Almost Normal

Cammus waited for Charles outside of the gym, and when he turned and spotted Ares, the turian grinned and waved. Ares lifted his head in greeting before Cammus became lost to the crowd once more. Charles smiled, realizing Cammus was the first friend he'd had in years, and it made him so happy Ares actually liked the other turian.

"Cammus," Ares said when they closed the gap, "appreciate you training him while I'm gone."

Cammus fluttered his mandibles and nodded. "Sure, I don't mind at all." He turned toward the gym's entrance and then stopped, looking back and forth between Ares and Charles. "Hmmm. Did you tell him about Travium?"

Nodding, Charles said, "Yeah …." He glanced at Ares. "Maybe things won't get ugly? If Travium grows a brain?"

Ares shrugged but grinned. "If he's smart."

Humming, Cammus let out a soft chuckle and shook his head. He reached up and scratched the side of his face before rolling his head on his shoulders, loosening himself up. "Alright. Well, I suppose getting banned from one gym isn't a big deal. There's others."

Charles smiled, moving over to the man and throwing his arm around his shoulder, leading him inside. "You don't have to stick around."

Cammus chuffed, looking sideways at Charles with a smile on his face. "Right. Like I'd really leave now."

"I didn't say I'd be the one instigating," Ares said, following them with a hum. "But if he's so sore that he bans you, it's not something I could stop anyways."

Chuckling, Cammus glanced over his shoulder at Ares. "I'm really not worried about it either way. I told Charles after the first day we could go somewhere else. I'm not especially attached to this place, and to be honest … I'm about one or two comments away from challenging Travium myself."

Ares laughed. "Have I mentioned how much I like you, kid?"

Grinning, Cammus flicked his mandibles. "You might've."

"I kind of thought you were going to lose your shit when he threw me on the mat," Charles said, moving them to the check-in kiosk and letting his arm drop from the other man's shoulders.

"I almost did." Cammus hummed, activating the kiosk and checking them in. "But, I didn't want to risk him hurting you."

"Well, if he decides to try something again, he'll both amuse me and get more than he's bargained for. Either he'll leave you to the fuck alone or kick you out." Ares shrugged. "I can't really force him to do one over the other."

Cammus turned away from the kiosk, looking Ares over head to toe. "Everyone gets more than they bargained for when it comes to you."

Snickering, Charles waved for Cammus to take the lead and moved back to Ares' side. He smiled up at Ares, letting the back of his hand brush against Ares' as they walked.

"What can I say?" Ares hummed, flicking a mandible. "I'm quite impressive. Not sure there are too many people out there who know what they're getting into, and if they do, then they have other problems."

Charles grinned, letting his gaze sweep over Ares. "Damn right, you're impressive. And you're mine." Saying those words again sent a spike of raw emotion through him, bringing back all the doubt and fear for just a second. He thought they were okay, Ares acted like he wasn't angry with Charles anymore, but some piece of him just couldn't let go and relax.

"I am." Ares nodded. "And you're mine, so show me where this racist prick is."

Grin widening, heart doing a stupid thing in his chest, Charles nodded his head back toward the gym area through the double doors. Cammus glanced at him, nose plates twitching and chuckled, shaking his head. He led them to the back and through the doors where at least twenty turians were partnered off, sparing on the mats. Travium leaned against the back wall, his gaze fixed on the three of them as they walked inside. Charles smirked, but he didn't say anything, following Cammus over to a mat where they kicked off their shoes.

Ares stayed off the mat, standing just near the edge with his arms crossed over his chest. A few of the closest turians stopped sparing, staring at Cammus and Charles as they moved out onto the mat. Their gazes shifted to Ares and then to Travium. Some of them snickered, others chuffed, seeming agitated. Cammus fell into his stance and nodded at Charles, so he did the same, feeling nervous all over again under Ares' watchful gaze.

Without warning, Cammus lunged at him, forcing him to defend himself and block what blows he could, though several still landed. He managed to get his hand wrapped around Cammus' wrist once, but the turian easily reversed the grip and swept his legs out from under him, pulling him off balance. Turning with the momentum, Cammus let him fall to the mat.

Charles climbed back to his feet and resumed his stance, swaying lightly on the balls of his feet. He fought the urge to look at Ares, to seek his approval, and kept his focus on his opponent. Cammus moved back in, but he shifted to the side, kicking out at the turian's back leg, forcing Cammus to shift his weight to the front and dance over Charles' kick. They were only at it for maybe five minutes before Charles caught sight of Travium pushing off the wall and making his way straight for them. He didn't stop sparing, though. Throwing punches at Cammus, he made him block hits for a few seconds before Cammus reversed the flow, forcing Charles to defend instead.

Travium came to a stop at the mat around the corner from Ares. "You're still being too soft on him."

Cammus stopped, turning his attention to the gym's owner. "Is this really necessary? We're not bothering anyone, just let us train in peace."

Travium chuffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're bothering me. It's bad enough you brought a human here, but if you're going to be here, do things the right way."

Smirking, Ares let out an amused rumble but kept his gaze on Charles and Cammus. "You seem to think humans don't have their own moves that would seem too soft to them but would have you on your knees, old man."

Charles thought it might've been the nicest thing he'd ever heard Ares say about humans not revolving around sex. He smiled, glancing off to the side, hoping to avoid antagonizing things further. He wanted to let Ares handle Travium however he saw fit, and he'd back Ares' play, no matter what.

Travium flicked his mandibles, turning his attention to Ares. "And I suppose you're the fool who bonded this human?"

Finally looking at Travium, still smirking, Ares nodded once. "And I suppose you're the fool who said you'd make me your bitch?"

Fighting back a snort, Charles reached over and tapped Cammus' elbow, discreetly taking a few steps back. Cammus glanced at him, and he tilted his head behind him just enough to be seen. Fluttering his mandibles, Cammus turned away from Travium and moved to stand next to Charles, angled a little as he watched the two other turians talk. Travium's weight shifted, and something about it made Cammus flare his mandibles before snapping them tight against his face.

"Your pet seems to think he can come in here and disrespect me in my own facility, and you'll clean up his mess. So yes, if that's why you're here, boy …." Travium waved a hand out to the side.

Ares turned, completely facing Travium, his own weight shifting in the same way as Travium, making Charles think there must be something behind it, something cultural he didn't know about. "I'm here because you think you can harass them both and use the fact that I'm not around as your excuse. That is why I'm here, old man."

"I don't give a shit if you're here or not." Travium flicked his mandible and smirked. "Kid, the fact there was a turian out there somewhere confused enough to actually put a bondmark on the human is the only reason I've let them stick around this long." He growled. "Now, if you've got a problem with the way I run my business, you're welcome to join me on the mats," he said, waving his arm out at the mat, "or I can show you the door." He moved his arm to indicate the exit. "Either way, this is my place, and my rules stand."

Ares watched the man, a hint of amusement tugging at his mandibles, before sighing and dropping his arms from across his chest. "If you're going to insist we solve it with force …." He grinned and kicked off his shoes, stepping onto the mat. "Then who am I to complain?"

Charles snorted, and both he and Cammus moved off of the mat completely, standing on the side opposite of where Ares began. He glanced around at the audience the confrontation gathered. Nearly everyone in the gym stopped to watch Ares and Travium. Some seemed eager to see a fight, others more annoyed by the disturbance. Travium stepped onto the mat, falling into a stance Charles hadn't seen before. He didn't make a move toward Ares, though. Ares rolled his shoulders and neck before falling into his own stance, yet another Charles didn't recognize, but it still somehow seemed familiar.

Hooking his hand into a half fist, Ares closed the distance between the two of them and feigned a punch with his left before swinging with his right. Travium stepped aside, using the wrist of his left arm to shove aside the punch and slammed the heel of his right hand into Ares' chest. Charles clenched his jaw and crossed his arms, sucking a slow breath in through his nose. Ares grunted but turned with the hit, moving to Travium's side and kicked the back of the other turian's leg. The man bent into the kick, lowering his body as he swung his hand, talons curled to slash at Ares' waist.

Ares brushed the attack aside with an elbow and slammed the flat of his hand against Travium's keel, seeming to knock the wind out of the man and forcing him back two steps. Moving in, Ares kept the quarters close as he struck out at Travium's face, but the older man moved with the hit, taking the edge off the blow. Ares didn't pause as he stepped back, avoiding Travium's counter-attack.

The other turians in the room began to come closer, and Charles tensed a little more. He kept his eye on them, searching the faces for any sign of aggression. All he really found, though, looked like excitement and curiosity. Cammus hummed, shifting close enough to Charles that he felt the turian's elbow brush against his.

Travium threw another punch, but Ares used one of the first defensive techniques Cammus taught Charles. He brushed the hit aside, rolling his hand over the turian's arm and grabbed his wrist before shoving the arm aside, forcing Travium to turn his chest. Wrapping his other arm around the older man's neck, Ares stepped back and dragged Travium with him, tossing him to the ground. Grunting when he hit, Travium quickly rolled to his feet. Ares circled him, returning them back to a facing position. Several turians made their way over to stand at the edges of the mat, though they mostly stayed away from Charles and Cammus.

"You're slow, old man," Ares said, pulling his hands up again, talons curled inward.

A silver-plated woman with charcoal markings separated from the others, walking around the edge of the mat to stand a couple of feet away from Charles. Wary, he glanced at her, but she smiled at him, fluttering her mandibles before turning her attention back to the fight.

"Just seeing what you're made of, boy." Travium lunged with a snarl, feigning a claw to Ares' throat before jerking his knee up toward Ares' waist.

Ares trapped the leg against his side and swept Travium's other leg, releasing the knee to throw Travium off balance. The turian stumbled, and although Ares could've easily followed through and taken Travium to the mat, he didn't, smirking instead. Growling, Travium rushed Ares, throwing punches. Ares blocked most of them, but occasionally he let one through, drawing a few drops of blood. Every turian around the mat, even Cammus shifted forward, scenting the air. Charles' hackles rose, hands balling into fists tucked away under his arms.

"You are bonded to him?" the woman asked, moving a little closer to Charles.

He glanced up again, noting three other turians joined his side of the mat as if they were choosing a side in the fight. Clearing his throat a little, he nodded. "Yeah." He turned his attention back to Ares and Travium.

Ares growled, sidestepping out of the way of a punch, slowing Travium's assault.

"Interesting." She hummed. "He fights like no other I've met. You've chosen your mate well."

Charles glanced at her again, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smile. "Thanks."

Separating, Travium flicked his mandibles, angry little twitches, as Ares cracked his neck and got back into position. Giving the man a teasing smirk, Ares jerked his head back, a smug lift of his chin reminding Charles of street thugs on Earth. He almost heard the 'come at me, bitch' left unsaid, and it made him laugh. Travium's mandibles snapped in against his jaw, and he let out a furious sounding snarl, muscles rippling beneath his hide. All around Charles, turians shifted in response, and his gut told him shit was about to get real.

He took half a step toward the mat before he realized what he was doing and clenched his jaw, forcing himself back as he blew a heavy breath out through his nose. The monster inside of him howled, rattling the bars of its cage. It wanted so badly to jump into the fray and tear apart the turian for daring to lay a finger on Ares.

Mine.

"Should I …?" Cammus flared his mandibles.

Taking another deep breath, Charles shook his head. "No." Nevermind the fact if either of them stepped onto the mat, other turians might also, but if they interfered, it'd only insult Ares. Besides, Charles had faith in Ares—he didn't need their help.

Closing the gap once more, Travium threw a heavy punch at Ares' face, but Ares' blocked it with his arm. Sliding his forearm against Travium's, Ares turned his arm and grabbed the man's wrist, dragging his arm back and up as he stepped around him. Pressing the bent arm behind Travium's back, Ares pinned it against his chest and wrapped his free hand around the man's throat, immediately bring the fight to a stop.

Laughter broke out around Charles, the woman beside him being just one of at least twelve turians who seemed pleased by the outcome. A few others, though, Charles noticed, were eyeing Ares. Sizing him up. Everyone else pretty much just looked pissed. Charles figured it let him know who agreed with Travium's views on humans and who didn't, or at least it let him know who the turian's friends were.

Growling, Ares lowered his mouth to Travium's ear but didn't lower his voice. "What was it about you making me your bitch again?"

Travium snarled, hand darting up to claw at Ares' mandible. "You're a traitor to your people, bonding a human!"

A loud crack filled the room just before Travium's choked scream, and the beast inside of Charles purred. Ares' amused expression never faltered. He slowly released his grip from the man's throat and arm, looking down as Travium collapsed at his feet, arm clearly broken and twisted at a sickening angle. Shocked gasps sounded throughout the room before someone started clapping, slow and hard. A moment later, others took it up, clapping louder and faster.

Charles moved onto the mat, stepping over the injured turian like he wasn't even there and leaned in against Ares. A couple of turians stepped onto the mat, glancing at Ares before looking at Travium as if asking his permission to help the man. Ares jerked his chin toward the exit, and they moved over, helping Travium to his feet.

Travium growled, cursing and trying to jerk away from them. "I can take care of myself."

Smirking as the others led Travium away, Charles looked up at Ares, putting his hand on Ares' keel. He mouthed the words 'thank you'. Glancing around, he realized the females in the gym were all pretty much watching Ares, interest clear in their expressions. Ares flicked a mandible at Charles, taking his hand and leading him off the mat over to where their shoes sat.

Letting go of Charles to put his own shoes on, he looked at Cammus and chuckled. "If you're going to be banned, might as well go out with a bang. Or a snap is more like it."

Cammus laughed, grabbing his shoes. "That was well worth it. Where'd you pick up those moves, though?"

Charles sat down on the edge of the mat, slipping on his socks and pulling on his shoes. He glanced around the room again. A few turians still watched them, but even those who were angry before seemed more curious than anything else. Women still watched Ares, a couple of them seeming like they were working up the courage to approach him.

Keeping his voice low, Ares glanced around, pulling his boots on before looking up at Cammus. "When we have less of an audience, I might just tell you a story."

Charles' eyebrow twitched, but he didn't say anything. He wondered what exactly Ares planned on telling Cammus and how much of it would be the truth. Cammus hummed, nodding as if he understood the need for discretion.

One of the female turians, tall and lean with light brown plates and rust colored markings, broke away from the others and approached Ares, rumbling flirtatiously. "Impressive. I don't suppose your mate likes to share?"

Ares rumbled and looked at Charles, flicking a mandible toward the woman. "Does my mate want to share?"

Pushing up to his feet, brushing his hands together, Charles tilted his head and let his gaze roam over the woman. "I love sharing."

Ares chuckled and looked back at the woman. "So long as you know this," he said, motioning to himself, "comes with him."

She flared her mandibles, a curious sounding trill filling the air around her. Hesitantly at first, she took a step closer to Charles, and then with more confidence, she approached him. She stopped in front of him and leaned in, nuzzling her face against the side of his neck, breathing deeply, and he raised an eyebrow at Ares. She straightened herself and smirked, glancing between the two of them. "I can live with that."

Murmurs shifted through the crowd, obviously, many of those present didn't approve of the idea, but quite frankly it wasn't any of their damn business. At least no one seemed stupid enough to voice their opinions too loudly. Charles smiled at her, letting his gaze sweep over her again. Ares let out a low, aroused growl before glancing at Cammus, giving him an amused sounding rumble.

Cammus chuckled, moving in a little closer to the group. "Hmmm. I think I'm going to head out. Maybe you'll come to my apartment for dinner?" He looked between Charles and Ares but glanced in the woman's general direction as well, seeming to imply it was cool if they wanted to bring her, too. Finally, his gaze settled on Charles. "I could even invite Acevia over, I'm sure she'd love to meet Aelianus."

Charles looked up at Ares with a raised brow.

Shrugging and nodding, Ares looked at Cammus. "Sounds good." He glanced back between Charles and the woman. "Give me a minute," he said and then gestured Cammus toward the door, and the two of them started walking, leaving Charles behind.

Turning to the woman, Charles grinned and held his hand out to her. "Charles."

She shook his hand. "I know, I heard you tell Travium. Most wouldn't stand up to him the way you did." She flicked a mandible. "Sade."

Glancing around, he took in the handful of turians still watching them, and then he put his hand on the small of her back and gestured to the door. "Shall we?"

She chuckled. "This will be interesting." Purring, she started walking, letting Charles set a slow pace to give Ares and Cammus time to chat. "I'm not too familiar with humans, but I'm sure your mate can teach me a thing or two."

Charles laughed. "We'll figure it out. I'm not too familiar with turian women, so it'll be a learning experience for both of us."

Ares approached them as they exited the gym, Cammus already gone. People on the street watched Ares, some giving him wary looks, others curious. Someone called out something about Travium deserving it as they passed, and Ares nodded to them, chuckling as he stopped before Charles and Sade.

"You ready?" he asked, pointing a thumb toward the general direction of the apartment even though they'd be taking a taxi.

Sade purred, gaze roaming over Ares. "Very."

Charles let out a soft snort, nodding his head at Ares.

Sade was, indeed, a learning experience for Charles. She'd been quite enthusiastic, but clearly more interested in Ares than Charles, which was honestly fine by him. Even had she been more interested, though, Charles thought he still would've found himself sticking to the sidelines. He'd taken on a more … supportive role, mostly watching as Ares fucked her, though Charles and Sade did explore one another some. He just wasn't in the right mindset for it, but he didn't fully realize it until they were already back at the apartment and clothes were coming off. Too much shit still went on in his head, Ares occupying too much of his mind for him to focus on anyone else.

He'd let himself cum on her stomach while she jacked him off under Ares' direction, just to be done with it. He'd felt bad, because she was attractive, and he liked her just fine, but he really just wanted to be alone with Ares. Sade didn't seem to mind, though, if anything, he thought she might've been a little relieved. Of course, Charles could've gotten hard again and kept going, but it made him more than happy to just stretch out next to her, squeezing her waist and nipping at her shoulder, watching Ares as he fucked her. She seemed to really like the feel of his skin, commenting several times on how soft it felt, but not in the sort of teasing way Ares' might've said it. It seemed more like she was in awe of him, of his human body, and Charles thought it was sweet.

Not long after she'd left, they'd gotten ready and headed out to Cammus', Eezo with them. On the way there, Charles filled Ares in on who Acevia was, and how he'd met her, though he pussyfooted around talking too much about the first night—the night things went to shit between him and Ares. When he told Ares about the things Acevia said the night he shared drinks with her and Cammus, Ares chuckled, rumbling with amusement. Charles felt pretty sure he'd like Acevia.

When they got to Cammus' apartment, Charles rang the buzzer and glanced up at Ares, a soft smile on his face. "This is … nice. Kind of … domestic. Going over to someone's house for dinner together."

Ares hummed, mandibles flicking as he looked around. "Feels strange."

Chuckling, Charles slipped his hand into Ares'. "A little, yeah." He knew it must feel especially strange for Ares, all things considered. "You look really good," he said, taking in the casual clothes Ares wore, comfortable but more stylish than most of the things Charles saw him wear. He grinned and squeezed Ares' fingers a little. "Acevia will be jealous."

Ares' mandibles clicked as he looked down at Charles. "Jealous?"

Charles' grin widened. "Mhmm."

He didn't get the chance to explain he meant she'd tease him, tell him she was jealous—it'd become a thing between the two of them—because Cammus opened the door. Not that she wouldn't want Ares, hell, she'd certainly seemed attracted to his scent if nothing else, but obviously, theirs wasn't a closed relationship. If Acevia wanted to hook up with Ares, Charles certainly wouldn't stand in her way.

"Hey, come on in." Cammus stepped back out of the way, holding an arm out.

Charles smiled at Cammus, letting Eezo rush past them and pull the leash from his hand. Stepping inside, he tugged at Ares' hand, leading him into the living room. Acevia stood in the middle of the floor, already holding Eezo to her chest. She flared her mandibles, eyes widening as her gaze swept over Ares.

Grinning, Charles tugged Ares along until he came to a stop in front of Acevia. He looked up at Ares, holding his free hand out toward the other turian. "Aelianus, this is Acevia." Glancing at her, he said, "Acevia, this is my mate, Aelianus."

He'd never had the chance to really, properly, introduce Ares to anyone before—if it could be called proper while the turian wore paint on his plates and used an alias—let alone as his mate. It felt weird, but also kind of fantastic. He might not have called Ares his mate, though, if not for Cammus having already referred to Ares as such while talking to Acevia.

Ares dipped his head, giving her a rumble in greeting. "Charles has told me about how you met during a bar fight." He chuckled. "Can't say I disapprove."

She chuckled, scraping her talons through Eezo's fur. "Your scent was all over him … and he fought with so much fire. How could I not join in on the fun?"

Laughing, Ares looked down at Charles. "I like her."

Charles grinned. "I thought you might."

"Charles, I could use your help making sure I don't poison you," Cammus said, stepping up just behind and to the side of him.

Letting go of Ares' hand, Charles snorted and followed Cammus to the kitchen, hearing Acevia ask Ares about the fight at the gym as he went. He leaned against the counter next to the stove, looking over the food Cammus had laid out. He recognized the pink meat as elyine, but he didn't recognize the purple meat, probably something dextro. Some of the vegetables Cammus already cut up into a bowl looked familiar enough. Another bowl held some sort of grains, something he thought he'd seen Ares eat at a restaurant at least once before, soaking in what looked like a mixture of water, oil, and spices. There laid a small loaf of fresh bread on the counter as well.

Cammus looked at a datapad, fluttering his mandibles. "The recipe says to sear the elyine, but I'm pretty sure 'seared' means something entirely different to turians than the asari who wrote this."

Snorting, Charles took the datapad from him and skimmed through the recipe before handing it back. "Just make sure the heat is high and throw it in there, I'll tell you when to flip it."

Cammus fluttered his mandibles. "You don't cook much, do you?"

"Nope," Charles said, dragging the word out. He grinned and shrugged. "But I'll eat just about anything you put in front of me, so don't worry about it."

Cammus chuckled, shaking his head and tossing the datapad onto the counter. "You seem like you're in a much better mood. I'm glad." He hummed, mandibles dancing around his face for a few seconds before he gently cleared his throat, turning his attention to the food prep. "I was starting to worry about you."

Charles carried his and Ares' plates over to the table, catching Ares' gaze and jerking his head to tell him to join him. Ares finished saying something to Acevia before standing up and making his way to the table. He hesitated, seeming to wait to be told where to sit, and Charles could tell it was a real struggle for him. Glancing around the table and the room, Charles picked the seat he thought Ares would take for himself if he wasn't trying to be polite—giving him a view of the door and the rest of the apartment—and sat Ares' plate down there. He glanced at Ares as he sat his own plate down to the left of the spot—putting himself in Ares' blindspot while they ate—and Ares gave him a slight nod.

Cammus didn't seem to care in the slightest where anyone sat, carrying his and Acevia's plates around the table to the two other chairs. He seated himself to the right of Ares' chair, putting Acevia to his left and across from Ares. Only then did Ares move to the chair Charles selected for him and sit down.

Cammus went to the kitchen, bringing back beers for himself and Ares, juice for Acevia, and a Paragade for Charles. He sat down, picking up his fork and knife before glancing around the table. His gaze settled on Ares, mandibles a little flared as Ares cut off a huge chunk of his bloody meat and shoved it in his mouth, humming appreciatively around it before swallowing.

Smiling, Cammus let out a soft rumble and asked, "So, how was your trip?"

Ares chuckled, mandibles flicking. "We delivered to a joint colony between the hanar and other species. Pretty boring shipment, but the place was nice enough … can't say much for the waters, but apparently, tourists love it. It's a sort of purple-blue, crystal clear."

Acevia hummed, scooping up some of the grains on her plate. "Sounds pretty. Where's this?"

Eezo came over to Charles, putting her nose in his lap. "Sit," he said quietly. He pulled off a piece of elyine and fed it to her when she sat back on her haunches before ruffling the top of her head.

"Belan." Ares set down his beer. "Pretty nice garden planet and I hear the wilderness trails are good, but with the ship," he said with a shrug, "you don't really have a chance to hike around outside the port city."

"Maybe I'll make that my next vacation destination." Acevia flicked a mandible, cutting off a piece of her meat and putting it in her mouth.

Charles tilted his head a little. "It does sound pretty." He doubted Ares went anywhere near Belan when he left the Citadel, but he wouldn't be surprised to hear he'd visited there before. "Where are you from, Acevia?"

"Palaven." She shrugged, cutting into her food. "Cipritine." Glancing back up at him, she paused with her fork in front of her mouth. "And you, were you born on Earth?"

Charles hesitated for a second and shook his head. He didn't think it was a good idea to tell them he came from Shanxi, not because of the war, but because of the dead bodies he'd left behind the last time he went there. With his recent murders grabbing so much attention in the news, he worried about someone making a connection to the killings on Shanxi. "Uh, no, but I've visited there a couple of times when I was younger." He really hoped she'd let it go and not press for specifics.

"Oh?" She fluttered her mandibles, lifting a brow plate. "Where were you born?"

Damn it.

He slapped a smile on his face and named the first place that came to mind, "Ferris Fields."

"What's Ferris Fields like?" she asked, humming.

He shrugged. "Depends on the season and where you're at. The area I stayed in was mountainous and cold." It wasn't a lie, he'd visited Ferris Fields. Spent a few months there when he was twenty.

Cammus perked up a little, mandibles flicking softly. "Was there snow? I'd like to see snow someday."

Chuckling, Charles nodded. "Yeah, there was snow."

Ares lifted a brow plate at Cammus. "You want to freeze your mandibles off? That's the strangest reason to want to visit a human colony." He chuckled. "At least have something warm to fall back on."

Cammus fluttered his mandibles and shrugged. "I'm not saying I want to spend a lot of time in the cold, but the idea of snow is fascinating."

Ares hummed, considering as he ate more of his dinner. "You're from the Iso Hills, right? On Taetrus?" He motioned to his face, sort of swirling his fingers around, and Charles thought he meant to reference his colony markings.

Cammus hummed and nodded. "Yes." His mandibles fluttered a little. "I lived in Phaetra."

Ares nodded, taking a drink of his beer, and Charles thought he saw a hint of recognition in his eyes. "So, you'd be at least somewhat used to cooler temperatures …. Not that the hills ever get that cold, but it's the coldest turian place I've been."

Flicking his mandibles, Cammus said, "It is, which is probably why it's not densely populated."

Ares hummed to himself, nodding as he looked at Charles. "I used to have a friend there. Lived right outside Phaetra, too," he said with a nod of his chin toward Cammus.

Charles blinked once but then nodded, realizing Ares was telling him the man who took care of him after the fire actually did live outside of Phaetra. He wondered what it meant, if anything, for his friendship with Cammus. He smiled. "Small galaxy, I guess."

Cammus glanced up from his plate again and asked, "The one who got you smoking?"

Ares laughed, turning back to him. "Yeah. Yeah, that's the old bastard that got me hooked on those things."

Bringing a forkful of the grains to his mouth, Cammus chuckled. "Hmmm. Did you ever go into Phaetra? I wonder if we ever saw one another there."

Ares shrugged. "I went in maybe a handful of times. It was a long time ago, so you wouldn't even have been in basic when I was there last."

Humming, Cammus tilted his head. "Then there's a pretty good chance I was stuck in my bedroom, in trouble for wandering off, and wouldn't have seen you anyway."

Ares laughed, and the sound did that stupid thing to Charles' heart, making him flush a little. Even though there was still something uneasy and anxious in the back of his mind, at the moment, he felt happy and almost normal. He watched Ares for a few seconds, grinning.

He tore his gaze from Ares and turned his attention back to Cammus. "What was it you said your father told you? You have a wanderer's spirit?"

Cammus let out a soft, almost embarrassed sounding rumble and fluttered his mandibles. "Yeah, that's what he said."

Acevia chuckled and took a sip of her juice. "The Citadel seems to be a place for a lot of wanderers to end up. I found myself in trouble as a child for the same thing, all too often."

Cammus looked at her and smiled. "You seem settled here."

She shrugged, flicking a mandible. "For now."

"What do you do on the Citadel, Acevia?" Ares took a bite of his food.

"I work for Saronis Applications. Mostly keeping track of customer files and entering data into the system." She let out a sigh, flicking her fingers dismissively. "It's not exactly glamorous, but it pays the bills."

"Isn't that how it always is?" he asked with a chuckle, taking another bite of his dextro steak.

"A couple of years ago, I very nearly joined the Blue Suns." She grinned, cutting into the slab of meat on her plate. "That would've been interesting. Hmm. Maybe I still will."

Ares lifted a brow plate and glanced at Charles, flicking a mandible in amusement. "Like living outside the law, then? You planning on the Citadel Blue Suns or more out in the Terminus?"

She smirked and waved a hand. "I see laws more as guidelines. Suggestions, really. It's only a problem if you get caught."

Ares laughed and tipped his drink to her. She fluttered her mandibles, letting out a soft, amused rumble. Cammus chuckled, shaking his head, but Charles just smiled, taking in the back and forth, soaking up the moment for all it was worth.

Acevia took a drink of her juice and said, "And, I don't know. I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

Chuckling, Charles said, "Mhmm. So, what suggestions have you disregarded lately?"

She gave him a playful scoff and waved her hand. "Not telling is a part of not getting caught."

"Right," Ares agreed, smirking at Charles. "And it's easier to maintain the lie of deniability when it's only you who you have to corroborate with."

Charles snorted, turning his gaze down to his plate. "Well, I don't know about the rest of you hedonists, but I am a perfectly law-abiding citizen."

Ares snorted, drawing Charles' attention back to him. "The prices your place charges should be criminal, and you," he said, pointing between Charles and Cammus, "should be held responsible for robbing people like me blind."

Cammus chuckled, holding out a hand. "We don't set the prices, but I'm sure Charles wouldn't mind if you talked with Irene about them. Loudly."

Laughing, Charles reached down to pet Eezo. "Irene's a bitch, I wouldn't wish her on Aelianus."

Acevia fluttered her mandibles, lifting a brow plate at him. "Charles, the night we met, you assaulted two salarians, a quarian, and me."

"Prove it," he said, looking at her with a raised eyebrow and smirk.

She flared her mandibles, a twinkle in her eyes. "Fair enough."

Ares shrugged, the bottle of beer held up in a hand. "I'm sure I can convince her just like I did the gym owner earlier. I'm a very convincing person."

Charles laughed, shaking his head and cutting off a bite of elyine. "Irene would probably faint the second you looked at her and then call C-Sec just because you were there."

"Probably." Cammus flicked a mandible. "Okal on the other hand …."

"Would find a way to convince him to rearrange his underwear drawer … not that he wears underwear," Charles finished for him, stuffing his bite into his mouth.

"I really don't," Ares agreed. "Any turian who does probably bought them from some interspecies fashion store. And they probably ride up in all the wrong places."

Charles laughed, feeding Eezo another piece of elyine. She laid her head in his lap again, and he stroked her fur, smiling down at her.

"And yet," Cammus hummed, "she'd find a way to convince you to rearrange it still."

Ares shrugged, finishing off his plate. "If there's something out there that I haven't got in the right place, then she can have at it."

Charles snorted. "Fuck that, she isn't stepping foot in our apartment."

Ares shrugged again. "Fair enough."