Mass Effect: Recoil

[camalyng]

Title: Recoil
Rating: PG (violence)
Words: ~950
Summary: Despite using pistols in his C-Sec days, Garrus only uses rifles when he's with the Normandy.
Notes: Inspired by a conversation with beltsquid about the guns Garrus uses.

i.
"So, Vakarian," says Shepard, rolling one shoulder back as she examines some guns for sale in the markets. "What kinds of guns do you use?"

He had to hand in his standard issue Razer when he quit C-Sec, but it was never his favorite gun anyway. Besides, the Commander's carrying a sniper rifle and a pistol and the human man she'd sent back to the ship had only a pistol, so she could probably use some more mid- and long range shooters on her squad than just the other human woman.

"Rifles, ma'am," he says. "Mostly sniper rifles, but I'm good with assault rifles too. I can forward you my most recent training scores if you want."

The other woman (Chief Williams, did Shepard call her?) glances at him with wary interest, and then looks away when she catches his eye.

"That won't be necessary," Shepard says with a smile. "We'll just test you out in the field some time. It'll be fun to have another sniper around."

On Therum he takes down a Geth Sniper before Shepard even knows it's there, and she whistles and says, "Field test passed."


ii.
"I swear to god, every day I find something else that's changed in the last two years," Shepard complains. "Like, thermal clips. Who thought those were a good idea?"

Garrus flutters his mandibles in amusement. "The geth. You know, they were developed from all those geth guns you were always selling to the Requisitions Officer."

"Damn, I can't believe I shot myself in the foot like that," she says. "Well, Ash always refused to go out if somebody was carrying one, and then after Virmire..."

He lets that hang. He's never known how to respond to grief at the best of times, and being two years past something she remembers as a month or two ago makes it even more awkward.

"What about you?" she adds, transparently changing the subject. "Picked up anything new while I was on the table? Did you learn how to use shotguns or something?"

He snorts. "Too up close and personal for me," he says. "No, I'm still just using sniper and assault rifles. Thanks for bringing my Mantis along when you dragged me onboard."

"Thank Zaeed," says Shepard. "He's got this old Avenger he's overly attached to; said you might want to keep the gun that took down three merc gangs' Omega branches."

"He'd be right."


iii.
"All this time back with the military," says Shepard. "Did they train you for anything new?"

"I got my certification in Proximity Mines," he admits. "But otherwise, I'm just sticking to my strengths. Having the Reapers overhead isn't really the best time to learn something new."

"I'll try to forget the armor reinforcement trick James taught me last week, then," Shepard says dryly.

Garrus kisses the corner of her mouth. "Of course I'm grateful for any new skills that can help keep you safe."

"We're at war, Garrus," she says, sounding like she's gearing up to give a speech to some reluctant soldier. "We're never going to be completely safe."

"I know," he says, because he does, but he walks backwards to her bed and deliberately falls backwards onto it. "We're not even safe here - I'm pretty sure there's a Cannibal in your bed."

Shepard blinks. "What?"

"You should check that out, Commander," he says, stripping off his tunic. "Because I'm losing my shields here."

Laughing, she joins him in bed.


iv.
"Shepard!" Garrus yells. "I'm out of clips!"

Without a word, Shepard unholsters her Scorpion and slides it across the floor to him. He picks it up, and rather than waste time moving the clips to his Mantis, he runs forward, laying down a full round of explosives.

"Garrus, what are you -"

He ducks behind a pillar and changes the thermal clip just as the sticky bombs detonate, taking down two small clusters of Assault Troopers and leaving only the Guardians. "I love this pistol," he whoops.

Shepard gawks at him in disbelief before nailing one of the Guardians through his shield's mail slot. "We'll talk later," she says darkly, as Tali generates Chatika behind the last Guardian.

'Later' turns out to be in the shuttle, once weapons have been handed back and reloaded.

"You lied to me," she says.

"Shepard -"

"Three years," Shepard says, her eyes blazing. "You've been claiming to use rifles for three years, and now I find out you can use pistols too?"

"I hate using pistols," he says. "I was trained for them back in the military - my second lowest scores, by the way - and they were standard issue at C-Sec, but I don't like getting that close to enemies. I'd much rather keep them at a distance."

"Yeah, well, you can keep your distance from my cabin tonight," says Shepard, and Tali doubles over with silent laughter.


v.
He's finally on top of the Presidium.

Shepard said she loves him.

He outshot her.

Garrus honestly isn't sure which part he's giddiest over.

"You are such a sore winner," Shepard says, grinning at him. "What are you going to do if the bottles get within five metres of you? That's too close to lay down a mine."

"Stomp on them," he says. "They're bottles."

She laughs until he grabs the girl and kisses her like he means it. She's still smiling when they part, but now her eyebrow's raised too.

"Is that a pistol in your holster that you've been pretending you don't know how to use?"

"You know I know how to use this," Garrus says, and Shepard grins and shoves him onto the hood of the skycar.