Sorry, another short chapter coming up.
Got a storyline in mind, so bear with me...
Didn't have much time today to write, but managed to squeeze this in one sitting.
Hope you like it.
Hmm. Accidentally managed to copy the joke part from SG Atlantis...
Extremely sorry about the grammar errors. Will fix them.
Should be more careful...
Shepard stood in the crew's shower. His own had malfunctioned, because apparently it was not designed to withstand gunshots from a close distance.
EDI had been pretty pissed.
He chuckled at the thought.
He had been there for over an hour. Taking a shower would usually help him to clear his mind, but it was not that simple this time.
He had royally screwed up.
The thing was still salvageable though. Even he knew that.
He just had to apologize.
At least, that's what he told himself.
But he did not know how.
Or if he even should.
He did not even know if he could make her happy. She might be happier with someone else, with another quarian.
It would be easier, if she just hated him.
Shepard opened the shower's locked door, and stepped outside.
He was walking towards the elevator, when a voice called.
"Shepard!"
He kept walking, ignoring the voice.
He was not going to listen to someone else's stupid problems.
A hand grabbed him.
"What are you, deaf?", the voice asked.
Shepard turned.
"What!?", he snapped.
Garrus.
The turian took a step back, his brow slightly wrinkled.
"You're in a bad mood?", he asked jokingly "Again?"
"Screw you"
"Right", Garrus answered blankly.
"Well,uh, you're obviously,uh, busy...so...I'll come back later", he said, turning away, walking.
"Garrus"
The turian turned.
Shepard sighed.
"What's on your mind?"
Garrus glanced around hesitatingly.
"Uh...could we...", he answered, pointing towards the shower.
They stepped inside and locked the door.
Shepard crossed his arms, and Garrus put his behind his back.
"Sidonis", Garrus said. "I've found him"
Shepard nodded "Where?"
"At the Citadel. Apparently he's changed his identity"
He snorted.
"Guess he fears that the Archangel might be coming for him"
He stressed out the word 'Archangel' scornfully.
Eyes narrowed, voice cold, he continued "I'm happy to oblige".
"We'll get him", Shepard said blankly.
"Thanks", Garrus answered, nodding.
Suddenly, his mandibles started to flicker quickly and his eyes moved aimlessly.
Shepard's eyes narrowed. Garrus was nervous.
"You,uh, you want to talk?", Garrus asked nervously.
The last time he had asked that, Shepard had brushed him off rather coldly. He did not really expect a different treatment this time, but he was concerned over his friend.
Shepard lowered his gaze, not answering.
He did not want to talk.
He wanted to be alone.
Garrus straightened himself. He was a little disappointed.
He did want to know what was bothering him, but Shepard never talked.
"Never mind. It's none of my business", he turned around and opened the door.
He stepped outside, walking towards the main battery.
Shepard felt like an asshole, treating his friend like that.
It was not his fault, and Garrus was only trying to help.
He deserved to know.
"Garrus", Shepard called, again.
The turian turned around, again.
Shepard wove him to come back, and he came.
He was happy that Shepard would finally tell him.
That he trusted him.
"You remember the last time we talked?", Shepard asked.
"Yeah, at the sparring", Garrus answered, nodding.
Shepard sighed.
"You remember what I said about Tali?", he continued, lowering his head.
A sudden realization crossed Garrus' face.
"Ah..."
"Yeah", Shepard answered, sliding down the wall to the floor.
"Well, I screwed it up Garrus", Shepard said scornfully. "Big time"
"What do you mean?", Garrus asked, his brow now extremely wrinkled.
"Are you two,uh, together?", he continued, little unbelieving.
"I-I mean you did tell me that you,uh, liked her, but,uh, I didn't know tha-"
"I don't know", Shepard said, interrupting him.
Garrus sat beside him.
"Well, what happened?".
Shepard sighed deeply, before he began.
He told Garrus all about his and Tali's last two conversations, and Garrus listened all of it in silence.
It felt good to tell someone.
A load was lifted off his shoulders, and shared with someone else.
For the first time in a long time, Shepard felt, that he was not alone.
When he got to the last part, Garrus yelped.
"Ouch!"
"I know", Shepard answered quietly.
Garrus stood up, sighing deeply.
"Look, Shepard", he began, pacing around the room aimlessly.
"I'm not really good with this whole,uh , relationship thing, but..."
Garrus lowered his gaze.
"All I know is, that if you care about her, do something about it"
He paused for a moment, lifting his gaze back up.
"Because she cares about you"
"You knew?", Shepard asked, unbelieving.
"C'mon!", Garrus snapped, spreading his arms "It's pretty damn obvious!"
Shepard snorted.
Apparently he had been the only one who did not see it.
But he had.
He had just refused to believe it.
He just wanted to think that it was not obvious. That he had just not noticed.
He had lied.
"I...think so"
Garrus sat back down next to him.
"Good. I was afraid that you're even more stupid than you look", Garrus retorted, his mandibles flickering.
Shepard merely chuckled in response.
"So...", Garrus began.
"it was actually she who,uh, made the suggestion to,uh...", he paused, wondering if he should ask the question.
"...get out of her suit?"
Shepard glanced at the turian, his brow wrinkled.
"Why do you ask?
"Well,uh,you know...", Garrus started, clearly uncomfortable.
Shepard tried his best to hide his grin.
"I don't, what?"
"Well, she's quite,uh...", Garrus stammered.
"Hot?", Shepard asked, now grinning.
"Well, I was gonna say attractive, but,uh, yeah", Garrus admitted sheepishly.
He turned to Shepard.
"...but only as a friend!", he said quickly.
Garrus sighed deeply.
"Crap", he muttered "I'm gonna hear about this a lot..."
Shepard chuckled.
"Gonna make sure of that"
They sat in silence for a moment, before Shepard spoke quietly.
"Thanks, Garrus"
Garrus' mandibles started to flicker.
"Hey, that's what I'm here for", he answered, his tone light.
He leaned to the wall.
"Well, also to shoot things, but..."
His mandibles stopped their flickering and he turned to look at Shepard.
"You're welcome"
Garrus lifted his fist, and Shepard bumped it with his.