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greenstickered2015-04-23 11:44 pm
camalyng) wrote in greenstickered2015-04-23 11:44 pm
Mass Effect (Relay Monument Incident AU): Reparations
Title: Reparations
Words: ~870
Rating: PG13 (sexual references)
Summary: Ashley and Garrus discuss the night they stole the Normandy.
Related works: Sequel to "Second Contact War", but not canonical for that universe.
"Vakarian? What are you doing?"
"Paperwork," Garrus says without looking away from his omni-tool and the dozen datapads surrounding him. If there's one good thing about this cafe, it's that they have big tables.
A few taps at his omni-tool later, her own omni-tool lights up with a transmission, and Ashley opens it to find a Spectre candidacy application form with her name at the top. She laughs and deletes it.
"Are you drunk again, Garrus?" she says, finally getting him to look up and grin at her. "Sorry, it's not going to be Shepard, Vakarian, and Williams storming the galaxy as Spectres."
"Completely sober."
He clears a spot on the table for her to set her drinks down, and she sits opposite him, sliding over a coffee. She can recognize the turian equivalent of a raised eyebrow now.
"Don't worry, it's dextro," she says. "I told the barista, 'I'll have two of what he's having, but one in levo.'"
"Thanks," he says, surprised, but taking the drink. "My last one got cold."
"I figured - Shepard said you came down here hours ago."
For a moment, they drink in companionable silence.
"Speaking of being drunk, I never got a chance to thank you for that night," she says eventually.
He gives her that same look again. "Is this a human thing, thanking people for almost sleeping with you?"
Despite herself, Ashley snickers. "No, but that was nice too."
"'Nice'?" he echoes.
"Garrus, I'm trying to thank you for saving my life here," she cuts in, before he can throw her own words back at her.
He opens his mouth and closes it twice, then stands, pulls her up by the shoulder, and headbutts her. Ashley turns it into a hug, albeit an awkward one over the table.
"Spirits, Ash, I knew you were having a rough time but I didn't realize it was that bad," he says, watching her like he's never seen her before.
She pulls away, sitting down again. "Don't you pity me."
"Never," he replies, retaking his own seat. "You're one of the strongest people I know."
Ashley sighs. "Yeah, well, I wasn't feeling real strong that night."
"I kind of guessed from 'I should be dead', but -"
"I wasn't about to put a gun to my head," she says. "Mostly because one of the first things I ever learned was that guns and alcohol don't mix. But if a husk came at me, I probably wouldn't have tried very hard to shake it off."
Garrus reaches across the table. After a moment, she puts her hand in his.
(They fit. Ashley immediately tries to forget this realization.)
"You shot the hell out of those husks on the Presidium," he says.
"I remembered," she says. "I remembered I was alive, I was fighting for everyone's lives. And I wanted to be worth Kaidan's life."
He squeezes her hand. "Like I said: I'm happy to help. And I'm glad you didn't have to join him so soon."
Ashley gives him a crooked smile. "I don't know; we've got those assignments to clean up the geth. Plenty of opportunities to say hi to Kaidan."
"But you won't be trying," he says, and she nods in confirmation. "Anyway, you sniped that krogan warlord right when he was charging me, so as far as I'm concerned, we're even."
They're not, in her eyes, but even she can sense when an argument's not going to get her anywhere, and she at least appreciates the thought behind it. "Okay."
They drink, still holding hands.
"So," says Garrus. "'That was nice'."
She looks at him evenly, daring him to challenge her on it.
"I don't disagree," he says. "I might use stronger words, even. But it would have been nicer if Shepard hadn't stolen the Normandy in the middle of it."
She quirks an eyebrow. "Do you proposition everyone whose lives you save?"
"There are so many people on the Citadel, I'd never have time," he says, and she laughs. "No, just the ones who teach me about their culture."
"Oh no, I've given you an alien fetish," she says, reaching with her free hand for her omni-tool. "I've gotta warn Shepard before you move in on Liara. Damn, maybe I'd better warn Liara before you move in on Shepard."
"As much as they could probably teach me about embracing eternity, I'm not interested in Liara or Shepard," he says. "Just you."
Ashley finishes her drink, pretends that's the warmth spreading inside her, and finally lets go of his hand. "Buy me dinner first," she says, standing up. "I think I'm taking a break from alcohol."
Garrus scoffs. "Now you have class?"
"I always had class," she says loftily. "But that night I was trying to forget. From here on out, I want to remember."
He goggles at her, but as she goes to leave, he grabs her hand again and pulls her down into a kiss, slow and tender and the opposite of all their kisses by the Mako. Ashley tries not to swoon.
"Finish your Spectre application," she says once he releases her, and she smothers a grin at his look of slightly offended shock, and walks away.
Words: ~870
Rating: PG13 (sexual references)
Summary: Ashley and Garrus discuss the night they stole the Normandy.
Related works: Sequel to "Second Contact War", but not canonical for that universe.
"Vakarian? What are you doing?"
"Paperwork," Garrus says without looking away from his omni-tool and the dozen datapads surrounding him. If there's one good thing about this cafe, it's that they have big tables.
A few taps at his omni-tool later, her own omni-tool lights up with a transmission, and Ashley opens it to find a Spectre candidacy application form with her name at the top. She laughs and deletes it.
"Are you drunk again, Garrus?" she says, finally getting him to look up and grin at her. "Sorry, it's not going to be Shepard, Vakarian, and Williams storming the galaxy as Spectres."
"Completely sober."
He clears a spot on the table for her to set her drinks down, and she sits opposite him, sliding over a coffee. She can recognize the turian equivalent of a raised eyebrow now.
"Don't worry, it's dextro," she says. "I told the barista, 'I'll have two of what he's having, but one in levo.'"
"Thanks," he says, surprised, but taking the drink. "My last one got cold."
"I figured - Shepard said you came down here hours ago."
For a moment, they drink in companionable silence.
"Speaking of being drunk, I never got a chance to thank you for that night," she says eventually.
He gives her that same look again. "Is this a human thing, thanking people for almost sleeping with you?"
Despite herself, Ashley snickers. "No, but that was nice too."
"'Nice'?" he echoes.
"Garrus, I'm trying to thank you for saving my life here," she cuts in, before he can throw her own words back at her.
He opens his mouth and closes it twice, then stands, pulls her up by the shoulder, and headbutts her. Ashley turns it into a hug, albeit an awkward one over the table.
"Spirits, Ash, I knew you were having a rough time but I didn't realize it was that bad," he says, watching her like he's never seen her before.
She pulls away, sitting down again. "Don't you pity me."
"Never," he replies, retaking his own seat. "You're one of the strongest people I know."
Ashley sighs. "Yeah, well, I wasn't feeling real strong that night."
"I kind of guessed from 'I should be dead', but -"
"I wasn't about to put a gun to my head," she says. "Mostly because one of the first things I ever learned was that guns and alcohol don't mix. But if a husk came at me, I probably wouldn't have tried very hard to shake it off."
Garrus reaches across the table. After a moment, she puts her hand in his.
(They fit. Ashley immediately tries to forget this realization.)
"You shot the hell out of those husks on the Presidium," he says.
"I remembered," she says. "I remembered I was alive, I was fighting for everyone's lives. And I wanted to be worth Kaidan's life."
He squeezes her hand. "Like I said: I'm happy to help. And I'm glad you didn't have to join him so soon."
Ashley gives him a crooked smile. "I don't know; we've got those assignments to clean up the geth. Plenty of opportunities to say hi to Kaidan."
"But you won't be trying," he says, and she nods in confirmation. "Anyway, you sniped that krogan warlord right when he was charging me, so as far as I'm concerned, we're even."
They're not, in her eyes, but even she can sense when an argument's not going to get her anywhere, and she at least appreciates the thought behind it. "Okay."
They drink, still holding hands.
"So," says Garrus. "'That was nice'."
She looks at him evenly, daring him to challenge her on it.
"I don't disagree," he says. "I might use stronger words, even. But it would have been nicer if Shepard hadn't stolen the Normandy in the middle of it."
She quirks an eyebrow. "Do you proposition everyone whose lives you save?"
"There are so many people on the Citadel, I'd never have time," he says, and she laughs. "No, just the ones who teach me about their culture."
"Oh no, I've given you an alien fetish," she says, reaching with her free hand for her omni-tool. "I've gotta warn Shepard before you move in on Liara. Damn, maybe I'd better warn Liara before you move in on Shepard."
"As much as they could probably teach me about embracing eternity, I'm not interested in Liara or Shepard," he says. "Just you."
Ashley finishes her drink, pretends that's the warmth spreading inside her, and finally lets go of his hand. "Buy me dinner first," she says, standing up. "I think I'm taking a break from alcohol."
Garrus scoffs. "Now you have class?"
"I always had class," she says loftily. "But that night I was trying to forget. From here on out, I want to remember."
He goggles at her, but as she goes to leave, he grabs her hand again and pulls her down into a kiss, slow and tender and the opposite of all their kisses by the Mako. Ashley tries not to swoon.
"Finish your Spectre application," she says once he releases her, and she smothers a grin at his look of slightly offended shock, and walks away.