A/N: Hey guys. Sorry for such a long wait on the chapter, I just recently got out of the hospital from a big surgery, and I wasn't allowed to have my computer in the hospital. Can you imagine it? Almost more than a month without a computer? Gosh, it horrid, my friends. But I am back in the saddle again! I promise to keep writing, and I appreciate your patience. Thank you!

Shepard awoke the next morning with a splitting headache. She lay on her bed with Garrus' arm around her waist, and his head just below her bared breasts. He was still asleep. She stretched, trying not to disturb Garrus. Yawning, she tried to remember how far they went; they had eventually finished the bottle of asari wine, growing bolder with one another as they downed more and more of the liquor.

Eventually it had escalated until both of them were naked. Shepard remembered a bit of a wrestling match on her bed; both of them had wanted to be on top. But in the end, she and him had been so tired and drunk that they had just lain in one another's arms and talked until they fell asleep. Shepard smiled, stroking along Garrus' arm.

She unlatched herself from his hold, and went to her personal bathroom, turning on the shower and stepping under the spray of warm water. Even as a green recruit, back when she first joined the Alliance, Shepard had loved showers. It was a time for her to be alone, to reflect and think on whatever she wanted to, and zone out as much as she liked. She scrubbed herself with her body wash absentmindedly, recalling more and more of last night. She traced a finger along a scratch stretching up along her thigh.

Garrus had accidently nicked her while running his hands up and down her form. She remembered his panic at the sight of blood, his apologies and flustered demeanor. She had to assure him repeatedly that she was tough, that the medigel would take care of it; except that she didn't want the medigel. She wanted the scratch to heal on its own. She wanted the scar, to remember, to touch when she was alone.

When she was finished in the shower, she came out to see Garrus reclining on her small couch, his clothes put back on, and his eyes only a little bleary from the wine. She went over to her wardrobe, pulling out a pair of pants and shirt. She dressed quietly, and then joined Garrus on the couch, placing a hand on his chest and a kiss on his mandible.

"So...um...was it good for you?" Garrus chuckled quietly, taking Shepard's hand in his own. Shepard smiled widely, and leaned on the turian.

"Aside from your adorable hesitancy at the beginning...yes. And you?"

"I honestly don't think I've been this happy in a long, long time."

Shepard stood up and stretched. "Well, I don't know about you, but that wine made me absolutely ravenous. Shall we go to the mess?"

Garrus got up, and put a hand over his own stomach. "Do you want me to leave first?"

"What? Can we not fit in the elevator together?"

"No, it's just...I mean, I don't think anyone saw us come up here together, so I was thinking I could leave before you and then no one would suspect -" Shepard cut Garrus off with a small chuckle.

"Garrus, why wouldn't we want people to see us? This isn't an Alliance operation, and you aren't a sub-ordinate. We went to my quarters together as equals, and we'll leave the same way. I don't give a damn what anyone says about us. If they don't like it, they can ignore it until we hit another planet and they can leave."

"But -"

"We have nothing to hide, Garrus. You don't think the others are sneaking around too?"

"Of course I know about the others. I've seen Jacob going off to Kasumi's room; it's not just to get a drink from the bar." Garrus replied. Shepard placed her hand on his cheek, and kissed him.

"Unless you really want it, I'd rather not sneak around and try to hide what's going on here. I...love you, Garrus. I really do. And I don't want to hide what I love."