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“Hey.”
The voice came from the stairs. Shepard turned and smiled at Garrus before returning to leaning on the balcony. “Hey, yourself.”
Garrus sipped his drink and leaned next to her. “What are you doing?”
She shot him a smirk and raised her eyebrow. “Currently? Leaning on this railing and looking out the window.”
Garrus sighed. “You know what I meant.”
Shepard only grinned and took a pull from her drink. “You’re no fun.”
“Seriously.” He slipped his arm around her waist and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Is everything alright?”
“Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Just, it’s almost midnight. Everyone else is downstairs and enjoying the festivities.”
Shepard nodded and took another sip. She could hear Ashley and Vega arguing and laughing over whatever drinking game he had convinced the group to play. It was mostly the human crew members there, with the exception of Garrus, Tali, and Liara, given that it was a human celebration. All species varied on their yearly markers. Shepard originally hadn’t been too hot on the idea of having a New Year’s party so soon after the Christmas one, but between Vega’s puppy dog eyes and Ashley’s smart assery, she’d caved. Jack, Miranda, and Jacob had even been able to make it. Hearing their laughter and shouting made Shepard feel a sense of home she’d never had anywhere else, even if it made her a little homesick for the rest of her crew.
“Shepard?”
“Mmm?” She focused on Garrus again, who had fixed her with that too perceptive look of his.
“Why aren’t you downstairs?”
She pursed her lips and let out a puff of air. “I honestly don’t know.” She leaned into his chest and continued to stare out the window at the skycars careening by. “I just felt… overwhelmed. In a good way, you know? Everyone’s down there laughing and drinking and it’s good that we’re all together, about to ring in a new year.”
“But?”
“What but?”
“There was a ‘but’ there, in your voice.”
She sighed. “I don’t know, G. We’re at war. What if this – what if it’s our last new year?”
“Hey, hey.” He placed his drink on the banister and pulled her around so she was facing him. “It won’t be. We’ll win.”
She gave him a smile and prayed to any gods or spirits that existed that he couldn’t read the sadness in it. “I know. I know. It’s just, you can’t help but think about it sometimes.”
She moved to lay her head on his chest and he tilted her chin, fixing her gaze to his. “Shepard. We will win. I know it.”
She rested a hand on his scarred cheek. “With you here, I can believe that.”
In the background, somewhere below them, James began shouting the count down. The others quickly joined. Shepard grinned up at the man she loved and as her crew shouted out zero, they shared the softest kiss she’d ever received.