Author's Note: I did not actually intend for this chapter to post on Valentine's Day…funny old world, isn't it?

-J-

It was late, and Garrus' eyes burned with tiredness, but his brain simply wouldn't shut off. Too much had happened in too short a span of time, and he was still trying to process it all.

He was still in Tali's room aboard the Normandy, still not wearing his breather.

Nor was he wearing anything else; not that this meant much, turians being constructed the way they were. There wasn't much to see on a naked turian.

There was more to see with a naked quarian. He now knew this for a fact, rather than suspecting it as a theory.

It really was much better than trying to sleep in his smelly quarters in the belly of engineering, Garrus thought vaguely as he and Tali lay tangled on her narrow bed. What had started with cake and teasing had somehow gotten out of control…but he couldn't quite bring himself to mind.

Tali sniffled in her sleep, the sound most unflattering as gunk in her sinuses shifted. It sounded like thick, chunky, industrial-weight gunk, too. And she shivered a little, her skin slowly growing warm with fever.

Apparently, her immune system wasn't that strong, whatever she had Horatio had been up to.

Part of him felt bad for making her sick, knowing he would make her sick, and going along with things anyway. Another proof that he was a bad turian; a good turian would have remembered his comrade's well-being, no matter what she said about it.

Part of him knew he ought to feel worse than he did. As he lay there thinking, he decided he regretted nothing, and nibbled her eyebrow simply because he could. He was such a bad turian anyway. But he was also a good comrade, a good friend. He'd been told so, at least. He tried to be.

…and apparently he needed to figure out how to be a good…whatever he was, now.

He'd worry about that later. It was late, he was tired, and it was nice to just…cuddle. Leave the big stuff for when he was more awake.

He shifted a little, surprised at how easily Tali managed to fit herself against his vastly different body before she fell asleep. Surprisingly, quarians weren't quite as soft as humans. Like asari, they had thicker skins, so friction with his carapace hadn't been as problematic as it might have been. That had been a plus.

And it was Tali. There was a lot of laughter involved if Tali was. He liked that about her. She had a way of putting people at ease, and she'd certainly done that for him. Neither of them had ever been with someone from another species, and that could have been extremely awkward. He'd expected awkwardness at the very least. But her humor made it fun, a little silly sometimes, but a good experience.

And when things got serious, a really good experience.

He hitched the blankets a little hire, froze as Tali mumbled in her sleep and freed an arm from under the blanket, though she immediately retracted it again. She swallowed thickly—was she getting a sore throat, too?—then settled again into stillness.

He wondered if this was just one of those wartime things. He immediately decided he didn't want it to be. He liked Tali, liked her more as time went on and they saw more of each other. He liked playing with her, laughing with her, occasionally clowning around with her, and being clowned by her when she got impish. He liked the way she tucked herself against him now…

…he cut the thought before it could wander too far afield.

"Don't you turians ever sleep?" Tali slurred, startling him. She regarded him with a glazed, bloodshot gaze which was nonetheless—and to his relief—fond. Fondly amused, but fond nonetheless. "If you're awake and thinking that hard, I think I should feel insulted," she murmured, caressing his scarred face with gentle fingers. "Or embarrassed." Her skin did darken a few shades.

"You were—amazing." He had been about to say 'fine' but realized in a hurry that this said in a hurried defensive fashion would probably have gotten him in trouble…somehow. Best to change the subject to one that wouldn't somehow get him in trouble.

Pillow talk had never been his strong point.

"How are you feeling?"

"Ugh," Tali groaned, then sighed, burrowing a little closer and wrapping an arm around him. When she spoke, her words were muffled by his chest, but contained an impish smugness that did his heart (and nerves) good. "But it was worth it."

"I hope so."

"You don't have to hope. You can take my word for it," Tali assured him, patting his back soothingly.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

A comfortable silence descended. Tali dropped off to sleep again, muscles relaxing by degrees into flaccidity. Carefully, Garrus stretched to his full length to his very toes, which stuck out from under the blanket. He was really too tall for this space…but he didn't mind. It was cozy, ill-fitting blanket aside.

"I think I could get used to this," he observed quietly to his sleeping partner…

…who turned out to not be asleep at all. She startled him again by answering, "Good. I could get to like this as a regular thing. You're so warm."

Garrus let out a nervous laugh, not having intended her to hear the comment, but pleased by the answer.

Tali sighed, as if picking up on some of his haze of thought. "I love you, Garrus," she assured him quietly. "I promise I won't just throw you back."

"…thanks."

"You're welcome. Do you need to move? I know this is a bit small of a space for you."

"Oh, I've got a great spot right where I'm at. Warm. Cozy," he gave her a squeeze to indicate she was quite cozy. "And it doesn't smell like Daniels and Donnelly."

Tali giggled. "That's a plus. And if you're having trouble sleeping, I've got a few ideas…"