Chapter Text
He was listening to the sound of her breathing. Slow and even, soft puffs, each one a reminder that she was here and in his arms. His hand lay heavy on her side, but he couldn’t bring himself to move it. Spirits, this was too good to be true.
He had been awake for some time, content to lie still and wait for her. The morning light spilled across his apartment, catching on the edge of the round bed he had arranged for them. Wider than a standard turian cot, softened with more pillows and cushions than he would ever need, it finally looked like a proper nest—big enough to sprawl in, soft enough for his bondmate’s liking, a place where they could fall asleep in any position and wake the same way. Katie was curled neatly into him, her body pressed to his with instinctive trust, and Garrus felt an almost primal satisfaction at the feel of her. This was their nest. Their place.
Finally, she shifted, stretching with the tentative caution of someone who didn’t want to wake her partner. As if he’d been asleep.
“Morning.” He nuzzled her silky strands, subvocals thrumming with contentment. “You smell so good when you sleep.”
She gave a little sound, almost a mewl, before stretching more freely, still facing away from him.
The sheets rustled when he slipped his arm beneath the covers and pulled her closer.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Very well,” she murmured in a languid, dreamy voice. “How about you?”
He had been awake for a while already. Turians didn’t require as many hours of rest as humans, a fact he had realized back in the hospital when he would lie still for hours, careful not to disturb his bondmate as she slept. He’d spend that time listening to her heartbeat, catching the small human noises she made when she dreamed, feeling the way her body sought his heat as though it belonged there. He’d also read on his omni-tool, scrolling through various human forums and research data. There was still so much to sift through, so many fascinating things he had learned about his little human female waiting to be tried and tested. The thought alone made his plates shift with restless need.
“I waited for you to wake up,” he purred, talons tracing the delicate line of her waist, sending a shiver through her. “Humans really take their time with sleep, don’t they?”
“Unlike certain turians, who manage to sound smug the second they open their eyes.”
He chuckled.
“Some of us actually enjoy being unconscious for more than five hours,” Katie quipped with another absolutely maddening stretch that rubbed against him in all the right places.
Now that was definitely on purpose.
“While others,” Garrus growled, his voice thick with mounting want, “get slowly driven insane.”
She tilted her head slightly, feigning innocence, her tone a silky tease. “Oh, poor Spectre. Trapped in bed with a human who can’t stop curling into him. Must’ve been torture.”
“The worst kind. You toss, you sigh, you press that soft curves into me like you know exactly what you’re doing… and then you expect me to just lie here.” His voice dipped into a husky purr. “I’ve been more than patient with you.”
His hand slid over her stomach, lower still, and her breath hitched in that way he adored.
That’s right—two can play this game.
He leaned closer allowing his low rumbles to vibrate through her. “I think I deserve a prize for my restraint. Don’t you?”
Her scent changed for him, and her body gave in to his gentle but insistent touch. She wasn't at all resisting by the time he was turning her to face him.
“What do you have in mind?” she asked, matching his low tone, and bit on her lower lip when he drew even closer.
His mandibles twitched with anticipation. He knew exactly what he wanted.
“I want you to come into my mouth, Katie,” he answered simply, making her first gasp at the words, then flush with red immediately after.
“Garrus!”
The embarrassment on her face was adorable. And arrousing. His hand found the apex of her thighs. She made a sound, and Garrus rumbled even louder, breathing in the smell of his female’s need. He went for her neck, licking at the mark, his talon meanwhile brushing over her sensitive folds.
“Would you like that?” he asked in the sultriest turian voice.
“You really don’t have to do that…” she suddenly said, surprising him.
His brow plate rose in wonder, his throat trilled, “I thought you enjoyed it.”
“I did. It’s just…”
He studied her face. It was hard to read.
“You don’t have to do it…” she repeated.
His bondmate averted her face. He wouldn’t have that.
Garrus took her chin in his talons, and turned her face back to him, wondering why she was wavered, when he remembered the way her body enjoyed his tongue.
"Why can't I, Katie?"
“Do you like it?”
The question was odd.
“Of course I do.”
More red flushed her face as she said, “No, I mean aside from the fact that I like it?”
He gave her a puzzled look.
Why is she so surprised?
It was definitely one of those miscommunication things between their two species, he quickly decided. Something he needed resolved right now.
“You taste amazing, baby,” he said simply and truthfully.
“You mean that?”
“Hmm…” Garrus mused, “Let me guess, human males don’t do it for the taste?”
She scoffed, “No, they really don’t.”
“I see…” he drew softly.
That would explain her fluster. He studied her beautiful cheeks touched by red. He loved to see them like that. Turians could never change their facial color, nor could any other species. It was adorable and sexy, and he always wanted more of it, making her blush on purpose. But this time it was different. He didn’t want her to be embarrassed by the intimacy they shared. How could he make her see what she was to him? How she felt, how she tasted…
“I want to make you come with my tongue, Katie. Do you want that?” he asked looking into her eyes.
She hesitated for a second, then nodded shyly.
“You gonna have to use your words, baby,” he purred.
More red on her cheeks. “I want that.”
“Want what?”
“I want you to make me come with your tongue,” she whispered.
That’s much better.
Garrus rumbled softly. He got on all fours, hovering over her. Then moved down, getting to the edge of the bed. He grabbed at her legs and yanked her playfully towards him eliciting that cute squealing sound. Then he climbed down, hitting the floor with his knees, and laying his torso on the mattress. He pulled her a bit closer, opened her legs and positioned himself right between her thighs. That sight. He had only enjoyed it twice before, but it was really something. Her pink paya flower was puffed and wet. He spread it carefully, minding his claws, as he appreciated it even more, now that he knew how to handle it.
There were a couple of things he wanted to try—challenging things, if you were to believe some males on human forums. You could never scare a turian with a challenge, if anything, you would only make him want it more. And he wanted it, to pleasure her in the way he now knew was possible, to find that one spot deep inside of her, to make her reel with sensation.
She was watching him intently, slightly nervous. Just like that very first time.
His talon brushed softly around the magical tiny bud, and it made her sigh.
“If I learned anything from before, it’s that it works better when you’re relaxed,” he said breaking the tension and making her chuckle.
Then he told her something else, remembering how distracting she was when she squeezed and pulled on his fringe in her frenzy, “I really need to focus now, baby. So if at some point you feel a need to grab at something, grab at my hands.”
She smiled at him and nodded. That eased her even more.
Without further ado, Garrus’s tongue darted straight into her core. Even though anticipated, the sensation caught her off guard and made her gasp. She squirmed and grabbed fistfuls of sheets. He moved his both hands to her waist, keeping her in place, as he already knew what would follow. The deeper he plunged the more her hips jerked attempting to escape him. His hands busy like that, his tongue had to do all of the work. It was long enough to swirl around her clit with its middle part, the tip lashing and lapping on her inner walls. She looked at him in shock as she felt all of it at once, her throat strained with a lingering moan.
Her hands were tearing at the asari silk as her hips started bucking violently. He had to apply more force to keep her pinned down and was hoping he wasn’t hurting her like that. If he was, she didn’t know it, because her sounds were the sounds of pure pleasure, unhinged and maddening.
Her taste was driving him insane, her scent made it hard to concentrate. He growled with need, his plates started shifting for her, but he ignored it for now.
Her moans were pleading. She grabbed at his hands desperately, almost begging him to let her go. He didn’t. His tongue was restless, merciless but methodical. It wasn’t moving aimlessly, it was probing, searching… Until it found it. A cluster of nerves along the front of her inner wall, barely noticeable, but there.
Her body arched off the bed in that impossible angle, her blunt nails dug into the softer plating on the back of his hands, and Garrus knew he was spot on. He saw her face flushed and delirious, eyes wide open, mouth gasping. He snarled viciously at the sight of her, rubbing his cock vehemently against the sheets.
With the tip of his tongue finally at the G-spot, he vibrated.
Katie cried out. The sound was unlike any other.
“Oh God! Garrus!”
He applied more pressure while simultaneously increasing the intensity of his purr.
“I can’t…!” she almost begged him. “Please, I… Oh God...”
Garrus didn’t even flinch.
He definitely would have before. Would probably even stop what he was doing, afraid that he had hurt her. Not anymore. He knew her human signs by now. Her pleas were not from pain. Her begging was not for him to stop. Her God was not the one she was praising at this moment.
Her climax was beautiful. She squeezed his tongue so tight, so desperate. But it didn’t stop him, and he kept lapping and lashing, prolonging her pleasure as much as possible, caressing, teasing, vibrating.
Spirits, her sensation was almost tangible in the air.
He worked his tongue inside of her until she couldn’t bare the overstimulation and pushed him away with her both hands. He pulled out, drowning in her delicious taste, and placed his finger on her gentle folds, stimulating her from the outside now. She was jerking and shaking, as he climbed over and laid down beside her, his hand still caressing.
“That’s it, baby,” he drew at her softly as he dipped his face into the crook of her neck. “Just like that.”
Her pleasure felt like forever, a never-ending series of aftershocks. Her meowing sounds soft and week now, but still audible. His hand never stopped until she stilled completely.
“Garrus…” she finally breathed out, opening her eyes.
He touched their brows, purring softly.
“It was…”
“I know,” he murmured, “I was right there with you.”
Her one hand went to his chest to feel the vibrations inside. Her other hand slipped lower, tracing the line of his stomach with her nails scratching at the open pelvic plates. Garrus growled when her many fingers found his still throbbing, almost painful erection. His muscles jumped at the contact, his purring intensified. She gave him a determined squeeze. Then another one. Then another one. She was pumping his ridges making them stand out more prominently, expanding and lubricating him.
Her hand was not enough, though. He moved to crouch over her once more. Hooked her thighs to his hip spurs, then scooped her off the bed in one swift motion, putting them upright. Her hands went around his neck for support, her legs entwined behind his narrow waist, squeezing his sides the way she knew he liked. He aligned himself with her entrance, brushing his tip against her folds, feeling her dripping wetness. That smell. It made him shudder.
“Please…” she whispered at him. And it was all he needed from his female.
***
She was tired, he could tell. Humans didn’t have turian stamina. Human females even less so. Garrus wanted more of her, but decided to wait. He was afraid he’d make her sore or worse, hurt her. So breakfast time it was; even though the Citadel day cycle had already reached its noon.
They spend some time lying in bed, scrolling on his omni-tool the list of places that were delivering both levo and dextro food. There were plenty to choose from—some even advertised human-recipe dishes. Ever since the peace treaty and news of humanity joining the Citadel, their cuisine had turned into something of a novelty, a new trend among the Wards. Katie was excited by that. He liked seeing her excitement. Garrus watched curiously what she was ordering. He didn’t know what sushi were, but they looked very unappetizing. Like all kinds of levo food. Processed, most of it, it upset his stomach just by looking. It was beyond him, how levo-amino based species could extract any nutrients out of their recycled meals.
On most turian colonies and outposts far away from Palaven, the difficulty of producing and shipping dextro-protein foods had turned plain nutrient paste into a fact of life. Even that, however, was nearly ninety percent organic, which made its storage and distribution a constant challenge—break the cold chain even once and the entire batch spoiled fast.
Predators by nature, turians still preferred their fish and meat raw whenever they could, be it at home or on the Citadel.
His bondmate wrinkled her forehead and uttered an ‘uck’ sound when Garrus told her that. It made him laugh.
They delivered fast. His ban’a meat and dextro cheese smelled delicious. He wasn’t too sure about the cava drink. It was a tricky one to prepare even on Palaven. Most places on the Citadel couldn’t get it right, and turians learned to survive on the station without their most beloved drink. Katie’s sushi turned out to be exactly what he expected—weird. They came with a pair of sticks. An old tradition back from Earth, she explained. He didn’t understand.
Garrus served them plates. And drew one stool to the kitchenette table.
His bondmate gave him a strange look, when he sat down. She didn’t say a word though, just took another stool from under the counter and placed it next to his. Garrus watched her closely as she sat down at the table on his right. Once again, he didn’t understand. Like he was ever going to allow it.
Humans, he thought and sighed.
He took her under her arms and pulled her gently to his lap, then settled her there sideways to the table for them to eat. She stared for a moment, then smiled and turned to her food. Whatever bothered her, came and went, so the turian decided not to ask.
“It looks… dead.” He winced at a small piece of rice with a slice of fish on top of it, examining it from all sides in his talons. He sniffed at it carefully. “Smells dead too.”
Katie laughed at him cheerfully.
“It’s just fish, Garrus.”
“Shouldn’t it be fresh? Are you sure it's properly cooked? Human dishes are new to the Citadel… What if they did it wrong?”
He remembered how he had seen her regurgitate her food that one time back on Lindor. It looked very painful.
She only rolled her eyes at his doubts, dismissing them the way humans did when they thought something was obvious. Before he could say anything else, she leaned forward and snatched the piece of food straight from his talons with her mouth.
Garrus froze. He watched her chew, noting little noises of approval and the pleased expression on her face. Was she just playful or did she mean it? His mandibles pressed tight against his jaw, his eyes sharpening, body going very still.
His bondmate noticed his reaction and looked at him in confusion, as if unsure whether she had crossed a line.
“What?” she asked alarmed.
He studied her face, then his empty talons, and finally asked her almost reverently, “Do humans accept nesting gifts as well?”
“Uhmm, what now?”
“It’s a turian way,” he explained in a slightly agitated tone. “Males present their female mates with gifts when they are nesting together… Food and other tangible comforts as tokens of their commitment.”
She finally understood. “Not exactly like that. We have similar traditions, though. Men gift flowers and… I don’t know… jewels.”
Garrus cocked his head to the side and trilled, her words sinking in. “Plants and rocks…” he drew dubiously.
She blinked at him. Then laughed.
“You make it sound weirder than it is. It’s a token of affection. And girls like shiny things.”
Was she joking? How very strange indeed. Why would human males do that? Why would human females accept it? That did not make any sense. He was giving her way more important things, wasn’t he? Ordering her food, sharing his apartment and his skycar. Everything he owned was now hers.
Does she want rocks? he wondered.
He picked up another piece between his talons and offered it to her with a low trill. She leaned in slowly, watching his face as she took it from him with her mouth. His mandibles twitched with excitement he couldn’t quite hide.
“It’s important to you, isn’t it?” she asked gently.
“Only if you want it,” he answered, but his voice betrayed his anxiety.
“From time to time,” his bondmate conceded. “Just don’t make it creepy,” she added with a playful smile.
“One more?” he asked almost holding his breath. Katie chuckled.
She took another piece from his hand.
“Good?” he asked as she was chewing.
She nodded readily and smiled again. “Very good actually.”
Garrus was radiating happy purrs. He didn’t even care his cava turned out to be complete and utter shit.
They continued eating, and he watched his bondmate going about her food. Similar to him, but still peculiar, in her alien way.
He made a mental note to do more research on those rocks she wanted. Turians didn’t care much for jewelry, but some species did. Apparently humans were among them. How quaint.
His thoughts were interrupted by the beeping sound of his omni-tool. Garrus glanced at it, his heart rate quickening. It was a news alert he had set previously. And the news had finally broken.
"What is it?" Katie asked, noticing all the telltale signs of a nervous turian.
"Something you need to see," he replied, though his inflection carried an unspoken addition 'Something you won't like.'
She raised her brow fur at him, but Garrus didn't say anything else. He linked their omni-tools and shared the news article.
Katie started reading, her eyes following the lines of the text as they scanned through. Her face grew paler with every new passage, her confusion and agitation mounting. Garrus watched her closely, taking in every human expression that came and went, escalating rapidly.
He didn't need to read all of it. The Primarch had given him the gist before they drew up the official statement. Garrus understood the logic behind it, having spent enough time on the sidelines to know how politics worked. It made perfect sense in the most insane of worlds, but not to Katie. Her face twisted in anger and pain as the color drained from it.
Legendary Spectre's Final Act Cements Human-Turian Alliance
CITADEL. In a shocking turn of events, the galaxy mourns the loss of its greatest hero while celebrating a pivotal moment in interspecies relations.
Spectre Saren Arterius, long hailed as the Citadel's finest, made the ultimate sacrifice, giving his life to thwart a sinister plot that threatened to unravel the fragile peace between humans and turians. Sources close to the Council reveal that the notorious Syndicate of Omega, in league with the Nova Legion mercenaries, orchestrated a daring scheme to sabotage the negotiations.
When their initial attempts to disrupt the talks failed, the desperate criminals resorted to a more personal attack. In a brazen move, they targeted none other than Kathreen Shepard, daughter of Admiral Shepard, a key figure in the human delegation...
Katie’s eyes snapped to Garrus.
“What is this?”
When he remained silent, she returned to the article.
...Enter the unlikely duo of Saren Arterius and Garrus Vakarian, a former decorated Hierarchy major, now a newly appointed Spectre of the Citadel Council. Vakarian, representing the turian delegation, joined forces with the legendary Spectre in a heart-pounding pursuit across the galaxy. Their mission? To rescue the ‘damsel in distress’—to put it in human terms—and salvage the peace process...
"Did you know about this?" Her voice was low, dangerous, trembling with barely contained emotion.
Garrus met her gaze steadily. "I did."
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she demanded.
"I knew how you'd react."
That was the wrong thing to say. Katie's eyes flashed, and she abruptly pushed herself off his lap.
"Garrus!"
She stormed across the room, eyes locked on her omni-tool, biotics flickering dangerously around her clenched fists.
...Tragically, their success came at a terrible cost. In a final, heroic stand against the kidnappers, Saren Arterius gave his life to ensure the safety of Ms. Shepard and the future of galactic peace.
According to the official statement of the Citadel Council, "Saren Arterius embodied the very best of what it means to be a Spectre. His actions have not only saved lives but have also paved the way for a new era. His sacrifice will not be forgotten...
Garrus stood as well.
"I know," he said softly, taking a cautious step toward her. "It was the only way for the Council to salvage their reputation and maintain the peace we've achieved."
Katie whirled on him, her eyes blazing. "Their reputation?" she spat. "To hell with their reputation! They're portraying him as a hero! Him..." Her voice cracked, the anger giving way to pain. "After what he did... after what he did to you... to us..."
Garrus moved to embrace her, wanting nothing more than to comfort, but Katie twisted away, her body language screaming don’t touch me. She paced back and forth with agitation.
"As the galaxy processes these momentous events, one thing is clear: the brave actions of Saren Arterius have ushered in a new chapter in human-turian relations…" she read from the article, her anger mounting. "What is this?"
"Katie..."
She ignored him.
“The Council has announced plans for a memorial service honoring Saren Arterius, to be held next week. Representatives from all Citadel races are expected to attend, paying tribute to the hero who gave everything for the greater good."
Garrus watched Katie with a mixture of concern and awe. The raw emotion radiating from her was palpable, her biotics flickering dangerously around her trembling form. It was a sight both beautiful and terrifying.
"A 'damsel in distress'?" she hissed, her eyes burning with an intense violet glow.
"Baby..." Garrus started, but his words trailed off as Katie's attention snapped back to the screen. Her eyes darted frantically across the display, headline after headline flashing past—each one more absurd than the last.
‘Spectre's Ultimate Sacrifice: How Saren Arterius Saved the Peace Talks’
‘From Battlefield to Diplomacy: Saren's Last Stand for Galactic Unity’
‘Arterius’s Final Mission: Unmasking the Syndicate’
‘A Spectre's Legacy: Saren Arterius and the Course of History Changed Forever”
"No! This is unacceptable!" she cried out. Her body was shaking violently now, and Garrus could see she was on the verge of collapse. He crossed the room in two long strides and enveloped her in his arms. She tried to resist at first, but he held her firmly.
"They can't do this." Her protests were getting weaker, the fight draining out of her. "He... he almost killed you." The pain in her voice was heart-wrenching.
Garrus gently stroked her hair, a gesture he had learned was a human way to comfort. Then pressed his brow plate to her forehead.
“How could the Primarch allow this? How could my dad—” she broke off. “He knew, didn’t he?”
Garrus held her tightly, feeling her heart racing against his chest.
"It's just PR, Katie," he said softly, trying to rationalize it even as he struggled with his own feelings about the situation. "It's how they do things. Always have and always will. We can never change it."
"But no one will ever know," she whispered, her voice so weak it was barely audible. The fire in her was gone now, replaced with a deep, aching sadness.
"We will," he reassured her, nuzzling the top of her head and purring soothingly.
After a moment, he sighed heavily and looked down at her.
“There’s more…”
***
“They paint us like we are some kind of Romeo and Juliet!” she was pacing once more, not that angry now, but still agitated.
Garrus watched her, his mandibles flicking in confusion.
"Who are they?" he asked, curious, tilting his head. "Some prominent human figures?"
Katie paused for a second, as if deciding whether or not to explain, then shook her head dismissively. “Something like that…”
The second article was different in content, its tone ansolutely nauseating.
Turian Heartthrob and Human Beauty: A Romance for the Ages?
Prepare yourselves, gossip lovers!
The Citadel is abuzz with the juiciest gossip since the juiciest gossip since Sha’ira the Consort was rumored to have entertained not one, but two Hanar ambassadors on the same night. It seems that love has blossomed in the most unexpected of places—right in the middle of human-turian peace talks!
Sources close to the negotiations have leaked details of a budding romance between none other than Spectre Garrus Vakarian (a heartbreaker and a total dreamboat, if you're into talons and mandibles) , the son of no other than Castis Vakarian, and the enchanting Kathreen Shepard, daughter of human military legend Admiral Shepard.
But how did this cross-species love affair ignite? Anonymous officials familiar with the matter paint a picture of stolen glances across conference tables, ‘accidental’ bumps in the elevator, and late-night ‘strategy sessions’ that stretched well into the station's night cycles.
Of course, not everyone is thrilled about this interspecies intrigue. Sources say there are quite a few highly disappointed females back on Palaven, heartbroken that the Hierarchy's most eligible bachelor may be off the market.
Just wait and see how this news skyrocket human interest in turian anatomy, with extranet searches for ‘turian erogenous zones’ and ‘how to kiss a turian’.
While the galaxy buzzes with excitement, the future of this interspecies relationship remains as unclear as the oceans of Sur'Kesh. Will the charming Miss Kathreen Shepard become Spectre Vakarian's official mate? For now, it's anyone's guess.
As we wait to see how this relationship unfolds, one thing is undeniable: it has already sparked a new wave of optimism for human-turian relations. Whether love will conquer all remains to be seen, but it's clear that this unexpected pairing has opened eyes—and hearts—across the galaxy.
Stay tuned, dear readers. This reporter has a feeling the Vakarian-Shepard saga is just getting started. And remember, you heard it here first!
Katie's eyes rolled dramatically.
"My god, who writes this crap?" she exclaimed with exasperation and disbelief.
Garrus chuckled, relieved to see her anger giving way to sardonic amusement.
"Some very 'talented' columnists, I'm sure."
"Well, at least they ended it on a positive note," she scoffed, shaking her head.
"That was the whole point of this 'heart-warming' piece."
Katie's frown deepened as she continued to scrutinize the article.
"It's a complete lie," she muttered, then read aloud, her tone dripping with sarcasm, "stolen glances across conference tables, ‘accidental’ bumps in the elevator, and late-night ‘strategy sessions’ that went on for hours...”
"It's better than the real story," he remarked, but regretted his words instantly when he saw Katie's expression change the second she thought of Lindor. Cursing himself silently, Garrus reached for her hand. She nodded, offering him a weak smile that didn't quite touch her eyes.
Trying to move past the painful moment, Garrus said, "The news about us would break out sooner or later, especially if we stay on the Citadel. The Council wants to at least control the narrative."
Katie squinted at him suspiciously.
"Sooo." Her tone was mockingly dramatic. "Apparently..." She glanced back at the article, reading aloud with exaggerated flair, “… sources say, there are quite a few highly disappointed females back on Palaven, heartbroken that the Hierarchy's most eligible bachelor may be off the market…”
Garrus’s neck flushed with heat and he rubbed at it, giving her a sheepish smile.
“No sure about the eligibility of the whole thing, but yes… you are a lucky ‘damsel’ indeed.”
He pulled his bondmate into his embrace.
“Don't know about that,” she drew, mischief in her eyes. “My father always warned me to stay away from the overly-confident and self-entitled types. It tends to go to their heads.”
"You forgot good-looking..." His purrs were getting low and enticing. "I don't know about that Juliet you mentioned before, but I doubt he was half as handsome as this turian over here."
She split with laughter, looking at his smug expression, unable to stop, “He certainly wasn’t.”