Chapter 14 (Warning-Basically Pure Smut)

Anya had to remind herself to breathe when Garrus's hand came up to gently stroke the side of her face. The last few days had passed in an awful, stressful blur, but in this moment, she was almost agonisingly aware of every second as it ticked by. Her heart ached for her friend as they moved in closer to each other, his forehead touching hers lightly.

"You're absolutely sure about this, Anya?" he asked softly, after a moment. His earlier words echoed in her mind for a beat before she tilted her face up to press her mouth to his.

"Ah, ah. You aren't getting out of this that easily, Vakarian," she teased gently as her arms slid around his neck. She kissed him again before murmuring, "I haven't changed my mind, so unless you've changed yours, you're stuck with me for the next few hours."

He snorted and one of his mandibles twitched upward be for he spoke, his eyes finally meeting hers. "I can live with that. I just…"

"What is it? You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"It's...will you promise me something?"

"What?"

"Well, two things. I...if I do anything you don't like, can you please tell me right away? I don't want you enduring something that you actively don't want, or doing anything just to humor me."

"That's easy enough. I promise. What's the other thing?"

"I...if this doesn't...go well, can you just...promise me that we'll still be close once the awkwardness goes away?"

"Garrus…"

"I know, I know it's...that one is harder, but…"

"You have my word," she said softly, "as long as you can promise that you aren't going into this looking for it to fail."

After a moment, he nodded, his free hand going to her waist. He pulled her hips against his carefully, and she felt a brief wave of surprise when he initiated the next kiss. Her hands shifted until she brushed his fringe with her fingertips. He made an appreciative noise and she let her tongue dart out. His own tangled with hers quickly, and she took a moment to savor it.

"Spirits, Anya," he panted when she pulled back a little.

"Right there with you, big guy," she said softly. "Maybe we should get a little closer to the bed?"

"I mean, hopefully we're going to end up in it, so heading that way can't hurt anything."

She snorted. "Just c'mon already. Ditch the wine on the desk for now. You might want to leave the scouter, too."

She took one of his hands in hers and lead him down the stairs, her heart speeding up as they approached her bed. She half-turned to look back at him, and he seemed to take it as an invitation to pull her back into his arms. The moment he lowered his mouth to her throat, she forgot what she had originally planned on saying, instead uttering only a small moan when he started licking and nipping at the sensitive skin.

Her hands found his fringe again, and she ended up massaging and tugging at it. He groaned, a low rumble in his chest accompanying the sound, and she took his moment of distraction as an opportunity to press kisses to the side of his neck.

"Anya…" he panted, hands tightening there on her waist again, and she bit him once, lightly. She felt his talons dig in just a little, and it encouraged her to do it again. "You're driving me crazy on purpose, aren't you?"

"In my mind, I've been trying to turn you on as much as you've been turning me on. Am I getting close?" she teased.

"What do you think?" he asked, shifting so that he could kiss her again. One of his hands ended up cupping her cheek as his tongue touched hers, and she nearly shivered at the feeling. When their mouths finally parted, she was breathing harder, and she leaned into the contact when he rested his forehead against hers.

"I think we're both overdressed for this," she finally answered.

"What is it your people say? Ladies first?" he said with a chuckle.

He seemed surprised when she pulled away, the expression intensifying when she peeled her shirt up and off, her heart hammering in her ears as she tossed it to the side. "Your turn."

"I...damn." He seemed entranced by the skin she exposed. "I'm pretty sure I don't look as good under my clothes."

"Garrus, if you're worried about the scars, you know I don't care. If you're worried that I don't have an idea of what you look like under your clothes, you're worrying about nothing."

"If...if you're sure…" He started to pull off his own shirt, and Anya quickly stripped off the rest of her clothing. When they were bare in front of each other, she immediately moved forward to kiss him again, not wanting to give him time to worry.

His hands wandered this time, every touch a careful caress. After a few moments he pulled back long enough to murmur, "Spirits, you're soft."

"I swear to God, if you start calling me squishy, too, we're going to have a problem," she pretended to threaten, smile curving her lips. He laughed and pressed his forehead to hers gently.

"I'll just keep that one to myself, then."

"Ass."

"Maybe, but jokes aside, I do have a small problem," he admitted.

"And what's that?"

"I have no idea what I'm supposed to do next."

She managed to stifle a giggle, simply saying, "Just lay down on the bed, on your back, and get comfortable."

"Bossy even when you're naked, I see," he teased, manibles flared in a smile.

"I'm just saying if you want me to ride your cock, you might want to try it. I watched all of the videos."

"I think I'm going to get on the bed now," he responded after a beat.

"Smart man," she teased, pulling away, and he was quick to get situated on the bed. She wasn't surprised to see the tip of his cock emerging from his slit, and she hurried to get on the bed with him. She threw a leg over his hips so she straddled him. His tip was pressed against her center and she ground herself against him for a moment before leaning down to nibble at his neck.

"Spirits, Anya," he muttered, placing a hand on either thigh, his talons lightly brushing the skin. She moved her hips again, and this time he matched it with a small thrust of his own. She made a soft, appreciative noise, and she felt his hands tighten a little.

"God, I can't wait to have you inside me," she breathed into his ear before pressing a few kisses to his mandible. She felt his length surge beneath her, and she nearly smiled. Her hand snaked between them and she carefully took him in her palm, stroking his cock in slow, even pumps, and he groaned.

"Damn, even just your hand feels good," he panted, arching his hips with her movements. She bit her lip when glanced down. His shaft seemed to have fully extended itself, and she wondered for a moment if he would fit. The little toy in her nightstand had nothing on him.

(He's six-and-a-half feet tall. Him being proportional isn't crazy.) The reminder didn't make the prospect any less intimidating.

She lined him up with her entrance and started to lower herself slowly, taking him in one tantalizing inch at a time. She ignored the little pinprick stings of his talons just digging into her thighs, focusing instead on the delicious ache of his cock stretching her until she felt bold enough to sit up.

She watched him as she moved her hips, slowly working on taking all of him and enjoying the look on his face nearly as much as she was beginning to enjoy riding him. His eyes were closed, and his mouth was barely open, with him clearly enjoying every movement of her hips. She was glad that she'd suggested being on top, and that he was being patient. It was making it easier for her to adjust to having him inside her, and it wasn't long before he was hilted between her thighs.

"You gonna make it, big guy?" she teased, rolling her hips more aggressively, and he made a noise.

"Oh, I'm definitely going to make it. Whether I'll last long enough for you to make it in the first round is still up in the air," he joked when he was able to get the words out. She snorted.

"What is it my people say? Ladies first?" she asked with a grin.

"Oh, no, Shep. You didn't!" he groaned.

"Oh, yes, I did."

He snorted. "Well, if we're trying to abide by 'ladies first,' you're going to have to show me what you like so I can...help you along. What do you want me to do to you?"

The rumble that accompanied his last few words made heat pool in her lower belly and her heart skip a beat. "Well, for starters, remember me telling you that I like your subharmonics?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, let's just say that they're even better when you use them in bed."

He chuckled at that, and she nearly shivered at the way his voice almost seemed to reverberate through her when he spoke again. "I can do vocal. What else?"

"Well, you already know that I enjoy the things you do to my throat, but I also really like…" She placed her hands on his and guided them up her thighs until he had his palms on her hips, his thumbs resting in the slight dips next to the bone. "The skin right here is really sensitive for me."

"Yeah? How sensitive are we talking?" He lightly dragged his talons back and forth over the tender skin and she bit back a moan. He suddenly squeezed and her hips bucked before she realized that it happened. He started speaking again before she could answer, and she could tell he was mostly murmuring to himself at first. "That's...that is very good to know. So gentle and rough both work there. Where else do you want me to touch you?"

"Well, there's also…" This time she guided one of his hands up to her breast, and she demonstrated for him on the other. He copied her motions carefully, squeezing the pale mound, then going through and teasing her nipple by pinching and rolling.

"Spirits, I wish you could see how sexy you look right now," he rumbled beneath her, and she felt her cheeks heat.

"I'm glad you're enjoying the view," she retorted, and he just smiled up at her as he pushed himself up, both hands returning to her hips once he was upright and pressed against her. He nuzzled her throat as he squeezed, guiding her hips up and down slowly as he rocked to meet her.

"The view isn't all I'm enjoying," he finally said, his subharmonics making her melt. "If I had any idea of how good it would feel to be inside you, I never would have wanted to wait."

"Oh, God," she breathed, her hands finding his fringe.

"You going to make it, Anya?" he teased between thrusts.

"Shut up and fuck me," she panted, pressing her mouth to his hard as the pressure kept building. She felt like she was burning up, hovering on the brink, and all she needed was a little more of him, his kiss, his cock, his touch all combining to drive her crazy.

When their mouths finally parted, he practically growled the words that sent her over the edge. "Spirits, Anya…"

She squeezed her eyes shut and clung to him desperately as she came, and she wasn't sure if the throbbing between her legs was his shaft or her own heartbeat, but it didn't matter. He didn't let go of her, and it didn't really register with her when he stiffened against her, his hands holding her even more tightly against him.

When she came back to herself, they were both panting, neither willing to initiate breaking their intimate contact. She found herself gently touching her forehead to his.

"God, Garrus, that was…" her voice trailed off, uncertain how to put it into words.

"That was...intense, right? And what was that thing you did there at the end?" he asked softly.

"What thing? Me cumming?"

"Spirits, that's what it feels like when you finish?"

"Is that a problem?" She raised an eyebrow at him and he chuckled.

"Only if I can't convince you to let me do that again. I can be ready for round two in less than five minutes, if you're up for it," he said earnestly, his mouth dangerously close to her throat. "I should last a bit longer, too."

"You were serious about this only being round one?" she asked, not quite keeping the surprise out of her voice.

"I'm as serious as you want me to be." She wasn't sure if the words were a threat or an offer. She pressed her mouth to his while she considered it.

"I think I can be persuaded," she murmured when she pulled back, mischievous smile dancing across her lips.

He grinned, and flipped them in one smooth motion, leaving her on her back and him pressing her into her mattress. "Well, I may not have the silver tongue of the illustrious Commander Shepard, but I think I can come up with something…"