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22. two miserable people meeting at a wedding au (prompt me here!)
word count: 5802
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Shepard wasnât the type to exaggerate but would it be such a stretch for her to say that she would rather be facing another thresher maw again than endure this reception?
It wasnât even the reception itself or the concept of socializing. But she had been running on fumes, having traveled from Alliance Headquarters via a scrambled last minute hitchhike on an industry ship to even arrive on the Citadel on time. And the ceremony, while meaningful, and its celebrants, while beloved, werenât enough to sustain what Anderson called her âmilitary poster faceâ. She could face a horde of enemies with no sleep but maintaining her public-facing charisma required a different strength. Not like she had any excuse. It wasnât as if she was on active duty or had anything to justify why she missed her initial shuttle and had to wait at the intermediary depot for the next one.
Somehow, getting waylaid by batarians seeking to swindle her out of her credits in a round of poker, engaging in a friendly shootout when she out-hustled them despite their tricks, and buying out a bar in celebration afterward didnât seem like a good enough excuse.
Hence, the hangover. Hence, the missed flight. Hence, the lack of sleep.
And hence, why she was tucked at the corner where the bar was situated with only a silently brooding turian guest with blue face markings at the other end and Vilk, an even quieter elcor bartender, behind the bartop for company. She had broken her self-imposed no-drinking rule and opted to nurse a healthy glass of red as she kept her distance and tried not to look too much like she spent the previous cycle shit-faced.
But perhaps she had not fully succeeded.
Several guests had lingered nearby to catch a glimpse of the infamous Shepard, whose face and exploits had been plastered on screens and datapads for the past month. They all looked curious, but none seemed inclined to approach. Maybe the huge, still-healing scar on her face was a deterrent. Which didnât quite make sense considering that half of the guests were turians.
So she people-watched, distantly amused that the brideâs mainly turian entourage was forced to intermingle with the eclectic mix of species on the groomâs side. Like with so many of her contacts, she had met and befriended Atvius amid battle, the latter unwittingly captured during a literal milk run. His two-man ship containing food stocks from Thessia had been commandeered by a ragtag group of scavengers and Anderson had sent Shepard and a small retinue to answer the distress call. Atvius who had the mandatory training of turians his age almost held his own but had been quickly overtaken when he was caught by a particularly grabby krogan. Shepard had arrived just in time with her Claymore and as such, earned an odd friendship and a lifetimeâs worth of free levo meals at his bistro in exchange.
Atvius was what his fellows and foes called an aberrant. And that was the friendliest translated term for it. He was disowned by family in all but name, an easy-going bastard who detested fighting. Barefaced in spirit, they called him, he had found his discipline instead in cooking and had chosen to dedicate his life to serving food for all species. Shepard liked him immensely.
It was a real surprise when she had been sent a wedding invitation informing her that he would be marrying another turian. The surprise specifically not that he would be marrying within his species but that another turian would be so accepting. And from what she had gathered about the bride, Livia seemed to have a heritage and reputation of respectability that the groom lacked. What compelled her family to tolerate the union, Shepard couldnât guess. But she was unsure whether the initial strain of the reception was a genuine product of this sentiment from the brideâs side or just a âturians having a stick up their assâ thing. The fact that Atvius didnât seem inclined to stick to formalities perhaps didnât help in any case.
Shepard did not know how turian weddings worked but she was almost certain that the vows and a Top 40 rendition he had whipped out in the middle were certainly not part of the tradition but a product apparently improvised from his absorption of human TV pop culture. Livia seemed charmed though. Atvius was subversive but he was one she seemed deep in love with. Perhaps, that was the trick of itâwhy none had been able to disrupt such an oddball match.
The answer as simple as that.
Shepard downed her drink. She would have marveled at the romance of it had her head not been throbbing and her throat cottoned with a heaviness that had not just been born from last night.
âYouâre Commander Shepard, right?â
Seemed she spoke too soon and someone had gathered enough nerve. She even pulled a not-pissed-off expression when she turned and faced the inebriated man who had swaggered to the bar seat next to hers with a cocky grin.
âThatâs right. And you are?â
âPeople have been staring at you since you arrived,â he said, not answering her question.
Shepard raised an unamused eyebrow. The guyâs tone implied that he seemed more excited that people were watching him talk to Shepard than being interested in actually talking to her.
âHave they now.â
âWell, canât blame them, right? You and Akuze have been top news for a while now.â
âHm.â
âSo⊠is it all true then?â
âWhat?â
âWhat people have been saying.â
âOh? What have they been saying?â Shepard leaned closer and something to the effect of having her scar up close seemed to make the man falter for a moment.
âUh, all sorts of things. Like that youâve been discharged because you pushed the other soldiers in the way of the attack so you wouldnât get targeted,â he trailed off, sounding less sure.
Shepard weighed her potential responses carefully. Nearly all of them didnât seem conducive to maintaining the down-low presence she had wanted for the coupleâs sake. She didnât think that either of them would appreciate her inciting a brawl on their special day.
âYou really want to know the truth?â
Some spark ignited behind the fogginess of alcohol, and he nodded without trying to look too eager.
âItâs true, you know. Everything that people have been saying,â she continued, dropping her voice for effect. âBut that wasnât the worst of it. We fought for days but it only took me an hour to realize that I wouldnât be getting out of it if I played fair.â
âFair?â
âI used them as bait. My lieutenant was the first to be grievously injured. I mean, they were going to die anyway, right? The ones that were eviscerated to pieces were the most useful because I could throw their extremities in multiple directions as a distraction and attack the sons of bitches from the other side. Of course, the maws quickly caught on to my grift. I was already running out of corpses to use, and itâs a real pain sawing for more limbs. I know the others all like to call us humans soft flesh bags, but meat and bone are a real mess to detach even with a good omni-blade. I could only hide under the remaining bodies and bide my time until they retreated for the night. At that point, it was just a waiting game. Rinse and repeat for several days afterward. My only real regret was that I didnât get to burn down that entire nest. What I would give to go back and make sure they felt a sliver of the torture we all went through. Iâd tear them to pieces the same way with my bare hands and teeth if I could.â
She punctuated this with a matter-of-fact finish of her drink before turning back to the now silent man with a smile that was all teeth and politeness.
âAnything else you want to know?â
âN-No. Uh, that was veryâŠinformative.â
âIâd be happy to provide more details.â
âNo, thatâs all right.â He quickly stood, seemingly soberer now. âI actually have to meet up with some peopleâŠover there. But, um, it was very nice talking to you.â
Shepard watched the quickly departing figure with a smothered laugh and flagged down Vilk for another glass as a little reward. She knew that it wasnât wise to exacerbate the rumors that had been spreading since the Alliance had kept tight-lipped over the details in their public copy. But if anyone was going to exploit her ordeals, it might as well be her.
âNicely played.â
She turned to her left and found the quiet turian had broken from his stupor and was now tipping his glass to her in a toast.
âWho says it was a play?â
âJust a guess. But Iâve learned that Atvius only makes friends with shit stirrers.â
âI could have been invited by the bride.â
âNah. I know Liv and everyone she invited. Anyone with your name would have stood out in the guest list.â
âOh, a close friend of hers then?â
âA friend of both.â He leaned forward to stretch out a hand and Shepard was so surprised he was making such a human gesture that she didnât immediately take it. âGarrus Vakarian.â
His hand was uncovered due to his formal clothing, and it felt just as warm and leathery as she would have imagined. Sheâd never touched another turianâs skin before in a non-combat setting.
âShepard.â
âThat was the right procedure, yeah?â He scratched the back of his neck. âIâve seen enough humans do it in my line of work but I never actually got the chance to do it myself until now.â
âHmmâŠIâll give you a 7 out of 10.â
âDamn. Tough crowd. Was it my form? It was my form, wasnât it?â
Shepard bit back a smile. âYou gripped hard enough to bruise my hand. Which isnât a bad show of intimidation but not appropriate for a casual, friendly greeting.â
âIâll take note.â He made a show of typing on his omni-tool. âDonâtâŠbreakâŠhumanâsâŠhand.â
She did laugh this time. His lighthearted demeanor seemed so in contrast to his previous brooding mood when she had first taken her spot two seats away from him. It was curious.
âUnless youâd been planning to intimidate me all along, itâs a good tip to keep handy,â she drawled.
âHa. Donât know how much intimidation I could do after hearing that story you gave out.â
âI stretched the truth a little,â she offered lightly. Because the truth was, in actuality, much, much worse. But no one else needed to know that but her.
Shepard had never made a point to study turiansâ eyes before but even two seats away, his stood out in the low lights with a brilliant shade of blue that seemed to sidestep her lies. Like he knew exactly what she was not saying and he seemed to have enough daring to face the truth of it.
If she was anyone else but herself, she would have fidgeted under such casual and piercing scrutiny. Instead, she kept her stare direct and waited.
But instead of averting his gaze or prodding her for more intrigue, he exchanged his seat for the one directly next to hers and said out of nowhere, âMuch as I respect the guyâs skills, Atvius still doesnât know how to source his alcohol correctly. His horosk is diluted as all hell. No offense, Vilk.â
âGood-natured teasing. No offense taken, Officer Vakarian. I just pour what Iâm given,â the bartender uttered.
Shepard stopped drinking. âOfficer? Good thing I didnât start that brawl then.â
âI probably would have joined you if Iâm being honest,â he said and his tone seemed to regress to the lower mood he was engaged in before.
âThis scene not your thing?â
A loud whoop resounded from the dance floor. They both looked at the party, now considerably livelier and less awkward than it had been from the start. For all the impure alcohol Atvius had foisted upon the festivities, it worked well enough to smooth out the tensions into an actual air of celebration. The groom and the bride were in the middle of the crowd, wildly flailing their limbs into something even an inept dancer like Shepard didnât think construed as proper dancing, while guests of all species cheered them on. It was enough to make her smile, and she wondered why Garrus remained stiff-shouldered at such a cheery sight.
âSo you said you were friends with both of them?â she ventured when he didnât answer her previous question.
âYeah. I met Atvius after my coworker forced me to go with him to the bistro after a shift. Heâd just opened and word-of-mouth was already spreading about how good he was. But I wasnât buying the hype. He showed me in the end though. That grunnien kebab of his is a killer. I became a regular quickly enough.â
âScary how his meat can pull you in so quickly, huh?â Shepard couldnât help but joke and she was rewarded with Garrusâs hoarse bark of a laugh.
âYou said it. And what about you? Howâd you meet the two lovebirds?â
âAtvius I saved from a group of pirates who thought he was shipping some lucrative mining resources rather than a bunch of asari spices. And Livia, I only met briefly through Atvius. Theyâd only been dating for a short time and I was away from the Citadel so often I didnât have more chances to get to know her. The next thing I know, Iâm getting an e-vite to their wedding. Which was a surprise, considering.â
She trailed off but Garrus was quick on the uptake.
âLivâs already stubborn but she can become even more hard-headed with the things she wants. And sheâs already established enough of a name for herself in her career not to take any repercussions from her family seriously.â
âHm. My type of woman then.â
âThatâs Liv for you.â Something about the flick of his mandibles told her that he was smiling.
âSeems like you know her best,â Shepard ventured again; she didnât miss that he omitted her the first time. âHowâd you two meet?â
âLiv⊠Well, Liv, Iâve known since we were kids but we didnât get close until military school. She was my sister, Solanaâs friend first and Sol always complains about how quickly I replaced her spot,â he said warmly.
Something in the softness of his voice made Shepard pause. She didnât think she was well-versed with turian body language and tonal inflection to be certain of what that was about, but she could guess enough.
âPity for your sister. Itâs hard being replaced,â she said lightly.
Garrus was quiet for a moment before saying, âYeah. Pity for her.â
He took another swig of his drink and Shepard felt bad at what sheâd uncovered. She quickly changed the subject. âSo⊠wait, wouldnât that make you a shit stirrer yourself?â
âWhat?â
âYou said Atvius only befriends shit stirrers. Which would naturally mean that you are one yourself.â
His mood seemed to lift at that. âYou could say that. Iâve been known to be a bit of a bad boy to some.â
Shepard nearly sputtered out her drink as she cackled.
âWhat?â Garrus sounded slightly offended.
âI donât know. Just your phrasing. You seemed so earnest when you said it. Bad boy. Like a proverbial Boy Scout puffing out his chest.â
âWhatâs a Boy Scout?â
âSomeone whoâs definitely not a bad boy,â she teased before descending into cackles again. God, she needed sleep.
Her humor seemed contagious though because Garrus joined her even if it was at his expense. âI donât know why youâre laughing. But if you ever meet a Pallin at C-Sec, ask him about me. He can tell you all about how much of a bad boy I am.â
âIâd rather not get crossed with your coworkers. So Iâll take your word for it.â
Their conversation became more spirited as they exchanged stories about their colleagues. They shared minimal information about each other to keep it light and smooth. But from what she had gathered, Garrus was the youngest of two children. His father had been an officer as well and Shepard deduced due to her increasing observation of his tones that he had followed out of a sense of duty rather than personal preference. He made mention of his mother but his cheer had dampened a little at the topic so Shepard quickly diverted it to a story of when she had pranked one of the recruits to use Andersonâs personal bathroom to shower in. Garrus quickly followed that up with a tale of accidentally letting a detaineeâs hamster loose in the office, much to Pallinâs chagrin.
He didnât ask anything about her background, for which Shepard was grateful. After Akuze, her name and what minimal information there was to glean from her origins and her military career were broadcasted on news sites and programs. Whatâs more, he didnât ask why she was staying in the Citadel long-term when sheâd mentioned that she was planning on leasing an apartment in the area.
But she was grateful for once to engage in conversation that held no weight, that had no bearing on heavy matters it seemed that suns would rise and fall for. It had been a long time since Shepard had engaged in a kind of fun that wasnât born from a sick urge to escape her head.
They were in the middle of debating the merits of sniper rifles versus shotguns when someone cut the music and called the guestsâ attention to the middle of the room. Livia stood in the middle; her new husband tucked to her side as she raised a glass.
âEveryone, I want to take this moment to thank you all for coming. I know how long many of you had to travel to get here and I couldnât be more grateful that youâve attended despite your busy schedules and lives. Especially knowing that some of you were definitely thinking of ditching last minute. Donât think I donât know you all.â
Raucous, good-natured cheers mixed with muted clapping from the more sober party-goers.
âFirst, I want to thank my parents for coming.â Livia nodded soberly towards the general direction of two turians before she launched into a speech about family, the future, and true love that would have made the least sentimental melt.
Just as Shepard thought she was done, Livia punctuated it with a last point.
âBefore I let you all go to get even more wasted, I also want to take this time to make a toast to Garrus Vakarian,â she continued. Beside her, Garrus stiffened. âNow, where is that big lug?â
Liviaâs eyes traveled around the room before landing directly on him. Her mandibles widened and then narrowed in an approximation of a smile. âGarrus! There you are! Everyone, raise a glass for our good friend here for introducing us. Without him, Atvius and I would have never met and none of you would have been taking a day off to party and share this happiness with us today. To Garrus.â
âTo Garrus!â everyone crowed. Shepard took one look at his thunderstruck expression and winced in commiseration. Either Livia was more cutthroat than she thought, or she was completely oblivious to his feelings.
Atvius announced that more food was coming and once everyoneâs attention had tapered off and returned to the festivities, the spirit of their earlier conversation was well and truly gone. Garrus stood without hesitation and muttered, âGoing outside to get some air.â
Shepard watched him leave, pushing away how sorry she felt for him. Somehow, she thought itâd be more insulting to him if she felt a modicum of pity over his situation.
âVilk, you know any relaxing places to go in this area that donât involve alcohol?â
The elcor took a beat to answer. âThoughtful consideration. I think your idea of relaxation is much more different than mine.â
âFair enough. Letâs go with mine.â
âGenuine suggestion. The Armax Arsenal Arena offers combat simulations that soldiers such as yourself would find a good release of tension. Itâs located at the end of the Strip.â
Shepard transferred him an overly generous tip. âHave a good night, Vilk.â
âFond farewell. Go easy on Officer Vakarian, Commander Shepard.â
Shepard followed Garrusâs trail outside the doors leading to a balcony overlooking the neon lights of the commercial district. Garrusâs lone figure had his back to the door as he leaned his arms on the railing and watched the busy crowds of the Strip.
âJeez, arenât you freezing out here? I thought your kind hated the cold.â An icy draft blew through just in time to prove Shepardâs point, whipping her short hair into a frenzied mop on her head. She was wearing a layered, floral embroidered suit but even the blazer couldnât fully dispel its chill.
âWe do. But Iâm a bit of a masochist if you already couldnât tell.â His tone was joking but she guessed there was more truth to that statement than his humor could hide.
Shepard was never great at being a source of comfort. Her usual M.O. was to find the problem and beat it into submission. But something about his lonely silhouette amidst the festive lights compelled her to try anyway. âYou know, if I was you, I would have said to hell with the wedding and gone barhopping instead.â
Ok, maybe not the best choice of words.
He turned to her and something about his expression suggested that he was a little affronted. âTheyâre my friends.â
âI know. Iâm saying that youâre a much better person than me to be handling this the way you have.â
âA better person? Or just a better coward?â He laughed dryly.
âMaybe both. Maybe neither. Some would say itâs honorableâkeeping your emotions to yourself to keep the peace.â
He was silent for a moment. âI've had the opportunity to tell her my feelings all these years. But I didnât. When I introduced them, I knew from the first moment they talked that Iâd lost that opportunity for good.â
She considered fairly. âYeah, maybe you were a coward for that. But that was then. Do you wish you could go back and tell her now?â
He paused. âNo. Knowing how everything eventually pans out, I donât think I could take what they found with each other away from them. Even on the slight chance that she happened to return my feelings.â
âSo maybe you should take some closure now for protecting what theyâve found because of your silence. That, or spiral in selfish regret.â
âSpeaking from personal experience?â
âI donât spiral.â She huffed. âI fall gracefully.â
Garrusâs laughter was a soft thing. âYou know, you are definitely not what I expected.â
âWhat were you expecting?â
Perhaps, it was something to the atmosphere of the balcony, a contained bubble of the bare cold and the quiet surrounded by frenetic activity that made being genuine with each other so easy. Or perhaps it was just them. Already too honest and blunt for their own good, kindred spirits such as theirs understood that they could never pretend to be anyone else but themselves.
âI thought youâd be a terror. The rumors werenât very kind to you,â Garrus admitted.
âI donât mind. It helps my work maintaining that kind of reputation.â
âHm. I get it. But that canât be all of it, can it?â
âWhat do you mean?â
âMaybe itâs good for Commander Shepard to be seen like that. But what about you? How do you feel about it?â
Shepard never thought a turianâs eyes could be so bright. It was a little unnerving to be seen beyond a title like he was addressing the âyouâ to some stranger that lived under her skin. She hadnât been that stranger for a long time.
When did she get here? Two cycles ago, she was hounding the poor office admins in the Alliance Headquarters about reconsidering her forced health leave for the second time and now she was on the balcony of a dance hall in the Citadel, having a heart-to-heart with a lovesick turian of all people.
She scrounged for words, finding them uncharacteristically and worryingly out of reach. âItâs not my favorite thing. But Iâve handled worse.â
âI donât doubt you.â He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. âThanks, by the way. You didnât have to follow me out to comfort me.â
âWho said I followed you out here for that?â she scoffed, regaining their earlier rapport. âI felt it was only polite to say my goodbyes before I left.â
âOh. Youâre leaving already?â Was it her wishful thinking or did he sound almost disappointed?
âYeah. I figure Iâd extricate myself from here for Atvius and Liviaâs sakes before Iâm inevitably tempted into making a bigger scene.â
She took a beat and maybe because she couldnât stand to see him looking at her like that that she found her offer had already left her mouth before she could stop it, âSpeaking of which, I was planning on stopping by the Arena to blow off some steam before I call it a night. It helps me sleep when I get some exercise beforehand. Iâm open to bringing a partner if youâre interested.â
His eyes widened and her face remained casual and open as she waited for his response. âUh. Yeah. I mean, are you sure? I donât want to get in your way.â
âI wouldnât ask if I wasnât sure. Plus, it seems more fun having someone to fight with.â He still looked uncertain so Shepard added, âThat is, unless, you canât keep up. In which case, I understand why youâd be scared to take your chances with me.â
As expected, a competitive and rebellious light brightened his expression. âI know what youâre doing.â
She grinned. âIs it working?â
âEmbarrassingly so.â
âAll right, then letâs say our goodbyes to the happy couple and blow this popsicle stand.â
âI donât know what blowing a popsicle stand means but thatâs the best thing Iâve heard all night.â
He followed her back inside, faithful on her heels.
*
Garrus was good.
Actually, way better than she would have expected.
Perhaps, it was her upbringing with the Reds and dealing with incompetent and corrupt officers on Earth, but despite her limited dealings with C-Sec, she didnât naturally have a positive opinion of the expertise of any police force, to begin with.
Oh, she was eating her words now.
He was still a little rough around the edges, and brash in some of his combat choices but he had the kind of raw talent and intelligence Shepard could see being honed into a deadly and finer weapon.
But more than that, it was just plain fun.
It wasnât until after they had finished several matches and even garnered a small audience upon displacing some mainstay scorers in the charts that Shepard realized how their opposite styles not only complemented each other but made the other better. And some quieter part of herself admitted how much she enjoyed engaging in a battle to stretch her skills, to recognize that she was good at fighting for something more than just survival.
But that was a revelation that was reserved just for her.
âWe kicked some major ass in there,â she announced with satisfaction as they stepped out of the arena.
âYeah, youâre going to have a major fanbase if you keep this up.â
âMe? What about you?â
He waved her off. âIâm just window dressing.â
âIâve just met you, Vakarian, but I never would have pegged you to be so modest. You held your own in there and saved me from a few scrapes to boot. Take the win.â
âYou make it sound like such a command.â He chuckled.
She was in such a good mood she couldnât help but be playful. âOh, it absolutely is. Be proud of your win or Iâll, uhâŠwell, I canât think of anything at the moment but whatever it is, Iâll make sure you regret it if you disobey me.â
He leaned his head towards her, taking advantage of his height as his voice lowered and cast over her with concerning and immediate effect. âThat a threat?â
âMore like a promise.â
âHard not to take that seriously when you put it like that.â
âIâm a woman of my word. Among other things.â She didnât know who this stranger was that had suddenly applied this suggestive tone into her voice but it definitely wasnât her.
Garrus gave her one of those inscrutable but piercing looks again and absurdly, she felt her face warm this time.
âIâll go to bed with my lights on then,â he said finally and she wondered why she was holding her breath.
As soon as the moment arrived, it disappeared and they were back to the previous mood of their banter as they walked to the transfer shuttles.
What the fuck, Shepard.
âWell, this is going my way,â Garrus announced. âWhere are you staying at? I can walk you if youâre nearby.â
He had tacked on the last part like he wasnât fully thinking about it when he said it. But once it was out there, she saw the immediate cringing regret in his expression.
âEr, I mean. Not to imply anything about your ability to keep yourself safe. Just thought Iâd beâŠyou know, chivalrous. Actually, turian proprietyâs a bit different from humans but a lot of C-Sec diversity workshops Iâve attended informed me that humans can get a bit twee and overly particular about gender customs so I thought Iâd put it out there. Not to say that you yourself are overly particular about that kind of thing, just thatââ
âGarrus, Iâd love for you to walk me. My hotel is just a little outside of the Strip.â
âOh, yeah. Yeah, cool.â He looked visibly relieved and Shepard suppressed a grin. She never thought someoneâs awkward rambling could be so endearing. How he slipped so easily between nervous energy and smooth delivery was frankly impressive.
They walked, exchanging easy repartee about their respective training. Once they approached Shepardâs hotel, Garrus noted, âSo how long are you staying here?â
âJust for a week. Iâm hoping I can find a more long-term situation before I have to extend my stay. The Alliance is more than happy to pay for my room and board here but Iâd prefer to bunk at my own place somewhere quieter.â
They never did delve deeply into Shepardâs situation and she hoped that they wouldnât end such a good night with that can of worms. Thankfully, Garrus didnât poke, and once again, she marveled at how his bluntness operated along such quiet understanding.
Instead, he cleared his throat and offered, âYou know, Iâm not much of a real estate guy but I can connect you with a couple of contacts who could help you find a place quickly.â
âThatâd be helpful, Garrus. Thank you. Iâll take you up on that.â
âYeah. I mean, if you, you know, also needed some help with moving or anything, I can do that, too. Or if you needed someone to show you around. I know these sectors like the back of my arm.â
âHand.â
âWhat?â
âLike the back of my hand.â
âWhat about your hand?â
âGarrus.â
âIâm kidding.â He shifted his heels, a tell-tale sign Shepard was quickly learning was a nervous fidget of his. âSo, what do you think?â
She didnât know why she was suddenly remembering her last video call with Anderson days after a psychological diagnostician deemed her mentally unsound and the Alliance had promptly put her on forced leave. But the memory came back to her in a flash.
âThis is ridiculous. Do they really think pulling me out of duty is whatâs good for my âmental stabilityâ? Whatâre our chances of getting a second opinion on this thing?â
âOur hands are tied, Shepard. It might be a choice neither of us would have made but itâs the choice that weâve been given.â
âAre you serious? Do you believe what they're saying about me, Captain?â
âI believe you will do whatâs necessary to get back on the job. Even if that means not doing the job.â
Shepard was silent, feeling resentful and hopeless that her last ally had conceded to the higher-upâs whims. âWell, what the hell am I supposed to do here then? Frolic in the park and people watch? Youâve got to be kidding me.â
For the first time, Andersonâs formalities had fallen away as a slight smile upturned his lips. âShepard, if you have to ask me how to have fun, I donât think thereâs any hope for you. Find some friends. Go out. Get some sleep and attend your wellness check-ups so they can finally clear you. Then, get back to me.â
She looked up at Garrusâs waiting face, realizing that she had been leaving him to stew in silence for longer than what was appropriate.
âGarrus,â she said slowly, gravely, deliberately. âAre you propositioning me?â
She wished she had her camera out to capture the pure universal expression of shock that overtook his entire body. He made a sound that was more of a squawk than anything else.
âWhat? No! I donât think of you that way! No offense, but youâre not my type. Plus, you know my situation. Er, emotionally-speaking. I was just asking if you wanted to hang out as friends because we had such a good run tonight and ohâwait, youâre kidding. Thatâs your kidding face.â
She burst into laughter. âYou are so earnest. How do you get anything done as an officer? Also what was with that chicken sound?â
âHa, ha, laugh it up. Iâm retracting my offer.â He made to walk away but she stopped him in between fits of her amusement.
âOk, ok, Iâm sorry. I would love to hang out as friends. I had a lot of fun tonight, too.â
Garrus eyed her, presumably to see if she was up to any more tomfoolery before he matched her mood and took out his omni-tool interface. She didnât think turians eye rolled but he definitely did. âContact me at this number. We can start the search tomorrow after my shift if youâre free then.â
âSounds good, friend.â
âNah, youâre on probation now,â he said haughtily. âGive me a week and weâll see about being friends.â
âAll right, thatâs fair. Iâll see you on our date tomorrow.â
âShepard.â
âKidding.â
He rolled his eyes again before he left but she could see that he was pleased.
He really did have the bluest eyes sheâd ever seen.
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painted this album cover for my six hour shakarian spotify playlist that i spent way too long ordering according to the events of the games anyway please listen and justify my work