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Roarkshop.
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They went on like that, laughing and chatting into the wee hours of the morning, which was when Garrus had fallen asleep. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, her feet on the ground, looking at him. She sighed and fought the urge to feel the scar on his face again, just to have an excuse to touch him. She had never seen him fall asleep before. The few times he had fallen asleep in her quarters she was the one to doze first. It was an odd thing, a sleeping predator. He looked so calm, peaceful. The sound rumbling through him was more akin to a purr than a growl. It definitely wasn't snoring. Though maybe, to turians, it was. She didn't know. She didn't care either. As she watched him sleep for a few more long moments, she was only sure of one thing:
She was absolutely crazy about him.
Just… stick to your own species, he had said.
She sighed and got up as slowly as she could, turning the light off next to the bed before turning to sneak to the couch, when a large hand grabbed hers.
"Where you goin?" he rumbled.
"I'm gonna get on the couch and let you sleep," she whispered. Why she was still whispering now that he was awake, she didn't know. She couldn't see a thing as her eyes adjusted to the dark.
"That's ridiculous, Shepard," he yawned. "This is your bed, you sleep here and I'll sleep on the couch."
"No no, don't get up, it's fine. I'm already up."
"I'm tired enough that I might be able to out-stubborn you this time," he said. She certainly couldn't see him, but she could hear that he was smiling.
"Garrus, seriously. Go back to sleep. I'll be fine."
"How about a compromise," he said before pulling her across him.
"Wh-augh!" was all she managed to say as she fell across him. She landed on the other side of him, on her back, with his arm across her chest. "How is this a compromise?" She said finally.
"No one sleeps on the couch. Everyone wins."
"Oh the Doc is gonna just lovethis if she comes in the morning."
"It won't be the first time she's found you asleep in my arms," he said as he started drifting again.
"Touche'," she said with a sigh, trying to make her heart stop beating so fast. Shut up, shut up, shut up! She commanded herself. Don't you know he can hear you? Are you trying to sabotage me, you stupid thing?
"Shepard," he purred softly. "You can calm down, I'm not going to try anything."
She cleared her throat and tried to recover.
"Easy for you to say, Mr. 'I-can-see-perfectly-fine-in-the-dark'," she said with a laugh. "Jesus, you scared the bajeezies out of me."
"Ah yeah, sorry about that."
Long. Painful. Silent moments passed.
"Hey, what's a bajeebie?"
She laughed.
Garrus noticed her scent before his eyes even opened. When they finally did, the red of her hair was the first thing he saw. He was still in her bed, laying on his side, with her back against him. He had his arm across her waist, resting his hand on the other side of her. Her head was resting on a pillow over his bottom arm. He realized, as his awareness came back little by little, that under the pillow her hand was in his.
He fought the urge to panic.
Something was seriously wrong with him. He was supposed to be using shore leave as a means to blow off some steam before they left Omega. But, even as tightly wound as he was, he hadn't been able to trigger anything. The girl that had chatted him up in the bar was beautiful, more than willing, and an incredibly easy target. Her pheromones alone would have been enough to get his body to react had it been a year or two ago. What was wrong with him? Since when was a night of passion between strangers worth trading to hang out with your best friend on a couch?
On what planet does that make sense?
Maybe he was over thinking it. He had always preferred Shepard's company to some random strangers. Was it really so hard to believe that he would rather spend as much time with her as he could? Hell, she was dead for two years, he was still playing catch up. And even now, more than six months after she came back, he still couldn't break the urge to leave her side. Like at any minute a life or death situation would throw itself at her and he wouldn't be there to stop it. Again.
So it was normal. It was still too soon to risk. That was why he was so protective of her. That was why she had him so on edge.
…right?
She made a small moan in her sleep as she tossed, nuzzling her head against the pillow and squirming under his arm.
He smiled.
The only thing he could think was that it should have been weird right? He shouldn't be okay with this. Not like he was. Had this happened years ago he would be freaking out. It wasn't supposed to be like this. It wasn't supposed to be so... so... right. Was it?
But why not? Nothing had happened. Like he had said, it wasn't the first time. They were so close now that he could fling her over his shoulder without getting killed, surely this wasn't a big deal anymore. But he didn't want it to be awkward. She had said enough times that their friendship was too important to screw up. Plus he remembered how terrified she had been when he pulled her down. She had even tried to play it off like she had been startled, but he knew better.
Was she really that afraid of him?
He exhaled through his nose and debated whether or not he should stay until she woke up, or try and sneak out. Which would be less awkward? Which would need less explanation?
That's when her alarm went off.
It startled her so hard that she jumped, and turned, elbowing him right in the face.
"Wagh!" he yelped.
"Oh Jesus, Garrus!" she said sitting up, turning to him. "I totally forgot you were there."
"Son of a bitch," he cursed, sitting up, holding the side of his face. "What, are you expecting an air raid? Spirits, that hurt!"
"Oh god," she said holding her stomach, laughing. "I'm sorry."
"Good morning to you too," he said. They both laughed for a few minutes before her alarm went off again and she reached past him to turn it off on the side table.
"It's been a while since I woke up next to someone," she confessed, still coming down from the laughter.
"Yeah, I saw that," he said, pushing her in the shoulder as he stood. She fell onto her back again, laughing. "Hell of a way to start a day," he scoffed, pretending to still be angry. "I'm using your shower now, and you can't stop me."
She was still laughing when he closed the door to her bathroom.
"I see that the Battery is empty," Tali said from across the table. Shepard thought that if the quarian didn't have a mask on, she'd be able to see how she was wagging her eyebrows.
"It's not," Shepard said, sipping her tea. "Jack is still passed out naked in there."
Tali replied with a startled coughing fit.
Laughing, Shepard explained what had happened, though chose to leave out the part about sleeping in Garrus' arms. She didn't want to get Tali's hopes up. Or maybe it was her own hopes she was afraid of dashing. Either way, as she sat in the empty Mess Hall with Tali, she was just glad to have a normal conversation about it.
"So," Shepard said as she casually ran a finger along the lip of her mug. "I got a message yesterday from Kal'Reegar about you."
"You did!" Tali squealed, almost falling out of her chair as she clasped onto the table.
"Ah-HAH!" Shepard said pointing at her. "I knew it!"
"Wha…I…"
"Gotcha," Shepard said. "It was actually from your dad, approving your transfer to the Normandy. But I knew you had a thing for him."
"Honestly," Tali said, her hands turning into fists on the table. "How do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"I don't know… It's like you can read my emotions through my mask."
"It's a gift," Shepard said with a shrug. "Have you talked to him lately?"
Tali sighed and shook her head before leaning it on her hand. "Not since I asked him if he had recovered from Haestrom."
"Tali that was months ago."
"I know."
"Seriously, you should at least attempt to contact him. What's the worst that could happen?"
"Look who's talking, Jane," Tali said, gesturing a hand at Shepard. "At least I have the excuse that the one I want isn't on the same ship as-"
"Ksssshhhhh!" Shepard said urgently, planting her hands over the speaker on Tali's helmet. "What's the matter with you?" She whispered harshly.
Shepard felt the speaker vibrate as Tali spoke, but couldn't really make out what she was saying.
"Quit your yammering, woman!" She said, still whispering. "I will not mess up the only thing right about my life."
Tali nodded and Shepard could tell she was sorry for having brought it up.
"Besides," Shepard said in her normal voice, sitting back in her chair. "You have the added bonus of the one you want wanting you back."
"I…I do?" Garrus heard Tali ask from the open elevator door.
"Yes," Shepard said. "You know my talent for reading helmets. Just trust me on this one."
Standing in the empty elevator, Garrus hadn't heard the whole conversation, but had heard enough to confirm his fears about Shepard and the drell. Whatever it was she whispered to Tali to get her to stop talking was, more or less, irrelevant. Her reaction, and what she had said after that… it was enough.
As he stood there he wondered why he was so bothered by it. He had just finished telling her he wanted to see her happy. What kind of friend was he? Regardless that he still didn't trust Krios, if he had what Shepard needed to be happy then why the hell should he have a problem? He rubbed the back of his neck and resolved himself to stop being so stupid about it.
After all, it's not like they would stop being friends, right?
Shepard seemed to be in the highest of spirits the rest of the day.
While the crew spent the day in various states of repair, she designated a few hours where they needed to get supplies. She sent Gabby and Kelly in one direction and her and Garrus went another. Omega may not have had the nicest supplies, but they were definitely cheap, and they got the job done. Garrus lingered in a window for a weapons shop, which made Shepard laugh.
"Didn't I just buy you a new scope?" She teased.
"Well yeah," he said. "But now my scope is better than my rifle. We can't have that, now, can we?"
Shepard laughed and told him to meet her in the Medical District.
As she braved the streets of Omega alone, her eyes danced between the signs, looking for the specific store Mordin had given her the name of. Though he had said it so fast she wasn't sure if it was all one word or not.
"Commander Shepard?" said an unfamiliar voice from off to the side. When she turned to see who it was, she was forced to freeze in her tracks. Even if she didn't recognize his face from the vids, she still would have known who it was.
Those eyes, she'd know those eyes anywhere.
"M-Mr. Vakarian?" She said, feeling awkward standing at attention in her captains casuals.
"Oh, so you know me," he said. He shifted his weight and looked her up and down, just like his son had done all those years ago.
"Of course, sir," she said. "Even if I hadn't seen the vids of you taking down Gorgen Berkitor's whole syndicate, my closest friend seems to be the spitting image of you."
"Yes, well, you're something of a legend yourself," he said coldly. It obviously wasn't a compliment. "First human specter, Hero of the Citadel..."
"And so pretty," came a kinder, gentler voice from behind him. A beautiful girl with pearl white face plates and the same fierce blue eyes, peeked out from behind her father. The white of her plates made the familiar deep blue markings stark on her face. Her skin was several shades pinker than both her father and brother, but the resemblance was impossible not to see. "I'm Solana," she said reaching out a friendly hand. "Garrus' little sister."
"Of course, ma'am," Shepard said with a bright smile, shaking the girls hand. "I've heard so much about you, Ms. Vakarian."
"None of it's true," she said with a laugh. "Is Garrus with you?"
"He is, ma'am," she said. "Though not immediately, he's a few stores back."
"Figures," Teryk said. "I suspected if the rumors about you being alive were true he would have jumped at the chance to chase you around the galaxy again."
"It's an honor to have him on my team, sir."
"I'm sure it is, Spectre," he spat. "I imagine you get quite the kick out of having a turian on your vessel. I'd wager he's the only one on the whole boat who knows any real operational discipline."
"He's the perfect soldier, sir."
"I don't know what goes through his head," Teryk said. He put his hands behind his back and started to circle her. "You don't seem very extraordinary to me."
"Daddy," Solana chided. "Don't be rude."
"It's alright, ma'am. I understand his dislike for the Spectre's," Shepard said, smiling at the girl before looking back to Teryk, all the humor gone from her eyes. "I'm also used to being underestimated."
"Is that so," he said, his mandibles clicking in aggravation.
"It is, sir. I understand that absolute power corrupts absolutely. I never sought this position, I earned it. I do not look for power, I just do my job."
"No one should be held above the law."
"I do not hold myself above the law, sir."
"Oh? Gallivanting around after geth and who knows what else? You certainly don't protectthe law."
"My job is to protect lives, sir, by whatever means necessary."
He scoffed and waved a hand dismissively.
"No wonder my son is so fond of you. Results-at-all-costs has always been his favorite tactic. I believe that was also the favorite of Saren Arterius."
"With all due respect, sir. Did you just compare Garrus to Saren?"
He took the last step necessary to close the gap between them, looming over her.
"And what if I did, Spectre?"
In an instant the playful human was gone and in her place was the cold, stern, Commander's mask. Her eyes narrowed into a sneer and she fixed them on the bright blue of Teryk's.
"Don't," was all she said.
Teryk looked back and forth between her eyes as if measuring her severity and whether or not it was appropriate. Though, as far as Shepard knew, he could have been determining the most efficient way of killing her on a crowded street. Before Shepard even saw that he was there, Garrus had put himself between them.
"I will kindly ask you to step away from my Commanding Officer," Garrus said with a click of his mandibles, putting a hand on his father's chest and holding his other arm out to urge Shepard behind him protectively.
"Hey, Garrus," Shepard said with a smile, peering around him. "I was just having a nice chat with your family."
"Yeah, Commander," he said sternly. "I can see that."
His scowl only lasted until his sister squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Garrus!" Solana said, resting her head on his shoulder. Shepard took the opportunity to side-step and stand at Garrus' side.
"Hey Sol," he said with a grin, nuzzling his face against the side of her head affectionately. "What are you guys doing here? You neverleave Council space."
"These salarians we've been in contact with think they have a new treatment for mom. They insisted we meet them here."
"Yes," Teryk interjected, crossing his arms. "Or have you forgotten how ill your mother is?"
"Of course I haven't," Garrus snapped, moving his sister to the side to approach his dad.
"Spirits," Teryk said, grabbing Garrus' face in his hand and turning it. "What in the hell happened to your face?"
"The Commander here saved my life after I got hit with a gunship missile."
Teryk exhaled through his nose in frustration. Shepard had to bite down a smile to see the two turians glaring at each other. If Teryk wasn't slightly taller and his markings weren't fading slightly, there'd be no way to tell the two apart.
Well, except the giant scar on Garrus' face.
"So, Commander," Solana said, linking an arm through Shepard's. "Care to take a walk with me?"
"Oh I uh, it'd be a pleasure, ma'am." She turned back to Teryk and gave him a respectful nod of her head. "Sir," she said as a means of excusing herself before turning to leave with Solana.
They could hear the men arguing long after they had walked away.
"I take it this is a rather common occurrence in the Vakarian household?"
"Oh yes," Solana said with a laugh. "They do go on. We'll give them about twenty minutes. After they get all their shouting done they'll be civil again. They really don't realize how similar they are."
"I'll believe that," Shepard said.
"Still, Commander. I'm impressed."
"Ma'am?"
"It's not often someone stands up to my dad like that."
"I wouldn't exactly say I stood up to him, though I'll admit comparing Garrus to Saren did get under my skin."
"He's good at that," she said. "He likes to test people, see how far he can go before they snap or cower in fear. Regardless I think you did a wonderful job putting him in his place."
"Well," Shepard said. "It's good to know I've earned the approval of at least two Vakarians."
"Well my approval is easily earned, I'm afraid. I quite like most people I meet."
"Then it's safe to assume you take after your mother in that regard."
"It's true," Solana said with a laugh. "The Vakarian men have never been easy going. Garrus takes after dad far more than he cares to admit, Commander. But he was always very impressed with you. I've heard so much about you over these past years."
"Well, I hope they were all good things, Ma'am."
"Please, you can drop the military bravado with me, I'm no warrior. I'm a nurse. Call me Solana."
"In that case you're welcome to call me Jane."
"Oh good," Solana said, squeezing Shepard's arm. "That means we're friends now."
Shepard laughed.
"I admit," Shepard said. "It was almost sad to see you two together. He obviously misses you and I wonder if with you is where he really should be."
"I do miss him," the girl sighed. "But no one could ever make Garrus do something he didn't want to do. What you're doing must be important." She waited a beat. "Or he must care for you a great deal."
"I assure you what we're doing is veryimportant," Shepard laughed. "I doubt his feelings for me even hold a candle to his feelings for you. Which I think is how it's supposed to be. I don't have any family, but if I did, I'm sure they'd be the most important thing to me. Instead I have Garrus, and he's the closest thing I have to family."
"Well then that makes us family," the girl squealed, hugging Shepard's arm.
They both laughed as they continued around the district. They stopped into a small store that seemed to be selling some kind of roasted meat. Solana sniffed the air with a smile as Shepard's stomach tried to turn upside down. Jesus, was this the kind of crap Garrus ate? She heard Solana make a surprised squeak and turned to see what happened.
Shepard's heart sank into her feet.
"Hello, Jane Doe," said the human holding a gun against Solana's head.
"Finch," Shepard replied with a sneer. "Been a long time."