fuckyeahshakarian | Fic: Human Christmas

Hey guys! I figured I would go first and leave a little something...I wrote this back at Christmas but I'm feeling the Shakarian love, post Citadel, so, enjoy! (I hope.)

670 words
PG for reference to sexytiems

Garrus Vakarian looked over his shoulder for the tenth time in as many minutes. The bulkhead door to the Main Battery remained shut, just as it had for the last ten minutes. With a rasping sigh, the turian pulled up his extranet link.

“EDI will see what I’m looking for. It’s impossible to keep a secret from the Normandy itself, after all. Not to mention Liara, and spirits know who else...” He shook his head, raking his talons along his crest. “Get on with it, Vakarian, before you talk yourself out of it.”

“Did you need something, Garrus?” EDI’s impersonal voice came over the comm. The AI never eavesdropped (that Garrus knew of), but Garrus had used her name aloud.

Garrus’ mandibles fluttered in agitation. “No, EDI, just talking to myself.”

“Understood. Should you need to make an inquiry, please let me know,” EDI said politely. “Logging you out now.”

Garrus nodded, forgetting EDI couldn’t see him. With another embarrassed shake of his head, he turned back to his terminal.

Human Christmas traditions, he typed on the interface. Results scrolled across the screen.

Christmas traditions around Earth: Origins and Facts

Santa’s Bounty - visit the ‘North Pole’ of Demeter!

What are your family’s Christmas traditions?

traditional Christmas tree

sexy Santa suit

North American region Christmas traditions

batarian converts celebrate Christmas

Garrus selected ‘North American traditions’. Shepard had grown up on the streets, he knew, but Garrus wasn’t sure where on Earth she’d lived. He hoped to ask her someday, if it wasn’t considered rude to ask about a person’s upbringing.

“Humans are so difficult to understand,” Garrus muttered.

“What is it now?” Shepard’s voice, behind him, made Garrus jump half out of his plated skin.

“Spirits! You scared me, Shepard,” Garrus said, fumbling to shut off his terminal. He hadn’t heard the door open, he was concentrating so hard.

“Not calibrating anything tonight?” the red-haired woman asked teasingly. “I came to ask if you wanted to join me in my cabin for some dinner. Gardner’s options don’t look too bad tonight. Helps that we just reprovisioned, too.”

Garrus stared at the human he admired for a moment too long. His mandibles jerked, betraying his nervousness. Better to just explain. “Ah, Shepard?”

“What is it, Garrus?”

“Earth calendars list Christmas Day next week, and I was wondering if you had a special Earth tradition you’d like to recreate...with me?”

Shepard’s mischievous smile flashed across her face, but she quickly suppressed it. “Garrus Vakarian, you are the sweetest turian I know.” She laid one warm hand on his chest plate.

“I try.” He covered her hand with his, mindful of his sharp talons.

She thought about it for a moment. “I don’t know about Earth traditions, but...”

“Tell me.”

“Making love with you the first time, on my bed - the stars twinkling at us through the ceiling remind me of the Christmas lights I saw in the city, when I was a kid. And having you at my side is the best gift I could ask for. I don’t need anything else.”

Garrus was silent, her generous nature and easy words covering him like the silky sheets on her bed. “Let me at least get you a gift. I understand that’s customary.”

“Okay. A new scope for my sniper rifle.”

Garrus laughed, his flanging voice echoing in the empty Battery. “You’re the perfect woman for me, Shepard. You choose a gift that’s practical, and easy for me to buy.”

“Hey, I’ll use it too,” she reminded him. “But if you want, we can recreate that Christmas feeling in my cabin after dinner.”

Garrus smiled. “I’ll be there.”