Garrus Vakarian had learned not to deal in emotional absolutes with Charlotte Shepard; that was to say he’d figured things could be wonderful and terrible at the same time when he was with her. Case in point was the previous night; it was spent in her bed tangled up with her softer, smaller body.Â
Making love to her had been easier without the 'blowing off steam’ addendum, but this time the looming threat for the next morning was... somehow worse than it had been before the Omega Relay. They were approaching Palaven; his home, or his former home before she’d turned his world upside down.Â
It was the end. Any excitement over seeing that home again was quashed by what he had to tell his family, and what he was leaving behind on the Normandy. Wonderful and terrible.Â
Garrus had snuck out of her cabin early-- very early. He’d gotten his things together one final time, did a last round of purging his software from the battery, and had ultimately snuck back in.Â
He slipped his clothes off and crawled back into bed with her. Beneath silky sheets a bird-like talon slid up her hip to cup her waist, to gently tug her back up against his chest.
Feeling her warm skin made his heart hurt less. Still the little croon Garrus gave into the back of her neck was... sadder. Weaker.Â