Chapter Text
How’s one to know?
I’d meet you where the spirit meets the bones
In a faith-forgotten land
In from the snow
Your touch brought forth an incandescent glow
Tarnished but so grand
~~~~
“You shouldn’t be here.”
The voice echoes through the dome, the intonations of it telling her it doesn’t belong to a human. Too many layered vocals. There’s a roughness to it that she supposes she’ll have to start getting used to. And he’s right. Novella shouldn’t be here.
She turns to see the turian approaching her, yet he still keeps a fair distance between them. He seems young, but it’s difficult to know for sure. Do their plates wrinkle with age like human skin? Does their hide crack and break like old leather? And how is it that a species so rough around the edges has created architecture so beautifully rounded and smooth?
“Are you hearing me?” he goes on. “Do you have a translator?”
She shakes her head. “Yes. Sorry, I—” She has no excuse for intruding on this place. Aside from the obvious. Except that’s still hush-hush, so not so obvious to him.
“Just because we’re not shooting at each other anymore, doesn’t mean you have the right to go wherever you want. This is a sacred place.”
Yeah. It feels sacred. “I didn’t mean—” She stops herself because she shouldn’t lie, and she did deliberately come here. Then she glances out the window-like structure. It’s crazy to think how two completely different species can have such similar architectural components. And weather. On the other side of the window, she sees— “That’s not…snow, is it?” No. It can’t be. That shouldn’t be possible.
“What?”
She stalls. Describing snow shouldn’t be so damn complicated, but it’s not being sure if the translation will carry properly. “Frozen water.”
His brow plates narrow. “You think it gets cold enough here for water to freeze?”
That’s another reason why she didn’t want to bother asking. This planet—Palaven—is just too hot. Much hotter than Earth, even at the equator. And the radiation levels are insane. It shouldn’t be habitable for humans, yet they’ve somehow managed to survive since the end of the war. Not that it’s been very long, in retrospect. Hmm. The turians formed those metallic, bone-like plates to protect against the radiation. Perhaps, in time, humans will evolve and start to develop a similar coating. If they even remain here for that long.
“So, what is—?”
“A buildup of radiation. It gets so high that even the atmosphere can’t contain it anymore, and it solidifies before breaking down and falling back to the planet.”
Huh. She likens it to that of ash from a volcano. “It’s heavy,” she says. It’s true. It started falling and she instantly felt as if she couldn’t breathe. “This was the closest place for me to take cover.” A lie. She was already here when it started, but it is what’s kept her here because she physically couldn’t leave.
“Your kind shouldn’t even be here still. It doesn’t make any sense.”
He’s not wrong. “Well, seeing as your kind went ahead and destroyed nearly all our ships before we surrendered…” She shrugs her shoulders. “Once we get ships, we’ll be off your planet and out of your hair.”
“Our what?”
Right. They don’t have hair. They have…spikes? “Never mind.” These cultural differences will be nothing like what humans have dealt with in the past. Not even close. “Sorry.”
“Look, you really shouldn’t be here.”
“What do you suggest I do?” She holds back a scoff. “If I go out there, I’ll suffocate.”
He makes a sound she doesn’t quite understand. “Staying here could damage the dome’s ecosystem.”
“In general, or because I’m not…one of you?”
“We don’t know how it’ll react to your kind yet.”
Tch. Well, the turians better figure it out soon if either party wants to move forward with this proposition. This…proposal.
“This isn’t weather you can wait out,” he goes on. He looks out the dome. “I’ll be right back.” And he’s gone.
Novella waits. Tries to watch him, but he disappears into the storm. It doesn’t feel like he’s gone for long, though, when he does return.
He holds out his three-fingered hand to her. “Close your eyes and hold your breath when I tell you to.”
“Excuse me?”
“Close your eyes.” She eyes him wearily before doing so. She feels his hand take hers, and then he’s guiding her. “Mind your step.” She steps cautiously. “Okay. Now, deep breath in.” She inhales. “And hold.”
There’s a rush of heat. The air is humid, yet it feels rough against her exposed skin. She squeezes her eyes to keep them shut. Presses her lips together. Her lungs shouldn’t already be burning. She toughs it out, though. She allows this turian—this stranger—to continue guiding her.
Soon enough, the wind stops. Her skin feels…itchy.
“You can breathe again,” he says.
She gasps for air. Doesn’t open her eyes. He’s still guiding her, and she continues following until she hears running water. She automatically steps forward without even being told to. It’s cold against her skin, but it instantly relieves the itch. She rinses her hands thoroughly before washing her face. Rubbing at her eyes. She won’t have a change of clothes, but she couldn’t care less right now. Her eyes finally flutter open, and she notices that the turian is just standing there. Watching her.
“Do humans usually shower with clothes on?” he asks.
“No, but I wasn’t going to blindly undress in front of you,” she says.
“Ah. So, humans have an issue with nudity.”
“Only with strangers.”
He hums with those turian dual tones. The equivalent of human facial expressions. At least, that’s how Novella describes them to herself.
“Well, these storms don’t typically pass quickly,” he says. “There’s a good chance you’ll be here overnight.” He gives her a onceover. “Can’t imagine staying in wet clothes would be too comfortable.”
It’s not. “I’ll deal.”
“You’ll…deal?”
She holds back an eyeroll, reminding herself again that, even with translators, there’s still a bit of a language barrier. “I’ll manage.”
He raises a brow plate. “If you say so.”
As soon as he’s gone, she strips off her soaked fatigues. Almost loses her balance and falls over in the process. Then she rinses the rest of her body. Checks her arms for any burns or sores. Looks clean. So, she proceeds to carefully rinse her hair. When she decides no strands or chunks will fall out, she wrings it more thoroughly. She spends the rest of the time trying to figure out how to turn off the water. Then she steps out and looks around. Hmm…
“Do turians use towels?” she calls out.
“Use what?”
She’ll take that as a no. “How do you dry off?”
“We air dry.” Shit. She hears footsteps coming closer. “Don’t come in here.” The footsteps stop, and then a blanket gets tossed into the room. No towels but they have blankets? She doesn’t complain, picking it up and wrapping it around herself. “Thanks.” She secures it to her body and exits the room.
The turian is standing right around the corner, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his carapace. “Thought you said you were gonna deal with the wet clothes.”
She scowls. “Shut up.”
“What?”
“It’s an expression to stop talking.”
“Are all humans this rude?”
She’s not trying to be, but there’s just…something about him. She feels infuriated yet…safe? It’s an odd combination.
“Make yourself comfortable,” he goes on without an answer before stepping past her to enter the restroom. “Just don’t eat anything.”
Tch. Yeah. She physically can’t. She also feels as if she can’t physically move. Not until she hears the water turn back on, that is. At that point, she heads down the long, wide hallway until it breaks into two separate rooms. So far, turian homes don’t seem too different from human homes. Aside from the furniture. That makes sense, though, considering the shape of their bodies.
She adjusts the blanket and takes a seat in one of the single-person chairs. It’s much cushier than she prefers. She’s surprised, actually, at just how soft it is. Especially when the people using them are so hardened. Then again, she supposes that could be exactly the reason for the softness.
When she hears the water turn off, she shifts in the seat. She’s not sure how much time has passed, but the weather hasn’t changed. She’s trying to figure out how this night will go, being stuck here. With a turian.
Who is now completely naked.
She covers her eyes. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
“Not like you can see anything.”
She dares to peek at him through her fingers. He’s right. Either turians…lack similar genitals to humans, or they’re hidden away. Based on his comment, she’s leaning towards the latter. Huh. That’d be a useful evolutionary change for human men.
She shifts again as she pulls her hand away from her face. “Can’t say the same.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s all…exposed.”
He makes an odd chirping-like noise and Novella ridicules herself for thinking of it as cute. “Talk about exploiting weakness,” he says.
“You have no idea.” She takes a deep breath. “Thank you. For bringing me here and letting me stay. I’m sure this is the last way you’d want to spend your evening.”
“I don’t mind. You humans are fascinating in a strange sort of way.”
“I thought you said we were rude.”
“That was probably partly my fault. People get defencive when they feel cornered.” He pauses. “Doesn’t change the fact that that place you were in is sacred to turians.”
“I understand.”
“Besides, we’re gonna have to learn to get along. Especially since the turian military and your human military are considering—” He stops short.
She swallows hard. “You know about that, too, huh?” Not very many people do. He must be at least somewhat important to be aware of that deal.
He eyes her curiously. “The…alliance?”
“The way they want to solidify the alliance.”
He huffs. “Crazy to think that they believe bondage between the two species will so easily solve everything.”
She nearly chokes on her next intake of air. There must not be a direct translation for the word marriage at this time. “It’s a step forward,” she goes on, moving past the language blunder.
“Do you know if there are any volunteers on your side yet?”
She shakes her head, not trusting her voice to give a believable answer. “On yours?”
“Not that I’ve heard.”
Now she’s nodding her head. She looks back out the window. At the radiation storm. Such strange weather. The planet itself is beautiful. At least, what she’s been able to see of it so far is.
They fall quiet. Novella is fine with the silence. She also doesn’t know what else to say. She’s bad at small talk in general, but small talk with another species she’s still learning about… Well, that’s a whole other level. So, she’s more than okay with not talking at all. She does watch the turian, though. Observes him. She’s becoming more comfortable with the fact that he’s nude. Not being able to see anything certainly makes a difference. Except she tries not to think too much about that, lest her mind wanders. That would be awkward. For both of them.
“You’re shivering,” he suddenly speaks up.
Oh. She is. Shit. The blanket has soaked up most of the water and is pretty damp now, and there’s no way her clothes have dried yet. Even her hair is still dripping a bit.
“Here.” He gets to his feet and grabs another blanket. Holds it up like a barrier and turns his head away. “Switch.”
She stands and gets right in front of the blanket wall. Takes a deep breath before dropping the damp one, quickly grabbing the other to wrap around herself in the same fashion.
“Thanks,” she says as she picks up the discarded blanket to hand to him. He simply tosses it aside. “Uhm—”
“Let me see what I can do,” he goes on.
“I’m fine. This should help.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Novella returns to the chair, and he watches her. She tries to ignore it, but she can feel his gaze boring into her. Almost as if he’s looking directly into her soul. So, she looks back. The breath practically catches in her throat; she hadn’t realised just how blue his eyes are. The deepest yet brightest shade of blue she’s ever seen. And next to the markings on his face, the shade is even more accentuated.
“Are those family marks?” she asks.
“Colony markings. Based strictly on the region a turian was born in, so families can have different markings.”
“Same with the colours?”
“Yes.”
“Do they ever change for any reason?”
“Never.”
She hums. “Humans don’t have anything like that.”
His brow plates narrow. “What about those little specks on your face and shoulders?”
She gently sweeps a finger across her cheek before laughing softly. “They’re called freckles. Little clusters of pigment cells in skin from an overproduction of something called melanin, which provides colours to our skin, hair, and eyes. Not every human has them.”
“So, it’s…random?”
“For the most part. Some people are more prone than others.”
“Like I said: Fascinating.”
She can’t help the small smile. Perhaps being stuck here overnight won’t be so bad, after all. This turian has proven to be excellent company so far. This turian…whose name she doesn’t even know. Hmm… Is it her place to ask?
“You’re still shivering,” he then points out.
“I have to adjust.”
“C’mere.” He reaches for her. Grabs her by the arm and gently pulls her out of the chair before tugging at the blanket. “Let go.”
“Excuse me?”
“I don’t know what a human’s natural body temperature is like, but I do know that turians are considered inordinately warm, especially compared to other species. So let me help you warm up.”
“That’s…not necessary.”
“I won’t look.”
Except that’s not the point. Yet, she still finds herself opening the blanket and stepping into the turian’s space. Allowing him into her space. He keeps his arms out and she wraps the blanket around them both, inadvertently pressing flush against his body. It’s…not what she had imagined. Not that she had been imagining it, but… His plates and skin have an almost velvety feel to them rather than being rough. And, fuck, he is extremely warm. Like lying beside a fire.
“Better?” he checks.
She feels her cheeks flushing. “Shut up.”
He hums with dual tones and steps back, pulling her with him until they’re on the sofa. He adjusts them so they’re both laying down on their sides. And they’re facing each other. Doesn’t help that he’s so much taller, so her head falls into the space between his neck and cowl. Almost as if it was made for a human head. Hmm. She’s comfortable like this. She shouldn’t be. He could rip her apart with those talons if he really wanted to. Could sink his teeth deep enough into her neck to puncture veins. Novella shivers at the thought. At the embarrassment of feeling—
“Don’t tell me you’re still cold,” he says, breaking her train of thought.
“No, no…” She shakes her head. “Sorry, just…thinking.”
“About?”
Nope. Nuh-uh. She is not going there. She will not humour these thoughts. She won’t instigate this feeling. Whatever it is. She’ll just ignore the heat between her thighs. Fuck. Why is this situation turning her on? It has to be because she just hasn’t been this close to anyone in a very long time. Yeah, that’s all it is. Of course. Besides, it probably wouldn’t even be possible for a human and a turian to—
He inhales deeply. “Do humans always smell like this?”
Her cheeks burn hotter. “Like what?”
A pause. “I can’t quite place it.”
She buries her face against him, squeezing shut her eyes and thighs. What the fuck is wrong with her?
“Are you okay?” he asks.
Ugh. He’s sweet. How did he go from being annoying to being sweet so fucking quickly? It’s not fair. The rest of his species has shown no indication of being sweet or generous or kind. This is throwing her off guard. Knocking her off course.
“I should go,” she speaks up.
“You can’t go. The storm is still—”
“Sleep. I should go…to sleep.”
She tries sitting up. Twists and turns to get her legs out of the blanket prison. He tries to stop her. Tries calming her down. At this point, she doesn’t even care if he looks. If he sees her body. She just needs to get away from him. To put distance between them. A layer of something.
Next thing she knows, they’re both rolling off the sofa and onto the floor. He somehow gets them turned enough so that she lands on top of him.
The plates aren’t so velvety to land on.
“I’m so sorry, I—”
She stops short when their eyes meet. Not that turian expressions are easy to read, but he doesn’t seem angry. If anything, he seems amused, his mandibles fluttering. She can only imagine the look on her own face; how bright red she must be.
“How do you humans fight with such soft, squishy skin?” he asks, tracing her arms.
“It’s called armour. And how are you turians so agile with all these hard plates?”
Now his mandibles flick as if he’s smiling. How the hell is he so easy to talk to? And the way he teases…
“There’s something about you,” he goes on. He lifts a hand, threading it through her hair, his talons softly scraping along her scalp. She instinctively leans into the touch. “I want to learn more.” He pulls her head down and nuzzles against her neck. “What would you say to a little…experimentation?”
“Yes.” The word is out of her mouth before she can give it a second thought. She doesn’t want to think about it. She wants this. Him.
He chuckles, and it’s a low rumble. “You don’t even know what I have in mind.”
Based on the appendage she can feel poking against her stomach that hadn’t been there when they initially fell to the floor, she thinks she has an idea. “Try me.”
He lets out a growl and, somehow, the sound is more arousing than it is frightening. He rolls them over so that she’s on her back and he’s looming over her. He sits up on his—backwards—knees, and she tries not to look down at him. The way he’s looking at her, though, is predatory. Yet, at the same time, passionate.
“Show me where to start.”
She swallows hard before taking his hands and guiding them up her sides. He brushes her skin and he’s mindful of his talons. Then she brings his hands directly to her breasts. Covers them.
“Just…be gentle,” she says.
He is. He cups them experimentally. Traces the swell, causing her to shiver again. He flicks his mandibles. “So, you weren’t cold, huh?”
How many times is he going to make her blush? “Shut up.”
He chuckles darkly and refocuses on touching her. It’s odd, feeling only three fingers. His hands are rougher than the rest of his body. Calloused. It feels nice, though. Adds to the sensation. Especially when he drags his thumbs over her pert nipples. She gasps, so he does it again. Then he’s leaning down. Dragging his tongue along her clavicle. She arches into his body and feels it again—his hardened member. A body part that had not been present before. She doesn’t give it much thought. Not that she can think much at all with the way his tongue is tasting every inch of her neck and jaw.
“Lower,” she gasps out.
He hums in response before switching directions. Changing course. He moves down her chest. In between her breasts. Up the swell of one and around her nipple. A moan falls from her lips, and he repeats the action before moving to the other breast to give it the same treatment. He wraps his tongue around the nipple and tugs. Gently, at first, but then a little rougher.
“Lower?” he checks.
“Please.”
He continues down her stomach. Dips his tongue into her bellybutton. Then he inhales. “This is what I was smelling.”
Well, that’s embarrassing. “I—”
“Show me.”
Novella takes a few deep breaths before pushing herself up onto one of her elbows. “Okay. This here is your target,” she starts, spreading her labia. “Tongue is more than okay. Be wary of your talons. It requires…prep. This,” she points out her clit, “is the bullseye. It can get oversensitive, so be careful.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.”
He nuzzles the inside of her thigh, and the breath catches in her throat, along with her next thought. He brings his hand between her thighs but uses his knuckle to slowly drag along her slit. He gathers the wetness there and uses it to push into her cunt.
“Do human women naturally lubricate like turians?”
Naturally—? He’s naturally lubricated? That’s the wetness she’s feeling? Holy shit. This just got a whole lot better.
“The more worked up you get the woman, the wetter she’ll become.”
He hums, and even she can hear the smugness of his tone. “You’re very wet.” He pushes a little deeper. As deep as he can go with just his knuckle. “And tight.” He pulls back and pushes back in. “I like it.”
Yeah, she likes it, too. It’s just enough of a stretch to leave her wanting more. Just slow and steady enough to be driving her crazy.
“I know I said to be gentle, but—”
He presses the pad of his thumb to her clit, causing her to nearly scream.
“I’ll take care of you,” he says again. “I’m a quick study.”
With that, he pushes her knees farther apart and settles between her thighs. His thumb is still pressed to her clit, but he’s removed his knuckle by now. He licks along her slit. Makes a comment about her taste, which is lost on her because she’s trying not to come already. The moment his tongue pushes into her cunt, though, her entire body is convulsing. She rolls her hips against his face, and he lets her, following her motions. He licks her through her orgasm but doesn’t stop. If anything, once her body has stopped spasming, he speeds up. Extends his tongue into her cunt, furling and unfurling. It’s too much but she doesn’t want him to stop. So, she lets him keep going. Lets him fuck her with that long, dexterous appendage. Lets him build her back up to that teetering high. And as soon as her breathing turns into panting, he presses the base of his tongue to her clit. Prods at it with his mouth plates. She squeezes her eyes shut as she loses herself in his ministrations. Next thing she knows, for the second time, her body goes rigid as she’s overtaken with another mind-blowing orgasm.
He finally stops, moving up to lay beside her. She works on catching her breath. Holy shit. She doesn’t know what to say. She’s never come so hard in her entire life. Twice.
“Talk about reach,” she speaks up.
“Humans seem quite resilient.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll get your turn.”
He hums, nuzzling into her neck and hair before nipping softly at her earlobe. “You’re very responsive. Made it easy for me.”
“Well, you sure weren’t lying about being a quick study.” She rolls onto her side, propping herself up on her elbow and tracing the plates along his carapace with a single finger. “You’re not giving up, are you?”
“I don’t wanna overwork—”
“C’mon, that wouldn’t be fair to you.” She pushes herself up and over his body, straddling his hips. “Besides, we humans are resilient.”
She reaches for his impressive shaft. Pumps it a few times, spreading the lubrication. Not that that seems necessary; he’s as wet as she is. She lifts herself just enough to line him up with her entrance. And, ever so slowly, she lowers herself onto his alien cock. They both groan at the feeling of being connected. He’s muttering curses her translator isn’t picking up on, but his voice is low and gravely, and it makes her keep going. Keep taking more. Somehow, she manages to seat herself fully on his cock, though she pauses to adjust to the sensation of being so full. To the sensation of all his ridges hitting all the right spots.
“Talk about flexibility,” he says, mimicking her earlier comment.
She lets out a strained chuckle but doesn’t say anything back. She can’t. It’s too much and not enough all at once.
It feels like hours have passed by the time she finally rolls her hips. She gasps and lifts herself up before dropping back down on him. His hands instantly go to her hips, and she’s worried for a split second, but even in this moment he seems to have the wherewithal to keep his talons clear of her flesh.
Fuck. That only turns her on more.
The more she shifts her hips, the more she adjusts to the welcome intrusion. Soon enough, she’s fucking herself on his cock, unabashedly letting every sound fall from her lips. She can feel his entire body thrumming and vibrating beneath her, and it only heightens the overall sensation. Quickens the oncoming release.
“I should—” he starts, interrupting himself with another untranslatable curse, “—warn you—” another curse, “—that turians have this…thing—” This time, he stops to breathe, his grip on her hips tightening. “Turians have this thing we do—we do when we finish that—” a groan, “—locks them together with their partner and—and it isn’t always—” a curse with a growl, “—isn’t always preventable.”
She can’t bring herself to care. Too focused on finishing for the third time. She leans over him, allowing her clit to rub against his plates, stimulating it. She thinks her thighs might chafe, but she doesn’t have it in herself to care about that, either.
“Are you—?”
“Yes,” she gasps out.
“Spirits, I wanna feel you—”
That admitted desire is enough to send her over the edge. Her cunt spasms and constricts around his cock, causing his hips to stutter.
“I’m not gonna be able to—I can’t stop—”
“Don’t stop.” Hell, she hasn’t even stopped yet. She wants to see this through. “Please. I wanna feel you, too.”
He lets out a long string of curses. Then his grip on her hips tightens even more and she’s suddenly on her back. His hands move to either side of her head as he pounds into her cunt. He lifts her ass off the floor and pulls her flush against him as he finally stills his hips. She feels his cock pulsing deep inside her, filling her with his hot seed. At his base, where they’re joined, she feels stretching. The pressure on her clit rips a fourth orgasm out of her, and he growls loudly. She feels pinpricks on her ass, but her body is too numb with pleasure to be concerned.
As soon as his body relaxes, he rolls them back over so that she’s laying atop him again. She rests her cheek against his carapace, and she can’t help but laugh.
“What’s so funny?” he asks.
“Nothing. That was just…incredible,” she breathes out. She laughs more. “Fuck. I don’t even know your name.”
“Too bad. Would’ve loved to hear you scream it.” If her cheeks weren’t already flushed, she’d be blushing all over again. “The way you humans are vocal is honestly much more satisfying than turian vocality.”
“I’m usually not so loud. Your subharmonics are something else, though.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Shut up,” she says for the umpteenth time. She chuckles a bit more before taking a deep breath. “So…how long will we be joined?”
“Once my body settles. You’ll be able to tell.”
“Humans don’t have anything like that, either.”
“Then how do you ensure…?”
She shrugs her shoulders. “We hope for the best.”
“How has your species lasted so long?”
“In retrospect, based on how old Earth is, humans really haven’t been around very long at all.”
“Fascinating.”
“Yeah. So you keep saying.”
She lets out a content sigh. She can’t believe she’s here. Can’t believe all that has transpired in such a short amount of time. A part of her almost feels guilty, considering—
“I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted,” he speaks up, breaking her train of thought. “Are you in any sort of pain?”
She almost whimpers. How is he so sweet? “I feel amazing.” And that’s the truth. Her limbs are loose and limp. “Honest.”
He nuzzles her neck again, and something tells her that that action carries a much deeper meaning. Before she can inquire, though, he’s carefully lifting her off his deflating member. There’s wetness between her thighs as she feels both their releases dripping out of her. He gets up before wrapping her in the blanket, clearly not caring if it gets dirty. Then he picks her up and carries her down the hall until they reach a bedroom.
“You don’t mind sharing, do you?” he checks.
“After what we just did?”
His mandibles flutter with soft laughter. “Fair enough.”
So, they crawl into the bed together. And all Novella can think about is how she wouldn’t mind if the events from the other room happened again right now. She is exhausted, but it would be worth it. And being wrapped up in both the blanket and the turian’s arms amplifies that feeling. So, she closes her eyes and relaxes…
Holy shit…you fucked a turian.
~~~~
Spirits, you mated a human.
He doesn’t regret it. And that’s not just something he’s telling himself to feel better about the situation. He truly does not regret the way things transpired. It had been his idea, after all. Granted, he never expected her to go along with it. Spirits, not biting her during that whole ordeal had been difficult. The fact that he knotted her, though… He didn’t even think that would be possible. Other turians may be able to tell. They’ll smell it. Smell their mixed pheromones. Even if they’re not physically together.
Garrus still does not regret it.
Besides, this could become normal. Perhaps not between them, but at least in general.
He glances over at her sleeping form. She looks so at peace. I don’t even know your name. He wants her name. He wants to see her again. She might not want the same. She could wake up and regret every moment.
Well, the radiation storm has passed, so she won’t be trapped here if that’s the case.
He breathes deep, his mandibles fluttering. He wants to touch her. He doesn’t want to cross any lines. Tch. Then again, all boundaries had been knocked down last night. He had to stop himself from starting over. Had to hold himself back. To will himself back inside his protective plates. Otherwise, he probably could’ve rutted into her all night.
He shakes his head, the thought causing his plates to start shifting. Not now. He doesn’t want her to wake up and think he has…expectations. He doesn’t. He understands that last night was most likely a one-time thing.
Blowing off steam.
She shifts and his mandibles tighten to his face. She moves closer to him. Curls her body into his. Then her eyes are fluttering open, and she smiles. Spirits, that causes his vocals to make all kinds of noises. He’s relieved she can’t hear them.
“Good morning,” she says, her voice rough with sleep. “Wow… This is the first time I’ve woken up beside someone in a very long time.”
He clears his throat. “Same…for me.” He pauses. “How are you feeling?”
“Like that’s the best sleep I’ve ever gotten in my life.” She stretches her arms over her head, and her nose wrinkles before her mouth opens wide, exposing her blunt teeth. She makes a noise, like an accentuated sigh. “How about you?”
“Good. I—You—” He clears his throat again, not knowing how to express his question.
“Not so suave the morning after, huh?” Her eyes suddenly widen, as if she’s on high alert. “Unless—Oh. You’re trying to tell me to leave, aren’t you? Shit. I’m—Yeah. I’m sorry. I’ve overstayed my welcome. Of course. So, I’ll just—”
He stops her before she can slip out of the bed. The way she looks at him reminds Garrus that he’s very much the predator here.
“I enjoyed last night,” he says.
She instantly relaxes and smiles again. “I did, too.” She reaches for him but stops halfway. Spirits, he doesn’t want her to stop. “I probably should go, though.”
“There’s no rush.”
Now he lets her leave the bed, despite wanting her to stay. “Thanks, but I have people who are probably wondering where I am. Hell, they might have already sent out a search party for me. Plus, I need to eat and I’m guessing you don’t have any levo-rations.”
“I…do not.”
“Exactly.”
He watches her as she gathers her few belongings. Redresses herself in her now dry clothes. He can smell hints of her as she moves. Wants to pull her back onto the bed and ravish her. Except he’s not sure if she would appreciate that.
Once he feels like he has control over his lower regions, he also climbs out of the bed to redress. She looks over at him and smiles and it stops him in his tracks. Spirits, what is it about her? Why is he feeling this way? How can she already have such a strong effect on him?
“Something on your mind, Big Guy?” she asks.
Big Guy? He thinks he’ll let her get away with that. “Wondering if I wanna let you leave here without learning your name.”
She hums as she moves towards the front door. “I think it would be for the best that we remain anonymous to each other.”
Oh. His mandibles flatten to his face as he attempts to keep his composure. This shouldn’t bother him so much. He clears his throat. “Right. Makes sense.”
“If we see each other again, though, then we can take that as a sign.”
“Fair enough.”
“Okay.”
Garrus dares to step up to her. He still doesn’t want her to go. Except this is the way it has to be. But she seems to sway towards him. So maybe—
“Okay,” she says again. “I’ll, uh… Maybe I’ll see you before I leave Palaven.”
Hopefully. “Maybe. Uhm. Do you know where you’re going from here?”
“I’ll be able to find my way.”
“Okay.” He takes a step back. Away from her. “Good luck.” His mandibles flick. “And stay out of those radiation storms.”
She chuckles. “And sacred domes?”
“It would seem you’re a quick study, as well.”
She shakes her head, still chuckling. “I’ll stay away. No worries.”
With that, the door slides open, and she’s gone.
Garrus isn’t sure how long he stands there, staring blankly at the space the human had been occupying. I don’t even know your name. The words ring through his skull. Echoing. He really didn’t want her to leave without exchanging names first, but he wasn’t going to force her. If we see each other again…
Spirits, he’s never wanted more of a sign.
Eventually, he jumps in the shower. Washes himself before washing nearly the entire place. As much of it as he can, at least. Both the blankets the human had been wrapped in. The sheets on the bed. All of it. This isn’t technically his home, after all; it’s a shelter. He doesn’t need the next turians who use it to smell the remains of their mixed pheromones.
After washing the place, he washes himself again. Hopefully it’ll be enough. It needs to be enough. Because, Spirits, he doesn’t need to be reminded. Not unless he actually sees her again. Not unless he gets the chance to learn her name.