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"Shepard, where are we going?" Garrus asked when he could get his breath back. The car had done some things that should have been impossible as Shepard wove in and out of traffic and flew through hallways and generally ignored the laws of both the Citadel in specific and physics in general. He was briefly amused by the idea of some traffic cop pulling the car over and having to deal with a pissed-off Spectre before he grabbed for the door handle again and hung on for dear life, trying to decide if he felt safer with his eyes closed or open.

The glimpses he had of the outside world weren't anywhere he'd expected to go, however. They were heading into a residential section of the Citadel, and a fairly posh one at that.

"That's for me to know and you—" There was a pause while she negotiated a tricky turn. "To find out."

"Am I going to live that long?"

"Not if you keep insulting my driving."

At last she pulled up in the valet parking area of a block of apartments, getting out and tossing the keys to the valet. "An extra fifty credits for you if you can arrange to have this returned to the rental place," she told him.

"Of course, Commander. Welcome back."

"Welcome back?" Garrus asked her, trying to conceal his relief at being back on solid ground again. "Did you come by earlier and rent us a place for the night?" That sounded so romantic. He was touched.

"I'd like to say yes, but it's a little more complicated than that. And … it's not just for the night." Shepard led him to the elevator, punching in a floor number. "I'll explain everything, I promise."

At the end of a long hallway, she keyed in her personal code on the door of an apartment, opened it, and stood aside to let Garrus walk inside.

There was a long moment of silence while he took it all in. The place was huge. From the entrance, he could see a high-ceilinged living room with a fireplace and a grand piano, a large and well-appointed kitchen, stairs leading up to a second floor, a hallway leading off to his left, and all of it tastefully furnished and embellished with costly pieces of art.

"Wow."

"I know, right?"

"Zia, this place must have cost a fortune."

"Honestly, I didn't ask." At his look of confusion, she relented and explained. "It's Admiral Anderson's apartment, or it was. He … well, he said he wants to retire on Earth now, and I'm trying to take him at his word and not believe that what he meant was that he would never live to come back to it. At any rate—he gave it to me."

"And you accepted it?"

"I didn't think I should, but he said it would set his mind at ease, and … I've never had a home, Garrus. Growing up, it was cabins on Alliance cruisers, different ones all the time, and the same once I got through the academy. This is … this is the first time I've ever thought I could see a future where I could settle down and just—live."

Garrus put a hand gently on her shoulder. "I didn't mean to sound critical. I'm glad you accepted it. I was just surprised."

She smiled up at him. "I was, too."

"Did you scope the whole place out earlier?"

"I did. You want the tour?"

Standing there with her in this space that was just theirs, Garrus found he could wait to see most of the place. "Where's the bedroom?"

Her smile deepened, her eyes darkening in response to the huskiness in his voice. "Upstairs."

"Lead me to it."

Zia went ahead of him, unfastening her jacket as she climbed the steps. At the top of the stairs he saw the bedroom, and another sitting area with a hallway leading off to the side.

"How many bedrooms does this place have?"

"Why? You want to try them all out tonight?"

"And maybe the couches, too."

"I have something better than a couch. Or a bed." She led him through the bedroom and into the bathroom, where a large whirlpool tub bubbled, steam rising from it.

"Well, that does have possibilities."

"Doesn't it?" Shepard was halfway out of her clothes by now, sliding her panties off and unfastening her bra, and she stepped gingerly into the bubbling water, sighing in pleasure as she relaxed completely into it, the bubbles caressing her wet skin. "This feels amazing."

"Wait until I get in there, I'll show you amazing."

"Promises, promises." She leaned her head back against the side of the tub, watching as he stripped off his own clothes and got in next to her.

The hot water surging around him soothed sore muscles he didn't know he had, and the bubbles tickled in all the right places … and Zia's wet skin tasted divine. She closed her eyes and sighed happily as he explored her with his hands and mouth, his tongue licking droplets of water off every inch of her skin that was exposed. Beneath the water, her legs parted, wrapping around his hips, bringing their bodies into intimate contact, and Garrus groaned as she moved back and forth against him.

"Zia. I can't—if you keep doing that, I—"

"Good." She clung to him, and he slid inside her, unable to hold back.

The weightlessness of the water somehow heightened the pleasure, and it wasn't long before they were crying out into each other's mouths.

When he thought he had the strength, Garrus lifted her out of the water, toweling her off gently before carrying her to the bed and starting it all over again.