Nowhere I’d Rather Be - Harbinger Holiday Gift Fic
This is my gift for @ladyananas! I really hope that you enjoy this!!
Just because the war isn't over yet doesn't mean you can't spend time together with your closest companions in the galaxy.
...
The problem with playing cards with people who had known you for years was that they knew all your tells.
Shepard glanced up from her cards and hid a smile as the argument in front of her escalated. They’d just finished another round of Skyllian Five, and by now things had devolved from fierce, sober competition into slightly drunken bickering. She’d lost several rounds, won a few, and now this round had seemingly ended in a tie between Garrus and Tali, which both had protested fiercely.
She, Tali, and Garrus had finally all managed to clear an evening to spend time together. Even though they were on shore leave, waiting for the Normandy’s retrofits and repairs to be finished, that didn’t mean the work had stopped. In fact, in some of Shepard’s more uncharitable moments, she felt like it had only picked up. And instead of things she could shoot out of her way, now all of her problems seemed to require nothing but endless amounts of talking.
She knew that Garrus and Tali were both just as busy. Tali spent her time arguing with the other admirals, coordinating quarian resources and helping smooth out the jagged edges of the renewed geth and quarian relationships. Garrus, meanwhile, had thrown himself headfirst into helping organize refugee supplies and placements on the Citadel.
Shepard had insisted, though, on having at least one free night with both of them. She’d already spent some time with Garrus, and Tali was of course spending her nights here with her, but she missed hanging out with them together. Her best friend and her girlfriend, the ones who had been by her side since the start of this crazy ride. She took another sip of her drink and smiled to herself, just a bit.
“Shepard! Tell Garrus that he’s wrong!”
Tali’s fierce, slightly slurred voice interrupted Shepard’s thoughts, and she looked up to see Tali waving her cards in the air. Garrus was trying very hard not to laugh at her, but failing miserably.
“What’s Garrus wrong about, Tali? I can’t referee unless I know the field.”
Tali looked back at her, her gorgeous, glowing eyes narrowing behind her opaque faceplate. “Fleet and Flotilla, Shepard! He thinks it’s overrated!”
“Hey now, I never said that,” Garrus interjected. “I just said the later seasons seemed to be missing something!”
“And he’s wrong! Fleet and Flotilla is beautiful and poetic and the best show in this whole galaxy!!”
Tali had stood to make her point, waving her arms around so much as she did so that her cards flew out of her hand and fluttered to the ground. She looked down at them as they went, and very quietly muttered, “Oh no.”
Shepard took one more long look at the scene–cards all over the place, Garrus’ mandibles fluttering as he fought to contain his amusement, Tali standing and swaying slightly–and burst into laughter.
She hadn’t laughed this hard in a long time, and the relief of it kept her laughing for longer than was really justified by the situation. It was fine, though, because after a few seconds of stunned surprise, Garrus and Tali joined in, Tali dropping back into her chair and giggling helplessly as Garrus finally gave in and began chuckling along with them.
As their laughter trailed off, Shepard leaned back in her chair and smiled at the two of them. Tali was attempting to get her straw back into her port, and Garrus was trying to collect the cards that had fallen on the table now that it was clear the game was over, and Shepard was just so glad that they were here with her, even now.
“Thank you,” she said, almost before she realized she was about to speak. “Thank you for being by my side for so long.”
Garrus’ mandibles opened wide as he looked up and smiled at her, and Tali stood up and dragged her chair closer so she could sit down and lean her helmeted head against Shepard’s shoulder.
“There’s nowhere I’d rather be, Shepard. I’m in this with you, all the way to the end.” Garrus’ deep voice was sincere.
Tali shoved her head harder against Shepard’s shoulder. “You know you’re not getting rid of me now! You’re my girlfriend; you’re stuck with me.”
Shepard settled her arm around Tali’s shoulders and smiled widely at both of them, unable to contain her happiness.
“I couldn’t have asked for better crewmates, or better friends.” She nudged Tali and smirked down at her. “Or a better girlfriend, for that matter.”
Tali nodded so hard she almost tipped forward before she righted herself and settled back against Shepard’s side. “And you better not forget it!”
Unable to stop herself, Shepard pressed a kiss against the top of Tali’s helmet, and basked in the feeling of having the two people she was closest to in the galaxy with her and safe, even if just for a little while.
They sat there together for a while, content to linger in the silence and warmth of their companionship, before Garrus finally stood with a grunt of effort. “If I don’t leave now, I’m going to end up falling asleep on your couch.” Shepard smiled up at him. “You’re welcome to a guest room for the night, Garrus.” Rolling her eyes, she gestured at the enormous apartment around them. “God knows this place has enough of them.”
“Thanks, Shepard, but I should get going. I’m sure I’ll have enough fires to put out tomorrow without making a late start of it.” He finished picking up the cards on the floor, setting them neatly with the rest, before clasping her shoulder with a firm grip. “I’m glad to be your friend, Shepard, and I’m glad I’m here with you.”
She grabbed his hand in hers, squeezing it tightly, before he left the apartment, closing the door behind him.
Shepard sat there quietly for another moment, looking around the still room. Tali had fallen asleep on her shoulder, and she didn’t really want to wake her up; she knew that neither of them got enough sleep as it was.
Still, they wouldn’t get any real rest trying to sleep on these uncomfortable chairs, so she gave Tali’s shoulder a quick shake.
Tali sat bolt upright. “I’m awake!”
Shepard gave a tiny chuckle, then brushed another kiss against Tali’s helmet, even though she knew she couldn’t feel it right now, given that she didn’t have her nerve sensors turned on. Still, Shepard couldn’t resist.
“Hey, sweetheart, it’s time for bed.” She stood up, helping Tali up until she found her footing, then took her hand to lead her up the stairs.
After getting Tali settled on the bed, she made her way into the bathroom to get ready for bed herself. When she came back into the bedroom, Tali was flopped on her back, staring at the ceiling.
Shepard laid down next to her, taking one of her hands. “Hey, Tali, are you feeling okay?”
Tali nodded, then turned to face her. “Shepard, thank you for everything you’ve done for me over the years. I can’t imagine where I would be, now, without you. And I don’t want to.” She stared at Shepard solemnly. “Two years without you was too long; you have to promise me you won’t leave me again.”
Shepard sighed, then rolled over to face her, arcing her body around their joined hands. “You know I can’t promise that, Tali. But I can promise you that I will do everything I can not to leave you. I can’t imagine life without you anymore either. Besides,” she laughed a little, pulling Tali’s hand to her lips and pressing a kiss to the back of it, “I still have to see the house you’re going to build on Rannoch.”
Tali sighed, clumsily moving in closer until they were pressed up together. “I know, Shepard. But we will get through this, and then you’re going to do more than just see that house, you’re going to help build it.”
Shepard laughed, swinging an arm over Tali’s waist. “Oh I am, am I? Since when?”
“Since now! You’re going to help me build it and it will be the perfect house.”
“Okay, okay! Tali, I will help you build your perfect house.” “Good,” Tali yawned, and settled back into place in Shepard’s arms, still holding one of Shepard’s hands tightly in her own.
Shepard watched as her girlfriend fell asleep, holding her securely. “Yeah, it is good. I will make things good, Tali, I promise,” she whispered to herself as she followed her into sleep.
