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Garrus stands in the little hallway of the captain's cabin, watching Shepard bent over her datapad. There's exhaustion in every line of her body. His walks up behind her, making certain his footfalls will be heard, and sets down a cup of hot coco, her favorite evening drink. "How does it look?"
"Mmmm..." She picks up the cup, letting it warm her fingers. "We've gathered every fleet in the galaxy from the quarians to the volus. We have the mercenaries of Omega working for us for free. I'm trying to track down a few last ships that went astray. They might have been destroyed, but it's something to do with my spare time."
"You should be sleeping in your spare time," he chides.
"It's not really spare time. That's just what I like to call it to keep myself moving," Shepard sips the drink and sighs.
"I could use some of your time, Shepard. Spare or not."
"For you, I will find some." She looks back at him over her shoulder and smiles.
Now that he's here, it feels like his tongue is tied in knots and she looks exhausted. He begins rubbing her shoulders before moving up to the back of her neck and her scalp.
"Ooooo" she purrs. "Secret turian scalp massage techniques: I'm spoiled."
"You know it," He's amused as she slowly relaxes every inch of her body. With another turian, such techniques would be meant to excite her into a bout of wild sex, but after some early disappointments, he's learned that while she enjoys it, this particular skill set is more likely to lead to her falling asleep. Though with their current pressures, having a trick to get her to sleep is worth every credit to his name.
"Shepard...?" he tries to find a way to phrase his worries. But that's not quite how he should say this even though it's driving him to choose now as the time.
"Yes?" she sounds a bit drowsy, but still alert.
"Shepard...?" he tries to find a way to say everything she means to him. But those words aren't short and simple and he's not certain they exist in either of their languages. He'll just end up babbling.
"Mmmm?"
Garrus reaches into his pocket and pulls out the neatly folded pieces of paper, and then strokes his hand down her arm as he sets it on the table for her to read. He rests his hands on her shoulders as she slowly reaches out to unfold the sheets, and watches for the reflection of her face in the glass case holding her model ship collection.
Her expression goes from sleepy to surprise in a moment, but he can't tell if it's a good surprise or a bad surprise. Her shoulders are tensed, but she hasn't pulled away from him. After a moment, she spins her chair around to look up at him, fully alert.
Garrus runs his tongue along his teeth, feeling nervous under her gaze, and finally says, "I don't want to lose you again." He looks down, feeling a bit ashamed for not being a good turian willing to sacrifice everything for the war as his planet burns and millions die every day.
Shepard reaches out and takes his hands. "I thought I already agreed to be a one-turian woman."
"Yes," he says hesitantly. "And that's all I need. I mean. Well. This is more for everyone else. We don't know what will happen in the coming battle. I don't want to be kept from your side by the Alliance if you're injured. I would fight to find you again, but ... it's a shorter battle if I have the right weapons."
"Packing the biggest gun you can find?"
"You know it."
"Then my answer hasn't changed. I love you, Garrus Vakarian. Of course I'll be your bondmate."
This time he knows the correct response is to kiss the girl. And even better, carry her off to bed.