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Shepard can’t remember the last time she really had an evening off. Ever since she left earth it’s been just work, all day, every day. There is a war on, after all.
Even when the Normandy is docked for repairs, like tonight, she’s working. Checking her E-Mails, plotting courses, training...until she gets a message from Garrus that is. “You. Me. Bar. Now.”
Shepard smiles, but then types a reply. “Can’t. I got a bunch of stuff to organize.”
A few minutes go by before she gets another ping, this time from Liara. “Go have a drink with your boyfriend. I’ll take over the E-Mails.”
She starts typing another refusal, but gets interrupted by a message from Tali. “If you don’t go to the bar I’m hacking you. EDI is on my side.”
Shepard gives up. Her friends’ methods of getting her to relax might be unorthodox but they sure are effective. There is no way she can keep her E-Mails safe from Liara, Tali and EDI’s combined forces. So, Shepard puts on her hoodie and makes her way down to the Normandy Bar.
Garrus isn’t there yet when she arrives, he probably figured it would take a bit more convincing to get her down here. Shepard grabs herself a beer and sits down on the bar, resisting the temptation to check her omni toll. Garrus comes in a few minutes later, leaning onto the bar.
“You come here often?”
Shepard stifles a laugh choking on her beer. “I’d say so, I work here.”
Garrus tilts his head. “At the bar?”
“No, in the building”, she gives him a smile, placing her beer down on the bar. It’s been ages since she flirted with someone like this. Hell, it’s been ages since she had a beer.
“Oh”, Garrus’ tone is starting to slip, he is trying to hold in the amusement just as much as she is “What do you do?”
Shepard’s mouth twitches. “Things.”
“Fascinating”
She can’t hold it in any longer. Shepard starts laughing, tipping forward in the bar stool and holding on to Garrus’ arm for support. It’s just so absurd. So nice, but also so absurd. Garrus waits until the wave of laughter is over before he pulls her back up and kisses her. “Hey”
“Hey”, Shepard smiles. “Thanks for forcing me down here, I needed this.”
“It’s only been a minute.”
“And that minute is already the highlight of my week.”
“I do not know”, Garrus pulls one of the other stools closer and sits on it, still holding Shepard’s arm. “If I should be flattered or worried.”
She shrugs in response. “Both?”
Garrus sighs. “Both.” He studies her, carefully looking her up and down “How are you?”
“Stressed, sleep deprived…”
“I know about the sleep deprived, you keep kicking me awake.”
“Sorry”, she presses her lips together. Shepard has been refusing to tell anyone about the details of her nightmares. The forest. The voices of the dead. The child. But Garrus knows something is wrong.
“Don’t apologize”, he strokes her arm. “My job is to support you. If being kicked awake is part of that, then it is.”
“I’m pretty sure the cannon is your actual job.”
“And the cannon is doing fine. It’s you I’m worried about.”
Shepard smiles again, placing a hand over the talons on her arm. “I’m fine. Really. I am handling it.”
Garrus tilts his head forward, resting his forehead against hers. “Still worried.”
“I know.”
“I’ll always be worried.”
“I know.”
“Just…”, Garrus leans back, pulling her hands into his lap instead. “Promise me you’ll do your best to make it out alive.”
“I am doing that.”
“It doesn’t look that way.”
Shepard lowers her head. She’s all too aware of how it looks. Of what she is doing. If the war continues like this for much longer she will die fighting. Sooner or later her insistence to be on the front line is going to get her killed. “I can’t...stop.”
“I know you can’t and I’m not asking that of you, I’m just asking you to make a promise.” Garrus slides out of his chair, kneeling in front of her instead. “Marry me.”
She stares at him. “What?”
“When the crucible is finished. When it’s over. Marry me. Make it that far.”
Tears start welling up in her eyes. Shepard slides out of her own chair, kneeling too. She wraps her arms around Garrus. “I promise. Yes.”
He hugs her back, tight. “Thank you.”
Shepard rests her head on his shoulder. It takes her a few seconds before she can speak. “I love you. I love you so much. And I know I am putting everything into this fight, but I love you and I will always, always return to you.”
Garrus doesn’t respond, just buries his face in her neck. Shepard holds on to him, deciding right then and there that she will do anything to keep her promise.