Codename Archangel

He spends two years with the three titles he had picked out for her collecting proverbial dust. He doesn’t watch them. He finds himself missing her presence and the budding ease to the friendship—the Commander too, yes, but he misses Shepard. Her memorial is nice in the way state ones are, but it misses all the nuances of who Shepard was as a person, he thinks. There’s a pack of levo beer in his fridge, and it stays there as he leaves for Omega. When he sees her again, somewhere between the haze of adrenaline and stims and preparing himself for death, a smart quip dies, choked back by the blood in his throat. He’s never seen fear on her before, and that’s what he remembers before he comes to again with Chakwas telling him to take it easy.

Shepard is different, there but not. The line of her spine is altered, same with the slant of her shoulders. She glances to him like she’s surprised to see he’s still there, and he watches the way she flits across the Normandy, relearning a ship that’s hers but isn’t. She makes her rounds but something feels just slightly off about it—like the time he moved his kitchen table a few inches to make room for a new couch and it changed the feel of his entire apartment.

I’ve been a Shakarian from the very beginning. I love all the romances, but Garrus has always been my favourite. It’s really quite simple… it’s the voice.

One thing that always stood out to me in ME2, though, was how little Garrus seemed to question Shepard's decision to work with Cerberus. I never had a problem with Kaidan doing exactly that. Honestly, his reaction made a lot of sense given everything Cerberus had done. From his perspective, Shepard was suddenly working with an organization responsible for countless atrocities, and he had every reason to be suspicious.

Seeing Garrus voice some of those concerns as well could have led to some really interesting conversations and character development. Not because I wanted conflict between them, but because Garrus accepting the situation almost immediately always felt a little too easy to me. A few moments where he challenged Shepard’s choices or asked harder questions about Cerberus would have felt more realistic — and would have made his loyalty mean even more in the end.

And yes, I’m absolutely one of those people who were disappointed that we couldn’t romance him in ME1. 😄

Broken moans spill out of her with abandon as her impending climax threatens to consume her. Amongst them, Astarion hears his name—her tongue rolling over the curves of it as her throat chokes on the sound. And he simply can't help himself. He pushes his hips forward with a groan, sliding inside her just as she reaches her peak. He allows himself a single thrust, burying himself deep inside and drawing his name from her pretty lips once more as he fills her. She tightens like a vise around him, and he bites down on his tongue so hard he tastes blood to stop himself from pumping in and out of her. Only when her climax subsides, leaving her twitching and breathless, does Astarion force himself to pull out. With a grunt he shifts forward on his knees, straddling either side of her torso, then crawls further still until he has her head caged between his thighs. He tangles one hand in his her hair and presses her down into the cushions, holding her in place while the other hand reaches for his cock. Astarion holds it above her mouth, just out of reach, and begins stroking himself slowly. “You want this… yes?” he husks. His consort nods enthusiastically. She licks her lips, watching his hand work up and down his shaft. “Then show me. Prove to me you deserve it.” Her crimson eyes darken ravenously as she squirms under him. “I'll do anything, My Lord... please.” Astarion's cock throbs at the sound of her begging, and a fresh bead of arousal seeps out, pooling at his slit. “Of course you will, darling. Now give me your tongue.”