BOOM!
Confessionsssssssss!
PART THREE
Anger makes for a perfect excuse in the face of confessions!
Tali's words had left the Commander to steam over their meaning without a break.
From the moment the quarian had left her quarters to their arrival on Aeia she hadn't stopped thinking, not even when mechs and crazed men alike had started firing on them. She paid the consequences of her distraction when an Atlas shot directly at her, knocking her on her ass and out of it for a couple moments; but the fall had been enough to grant her a lovely concussion and some burns on her face. She brushed off her companions concerned expressions and pushed forward, finally entering the "safe zone".
She was still in a foul mood when she reluctantly decide to leave Jacob's father to the Alliance instead of leaving him to the men and women he had betrayed and abused over the years.
'EDI, forward a distress signal to the nearest Alliance vessel, along with a report on what happened down here. Let them handle this mess' she called into her communicator as she made her way back to the ship. Her face was burning like shit due to the blast she had taken, and her ears wouldn't stop ringing.
'Yes Commander. Should I also alert Doctor Chakwas that you are in need of medical attention?' the AI inquired, probably after reading her vital signs again.
'No. It's just a scratch, I can take care of it myself' Shepard replied, definitely not in the mood to be scanned and chided by the overbearing doctor. No, she'd slap some medigel on her face once she got back in her cabin.
'As you wish. Logging you out, Shepard' EDI's voice faded out and Valery sighed in relief.
The whole ride back she skillfully avoided both Miranda and Jacob's attempt at conversation, and once the shuttle landed in the bay, she had to resist the impulse to cloak herself. Instead, she just rushed to the elevator, not even bothering to put down her weapons. As she fretfully punched the button of her cabin, she missed Garrus' perplexed gaze following her. He'd been down there to pick up some new pieces for his sniper when the land party had come back, and he had just barely noticed the injuries that littered Shepard's face. It was rare of her to end up that roughed up…
The cabin's floor was littered with pieces of her amour and clothes alike, the whole mess drawing a path directly to the bathroom.
Valery had lost count of time; how long had she been standing under the water?
But it didn't matter. As long as it kept her from thinking, she'd stand there to the end of times.
Except peace was always short lived on military ships, and the loud swooshing of her front door opening and closing made that pretty clear. She still was in no condition to uphold a decent conversation with anyone, and she certainly was not going to put back on the horrifying uniform that Cerberus had provided, so the trespasser was going to be confronted with an angry, wet, and half-naked Shepard.
Valery turned the shower off, threw a towel on herself, and grabbed another to avoid dripping all over her floor. When the bathroom's door opened and she was faced with a chest she knew all too well, she suddenly realized that maybe her full front tactic wasn't that well thought after all.
A sigh pulled her back from her thoughts.
'Can't you at least get dressed properly Shepard?' Garrus said, eyes averted from her form and mandibles fluttering in what she imagined was displeasure.
Yeah well, I'd be displeased as well if I was suddenly faced with a half naked member of a species I wasn't even attracted too…
'This is my cabin Garrus, in case you have forgotten. I'm allowed to go around as I well damn please' she threw back at him, moving her weight on one foot and crossing her arms in front of her chest, assuming what Joker had long ago named her Commander pose.
'Shepard, please' he pleaded, making her scoff.
'Fine, have it your way' she conceded, moving past him towards her wardrobe. She uncaringly picked up a pair of panties and a random t-shirt and leggings and proceeded to get dressed.
She tried not to think that the man she was fucking in love with was standing just a few feet away, probably looking away in disgust, and she changed quickly. The bigger towel went to join everything else on the floor while she twisted the smaller one over her hair to make it dry faster.
'Now that I'm properly dressed, – she picked the conversation back up – was there something you needed?' she asked, immediately reverting back to Commander Shepard.
Valery had no place in there, at the moment. Valery was still angry, and hurt, and confused, she had no business participating in the conversation. Commander Shepard did.
'You're injured Shepard, why didn't you go to see Chakwas?' Garrus immediately cut to the chase. At least they shared a similar mindset.
'It's nothing. I've put some medigel on it, should be fine in a couple days' she dismissed him as she had everyone else.
Also, she didn't want his concern over her well being, not when he had stubbornly refused to hear her reasons regarding his.
'It doesn't look fine' he insisted, taking the three steps down to stand in front of her. 'In fact, it looks like you've taken a rocket to your face' he grimaced, or at least his mandibles tighten in a resemblance of a grimace.
'That's because it's exactly what happened. I was distracted and an Atlas got me. It happens' she replied, still shrugging off his worry, genuine or not.
His brow plates raised in a frown.
'You're never distracted in a fight' he pointed out, earning a hard glare that would have melted everyone else on the receiving hand.
Shepard felt her control slip through her fingers, and soon her Commander's façade started to crumble.
'And who's fault do you think it is uh? If I hadn't been worried about your stupid bird's ass, then maybe this – she said, pointing at the already fading burns – wouldn't have happened in the first place!' she hissed, her anger seeping through the cracks of her amour.
Garrus seemed to suddenly remember that he, too, was still holding a grudge against her, and his demeanor changed drastically, an air of menace and anger hovering all over him.
'Then you should've let me take the shot!' he barked back, inching closer.
First mistake.
'I'd never allow it' she deadpanned, fixing her green eyes in his grey ones.
'Why?' he said, his voice reduce to an almost growl.
'Because I love you, you fucking lummox!' she yelled, shoving him back with all her force.
The instant translator took only a fraction of a second to do its job, but it was enough for Garrus to be caught off guard by both her actions and her words.
He stumbled backwards, feet getting caught in the steps, and he went falling down on his ass.
This, though, didn't seem to deter her from what she had to say.
'I would never just stand there and watch you walk the same path I did! You deserve better than having your life consumed by pain and regret, you idiot!' she kept yelling, still not aware of the three little words she had said to him.
A pause.
The turian had been rendered speechless. He was just slacking there, looking up at her with the most surprised and confused expression she had ever seen on his face.
'What did you say?' he croaked, his voice failing him momentarily.
'I said I'd never allow-' she repeated, annoyed by his dumb reaction, but was stopped by his raised hand.
'No, not that. Why you'd never allow me to take the shot?' he asked, urging her to repeat herself on that particular reason. He had to know, had to be sure his translator hadn't picked up the wrong meaning.
And then, as she replayed the words she had said to him, it dawned on her.
She had said it.
Those three magic words, as someone had defined them to her a long time ago.
It was then that Garrus witnessed – with no small amount of confusion and worry – Valery Shepard turn the same shade as her hair.
His visor had picked up an increment of her heart rate and she was looking at everything but him.
Was she…embarrassed?
He scrambled back on his feet as quickly as he had fallen down, and in a swift motion, he was right in front of her, his bare talons gripping at her arms.
'Shepard, did you mean that?' he asked, his voice steady and hopeful?
No, no it couldn't be.
He probably hadn't picked up the right meaning of her words. Yes. Definitely not.
But was she really going to take them back? She knew herself well enough to know that if it hadn't been for the sudden burst of anger and apprehension, she would have never even uttered them. Especially not to his face.
Maybe she should take her chances…
'Of course I meant that…' she whispered after a moment, still not able to meet his eyes.
The sigh of relief that left his mouth was so loud she couldn't have mistaken it for anything else if not that. Relief.
Her head shot back in surprise, and she was met with a wide smile, his mandibles spread open.
'Why are you making that face?' she asked, genuinely incapable of believing that he could even slightly reciprocate her feelings.
A chuckle left his throat, reverberating through the cabin, and Garrus pulled her close, bending down to touch his forehead with hers in the Turian gesture of deep affection.
Valery knew enough about his culture to recognize the meaning behind it, and he knew it.
Her face went beet red once more.
'Shepard, you are everything I've ever wanted. I was angry at you because you forced me to confront reality instead of raveling in my vengeance, but if letting Sidonis go means I'm getting you? Then, Spirits, I'd do it over and over again' he told her with the most genuine and affection tone she had ever heard.
She didn't think her blush could deepen further, but after those words it probably had.
'For real?' she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper losing itself between them.
He nodded faintly, rubbing his skin on hers.
'For real' he simply replied, trusting that she could read his truth.
Then a laugh broke out of her lips, her hands moving to cradle his face, and she went up on her tiptoes to be able to reach his mouth plates. There she kissed him lightly, unsure of how it could work out. His skin was rough under her lips, but it didn't feel unpleasant.
'Tali was right' she said then, still on her tiptoes and smiling.
'About what?'
'We are both idiots.'
That was only the start of a relationship that was meant to transcend time and space, and the small, newly bought Hamster, knew that he was going to be a first hand witness in the history of Valery Shepard and Garrus Vakarian.
