaction, and returned his attention to his menu. Our asari waitress brought our drinks, appetizers, and first course over the next couple hours while we talked and reminisced over stories of C-Sec. It was a shock for me to discover that, for every erotic thought I had about him, he had two about me. That would have been nice to know back then!

Desert was to die for. It was a dish neither of us had ever heard of before, and safe for both levo and dextro organics. The single slice of cake-like food was delivered on one plate, prompting us to push our chairs close together in order to relish in its decadence. Garrus' turian utensil fought against mine for some of the larger bites, and he chuckled when I stabbed him gently in the side with my fork. The waitress returned with a drink, setting it on the table with an awkward expression.

She cleared her throat, "Ma'am, the ah…gentleman at the table over there", she pointed behind her, "wishes you to enjoy this drink, and ah, hopes you will come speak with him later. I'm just delivering the message, sir, please don't be upset with me."

Garrus' glare shot back across the room, eyeing his newest challenger with a fire I only saw in battle. Rather than allow him to make a scene, I quickly handed the drink over to the waitress, "Tell him I'm not interested."

She smiled, "Yes, ma'am", and retreated.

Garrus looked at me with surprise. I shot a quick glance toward the turian at the table, then placed myself onto my mates' thigh, lovingly stroking his fringe. He sighed quietly and squeezed my ass, nipping softly at my chin. I forked the last bite of our shared desert with a seductive grin toward the other turian before turning to offer it to Garrus. He grinned and accepted it gladly, humming with delight and running his talons gently along my arm. I thought surely a display such as ours would have deterred anyone, but this male must have had a death wish.

While my mate and I carried on in our public display of affection, which I blame completely on the alcohol again, we hadn't even noticed the new challenger leave his post to slide through the crowd to our secluded table. I felt a tap at my shoulder and heard someone clear their throat.

"Excuse me", he growled seductively.

I turned, brows furrowed, "Can I help you?"

I felt Garrus growl against me. What the hell was this guy's angle? He did know he couldn't knock me up, right?

"You returned my drink, beautiful. Have I done something to offend you?"

I pointed to my markings, "I'm mated and you're wasting your time. Run along, Romeo."

He chuckled, "For a prize like you, it's never a waste. I've heard stories about what it's like to sleep with a human, and I'm just itching to find out if they're true."

Wrong move, buddy.

I don't know how he did it, but somehow, Garrus managed to set me back in my seat before flinging the creeper into the wall, pinning his neck painfully beneath his forearm. He was bigger than the smooth-talking, drink-buying asshole who finally looked as though he had fearfully met his match.

I watched with a keen grin as Garrus snarled in the guy's face, "The stories are true. Now, fuck. Off."

Romeo grunted and gargled behind the pressure of my mate's unrelenting forearm, "Gahgn…hey, ugh! Hey, man…you got it just – ugn – just let me go!"

Garrus released him. Light reflected on metal. I grabbed my concealed handgun from my thigh holster. Romeo's gun pointed at my mate's chest, my gun pointed at his head.

"I'm sorry, I don't think we were properly introduced", I growled, "Jadzia Vu, N7 level Alliance Navy and First Lieutenant to Commander Jane Shepard, human Specter and captain of the Normandy. This is my bond mate, Garrus Vakarian, Omega's Archangel and also a close personal friend of the Commander's. Nice to meet you. Wanna die, friend?" His eyes widened and he shook his head. "Then I suggest you hand over that unregistered pistol, and get the fuck out of here. Now."

Garrus smirked, "And she's even better in bed."

The gun was left in my hand, and Romeo took off at full speed out of the restaurant. I fully expected us to be violently escorted out of the restaurant and the hotel after that. But to our great surprise, we were actually apologized to profusely by the owner, comped for our dinner, and given a voucher for a free meal that never expired. Garrus left an exceedingly generous tip, and we made our way back to the room. A couple of turian males were brave enough to spare a few glances as we left, but none of the eyes lingered for very long. My mate carried himself tall and proud, arm wrapped tightly around my waist. Human men might feel emasculated by what I had just done back there, but turian men found it incredibly appealing for a woman to stand up for herself, and her mate. He was practically shaking to get me upstairs, I could see it in his eyes.

While I hadn't anticipated the added bonus of our adventures down in the restaurant, my research had already led me to prepare for the rest of the evening in our private room. The sexy lingerie concealed beneath my dress was sure to drive him wild, and now that he was sufficiently aroused by all the territorial foreplay, I knew exactly what to do next.

'Once mating bonds have been successfully defended against potential outside threats, males typically desire sexual unity with their mate. If the female was impressed by her mate's defensive displays, she will assume a submissive role during the interaction, confirming her loyalty to her mate.'

Thank you, Fornax.

Garrus was verbally silent on the ride up to our suite, but the purr in his chest grew in volume with every floor we passed. It made me so hot, and he could smell it on me. He nuzzled my bond markings, tickling my neck with his flicking mandibles while he inhaled a deep breath on my skin, "You're wet."

I moaned complacently, then a thought suddenly occurred to me, "Have you always been able to smell my arousal?"

His hand tried to work its way up my dress, but I didn't want him to find the lingerie just yet. It was suppose to be a surprise. I stopped him quickly, making him chuckle, "I always knew I smelled something on you, I just didn't know what it was until the first time we had sex. Now I realize I use to smell it on you all the time back at C-Sec."

"And now you know why I had a hard time staying focused."

He growled and pushed me up against the wall with his hips, "So much wasted time. If I'd only known."

The door elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. I slid around him to walk out with my best seductive, come-and-get-me walk. "Well, you know now."

He fumbled for the room key, unlocking the door quickly and watching my every move as I passed him to walk inside. The door shut behind me and locked. Arms closed around my waist from behind, teeth nipped at my neck.

"Wait", I whispered, "I have a surprise for you."

His breath left my neck, peaked interest on his face. I walked to the king-sized bed, turning to face him before reaching slowly for the zipper of my dress. His eyes followed my hand as I guided it down my torso. It peeled delicately away from my skin and fell to the floor, revealing the transparent, black, lace corset. Downward, nothing covered me except for the lacy garter which sent long, silken straps down to my thigh-high stockings.

I saw his breath catch in his chest as he looked me over, "Spirits."

I turned to crawl slowly onto the bed, never once breaking eye contact. His knuckles cracked in his fists, I could tell he was restraining himself, curious to see what I would do next. I made my way up to the middle of the bed, pausing on all fours before I smiled and slowly lowered my upper half to the mattress, leaving my exposed ass hovering in the air for him. Given the harsh metallic floors of the Main Battery, this was a position that we had yet to be able to try, and the most submissive one I could think of. Garrus gnashed his teeth in heated approval. Apparently, I had done something right. I lay there, staring at him, waiting for him, submitting for my mate while he tore his own clothes off.

"I've done my research, too", I said as he climbed up behind me.

"I can see that."

I grinned, "Do I get a reward?"

His talons gently grazed my naked cheeks, making me shutter. "I'd say you get an A plus for this one."

"Is that all?"

I received my answer in the form of two hands on my waist and a sudden, deeply penetrating thrust. The quick plunge didn't give me time to adjust, and I winced against the slight pain of having all of his massive size inside of me at once. The pleasure of it didn't take long to envelope me, however, and I moaned at the incredible sensation of his violent pounding. Sometimes he hit so hard it bruised my ischial areas, making sitting difficult for a few days, but I had gotten use to it. He never made shallow strokes. They were always long, deep, hard, perfection, hitting my G-spot with expert precision every time. His aim was just as good in bed as it was in the field. And just like the professional sniper he was, he knew how to savor each shot, take his time, wait for the perfect moment to blow my mind. There were no quick shooting, rapid fire, assault rifle tendencies in my man. Nope!

My fingers gripped the sheets next to my head, hanging on for the ride. I heard the rip of fabric, and felt my corset become loose around my breasts, my ribs, my abdomen, until it feel off and onto the bed. Part of me wanted to scold him for ruining my newest purchase, but I couldn't seem to find the words behind all my mewling and keening. I was teetering on the edge of euphoria, so close I was vibrating with sexual energy.

Then it stopped.

Hey!

He pulled out, "Don't come yet."

"Why?"

I was flipped onto my back, "Because I want to try something." He pushed my thighs apart and settled between them, his face only a few inches from my already highly sensitive core. Oh, damn. "I'm not ashamed to admit that I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing, but I did my research. Let me know if I pass the test."

My breathing was erratic, "Oh, I will."

I already knew from our alien kisses that his tongue was long, thick, and somewhat raspy. Not too harsh, though, not enough that I wanted to prevent him from…experimenting. He started out light as a feather. Sweet little butterfly kisses licked at my inner thighs as his mandibles clicked and fluttered. His tongue barley grazed my sensitive folds, but it was just enough to get me squirming. Sharp teeth nipped my thigh delicately, sending a wave of electricity shuddering through me.

"Spirits, they don't serve this on Palaven", I heard him groan. "I could live on you alone."

I moaned and arched my back, "We can arrange that."

He grew braver, pressing deeper with his tongue, exploring, reading me. When he passed over my aching nerve bundle, I made damn sure he knew how I felt about it. A fire lit his eyes. Hands locked onto my waist, holding me down. It took no more than ten seconds of concentrated flicks, swirls, and laps to bring me crumbling down out of sanity. My orgasm rocked me, ripped me, tore me straight through until there was nothing left but raw, exposed emotion and throbbing nerves.

"Ah-I-Ah-I…I LOVE YOU!"

It felt good to say.

Other than my own father, I had never shared those words with anyone, especially not a man. I didn't know if Garrus could even understand the meaning behind the human term. Our brief discussion did little to explain the sheer power behind something so simple. It didn't bother me though, I already knew how he felt about me, I just needed to say it out loud for myself. I felt his body climb over mine as I relaxed into my fading bliss. My grin probably looked ridiculous. Funny how he could always manage to do that to me. My eyes were closed, enjoying the aftershocks, goosebumps spreading at the scratch of his talons across my scalp.

His breath hit my face, "I..l-lah…you, too." My eyes opened. "I said it wrong, didn't I?" I shook my head with a smile. Couldn't be too picky on pronunciation with a guy who can't make the 'v' sound in his native tongue. He earned an A plus-plus for effort. "What does it mean, exactly? I understand the context, and I do…lah you. I just, don't know how it translates."

I knitted my brows in thought for a moment before answering, "I think of you before myself. I live for your happiness. I respect you above all others. I seek out your approval, your guidance, your trust. I would die for you."

His blue eyes searched mine for a few seconds before he lowered his forehead to mine, pressing lightly. My own research had reveled this to be a turian act of deep affection, one shared only between bond mates and close family members. A hand gently cupped my face, stroking my cheek in slow circles.

"Yes", he whispered, "I lah you."

Reader replies:

"vvVVV-akarian. VvvVV-ictus. This is so small of a thing but it bothered me so constructive criticism activate: Might want to clear this up somehow..."

Excellent point, my friend! Sorry I did not make it more clear in the story, I shall elaborate:

The reason why we can hear the 'v' sounds when turians speak to us is due to the available vocabulary for automated translation of those specific words into our language. For example, when a turian says the word 'velvet' in their language, without the translator, all we might here is a series of clicks or hums. But since we have a word in our own language that translates directly into that same meaning, we hear 'velvet'. Since they have plates for mouths, I generally imagine the turian language would be void of sounds that require a lip-to-lip or teeth-to-lip action, like P, B, V, F, and so on. I know it sounds confusing, but since there is no turian equivalent to the word 'Love', their translator simply picks up on it as a 'la' sound (which they can make), followed by a strange hum. When Garrus tries to say it back the way he perceives it, there is no equivalent word to translate it back into our language, therefore, all we hear is his best effort, which is 'lah'.

It's kind of the same concept as when Garrus was talking about his favorite food on Palaven. Since we don't have a word for it, all we got out of it was 'sho'k'tokt', which means nothing to us. And if we tried to pronounce it the way a turian does, I'm sure it would come out completely wrong.

I probably waaaaay over thought this, but there it is, my elaborate, nutball, creativity in a nutshell. Thanks for letting me clear that up, and thanks for reading! Your constructive criticism is deeply appreciated.