Work Text:
She was hurrying down to the Main Battery.
Chackwas had informed her that after going down on the last mission, Garrus had contracted a form of turian flu. It wasn't that unexpected, even she had felt a bit cold after getting soaked and standing in the wind durin the storm… and she was practically a cyborg.
She didn't know anything about turian diseases. Her knowledge of turians in general went from where to hit and shoot to incapacitate, torture or kill one in various ways the Alliance thought useful (also developed over time by experience) to, later, the best way to make one particular turian writhe and beg for more.
Reaching her destination she pressed the green light to let herself in.
Of course, he was still doing his perpetual calibrations… not even eating a rocket could make him take a break longer than a few days of unconsciousness and recovery… did she really expect him to lie down from a measly flu?
"Garrus…"
He turned around, nodded and then went back to his work.
"… something wrong?..."
His usual 'Need me for something?' was conspicuously absent. That was somewhat unusual.
"Do."
"Pardon?"
…was that supposed to be a 'No'?...
Shepard felt a smile creeping up.
"I zaid 'do'… ztop zmirkin'…"
She had no idea turians could sound stuffy…
Is that an effect of the translator, or is it really how he sounds?
"You sure you should be up working? Maybe …"
"I'b vine… "
"You don't sound 'vine' to me…" she deadpanned.
"C'mon, stop being stubborn. Let's go up."
He took a moment to glance at his work, back to her then down at his feet. He closed his station with a cloggy sounding sigh and followed obediently.
She didn't hear a peep from him the whole way up.
"Get in bed." As soon as the words left her mouth he shot her a dirty look.
"Not like that, you perv!"
"Zure… wateve' you zay Zepard…"
His attempt at snark and a heated look failed after a pathetic sounding cough. Shepard had to stifle another laugh.
"I'll go see if Gardner has anything warmed up for you. Did Chackwas give you any meds?"
"Yez, I already took zem."
She really needed to get out of the room before she burst out laughing.
Shepard returned with some sort of snot-green, steaming hot, glue-like stuff. It looked worse than it smelled, but he seemed to like it.
She turned the temperature up so he'd be more comfortable and sat next to him on the bed, pulling the covers further up.
"You dun 'ave do cohddle be…" he protested, frowning a little.
"..hmmm… you sure?..." she drawled and slid up close to him.
"Zepard, I'b noh' really zat zik."
"Of course not…"
"I'b zeriouz."
"…pffft… sorry, sorry…"
Taking pity she got under the covers and they both shortly fell asleep.
An indeterminate amount of time later, Shepard woke up alone feeling a little feverish.
Damn. Forgot the heat on…
Garrus had probably already headed back to his calibrations. She looked at the clock.
Shit! Can't believe I slept so much!
She got up and got dressed. But now she was feeling cold and started shivering a bit.
She shrugged it off, and went down to the CIC.
Garrus was just coming out of he Main Battery to grab some breakfast, he was feeling much better after some rest. He'd left Shepard sleeping, she looked so peaceful, he couldn't bring himself to wake her.
He saw her pass by, she didn't even register him. And she looked… off.
"Shepard?"
"hu?"
She looked dazed, and her cheeks had turned pink - but it was different from the blushes he saw when they were alone.
Then she made this weird, ridiculously loud 'achoo' sound that almost had him jumping out of his plates.
"What was that?" he asked after a moment where they both got to compose themselves.
"A… zneeze?..." Shepard sounded puzzled. She seemed just as surprised by the strange sound as he was.
"Commander?" Chackwas must have overheard them while coming out for food herself.
"Awww, zhit… doht tell be I got it too… ztubid Zerberuz! Zouldn't I be ebbune to zis zhit?..."
"No cure was found to the common cold, Commander…" the doctor reminded with a smile.
"So, Shepard… something wrong?" Garrus parroted back with a self-satisfied twang in his subvocals.
"Oh, zhut ub…"