Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

“Vakarian!”

Blinking at the unfocused haze of light in front of me, I shook myself further awake and glanced up to find my boss, Executor Pallin, standing above me, a scowl on the man’s face. Granted, there was rarely a moment that the Turian wasn’t scowling about something.

“Forget something, Vakarian?”

Joints cracking as I shifted in my chair, I returned the man’s frown. “I’m sorry, sir?” It was rare to see the Executor among our ranks unless something big were happening. A wave of dread washed over me as I slowly realized that if he was here, there was a big chance I was forgetting something important… Something important enough that the highest-ranking official of C-sec came out of his office to witness.

Pallin huffed, a sound that made him seem more human than turian. “Nihlus, the Spectre? Ring any bells?”

Oh, shit. Immediately, I jumped up from my chair, the metallic screech from its legs scraping on the floor causing everyone within reach to wince. “I’ll be there right away,” I assured Pallin, giving him a turian salute, closed fist crossed over my chest, before retreating. Shit.

For weeks, talk around the Citadel revolved around Spectre Nihlus’s sudden engagement to a human woman. Inter-species relations were fragile at best, hostile at worst, so the seemingly random engagement signaled that either the Turian Hierarchy were desperate for something the Alliance Military could give them, or they owed one another something. It was common for Turians to marry Asari, but that was about as far as inter-species relations had come. Krogan tended to stick to Krogan, Salarian’s didn’t have much in the way of marriage or sexual ties, and the humans were too new to the galaxy for any real statistics surrounding marriage and mating to be credible.

Granted, from what I’d seen of humans on the Citadel, I knew them to be a wild bunch ready to mate with just about anything that moved.

Weaving through the afternoon crowd, I moved as quickly as I dared towards the embassy. Since I’d missed Spectre Nihlus’s shuttle landing, I knew they had to already be in the turian counselor's office. Crap. Working in C-Sec was really dampening my spirits if I couldn’t remember an assignment as big as this one.

I walked up to Ambassador Sparatus’s office, but the door was locked. Voices echoed down the hall from the human Ambassador’s office, raised loud enough for the guards to be giving each other the side eye. They nodded at me, checked my Omni-tool ID, and allowed me immediate entry into Udina’s office. Inside, the human ambassador stood next to a human female, the Council’s hologram projections filling the air in front of them. I remained in the back so not to disturb them, and the meeting continued seamlessly as the Turian Councilor, Sparatus, continued speaking. The woman by Udina’s side, however, turned to glance at me over her shoulder.

Her eyes sparkled like diamonds, a blue tint to them so subtle that I almost missed it. A shiver ran down my spine as our eyes met. Her lips parted, one of those foreign human gestures I was unfamiliar with, and she froze just as quickly as I did.

Okay. That was strange.

Udina cleared his throat and she turned back around, releasing me from her spell. I clenched and unclenched my fists to ensure I had control over my body, taking deep breaths. After a few seconds, my attention returned to the conversation at hand.

“Spectre Nihlus won’t be arriving today, as you know,” Turian Councilor Sparatus said. “And due to recent tensions on the Citadel, you can’t travel alone. It’s not safe for humans right now.” The woman’s hand fell to her hip in an aggressive posture that didn’t go unnoticed. “You disapprove, Commander?”

“I can handle myself,” the woman replied, her disapproval even clearer in her tone. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Not a babysitter,” the Asari Councilor chimed in, “just a companion—”

“A bodyguard,” Udina stated plainly. “And a guide for the station. Just in case things go awry. I agree, you don’t need one, but it’ll look bad if you have to fight off any aliens during your stay here. Remember, our goal is to keep the peace, not make things worse.” He drew a breath. “It’ll also help show support if you’re being nice with Turians in public.”

I already knew that I was going to be her escort, so none of this bothered me. It gave me a chance to get out of my desk if nothing else. But the woman - Commander Shepard - still seemed defiant, and that ticked my nerves up a hair. Was she xenophobic? Did they really choose someone like that to merge our two species?

Shepard shook her head but agreed anyway. “This better be worth it, Councilors. I know what’s at stake, and I’m sacrificing my freedoms to fix the mess our ancestors made. I’d hate to go through with this for it to amount to nothing.”

“We’re certain it will help, Shepard,” Sparatus said. “The Primarch wouldn’t agree to the union if he wasn’t sure as well. Have faith. Nihlus will arrive tomorrow, so you’ll begin wedding preparations then. We’ve already got news teams on standby, so all you have to do is make nice and prove to people that humans can work together with aliens. That they can marry one another, peacefully.”

“Funny how no one expects me to fall in love.”

“Love isn’t necessary for marriage. Don’t let human idealism stop you now, Shepard.” Udina nodded to the Council before they clicked off, leaving me alone with the two humans in the room. This time when Shepard turned around, nothing weird happened. Thank the Spirits.

She still had a sour look on her face, though, and Udina’s eyebrows pinched together in annoyance. They must not get along well even on the best days. “Commander, this is Garrus Vakarian, one of C-Sec’s prime investigators. He’s going to be your guide while on the Citadel. When you and Nihlus aren’t together, Vakarian will be with you. Like we said before, people are at each other’s throats around here. It’s important that you uphold virtue and grace…” His eyes hardened as he trained them on Shepard. “Are you listening?”

Shepard was staring at me intently, her shoulders tense. I’d avoided her eyes by staring at the harsh pink of her hair, but as soon as my gaze shifted to her face, she broke hers away to look at Udina. “Yes, I understand. Play nice. You’re gonna give yourself an ulcer if you keep stressing, Udina. I’m fine.”

He didn’t look convinced but didn’t say anything. Sighing, he ushered us both towards the door. “Find something public to do while you’re here, hm? Make humanity proud.”

Despite Shepard’s cold attitude towards me, once the cameras trained on her, she was a natural. Smiling, laughing softly when prompted, talking about her upcoming marriage as though it was her idea, not the Alliance’s. Even though I knew she was faking at least part of that enthusiasm, I couldn’t help but want to believe her. It was clear that the reporter, a human, had high hopes as well.

“So where is the lucky man? Is this him?” The reporter gestured towards me and the camera turned unexpectedly, blinding me with its bright light. “Why didn’t you tell us he was here with you!”

Shepard flinched but the cameraman and reporter had already turned, so they didn’t see it. I did. “Wrong guy,” I told them, gesturing back towards Shepard. “I’m just a chaperone.” The reporter was quick to return to Shepard, but I saw the confusion on the cameraman’s face. Yeah, me too, buddy.

The interview lasted a few more minutes before Shepard expertly dismissed them, saying something about needing to meet with a wedding planner. This got the reporter all excited but Shepard shook her hands and slipped away easily enough. As soon as Shepard began walking towards me, I saw her take deep breaths. “Think that was public enough for Udina?”

It was the first time she’d said anything to me directly, and I tried not to sound surprised as I answered. “Nothing is ever enough for Udina, I hear.”

She laughed, although I wasn’t sure why. But the sound somehow lightened my mood, and I found myself smiling. “What else do you really need to do today? It’s going to get dark soon, so we’ll need to head back to the hotel before long.”

We were already getting dirty looks from nearby civilians, and Shepard surprised me again by smiling at them instead of flipping them off. As soon as they walked away, disgusted looks on their faces, she sighed, her smile fading instantly. “I didn’t realize how bad it was here. I know on ships, people feel free to speak their minds… no matter how disrespectful the thought. But here, in the open? People should be ashamed of themselves.” Her scowl puzzled me.

I raised an eyebrow plate, mimicking a human gesture I’d learned for suspicion.

“What?”

I was sure that she’d hated me from the moment she saw me, or at least disliked the turian species. No introduction, a stiffening of her posture, and a clear distaste towards having me around. “So you’re not xenophobic?” I asked plainly. “Because you had me fooled.”

We’d been standing still for too long, I knew, and gathering eyes on us. Shepard used that as means to avoid the question. “C’mon, let’s get off the street.” She led me down the thoroughfare confidently, her steps sure, her destination unknown. We walked for fifteen minutes before I took the lead and veered us towards her hotel. It was in one of the busiest parts of the Citadel, no doubt strategically chosen so that she and Nihlus could be seen leaving together every day and returning together every night. Directly in front of it in the open courtyard across the street, a fairground lit up the sky. Another attempt for alien solidarity by the Council.

Foods native to most alien species filled the vendor stalls, popular carnival games lined the makeshift paths, and various rides meant for entertainment covered the remaining spaces. A slow shuttle crawled through the sky overhead, taking passengers from one end of the Citadel to the next in a tour of the lights and the stars in an attempt to be romantic.

“Wait,” Shepard said, grabbing my arm.

Her touch sent a painful jolt down my arm, and I pulled away instantly, rubbing the spot where she’d made contact. “Jeez, watch the biotics, will you?” I glanced up to find her staring at her open palm, her brows furrowed. “Guess your distaste towards me manifested itself,” I scoffed.

Immediately, she bristled and closed the distance between us, no longer playing the nice political figure as she jabbed a finger into my carapace. Part of me hoped she’d bruise herself on it. “Stop that,” she hissed, her eyes narrowing. “I don’t hate you, so stop trying to make me.” She drew a breath and ran a hand through her hair, pulling loose pink tendrils away from her face. “You just took me by surprise is all. Forget it,” she dismissed quickly, a trace of pink dusting her cheeks as she turned away from me.

Seconds ticked by as I stared at her backside, not sure what had just happened. I ran a hand over my face, tracing my thumb down my mandible, and sighed. Humans were weird. An unwelcome pang of regret filled my chest and I knew I needed to apologize for what I’d said. But she hadn’t apologized to me for her behavior, either, so my obstinacy won out. I wouldn’t be apologizing today.

“Think you can beat me, Vakarian?” Shepard asked suddenly, breaking the silence. She gestured towards one of the game stalls closest to us. “If you’re not too chicken to try.”

Garrus Vakarian made me nervous. And that fact alone was enough to set me on edge.

People never rattled me, not really. I’d seen a lot in my lifetime to understand how people worked, and it was rare that someone threw me off guard. But something about the turian set my teeth on edge. I recognized it the moment I laid eyes on him in Udina’s office.

Something was different about him. Something I couldn’t put into words.

I didn’t want to figure out what it was. Not speaking to him made it easier to ignore him, ignore the way my nerves lit up around him, but that only backfired. Now, he thought I hated him, hated turians. Great.

“Ready to get your ass kicked?” I taunted him, sitting on a stool at some child’s version of a shooting game. Fake rifles were set up in a row, with moving targets blinking and shifting behind them at various intervals. I’d never been to the fair on Earth, so I wasn’t sure if this was a human game or not, but Garrus stepped up beside me and picked up one of the guns. It looked tiny in his oversized hands. Definitely a human game. When he pulled the trigger, a laser pointer hit the counter. I heard him mutter cute before transferring credits from his Omni-tool.

I transferred my own credits before picking up my gun. A timer appeared over our heads, and as soon as it counted down to zero, we began rapid firing our guns. There was no need to reload like in a real gun, so we fought for our targets. Once either of us scored a point, the target would go dark for a few seconds before relighting and re-entering the game. Garrus was faster than me and hit all of the back row targets one after another, leaving me to clean up those in the front. More than once, our lasers crossed and neither of us got points.

The timer buzzed and our points appeared in its place. I’d lost by five.

“What was that about kicking my ass?” Garrus murmured, a smirk on his face as he set his gun down.

My heart rate was already up from the friendly competition, but one glance at Garrus made it spike. He was looking down at me, the smirk in place a clear challenge. He had a visor over one eye that was probably reading off my stats to him. He’d be able to tell that I was flustered. The bastard. “Again,” I demanded, already transferring more credits to the game. I took a breath to steady myself, letting my military training take over. This was just like any other mission. Take it easy.

The timer buzzed and I could tell he was still moving faster than me, impossibly fast. Every move he made was efficient, no effort wasted, and he hit his targets with complete precision. He didn’t miss a single one. I stood and placed my knee on the stool to get a better vantage point. The man was at least a foot and a half taller than me, no doubt giving him an advantage. I was in equal parts impressed and agitated, the solution to my problem clear as day once he knocked down the last remaining target.

We still had fifteen seconds left on the clock and a few until the targets reset; as they finally began relighting, I stepped off of my perch and rammed into Garrus’s side, using my shoulder for leverage. I kept my gun level to the playing field and continued firing off shots while he had to fight me off. “Hey!” he cried, grunting loudly. “The hell, Shepard!” He maneuvered around my body to shoot despite my interference, and even though he snagged a few more points, I had taken advantage to cross the gap between our scores.

The flashing lights overhead confirmed that I was the winner… by one point.

“Aha!” I cried, raising my gun in the air in triumph. “Take that, Vakarian!”

He wasn’t speaking, but I could feel him chuckle behind me, the vibration in his chest sending sudden heat down my spine. One of his hands ghosted my lower back as he leaned around me to set his gun back in its holder. I hadn’t realized that I’d rubbed my body against his for the entire fifteen final seconds on the clock. I hadn’t realized that I stayed pressed against him once it was over. My muscles tried to tense, but the heat radiating off of him made that impossible. Instead, I melted, my shoulder meeting his carapace as I leaned back into him. We weren’t flush against one another, I wasn’t completely lost in the sensation, so I regained my footing and my head as he stepped back.

“If that’s how the great Commander Shepard wins battles, it’s no wonder you’re undefeated.”

I set my gun down as steadily as I could, wincing when it rattled against the holder. Changing the subject, I steeled my expression and turned to face him. He wore an expression I couldn’t read. “Where’d you learn to shoot like that?” Changing the subject was definitely the safest course of action.

He shrugged a shoulder, looking back towards the targets. “I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve, is all. As do you, apparently.”

His smirk was back, and I quickly squashed the fluttering sensation in my stomach. “C’mon, let’s find something you’re not good at.”

“Impossible,” he said loudly, following me away from the game stall nonetheless. “You won’t beat me twice.”

“We’ll see about that, Vakarian.”

As we checked out a game where you throw darts and pop balloons for prizes, someone grabbed my shoulder. I’d been so focused on beating Garrus that I didn’t notice - stupidly - but before I could turn around, Garrus had already grabbed the person’s arm and forced their hand off of me.

“Hey!” The human man cried, puffing out his chest towards Garrus and trying to wrench his arm free. “Is this guy bothering you?”

The sight of the man, older, balding, probably thinking he was saving me, glaring up at the seven foot tall turian who kept his expression even… made me laugh. Garrus’s face shifted to confusion, his mandibles clicking softly, as he looked between me and the man. I shouldn’t have laughed. I should have confronted the man myself. But the guy looked equal parts offended as he looked scared, trying and failing to pull his arm free. “Let him go, Vakarian,” I wheezed, grateful the turian obeyed without question.

The man rubbed his arm and stepped into Garrus’s space again, bumping against his chest. Garrus didn’t back down, but he was watching me instead of the man, probably waiting to see how I wanted to handle the situation.

I took a quick breath and walked over to the man, now placing my hand on his shoulder. “Calm down, will you? You’re gonna hurt yourself.” I tugged him away from Garrus and stood him directly in front of me, planting both of my palms on his shoulders now. The man scoffed, but I ignored him. “I’m fine. But you won’t be if you don’t leave right now.”

Eyes flickering to Garrus, the guy tensed beneath my hands, clearly expecting Garrus to beat him up. Xenophobic asshole. I squeezed his shoulders so he’d look at me again, his face falling as our eyes met. “Not from him, from me. Yeah, you made a mistake. Get out of here before I show you how I really feel.” I shoved him away from me, ensuring all my disgust at his actions were laid bare on my face.

He shrank away from me, his eyes still moving between me and Garrus, before he quickly walked away, muttering obscenities under his breath. This time, they were aimed at both me and Garrus.

“What happened to playing nice?” Garrus asked, crossing his arms over his chest. The amusement in his eyes was hard to miss.

I clicked my tongue and exhaled slowly. “Some guys don’t deserve it.” I turned back to the balloon stand and picked up my five darts. Weighing them in my hand, I picked up the other set of five and eyed Garrus sideways. “Wanna make this more interesting? Let’s see who can pop the last balloon on the board.”

His eager smile made my heart skip, my nerves around him lessening by the second.

Something strange was definitely happening. And I wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not.

After I beat Shepard at every single game stall the fair had to offer, we came to the only attraction she’d expressed interest in: the tourist shuttle. I didn’t see the appeal to the thing; all it did was give you a slow, panoramic view of the Citadel. The city was filled with crime and drugs and back-alley deals. Why anyone wanted to see that from up above was beyond me.

But Shepard was excited, trying and failing to hide just how thrilled she was. She’d tossed the idea around an hour ago, just offering it up as an option for ending the night. We still had games to play, so she let it go quickly. Once we got down to the final three game stalls, however, she kept looking up at it, wondering aloud how long it would take to go from one end of the Citadel to the other.

Then, once I’d won our final match, we ended up in line for the shuttle. Some people were polite enough not to stare, but most of them weren’t. Shepard was too enthralled by the oncoming shuttle to notice - or care - but I glared at everyone who looked our way.

Shepard was told to be nice, but I had been given no such order.

Finally, our turn for the shuttle came. The attendant looked hesitant to let us on together, but Shepard stepped inside before he could voice his thoughts. I nodded towards him as I passed, avoiding the urge to smile and make him more uncomfortable. He wasn’t human or turian, but he managed to act just like I’d expect of one.

The shuttle was differently shaped than those we used for transport; this one was oblong, supposedly to give someone a large window to peer through on either side. Shepard took up the far wall in its entirety, so I sat in one of the curved edges, stretching out to get comfortable. These pods weren’t made for my height in mind, but I made it work as best I could and threw my arms over the back of the bench seating. My legs took up a little more than half the floor space, but Shepard dodged them easily as she went back and forth from each side of the shuttle, her little gasps and exclamations making her seem more child than soldier.

Only when I chuckled did she turn to me, the faintest color on her cheeks. I’d seen her do that a few times throughout the night, and my scanner told me that her temperature had risen, her heartbeat too, and I recognized it as embarrassment. I’d never seen a human get embarrassed before, so this was new.

And it didn’t make any sense.

She settled down quickly, drawing her legs up beneath her as she leaned against the seat edge to gaze out the window. From our vantage point, we could see not only the blinking lights from the fair, but the multicolored array of the Citadel’s largest thoroughfare below. Bars, fancy restaurants, a popular arcade, and even the most luxurious apartment buildings all blinked up at us. On the other end of the shuttle, the Citadel’s arms dominated, slivers of starlight visible between them. I’d expected Shepard to go for the stars, but she seemed content staring at the Citadel’s streets instead.

As though she could read my mind, she began explaining. “On missions, we stick to colonies mostly. They’re not as developed as the Citadel.” The blue and green lights from outside colored her face, making her diamond eyes shine bright. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think they were made of starlight. She continued, “I don’t get to see city lights that often anymore, especially at night. It’s nostalgic, in a way.”

Earlier that night, she’d braided her hair to keep it out of her way, blaming it on her loss at that balloon game. It remained as vibrant as some of the lights, its natural pink heightened by the blue shadows falling over her, turning the ends of her hair an almost lavender color.

I’d never seen a creature quite as captivating as she looked in that moment. My breath caught in my throat and tingles shot down my arms and legs, unwelcome and unbidden. I’d had crushes before - this wasn’t one of those. I didn’t know her well enough. I wouldn’t even know how to tell if I found her species attractive. But I’d never had anyone, turian or otherwise, take my break away like she could.

Spirits, who was this woman?

She glanced my way, almost shyly, and her lips parted in the same way they had in Udina’s office. My visor registered an uptick in her heartbeat again, but from the pounding of my own, I’d been convinced it was mine. I cleared my throat and looked past her to the myriad of colors passing by, hoping the dim lighting could hide my expression. I wasn’t sure how well I was keeping myself in check.

She was engaged, for Spirits’ sake.

“So what do you do here at the Citadel?” She was looking out the window again, but I caught her eyes staring at me through the glass’s reflection.

“Besides tour guides?” I teased, a surge of happiness rushing through me at Shepard’s smile. Damn, this was not good. I cleared my throat. “I work for C-Sec, with investigations. When I’m not chained to my desk, I’m trying to track down the Blue Suns. They set up shop here a few months ago, and the number of drug incidents has been on the rise since. Only an idiot would dismiss that as coincidence.”

Shepard hummed softly as our shuttle began its descent to the ground. “You’re in the drug division? Or gang-only? Violence?”

“All of the above?”

She smiled again, but this time it didn’t reach her eyes. When she moved from her perch by the window, she had sobered up completely, the light from the city already fading from her eyes. “Need any help? I’m not quite ready to call it a night.”

Garrus led me to his cubicle in C-Sec, acknowledging everyone who approached him. He had to introduce me a few times, but the office was mostly empty at this hour of night. He assured me that most officers were on foot patrol and other than small talk, we wouldn’t be interrupted. “Pallin doesn’t really care what we do as long as we get our jobs done,” he told me, clicking buttons on his terminal to open whatever he was looking for. “Most people say it’s a turian thing, but I think he just wants results any way he can get them. Comes with the job title.”

He pushed his rolling chair to the side so that I could get a better look at the terminal screen. Nodding towards it, he continued. “See that guy? Name’s Moroe. Small time dealer. He’s got a new drug on the street that’s causing more permanent damage than what he used to sell.”

As I leaned closer to the console, I felt Garrus’s breath on my neck as he exhaled. Since he was sitting and I had leaned down, our heights were more evenly matched. “Why isn’t he off the streets if you have a name and face?” I asked.

Garrus’s talons clicked together in his lap. “Every time we catch him, he doesn't have any product. We think he stashes it before we approach, which means he’s got eyes on us to warn him we’re coming. We’ve done perimeter searches, but nothing comes up.”

“Have you tried interrogating the little bastard?”

A dry laugh. “Harming civilians is pretty heavily frowned upon, Commander. I thought you’d have learned that from your time with the Alliance.”

“Yeah, well, your boss wants results, right?” I heard Garrus inhale sharply and couldn’t keep the smallest of smiles off my lips. “Why don’t we pay Moroe a visit?”

I stood and stretched my arms behind my back, satisfied to hear my joints pop. “Playing games was fun, sure, but don’t ya want some real action?” I stepped away from Garrus’s desk to find his hand covering his mouth. “What?”

He shook his head and grunted once before standing as well. “I don’t think,” he said slowly, looking everywhere except at me, “that you’re supposed to be making trouble during your stay.”

Frowning, I crossed my arms over my chest. “Then why bring me here?”

“I thought you just wanted a mind game, a puzzle to riddle over, not an actual case.”

I pursed my lips. I didn’t want to tell him that I was uncomfortable going back to the hotel - the place Nihlus and I were supposed to share - yet. It made everything too real, the wedding and the demands, the show I was supposed to put up. Running on the ground felt more normal. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to sleep tonight, honestly. I’d never met Nihlus, and he was arriving tomorrow. My future husband. For the sake of the galaxy, I reminded myself.

“Do you want help on this case or not?” I asked, my bitterness at my situation creeping out in my tone of voice. Drawing a breath, I swallowed the rest of it as best I could. “If I approach Moroe, he might not notice me as a cop. I’m new here, remember? I can inquire about some goods, maybe get you guys a sample, and we can take him down together. Easy. You’ll just have to stay back a bit so they don’t see you.”

I could tell that Garrus didn’t like the idea by the way he didn’t move. But something must have won out in the end because he nodded slowly. “You’ll try this on your own without me, won’t you? Sneak out in the middle of the night when I’m not looking?”

Damn, how did he know?

Nodding, I uncrossed my arms. “I told you, I’m not ready to call it a night. But do this with me, and I promise I’ll go to the hotel and stay put.”

“The streets are dangerous at night for a human traveling alone. If I’m not with you, you’ll become a target.”

A smile broke on my face as I tried to stifle a laugh. “Are you forgetting who I am, Vakarian? I can handle it, I promise. Just get me a gun. Mine’s still being checked in. But that’s somewhere here, isn’t it?” I realized, smacking my fist in my palm. “You know, you could—”

“You’re not getting your gun outside protocol, Shepard,” he drawled, shaking his head, his mandibles clicking softly. But he did tell me to follow him to a weapons locker. He let me choose which gun I wanted from a range of C-Sec official pistols, and I quickly chose my piece and hid it under my shirt.

“All set! Let’s go!”

“You’re too eager for this,” Garrus sighed, leading me out of the office. We waved goodbye to a few other officers and within a few minutes, he’d shown me a rough map of the area, including where to find Moroe. “Remember how it’s not safe for humans alone at night?” he asked, eyeing me seriously. “Aliens aren’t kind to anyone they perceive as weak, especially humans, especially in this area of town. If anything feels off, you tell me and I’ll come get you.” Tapping his Omni-tool, he connected it to mine for seamless communication. “I’ll be listening the entire time. If I tell you that something’s not right, I need you to listen to me. I know these streets. Okay?”

He was being oddly protective, perhaps because I was scheduled to marry a Spectre in two short weeks. A fuck up here could mean he’s out of a job. I nodded, hoping it would make him feel better. “I got this, Vakarian. I promise. Chill out.”

After he checked my gun and we tested our Omni-connection, he nodded for me to continue. “Don’t kill him.”

“I’ll do my best, Officer.” I winked at him before turning and walking down the street. Even though I’d looked at a map, Garrus made sure to tell me when to turn a corner and weave towards the correct alleyway where Moroe had set up shop.

“He’s not always in this spot, so if you don’t see him—”

“He’s here, shut up,” I hissed, getting closer to our target. I approached calmly, careful not to spook the Salarian. He was fidgety and kept looking around, like he was expecting trouble. When I stopped next to him, he nearly jumped out of his skin.

Was he high, too?

“Got a smoke?” I asked, keeping eye contact. His pupils were blown and I tried not to remember what that felt like.

“Fifty,” he murmured, unable to hold my gaze. “Hurry it up, I’m expecting someone else.”

Oh? I tapped my tool to transfer him the credits, and he pulled a small bag from his pocket, shoving it into my waiting palm. “Got a date?” I asked, stalling.

“Shepard, he’s gonna run,” Garrus warned, a growl in his voice that made me shiver. “Knock him down already.”

I didn’t want to act too quickly since if Moroe was waiting on someone, it could have been a supplier or a mule or one of his associates. Getting another visual could help the investigation.

But my hesitation made Moroe even more squirrelly; he clicked his tongue and started walking away at speeds definitely above human capabilities. I broke into a jog, Moroe catching on immediately and double-timing it.

“Shit, Shepard,” I heard Garrus huff, likely running now as well. “I’m gonna come around the corner—”

A figure stepped out from the shadows and into my path. I sidestepped easily, but they reached out and grabbed my arm tightly, shoving my back against the brick wall. Ahead of us, I spotted Moroe disappearing behind a corner. Shit.

“Looks like a little human got lost on her way home.”

“Shepard, who’s that?” Garrus’s growl was back, deeper, and I clenched my jaw to keep my focus on the guy in front of me instead of the one in my ear. “Stay put, I’m coming.”

Turning towards my captor, I smiled sweetly up at him. He was turian, same as Garrus, but without any clan markings on his face. He wore a set of medium armor by the looks of it, black in color so that he could blend into the shadows. His eyes were narrowed, unkind, and his grip on my arm tightened the longer I smiled. I knew I’d undress to find a bruise there later. Telling the guy that I was lost meant he’d attack for sure or try to kidnap me, telling him I wasn’t lost and trying to leave would be a challenge he’d likely accept with a punch to my face, and doing nothing meant—

“Not gonna say anything, huh?” He pressed forward, pinning me to the wall with his body. “The quiet ones always make the most noise in the end.”

Ahh. He was a creep, of course.

“I bet you scream louder than me.”

The turian paused, likely surprised by what I said, giving me an opening to shove off the wall and push him off of me. He stumbled two short steps, allowing me room to pull out my gun and train it on his exposed face. That didn’t stop him from lunging at me.

A gunshot rang out and hit the guy in the side, right beneath his arm where his armor was thinner for added mobility. He continued towards me, but the pause in his step was enough for me to shoot his ankle, another weak point, and he buckled to the grimy concrete below.

“Dammit, Shepard,” Garrus barked, storming towards me, blue eyes flashing. He ignored the guy on the ground to pull me out of his reach. Garrus’s hand on my wrist was tight, not painful, but enough to let me know he was annoyed. “You can handle yourself, huh? Is that what you were doing pressed against the wall like that?”

I rolled my eyes and walked the two short steps towards the downed turian writhing around on the ground with his ankle in his hands. “Oh, shut up, will you?” Stomping on his face with as much force as I could muster, I happily knocked him unconscious. “I had it under control.”

Garrus exhaled heavily and called for backup to pick up our downed turian. “Once C-Sec gets here, you’re going right up to your room. If this guy’s running with the Suns, they’re gonna be pissed we took him. They’ll come after you.”

“Worried about me, Vakarian?” I asked, enjoying Garrus’s scowl more than I should have. “Lighten up, this guy might help your case.”

“You were supposed to go after Moroe.”

“Yeah, well, this guy got in the way. I had him, you know. I was fine.” I tossed Garrus the mystery bag of goods I purchased from Moroe and crossed my arms. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

Garrus caught the bag in midair but his eyes never left me. “You’re a piece of work. It’s no wonder Udina told you to play nice,” his voice grumbled lowly.

I couldn’t keep a smile off my face, laughter bubbling up easily. The C-Sec officers arrived and took our statements, the bag of drugs, and the unnamed turian we’d taken down. They let me keep the gun for my own safety. When it was finally over and the officers all parted ways, Garrus ran a hand down his face and took a deep breath. We stayed quiet as we crossed the streets towards the hotel, but I was grateful that Garrus had allowed me some fun. It was nice, all things considered.

We entered the hotel, grabbed my door code from the front desk, and took the elevator up to my floor. “Thank you,” I said finally, stopping outside my hotel room door. I glanced at Garrus to see that he’d calm down, but he still looked grumpy as hell. “For tonight. I had fun.” He didn’t say anything, so I scanned my Omni-tool to unlock the door and stepped inside. “Well, see you tomorrow?”

I tried to close the door behind me, but Garrus’s boot stopped me.

“You didn’t think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?”

Oh shit.

His smirk was back, doing funny things to my insides. “I’m with you at all times until Nihlus gets here, remember?” He pushed open the door and followed me inside, his eyes landing on me for a brief moment before he cleared his throat and looked away.

Things were definitely strange between us.