Re: Fill: The Story Behind the Tango (New Title!) Garrus/FemShep + Tali (5/6)
anonymous
August 13 2013, 22:16:08 UTC
“Oh?”
“I was there before you left for Omega.”
Shepard groaned, remembering the one time she had to dress down Garrus in front of some of the crew. By then he was no longer just someone under her command, she considered him her equal in all things. But at the end of the day, it was her ship, and her command. Shepard never minded when they talked about her decisions in private, but when he wouldn’t let go and crew overheard?
The worst part was she had understood his fears. Hell, she had shared them. Garrus still dreamt about the place, even though he pretended he didn’t. There were ghosts there that might never stop haunting him. And she was about to go into the fire with no backup other than Aria. If he said those same words behind closed doors, Shepard wouldn’t have blinked an eye. But in the mess…
“Okay, so we argued once or twice,” Shepard said.
Favia stretched her arms over her head. “That’s not the right angle,” she said. Her eyes lit up. “A love triangle. Everyone loves a love triangle!”
“But…” Shepard’s brow furrowed. “There was no love triangle.”
Next to her, Tali discreetly coughed.
“Something to add, Tali?” Favia said knowingly, crossing her legs.
“Tali! There was no love triangle,” Shepard said, her eyes wide. “You know that, right? There’s been no one I’ve even thought of that way other than Garrus since he and I met. And I’m pretty sure it’s the same for Garrus.”
“Sure, siha, if you say so, Lola,” Tali said with a laugh. “What she’s not telling you, Ms. T’Lana is at any given time, half her squad was enamored with her.”
“Does that include yourself?” Favia asked. “Do tell.”
Tali froze and Shepard could see the quarian’s eyes grow wide, even behind her mask. Shepard looked down at her hands, remembering when Tali had told her she would have linked suits with her. At the time, Shepard had idly wondered if that was Tali’s way of trying to tell her something. But Tali never brought it up again, so Shepard had taken the words at face value.
Thankfully Tali was spared the embarrassment of answering. “No, that wouldn’t work, too close to Fleet and Flotilla. Hmm… maybe an asari. You had an asari on your crew, Dr. T’Soni, right? That could work nicely. But I think the triangle should be on Garrus’ side. I can already picture it.”
A small blue hand was on his shoulder. “Left alone again, Garrus?”
“Shepard’s got a war to win,” Garrus said, throwing back the rest of his brandy.
Liara sat next to him, a little closer than he was comfortable with. Garrus started to move, but Liara brought her hand up to his neck. His eyes closed on reflex, but he forced them open when he forced himself to remember those where not Shepard’s hands.
“War doesn’t matter if you completely lose track of the important things in life,” Liara said breathlessly. “Which I think she has.”
Garrus took her hand. “I appreciate the sentiment, Liara, but I’m not interested.”
She leaned forward, directly into his personal space. “You’re so tense, Garrus. I just want to help…”
“Garrus?”
“Shepard!” He winced at the confused look on her face.
Liara gave him one last sultry look before uncrossing her legs and standing up. “I was just leaving anyway. Remember what I said, Garrus…
“I was there before you left for Omega.”
Shepard groaned, remembering the one time she had to dress down Garrus in front of some of the crew. By then he was no longer just someone under her command, she considered him her equal in all things. But at the end of the day, it was her ship, and her command. Shepard never minded when they talked about her decisions in private, but when he wouldn’t let go and crew overheard?
The worst part was she had understood his fears. Hell, she had shared them. Garrus still dreamt about the place, even though he pretended he didn’t. There were ghosts there that might never stop haunting him. And she was about to go into the fire with no backup other than Aria. If he said those same words behind closed doors, Shepard wouldn’t have blinked an eye. But in the mess…
“Okay, so we argued once or twice,” Shepard said.
Favia stretched her arms over her head. “That’s not the right angle,” she said. Her eyes lit up. “A love triangle. Everyone loves a love triangle!”
“But…” Shepard’s brow furrowed. “There was no love triangle.”
Next to her, Tali discreetly coughed.
“Something to add, Tali?” Favia said knowingly, crossing her legs.
“Tali! There was no love triangle,” Shepard said, her eyes wide. “You know that, right? There’s been no one I’ve even thought of that way other than Garrus since he and I met. And I’m pretty sure it’s the same for Garrus.”
“Sure, siha, if you say so, Lola,” Tali said with a laugh. “What she’s not telling you, Ms. T’Lana is at any given time, half her squad was enamored with her.”
“Does that include yourself?” Favia asked. “Do tell.”
Tali froze and Shepard could see the quarian’s eyes grow wide, even behind her mask. Shepard looked down at her hands, remembering when Tali had told her she would have linked suits with her. At the time, Shepard had idly wondered if that was Tali’s way of trying to tell her something. But Tali never brought it up again, so Shepard had taken the words at face value.
Thankfully Tali was spared the embarrassment of answering. “No, that wouldn’t work, too close to Fleet and Flotilla. Hmm… maybe an asari. You had an asari on your crew, Dr. T’Soni, right? That could work nicely. But I think the triangle should be on Garrus’ side. I can already picture it.”
A small blue hand was on his shoulder. “Left alone again, Garrus?”
“Shepard’s got a war to win,” Garrus said, throwing back the rest of his brandy.
Liara sat next to him, a little closer than he was comfortable with. Garrus started to move, but Liara brought her hand up to his neck. His eyes closed on reflex, but he forced them open when he forced himself to remember those where not Shepard’s hands.
“War doesn’t matter if you completely lose track of the important things in life,” Liara said breathlessly. “Which I think she has.”
Garrus took her hand. “I appreciate the sentiment, Liara, but I’m not interested.”
She leaned forward, directly into his personal space. “You’re so tense, Garrus. I just want to help…”
“Garrus?”
“Shepard!” He winced at the confused look on her face.
Liara gave him one last sultry look before uncrossing her legs and standing up. “I was just leaving anyway. Remember what I said, Garrus…
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