2nd one for the night! As always, thank you to icyfreezerpop and enjoy!
Garrus awoke alone in the bed. It took a moment of panic to realize that the shower was on and after a deep breath, he got up and stretched.
He was sore in areas that only Aeryn had ever managed to work. She was the flexibility to his reach. He didn't even bother to get dressed before walking into the bathroom to lean against the wall and watch his human bathe.
There was something soft and calming about just watching her move. Every movement was efficient and somehow enticing. She didn't waste time on frivolous things, she just went right down to business.
He watched her muscles tense as she moved the sponge over her body, spreading the flowery scented foam over her skin.
He moved to the shower and stepped in. He knew that they didn't have much time before she had to be at the benefit, but he was certain that they could make some time again.
It always amazed him how he never got tired of her. Not before and definitely not now.
She jumped a bit, obviously not having noticed him watching her. She didn't even protest as he wrapped an arm around her waist to hoist her up against the wall.
Her legs wrapped around his waist as he kissed her in the way of her people and then his own as he entered her. The breath left his throat in a moan of pure bliss as he took his time loving her all over again.
As they were rinsing off the last remnants of their lovemaking, Aeryn looked up at Garrus through moist eyelashes and stepped closer to him.
"Would you want to come tonight? As my special guest? You don't have to… But I think I'd like you there…"
She was unsure of why she was so nervous asking him to watch her perform. The only time he had, to her knowledge, was when they were first reunited. That really wasn't a night she wanted to think much of.
She found herself looking at his chest while waiting for his answer, she was so nervous that it was hard to bring her gaze up in case he was hesitating because he didn't want to go… Or had other plans.
After a few tense moments she felt his finger under her chin as he forced her face upwards, forcing her to make eye contact.
"As what, Aeryn? Your' 'special' friend, or your boyfriend? Or just as a spectator?"
A blush crept up her neck and cheeks as she allowed herself to be put on the spot. She started fidgeting and looked anywhere but at his face. Jesus, why was this so hard to answer? She knew the answer she wanted. Fuck, she was ready to forgive the entire situation and just move on…
But she just couldn't yet. She kept feeling like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. It had been too easy lately, she wasn't used to things going this smoothly. Hell, their first go of it they fought like wildcats pretty regularly. Not that they were violent, but they were passionate in their opinions and they had a tendency to not back down against the other.
It made the sex awesome.
Finally she sighed and blew some water running over her face towards him.
"As my boyfriend."
She stared up at him as she answered, challenging him to do something about it. She wasn't sure if he was going to be mad at her hesitation or if he was going to try and plant a badly timed joke. Either she was prepared for.
Instead he dropped his forehead to her shoulder and licked her skin softly. "I would be honored…" He then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close against him and just held her for a bit. The gesture was not sexual in the least and it seemed, to her anyways, that a burden was lifting off of him.
After only a few seconds he left the shower and tossed a towel in after him – smacking her in the face.
She sputtered a bit before turning the water off and following him.
"What was that for?!" She demanded in a mock-haughty voice.
It had been so long since she had someone to just play with.
"Giving me a heart attack, Woman! I thought you were going to tell me you used me for my body and were going to throw me out on sight!"
He bellowed the answer, but there was no heat behind it. She found herself just cackling at the image his statement brought forth.
A wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am as it were. She started to wipe herself down as she continued to chuckle.
He shot her a disapproving glower as he dumped his towel in the laundry receptacle, "I'm glad my discomfort seems so hilarious to you."
He left the bathroom and moved in to the main bedroom, presumably to get dressed as she recomposed herself and finished her own drying.
Turians really were lucky that they had minimal prep work. Humans had to dry, apply moisturizer, makeup, etc… All he did was dry off and get dressed while occasionally having his face paint-stain reapplied.
Lucky sorts.
She followed him out, naked with her hair flowing down her back.
"Yeah well, you seemed entirely too confident this morning. I couldn't be the only one nervous."
She waggled her eyebrows as she delivered her retort. He was mid pant-pull and had stopped bent over and was just staring at her incredulously.
"Is this what I'm signing up for!? Spirits save me!"
He fell back on to the bed as he said that in the most dramatic fashion she had ever seen. It rivaled that of her middle school "Romeo and Juliet" performance. The sputtered laughter was all that he got in response from her as she attempted to gather her clothes for the performance.
He interrupted her by wrapping his arms around her waist and dragging her next to him on the bed. He ran his talons over her face and just looked into her eyes for a long moment. He seemed to want to say something but thought better of it. He pressed his forehead against her for a moment and then pushed her off the bed gracelessly.
"Quit tempting me Woman, put some clothes on before I make sure we aren't leaving this room for at least a week."
He moved off the bed and continued to get dressed, albeit a bit more gingerly than before. She smiled from her perch on the floor and sighed happily as she watched him move.
Perfect, it was becoming perfect again.
Her omnitool beeped a 45 minute warning and she cursed and began to rush through getting ready.
Dress on, make up done and hair done in record time (a skill she had mastered while infiltrating different rogue regimes) she walked out of the bathroom with everything except her mask on.
Garrus was dressed in his casual black and white suit. She loved that suit. She wondered how he had grabbed it so fast, but then realized that the man was a proverbial MacGyver and probably had the thing in one of the storage canisters in his armor.
She grabbed the black sequined Mardi Gras style mask and placed it securely on her face before eyeing
Garrus softly from behind the mask.
"How do I look?"
He stared at her for a solid two minutes before answering, his eyes roaming over her from head to toe.
He cleared his throat and touched her waist softly.
"You know you look amazing… And I'm going to have to thank Aria for her design skills."
"Don't you dare! The next outfit she designs for me will probably just be straps and pasties! And I like to hear you say it, makes me feel good."
Garrus knew he was going to regret asking, but the question was going to plague him otherwise… "What are 'pasties'?"
She turned bright red and just brought up an image on her omnitool.
Garrus just stared at the image… The woman on it had red nipples… Then he realized that they weren't her nipples but rather some sort of accessory.
He mentally made a note to do his own research on these pasties. For science.
"Ah… I see. Yes well, I wouldn't want you to have to wear that in public."
She punched his arm softly and then offered her own to him for them to leave.
Garrus was never much for parties, but John was there with Liara (Savior of the universe and all), which made the party just bearable.
He had just joined his friends near a large window with a good view of the stage when a hand tapped his shoulder.
It was Primarch Victus. He and Victus chatted for a bit before an announcer called everyone's attention to the stage.
Aeryn was spectacular. She didn't edit her songs for the difference in audience from Omega to the Citadel and he found himself admiring her more for it. He heard a human woman complain to her companion about how the song subject matter wasn't necessarily appropriate.
To her partners credit he told her it was a beautifully sung song and Garrus found his attention focused backed on the stage.
He wasn't the only one who was appreciating the lithe human singing on the stage in a vibrant red gown. He was amazed that, as revealing as the dress was, her scars were completely covered. Her tattoos, however, were not.
He wondered if it was a sign that she was gradually becoming more comfortable with her new role in galactic politics – or the lack there of. A "fuck you" to those who would be looking for her, as it were.
In transition between songs, she sought him out and made eye contact. Spirits she was singing just for him. It was a more romantic and gentle song than she had been previously known for and he felt his heart constrict pleasantly as he absorbed the lyrics.
It was a song about loving beyond youth and trusting that he would love her despite age. He felt himself flush as he just stood enraptured.
Victus was trying to say something to him but Garrus was beyond listening. He wondered how long ago she had written this song; he had never heard it before. If there was any doubt as to who she was singing about it left him the moment she absently touched the part of her shoulder that his mark was planted.
He wanted to drag her off the stage and replant the mark all over again but a hand on his arm brought him back to the present situation just as her song was ending.
"So, Vakarian… How is the quarian you've been seeing? What's her name? Zorah something?"
Garrus took a sip of his drink and calculatingly eyed his Primarch, "Tali'Zorah, and we are no longer together." Garrus had always had a good relationship with Victus. Hell, he and the Primarch considered each other friends in a manner of speaking; but he wasn't certain he wanted to admit that his supposed-to-be-dead bondmate was the one singing on stage in front of them.
Victus nodded and looked back to the woman on the stage and to the trusted General next to him.
There was something familiar about her and about how Vakarian was staring at her as if the sun rose and set according to her words.
It reminded Victus of the young human Vakarian had been betrothed to before the end of the war. But that woman had died, that was what lead to Vakarian and the quarian. Victus listened to the woman sing another song, she certainly had a unique voice. He had no idea humans had such a vocal range and he would be lying if he said it wasn't pleasing.
He eyed Vakarian again and decided to go with his gut. If he was wrong then he could just apologize, but he had a feeling there was more to this woman and the situation than met the eye.
"She reminds me of Shepard's sister."
Victus noticed the way Vakarian tensed as he downed the rest of his drink. He watched the other turian stare at the woman for a moment longer before making eye contact.
"She is quite similar, isn't she?"
Victus nodded and kept his smug 'ah ha' to himself. He was able to read between the lines. He wasn't sure he wanted to know how the younger Shepard was still alive despite every report he had read saying she had died in a crash back down to her home planet. But the fact that Garrus was nervous around the line of questioning and the fact that the woman wasn't showing her full face…
Victus patted Garrus' shoulder. "Don't worry son, I don't really want details. But if you're sure, I'm happy for you."
It was as honest as the Primarch had gotten to be in months. He liked Vakarian and if his bondmate was alive and well and they were together, well he truly didn't care for the details.
Garrus was surprised Victus had picked up on it so quickly, though he shouldn't have been. The man was a talented politician despite his claims otherwise. He just nodded and mumbled a "thank you" as he looked back up to Aeryn on stage.
Her mini concert was over and the announcer was droning on about donations and political motivations that he didn't hear.
He made his way to the stage and offered his hand to her as the rest of the patrons were moving to the dance floor to congregate and, well, dance.
She looked at him for a moment, surprised, and then took his hand.
He had danced with her once before in public and drew upon those skills again as he held her close. He said nothing for a long while and she seemed disinclined to open conversation either. He was just happy.
Finally he remembered something he had wanted to say, "You know that even when you are old, I will still love you. I will always love you."
She didn't answer him, just pressed her forehead against his shoulder. He didn't really need words after listening to the song she wrote. He held her close as the song finished. She whispered to him that she had to mingle with Aria's group and that she would meet him at the entrance to the ball room.
He went to talk with John to pass the time until the end of the benefit. John slapped Garrus on the arm and muttered some congratulatory words in regards to Aeryn and they moved in to bitching about the politicians they found themselves surrounded by. Garrus spent the rest of the night like that, stealing glances at Aeryn as he just enjoyed himself.
Aeryn and Garrus had left the benefit right about when she thought they would. She had met with DT's agent and had gotten the serum that was supposedly going to rid her of her 'vermin' problem.
She had given her idea for the administration with minimal suspicion and the good Doctor had agreed to allocate one of his mercs for her plan.
She wished she knew the man's name so that when she was singing his praise as she reclaimed her turian she would have something more than 'doctor' or 'DT'. He wanted it that way though, so she didn't push it.
She had changed her suit to add different colors and adornments. Looking at herself in the mirror she had to admit that even she wouldn't recognize herself if she had not been the one to dress herself.
It was nice how much a quarian could change with minimal effort. She altered her voice speaker as well so that if she did have to speak she would sound different.
She had complete faith that this would work and as she slid the hypodermic needle into her arm pouch, she smiled as she left the hotel room she had rented to get ready.
DT had said it would take a few days to fully take effect, so Garrus would have one final round with his beloved before she would be taken from him. The effects would crescendo right as Aeryn returned to Omega and she and Garrus were far away on another mission.
The timing couldn't be more perfect.
She waited in the hall until she saw Garrus and Aeryn round the corner. She signaled to the merc to start chasing her and she made her way frantically down the crowded walkway. She loved that the Citadel was busy no matter what time it was. It was perfect cover.
She made a show about stumbling and slowly worked the needle into her hand as she closed the distance to her target. They didn't even notice her.
She stumbled again and slammed right in to Aeryn, knocking her over. Simultaneously she jabbed the needle into Aeryn's side and pushed the plunger down.
She immediately got back up while hiding the needle against her wrist and profusely apologized before taking off again, the merc hot on her heals.
The entire delivery took less than thirty seconds. Tali kept running as euphoria rushed over her. She didn't even notice the merc get tackled by John.
Perfect.