"You've convinced me, smooth talker….", Shepard teased and immediately regretted it. She saw his face fall, the bright excitement in his eyes dimmed and she actually mourned that loss. She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek bringing his face close to her, as though for a kiss but instead she nuzzled his mandible and said, "Stop trying so hard, Garrus…you don't need to seduce me…you already have."

Garrus sighed, "I just want…I just want something to go right, ya know? Everything has gone so wrong in my life, C-Sec, Omega and Sidonus; I just want this to go right so badly…." He rested his forehead against hers in a Turian gesture of affection and she leaned into him, whispering,

"Do you want to be here?"

Eyes wide, he would have moved away, but her hands on the back of his head stopped him. Instead, wide eyed he said, "Spirits, Shepard! YES, of course I want to be here…."

"Do you want this? With me?", her voice never lost it's confidence, but Garrus thought he heard a waiver in it, as though the Commander were a little unsure of his response,

"Yes…I want this with you…there isn't anyone else in this whole, fucked up Galaxy I want more than you, no one else I want to spend what might be my last night alive with…."

She met his eyes, her gentle, half smile and softened eyes, a look he'd recently come to realize was only for him, warmed him. It broke through the ice he hadn't realized formed on his soul. She said, with a shrug, "Then it's already going right, isn't it? I…this is more than right, it's perfect, Garrus…just relax…and let's put the meds that Mordin whipped up to the test, hmmm?"

Garrus smiled, he knew that husky, flirty little voice was also for him…of she might flirt with others, but it was brash, overt…with him her voice dropped, went into a husky tone that nearly undid him. Suddenly all the fears, the nerves, the lack of confidence seemed stupid to him. Nothing made Lia Shepard do anything she didn't want to; and she was here with him because she WANTED to be…because she wanted him. Widening his mandible in his particular, Turian smile, he pulled her a little closer, lowering his mouth to her ear and whispered, enjoying her shivers of delight, "Yeah…definitely….

"I love you…" Lia moaned, feeling his body stroking hers. She knew that she wanted so much more than a single night of relieving stress. She took his face in her hands, as he leaned forward and licked her mouth, his eyes tender, she felt the connection, the love from him, and she said, again, "I love you Garrus….so much….." Garrus smiled at her, then leaned forward, his lip plates pushing on her as he said, "Too much talking…not enough showing"

Pain flashed and Lia honestly thought she literally felt her heart break. She caught her breath, and Garrus seemed obvious to her distress as he continued to caress her, his tongue darting here and there, his talons stroking. Forcing herself to breath past it, she cursed herself for thinking that Garrus might feel the same. They were friends, best friends…but what Garrus wanted was best friends fucking to relieve stress. That was exactly what she'd promised him…and she had no right to be upset that his feelings hadn't changed when hers had. If this was all she'd have, the only time she'd be able to show him how much she loved him, then by god she'd show him with everything she had.

Shepard redoubled her efforts, her hands were everywhere, his fringe, his waist, his ass…she touched, teased and caressed him as he moaned and returned the favor. Slowly, the pain receded and Lia just lost herself in the moment.

Reaching down, she cupped his cock, as it thrust against her, demanding and hard. She began to stroke him, from base to tip, rolling her fingers around his tip rubbing the pre-cum into his cock. He groaned and she smiled, relishing the feeling of his pleasure. She wanted to take him in her mouth so bad, so she arched, proving once again her flexibility and ran her tongue around the head of him, into his slit, tasting his fluids and his own, unique taste; sweet and just Garrus. She realized he'd frozen and when she looked at him he was staring at her, eyes wide. Smiling, she slid the tip of him inside her mouth, humming as she did so and watching as he gasped and arched into her mouth. He moaned, and his head thrashed his head, as she slid down his cock, taking as much of him in her mouth as she could, deep throating him as he gasped. Two more times and he seemed to not be able to take it any longer.

Garrus reached down and gently grabbed his lover, bringing her up beside him. What she'd just done with her mouth was…mesmerizing, amazing, and a dozen other words his partially non-working brain wouldn't come up with. Turians didn't DO oral sex, for obvious reasons; though Garrus knew what it was thanks to numerous arrests at C-Sec for having it done in public. He'd been unaware of how good it could feel, not even a clue. But now he was determined to return the favor. :Should have watched those vids: was his thought, as he lay her on the bed, sliding his talon up and down her body. He considered what he knew and what he'd discovered; there was a nub of flesh at the top of her mound that was very sensitive…it seemed to be the primary place to touch her. When his talons or his scales touched it, she'd gasped and arched. So….by logic, if he applied his tongue judiciously to that little nub, it would feel VERY good. Sliding himself down her body, he nipped, licked and nuzzled her flesh, ending up with his face buried between her thighs. He wasn't usually a fool, and he knew that the tenseness she was developing was NOT fear, but anticipation. He used two talons to spread the curls, and she moaned, when he had her exposed, he began to trace her sex with his tongue, mindful of his teeth, but also avoiding that tantalizing little nub. She gasped as his tongue explored her sex, learning the landscape and what places drove her nuts and which made her move away. Finally, when she was writhing so much he could barely hold her, he slid a single talon in to her, and she screamed his name, arching up off the bed. He smiled, leaning forward and using his mandibles to hold her lower lips open and continued nipping, nuzzling and lipping her, avoiding that little nub while sliding a talon in and out of her, similating joining. He moaned himself as she writhed and arched and tried to rub against him and her hands reached for his cock. After a few minutes, he knew she was close. She writhed, begging him, ordering him and trying to do what she needed herself, finally nearly screaming, "Damn it Garrus….lick my clit please…I need to cum…please…" Garrus considered her words for a moment, so that little nub was a "clit"…he'd remember that. Smiling, he turned his head and sped his talon inside her up as his tongue went to work on her clit…and felt her fly to pieces, explode around him, literally screaming his name. He kept his tongue nad talon moving until she seemed past the strongest of the release, and each time he stroked her clit, she moaned and arched. Sliding his talon from her body, he nuzzled up her belly to her face, then purposely drew the talon that had been inside her to his mouth, lapping at it. She growled, and he chuckled,but his chuckle died as she reached over taking his hard, aching cock in her hand and using it to pull him closer, he moaned, trying not to growl or do any other vocalizations. He was afraid those would scare her off, since they were so different. However, after this, he wasn't so sure…some of the sounds coming out of her mouth went straight to his cock. She positioned his cock at her entrance and whispered in his ear, "Please, Garrus…I need you inside me….please…"

Garrus groaned and thrust as soon as the hot, wet heat of her pussy surrounded the head of his cock. Gasping and moaning, he worked his way into her; just from the feel of her tunnel around his talon he knew that while she was wet (SO wet…), she was not very big. He was determined not to hurt her, even if that meant going so slow he thought he might actually die. What he hadn't counted on, however, was the sheer determination of his lover…or the spasms around his cock, both of which seemed determined to drag him in to the hilt; not to mention drive him out of his mind insane.

Clutching at his control, Garrus tried to go slow but by the time he was half way in, his control was nearly gone. When Lia wrapped her legs around his waist, placed her feet against his ass and at the same time arched upward and shoved him downward he'd thought he'd pass out…the feel of her tight pussy, the spasms, and his lover's moan nearly sent him over the edge. As it was, he lost all reason and began to trust inside her, slamming himself into her, then drawing nearly out of her, before slamming back inside her hilt deep. A few thrusts in, he felt her climax and arched his neck to watch, realizing that the way his plates joined on his lower abdomen, it was rubbing her clit with each stroke he made.

Male pride made him grin as he watched her begin to come from the climax, and then he went back to thrusting hard; but this time he made damn sure his plates trailed over her clit both ways; in and out. He lost count of the number of times she came for him, but finally, he couldn't stand it anymore. When she bit his neck, hard, he lost all reason and gripped her hips slamming into her with a vengeance, slamming into her and has he crested the release, he drew leaned into her neck and bit her, square

" MINE", he roared as his release shook him, rejoicing in the feel of her body going over the edge with him, her legs clutching at his waist, her arms around his neck, hands in his fringe almost as much as her response of "yes…yours!". Head thrown back, panting with the force of her climax. As the final bit of his release spurted deep inside her, the base of his penis swelled, holding him inside her. To himself, Garrus moaned, he hadn't thought it would work the same with a non-Turian. Now he had to hope she didn't try to roll away from him, because that would lead to a very indelicate explanation that he was not looking forward too; not to mention agony for him. He was careful to keep his weight mainly on his forearms, claws and legs; he didn't want to crush her beneath him. She was beginning to get her breath back and Garrus sighed, he knew he needed to tell her about this before she found out on her own and got angry or panicked about being locked against him. Clearing his throat, he said, "Uh..Shepard… I mean Lia?"

Still reeling from the best sex of her entire life, Lia couldn't help but smile at Garrus catching himself and changing the name; it was a work in progress. Her body felt amazing on fire, but in a good way, still zinging with the aftershocks of her climax and miracle of miracles Garrus hadn't pulled out, rolled off her and started snoring; instead, he stayed inside her, holding her, sharing the aftershocks with her. Yet another reason she loved him so much; and a surge of humiliation filled her as she remembered the earlier situation. But she refused to let that destroy her time with Garrus. If all they had was one night, by damn she'd make the most of it. So when he spoke to her, his voice back to being hesitant she cracked open one eye and observed him, still panting as she enjoyed feeling him inside her. "yeah?"

"I don't know how to say this…" and those pleasant aftershocks suddenly faded, leaving her terrified, empty and nearly in tears; he was about to tell her he didn't want her anymore…that she was just too different, that he regretted this. She kept her eyes averted as she waited.

Garrus thought he'd die of embarrassment right there, though his body still reeled from the best joining he'd ever had. The tightness and spasms of her tunnel kept him on the verge, aftershocks from their releases, so close together, rocked him. He took a deep breath and just said "…I'm stuck."

Of every possible thing he might have said…that was not even the LAST thing she expected…it was so far beneath last that it didn't even have a number. Eyes wide, she stared at him her mouth parted, but it took two tries to say, "Pardon?"

Garrus, humiliated beyond everything and wishing for an airlock to throw himself out of, dropped his head to her shoulder and whispered "It…it's a Turian thing, Lia. When we…that is, when a male…err…finds…reaches release….our…phallus swells." Not taking the time to look into her eyes, sure he'd see panic, disgust or censure, he hurried on, his words nearly running together, "I'm sorry, I know I should have said something but I didn't know that it would happen since you're not Turian, but I still should have said something and I'm sorry…I know this is …probably horribly uncomfortable for you…and you probably hate me right now but…." Reaching up with trembling hands, Lia pulled his head of her shoulder and kissed him. He froze a moment, then slid his tongue into her mouth to spar with hers, nuzzling her as they kissed.

Shepard kissed him, it was the best way she'd ever found to shut her Turian…crap don't even think that…he'd made it very clear this was just sex….shut GARRUS up. Breaking the kiss, she kept her hands on his face, looking into his eyes as she said, "Garrus…its fine. Do you have any idea how many human women would KILL for this type of…err….connection with their lover?"

Garrus frowned, "You don't mind? It doesn't hurt?"

Shepard took a moment to squirm, which mate Garrus gasp and give a small thrust, which made Lia moan. Panting a little, Lia said, "No…it definitely doesn't hurt…I like it….give me an excuse to cuddle with you….to make the wonder last just a bit longer…."

Garrus closed his eyes a moment and thanked any and all Spirits, deities and any other supreme being or guardians that he'd been able to find this woman and for whatever reason, have her as his… He ran his hands over her gently, cupping her to him at groin and breast by firmly grasping her ass and neck and rolling them over so she was on top of him. She immediately squirmed to the side a bit so they were still joined but she lay on the bed, her leg wrapped around him, her head on his chest. She rested her hand next to her cheek and rubbed her cheek against him as her fingers drew shapes on his pectoral plates. He sighed in pleasure as his talons slid up and down her back from flank to shoulder. Moved beyond all words all he could muster was to clutch her to him and say, echoing his previous shout with quiet confidence "Mine…" and waited for her reply…that never came.

Oh, she smiled and rubbed her cheek against his chest, murmuring "yeah" and pressing tiny kisses on every part of him she could reach, but she said not a word in reciprocation. If he hadn't been keeping such a strict control over his vocalizations, he would have changed his purr to a growl or a keen at that point. He nervously looked down at her, she didn't look upset, instead she seemed very happy to be there. Finally, Garrus said, hesitantly, "You now…Lia…it's usually appropriate for a partner on the receiving end of this type of situation to at least respond…even slap me for saying it…but not just ignore it…."

Shepard frowned, raising her head from his chest and staring at him,, "Huh?" was her slightly less than brilliant response. Garrus hesitated, maybe humans didn't state their feelings like Turians….he said, hesitantly, "err…I've said, twice now actually, that you're mine…. You seemed to agree with it…but you haven't. errr. Said it back…."

Lia raised her head, frowned and said, "It's ok to…err…stake a claim? We're talking about the "mine" right?"

Garrus nodded, Spirits…humans must not DO that…now he felt like a moron again. "I thought that humans…you know, enjoyed saying things….making their feelings known." His body chose that moment to let her go and he prepared to roll away, hide in humiliation but she stopped him, rolling over so she was straddling him. She rested her hands on his upper chest and gazed into his face, not giving him an option of looking away. She seemed to gather her courage, though that was impossible, and she said,

"Ok…obviously, we're having a moment of interspecies ackwardness. Let's work this out, ok? We can't…I refuse to let some Turian/Human bullshit screw this up. When you said, "mine" and I agreed…" she hesitated, "I did agree, right? I actually said it out loud?" at his nod, she continued, "Good…I was afraid my mouth might not have been working at that point…. Anyway…after I agreed with you that I was yours…I was supposed to say…?" She opened her eyes, cocked her head and waited.

Sighing, though he agreed with her…this was too damn important to lose because they were embarrassed to talk about something; "The proper response was for you to say "mine" too…and for me to…err…acknowledge it."

"Even if you don't mean it?" That single, small sentence sent Garrus' world crashing down around his cowl. She didn't mean it…this was just blowing off steam to her. Two soldiers, friends, having sex to relieve stress. Now he REALLY wanted to find the nearest airlock and throw himself out. He'd thought…he'd really…. But she was waiting for a reply and he stammered, actually feeling his heart break,

"No…of course not. If you don't mean it, you don't say it…I just thought…I must have misunderstood… Look, I'll go…" And he actually tried to leave, but Shepard, the far, far too observant human must have seen something in his eyes, because she refused to let him go. Short of dumping her off him and streaking out the door, he was stuck. She leaned forward and rested her head against his and he nearly keened; that was far too special a move for just, what was the human phrase? Fuck buddies. But when he looked into her eyes, he saw pain and…humor?

Shepard said, "You know…for two reasonably intelligent people, soldiers no less, used to speaking, we both seem to be seriously lacking something. Garrus…I want to be clear here, and I'm sorry if this puts you on the spot, because I know that you did a marvelous job of ignoring and distracting me when I tried to say this earlier, but I NEED this to be clear. This was not, and never was, just about blowing off steam to me. You're….god, you're the best thing that's ever happened in my life. And if the only thing I can be for you is a booty call…I'll take it. I should be humiliated at being willing to settle for that, but I'm not."

Garrus was still stuck on something she'd said, and half sat up, carefully holding her on top of him as he leaned against the headboard, "Wait…hold on… do you mean I did a marvelous job of ignoring and distracting you earlier? You're the one who said you didn't feel the same way, that this was just blowing off steam to you…"

Now Shepard looked seriously annoyed, "I did no such thing! I asked if I should have said it if YOU didn't mean it, Garrus!"

Garrus was also getting annoyed now, "Lia, for Spirits sake, of COURSE I meant it…this wasn't ever about blowing off steam to me either. You're it for me, Lia…. That's why I said you were mine…when you said you were, I thought…we were both on the same page…but then you asked…" something occurred to Garrus and he paused, narrowing his eyes and said, "Wait a minute…when did you say this was more than stress relief to you?"

Looking as uncomfortable as he'd felt a moment ago, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes suspiciously bright, "I told you I loved you, Garrus…that's about as clear as I can get that this wasn't just stress relief…..but you ignored it and went on to rock my world and give me the best sex of my life….and that's fine…. I…understand if you don't feel as much for me as I do for you…it's ok..."

Garrus slid a talon over her lips, realization dawning as he said, his voice hushed, "When you said, "I love you", I was supposed to respond, wasn't I? When I didn't, you thought I just wanted sex?"

Unable to trust her voice, and afraid she'd burst into tears if she tried to speak, Lia nodded, and Garrus sighed, now it was his turn to bring her forward to touch her forehead with his. "Spirits Lia….I didn't realize….I thought…hell, I don't know what I thought… I guess I just assumed you knew. But wait…when I didn't respond and you thought this was just sex for me…you still…we still…?"

Barely letting herself hope, Lia looked into his blue eyes, "I love you Garrus…and if the only time I could show you how much I love you is by giving you a way to blow off steam…then I wanted to embrace it. To give me a memory…" her voice broke, but she forced herself to continue, blinking furiously to try and keep the tears at bay, "a memory to hold on too. I swear, it won't affect our friendship….nothing would have changed….and if you'd ever…needed…me again, I'd have given myself to you willingly." Now her voice was filled with self-loathing, "I always thought I had more pride than that, but when it comes to you…to loving you…I don't.

I told myself that even if you didn't love me…that if this," she gestured to the bed, "were good…you might want me again. I told myself that even if you….went somewhere else," now her voice did break, and dropped to barely above a whisper, "that I'd deal with it. Your friendship means more to me than my pride…and I love you, even if you don't love me….."

Garrus had listened to her talk, emotions raging through him, "Spirits, Lia…you're right, for two reasonably intelligent sentient being, we're not very bright. Just to set the record straight; Turians don't say "I love you"…we're taught that those words are mostly empty to human's. They say them all the time, so they're not that important. Damn it, Lia…you're my best friend, my lover…my everything. This isn't stress relief….it's a hell of a lot more than that. You're MINE….and I'm yours…if you want me…" hopeful blue, raptor like eyes stared at her, expectantly and joy spun through Lia, lighting up the places that were filled with darkness.

"Not all humans throw love around, but I guess I can understand what you're saying. We say we love a song, we love to dance. But when human says "I love you", most of the time, it's not empty. Or at least, not when I say it. I've never told a male I love you…never. I don't have that sort of relationship with my father…and while Anderson is like a father to me, we're soldier, and we just don't do that. I've never looked a lover in the face and said, 'I love you'. So when I did, and you didn't say it back, I thought you didn't want me to be attached to you."

Garrus suddenly crushed her too him, "I'm sorry, amica…damn it, I wish I'd asked, or known. I wouldn't ever hurt you….not ever. I love you…you're mine. I'm yours. Yes, you're my best friend…but you're a hell of a lot more than that."

Lia tried not to cry, but a few tears slid from her eyes as she clutched him back. "Garrus…I'm sorry too…at least you had enough balls to say something when I didn't respond like you thought I would. I was just going to let it go and bawl about it later…. I didn't mean to hurt you either…for human's, claiming another can be seen as overly controlling. And I thought you didn't care about me like that…..I didn't think of telling you that you were mine."

Garrus chuckled and let her sit back up astride him. Taking her hands in his, he brought them to his face and nuzzled them, gazing at her as he said, "Tell you what, amica…let's start over with this talking thing, ok?"

Lia smiled a little evily as she squirmed against him, feeling his plate shift some, "Can we start over with some of the rest too….?"

Garrus groaned, but couldn't help his hips thrusting against her as he said, huskily, "Lia…I love you. You're mine and I want to be here with you, every chance we get…."

Smiling tremulously, Lia said, "Garrus…you're mine…and I love you. I want us to be together, and nothing will ever change that…."
Garrus widened his mandibles and raised his brow ridge as he cupped her breast and said, "Now…about that starting over….", but before he could finish it, Joker's voice came over the speakers

"Thirty minutes to the relay, Commander."

And just like that, reality stepped in and slapped them both. Lia said,

"Roger that, Joker…let the rest of the team know….", then she looked down at him, her face already dropping into the familiar Commander Shepard mask. Garrus found he couldn't allow that. He caught her before she could slide her leg over him. She looked down at him, frowning and he reached up to put his hand behind her neck, pulling her down to him, touching his forehead to hers,

"Amica…we WILL come through this…. I love you… I just found you, you just became mine and I won't lose that. Not even the Collectors can compete with love, amica…."

Smiling tremulously, Shepard nodded, kissing him and letting her tongue dart into his mouth, before pulling away and saying, "I'm going to hold you to that, Garrus…", as she slid her leg over his body and got up, heading for the shower. Turning and walking backwards up the stairs, she grinned at him and said, "And I love you too… You're mine and don't you dare forget it… IF you die out there, I'm going to have Cerberus bring you back so I can beat you to death myself with your own stick!"