Amongst the Pale Starlight: Garrus' Canon
Title: Amongst the Pale Starlight: Garrus' Canon
Rating: PG
Word Count: 935
Characters: Shepard and Garrus
Pairings: Previous Shepard/Kaidan, eventual Shepard/Garrus
Summary: Garrus makes time one night to talk to Shepard. Innuendos are accidentally made.
Garrus kept a close eye on the Commander for the next few days. Gradually, he started to see subtle differences. She laughed and smiled less than she use to and she was still friendly with the crew but seemed to keep most of them at arm’s length. He wasn’t sure if it was because they were Cerberus or if it was a change in her personality. When she thought no one was watching she often looked distant and perhaps a bit sad.
He also confirmed that she seemed to be around at all hours. He'd worked with enough humans to know most of them preferred at least 8 hours of sleep, often more if they could get it. He heard her in the mess before the main crew shift began and she was up well into the third shift, usually poking her head into the main battery more nights than not.
Garrus was sitting at the back of the mess area going over schematics. It was quiet, only the skeleton night crew was awake and he was alone. This was something he'd usually do in his small room but tonight he was waiting for the Commander. The elevator door whooshed open behind him and Shepard passed by, unaware of his presence, headed to the kitchen. She grabbed a mug and placed in under the coffee maker. She pushed a few buttons then leaned back against the counter and tilted her head back as far as it would go, stretching out her neck. Shepard closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and then let out a slow sigh. The machine beeped, she grabbed the mug and started back to the elevator. She'd almost passed Garrus when he finally spoke.
“Do you ever sleep, Commander?” Shepard jumped a little at the sound, spilling some of the hot liquid in the process. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”
“No, it’s fine." She brushed the wet spot on her shirt. "I just didn’t realize anyone was in here.” She looked around the empty room then sat down across from him at the table. “What did you ask me?”
“I asked if you ever sleep.”
“Doesn’t seem like it anymore,” she frowned.
“Are you having trouble sleeping?” He felt like this was going out a limb a bit. It seemed like a personal question somehow. Despite the things she's shared with him, it still didn't feel right to pry.
“No, at least, I don’t think so.” She took a sip of coffee. “I don’t know.” Garrus gave her a confused look.
“What I mean is I’ve been like this since…” Shepard hated saying 'brought back to life', she fumbled for something different, “since I woke up. Not today but…” she stopped talking and ran a hand through her hair.
“I know what you’re trying to say, Marie.”
“Yeah. Anyways, it seems like I only need about 4 hours of sleep now. I slept for 8 hours once; I think that was the first time though. What about you, why are you still up?”
“Turians don’t need as much sleep as humans. I usually just try to stay out of the way but I wanted the extra room to go over these.” He gestured at the papers on the table.
Shepard looked down at them, plans for the Thanix she guessed. “Do you do anything besides play with your canon?” When Garrus didn’t say anything she looked up. The turian was staring at her, his mandibles flicked once. “What?” Garrus didn’t move. Then it hit her. “Oh! Not what I meant.” Shepard could feel the heat creeping up her face.
Garrus’ face finally cracked and he began to laugh and Shepard soon joined in. After several attempts they were finally able to regain their composure.
“Oh God, Garrus, I’m so sorry.” She let out another sigh, this one contented though. “Man, I haven’t laughed like that in ages. But seriously, you should get out more, have some fun. You spend all of your time cooped up in the main battery.”
It was good to see her laugh like that. It was carefree and uninhibited, something he hadn’t seen in her since the mission started. “The same could be said for you.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she smirked.
Shepard slid the cup of coffee across the table and swung her chair around next to his. “So, why don’t you show me your canon, Garrus.” She gave him a good natured nudge in the side and smiled.
They spent a couple of hours looking at the plans and talking. Garrus did his best to explain the technical aspects to her. She was inquisitive and questioned how things worked or why they were different from the current guns.
Eventually Shepard let out a long yawn. “This has been very informative but I’m afraid I do still need some sleep in order to function. Thanks for telling me about the Thanix, I think it’ll really help us against the Collectors.”
“My pleasure, Shepard. The next time you’re bored we can talk about the algorithms that actually make it work.”
Shepard laughed and shook her head then headed back to the elevators.
Garrus neatly restacked the papers and returned to his room. He liked having someone to talk to about his work. Most people tried to get away as soon as it came up, but Shepard had been genuinely interested. His mandibles fluttered as he thought about their conversation. It might have been one of the most enjoyable conversations he’d had in last 2 years, and he suspected it was the same for her.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 935
Characters: Shepard and Garrus
Pairings: Previous Shepard/Kaidan, eventual Shepard/Garrus
Summary: Garrus makes time one night to talk to Shepard. Innuendos are accidentally made.
Garrus kept a close eye on the Commander for the next few days. Gradually, he started to see subtle differences. She laughed and smiled less than she use to and she was still friendly with the crew but seemed to keep most of them at arm’s length. He wasn’t sure if it was because they were Cerberus or if it was a change in her personality. When she thought no one was watching she often looked distant and perhaps a bit sad.
He also confirmed that she seemed to be around at all hours. He'd worked with enough humans to know most of them preferred at least 8 hours of sleep, often more if they could get it. He heard her in the mess before the main crew shift began and she was up well into the third shift, usually poking her head into the main battery more nights than not.
Garrus was sitting at the back of the mess area going over schematics. It was quiet, only the skeleton night crew was awake and he was alone. This was something he'd usually do in his small room but tonight he was waiting for the Commander. The elevator door whooshed open behind him and Shepard passed by, unaware of his presence, headed to the kitchen. She grabbed a mug and placed in under the coffee maker. She pushed a few buttons then leaned back against the counter and tilted her head back as far as it would go, stretching out her neck. Shepard closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and then let out a slow sigh. The machine beeped, she grabbed the mug and started back to the elevator. She'd almost passed Garrus when he finally spoke.
“Do you ever sleep, Commander?” Shepard jumped a little at the sound, spilling some of the hot liquid in the process. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”
“No, it’s fine." She brushed the wet spot on her shirt. "I just didn’t realize anyone was in here.” She looked around the empty room then sat down across from him at the table. “What did you ask me?”
“I asked if you ever sleep.”
“Doesn’t seem like it anymore,” she frowned.
“Are you having trouble sleeping?” He felt like this was going out a limb a bit. It seemed like a personal question somehow. Despite the things she's shared with him, it still didn't feel right to pry.
“No, at least, I don’t think so.” She took a sip of coffee. “I don’t know.” Garrus gave her a confused look.
“What I mean is I’ve been like this since…” Shepard hated saying 'brought back to life', she fumbled for something different, “since I woke up. Not today but…” she stopped talking and ran a hand through her hair.
“I know what you’re trying to say, Marie.”
“Yeah. Anyways, it seems like I only need about 4 hours of sleep now. I slept for 8 hours once; I think that was the first time though. What about you, why are you still up?”
“Turians don’t need as much sleep as humans. I usually just try to stay out of the way but I wanted the extra room to go over these.” He gestured at the papers on the table.
Shepard looked down at them, plans for the Thanix she guessed. “Do you do anything besides play with your canon?” When Garrus didn’t say anything she looked up. The turian was staring at her, his mandibles flicked once. “What?” Garrus didn’t move. Then it hit her. “Oh! Not what I meant.” Shepard could feel the heat creeping up her face.
Garrus’ face finally cracked and he began to laugh and Shepard soon joined in. After several attempts they were finally able to regain their composure.
“Oh God, Garrus, I’m so sorry.” She let out another sigh, this one contented though. “Man, I haven’t laughed like that in ages. But seriously, you should get out more, have some fun. You spend all of your time cooped up in the main battery.”
It was good to see her laugh like that. It was carefree and uninhibited, something he hadn’t seen in her since the mission started. “The same could be said for you.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she smirked.
Shepard slid the cup of coffee across the table and swung her chair around next to his. “So, why don’t you show me your canon, Garrus.” She gave him a good natured nudge in the side and smiled.
They spent a couple of hours looking at the plans and talking. Garrus did his best to explain the technical aspects to her. She was inquisitive and questioned how things worked or why they were different from the current guns.
Eventually Shepard let out a long yawn. “This has been very informative but I’m afraid I do still need some sleep in order to function. Thanks for telling me about the Thanix, I think it’ll really help us against the Collectors.”
“My pleasure, Shepard. The next time you’re bored we can talk about the algorithms that actually make it work.”
Shepard laughed and shook her head then headed back to the elevators.
Garrus neatly restacked the papers and returned to his room. He liked having someone to talk to about his work. Most people tried to get away as soon as it came up, but Shepard had been genuinely interested. His mandibles fluttered as he thought about their conversation. It might have been one of the most enjoyable conversations he’d had in last 2 years, and he suspected it was the same for her.