#nihlus x shepard

[queenvidal]

I'm Sorry

Chapter 1:

Chapter Summary: The last thing Shepard wanted was to have her ex-boyfriend aboard, but little did she knew how much she'd regret what she's said.

Wordcount: 2855

Chapter Index: Chapter 1 / Chapter 2/ Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 - COMING SOON!

Masterlist

With quick steps, Shepard strides toward the cockpit. Joker’s announcement about the jump through the mass relay sparked her excitement, she wouldn’t miss this for anything. She passes Pressly with a big smile on her lips.

Suddenly she stops dead in her tracks and her smile vanishes. A tall figure is standing behind the pilot seat.

Suppressing a groan, Shepard rolls her eyes and steps into position beside Joker, completely ignoring the turian standing nearby.  Nihlus glances at her for a moment before returning his attention back on the screens in front of the pilot.

“Hey, Shep,” Joker greets with a grin, knowing she wouldn’t miss the jump. But his grin also is short lived and soon disappears. The turian's looming presence unsettles him. Joker hates being watched and the turian breathing down his neck is making him nervous.  “Coming for the show?” he asks, his voice a little strained.

Shepard chuckles. “Always.”

Joker adjusts his cap and announces, “Alright, fasten your seatbelts, ladies and gentlemen. We’re going through.” His fingers fly over the console as the Normandy accelerates toward the mass relay. The sheer scale of the relays never fails to impress Shepard, who watches intently as Joker counts down. The cockpit bathes in brilliant blue light as the Normandy launches into the relay’s energy field.

Suddenly the blue sigts into a stunning sea of millions of stars flashes before them, painting the cockpit in a tranquil glow. Shepard’s lips twitch into a small smile as awe briefly replaces her earlier irritation. The sight is simply beautiful.

Moments later, the Normandy slows down, the stars of their destination stretching out before them. Joker’s hands fly over the controls as he runs post-jump diagnostics. “Thrusters check, navigation check. Internal emissions sink engaged. All systems online. Drift just under 1500k.”

Nihlus nods approvingly. “1500 is good, your captain will be pleased.” He turns around to take his leave, glancing at Shepard for one final time before exiting the cockpit. 

Joker quickly looks over his shoulder, waiting until the turian is out of earshot. “I hate this guy.” Shepard smirks, holding back laughter at Joker’s visible frustration. Kaidan, who is sitting at the co-pilot console, is shaking his head. “Joker, come one. He just gave you a compliment.”

“Compliment my ass.” The pilot girths through his teeth, “I just jumped us halfway across the whole galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead. That’s not good, that's incredible.” While grumbling some curses, Joker's focus returns to his displays. “Besides Spectres are trouble. I don't like having him around.” Neither do I, Shepard thinks to herself. Nihlus belongs on the Citadel, not Andersons ship. Kaidan argues, “The council helped fund this project. They have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment. You’ll just have to deal with it.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Joker sighs as he enters in new codes. “That's the official story. But only an idiot believes the official story, right, Shep?”

The Commander finally relaxes her posture, letting out a deep sigh. "Honestly? The Council could have sent anyone to supervise the operation, yet they not only sent a Spectre, but him out of all people. They are not truly concerned about the Normandy. The sooner he’s off my ship the better.”

Joker looks at her with a shit-eating grin, “Well, technically it’s Captain Anderson's ship.”

“And technically-” Shepard whispers as she pushes Joker's cap down, right into his face. “You know what I meant.”

“Hey, that's mean!” He complains. He takes his cap off to readjust it properly. “Since when are you sensitive? Pissed you two can't share your bunks anymore?”

Shepard’s glare could set fire to steel. “Don’t test my tamper, Mr. Moreau.” As much as she loves Joker, sometimes he doesn’t know when he’s going too far.

Irritated by Shepards sudden bad mood, Kaidan turns his chair to look at the Commander. “Okay, I feel like I’m missing something. What’s going on?” Joker just huffs a laugh. “Yeah sure, Aleko. As if you don’t know about it.”

“About what?” He asks, raising his brows in question.

Joker stays quiet, leaving Shepard to decide whether she wants to tell Kaidan or not. After a moment of consideration, Shepard explains what’s been going on. “You’ll probably learn it from the others anyway, so I might as well tell you. Kryik and I were involved… romantically.”

Kaidan’s jaw drops to the ground. “What?”

“Yep.” She sighs. “Have been just until a few months ago actually.”

“Well, given your mood, I guess it didn’t end well?” Kaiden asks carefully.

“That’s one way to put it.” Shepard crosses her arms in front of her chest. “We’ve been dating for some time and then things moved quite quickly. Everything was peachy until, from one day to another, he changed. Suddenly he treated me like a stranger and when I confronted him about it, he told me that it was all a big mistake, that turians and humans shouldn’t be together and that he regrets it.”

Kaidan looks at her with wide blown eyes, stunned into silence.

Shepard casts him a sad smile. “That’s exactly the look I had, when he told me all of this.” A ping on her omni tool announces a new message. “For fuck sake.”

“Speaking of the devil, huh?” Joker asks.

“Yup.” Shepard deletes Nihlus message without even bothering to read it. “It’s bad enough to see him strolling through the ship the whole day, can’t he just have the decency to not annoy me even further?”

Suddenly Anderson's voice sounds over the speakers. “Commander Shapard, I need to speak to you in my cabin.”

“Uh!” Joker smiles brightly at her. “Someone’s in trouble.”

Shepard just rolls her eyes, tempted to mess with his cap again. “Bite me, Jeff.”

Quickly the Commander makes her way to the elevator. Once inside, she hits the button for the mess hall a bit harder than necessary. She lets out an irritated sigh before rubbing her eyes. Whatever Nihlus is actually here for, she’s just hoping it will be done as soon as possible. 

Eventually the elevator doors open again, releasing her. Shepard goes straight for the Captain's cabin. She knocks on the door before it wooshes open. “How can I be of service?” She asks, while entering.

Captain Anderson is sitting at his desk. He turns around to face her. “Lynette.” is all he says in greeting. He signs for Shepard to sit on the seat across from him. “I have to talk to you.”

“Of course.” She says as she’s taking a seat, crossing her legs.

The captain sighs deeply. He is visibly uncomfortable. “Lynette, I’ll be blunt—this conversation isn’t easy for me, and I doubt it will be for you either.”

Shepard tilts her head slightly, her brow furrowing.

Anderson takes a deep breath. “You’re familiar with Alliance regulations about fraternization aboard a ship, I assume?”

Shepard groans, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Oh, Anderson, please don’t.”

“I have to,” Anderson says, his tone almost contrite. “Look, I’m not here to pry into your personal life. But with Nihlus aboard, I need your assurance that… whatever happened between you two won’t interfere with missions or ship operations.”

“Of course not, Anderson.” Shepard affirms. She might hate Nihlus guts but she won’t act on her ill feelings, she’s too professional for anything else. “I promise.”

Anderson nods slightly in approval. “Good to hear.”

“Allow me a question, sir?” Shepard crosses her arms casually. “What’s the actual reason for a Spectre to be here?”

Anderson falls back into his chair. “That’s classified.”

“Oh?” Lynette’s eyebrows raise, a small smirk tugging at her lips. “So there is another reason?”

The Captain narrows his eyes for a moment as he realizes his slip. “That’s something we will discuss tomorrow, Shepard. That’s all I can tell you at the moment.”

“Very well.” She says. “Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?”

Anderson hesitates again, his voice softening. “Actually, yes. It might not be my place to ask, but… have you and Nihlus ever talked about what happened? Afterward, I mean.”

“Nope.” Shepard shakes her head.“ After he blew on me, I packed my things and left. Haven't seen or heard from him ever since and as far as I'm concerned, I'd like to keep it that way.”

Certainly she knows the space on the ship is limited and therefore the chance of running into him is pretty high but that doesn't mean she can't  at least try to avoid him.

Anderson just nods silently. “Just do me the favor and keep it low, okay? This is not meant to anger you.”

“Yeah, sure.” She whispers to herself when she stands up. “Sir.” She salutes casually at her Captain before leaving his cabin again.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

A new cycle has started on the Normandy. Breakfast has started to be giving out in the mess, which is slowly starting to get crowded. Soldiers shuffle through the line, grabbing trays of rations, some exchanging groggy greetings while others simply nurse their coffee in silence.

Kaidan sits at a corner table, chatting with Doctor Chakwas. Anticipating the morning rush, he’s already picked up an extra tray for their Commander, placing it at the empty seat beside him. He hopes the small gesture will help lift her mood, which has been notably sour since Nihlus arrived.

The tables conversation drifts between topics, focusing on Kaidan’s latest episode of headaches, when Shepard finally appears. “Morning, Commander!” Kaidan calls, spotting Shepard as she strides into the mess.

Mid-yawn, Shepard perks up slightly at the sound of his voice. Her eyes dart to the tray waiting for her, and she gives him a tired but genuine smile. “Kaidan, you’re too good to me,” she says with a tired smile, sliding into the seat.

“I live to serve,” he replies, the corners of his mouth quirking into a small grin.

“Good morning, Commander.” Doctor Chakwas her kindly.  “Slept well?”

“Well enough,” Shepard replies, though she’s already diving into her breakfast.

The conversation between Kaidan and Chakwas resumes with Shepard not contributing much, her focus is entirely on her meal. The calm is short-lived though, as a familiar voice breaks through the low hum of the mess. 

“Lynette, do you have a minute?”

Shepard freezes mid-bite, suppressing a groan. It’s far too early to deal with him. Without looking up, she responds in a clipped tone, “Good morning, Spectre. The correct form of address is Commander Shepard, and no, I don’t.”

In an instant the air is becoming tense. The surrounding tables go quiet, soldiers suddenly finding reasons to focus on their food or shuffle away. Kaidan shifts uncomfortably in his seat and Chakwas raises an eyebrow but says nothing. Both share a quick uncomfortable glance. Nihlus pauses, clearly weighing his options. Finally, the turian straightens. “Commander,” he says simply, before turning on his heel and walking away toward the elevator.

Once he’s gone, Chakwas sighs as she looks at Shepard. Her voice carries a hint of disapproval. “Was that really necessary?”

“No,” Shepard admits, spearing a piece of food. “But a fork to his eyes might be.”

“Shepard!” Chakwas scolds, her eyes wide blown. “You’re an adult woman, for heaven’s sake.”

“I’m kidding, Karin." Lynette replies, raising her hands in mock surrender. “Probably.”

Before Chakwas can retort, Joker’s voice crackles over the speakers. “Commander Shepard, you’re needed in the comm room.”

Shepard exhales heavily, dropping her fork onto the tray with a clatter. “Of course I am.”

Quickly she rises to her feet. While gesturing to the tray, she’s giving Kidan a nod. “Thanks for grabbing this, Alenko.”

“Anytime,” he smiles, watching her retreat toward the elevator.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

It was late in the morning, almost midday, when the Commander returned from the meeting she had with Anderson and Nihlus. Seeing Joker was the first thing she did. As annoying as the Pilot can be at times, he is still one of Shepards closest friends. He was the first and only one she broke the news to. 

“Spectre, I can't believe it.” She says while looking at the stars, swaying gently from side to side in the chair, her tone softening. “I really can’t believe it.”

It’s an honor, that’s for sure. Becoming the first human Spectre is nothing Lynette could have ever imagined would happen in her career. She’ll definitely have to give her mother a call later.

“Yeah, about time, huh?” Joker asks, his voice full of sarcasm. “About time the Council added humans to their puppet show. You know, gotta make sure every species gets tangled in their strings” The Commander frowns at him. “Sorry, Shep. I really don’t mean to shit on your accomplishments. It's just…”

“You’re not fond of the council. I know.” She smiles lightly.

“One way to put it. My point is I don’t like you being dragged into their political bullshit. I mean, see what they did. They could have sent about any Spectre to test you, yet they’ve sent King Asshole.”

“Yeah, I know.” The woman agrees. “Let’s put her under a real stress test. Why don’t we force her and her racist ex into a small tin can of a ship for a week?”

That elicits a laugh from the Pilot. "Exactly. Politicians, man. Bunch of jerks in fancy robes.”

Lynette snickers in return, shaking her head. She’s not too fond of politicians either. After stretching her arms, she leans back into the co-pilot seat more comfortably, hr eyes fixated on the stars outside the window. The tension in her shoulders begins to ease, but the sound of approaching footsteps in the corridor snaps her out of it.

“Commander Shepard, I need to talk to you.” Nihlus comes to stand right at the entrance of the cockpit.

Shepard glances at him quickly, before replying. “I'm busy.”

But Nihlus is not having her defiance right now. “That is not a request.”

Joker looks at the both of them. Sensing trouble, he quickly decides to remove himself from this situation. Carefully he stands up from his beloved seat.  “Know what, I was just about to grab some coffee in the mess. My cockpit is all yours.”

Lynette glares at him for abandoning her but Joker just gives her a knowing, apologetic smile before disappearing down the corridor.

Once Joker is out of earshot, Lynette stands up as well. “Alright, what do you want?”

Nihlus stands tall, his hands clasped behind his back, the picture of turian discipline but the subtle flare of his mandibles betrays him. “Shepard, believe it or not, this situation is just as unpleasant for me as it is for you.”

“Oh, ‘s that so?” Her voice is full of sarcasm as she's leaning against her seat.

Nihlus marbles flare again. His eyes leave her for a second, before he calmly states, “This is temporary. Just until the mission is complete. Once it’s done, I’ll file my report, inform the Council and take my leave.

Deciding to reduce the hostility, Shepard reflexes her arms again. “Well, sounds good.”

After a long and silent moment, the turian straightens up. “Shepard, despite what happened between us, I need you to stay focused once we’re planetside.” 

Lynette can’t help but to narrow her eyes at him. “What?”

“Your ill manners towards me on board the ship are one thing but we can’t have your feelings interfere with the mission.” Nihlus’ voices lacks any emotion,“ We have to-”

“Stop.” Shepard cuts him off, visibly getting angry. “Are you really doubting me and my capability to keep my emotions in check?” 

“I am just giving you well ment advice, Commander.” Nihlus states dryly. “This mission and the opportunity for you is way too important to be risk by emotional breakdowns.”

That’s it. Now it’s getting insulting. “Don't you fucking dare to tell me how I should feel and act.” Shepard hisses through gritted teeth. “You're not in the position!”

Nihlus’s voice drops, cold and clipped. “You think this is easy for me? Do you have any idea what it’s like to be caught between your feelings and your duty?”

She takes a step closer, her voice icy cold, “Don’t you dare play the victim, Kryik.”

Nihlus just shakes his head lightly, “Lynette, look-”

“Don't you Lynette me!” Shepherd's voice rises in volume, gaining attention from nearby standing officers. 

“Spirits, woman.” Nihlus exhales, visibly frustrated. “I know I’ve hurt you,” he says, his tone gentler now, “I know I’ve hurt you, I know you’re still angry and by the stars, you have every right to. I am sorry-”

The speakers on the bridge light up. Captain Anderson orders the ship to prepare for entering the planet's orbit and for the ground team to gear up.

Following the command, Shepard pushes past the turian to get away. Her voice is dripping with venom, when she glares at him one final time,  “For all I care, Nihlus, you can just drop fucking dead.”

Chapter Index: Chapter 1 / Chapter 2/ Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 - COMING SOON

[estelessar]

My shakarian heart is screaming at me bc I desire shepard x nihlus fic? Send help.

[fiend-streak]

Nihlus <3 2nd SS is bit glitchy but still good. https://archiveofourown.org/works/39050145/chapters/114401692 New chapter is ready btw! I have hard time deciding who I like more mmm. And no, no 3some.

[queen-art0]

nihlus is so handsome that he deserves his fanart too! <3

[fiendsandfangs]

The 2024 Fiends & Fangs Fanwork Exchange blessed us with a trove of monster fanworks. Here's an artwork we think you'll love. 💕

Out of Line

by @vidra-comprehends ※ Ao3: Vidra_on_the_Rocks

Mass Effect ※ Nihlus Kryik/Female Shepard ※ General Audiences

Summary:

Liv Shepard and Nihlus Kryik have a quiet moment before their extraction shuttle arrives.

✨ Check out this work on Ao3! ✨

[lovelywingsart]

Fuck it, quick No-Reapers AU shitpost because I got tired of lining a bigger piece and I wanted to sketch something stupid and didn't really bother making it perfect

Cam and Nihlus share a braincell and Saren is having absolutely none of it (He still loves them tho even though he won't admit it)

Cam was probably reading something and Nih is making fun of them for it, he enjoys teasing them like a shit Also, to whoever decided that Nihlus was essentially a giant brick-shithouse himbo in fanfiction, i love you and Kryterius has also consumed me.

[squigglysquidd]

It's Fibonacci Day!

According to national holidays, it's officially Fibonacci Day!

We all know the Fibonacci sequence in mathematics and science but that brings to mind another thing.

Of course, I'm going to self-promo my fanfiction titled Fibonacci!!

Fantasy AU Mass Effect: FShakarian (main)

Jana Shepard lost everything when she lost her best friend and husband, Garrus Vakarian, during their assault on the Collector Base. His death took both her strength to fight and will to live, but something strange cause by a prothean obelisk can change that. When she finds herself in a world where men fight with sword and shield against Reapers in terrifying dragon form.

[danypooh80]

The stickers… all the stickers!

Finally up on the Etsy store, and with free US shipping! I am feeling VERY accomplished right now- go me!

Art by @rosebud1773

[dispatchwithlove]

I absolutely adore your ideas for turian culture. The shawls, the interesting word choices correlating with Roman/Latin words (like zuccha, amar, saccha). My absolute favorite thing though is the ties they have with the sky and stars. Garrus' curses (empty night, blackest night) especially are some of my favorite little elements in the universe you write for them. Where did you come up with these awesome ideas? I'm just so invested in the culture you created for my favorite space cats!

Hello Anon! Sorry this took so long to answer, I got absolutely giddy when I read it!

Well the whole Latin thing is taken both from canon (they're based on the Roman empire) and fanon. I know others have used Latin words and Roman culture to develop turian culture, and I liked it so I ran with it. A lot of the words I made up are bastardized latin words, lol. Saccha, mela, and zuccarum (zucca for short) are taken from the Latin words for sugar, honey, and ... sugar again, I think, lol. Crulum is taken from cookie. I kind of just look up the latin words for things and throw some letters around until I'm happy with the mouth feel of it. Other words I just plain make up, like lambas, which is a dish Val makes for the family. I want all turian words to sound like a rich, rolling, rumbly language as much as possible. For Avinelin, a Garrus/Nihlus one shot, I wanted the turian language Nihlus teaches Garrus to sound more like Spanish, because I think it's an incredibly sexy language. Basically, I want turians to sound hot I guess! I think a lot of people like to write turians as cold and ultra-militaristic, and go as far as to say they don't show physical affection easily (which is a valid take that I fully support!). But, I like to show the opposite of that -- that yes their culture is regimented and bureaucratic, but there's still warmth within them. Maybe expressing that warmth within them is even more important, considering their strict social guidelines.

I think that's also why I like to explore the importance of celestial themes with them as well. It shows that they once were religious, just like many species, and that shaped their language and how they cope with life. I know others play with curses being star based as well, so I didn't invent that, I just have fun playing with it. I will say that so far my favorite bit of star theme that I've come up with though, is Garrus seeing Jane's freckles as stars in a night sky, and that when he was a boy he'd look up at the night sky for comfort and solace. I don't get gushy over things I write often, but that moment in The Quarian where he makes that connection gets me! And I will absolutely be playing with that as Garrus and Jane reveal their feelings and explore their relationship in The Boy. One day he'll tell Jane that her freckles are like stars and she'll just melt 🥺 (I've already written the scene 😁)

OH, and the shawls...in the sequel to The Boy (working title is The Missing -- I hate my titles btw, but I feel stuck to the theme now, lol) There's going to be a murder based on the Jeffrey McDonald murders (a military doctor accused "hippies" of killing his family) and I wanted turians to have some sort of cultural appearance that xenophobic humans judged, but was based on something loving, so I thought maybe turians wear shawls while they marry, then i daydreamed about Jane wearing a shawl when her and Garrus get married, then when I was writing about a winter turian holiday (Anivia Vocan) I thought it would be cool if turians wear shawls for all important occasions. Boom, turians have special shawls. Okay, I feel like I've blabbered on enough. Bless anyone who read through this all. TLDR is that I have no plan and don't even keep track of the stuff I write. It all just bubbles up while I'm daydreaming about Jane and Garrus and I include what I remember.

Thanks for asking! Hope this was fun to read. If it was, I'm always down to answer any questions about my stories or world building! ❤️

[silver-turian95]

Mass Effect Series: Light Within Darkness Part 1

[sol-consort]

Joker x reader Shepard headcanons

[Fluff, ME1, nb!reader]

He has noticed how much you frequent the Normandy bridge despite not having any tasks there

As a commander, your position is in the cushy back with caption Anderson in the com room or in front of the holographic space map.

And yet here you are, standing next to his pilot chair and refusing to take Kaidan's seat next to him.

At first he did think he was in trouble, did the captain send you to spy on him perhaps?

But with time, he started warming up to you, getting less defensive about talking about his past.

You laugh at his jokes, even the awkward bad ones get at least a chuckle or a smile out of you. He wonders is he should go check with the medic on why his heart had been beating faster than normal these days.

Although he does thank the stars for the fact you keep standing behind his chair rather than next to him, with the way your armour hugs your body, he would've crashed the Normandy into a stray astroide or something by now.

It's...lovely, having a friend. He is used to short encounters with people, for them to laugh at his jokes then shake their head and walk away.

But you've stayed with him on the helm, stayed even when the jokes ran out and even when the ache of his legs started souring his mood.

He hates asking for help, hates people looking at him with pity.

But you didn't. You kept a casual air around you as you handed him the painkillers and started chatting about a random topic you wanted his opinions on.

Although, your presence has been getting the helm of the ship more visitors than usual. Ashley dropping by to hand you a cold drink, Kaidan coming around to check on the navigators, a duty he usually ignores.

Tali stopping by to speak her theories and ask Joker for his insight, Liara following along and having their ideas bounce off each other.

Wrex who silently stays by your side, polishing his shotgun and never saying another word. Yet sometimes Joker swears he can hear his deep chuckles at a stray pun he just said to you.

Garrus follows after Wrex with his inquires about your next mission, asking for permission to run inventory and check your weapons.

Joker has never had these many people coming by, even if it's for you, they still talk to him.

He has a friend group, something he never thought he'd have. They invite him for drinks and share the shore team inside jokes with him.

And it's all because of you being patient with him, because of the way you stayed by his side.

Your presence starts to warm his heart, he finds himself involuntarily smiling whenever he hears the sounds of your footsteps approaching him.

Not to mention, you let him gossip about Nihlus with you as much as he wants. Even when you end up reprimanding him for going off about your spectres mentor.

He likes the passing touches you give him, be it ruffling his hair fondly or a reassuring grip on his shoulder.

Your voice is soothing too, time flies by whenever he's listening to you talk as he steers the ship.

It was a gradual build up to the day he eventually made a half-joking remark about how you spend so much time with him, the two of you might as well start dating.

Masking his nervousness with humour as he kept his eyes focused ahead, wondering if the stretched seconds of silence are building up for a rejection he will have to face.

But instead, it's your reassuring grip again. Trailing up his neck from his shoulder and caressing his face.

"I'd really like that" you admit.

[seigephoenix]

Kinktober 2024: Blindfold

Just 8 days left in October! I'll have my Kinktober set to reblog all day, ending with the finale of the "Don't Say a Word" fic for Halloween. After that, expect lots of Dragon Age: Veilguard stuff popping up (with proper tags of course).

Ship: Rhys Shepard x Garrus Vakarian Content Warning: sass, p in v sex, description of alien anatomy, fingering Length: 2.8k

Rhys Shepard was many things but survivors was at the top of that list.  She wasn’t known as the most diplomatic soldier in the Alliance Navy, which was why top brass tended to keep her out of the front lines.  Though that had been blown to hell and back when she’d encountered that Prothean artifact during that fucked up mission with Nihlus.  Her methods weren’t universally loved because she didn’t care if someone was human so long as they got shit done.  Her rough exterior was enough to scare most people off, and she preferred it that way.  Letting people close let them hurt you, and she’d be damned if she’d be vulnerable in front of anyone again.  Until she died and was given a second chance.  Rhys swore she wouldn’t squander that chance, not when she knew what was coming.  So she gathered her crew and swore to take the fight to the Collectors.

Commander Quarters

Rhys leaned back on her couch as she studied the smooth metal ceiling.  She’d just gotten out of the shower and her towel draped around her neck.  For once she let her midnight hair down from the tight bun falling over her shoulders in damp waves.  She ran a hand through it and shook her head at the onyx strands that flowed through her fingers like water.  The only thing she wouldn’t do was cut her hair; she’d put it into the tightest bun in the platoon but cutting it was out of the question.  She dropped her hand to the couch as she sighed.  “I fucked up again.”  She’d spoken to Garrus and left feeling like she’d done something wrong.  They’d just confronted Sidonis, and while she normally would be all for the ruthless options…  Something in her knew that doing so would break Garrus.  Rhys was used to shouldering those burdens but she didn’t think Garrus was nor did she want him too.

She recognized the burning hatred in his eyes, hell she’d felt it herself many times.  The only reason she survived so long during that assault was pure hatred.  Rhys wished she could help him, but she’d never known the right words to say to anyone let alone to someone she cared about.  Her pale green eyes cut to the door when it slid open.  Her eyes narrowed at that.  She wasn’t expecting anyone and EDI hadn’t given her any warning about her guest.  If it was Miranda again wanting to talk about plans, Rhys wasn’t sure what she’d do.  To her shock, Garrus walked through the door looking behind him as the door slid closed with a quiet hiss.

“Garrus?” Rhys asked quietly as she slowly got to her feet.  She realized she wasn’t wearing pants!  Rhys hadn’t expected any company for the evening.  “Wait a minute,” she said as she stepped towards the bathroom.  Rhys jumped when his hand reached out and blocked her.  She cut a glance over to him but realized he wouldn’t be bothered by her going without pants.  Not as if turians found humans that sexy, if she was being honest with herself, she wasn’t the epitome of femme fatale either.  “Sorry, what can I help you with?”

Rhys didn’t move as he stepped closer to her but her heart did start racing.  They’d shared that one night but it had been more like clumsy fumbling than anything else.  Garrus had been avoiding her since.  Rhys wouldn’t admit it hurt; she’d rather bite off her tongue.  Garrus simply stared at her and Rhys felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise in alarm.  She ducked and avoided the hand that reached out for her.  “Jesus, what the hell is going on Garrus?” Rhys demanded as she stepped away.

“Commander, do you require assistance?” EDI asked through the speaker and Rhys sighed and rubbed the back of her head, heedless of the way her shirt rose over her stomach.

“No EDI.  I can handle it just fine.  Don’t call in the cavalry please, I’d rather not have Miranda or the others catch me without pants.”  EDI gave the affirmation and the silence descended again.  “Now, care to explain what the hell you’re on about this time Vakarian?”

“You’ve been avoiding me,” he said and Rhys huffed.

“You were the one who bit my head off when I went to talk to you the morning after.”  Rhys waved dismissively as she crossed her arms under her breasts.  The urge to spit an insult rested on her tongue but she held it.  This was Garrus.  “I figured that you sated your curiosity and that was it.  Humans weren’t attractive to you and I understood.”  She turned away from him and towards her bed where she reached for her hair tie.  Rhys yelped when hands shoved her to the bed, she landed on her hands and knees.  She paused as her hair swung down over her shoulders, assessing to make sure what happened did happen.

“Vakarian…”  She spun around but his hand closed over her ankle.

“Mordin told me that humans have ways to show trust in the bedroom.  Is that true Shepard?”  Rhys stopped fighting him and looked up at him.

“That’s what you want to ask?”  He nodded and held her gaze before she dropped her head back to the bed.  “Ugh, yes.  There are certain ways to show complete trust in your partner in the bedroom.  That humans do, I mean.  I assume turians have similar things?” Rhys sat up and pulled her legs under her when he released her ankle.

“Something like that.  Most turians go into sex knowing it’s not going to be something that will hurt the other.”  Rhys wanted to roll her eyes but she resisted.

“Did Mordin tell you any of these trust activities?” Rhys asked as she propped her elbow on her knee when Garrus sat next to her on the bed.

“No.  He said I should ask you.”  Rhys cast a skeptical glance at him but she sighed.

“Well, there’s plenty.  There’s giving your partner total control over you.  How your body moves, tying them up, giving orders, not letting them orgasm until you say so, and then there’s smaller things.  Blindfolds are a basic activity to build trust.” Rhys told him plainly.

“Blindfolds?  You willingly do that with your partners?”

“It takes a lot to get me to bend for it, but yeah, I’ve done it before.  We assume that if we’re going to be blindfolded that we won’t be stabbed in the back by our partners.  For me, I don’t like leaving myself so unguarded.  It takes a lot of trust for me to let someone put a blindfold on me, it makes me nervous when I can’t see.  Thanks to Akuze.”  Garrus paused at her words.  She could sense the hesitation in him and looked over at her nightstand.  She grabbed the tie she’d kept from her dress blues.  Not that she had any occasion to wear them in the near future, so what better way to put it to use.  The material was a smooth silk that flowed over her fingers.

“What are you doing Shepard?”  Rhys wanted to laugh at how nervous he sounded.

“Relax Vakarian.  I’m just grabbing my tie.  It can double as a blindfold.  When your sight is cut off all the other senses become sharper to compensate.”  She let the silky material slide over her hands again and she wanted to grin as his eyes followed the movements.  “I’m guessing your conversation with Mordin was because you wanted to ask about us doing something like this?”

“I meant what I said Shepard.  You’re one of the few people I respect the hell out of in this galaxy.  I wanted to know how to make you feel good.”  Rhys felt her heart soften and she reached over to trail her fingers along the side of his face, falling away at the end of his mandibles.

“You could have just asked me.  Mordin can tell you all day long about sexual positions and orgasms and all that shit.  Doesn’t mean a damn thing.  Most humans are wired the same way biologically.  Sex to us is a lot more than just put tab A into slot B.”  Garrus looked down at her curiously.  “A lot of time it takes more atmosphere as you found from last time.  Typically, I’m not the kind of gal you wine and dine.  I’m happy with a romp in the sack to relieve tension.”

“But I want to make you see yourself like I do.”  Rhys paused at his words and looked up at him.  His hand reached out and stroked her hair, letting the strands cling to his rough skin before falling away.  Rhys felt the vulnerability trying to slip in and she fought desperately against it.  She wanted to lean into him and just let him make her forget everything.

“Alright then.  We can give this a try.  From my understanding, the Normandy is going to dock for repairs so there’s no mission that requires my attention tomorrow.  So we have the time.”  Rhy lifted the silk tie and slid it over her face, knotting it easily to make it snug.  She took a calming breath and reminded herself she was with Garrus.  “Alright.  I can’t see anything.”  She grinned when she felt his hand waving in front of her face.  “I can’t see your hand but I can feel it moving,” she said with a smile.

Rhys sucked in a breath when his hand rested against her breast.  The last time he hadn’t paid much attention to them, but not this time.  Her head fell back when he squeezed hissing when her nipple pebbled against the palm of his hand.  A needy whimper escaped when he gently pinched her nipple, she could tell how cautious he was being.  “I’m not made of glass Garrus,” she said sensing the way he stiffened.  “A little roughness isn’t going to break me.”  Rhys squealed when her back hit the bed followed by a laugh as he knelt between her legs.  He eased his hands up between her thighs feeding the ache throbbing in her body.

She lifted her hips when he hooked his fingers in the sides of her underwear, shuddering when he pulled them away from her.  Rhys suppressed the whine when his thumbs caressed the inside of her knees.  She wanted his hands on her and driving her wild until she forgot this whole damn mission.  He slid his hands down her thighs, skimming over her trembling core, before tugging her tank top off her.  Rhys huffed as she propped up on her elbows.  “You’re enjoying this aren’t you?”

“Having the galaxy’s most badass Commander at my mercy?  No, of course I’m not enjoying this.”  He leaned in and nibbled at her shoulder, earning a soft moan from her lips.  She groaned as her walls squeezed around nothing when his tongue soothed the sting.

“Sarcasm doesn’t, ah, doesn’t become you,” she moaned.  His hands slid around and cupped her ass squeezing the soft skin.  His talons scraped against her leaving trails of white hot heat behind.  His tongue reached out and teased her nipple until it was a hardened point beneath him.  Rhys let out a keening whimper when he nipped the side of her breast.  Garrus slid one hand between her legs, chuckling when he felt her thighs squeeze his arm to lock it in place.

He rested his palm against her clit, just one tiny push and she’d get the friction she needed.  Rhys rocked her hips against his hand, whining when the spike of heat burst low in her belly.  “Yes.”  Garrus paused at the soft word and she whimpered.  “Don’t stop.  Please.”

Garrus leaned in and Rhys was surrounded by him.  She’d never get tired of his scent.  Gun oil and the sharp sting of smell right before a thunderstorm hit.  Her hands reached for him as she curled into him with his palm grinding down on her clit.  Her fingers curled over the chitin layering over the softer layers of his skin, desperate for something to cling to at the pleasure haze that threatened to consume her mind.  Her toes curled into the blanket as the pleasure built higher and higher, threatening to explode.  She clenched her jaw on another needy whimper for more.

“Rhys.”  Garrus’s low voice was right in her ear.  A keening moan escaped when he slid a finger inside of her body.  She felt his subvocals against her body when her walls squeezed his finger.  She trailed her fingers down over his chest, memorizing the shape and feel of him.  She brushed over the plate that protected his cock and eased it to the side.  He growled when she palmed his cock.

Her fingers wrapped around him, marveling at how different he was.  Turgid and wide.  Rhys wondered how it fit the last time.  Her lips parted on a needy sigh when his finger curled inside of her.  Her head dropped back as the heat broke inside of her.  Her thighs squeezed tight around his arm, the moans coming through clenched teeth as it crashed through her in a violent wave.  Rhys fell backwards after the last wave ebbed and laid there catching her breath.  She sensed him shifting and she grabbed his arm.

“Not yet.”  She flipped over onto her stomach and reached for the lubricant in her nightstand.  Even as wet as she was there was no way she was risking it.  “We’re not done yet Garrus.”  She handed the bottle over to him and raised her ass in the air towards him.  A universal sign she hoped.

Rhys grabbed a pillow to hold.  A sharp cry escaped when his cock slid inside.  Her fingers twisted in the sheets as the subtle ridges along the sides of his cock hit just right.  Her sensitive walls tightened around his cock until he was fully inside her.  His talons grabbed her waist, digging into the soft skin.  Rhys knew she’d have bruises later.  She rocked back against him, relishing the low growl from him.  Rhys pitched forward when he slammed into her deep.  Her lips parted on whimpers for him to go faster, go harder.  She didn’t even care that he was seeing the scars from Akuze, something she never showed anyone.  All she could focus on was how good his cock felt inside of her.

Tiny stabs of pain at her hips merely heightened the pleasure clouding her mind.  Garrus leaned over her, letting his body rub against hers with each thrust.  He reached under her to squeeze her breast in time to his thrusts.  His other hand slipped between her legs to tease her clit.  She was going to go crazy.  Her head thrashed at the heat building low in her belly again.  His subvocals were rumbling against her back each time his cock hit deep inside of her.

“You know what I want Rhys,” he murmured right against her ear.  “So go ahead and give it to me.”  Rhys whimpered when his finger massaged her clit, keeping her skirting the edge when all she wanted was to throw herself into the abyss.

“I.  Please.”  Rhys couldn’t string two words together, she merely rocked back to meet his thrusts.  Sweat dripped down her forehead, plastering her hair to her temple.  Her fingers curled into the sheets as the sweet tension built to a breaking point.  “Fuck, Garrus.”  Rhys moaned as her walls fluttered around his cock with each wave of heat that rolled through her.  Her first orgasm had been like a tempest battering a beach, this orgasm was slow as molasses in winter.  Rhys savored each spasm of pleasure moaning only a little when Garrus pulled out of her.  She knew why he did it, but she so desperately wanted to feel him come inside of her.

Rhys struggled to get her breathing back to normal as she laid on her bed limply.  She didn’t have the energy to move at the moment and wasn’t keen on doing so either.  She jumped a little when his hands tugged the blindfold off.  “I see by your expression that you enjoyed that?”

“Hmm.  Don’t make it a habit Vakarian.” Rhys grinned as he huffed at her.  “Come on.”  She turned her head to look at him and extended a hand to him.  Garrus grasped hers in his and grunted when she tugged him down to the bed.  Before he could get his bearings, she was already tucked up against him.  One leg thrown over his hips, and her arms wrapped around his neck.

“You can’t be comfortable like that…”  Rhys huffed.

“I’ve slept in worse conditions than this.  Now, let’s get some sleep Vakarian.  We can talk tomorrow morning when I’m able to string words together.”  Garrus didn’t comment on her sarcasm, but he shifted until his arm draped across her waist.  They had plenty of time to talk about it, and to his surprise he looked forward to it.

[that-wildwolf]

Which one-shot/completed fic are you most proud of?

Which WIP do you regret starting, if any?

Which WIP do you think you'll finish next?

Who's your OC blorbo? Tell me about them

What's your favourite line you've ever written?

Which one-shot/completed fic are you most proud of? Gah. What a difficult question. I love all my children equally. Just kidding, it's somewhere far from goodbye. I love the way I write Saren's POV.

Which WIP do you regret starting, if any? the fucking fallout 4 rewrite longfic. it will be the death of me please i started in 2018 and it's still going it's at 340k now what the fuck fuck fuck fuck i hate it so much right now. oh i guess this means i don't actually love all my children

Which WIP do you think you'll finish next? It's a three-way tie between the omega blood puddle fic, the garrus smut, and the therapy fic, all of them require maybe 2K at this point and I jump between working on them.

Who's your OC blorbo? Tell me about them

MARTAAAAA... god i love marta. my little bridge builder. she's like everything to me and she was supposed to be this like vessel for the narrative, she wasn't supposed to be a character but wahhh i love her so much. gah. this woman was getting her medical degree while humanity was making real life first contact with actual aliens??? and then she??? chose to specialise in treating those aliens???? because she wanted to help heal the wound left by that war????? and she's polish and bisexual and canonically has a non-binary child and she's everything to me i love her so much. she can't function without coffee. she hates shepard. she gets emotionally invested in her patients' recovery. she cares so so much. fuck. i love my oc..... 😭

What's your favourite line you've ever written?

i love all my children......

what is a "line". what is "pick one". i do not know these concepts.

Saren slowly realises that the very same purr is also coming from his own larynx, that he's unconsciously tuned in to Nihlus's timbre and matched it perfectly. He thought he wasn't able to do that anymore. He thought that the soft melody of affection that other turians shared was gone in him, replaced by white noise and static. And yet here it is, vibrating in the heavy summer air between them. - [x]

It's terrifying — she knows his body by heart. She knows every tiniest scar and dent, she knows every inch of him like the back of her hand. She's touched and hugged and kissed just about every spot on his body, but right now, suddenly, he feels alien to her. She has no idea what she's looking at. The same Garrus she knows and loves is all of a sudden a completely unknown expanse. - [x]

He's been going through life like a ghost, haunting the empty shell of the person he used to be. - [not posted yet]

Their peace was built by Garrus strengthening their home against any possible intruders that probably won't come, and by Shepard keeping guns hidden in strategical places in the improbable case they need to defend themselves. It was built by two people who don't know how else to feel safe than by amassing weaponry slowly learning they don't need it anymore. - [x]

He's immediately by her side — he didn't even notice the moment his legs moved to run to her. It's an instinct. He's always run to her. Whether it had been running to catch up with her or running by her side, he'd always made his way towards her, ever since he'd first met her. Running to her is the only thing he knows. No matter how badly hurt, how terribly broken, he will always run to her. - [x]

Like the strong gravitational pull that causes planets to orbit around a star, there's always been some invisible force drawing Shepard to the Reapers. - [not posted yet]

Honestly, there were barely enough pieces between the two of them to make one whole person, but here they were. Two people desperately holding on to each other in the swirling tempest of this war around them, both putting on a charade before the world to pretend they didn't need help. - [x]

Shepard was still amazed by that. Not that Garrus was gentle — that anyone was. That there was still some softness in this world, in her life. Despite everything, despite all the death and all the pain and all the rage... Even someone who had more blood on her hands than anyone could find a respite. Even she managed to find a gentle touch. - [x]

honourable mention for the "I love you" in Edge of Yesterday, because I would need to quote the whole chapter leading up to it for it to hit.

[lovelywingsart]

I'm just saying, if the chance was given to romance him, Saren would hold Shepard like they're the most precious fucking thing in the entire goddamn universe even though they kicked his ass twice and would easily do so again.

They may not entirely change his mind on his views of humanity but they changed his views on them, and he wouldn't take that for granted.

Shepard would become the most important thing to him and losing them would utterly destroy him, and you absolutely will not change my mind.

[hanasnx]

-ˏ͛ ꒷꒰ mass effect ⿻ m.list ꒷ˏ͛-

MINORS DNI 18+ ༄

"Green, green thunder and the loud, loud rain / Lead our woes asunder / 'Neath the proud, proud veins." — Purity Ring. (2011). Lofticries.

彡 ch: garrus vakarian 「 � 」

── drabbles ┆ ABOUT 1K OR LESS.

smutty ¡! ❞

✩ "think i need..."

── headcanons ┆ LIST OR NARRATION.

smut ¡! ❞

✩ dick + hole headcanons

other ¡! ❞

✩ jealousy

── additional content ┆ MISC.

✩ nametag ✩ thoughts ✩ prompts

彡 ch: nihlus kryik 「 � 」

── additional content ┆ MISC.

✩ nametag

彡 ch: saren arterius 「 � 」

── additional content ┆ MISC.

✩ nametag✩ thoughts

彡 ch: urdnot wrex 「 � 」

── additional content ┆ MISC.

✩ nametag ✩ thoughts

彡 ch: garrus vakarian x jane shepard 「 � 」

── drabbles ┆ ABOUT 1K OR LESS.

other ¡! ❞

✩ "collide like two stars..."

── additional content ┆ MISC.

✩ nametag ✩ thoughts

NAVI | M.LIST | RULES | FAQ

[danypooh80]

All I ever wanted, Ch. 104

Thessia, concluded

https://archiveofourown.org/works/34461097/chapters/121403092