I'm updating something, huzzah! =D

I probably should have made this clearer before, but this is going to be numerous pairings rather than just one. So yeah =3

As usual, Greenyoda987 is the best. My life is ridiculous, and hers is even worse, so I'm always grateful when she can edit things for me. Cheers to the best beta/editor ever!

Shepard stared blankly at the elevator door as they made the tortuously slow descent from the Presidium to the Wards. Part of her was frustrated with the unending list of errands people had thrown at her, but another part—a larger part—was absolutely furious for a different reason. The Council… they just brushed her off, dismissed her and the losses her crew had taken, even had the nerve to insinuate that she was making accusations without merit. Bastards. When this was all over, she was going to give them a very specific piece of her mind…

And Nihlus… Damn him… He just had to go and make her like him, just had to be so damn likeable and then go and get himself killed… Damn him. She tried to take a deep breath, to force some confidence into her stance, but it seemed… hopeless, stupid… Wrex snorted from behind her shoulder and she scowled.

That was another problem… The krogan was useful and powerful—extremely powerful—but his attitude was shit. That, and the fact that her latest turian addition to the team kept glancing at Wrex like he half expected the warlord to go ape-shit and murder them all didn't help. She either needed a stiff drink, or a good lay. Or both. Both would be fan-fucking-tastic.

The doors slid open with a helpful ding and she trudged out. For now, she was stuck sorting out the Consort's business, getting some General Bastard to stop ruining her reputation or some other silliness. At least she had gotten Oraka to stop spreading the lies, but she just wanted to be sure… Why in the hell was she even doing this again? She had a fucking rogue Spectre to stop…

Because the Consort battered her eyes and used her asari wiles on you and you agreed because you're an idiot and horny. Right. Well, damn. She didn't even like asari… She really needed to get laid.

Chora's Den was still seedy and sketchy as ever, even without Wrex standing threateningly in a corner; Harkin was still too drunk to remember his own name and making lewd comments to anyone walking by with breasts, and Jenna was still refusing to let them help her. Ugh. At least Fist had been dealt with. And by dealt with, she meant Wrex had put a load of buckshot into his stupid face. Garrus hadn't seemed to agree, but Shepard wasn't too torn up about it. Saved her a lot of paperwork, too. Everybody wins.

Everybody except Nihlus. Oh shut up… It wasn't as if she had been in love with the bastard. No, he was just… different. Damn him for making her like him.

The General was probably still somewhere in the seedy bar getting belligerently drunk and—

"Nothing in the galaxy is as heartless as a woman. Nothing!"

Found him.

Shepard followed the voice to a table occupied by a single turian man, his drink clasped tightly in one hand as he glared into it. "General Oraka?" she asked, voice clipped. She still found herself in awe of the fact that this was the great General? Garrus had practically gushed over his accomplishments and here he was still getting drunk and throwing away his reputation over a woman? Still! Maybe she was missing something but Shepard was pretty sure this fell under the definition of pathetic. They had already been through this, that he should get his act together and move on, so why was he still here?

"Commander Shepard. To what do I owe the pleasure this time?" he asked, lifting his gaze only long enough to fix her with a long-suffering look.

Shepard sighed and gestured for Garrus and Wrex to let her handle it; Wrex happily obliged, moving off to glower at some unsuspecting bastards, but Garrus lingered for a moment before moving to stand a few yards away, still watching the General. "Just checking in. I thought we went over this, Septimus," she replied, her voice only loud enough for him to hear as she slid into the seat opposite him. "I thought you would be… somewhere else."

He scoffed at that, lifting his drink to empty it in one gulp. "Where would that be, Commander? I don't expect Sha'ira's forgiveness to mean that she will take me back, so I see no problem with remaining here to enjoy the view."

"Of the bottom of your glass?" she retorted with a smirk.

That made him start, expression showing his surprise before he relaxed. "I suppose you have me there, Commander, though there are other things that make the view here better…" She could see his eyes wander up to where the waitresses were dancing before looking back to her and she snorted.

"Just the view? Nothing worth pursuing?" A waitress appeared over her shoulder and she smiled at the girl. "Scotch Whiskey, on the rocks, twist of lemon?" The girl nodded and disappeared, leaving Oraka looking at her curiously as she relaxed into her seat. It was harder than she would ever admit in the bulk of her armor, but she managed to pull it off without looking awkward. "What?"

"I've only ever seen human men order a drink as… strong as that."

"Don't let the looks fool you, General," she replied with a sly smile, "I'm a bit tougher than I look."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Shepard nodded, accepting her drink and sipped. Well, she'd give the bar this: it had good alcohol. "So, back to my question: nothing worth pursuing?"

Oraka chuckled lightly, mirroring her relaxed posture as the waitress returned with a fresh drink for him. "Nothing I can approach with one hundred percent confidence in my success," he admitted, swirling the blue liquid around his glass.

Shepard laughed, crossing one leg over the other. "You struck me as the confident man, General," she teased, leaning to prop her elbows on the table. "Afraid of rejection?" Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a glimpse of Garrus hovering ever closer and waved him away again. She could handle this on her own. And really, if the kid wasn't so uptight and idealistic, she would have tried to jump him to get her head back on straight, but… Yeah. No. He seemed to straight-laced for deviant, interspecies sex.

Oraka, however, didn't miss her silent dismissal of her crew member. "I'm actually surprised at your openness to working with aliens, Commander. Your Human Alliance is not known for its tolerance of my species."

Without thinking, Shepard let her expression fall, and she took a quick sip of her drink to hide it. "I don't have a problem with aliens, General—they're people as far as I'm concerned—but now… I had my eyes opened." Eyes opened, preferences discovered… whatever. Things had changed. They tended to do that when one had hot, angry sex with an alien.

In the moment he took to respond, Oraka seemed to be considering that. "It sounds as though there is more to that…"

Shepard smiled sadly. "There is, but you'll have to get me drunk."

That made the General laugh and Shepard looked up at him. "Gladly, but will you at least tell me who inspired your realization so I can thank them?"

For a second, Shepard considered refusing; what could she possibly gain by telling anyone about it? And yet, what could happen if she did? What would it hurt? "A Spectre," she finally confessed. Best to keep it vague.

"You mean the Spectre who died, Nihlus. He was stationed on your ship."

Damn him, of course he knew. "Yes. He was very… convincing." As she finished her drink, she decided that it was time to change the subject. It was getting way too… personal. She was fine dealing with everyone else's personal lives, but having someone else in hers… No, no thank you. Fuck off. "So, you never answered my question: afraid of rejection?" The waitress slipped a fresh drink into her hand and Shepard smiled, nodding her acceptance.

Oraka watched her drink again for a moment before speaking, "I assume her to be unattainable. But wouldn't it be a triumph if I were to succeed…"

"Just one woman then, huh?" Shepard asked, "Seems pretty specific."

"From what I've seen, she's a rather specific kind of person." He caught her gaze and held it for a moment, mandibles flaring slightly.

Oh. Oh. Well shit. Shepard could feel a blush rising in her cheeks and knocked back her drink to cover it. Somewhere along the way, the atmosphere had changed, and she could practically feel the charge dancing along her skin. She knew the feeling from only one other time, and it had escalated just as quickly. Damn. Well, not damn like damn, but… damn. Ok, she had no idea what she was doing. Or maybe it was the alcohol. Or both. Both wasn't too bad.

"Forgive my boldness, Shepard, but you seem like an open-minded person, and I'd rather make a fool of myself and get it over with if necessary—"

"General," she cut him off, "you'd be making a fool of yourself if you kept sitting there like nothing was going on right now, and kept drinking over Sha'ira. Since I'm sure you don't believe what you've been saying about women, why don't you tell me what's really on your mind?" At his surprised expression she grinned. "I'm very good at reading people, General," she continued with a new boldness, "But I like when people are honest with me."

"Honest, hm? Well. Alright." Oraka seemed to turn that over in his mind for a moment before speaking again. "I find myself inexplicably attracted to you, Commander Shepard. Perhaps it's the alcohol, or perhaps it's the fact that you act very much the way a turian woman would, but I find myself wondering if your new openness with aliens might include the possibility of giving me a chance."

Shepard raised a brow as she finished her drink. "Give you a chance to…?" At his surprised expression she laughed. "I'm joking, Septimus, relax. Just treat me the way you would any other woman."

"If you were any other woman, I would have asked you to ease some stress," he retorted and she grinned.

"Funny you should mention that…" Again, her empty glass was quickly replaced by a full one and for a moment, she could only stare at it, mystified. A quick shake of her head and she returned her gaze to the turian general. "That Spectre you mentioned… I challenged him to a spar, taunted him because he tried to back out… Basically, I forced him to fight me." She laughed lightly and drank, watching his browplates rise in mild surprise. "He did try to back out gracefully, but… Well, I was a bit insufferable and didn't really know what I was getting into. But when I did…" Her lips pulled into a sultry smile and she reclined against her chair, letting her head tilt back enough to show the line of her neck as she sighed contentedly. She could hear the general's low growl and looked across the table at him through her lashes. "I'm very amenable to the use of sex to relieve stress, General, if that was your intention. In fact, I find it much more satisfactory than the ridiculous social soiree normally involved in finding a partner."

Now, Oraka watched her with no shame, leaning toward her as a rumble rose in his chest. Carefully, he set his empty glass on the table and interlaced his fingers, watching her over his clasped hands as her smile widened slightly. She recognized the sound he was making, and the combination of its promise and the liquor sent a wave of warmth through her. For a moment, though, they merely watched each other, the air between them crackling in the dimly lit club. Shepard, however, broke the spell first to down the last of her drink and Oraka stood quickly, prompting her to look up at him quizzically.

"You've been very forthcoming with me, Shepard, so let me do the same for you; I would be lying If I said I wasn't tempted to show you just how fun stress relief can be, but knowing what I do about you, I also know you deserve better than that." At her confused expression, he offered her his hand. "Trust me."

As she set down her glass, Shepard had a brief moment to take stock: she was drunk, plain and simple, and about to leave a seedy bar with a retired turian general. Oh, and her newest squad members were still in this bar—one of them still focusing all his attention on her and the general—probably both waiting for her to lead them to their next step in stopping Saren.

Saren. That son of a bitch…

She was jerked back to reality at the feel of taloned fingers wrapping around her hand and the general gently pulled her to her feet. A light tug had her snugly against his chest, his arm around her waist, and she inhaled sharply as he ducked his head down to skim his mandibles down her neck to the top of her armor. Something fluttered in her stomach and a low sound escaped her as he continued his exploration; she risked a quick glance around and nearly froze. Wrex had wandered off somewhere—that wasn't new, nor a problem—but Garrus was staring at her like she'd grown a second head and started preaching about the Enkindlers. Right. Damn.

And yet the small part of her mind that cared about that was drowned out by the larger that screamed "Fuck it". She gave him a stern look and jerked her head toward the exit, a silent order to meet her back at the ship. And thank anyone who would listen, he actually seemed to accept it, moving away from his post to—she hoped—find Wrex and leave. Good. Great. Fantastic. She would have to thank him for his discretion, assuming he was, in fact, discrete about—

Oraka tested a light nip just below her ear and she all but melted. Well, that didn't take long… She really did need to get laid. Or drink less.

"While I am all for a very public display, General," she panted lightly, "I would really love to move this… elsewhere?" She could feel his hand flex against her back, talons scratching at the ceramic plates of her armor, but he stepped back. Immediately, she missed the loss of contact and—

Damn it, stop acting like such a girl! You're not lonely, just horny.

Oraka guided her toward the exit with his arm still around her waist, dipping his head just enough to whisper in her ear, "I find myself extremely curious to know whether or not you're that soft—" he nuzzled her neck again "—under that armor."

Armor… Hm, never thought she'd be picking up a… date? Was that the word? Well, she never expected she'd pick up a man in full armor and weapons. Score one for Shepard. "Well, you'll see, won't you?" she purred back, smirking as they approached the Rapid Transit station. She let him call for the cab, watching people passing by with only mild interest until she felt someone pressed against her back. A quick glance told her it was Oraka and she leaned back against him.

"Shouldn't be long. Quick ride to my apartment, and then…"

He trailed off and she chuckled quietly. "I have to admit, other than my very brief introduction into angry sex in the hangar bay of my ship, I don't know much about… well, turians, I guess," she admitted as he began tracing the gaps in her armor.

"Then allow me to educate you," he growled behind her ear as the cab pulled up. He gestured for her to enter first and followed after her, sliding in beside her. A few quick keystrokes and the cab took off; he immediately directed his attention to exploring what little was exposed of her skin. His teeth scraped down her neck and she made a low sound in the back of her throat.

Ok, so she had expected to be a bit more of a badass when picking someone up, but this was… well, this was perfectly fine. Angry sex was great, but something about being catered to was very appealing. Especially with the way his talons scratched along her undersuit, exposed by the gaps in her armor… "Is that an order, sir?" she breathed when he pulled back.

"Yes." The cab lurched to a halt and he quickly tugged her out. "Shall we?"

"Yessir," she chirped, grinning as he pulled her toward his apartment. The drinks she'd had caught up with her and her head swam, making her lean heavily on him as they entered. But as soon as the door closed behind them, she was pressed insistently back against the wall, taloned hands quickly stripping her out of her armor and any worries she had flew from her mind. She gasped at the rough contact as he ground against her, her legs hitched up around his waist, and he hastily unzipped her undersuit. His growl vibrated through her as he dropped his mouth to leave gentle bites along the swell of her breasts; a desperate moan escaped her as his hips bucked against hers, and his growl dropped in pitch against her skin.

But with a grunt, he stepped back from her, setting her feet on the ground. At her confused and slightly dazed expression he smiled. "Come, Shepard," he purred, leading her further into the apartment, "I have much better plans for you."

Oh? That sounded… Well, fucking fantastic. Hell, if all sex with turians left her feeling the way sex with Nihlus had, then she wouldn't say no to that. With a sultry hum, she followed after him, sliding her undersuit down as she moved toward him. With a playful smile, she kicked it off and slid past him, putting an extra sway in her hips. Maybe it was because she was drunk, or maybe because it was she looked forward to the pleasure she expected from her turian partner, but she found she didn't care how ridiculous she might look. "Then come and get me."

Septimus stared at her in shock, but it only lasted a moment before he started after her, shedding each article of his clothing with growing agitation. Shepard could hear him following behind her and gave him a challenging smirk over her shoulder. Thankfully, there was only one door and she slipped through, closing the door almost entirely behind her. She could see his eyes narrow as she watched through the gap and grinned; he had haphazardly thrown all of his garments aside and his erection had slid free of his plates. Hm… maybe they were all shaped so… perfectly. He had reached the door in an instant and threw it open, towering over in the doorway.

"Caught you," he rumbled, threading one hand up into her hair. She didn't get a chance to reply; he bent his head down and pressed their mouths together, surprising her with the tenderness he was able to convey with the limited mobility of his lips. A quiet gasp escaped her and his tongue snuck past her lips, tangling with her own and… Oh… Nihlus had never kissed her. But this was… Well, for a race of aliens with less-than-pliable lips, he could certainly kiss. Thank you, Consort. Without thinking, she rose up on her toes, trying to close the gap in their heights, and let one hand stray around to the back of his neck as they explored each other's mouths. Yet he pulled away first, a purr filling the air around them as he backed her further into the room.

The backs of her knees hit the mattress and she felt back onto it with a quiet huff, and Oraka followed her down, kneeling between her legs as he watched the dramatic rise and fall of her chest. Leathery palms slid up the outside of her legs and she shuddered involuntarily, relaxing back on her elbows as he continued his exploration. "Find anything you like?" she finally breathed, watching as he ran his hands along every inch of her bare legs.

"Plenty," he replied, thumbs circling over her hip bones. When she let out a quiet laugh, he bent his head and licked a trail around her navel. The muscles beneath the sensitive skin fluttered and she gasped, her head lolling back. He progressed further up, over her ribs and she bit down a whine in the back of her throat, falling back onto the bed. Her hair splayed out around her head, her hands clenching and unclenching in the sheets. She didn't expect the tenderness he was treating her with and every gentle caress surprised and delighted her; a carefully blunted talon stroked her folds and she arched off the mattress, her lips parting in a silent cry. Oh, fuck yes. Every nerve ending felt electrified and if it hadn't felt so wonderful, she would have been embarrassed, yet the feel of plated knees spreading her legs further apart had her all but begging. And she never begged. Well… usually didn't. She bit down on her lip as he slid one finger inside of her and she could feel her hands beginning to shake. Oh, that was not fair.

"Didn't know you were so… well-informed," she gasped, lifting her head to look down at him. Her eyes were shining and she could feel a blush growing under her skin. He lifted his eyes from her body to meet her gaze and she felt something flip in her stomach; they didn't just sparkle, but burned and on some level, it was little frightening. That was a predator. And she liked the way it felt to have him bent over her.

"Oh, I'm very—" he punctuated the word by passing his tongue roughly over one nipple and she yelped "—well-informed. You can trust me on that." His purr rumbled through both of their bodies and she let her hands run up his arm to grip his shoulders.

"I can see that." Tentatively, she dragged her nails along the gaps in his plates, the same way she had done with Nihlus. And, just like Nihlus, he growled in response, a shudder running through him. Hm, so that was universal… He flexed the finger he had inside of her and she swore. "Cheater," she growled, letting her fingers wander up to the back of his neck. Here, the skin was smooth and protected under his fringe.

"Oh, you're one to talk," he growled, leaning into her touch, "Where did you learn that?"

"Experience," she replied, her fingers rubbing small circles against the back of his skull. His growl deepened against her body and she smiled. Yet he started pulling away and she sat up quickly as he stood. "What—"

He grabbed her ankles and pulled her to the edge of the bed, a small smile showing on his face. "Relax, Shepard," he purred, kneeling between her legs, "You've done plenty already." His tongue flicked out to taste the skin of her thigh and her breath hitched.

"I—"

"Shh…" He ran his teeth lightly along the inside of her leg and she shuddered. "My turn." She wasn't even sure what to expect until she felt his tongue pressing between her folds and fuck. She threw an arm over her face in an effort to stifle the desperate sounds coming from her mouth, her other hand clenching in the sheets. God damn, he was way too good at that and—

Oraka's talons tightened on her thighs, spreading her open, and she gasped as his tongue pressed deeper into her warmth, circling over her clit. Her head thrashed to one side and, as he continued to lap at her sex, she could feel her body beginning to shake with the beginnings of an orgasm. Damn it, he hadn't even fucked her yet, and she was so close to coming undone. A low whine escaped her and she found herself grabbing his shoulders, arching of the bed as he continued to please her. Oh fuck.

"Septimus, wait, I… wait…"

And he ignored her, redoubling his efforts and in seconds, she was gone. She bit down a scream as he pushed her over the edge, her grip on his shoulders tightening and he purred against her sensitized flesh. For a few moments, she could only lie back as the waves of bliss crashed over her, trembling as Oraka rose from his place between her legs and nuzzled the crook of her neck. The tender gesture made her smile, a breathless laugh escaping her as she tried to slow her panting.

"I don't… That was…" She licked her lips and tried again. "Wow."

"Mmm… I agree," he rumbled, tracing along the edge of her collarbone with his tongue.

Shepard smiled and wrapped her arms loosely around him, turning her head to press her lips to his mouth. Shepard wasn't one for sentiments and gentleness, and it was hard to admit that she really liked the tenderness and care Oraka was treating her with. It was… nice. Different. And he was damn good at it. She could feel his erection pressed against her stomach and her smile widened. What better way to say thank you than to blow his mind? She flipped them easily and straddled his waist, tossing her hair out of her face. A low purr escaped him and she leaned forward to press her mouth to his again, sneaking her tongue out to trace the contours of his mandible before sitting back again. Her fingers trailed down his chest, following the patterns of his plating and he hummed, settling his hands on her hips. His talons flexed against her skin as she scooted back, angling her hips so his tip pressed against her wet heat. He groaned quietly, his eyes falling closed and she could feel a small shudder run through him. Good… She lowered herself onto him slowly, inch by tantalizing inch and his growl grew louder, his hips bucking up to desperately to meet her.

"Damn, Shepard," he purred, forcing his eyes open again. She grinned, lifting off of him and pressing back down again. Stars exploded behind her eyes and she moaned; in the glow of her first orgasm, she could feel every little push and pull and her senses were beginning to peak. She could feel him pressed against the deepest parts of her, hot and insistent, and she could feel her pulse pounding in every inch of her body, bursts of pleasure and sensation accompanying each beat. Her innermost muscles clenched and he hissed, his grip on her hips tightening. "Please, Shepard."

"Please…?" she prompted, arching back and planting her hands on his thighs. The new angle had him hitting her at a new angle and she moaned, giving him a teasing rotation of her hips; he growled in response, sitting up to nuzzle her chest. Now his arms were wrapped around her waist, keeping her pressed flush against him. And despite what she would have expected, she liked it.

"Please, let me show you," he purred against her skin, "what a woman like you deserves."

What a… Well, that was something she had never heard. Wasn't this… Well, after all of the trouble he had gone through before he had even gotten to fuck her, she shouldn't have been surprised. "I don't…"

He didn't give her a chance to refuse, rolling them over again so he hovered above her, still buried deep within her, and she looked up at him in mild surprise. "Let me…" He pulled her leg up over his hip. "…show you…" He let his mandibles flutter against the side of her neck. "…what you deserve."

Oh. Well… Shepard didn't know what to make of that. She didn't even know what to expect. Hell, this had already gone very differently than what she had expected. Would it really be so bad to get something different? She was used to rough, meaningless sex on shoreleave with someone she'd never see again, not… not this. She didn't know what this was. But she did like it. And that scared her a bit more than it should have. Scared her, but at the same time, intrigued her. "Ok."

His mandibles flared in a smile and he brought his hand up to cradle her face. Well, that was… sweet. Shepard didn't do sweet. And yet, she liked it. Sure, he was probably just coming back from his tiff with the Consort, but… Hell, she didn't care if he kept going like this. She ran her hands up around his neck and pulled him down, pressing their mouths together urgently before she could follow that thought any further. That spurred him into action, cradling her close as he thrust forward. And yet it wasn't urgent or desperate, but slow and careful, trying to please her rather than himself. And it was working. Maybe it was the proximity of their bodies, or maybe she was still riding the high of her first orgasm, but it was becoming clear that he would finish her again. Careful hands kept her hips flush with his, and even as he plunged into her over and over, he didn't stop kissing her. Shepard could feel the tingling bliss of oblivion creeping in at her fingertips, working its way down her scalp and out from her core, and before she even had a chance to cry out, she was gone. Her mind went blank, basking in a supernova as she shuddered and panted her way through her euphoria; she felt rather than heard the groan that seemed to come from the depths of her partners chest, felt the slight waver in his pace, and then the final snapping thrust of his hips before he reached his limit.

Her heart stumbled and raced, its frantic, uneven pounding sending blood thrumming beneath her heated skin, and she swallowed, trying to slow her breathing as Oraka shifted so he was lying boneless beside her. For a moment, she just stared at the ceiling, realizing for the first time since they'd arrived that it was a mirror. The couple above them panted quietly in unison, the sheets in disarray and Shepard smiled to herself. She could see Oraka reaching absently and let him pull her to his chest, savoring the warmth, the contact… When he tucked her head under his chin she almost laughed. Almost. It was silly really—she wasn't used to being treated like a delicate flower, like something to be protected—but at the same time… She could feel his heart beating against his throat and, for a moment, only listened as it began to slow, almost in time with her own.

She should probably go back to her ship...

As if on cue, her omnitool pinged and Septimus growled something nondescript, bundling her closer to his chest. Maker, she had never thought turians were big cuddlers… Wasn't sex casual, or was she wrong about that?

"Not yet." The words were a mumble, barely audible, but Shepard could hear them breathed against her ear and let out a breathy laugh.

"I do have to go eventually," she replied, but made no move to do so. Aw hell, some post-coital cuddling wouldn't hurt just once…

"Not yet," he repeated, a little more firmly, cracking one golden eye to look down at her and she rolled her eyes theatrically.

"Never knew you guys cuddled."

"Most don't." The remark was so casual that she pulled back a little to look at his face. "Plating, spurs, fringes… Not exactly the best anatomy for cuddling."

"The Consort is a cuddler?"

"At times. If that's what is needed of her." Oraka shrugged. "But she's not as soft."

Now, Shepard really laughed. "I'll have to keep that in mind for my resume," she replied, earning an indignant huff for her sauce, "Commander Shepard, softer than the Consort…" She laughed again and snuggled back against him. "Just don't tell anyone I cuddle," she added, putting a bit of bravado into her voice.

Septimus, however, merely chuckled. "Wouldn't dream of it."