I scan the email on my Omni-Tool for the tenth time today, even though I feel a little childish for being so excited. Screw it. I haven't seen my oldest and best friend in months, and now he'll be on the Citadel in an hour. It's a damn good thing I'm already done work for today or else I might have to stage a walk-out to meet Nihlus at the Docking Bay on time.

"You outta here, Vakarian?" Orbin calls from his desk directly beside mine. He signed up for a little over-time, but he's spending that time with his feet kicked up on his deck, filing down his talons. The galaxy-wide stereotype that all any Turian wants to do is work would be dispelled if anyone who said it actually spent time with the Turians of C-Sec.

"Nihlus will be here in an hour or so."

Orbin spins in his chair to smile up at me as I strap my duffel bag across my chest and prepare to leave for the day. I keep a pistol on my hip at all times on the Citadel, but when I'm off-duty, my rifle stays in the bag. A gun that size tends to make people nervous...especially when it's on someone my size. Besides, it's just the Citadel, and there's never any action here.

"Just like old times. All you're missing is Saren," he notes.

"Saren, more Ryncol than even Krogan could drink, and many more Turian women than we're ever going to find on this station." My friend laughs, and I pat his shoulder in farewell for now as I pass him to leave the offices. A few other coworkers call their goodbyes to me, and I spot my boss, Chellick, who waves to me while wrapping up a phone call. The guy is kind of a prick, but that's mostly just because he's one of those stereotypical Turians, all by the book.

I'm what no one would call a good Turian. Which is why being here, on C-Sec, happened only because my father threw a fit after my military service ended. I've done alright for myself here, working up through the ranks quickly to run an investigative unit. But I could not possibly be more bored.

I realize as I head for transit back to my apartment, opting to get a cab instead of walking as I usually would to save time, that Nihlus visiting is the most excitement I've had since the last time he was here. Spirits I'm due for a change of pace.

I push the bitterness out of my head as much as possible because Nihlus will be merciless if he thinks I'm whining. It would get even worse if he told Saren, which he undoubtedly would. I'd much rather just focus on having a good time with my best friend.

I don't know what he's thinking of doing tonight but, since it's Nihlus, I know I'll be getting drunk. And since it's me, I know I'll be getting laid.

That's good enough for me. At least for tonight.

My apartment is a welcome sight, not much bigger than the rapid transit that brought me here, but more than enough for a bachelor pad. Hell, as long as I have a bed to share with company and a fridge for beer, I'm pretty well kept. Well, that and a shower, which is where I head right away.

The temperature of the water that counts as 'hot' on the Citadel would be laughable back on Palaven; I muse that I'll probably end up burning in the shower whenever I bother to go home again. It does the trick though, and within half an hour, I'm clean and dressed in civvies instead of the armor I wear to work.

The closer it gets to the time of his scheduled arrival, the more anxious I get to see Nihlus, so I decide to walk back to the docks for a chance to calm down. Nihlus' purpose for being on the Citadel tonight crosses my mind on the way, and I think back over the email that he sent.

* I'm reviewing a human female for the Spectres. I was damn shocked when I heard they're gunning for a Spectre already. Still, I guess if it has to be anyone, the soldier from Akuze and Torfan is my choice. *

Commander Elle Shepard.

I don't know any more about her than anyone else does. She's an N7 soldier - a huge honor for humans - and she pulled off some pretty amazing things to survive a thresher maw that killed her whole team on Akuze. She also managed to wipe out a massive Batarian pirate operation on Torfan. I'm mostly just jealous of her, someone else getting to join the Spectres when I let my father talk me out of it.

General Castius Vakarian served with C-Sec, and he's even more old school Turian than Chellick. It's bad enough in my dad's eyes that I'm almost thirty and not married yet, so if I joined the Spectres...I think he'd have a heart attack.

I figure I'll pay my dues with another couple of years here, maybe another promotion or two, and then I'm doing it anyway. If the humans can join the Spectres and they're practically infants in the galaxy - not to mention lacking in any natural armor or weapons - then I most definitely can.

And there is no way in hell I'm getting married any time soon.

I arrive at the docks with just minutes to spare, finding the area as crowded as it always is. I should have worn my armor just to make it easier to create space in the crowd. Nihlus is arriving on a shuttle from Palaven, so I head for that area and find four of them docked and disembarking. I'm tall even among Turians, so I'm fairly confident that he'll be able to spot me.

Sure enough, I'm only standing there for a minute when I hear a familiar, flanged voice call, "Pup!"

Nihlus is approaching, distinguishable by his red-plated face and intricate white clan marking that stand in stark contrast to his black and red armor. I'd recognize him anywhere in the galaxy; hell I knew the guy even before those marks were added to his face.

The crowd of mostly Asari and Salarians coming in from Ilium parts easily for two large Turians, so it only takes a couple of strides for me to reach him. "About time," I tease even as I let him pull me into him. I feel his hands slip over my waist to embrace me, and I absorb the tingle that touch creates while I hold his back.

"I never thought I'd be so happy to see someone so ugly," he quips, our foreheads bumping for a moment. Nihlus releases me only to bring a hand up to my fringe instead, using a grip to pull my head back so that he can examine my throat and look me over. I can tell by the smirk on his face that he really only does this to exercise his right as the older, dominant male - to tease me.

I allow it instead of challenging him, mostly because I know he worries about me.

"Skip your workouts this week or something?" he jabs, adding insult to injury in ways only the guy who knows me best can.

"Me?" I laugh. "How many of your mom's home-cooked meals did you eat?" Nihlus laughs and pulls, bringing my forehead back against his. I don't resist the open display of affection from one of the only people in the galaxy with whom this is a mutual feeling. We part after a moment and Nihlus shifts to pick up his bag from our feet. "How long until your new human friend arrives?"

"Any minute, in Hangar Four."

I nod and motion for him to walk with me in that direction, not that Nihlus needs directions around the Citadel.

"So, you have to spend the night with her?"

Nihlus chuckles. "Let's see what she looks like in person first. But I was asked to play nice before our mission so, yes, we're going to let her tag along. It won't be that bad."

I know he's right; we always manage to have a good time, and most of the humans I've met on the Citadel have been up for fun if nothing else. Of course, most of them are also at least a little xenophobic and demand respect they haven't earned. Then again, this Commander Shepard might have actually earned her place.

"By the way, she doesn't know about the Spectre thing yet, so don't mention it."

I promise even though I think it's odd someone decided to keep that information a secret. They probably just want her to perform without putting on a show. I shrug off the thought and change the subject.

"How's the family?" We make small talk on the way over as we wait, spending a few minutes to catch up, mostly on his trip back to Palaven before coming here. We talk at least weekly, so there isn't that much catching up to do, and I like it this way.

"My sister is still smitten with you," Nihlus notes, giving me a dark side-eye that I don't take seriously since he knows I could never be interested in someone who is not just half my age but is basically family. "And Met is doing really well, but our dad is up his ass about getting married."

I shake my head at that since his brother Metran is only seventeen - prime marrying age if you ask either of our parents.

"My dad also asked if you were getting married yet."

"Of course he did," I scoff, my mandibles clicking in light agitation. "You took the easy way out, Nih, I"m telling you." That makes him laugh, but he doesn't deny it.

There aren't many openly gay or lesbian Turians, but it's something that we as a species take in stride. It probably has something to do with relaxed views on sex and sexuality overall. Most of us sleep with same-sex partners, even if we don't have romantic relationships with them. Salarians can be downright brutal to their own kind, and humans have a long record of homophobia, but Nihlus being gay hasn't prevented him from having a successful military career and happy life.

It also lets him off the hook from our cultural obsession with bonding and expanding our families.

"Hey, that's the human ship," Nihlus says, drawing me back out of my thoughts when he nudges my arm and motions with his hand.

I follow his gaze and find one hell of a ship headed through the lanes of traffic into the docks. "Damn."

"Sexy, isn't it? It's a Turian-human hybrid design, they just finished it recently - first of its kind. Best thing about this whole mission, by far."

CABBAGE

The Citadel is a beautiful station. Massive. It's hard to believe I've never been here before, but the Alliance has kept me pretty busy in other parts of the galaxy. My first visit to the center of galactic civilization and government...and I only get an eighteen-hour leave. Plus, I have to spend the whole time playing nice with some Turian who's joining the crew for a mission.

"Did no one ever tell you that your face will stick if you keep it like that long enough?"

I laugh and look over my shoulder at Captain Anderson. "Sorry," I offer, referring to my scowl even though I know he's not really upset about it. I've known Captain Anderson since I enlisted, more than a decade, and he's been a mentor in more than just my career. I'm well beyond needing to apologize to him. "I know being here is important if you say it is; that's good enough for me."

"Good." I don't miss the smirk as he nods. "We'll be docked in a moment. I'll introduce you to Kyrik, and then I have a meeting with Ambassador Udina."

I can't help a laugh at the expression that crosses his weathered features. "Better watch for your face getting stuck too, Sir." He winks at me, and I turn back to the window as the ship pilot docs beautifully, not even the slightest bit of jerking of turbulence. "I'm looking forward to getting to know the pilot. He's talented."

"Joker is the best - and he knows it," Anderson responds. "You'll have a few weeks to get to know the whole crew on the way out to Eden Prime."

A big part of me wants to try and ask about what we're doing all the way out there, on the first human colony in the Traverse, but I know he'll just shut me down again. Instead of toeing the line with insubordination, I bite my tongue...this time.

"Captain Anderson." I turn toward the source of the interruption and find Kaidan Alenko, a human Lieutenant and biotic with a dull but flawless Alliance record so far. He's handsome...like really handsome. We haven't had much time to talk, but I can't help giving him a quick once over now. "Commander Shepard, ma'am." I nod to acknowledge. "Sir, I'll accompany you to the Ambassador?"

"Yes, Alenko." Anderson leaves me to talk about their plans and Alenko dutifully follows him away.

I take a breath and decide to retrieve my bag from my locker to kill the last couple of minutes before we disembark. Lieutenant Jenkins is at his locker, beside mine, and brightens when he sees me approach. He's very young and kind of adorable but a little too gung-ho for me. The kid has never seen a battle, and I kind of hope he never does.

He doesn't need his outlook darkened the way mine has been.

"Commander," he greets me enthusiastically. "Looking forward to your night with the Turian?"

I have to stifle a laugh at his choice of words; I should probably wait to get to know the crew before making sex jokes. "I don't know how much there is to look forward to. Strangers stuck together with orders to be nice doesn't hold a lot of promise." My lock pops open when I enter the combination.

"Maybe not, but he's a Spectre, so the guy is probably at least a little cool," Jenkins reminds me. "Even if he is a Turian. They have a reputation for being kind of...uptight." I just make a thoughtful noise for the sake of the conversation, not actually giving that much thought.

The fact that Nihlus Kyrik is a Spectre might tell us that he's a great soldier with some sense of adventure and justice, but his being a Turian tells me no more than what he could learn by the color of my hair.

Jenkins tone is much more sour when he adds, "I'll be stuck here on inventory duty."

"Better than bathroom duty, Jenkins." I clap his shoulder before throwing my bag over my shoulder and clasping it at the front of my chest. It has everything I'll need for an overnight stay at a hotel on the Citadel, even though I could always just come back to the ship.

An excuse to get off board should never be wasted.

I wonder idly if I'll be asked to take the pistol off my hip on this station but figure that Anderson will warn me before I get too far. With nothing else to kill time, I head to the airlock just as I feel and hear the ship engine power down. Captain Anderson is already waiting, standing tall in formal blues.

"Ready?"

"Always."

We're released from the ship, the VI announcing that Navigator Pressly now has command of the deck, and we exit to approach the crowded Docking Bay. I'm not sure exactly who we're looking for, and there are aliens of every kind here, so I mostly just follow Anderson and assume he can identify our target. Anderson presses through the crowd, and finally, I can spot where he's headed, leading me toward two Turians who are already watching us from the edge of the crowd.

Both are much taller than an average human,, broad-shouldered and narrow at the waist with plates of natural armor covering everything visible like all Turians. One has a red color to his dark plates - skin? - and a beautiful white design painted on his face. In military school, I learned that those Turian clan markings are extremely important to a Turian. His armor is black and red, two assault rifles strapped to his back and a pistol at his side.

I notice him, of course, and suspect that he's the Spectre who will be joining our crew. But my attention is firmly captured by the other.

He's even taller, likely than average for a Turian, with broader shoulders than seems fair while his civilian gear alludes to the muscular build of his body beneath those plates. This Turian has a light brown and gray color to his plates, and his markings are simple in design but stand out for their cobalt blue color. That color perfectly matches the impossible, piercing blue of his eyes...which are already staring at me.

Damn. He's kind of...well, he's gorgeous actually. I'd love to know if a Turian can be made to roll his eyes back in his head and how I could make that happen.

"Commander Kyrik," Captain Anderson says, pulling me from that inappropriate reverie as he approaches the black-and-red armored Turian to shake his hand. They go for the universal style, grasping one another's forearms instead of hands the way two humans would.

"Captain Anderson, good to see you again," Kyrik responds. He turns a bit to angle his body toward me and quickly scans me with light green eyes. "You must be Commander Shepard. I've heard a lot."

"Likewise." I grasp his forearm, feeling the plates shift under my hand a bit as his talons wrap all the way around my much smaller forearm.

Kyrik turns to the other Turian and claps his shoulder. "This is C-Sec Officer Garrus Vakarian, a good friend of mine. He knows the Citadel far better than I do, so he's going to let us tag along this evening."

"I appreciate that," I tell him, mostly just as an excuse to look the hot stranger in the eye. "It's my first time on the Citadel."

"Well, then we'll have to make sure you get the full experience."

Oh, good Lord.

Garrus Vakarian has a deep and flanging voice with a quality that reminds me of melted chocolate. I wonder if he's considered leaving his cop career to use that voice for porn; he'd make a fortune.

"Since you're in good hands now, I'll leave you to it, Shepard," Anderson says, again saving me from myself and thoughts that are very unlike me. "I have an appointment with the human Embassy, so I'll ask you all to excuse me. Try not to get them into too much trouble, Commander."

I smirk at him. "I never make promises I can't keep, Captain. Try not to punch Udina."

"Now there's a bet I won't take," he laughs.

I can see that our Turian audience seems surprised by the casual interaction between a soldier and her commanding officer. I get it since I'd never speak this way to another Alliance captain. Maybe Kyrik will get to know us well enough on the Normandy to understand. But if not, it doesn't really matter - especially now since Anderson shakes both of their hands again before leaving.

When he's gone, I turn back to the two men and find them exchanging a glance I can't read through unfamiliar facial expressions. It makes me feel oddly self-conscious, and I straighten my shoulders to combat it. I am sure that Kyrik is smirking when he turns back to me, though.

"Now that the babysitter is gone, we can just be Nihlus and Garrus."

"And Shepard works for me." I'm all too happy to drop my title when we're off-duty, but virtually no one calls me by my first name. Someone would have to be pretty special for that.

"You both just got in," Garrus begins. "Hungry? There's a place nearby that I've seen humans eating at...though I can't promise the food is any good."

I shrug and assure him, "If it's actually cooked and not just slop heated up on a ship, it'll be great." They both laugh, and I don't miss how nice the dual-toned sound is, especially in Garrus' voice.

"I don't want to eat in my armor, and I'm sure Shepard wouldn't mind putting down her bag," Nihlus notes. "Mind if we stop at your place first?"

"Oh, you're assuming that you're staying with me?" Garrus responds even as we start walking and clearly teasing his friend.

"Actually, I'm assuming that I'll find a new friend to spend the night with." I join in on their laughter at that and appreciate the way the joking resolves any remaining tension. Even walking on a foreign station between two people who are virtual walls of muscle and towering over me, and even as the third wheel with these two obviously close friends, I feel surprisingly at ease. Far more at ease than I usually am.

Garrus leads us toward a rapid transit station, and we don't have to wait long for a skycar, which they both politely let me enter first.

"The Normandy is a beautiful ship, Shepard," Nihlus says as the car takes off.

I nod and agree. "She's definitely the sexiest ship I've served on. I know the design was a Turian-human collaboration, but I'm too new on board to know which pieces are Turian." Nihlus asks a couple questions about the ship's design and performance, which I answer as best I can, but I can feel Garrus' eyes on me the entire time. I can't imagine what he finds so fascinating. It makes me a little uncomfortable, but since he's not leering or being inappropriate, I mostly just want my turn to stare at him.

We leave the car, and Garrus leads us on a short walk through a busy civilian sector before we board an elevator inside an apartment building. "I forgot that you moved since the last time I was here. How's Zakera Ward treating you, Pup?"

Garrus scoffs. "If you and I lay down head to foot, we're longer than my entire apartment. There's nothing bigger available around here. I'd rather be on a ship."

"If you have a private shower, it automatically wins over living on a ship," I argue. "Unless sharing showers is your thing." I'm not sure why I choose to throw in that last part or if I even make a conscious decision to do it before the words spill out, but Garrus' brow plates shift in what looks like surprise in response.

Quickly, that blue-eyed gaze changes from what I think is surprise to what I know is flirting. "Depends on who I'm sharing the shower with," he replies smoothly, his voice dropping to an even lower octave and washing over me warmly. My cheeks instantly start to feel hot, and I know that I'm blushing under his gaze.

Damn human instincts.

Nihlus lets out a low chuckle, and I look up at him to find that he's watching his friend with a curious expression. Garrus notices as well and clears his throat, shifting on his feet before the elevator doors open. "This is the other problem with Citadel living. The elevators move slower than sleeping Elcor."

I laugh easily with them as Garrus leads us to his apartment and uses his Omni-Tool instead of a key or passcode to manipulate the lock. Whatever he does works and the door opens right away to grant us access. I'd been expecting something depressingly small after his warnings, and I can tell Garrus feels a bit sheepish about having us here - though something tells me that shy feeling doesn't extend to short-term sexual company. But the place isn't bad at all.

"It's really not as bad as you made it sound," Nihlus assures him, dropping his bag haphazardly on the floor like he already owns the place. Given that Garrus doesn't complain or even seem to notice, I have to imagine that it's par for the course.

"Anything bigger than crew quarters on a ship is like a mansion at this point," I tell him honestly, giving the place a quick once over so that he knows I'm not just saying it. Garrus just shrugs and rubs the back of his neck with one hand in a really adorable way.

"You two can entertain yourselves if I grab a shower, right?" Nihlus asks, the look in his soft green eyes registering with me as something close to mischievous. Maybe Turian facial expressions aren't as hard to read as they're rumored to be. Either way, I narrow my eyes at him boldly because I know he's teasing us for the flirting.

Garrus laughs it off. "Now you're helping yourself to my shower? Spectres really do abuse their power, huh?" Nihlus gives a good-natured laugh before starting to open doors at random to find the bathroom instead of just asking the homeowner. I laugh when he discovers the bedroom and then a closet first.

When he's gone, the room suddenly feels a lot smaller with just me and Garrus in it. "Would you like a drink, Shepard? I only have beer...cheap beer."

"Cheap beer is my favorite, thanks." He smiles and heads to the kitchen area, opening a fridge to gather our drinks while instructing me to sit on the couch. A cold beer and a comfy could with a new person, potentially a new friend...who is not at all bad for eye candy.

Maybe this won't be the worst leave I've ever had.

Having Nihlus around always makes me feel like he never really left. We fall right back into the rhythm we've always had. There's a reason he's my closest friend.

I knew it would be like this, that Nih would make himself at home in my apartment and eat food from my plate without asking and make me laugh not stop. What I didn't anticipate is how intriguing I'd find the human that earlier I thought we'd be stuck with.

Elle Shepard fascinates me. There's no denying the woman is beautiful, even if she's the first human I've ever used that word for. Her dark red hair caught my attention from yards out and she's got ridiculously green eyes that continue pulling me into bad places and dirty thoughts. I'm not even sure I've ever noticed the shape of a human woman's body before, but damn do I like it on Shepard.

The fact that I can tell she's strong as hell with a glance only helps my opinion. I keep finding myself staring at her mouth while she talks and I'm certain she'll break my jaw when she realizes it.

So, yeah, I'm attracted to her. A lot.

I could easily ignore that, though. Just brush it off as a fluke since I've never felt a damn thing even close to heat for a human before. But it's not just that I'm attracted to her.

It's everything else about Shepard that has me so interested, distracted even. She's got a sharp wit and a great sense of humor, not at all put off or intimidated by the banter Nihlus and I toss at her. She's clearly intelligent and she seems far less cautious of us just based on species than most humans, which gets her a lot of points in my mind.

I can tell she's been through some shit and I know enough of her service record to imagine there are a few nasty skeletons in her closet, but Shepard seems confident and self-assured without being cocky. She's out to earn respect. I'm jealous that Nihlus might get to see her in action because something tells me that it's truly a sight to behold.

It's all made worse by the feeling I keep getting that she might be attracted to me, too. I catch her watching me for just a beat too long or hear her heart rate pick up when I slip in a suggestive joke. It's too hard to tell for sure with humans, though. Their faces have so many muscles and all that skin instead of plates. Turians rely on our subtones - which humans can't hear - to communicate what words can't or don't. Humans do that with their facial expression and I'm quickly realizing that I don't know nearly enough about those.

I'm a dominant male and I'm used to being in control of these situations. I don't like the Shepard already has me at a disadvantage in any way.

Shepard has unnerved and aroused me all at once, so I can't help but continue the flirting that started in the elevator. I know that it's not going anywhere and when I think about, I can't honestly imagine her being into me, but it's still fun.

Dinner turns out to be a good idea if the way Shepard's face lights up when she looks at the menu is any indication. She orders a foul smelling thing called a cheeseburger that I don't understand at all, and then laughs when she catches me making a face at it.

"This," she tells me, holding the odd chunk of soggy looking food up, "is a prime example of human food and genius."

"That thing being an example of your genius explains a lot about humans, Shepard," I tease her. She laughs and tosses one of the thin, off-white sticks from her plate across the table at me. It hits my chin and then lands on my plate. "What is this?"

"A french fry. Try it; you know you want some."

I raise my brow plates at her, wondering exactly what she's offering. Her cheeks turn an outstanding shade of pink as Nihlus chuckles around a mouth full of food. I kick him under the table and end up hitting Shepard's foot as she'd started to do the same thing.

The three of us dissolve into laughter like children at a school lunch table. Like old friends.

Nihlus catches my gaze and flares his mandibles for my attention, raising his own brow plates to ask a silent question. He knows me well enough to know what's going on, that I'm attracted to his human. The problem is that he looks just as confused about what damn sure looks like Shepard's attraction to me.

"So. A french fry, huh?" I'd rather focus on food than thinking too much into whatever this is or isn't.

"A delicacy where I come from," she informs me with a smile that makes me think she's telling a joke no one else is privy to. "You don't have any allergies, right?"

I give her a deadpan look. "Do you really think C-Sec or the Turian Hierarchy for that matter would send us off into the galaxy if a little human blood or spit or food could take us down?"

"Fair enough, we get tested too," she admits, her laugh a sweet and melodious sound. "What are you so afraid of, then? Eat the damn french fry, Vakarian."

Nihlus looks at Shepard for a beat before turning to me with his mandibles spread in a big, shit-eating grin. He definitely likes her. "Yeah, Vakarian, what are you so afraid of?"

I narrow my eyes at him for challenging me before eying the food item suspiciously. I don't like that it's clearly supposed to be straight but has gone soft, flopping over impotently. With a sniff, I find that it smells similar to some of the friend foods I'm familiar with. Mostly because I don't want Shepard to think I'm scared, I pop it into my mouth.

The french fry has a crunch on the outside that I wasn't expecting before giving way to a soft, hot, and mildly flavored center. It tastes like salt and oil and something else I've never had before and don't have a name for. "That's actually not bad at all," I confess after finishing it.

Shepard seems immensely pleased at that and I have to hold back from asking for another just as an excuse to make her look so happy with me. I'm going to be in big trouble with this woman.

"How long have you guys known each other?" Shepard asks as we continue to eat and chat.

Nihlus gives me a fond look before he answers. "Our fathers worked together in C-Sec for twenty some years back in their day, so our familiar have always been closer. We've known each other all our lives."

I'm grateful Shepard can't hear my affectionate subtones but I don't mind that Nihlus can. He reaches out and gives my fringe a quick, playful tug that makes me laugh.

"Adorable," Shepard teases us as she finishes off her meal. I notice that she ate as much as either of the grown Turian men at the table and just as quickly. Considering her muscle tone and what I've learned during my time with C-Sec about the way human bodies can change rapidly, it's impressive.

Of course, I might not know much about humans, but I know enough about women not to comment.

"Now that dinner is settled," Nihlus announces, slapping his hand down on the table enthusiastically. "Dancing, drinks, hitting on strangers...we're headed to the club, right?"

"I'm game," I agree, tossing back the rest of the beer I had with dinner.

Shepard doesn't seem immediately sure, but I catch her glance me before she nods. "Yeah, why the hell not? What else is shore leave for?"

"I can think of a few things," I respond, rising from my chair as they do.

"You know, I don't have any trouble believing that." Shepard quickly closes one eye at me in what I've learned is a wink. It's got a lot of meanings in human culture, but it's generally used to express a joke or secret between two people. Something about Shepard sharing a secret with me in an intimate, human gesture gets my heart pumping.

"You two sure you don't wanna just grab a room?" Nihlus teases, shoving me playfully ahead of him through the doors out of the restaurant.

I laugh and, fortunately for Nihlus, Shepard does too. He pulls me under his arm to soften the blow - something that was easier for him a decade ago when I was still shorter than him - and we head for the night scene area of the Citadel. The line outside Flux is long and they both hesitate, assuming we'll wait to get in.

"Come on." I motion with my head for them to follow me and push through some of the crowd toward the bouncers by the entrance. A glance back tells me that Shepard isn't built for making people move on instinct, and she's just too professional to shove civilians aside.

Aware that it might cost me a hand, I reach back and clasp my palm around hers. It's a little bit of a shock, how soft her skin is and how small her hand feels when she grips mine in return. I realize that even with more fingers than I'm used to, it's not foreign, but feels almost familiar instead. I know that's impossible, but I go with it for now and tug her along, reaching the doors quickly.

"How's it hanging, Cressius?"

The familiar Turian turns and smiles at me. "Vakarian! They finally give you a night off?"

"Finally is right." He laughs and slaps my shoulder, briefly eyeing the human holding my hand. I note the surprise in his subtones and on his face, but don't address it. "Some friends in town, just for the night. Can you help me out?"

"Anything for you, my friend." A chorus of swear words, threats, and boos ring out as Cressius opens the velvet rope to let the three of us through with no further wait. "Enjoy." I pat his shoulder with my free hand in thanks and lead the other two in, releasing Shepard's hand somewhat reluctantly.

Before I can even scan the whole room, an Asari wearing an impressively revealing dress and carrying a tray of drinks stop in front of us. "Need a table, handsome?" she asks me.

"Yes, please." I give her a smile that I'm certain will work to get me whatever I want; it always does. "And a couple rounds of shots when you get a second to spare for me." She smiles, her eyes dropping briefly to check me out, and then motions for us to follow her.

"Is he always like this?" Shepard asks Nihlus from behind me.

My best friend laughs. "Absolutely. Ever since he hit puberty."

I toss a vulgar hand gesture over my shoulder at him and they both laugh. I wonder if Shepard asked just to tease me or because she might be a little jealous, but it doesn't seem like the kind of thing I know well enough to question...yet.

The waitress takes us to a hightop table with enough seclusion that we can talk without shouting and still be in full view of the dance floor. Nihlus intentionally and obviously steps around me so I end up with the seat beside Shepard. I might scold him for it, but I'm distracted when the waitress returns with a dozen shot glasses, green and blue liquors shimmering inside them.

"Holy hell," Shepard breathes, blinking in surprise at the table now full of liquor.

I lean toward her and pick up two shot glasses, holding one of them out for her. "What are you afraid of, Shepard?"

I speak low enough and she has to look at me, and I can see surprise flash through brilliant green eyes before they narrow and she accepts the challenge by taking the shot. The three of us clink our glasses in a universal sign for comradery before throwing the liquor back.

It doesn't take Nihlus long to abandon us for the dance floor and cruising, but I don't mind and I don't think Shepard does either since we fall into easy conversation. I learn that she's biotic, which explains the appetite, but that she favors her gun. We talk rifles and ammo, the ships we've served on, and music preferences. Her taste is crap but she's funny and engaging so I let it go.

A couple human men and an Asari stop by to ask Shepard to dance, and a few Asari approach to ask if I'll buy them a drink. I don't bother to take much notice of them. We both refuse everyone and choose to stay at the table together, though I'm not sure why Shepard makes that choice. When an Asari propositions both of us, our surprise sends us into a fit of laughter after she leaves.

"Wow. Not sure a stranger has ever asked me to have a three species threesome before," Shepard notes, downing another shot. Few remain.

"Does that mean strangers have propositioned you for same-species threesomes? I need to hang out with you more often." She throws her head back to laugh at my joke and something about seeing a literal war hero laugh that openly makes me feel warmer than any shot.

"I think every Asari in here has been over to try and get your attention," she muses when she recovers, not looking at me now and instead running her finger through a ring of condensation on the table. I think it's intended to look casual, but it fails. "I'd ask if you're just not interested in Asari, but I think every species is."

"Hard to argue with that. Some people just don't like aliens, though." She looks up at me, green eyes still clear despite the alcohol, and I know she can see what I'm asking without asking.

"Some people," she agrees, shrugging. Again, the casual is forced. I never would have guessed Commander Shepard has a shy side. "Not me."

She looks up at me through hooded lids after that, gauging my reaction. If the reaction on my face is going to be half as strong as the one in my pants, I've just been exposed. I need to throw down a shot to gather myself.

"Me neither," I finally manage. Smooth, Vakarian. It seems to please Shepard though, even if she tries to hide it by turning her head toward the dance floor.

"Hey there." A subtone that screams arousal reaches me even before the voice so I'm not surprised when a Turian woman appears at my side. "I feel like I've seen you around before."

I want her to go away immediately, especially when I see Shepard shrink a little, but I don't want to be rude. "It's likely from C-Sec."

"Ah, maybe that's it. Just enjoying a night off then, Officer?" She ends the question by tilting her head back, just a little but enough to expose her throat and her intentions to me. The submissive signal is tied to my instincts and my cock jumps...but the response is miniscule compared to Shepard's confession that she might be into aliens.

It makes dismissing the Turian that much easier.

"I am. With a friend." To ensure the point is made, I angle my shoulders away from her and slide another shot across the table to Shepard while picking one up myself. As we drink, I can feel the Turian assessing us and hear her substones betray her surprise. I know at least part of that is because she's been shot down for a human.

Shepard knows it too, and she looks at me with a slight frown when the Turian huffs off. "You can go, you know," she offers, faking a smile.

"I know," I assure her. "I'm good right here."

A small sound leaves her throat and she looks away, choosing to watch the glass she's spinning between her hands rather than look at me. "I think Nihlus was supposed to be babysitting me, not you." She tries to keep her voice light.

It makes me frown and I wonder if I've done something to make her think I don't want to be here. Some signal I'm giving off without realizing, something she's misinterpreting because of a gap in cultural knowledge. I go for words, to be as clear as possible. "I'm not babysitting anyone."

She allows a laugh but the sound doesn't hold any humor. I can't explain why her outright dismissal of the idea I might want to spend time with her irks me the way that it does.

"Look at me."

I didn't expect that to work, but the great Commander Shepard follows the order instantly, almost instinctively. That could be so much fun to exploit.

"I'm having fun," I tell her honestly. "I'm...enjoying this. Enjoying you."

Shepard flashes a grin, her confidence returning. "Enjoying me? And I haven't even shown you any of my best tricks yet."

"I have a feeling I'd be very interested in those." She might not be able to hear my subtones but I know damn well she can hear how husky my voice has become when her eyes widen.

It's not until Shepard gasps that I realize how close we're sitting now; apparently we've been moving toward each other unconsciously. It'd be easy to pass this off as needing to speak over the noise of the club, but I could hear her just find when I was sitting up straight.

Something else has pulled to this, made me lean on the table so close to her that her scent - an intoxicating mix of citrus and cinnamon - surrounds me.

Shepard's eyes flash back and forth between mine. I can tell her mind is racing, that the alcohol hasn't done enough to keep her from freaking out about this at least a little. I know that I have to ask quickly because if she pulls away now, I'm not sure she'll ever come back.

"Do you wanna dance with me?" I blurt out before I can talk myself out of it.

"Yes." I can see the answer surprises her as much as the question did, but I don't give her a chance to back out just yet. I grasp her hand again, this time with the intent to pull her much closer.

I've heard about Turian grace and firepower in combat, learned in training that they're absolutely potent in hand-to-hand battles. There's a rhythm in the way they move in all things, something animalistic and predatory about everything I've seen Nihlus and Garrus do today. So, I had a feeling going into this that Garrus Vakarian wouldn't be terrible on the dance floor.

I never could have guessed that the boy can dance, goddamn him.

His movements are fluid and graceful, our bodies moving to the rhythm of the music and of one another. It starts out friendly enough, his hands on my hips and my arms over his shoulders. If anyone asks, I'm going to blame Garrus for making the first move to heat things up.

Part of me knows, just knows, that he grazes my ass at least in part to challenge me. It takes me a second to respond, but once I catch the glint in his eyes, I know I can't back down - not with this guy. He wants a challenge, I'm gonna give it to him.

Turning around in his arms, letting him press against me from behind, is either the biggest mistake I've made in a long time or one of the smartest things I've ever done. As the songs pass and the temperature between us rises, I can feel the air around us spark to life. My skin hums with electricity everywhere that he's touching me and it makes me feel drunker than any amount of shots.

Forgetting altogether that we're practically strangers, that we're different species, and that we're not exactly in a private space...maybe in a way forgetting myself, things start to escalate. My hips and ass seem to move of their own volition, rolling into his hips and swaying in his hands. Garrus doesn't miss a beat, rocking into me while his hands boldly test the waters by sliding over my hips and thighs, up along my waist and brushing my breasts. Before long, the Turian has me breathing hard and sweating - and not just from the effort of dancing in such a confined, hot space.

Garrus presses his face against my ear and then my neck, nuzzling and brushing his mouth plates over the skin slowly. I can feel his too-hot Turian breath and it sends chills down my spine. I'm not even sure I give my body the command to let my head fall back onto his shoulder and expose my neck to him, but the soft moan Garrus releases makes it hard to complain.

It stops and his mouth moves away far too suddenly, leaving me instantly bereft.

"I'm going." I glance up, confused, at the sound of Nihlus' voice. We haven't seen him in a while, but he's definitely what caught Garrus' attention.

"Where?" I can hear the protective tone in Garrus' voice and look past Nihlus to find another Turian male obviously waiting for our Spectre friend. Oh.

We've stopped dancing but Garrus hasn't released me and doesn't seem inclined to do so. He pulls my back flush up against his hard body, not an inch of give on this guy, and keeps me there with one hand pressed low and firm on my stomach. I can feel the muscles deep inside me fluttering under the pressure and I'm sure he can feel it, too.

"With company," Nihlus responds with an easy laugh. "He's in far more danger than I am, Pup, and you know it. I'll call you in the morning." His green eyes shift to mine, his grin only growing wider. "I hope you don't mind, Shepard. And I hope you both take the opportunity for what it is."

Garrus shoves his friend away playfully and growls. "Goodnight, Nih. Be careful."

Nihlus laughs and I manage a chuckle, but I'm entirely distracted by the sound Garrus just made. A growl. He actually growled, like an animal. And it was hot, damn it.

The temperature inside me spikes with a sudden desire, an almost painful urge, to make him do that again.

I should be freaked out by the totally not human sound and I wait for my instincts to kick in, to remind me that the man I'm panting for is not built for me...but it never comes. Instead when I feel his face move back to my neck, my head tilts on instinct to give him better access. I think I'd give him just about anything at the moment.

We still aren't dancing, still just standing in the middle of the crowd with our bodies pressed together. And I'm half prepared to climb him.

What is wrong with me?

"Shepard," he murmurs in my ear, his deep voice sending heat surging to my core. "Do you want to get out of here with me?"

I understand the offer; it's clear enough. Do I want to leave with him, go back to his apartment with him, continue our night alone with him? My body is screaming for me to answer 'yes' emphatically, to throw myself around his big body and let him do whatever he will to me. My mind, however, starts spinning rapidly.

I'm Commander Shepard. I'm a war hero, I'm serving under one of the most highly decorated Captains in the Alliance Navy, I'm a professional.

Should I really have a one night stand with a stranger on shore leave?

Before I can answer my own question and make a coherent decision, Garrus ups the ante and slowly drags his tongue - rough and searingly hot - up my neck and behind my ear. He nips the skin softly. My knees nearly give out and I sway back into him, my body overcome with a hot need that is unlike anything I've ever felt before.

"I want you," he growls.

"Yes."

My answer comes confidently, all the fear and reservation fleeing me. I can feel Garrus' response, his hands tightening at my hips. He nips at my shoulder, hard enough for a sharp bite of pain to make my heart leap but not enough to break the skin. He grabs my hand and tugs me behind him though the crowd, toward the exit. He's moving so quickly that I nearly have to start running to keep up but his enthusiasm and eagerness are infectious.

By the time we finally escape the club, my smile is threatening to split my face. When I laugh, Garrus glances back over his shoulder and chuckles before he slows, using my momentum to guide me in front of him and into his arms. With his arms wrapped around me now, he starts walking slowly while driving me backward.

My arms wind around his neck, seeking stability but mostly just needing to touch him.

I watch impossibly blue eyes flash down to my mouth and then he shakes his head, still smiling. "I wouldn't have a clue to do with a human mouth, but I can't stop thinking about yours," he admits, his voice in a deep octave that betrays his arousal and makes my core clench.

"I can show you what to do with it," I offer, letting one hand slide up the back of his head so that I can pull him down to me while the alcohol and arousal sweeps away any remaining hesitation.

Garrus stops walking and doesn't resist, our mouths meeting in a soft brush of leather on flesh. I expected his mouth plates to be hard but they really aren't and they don't taste as metallic as they appear. He brushes my lips again, revealing the plates are pliant enough if not quite like a human mouth.

The fact that it's not a human mouth doesn't make me want to kiss him any less. So when Garrus nips at my bottom lip, I let myself get lost in sensation and kiss him properly.

I feel his hands tense against my hips for barely a second when my tongue touches his mouth in what I imagine is his first kiss of this kind, my lips molding to his mouth and my tongue teasing his. His hesitation only lasts for that instant and then he responds, licking into my mouth with an urgency that makes my legs shake.

It may not be exactly a human kiss but it's damn close and it certainly gets the point across.

"Get a room!" someone nearby shouts, startling me enough that we part and eliciting a round of cheers from the people still waiting in line to enter Flux. I'd totally forgotten we had an audience.

Garrus chuckles softly against my jaw but releases me from the kiss and his arms, leaving me feeling hollow and cold again. Why do I like his touch so much? Fortunately, he grabs my hand and seems even more eager now as we approach a rapid transit station.

"I do not want to waste time walking," he growls, sliding behind me and pulling my ass back into him again. I lose my breath and my head falls back against his shoulder, pheromones and alcohol and the blatant sex appeal of the man behind me combining to make me feel flush and heady.

By the time the car arrives, I'm prepared to climb him and I take the opportunity as soon as we're safely inside the vehicle. Garrus dives at me simultaneously, our bodies colliding in the middle of the seat. Strong hands grasp at my waist before sliding lower over my hips and down to my ass. The moan that he lets out is one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard and it drives the heat inside me to a fever pitch. I've had my fair share of fun, but never felt quite so crazed, so reckless.

I don't know where he wants to be touched but when my hand slides under his fringe, massaging the soft spot I find at the back of his head, Garrus' entire big body shudders.

"Stop that," he warns, breaking the kiss and telling me to stop even as he moves his mouth to my neck. "Unless you want to be fucked in a rapid transit."

"Jesus Christ," is the only intelligent response I can manage to that threat.

The part of me that wants him badly enough to let him do just that is not small or quiet, but since I don't know how this is going to work, I really don't need the added pressure of navigating the backseat. That thought brings some clarity to the situation. "First human?"

His body, his kisses, and the heat between us don't feel foreign at all but that doesn't mean issues won't come up as we progress.

Garrus slides his tongue along my jaw, drawing a moan from me, and responds softly, "Yes." I don't know why I like that answer so much. "First Turian?"

"Yes." He doesn't need to know that he's my first alien of any kind, especially since I don't think that's true for him.

He pulls back just a little, enough to look at me with bright blue eyes that are searching mine. "You sure you wanna do this?"

I have to stop and blink, taken aback by the gesture and extremely grateful for it. He's unlike the other guys I've been with in more ways than one, I guess. But considering the ache and wet heat between my thighs, the question makes me laugh. "Vakarian, even a human has never turned me on like this. I want to do this, yes. Are you sure?"

"Spirits, yes," he groans, shaking his head and looking at me like he wants to devour me. His hands flex against my ass. "I know Turians who have been with humans so I know...you know, it'll work."

"Good enough for me."

Already over even having this much physical distance, I move back in to kiss him deeply. Garrus growls and pulls me up against his hard chest. It would be so easy to straddle him now and I'm grateful the transit finally steps to prevent me from taking him right here. He releases me to scramble from the skycar and I follow, our hands meeting again immediately like it's the most natural thing in the world.

Garrus lives in a lively part of the Citadel so we're forced to maintain our composure in the crowd this time, though I'm acutely aware that I'm holding his hand in public. Another first.

The elevator arrives and I step in ahead of him, the air in the space around us sparking to life with an energy all its own. I can barely breathe, waiting for the damn doors to slide closed and praying no one else comes on. A Turian couple steps forward to join us and I curse my luck, just as Garrus steps forward and pulls a badge up on his Omni-Tool. "Get the next car," he tells them plainly.

The couple exchanges a shocked glance but doesn't proceed.

"That has got to be an abuse of power," I tease him while the doors start to shut at a glacial pace.

"Complaining, Shepard?"

He doesn't give me time to answer, exploding into motion and directly into me when the doors shut. Garrus grips my hips in strong hands and drives me into the wall, hard enough to knock the breath from my lungs without hurting me. He grinds his hips skillfully against mine to pin me there and I gasp at the evidence of his arousal throbbing against me.

It's all I can do to hang onto him while he assaults all of my senses. I feel his hands squeeze, the sharp pinch of talons threatening to break through my pants and skin making me gasp again. "Shit, sorry," he mumbles against my mouth, immediately pulling away.

I reach out without letting him break our kiss completely and catch his hands, pulling them back to their rightful place on my hips. "Don't forget who you're messing with here," I tell him, not about to be scared off or underestimated. I trail my mouth over his jaw and down his neck, noting that while his plates and skin look hard, they don't grate on my lips at all. I can feel his pulse thrumming hard and fast under my tongue. "I am not made of glass."

"Spirits," he breathes, flexing his hands as I can feel his shaft twitch against my stomach. "You're trouble. I can't wait to make you cum."

Well, shit. I nearly melt right there but I'm saved when the elevator doors open and Garrus grabs my hand again to yank me down the hallway.

We're practically running and the thrill of it surges through me as adrenaline throughout my whole body, every inch of me absolutely certain that this is going to be really good. We finally reach his door and there's barely any delay with it opening when Garrus waves his Omni-Tool. "Nifty trick."

"I'm good at what I do, Shepard."

With that, Garrus tugs me inside his apartment and sweeps me into his arms. Now that we're here - alone and actually about to do this - the nerves start to hit me hard and I feel my hands shaking while they travel up over his chest. A long, taloned finger slips under my chin and he tilts my face upward so I'm pinned by gorgeous blue eyes.

The heat in his gaze turns me on madly but it's the hesitation for my sake, the compassion and genuine caring I can see that compels me to lean forward and kiss him - hard - before shoving him away by the shoulders.

"Get naked...now."

He flashes an unbearable sexy grin and replies, "Yes, ma'am."

I watch, captivated, as Garrus does that sexy as hell thing guys do where they pull their shirts off by reaching back over their heads, the wide collar accommodating his fringe as it comes over his head. The tattoos on his face extend below his collar to explode over his carapace and waist in thick, swirling lines of cobalt blue. His plates meet in intricate patterns but when they shift with his movements, I can see how sculpted he is despite missing the lines of muscle I'm used to seeing.

I think part of me expected to be turned off once he started to strip but when Garrus unbuckles his belt and kicks out of his boots, not wavering or hesitating under my gaze at all, my mouth goes dry.

"I don't wanna complain, but am I the only one taking my clothes off tonight?"

"Challenging me is not smart," I tell him, pulling my hair down and unable to keep from smiling. I take a breath for courage and yank my shirt off before I talk myself out of it, leaving me in just a bra from the waist up. It's just a standard issue black bra - since I had no intention of getting naked with someone tonight when I left the Normandy - but I watch Garrus' eyes widen appreciatively.

A low growl starts deep in his chest while he scans me and his attraction would be clear even if not for the impressive bulge in his civilian gear pants.

"I feel like challenging you worked out pretty well for me, actually," he responds, definitely smirking now. I roll my eyes while unbuttoning my pants and he shoves his own down to his ankles before kicking them off. In just a moment, we're standing two feet apart and staring at each other in nothing more than our underwear.

I'm acutely aware of how not scared I am, despite my limited experience with casual sex and absolute lack of experience with Turian sex. Hell, I don't even know what exactly is in his pants...but I know I want to find out.

The air in the room is alive with electricity, pushing and pulling at the small space left between us.

"Come here," Garrus breathes, catching me by the hand and pulling me into his arms so that I come flush up against him.

His body is hot like a human who has been sunbathing and he smells like sun-warmed metal. I press my hands to his chest and then slide up to his shoulders, noting that the plates are textured but not rough and the edges are smooth so I don't think I'll be injured by friction at least. Garrus is touching me with the same trepidation and something that feels oddly like awe, his hands carding through my hair and gliding over my back, then up my sides before coming to the front of my shoulders.

When I feel him hesitate, I offer my mouth and Garrus flashes a beautiful smile before leaning down to kiss me. One big hand curves around the back of my neck and the other slides slowly down to cup my breast. I smile when I can feel his frustration with the fabric he finds there and he pulls away to frown at me, flicking the strap against my shoulder.

"Is this armor of some kind?" he muses.

I laugh so hard that I have to tilt my head back to let the sound out, affection for this guy I barely know and am getting naked with threatening to choke me. "It's...clothing. And Asari have breasts, you can't make me believe you've never seen them before."

"They don't wear anything like this - not that I've seen anyway."

"Lucky them. It's an unfortunate necessity," I tell him, still feeling playful about it. Garrus does not seem to share my opinion.

"It's ridiculous. How do I get it off you?" He tugs at the strap between my breasts which does nothing but make them bounce, at least drawing an appreciative growl from him.

"A question that has stumped men, both human and alien, for centuries I assure you."

Garrus realizes now that I'm teasing him and narrows his eyes at me. "Take it off," he growls, speaking in a low tone that can only be described as dangerous. "Or I'll just shred it."

"Hmm, eager are we?" Even as I tease him, I reach behind my back and undo the clasp because I'm pretty sure he'll follow through on the threat and I don't want to have to go back to the ship without a bra in the morning. Garrus takes over from there, using one talon to pull it off my arms and toss it aside haphazardly.

He hums with something that sounds like curiosity when his hand lowers slowly to my breast again, this time the slightly rough feel of the soldier's palm actually reaching the sensitive skin. My eyes close so that I don't have to watch him staring at me but my body betrays my desire, my back arching as his fingers sweep over my nipple to press further into his hand.

"You're sensitive everywhere," he murmurs, his free hand dragging talons lightly down my spine to make the point.

I open my eyes to meet his and drag my nails down his chest, wondering if he's just as sensitive, but I get no response. Damn. "Where are you sensitive?"

He makes a soft sound deep in his throat and leans forward, bringing his mouth to my neck where he licks softly just at the base of my throat. HIs tongue is long and textured; I can't help imagining how that would feel in other places.

"You already found one spot," he reminds me, guiding one of my hands by the wrist to the back of his head.

I find that soft hide under his fringe with my fingers again and commit the spot to memory as he moans into my skin. Garrus pulls my hand lower and his mouth follows suit, his teeth nipping at my collarbone while he rolls my nipple between his fingers. I might be ashamed to moan so loudly if I had any shame left.

"Here," he whispers breathlessly while guiding my hand over his mandible and down his throat. His hot mouth covers my nipple, sharp teeth gently scoring the sensitive skin and I gasp out his name...his first name, out loud for the first time. I feel Garrus shudder in response but he doesn't miss a beat, leading my hand over his chest and to his waist.

"Here." The word sounds almost choked out and I can feel his body trembling under the sensation of my hand on his waist.

Oh I could have fun with that. And I need all the edge I can get since it's pretty clear the human similarities to Asari are giving Garrus a huge advantage here. Damn him, he knows what he's doing.

Instead of letting me gain some ground, he licks over my nipple and then drags his tongue slowly up between my breasts, over my sternum, and along the length of my throat. I nearly pass out from the sensation by the time he's done, leaning heavily into the arm supporting my back.

Garrus is still focused somehow, damn him, and I feel the fabric of his shorts under my fingers. My head snaps up to find his already trained on me while he slowly guides my hand lower, giving me every opportunity to stop him. When I don't, he presses my hand against his erection and whispers, "And here."

Whatever reservations I had left snap and I all but throw myself at him, tossing both of my arms around his neck and meeting his mouth in a kiss that shows just how desperate I feel. I'm powerless to hide it anymore so I don't bother trying, pouring everything into the kiss. Garrus growls even deeper in his chest, topping his own record for sexiest sound I've ever heard, and slides his hands under my thighs. I barely have to jump at all because he's strong enough to lift me and guide my legs around him. His narrow waist makes holding on like this easy and I can't help but wonder if that's by design.

My weight is nothing to him and our kiss doesn't seem to prevent his movement at all since he makes quick, confident strides into his bedroom. The door shuts behind him and Garrus' devilish grin against my mouth makes me cling tighter just before he dives onto the bed, managing to land on top of me without hurting or crushing me.

I laugh at his enthusiasm, at my arousal and general happiness, and just because it's so damn refreshing to be able to laugh with a lover. Garrus uses the break in our kiss to taste my other breast.

My hands travel his cowl and his shoulders eagerly, pressing to test the feel of his plates and finding that his body against mine isn't at all unpleasant despite the obvious differences. He feels warm and solid, strong arms around me creating an aura of safety that I could easily get lost in.

Now isn't the time for getting lost, though.

I tangle my legs with his and use the hold with a quick twist of my hips to flip us. Garrus lets out a surprised huff when he realizes that I've gotten him onto his back. I chuckle and he narrows his gaze at me playfully but doesn't resist when I kiss him before using his chest to push myself up so that I'm sitting, straddling his hips.

"Hell of a view, Shepard," he breathes, soft leather hands gliding softly over my thighs and waist while his eyes blaze heat all over me.

I wanted to be up here, but now that I realize how much of me he can see, I'm feeling exposed and vulnerable. The urge to hide myself is nearly unbearable but when I lift my arms to try it, Garrus catches my wrists. "Hey, now" he murmurs, sitting up and bringing one of my wrists to his mouth. "Why are you hiding from me?" His tongue traces my pulse point and makes me shiver.

"Mostly because you're staring at me," I confess.

Garrus chuckles, his blue eyes sparkling even in the dim light. Well, the eye not hidden by the visor he wears.

"This thing isn't helping. I feel like you have enough of an advantage." I reach behind his head and unsnap it before tossing it aside, letting me have his whole face.

"Trust me, Shepard, I'm feeling a huge disadvantage here," he breathes, still kissing my free wrist while his other hand rubs my back slowly. His tongue is doing something incredible on a spot I never would have considered erotic before and then he drags it up my palm, the feeling somehow tied right to my core. "How can I help?"

"That's helping." My voice is all breathy and I'm already panting. He hums and then nips the tip of my middle finger, the jolt of pain making me rock my hips on instinct. It brings me right up against his erection, raging now, and we both moan at the contact. Garrus' hand slips down to cup my ass and yank me into him again, rubbing me against him right where I need him.

"Garrus, please." A minute ago I didn't want him to look at me, now I'm grinding against his hard on and begging him. How did he do this to me?

"You can have anything you want from me, baby."

"Oh, God." I know exactly what I want and it's well past time to take it. I keep my eyes on his while sliding back off of him and slipping my fingers under the waistband of his shorts. He leans back onto his elbows, lifts his hips, and doesn't resist as I remove the final piece of his clothing to toss it aside. I might wonder how the hell he got so confident but then I get a look at his cock, proudly standing between us in the dim, flickering lights from the busy space station outside his window.

I'm a little surprised at how familiar it actually is. The general idea is what I'm used to. There are some pretty distinct differences, too though. Garrus' cock is very hard and very blue and...frankly the thing is huge. It's just bordering on oh-shit-where-is-that-going-to fit and firmly inside the range of oh-I'm-gonna-be-sore-in-the-morning.

I swallow hard through a dry mouth. "Jesus, Garrus. That all yours?"

"Right now, it's all yours."

"Smooth."

He laughs and lifts one shoulder in what looks like a Turian shrug. "I do what I can."

I can't help but smile, grateful that he's making this all so damn easy. It makes me certain that he does this - bring home women he barely knows - very regularly, but it also makes me feel calm and confident that I can do this. I want to do this.

Garrus jumps and gasps, losing his control for the first time when my hand wraps firmly around the base of his shaft. It's shaped a lot like a human penis but with a gentle upward curve, a more defined head, and ridges all down the length. It's also lubricated. Interesting.

I get nervous when my thumb doesn't quite meet my fingers again when I fist him, and Garrus notices. "Come here," he breathes softly, holding a hand out to me again.

"Wait." There's one thing left to do and I want to get it over with, so I stand beside the bed and remove my panties with shaking hands.

Am I like the other women he's been with? Will he like how I feel?

Garrus follows me, turning to sit at the side of the bed with his feet on the floor. When he reaches out to pull me between his legs, I don't resist.

His sharp eyes scan me quickly before raising back to my face. "You're beautiful," he says in a tone that suggests it surprises him to feel that way. Whether he's surprised or not, it makes me blush and I hide it by kissing him. Our tongues tangle in a smooth and slow dance that he's already mastered while his hands travel my back, my ass, my thighs like he's trying to touch all of me at once. The touch is soothing in a way, easing my nerves, but every inch of me becomes charged and hot under his hands.

I tense and lean into him all at once when one hand starts to trail up the inside of my thigh. When he drags a talon very lightly along my core, my entire body trembles against him in a mix of anxious anticipation and intense arousal. Garrus moans and grips my hip with his other hand so hard it almost hurts but I don't mind at all.

He drops his mouth back to my breasts, licking and nibbling while his finger slips slowly inside me. I have split second of fear that he might spear me in the worst possible place with his talon but it subsides in a wave of pleasure. "You're wet," he moans, nuzzling my chest with his face.

"Is that bad?"

"Unexpected. And incredible."

It certainly is. His finger is magical, slowly massaging and exploring me. At the same time, his wicked tongue and teeth tease my nipples into hard points. I cry out, insanely aroused, when his knuckle bumps my clit and Garrus' head pops up to watch my reaction when he does it again intentionally.

"You like that?" His voice is low and husky which might turn me on even more than his thumb now rubbing slow, fantastic circles over my clit.

"Yes," I manage to respond somehow, my head falling back and my hips rocking against his hand.

Garrus hums a distinctly happy sound and drags his teeth gently down my throat while continuing his ministrations between my legs. As good as it feels, I need more. So much more.

"Garrus," I groan, tugging on his fringe because I'm well past rational thought to wonder if that's a good thing. I really only have one thought at the moment and I share it: "I need you inside me."

The sound that he makes then gives away how hard he's been working to control himself and I hate it, instantly desperate to watch him lose it. He removes his hand from between my legs and uses it instead to guide my knee onto the bed. Holding onto his shoulders and letting him bear my weight in strong arms, I bring my other leg up as well and straddle him.

"Do I need protection?" he asks, his voice so deep now that it's hard to hear over the growl. "I'm clean."

"Me, too. Pretty sure getting pregnant isn't an issue." He laughs at that and presses a hard, fast kiss to my lips.

We're both panting now, a combination of anticipation and anxiety, I know. I can feel the massive Turian in my arms shaking just as much as I am. "Spirits," he whispers, nuzzling into my neck and tickling the skin lightly with a flutter of his mandibles. "I've never wanted anyone so badly."

I can hear the fear in his voice and I understand it, unsure why I'm feeling so damn fond of the stranger in my arms right now. I pull his face up to mine and kiss him hard, feeling the last of his tension melt away when our tongues meet. My body tenses in exchange when I feel the head of his cock brush right where I need him most.

"We can go slow," he promises, speaking against my mouth. "I won't hurt you."

"I know."

And I do, that's the really crazy thing about all this.

I raise his hips enough to accommodate his length and reach between us, aiming his shaft where I want it. My body sucks the thick head in greedily and it makes me feel desperate, so I release my inhibitions and take a chance, dropping my hips down. Scorching hot and almost unbearably thick, I feel impaled and cry out with a mix of pain and pleasure.

"Ah, Shepard! Oh, fuck," he groans loudly, gripping my ass with one hand and digging his talons into my shoulders with the other. "Oh, I didn't know you'd feel...Spirits, you're so tight."

His body shudders and I can feel the muscles in his thighs flexing with need, but Garrus doesn't move, letting me adjust. He's big, almost too big, and while I know that it'll feel amazing, there's a part of me that's terrified to move at all.

Garrus nuzzles his face against mine and I lean into it, the slight shift in angle opening me up a little more so the pain eases. "Are you OK?" he asks, voice soft and cautious now while the growl is still rumbling loudly. As the pain slips away, it's replaced with an intense pleasure the likes of which I've only read about in romance novels.

"So good." I find his mouth for a kiss, letting my lips remain against his when I breathe, "Move."

Another groan and then Garrus shifts, pulling me back up his shaft slowly so that I can feel all those ridges clinging to the soft flesh inside me. This time, he enters me much more gently and with a strong hold on my hips.

Oh. Oh.

He feels incredible. It takes a few strokes for my body to welcome all of him, and when it happens the feeling is nearly overwhelming; I've never been so...full.

My hips start moving on their own to rock back and forth against him, Garrus lending the strength of his arms to my movements. He pulls me all the way down, sheathing completing inside me, and rolls his hips upward to hit spots I didn't even know I had. His name escapes me on a moan and I grip his shoulder, just trying not to cry because it feels so goddamn good.

My body soaring on sensation, I feel myself start to clench around him and Garrus shudders with a low growl. "How are you doing that?" he pants against my neck. "Squeezing me...so tight...Spirits."

"Can't help it," I whisper, fighting for control while the ridges make my muscles quake and his shaft hits everywhere that I need it on each deep thrust inside me. "You feel...God, this is so good."

"Damnit, Shepard. I need...I have to fuck you," he growls, voice flanging wildly and taking on a hint of desperation. "I need it, need to be deeper inside you...as deep as I can get." That sexy voice saying things that no one else ever has before nearly sends me right over the edge but I manage to grant him the permission he needs.

I lose my breath when Garrus moves, suddenly surging to his feet and bringing me to the bed under him. He traps my arms down at my hips, a firm grip on my wrists and his body covering mine, so that I'm totally immobile. Powerless. All I can do is take it, Garrus pumping into me hard and fast.

If having him inside me at all was incredible, then having him fuck me is heaven, his shaft testing all my limits and drilling inside me with power and precision while his balls slap heavily against my ass. It's all I can do to lift my hips and meet his thrusts while Garrus uses pretty damn impressive reach and that ridiculously sexy voice of his to drive me wild. He growls and murmurs how good I feel, how good I make him feel, and I can tell he's getting wild right along with me.

Before long, our combined moans are loud and reckless enough to drown out the noise of the Citadel - and probably for his neighbors to hear.

I can feel a delicious heat unfolding inside me, the orgasm I need so badly need cresting, and urge him on with my feet at his lower back. Garrus doesn't need more direction than that and I find out exactly where my breaking point is when he slams into me, pounding at me hard. I can't keep up with his thrusts anymore, lost and arching off the bed with desperate need.

"I can feel that, feel you tightening," he breathes again my throat, hot breath making me shiver and sweat all at once. "I wanna feel you cum for me."

"Yes...Garrus, please." I don't care that I'm begging. "Let me touch you."

He releases my wrists and I grip him, clawing down his back and reveling in the way he arches his spine which only manages to push him deeper inside me. Being able to feel his muscles flex and plates shift with every thrust of his cock and twist of his hips only makes it all more erotic and I'm quickly clutching him just to keep hold of my sense of reality.

Garrus' mouth shifts to my ear and he nips the lobe. "Need you with me. Cum for me."

That damned voice combined with what's so clearly an order is more than I can take and the dam breaks, tears spilling from my eyes as the most powerful orgasm of my life rocks through me. Garrus snarls and quakes as he continues to thrust through his own orgasm, moaning my name and other things that my translator doesn't pick up.

He finally starts to slow as I come down from an amazing high, both of us gasping for air and clinging to one another. He's not sweating, making me wonder if Turians are capable of sweat, but I note that his scent has changed into something spicier and the plates on his shoulder taste sweet when I kiss him. Garrus exhales softly and presses his face into my neck, letting himself rest more heavily on top of me without crushing me.

I can feel my muscles trying to relax but realize that Garrus is still very much inside me and still hard.

"Are you…" I laugh through the shock. "Christ, could you go again?"

"Hell yes," he answers firmly. There's a frown on his handsome features when he lifts his head to look at me. "Why is that surprising?"

"It's just, uh...not what I'm used to. Human men need a while after before they can go again."

Garrus seems to consider that for a beat and then smiles before he leans down and licks slowly from my collarbone all the way to my ear, my core clenching around him fantastically. "I am nowhere near done with you," he growls.

I close my eyes and thank whatever gods are listening for Turian stamina. If this will be the only time I have what's certain to remain the best sex ever, I am not stopping anytime soon.

Waking up with someone in my arms is a bit of a revelation for me. It's the first time in probably twenty years that I've let a girl sleep in my bed, and the last time was when my little sister was afraid during a storm on Palaven. This time, the girl is much more of a woman and somehow more familiar to me. Her human body is soft and flexible, letting her align with all of my parts that shouldn't work with hers but they do...Spirits, they work so well.

Shepard is sleeping soundly on her stomach beside me, the sheets pooled at the small of her back. Her soft skin is marred in red scratch marks, shallow punctures, and marks from my teeth as evidence of my excitement. Her dark red hair is gathered over one shoulder and the other is covered in an N7 tattoo, a black and red mark of pride for her military talents.

It surprises me that I don't mind having her here, that I'm not cursing her or myself for this clear breach in my normal procedure. Maybe it's because I respect her so much as a person, just because of what I know from her record, that I couldn't throw her out. Maybe I just didn't want to. I like having her here.

It probably helps that she was so damn good. Spirits know I don't lack for stamina but I had no idea that I was capable of that, rising to the occasion over and over again for hours. I love sex and adore women, but usually at some point, I finish for the last time. With Shepard, every time she so much as looked at me with those gem-colored eyes, I couldn't think of anything but getting back inside her hot little body.

My legs and back are still sore now. I can feel where her blunt nails dug into the softer hide between my plates, on my waist and ass. Everywhere that she should reach to pull me even deeper.

It amazes me that this soft, squishy human with her breakable skin and tiny frame could handle everything that I gave her and give it all right back. She liked it. I liked it, too...so damn much. So much, apparently, that I was drawn to her even in my sleep and continued to hold her after we passed out, my legs tangled between hers and my arm draped over her waist.

Nihlus is never, ever going to let me live this down.

The thought makes me smile and I disentangle myself slowly from the sleeping human Commander, slipping out of bed without disturbing her. Her cinnamon and citrus scent is all over me, now combined with the smell of our sex, and I almost don't want to wash any of it off. That's just going to give my best friend too much ammo at breakfast though, so I climb into my shower and wash quickly.

I planned to be out before Shepard got up, but I can hear her moving around as I start to rinse off so I grab a towel. I've learned from the few humans at C-Sec that they prefer modestly when you're not actively having sex, so I wrap the towel around my waist before leaving the bathroom. Shepard is hopping around my living room on one foot, apparently trying to get her shoe on while standing with one hand while the other hand is clutching her shirt to her bare breasts.

She doesn't hear me coming out of the bathroom with her dulled human senses and because she's so obviously distracted, spinning in circles while looking for something.

I almost wish I had my visor to record this for future blackmail and the idea makes me laugh, giving away my position. "Jesus, you scared me!" That seems like an understatement considering how high she jumped.

I move away from the wall and toward her. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"No, I…" She takes a deep breath and runs her hand back over her hair, which is already back up in a neat ponytail. "I can't find my bra and - "

"And you were trying escape before I came out," I finish for her with a smirk, crossing the room to where I remember throwing that damn thing last night. Shepard sighs like she didn't want me to know what she was doing but I can't blame her; I'd be doing the same thing if we were at her place.

No one likes the awkward morning after.

"Thanks," she mutters when I hand it to her, taking it from me but not moving the shirt covering her chest. She's also not running away anymore at the moment...and Spirits, the woman is even more gorgeous first thing in the morning.

I press my luck, stepping closer to her and sliding one hand gently down her arm. "Before you hurt yourself jumping around like this," I tease, earning a playful scowl that makes me smile. "Let me tell you how I see this morning going. You can grab a private shower, get dressed, and then have breakfast with me before we meet up with Nihlus - who is going to have a lot to say, by the way."

"I can imagine," she laughs, her cheeks turning a fantastic pink color.

"Your other option is to continue hopping around, I can pretend we never crossed paths this morning, and you can go."

The second option has another part to it that I know she heard without me having to say it. If she goes now, we'll likely never speak again. Why does that bother me so much?

Shepard hesitates for a moment, her eyes leaving me and seeming to look at anything but me. I hate how anxious I feel during the long pause. Finally, she takes a breath and I watch the tension melt from her shoulders. "Sorry. I'm...being ridiculous. This whole thing is just...so not my style."

"It does comfort me a little to know that you don't go home with random Turians every shore leave."

"Only for holidays and every other Wednesday."

A hard laugh escapes me and Shepard rolls her eyes while laughing. She shakes her head like she's trying to clear it out and then rewards me with a smile, pressing her soft little hand into my chest.

"Thank you. I'd love to have breakfast with you. And I'm not stupid enough to refuse a private shower."

"Feel free," I tell her, motioning toward the bathroom with my arm. "You already smell like me so there's really no harm in taking that further at this point."

Nihlus and the rest of the Turians who have ever met me on this station will know the moment Shepard is within fifty hards of them that I spent the night inside her, but I'm far from ashamed. Just look at her. The idea of a claim on her, even a small one, makes me proud.

Shepard laughs but there's a dark gleam to her eyes that my body is already trained to recognize, the air between us sparking to life in recognition. "Is that so? Because, you know, when I said private shower...I didn't necessarily mean alone."

She takes a slow step back, away from me, a mischievous gleam in her eye before she turns toward the bathroom. I watch her extend her arm to drop her bra and the shirt that was covering her breasts. I don't have enough pride not to give chase and she giggles when I catch her, hauling her body into mine and dropping my towel.

I take her against the wall in the shower, her strong arms and toned legs wrapped around me with our mouths locked together as we climax in perfect unison. The inside of his woman is almost unbearably tight, hot and wet. The muscles deep in her core cling to me and squeeze like a fist, drawing every ounce of pleasure she can from me. She comes a second time just from the feeling of me exploding inside her and it's almost enough to make me pass out.

Shepard is unlike anything I've ever felt before and I already feel addicted to it. To her. She's ruined me, I know that, and I don't care very much.

We release each other when the water starts to run cold. She kisses me again before we get out of the shower. Kissing is new and kind of another revelation; the first time I saw two humans doing this, I thought they were trying to devour each other. Now I know exactly why they're so crazy about it and I can't believe I'll have to stop when she leaves.

Shepard is decidedly more modest now while putting her clothes on then she was when we were taking them off, so her back is to me while she pulls on her pants. "I have Medi-Gel, if you want some for your back," I offer, hoping it doesn't come off weird. "I, uh...might have gotten a little enthusiastic and I don't think you want to scar."

She laughs while reaching her hands behind her at an angle that would dislocate both of my shoulders to refasten that bra thing in place. I still hate that thing. "I happen to be proud of all my battle wounds," she quips, looking at me over her shoulder with unmistakable heat but something comfortably happy, too. "And I didn't mind your enthusiasm at all, Officer Vakarian."

Oh, good Spirits. She makes my mouth go dry and she knows it.

"That place I took you for dinner is my entire repertoire for human food on the Citadel," I confess as we head for the elevator now that we're dressed. "We can chance somewhere else or go there."

"That place was good and I'd rather not risk it when I'm hungry," she responds, smiling up at me. "My biotics take up a lot of energy so I don't usually go this long without eating when I'm going to be...well, working out with such a handsome wall of solid muscle."

I laugh, my head tilting back as the sound escapes me and the joy I felt all night returns in a flood. She makes me feel happy, whether or not that makes any sense to me. "I'll have to remember that one." We step into the elevator and I can't resist the urge to tease her. "Handsome, am I?"

"You're alright." She gives me a once over with an exaggerated look of disdain. "Clearly impotent and lacking in bed, though." I laugh again and she leans against the opposite wall of the elevator, her arms crossed over her chest. It drives me crazy that she can be so casual and so sexy all at once.

I'm drawn to her and I don't resist it, crossing slowly to her side of the elevator and not stopping until I'm close enough to press my hands against the wall at either side of her head but not to touch her. "Your disappointment might be a little easier to believe if you could stop checking me out."

"Are you saying that you mind me checking you out?" she counters, a smile full of mischief forming.

Damn, she is trouble. Shepard presses one hand against my chest and tilts her face up toward mine. I take the invitation for what is and lean down, inhaling the citrus and cinnamon scent of her skin while I kiss her soft lips. She meets the kiss but this time neither of us tries to deepen it or move our hands. I can be content with this for now.

We part slowly when we can feel the elevator coming to a stop and I brush my mouth against hers once before straightening and dropping my hands. "You know, for someone who didn't know what to do with a human mouth, you've sure picked up kissing quickly."

"I had a lot of incentive." She really likes that if the brilliant smile and spark in her green eyes is any indication but I can't find out because the doors open and release us.

"Tell me something I don't know about you," she says suddenly. I frown down at her and dodge an Asari trying to wrangle three children. Shepard laughs at my expression. "Come on! It's weird to want to know a little about your life now?"

"Fair enough. What do you want to know?"

She makes a thoughtful sound with a playful expression on her face but doesn't have a chance to ask right away when we reach the restaurant and get seated. When the Asari waitress leaves us, Shepard pins me with a gaze. "How old are you?"

"Twenty six."

"Me, too! When is your birthday?"

I laugh at her excitement over something so small as the waitress arrives with two cups of coffee. "Turians don't celebrate their birthdays."

"That doesn't mean you don't know when it is," she returns with a grin.

I laugh and cave; I'm not sure I could manage to deny this woman a damn thing and it scares the crap out of me. I tell her my birthdate Palaven time and Shepard uses her Omni Tool to figure out when it would be on Earth's calendar. She lights up. "April first. Hey, mine is the tenth. You're just a few days older than me."

I have no idea why that makes her so happy but it's becoming contagious.

"Wow, you're just a kid," That earns me a playful kick to my leg under the table and the Asari comes back to take our order, eyeing us suspiciously because now we're smiling like fools. "My turn - fair is fair. Tell me your most embarrassing memory."

"Oh, what, that's not the same at all!" I just shrug and sip my coffee, doing my best to intimidate her with my gaze. Shepard laughs and rolls her eyes but gives in; maybe she can't deny me either. "Once during N7 training, we were in the gym. So I'm surrounded by men who are all older than me and mostly much higher ranked. And my pants ripped, right along my ass."

I almost choke on my coffee when a laugh bubbles up and it sends us both right back into a fit of laughter.

"You were not supposed to laugh at me!" she protests even while she's laughing too.

"I never promised that but I'll make it up to you by giving you a free question."

She smirks. "Damn, and I can't think of anything good. All I was thinking to ask was whether you have any brothers or sisters?"

"At least the answer is yes. I have two older brothers - who are both married with their own children - and a baby sister." I can't fight the smile off my face when I think about my sister.

Shepard notices and smiles in turn. "You're close to your sister. How old is she?"

"Solana and yes, we're very close. She's four years younger than me - well, younger than us."

"And you called her a baby!"

I shrug and shamelessly admit, "She's my baby girl still. I don't care how old she is." Shepard laughs and rolls her eyes but her gaze is warm and fond. "Do you have a big family."

The warm smile drops so fast I half expect to hear it hit the table. "No." Her answer is clipped and terse, making it clear that she does not want to go down that road.

"OK. Well, that was your free question. So what's the real one?"

She's looking at me over her coffee up, eyes showing me her gratitude for not pushing her on the question about her family. "Hmm. Is there anything that you're proud of?"

"Good one. But...no, I don't really think so. I'm not sure I've done anything to be proud of yet." Shepard waits and I feel like it's not good enough. "I guess...well, I was accepted into sniper school early. Usually we can't specialize until after military school graduation at eighteen, and I was selected at sixteen."

"You're a sniper?" she confirms. "Any good?"

I just smile at that. "You'll have to find out someday. Maybe next time you're on the Citadel we'll hit the gun range." She's not dense enough to miss what I'm doing. The moment the words are out of my mouth though, I regret it and feel self-conscious so I scramble to recover. "You know, if...if you're not too busy."

"I won't be too busy. It's a date." I dare a glance up to find her already watching me and I can't help looking down at her mouth. She notices and her smile grows but she shakes her head just a little, almost in a challenge.

I'm distracted - and probably saved - by my Omni-Tool dinging with a voice message from Nihlus. I tell her and she nods for me to play it.

"Good morning, Pup! If you're still inside Commander Shepard, finish up and call me. If you're awake and you threw her out, go find her because even I knew she was sexy. If you're awake and with her - good morning, Shepard! I'm on my way to your place for a shower and then I'll meet you wherever."

"Spirits, what a dick," I groan, even as I laugh at Nihlus who was laughing by the end of his own message. "I should have known that wouldn't be safe to open in public. You'd think more than two decades with the guy would be enough to learn my lesson." I quickly send him a message to tell him where to meet us and hope Shepard isn't mortified.

Fortunately, she seems to think the whole thing was pretty funny. "He seems like a good guy. A lot of fun to have around." I can't disagree as the waitress brings our breakfast to the table. "Why does Nihlus call you Pup?"

"Oh, I don't think so. You've had more than your share of questions this morning, kid." She laughs and rolls her green eyes dramatically at me and at the nickname. "Favorite movie?"

"Don't laugh again. I love the Blasto movies."

I ignore her rule and laugh. "OK, well that should have been your embarrassing thing."

"Shut up! Those movies are classics."

"First of all, they can't be classics if they keep making new ones. Isn't the one coming out this year something like the fifteenth? Second...Shepard, they suck."

She laughs and turns her knife on me, flaring at me with bright green eyes that hold no heat. "Watch it, Vakarian. I might miss during our shooting range date."

I toss my head back and laugh with her, our conversation and comradery coming just as naturally as the sexual attraction...which I can still feel crackling across the table between us. This is what's newest about Shepard; not having sex with a human but how easily friendship is coming with her after sex.

Shepard doesn't notice I'm lost in thought and is still protecting her horrible media choice. "You just haven't watched them with the right person. We'll do that on our date, too."

"Watch Blasto is what you want to do at my apartment on a date?" I ask, not bothering to hide the challenge. Shepard has the grace to flush, her face even more beautiful when it's pink. I end one of my legs and boldly nudge hers under the table. She jumps just a little and then smiles, hooking her ankle around mine. "I'm a question behind. What are you most proud of?"

She shakes her head a little. "I'm not sure there's anything yet, really. I know it sounds weird since I have medals and there are things the Alliance is proud of but...I don't know, I don't really feel it yet. You get it."

"I do." A sense of pride swells in my chest at being able to understand something so personal and private about her. It does surprise me coming from someone well known as a war hero, though.

She's humble. That's new.

She smiles at me and we both turn to our meals for the moment. I allow myself to bask in the taste of actual Turian food, not the fast-food I usually deal with which is Asari and also dextro-friendly. I recall the french fry from last night and wonder if I should be trying more human foods.

The most recent human things I've tried have turned out pretty great.

"You know, I think it's your turn to try a new food," I tell her, lifting a piece of caritas from my plate and extending it to her.

"What is it?" she asks, not touching it and giving me a skeptical look.

"Baby Salarian feet." She balks but recovers quickly when she realizes I'm joking and smacks my arm. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. It's just a cured meat that we fry. One of my favorite breakfast foods but you can eat it anytime."

She makes a sound in the back of her throat and then extends her hand to take it from mine. I expect her to nibble a little the way my sister used to when we were kids and she didn't want to try something new, but Shepard takes a genuine bite. No fear.

After chewing a couple times, her face lights up like the Citadel from space. "Oh, my God...it's just like bacon! You have bacon."

"You can keep saying that word but I don't understand it," I note, laughing at her enthusiasm.

"Here." She picks up a thin reddish strip of something shiny with grease and hands it over. "That is bacon. Try it." I pop the small piece she gave me into my mouth and blink when I realize she's right; it takes almost identical to charitas except this human version is crispier and a little saltier. "How weird is it that both of our species have and adore bacon? Humans go crazy for this shit."

"I can see why. I think your version is better," I admit.

Shepard shakes her head and shoves her almost empty plate toward me. "Then let's trade because I like yours more."

"There's a dirty joke about human men in there somewhere, but I'm too hungry to find it."

She laughs while we swap out pieces of meat from one another's plates and Shepard flashes me a stunning smile before digging back into her meal. I don't think there's much I wouldn't do or agree to just to bring that smile back to her face and keep it there.

"More food sharing?" Nihlus' voice rings out as he strolls up to the table. "You two are so cute I might throw up." We laugh at him as he grabs an empty chair from another table, swings it around, and straddles the back of it to sit with us. He reaches out without asking and takes my coffee, swallowing what was left in a couple gulps.

"Very nice," I mutter when he puts the cup back down in front of me like it's of any use to me now. I catch the waitress' attention and she nods with a promise to come back with more.

Nihlus look a little drained and it worries me immediately, my appetite slowing significantly so I guide my plate closer to him. I know that Nihlus can handle himself but since I'm also a Turian man, I know what we're capable of and I worry about him.

Shepard is watching him too and seems to notice that he's off. "Rough night? No sex jokes, please."

He jerks one shoulder in a shrug. "The sex was alright, nothing to write home about," he tells us, never one to be shy about his sex life no matter who is around. "The guy let me fall asleep there, I left this morning and sent you that message. Then he comes outside of his place and freaks out that I was still around. Apparently, he's supposed to be committed to his Asari girlfriend who was coming home. Didn't want me to get caught smelling like him."

"Asshole," Shepard spits from the other side of the table. "You want me to go back and kick his ass? He'd never see it coming from a human."

I laugh and give her a grateful nod. It helps my opinion of her immensely that she's good to Nihlus.

He manages a laugh as well and then just shrugs again. "It's not a big deal, really. Being called a faggot just really isn't my favorite activity first thing in the morning."

I reach out on instinct and curve my hand around the back of his fringe, pressing gently in an affectionate gesture. Turians might be better with fluid sexuality than other species but we aren't perfect and my heart hurts whenever Nihlus deals with it. Nihlus smiles for real finally and leans into my touch as he reaches out takes a bit of the bacon from my plate.

He frowns after taking a bite and then looks down at his hand, realizing just then that he's eating something familiar. "This is not charitas."

"No, it's bacon - human food. And it's even better," I inform him, plucking the remaining piece from his fingers and eating it before I have to share any more.

Shepard laughs at me and then has to swat Nihlus' hand away from her plate before he can steal from it. We share the rest of the meal in easy company, Nihlus quickly coming back to life and forgetting about this morning.

I let the whole thing go but only because I can't remember what the Turian from last night looked like, so I can't hunt him down. I could check the security cameras.

"Don't let him give you a hard time about anything embarrassing," Nihlus tells Shepard after she recounts our earlier conversation. "He took a head dive down the stairs at primary school graduation, sprawled out on the floor in front of everyone and their mother - literally. How you ever got laid after that is beyond me, Pup."

I smirk and tell him, "I happen to be a handsome wall of solid muscle."

Shepard throws her head back and laughs harder than I've heard from her before while Nihlus gives me a confused but happy glance. I just shrug, unable to explain what's going on here between us. I just like her company, find her really easy to get along with.

Want desperately to get back inside her body.

"I need to head back to your apartment and grab my bag," Shepard announces after draining a third cup of coffee. I've learned from C-Sec that humans really like their caffeine but Shepard seems to take that to a whole new level. Or maybe she just had a long night. "I'm happy to run back there myself if you don't mind. It'll give you guys a few minutes to catch up. I crashed your entire night."

"He didn't mind that," Nihlus quips, muttering into his cup.

I smack his arm but ignore him. "You sure you can find your way there?"

She assures me and I send the code for my apartment door to her Omni-Tool. With another smile and patting Nihlus' shoulder on her way past him, Shepard heads out of the restaurant. Nihlus and I both turn in our seats to watch her go; her ass really is perfect and there's definitely something to be said for the soft sway of her hips even as she strides with military grace and purpose.

"Well shit, Vakarian," Nihlus breathes, bringing my attention back to him. He's already gaping at me. "Not only did you fuck her, but you loved it...and you like her!"

"Hey, keep it down," I scold him, my eyes darting around quickly to make sure he didn't offend anyone with that language in a place with kids. "Crap, I'm becoming a cop."

Nihlus laughs. "Don't ever let Saren find out about this; he'd never let you live it down."

I try not to grimace at that thought. We may not talk daily anymore but Saren Arterius has been my mentor for over a decade, so I don't love hiding things from him. The thought of having to sit through another of the Spectre's useless anti-human lectures is enough reason to keep my mouth shut about Shepard next time I see him.

He's so angry now…

Nihlus distracts me when he swats my arm and asks, "So...how was it?"

I can't help the smile on my face when I think about last night; Shepard's body writhing underneath me, the way she looked riding me, how tight her body got when she climaxed over and over and...I have to shake off the thought because I'm about to start drawing attention to myself very inappropriately.

"Wow, that good huh? Maybe I should start checking out humans."

I laugh but shake my head at him. "I don't know, she looked surprised when I got naked. I'm pretty sure humans aren't, uh...packing the same heat."

Nihlus frowns and makes a disappointed face that I laugh at. The frown dissolves quickly and his mandible flare on a grin. "The guy I drilled for an hour turns out to be a homophobe but my best friend warns me that a human might not be hung well enough for my tastes. My love life has become really weird."

"You? You know, I turned down a Turian woman last night for Shepard. I can't even tell you the last time I saw one on the Citadel; it's been months since I've had a Turian." I shake my head at myself and note, "I thought I had a type."

Nihlus laughs and shakes his head at me playfully. "I wish I was staying longer," he admits, running a talon absentmindedly around the rim of his coffee mug - his own now that the waitress was kind enough to bring him one.

I laugh and confess, "I wish I was going with you."

He offers me a sympathetic smile, as aware as I am that I'm stuck for now if I don't want to face the wrath of Castius Vakarian. If I want to be allowed to visit my family's home ever again, I need to stick it out with C-Sec for a little while. That doesn't make it easier, especially when my best friend is a Spectre who gets to travel the galaxy...with Shepard.

"I'll be back next month and I'll bring Shepard with me," he offers, reading my mind. "She can hang out for one night but I'm taking a long weekend, so use your vacation time."

I agree without hesitation, already looking forward to it. Grown men or not, it's nice to spend a weekend drinking and bullshitting with my closest friend. And having Shepard around doesn't sound too bad at all.

"Hey, while we have a minute…" Nihlus glances toward the entrance. "What do you think of her outside of the bedroom?"

"Like as a Spectre?" I ask, catching on that he's asking for a personal opinion. "I think humanity would have to work pretty hard to earn someone like her as a representative of their species." Nihlus blinks at me and I try not to balk, realizing just how damn smitten that made me sound. "Shut up." He chuckles, still shaking his head at me just as Shepard returns.

Her presence reminds Nihlus of the time and it effectively puts an end to the visit. We head back toward the docks together and I nudge Shepard while she walks between me and Nihlus.

I nearly lose my train of thought under the gaze of those damn green eyes of her. "Watch after this guy for me, OK? He's an idiot."

Shepard laughs and nods. "I'll try to keep him in line. We've all heard how Spectres can get."

Nihlus laughs at us and catches my eye, raising his brow plates at me. He motions toward Shepard with his hand, trying to send a message that I don't want to translate.

We reach the docking bay where the Normandy SR-1 is waiting in all her glory. Captain Anderson is already there and greets the three of us. I notice a bounce in Shepard's step the moment that she sees him and the fond smile that he gives her; it's clear the two of them are close.

Anderson is all business right now, though. "Commander Kyrik, I'd like to speak with you before we take off - when you have a moment."

"I'll join you," he promises, nodding to the human Captain who turns and heads back toward the ship so Nihlus can have a moment to say goodbye. My stomach always feels a little queasy when I watch Nihlus leave, not allowed to know what exactly his missions entail and never knowing where he'll end up. Of course, that edge of danger is what's drawn both of us to the Spectres.

"Alright, Pup." Nihlus grabs my carapace and uses it to yank me into a hug, our foreheads bumping briefly as he holds the back of my head. "See you next month?"

"I'll be here. Watch your six, Nih...and hers," I add more softly so that only Nihlus hears it. When he pulls away, he's beaming at me but just pats my shoulder and then turns to board the ship.

It takes me a beat to realize that he's left me alone with Shepard in the awkward position of having to say goodbye. "Don't let him give you too much shit," I joke, hoping the moment won't be too weird.

She laughs, easing my tension in an instant. "Is that actually possible?"

I'm fairly certain that Shepard and Nihlus are going to end up lifelong friends by the time they get back here. Pure trouble, both of them.

Shepard turns to face me, cocking her head to the side and giving me a smirk that is downright sexy. "What will it do to your ego if I tell you that this is the best shore leave I've had...maybe ever?"

"Oh, Shepard," I drawl, shaking my head. "You are never going to live that down."

"Ah, damn. I should have known better." She mocks a frown and shakes her head at me. My hands itch to touch her, run my talons through that silky hair, and tilt her head back so I can take her mouth. "Anyway...I should go."

"Right. I'll see you around, Shepard."

"It's Elle. And don't forget about our date when I get back next month, Garrus," she calls, starting to walk backward slowly, much like she did this morning before drawing me into the shower with her.

"Don't you forget that you have my Omni-Tool info...and you should call me." It takes more for me to say that out loud - to ask her for that - than I'll ever admit but Shepard's quick flash of surprise suggests she knows that.

Shepard gives me a beautiful smile and rewards me with a wink before she disappears, leaving me behind.

******* Author's Note *******

Yeah, a little late, right? This has been a passion project for years and undergone about a million rewrites. I finally decided it was just time. This story, Elle and Garrus's, will continue through ME3 and then even on to Andromeda. I hope you enjoy the ride.