Something round and firm was pressed in the most pleasant way against his crotch. Barely awake, he moved his hand down to squeeze a very luscious hip, then running that same hand up the dip of a waist to a lightly fleshed ribcage before sliding it around the waist to rest on a soft soft belly. That's when he realized he was naked and fully unplated and sort of gently rocking back and forth, creating a delicious friction against that round firm buttock. He stopped, wondering in guilt just how long he'd been dry humping whoever happened to be in his cot with him.

Thankfully, the battery was dark when he opened his eyes in a slit. The ache in his head informed him that he'd been drinking last night. The smooth expanse of a shoulder greeted him, speckled in tiny brown dots. It led upwards to a graceful neck, and the strange curl of a human ear. He couldn't see her face because his arm was pinned between her and the mattress, so he carefully and slowly extricated himself from her, rising up on his side to look down at her, resting his head in his hand. Of course it was Shepard. There was no mistaking that fan of fiery red across his pillow, the cheek with its constellation of scars. He traced them lightly with a talon, hoping this wasn't a dream. It contained none of the horrors that marked most of his nights. No, this was real, he was done living in fantasy. Spirits, this better be real.

She turned over fitfully, without waking, scooting close to him, small hands curling in front of her. He studied her face in repose. Gone was the fearsome general, the deadly warrior. She looked like a certain little girl he remembered from a vid he'd once watched, a musical prodigy whose loving family was holding the camera. That Shepard, it seemed, was far from dead, despite what Shepard might have told him before. The brutality of the slavers' attack on Mindoir hadn't destroyed her, just hidden her deep down in the woman before him. He was looking at her now, in the low light of the battery.

Belatedly, he remembered what exactly happened to that OSD. It was in Shepard's empty grave, back on Earth. He wondered if he could get his hands on it again. He wished he'd given it to her before. Maybe after all this craziness, he'd have the chance to go find it. She deserved to have it.

Shepard tossed her leg over his hip and pulled him forward a bit. He gasped when his erect member rubbed against the cloth covered core of her. This was doing nothing for his composure, it took all his control not to fuck her right then and there. As it was, the sensitive tip of his organ was pressed firmly against her heat and then she rocked a bit against him. His breath was coming faster, he had to stop this before he reached the point of no return. She mewled in her sleep, arms reaching around to embrace him, pressing her body fully to his. She was so soft and warm, and waking. He could see it in her face as she grew more aware. Her lips shaped his name, "...Garrus."

That was too much for him, he rolled her under him, supporting his weight on his arms and looked down at her, trying to push back the lust that filled him. He groaned as she wrapped her thighs around his sensitive waist, gripping him tightly. He rolled his hips into her before trying to back off, before he really did lose it. Soft hands came up to frame his face, pulling it back to face her. Her eyes were open in the dark, deep dilated pools of black with the barest rim of green encircling them.

With a deft heave of her hips, she flipped them over. Now she was on top, grinding down on his cock. He groaned, hands moving around her waist. It was still as slender as he remembered it, maybe even more so, thumbs and fingers touching just barely. Her eyes had a predatory gleam to them that made him rock his hips up into her uncontrollably. Then they softened and she leaned over him until their faces were a breath apart, her eyes intent on his face, "There you are. Found you."

Yes she did, his love for her rolled over him. She leaned back to take off her tank top and he rubbed circles into her hips, willing himself to take it slow. He didn't want to hurt her and he still wasn't exactly sure how this was going to happen, but judging from what he could see and feel of her anatomy, it wasn't all that different from an asari. This was good, he really wanted this to work. Her hand worked it's way down his chest, over his abs, pausing before it actually touched his rigid cock. It was so hard now that it almost hurt. He looked up at her, trying to look helpless as he quipped, "Be gentle."

Her soft chuckle washed over him as she took him in hand. He arched into her palm, a rumbling groan broke from his throat. She wrapped those long, clever fingers around his girth and slowly ran it from base to tip. The feeling was electrifying. He was quickly flying apart, was going to be a shaking, writhing mess if she kept doing that. So, he flipped them, using her earlier maneuver and nestled between her thighs. That annoying piece of cloth that was all that remained between them was ripped away summarily. He tossed it to the side as he looked down at her, fully exposed to his eyes for the first time. He explored every inch of her strange smooth skin with his hands, filled with wonder at their differences. He hefted the globes of her breasts in his palms, flicking his thumbs over the nipples, delighted at how she responded with an arched back and moans. He smelt her arousal on the air and knelt farther down so he could explore her sex. He parted the velvety folds with his fingers, noting that a clear liquid came away on his hands. Some kind of natural lubricant. He licked his finger experimentally, it was earthy and sweet, with a hint of salty.

Her hand came down to stall him. He looked into her worried but lust filled eyes, "You shouldn't. Could die from the allergic reaction."

"Then I would die a very happy man indeed." With that he plunged his tongue into her, making her cry out loudly. He ran his tongue from the top of her crease down to the bottom. Her noises of pleasure were getting very loud indeed. Garrus rolled his hips into the cot, helplessly, trying to gain a little relief from the friction as his wits were being funneled down into his cock. He was a little worried at how small she seemed to be as he gently pushed a finger into her. It was so tight and the muscles gripped his finger in spasms as she writhed above him. He couldn't wait any more and he crawled up so that the head of his erection rested at her opening. He paused, searching her face, "Are you sure?"

She tilted her head up to his, tears in her eyes. He pulled back uncertainly, thinking maybe he'd hurt her somehow. Froze when those clever wicked fingers came up to rub just under his fringe, where the sensation seemed to shoot all the way down into his cock. His hips jerked forward reflexively, the tip of him buried in her. He hissed at the throbbing heat of her around the head of his member. Saw her nod through slitted eyes, felt her pelvis tilt to better accommodate his length. It took all his discipline to work into her slowly, his mouth wide open with the effort, "Fuck, you're so tight. You can't even hold all of me."

But he was wrong. After what seemed like hours of agonized effort, he was fully seated in her. He looked down at their junction and was surprised to see a red film there. He shot a look up at Shepard's face, saw the smile on her lips and the naked desire in her eyes and, reassured, started to move in her. Her inner muscles gripped him tightly as he pulled in and out. Her nails scored his back, skipping over the hard plates and his tongue came out to lap at her neck. He thrust his hands in her hair as what started out as slow deep thrusting soon became a hard fast pounding. He couldn't help himself, every time she arched and called out his name, every time she climaxed around him, he lost a bit more control. Soon he was howling above her like a beast, both his hands pinning her knees by her head. She was so damn flexible, somehow she still used her hands to fondle different parts of him, spurring him on to greater and greater heights.

He screamed as he came, head stuffed into the bedding to stifle it. White hot pleasure poured through him as he emptied his seed into her, he thrust with each pulse helplessly. He panted her name as he came to rest on her, spent but fully content for the first time in a very long time. Her hand traced the edges of his scarred mandible softly, her ankles came around his waist to lock behind him. She shifted and he winced a bit. At her questioning gaze, he smile ruefully, "We're, uh, gonna be stuck like this for a bit."

He shuddered as she giggled, her inner muscles fluttered around his distended tip. Okay, that was...different. He looked into her face, ran his hands through her hair and gently, oh, so tenderly touched his forehead to hers. His eyes drifted shut at the feelings that welled up in him. He keened softly at the magnitude of them. He opened his eyes to see tears rolling down Jane's smiling face. He lapped one up, it was salty like her...other fluids. He wondered if humans had an ocean dwelling within them. He froze as she placed her lips against his mouthplates, a gentle pushing and pulling as she kissed him. He tried to mimic her as best he could and a sigh dropped from her mouth into his. He touched her tongue with his gently, rolling it around her mouth, exploring her soft palate. He felt himself twitch inside her and pulled away with a groan, "If we don't stop, we're never going to get unstuck."

She laughed at this, and he whined, feeling that funny clenching almost painfully, "Seriously, Jane, mercy please."

So she held him, gently as if he were the fragile one. Maybe he was, he didn't know for certain. Finally, he slid from her, sighing in relief as his spent member retreated back into his plates. She watched this with interest, touching those plates ever so gently to see how they sealed. He laughed at her curiosity, leaning back and pulling her onto his chest as he settled himself. She rested her chin on his chest plates and looked up at him, saying, "Well, good morning."

"Aw, just good? I was going for spectacular. You really know how to break a man's spirit." He cajoled her, laughingly, trailing his hands lazily down her naked back. His eyes focused sharply on her face as a shadow seemed to fall over it, her lip being chewed in a thoughtful way, "What's the matter, Jane? It wasn't bad, was it? Because I can-"

"Can you ever forgive me?" Her eyes were tear filled as she peered at him, guiltily.

"For what?" said he, even though he kind of had an idea where this was headed. She ducked her head, her hair falling over her face in a tangle. He pushed it back so he could watch her eyes.

"I...manipulated you. With Sidonis. And I did it gladly." Her voice was choked and, alarmed, Garrus hugged her against him tightly, "I-I couldn't stand to see you changed because of-"

"You saved my soul back there, Jane. In my darkest hour, you came through for me. You always do." He rubbed her shoulders, trying to comfort her.

"I didn't always." He froze, then continued to rub her shoulders. Her voice came low and pained, "I promised, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did." He said it without any of his former bitterness, "When you...died, I was so angry. I think I was angry at you, me, everyone really. It felt like this grand glorious thing was prevented from happening. I felt cheated, I think. So I lost...my way. But, Jane, you did come for me. It just took longer than I'd hoped. Can you forgive me for losing faith?"

"Yes. Always." Her answers were short, immediate in their sincerity. Her tone said she forgave him everything, all the things that had gone wrong between them. He was humbled by her faith in him. Suddenly, he felt infinitely older and wiser, knew to his core that this kind of perfect trust couldn't exist in many places in the universe and how very foolish he would be to forget that fact. The mind-blowing hubris. How glad he was to have found this understanding again. He rumbled happily, deep in his throat. She started to draw little patterns on his sides with her fingers and he trembled, feeling renewed desire seeping back into his bones.

"Jane, that's really distracting. I'm trying to think deep thoughts here." Her eyes were dancing mischievously under her bangs, her hands moving faster.

"Is Garrus Vakarian ticklish?" She laughed, making a disappointed sound when he grabbed her wrists and pinned them on his shoulders.

"I don't even know what 'ticklish' is, but my sides are...hmmmm...sensitive. And if you don't want to spend the rest of the day in here while I show you just how well your efforts are paying off," With this, he rolled his hips into her, smiling at her gasp, "then I suggest we get moving."

With a sigh, she sat up, stradding him, stretching in a yawn, her bare skin tinted by the blue light of the battery. He watched her with an almost voyeuristic pleasure, eyes half lidded. She slid off him and started gathering up her clothing, and her armor. She was moving awkwardly, with a decidedly pained edge. Garrus was alarmed all over again, starting guiltily, "Did I hurt you?"

Shepard smiled at his concern, "Apparently, when Cerberus rebuilt me, they decided to gift me with this one last indignity."

The look on his face must have given away his internal feelings of self anger at having handled her so roughly, because she laughed and kissed him, "No worries, Garrus. I've been shot, stabbed, blown up and spaced. A little pain with my pleasure, I think I can handle."

His fears were assuaged and he forced himself to let it go. With just a touch of sadness, he watched her flesh get covered up in patches, until the woman was gone and the Commander was standing there. She played with the tangle of her hair, trying to get the red riot in some kind of order. She turned back to him with a smile, "Well, time for the walk of shame. Be ready in twenty, Garrus. We're gonna go get Tali."

She straightened up her back and unlocked the door, walking through it with a businesslike air, brusque and no nonsense. Garrus could imagine her glare at any crewmember that dared to be between her and the elevator, challenging them to comment. He snorted a laugh, sitting up in his cot. He felt peace settle over his whole body. And he finally felt whole again.