Chapter 39

Anya nearly snorted at the way Garrus bee-lined for the bed once they made it up to her cabin. He was under the covers by the time she was done checking on Hulk, and the image of the big man, huddled under the comforter made her smile. She took a moment to steady her voice before asking, "What are you doing?"

"Are you talking to me or the hamster?" came the muffled reply.

"Mostly you."

"Trying to get warm again. This is the second time I have braved that particular frozen hellscape for you," he grumbled.

"Mmm. You didn't care for Noveria the first time, either," she said conversationally as she made her way around her desk and down the stairs.

"Because Noveria is objectively terrible."

"I never thought I'd see Archangel, of all people, brought down by a little cold weather," she teased as she drew near, and he shot her a look.

"Archangel was brought down by a nice, warm bed, thank you very much. You know I was dropping Cerberus flunkies left and right when we were planetside."

"I stand corrected."

"Anyway, it's not my fault my girlfriend is absurdly comfortable in temperatures that feel like absolute zero," he continued to grouse, and she snickered.

"It's nowhere near absolute zero. I appreciate you putting up with it, though."

"You better." He drew the blankets more fully around himself, and she tried and failed to suppress a smile. "Is this funny to you?"

"A little," she admitted. "It's mostly endearing, though."

"I'm glad you find my misery so pleasing."

"Alright, I apologize. I know being cold sucks even more for you than it does for me."

"I...don't know about that. I'm sorry, am I being an ass right now?" he asked, suddenly bordering on contrite.

"If it makes you feel any better, I think you're justified in being an ass. I know how cranky you got last time we landed here, so it's not like it's a surprise that you hated it this time, too."

"I am not cranky. I'm freezing. Possibly to death."

"I know, honey. How can I help?" she tried to soothe, sitting down on the edge of his side of the bed.

"Don't let me get away with being a jerk. Just call me on it in the moment."

"I meant with the cold thing. I'm really not worried about you being irritated when it's a one-off like this. Everyone gets agitated from time to time."

"Well, I'm worried about it," he mumbled, and she nearly sighed.

"Alright, fine. Garrus Vakarian," she said firmly, placing a hand on the side of his face as she spoke, "quit being a jackass. Now that that's out of the way, will you please tell me if there's anything I can do to help you feel better?"

After a beat, he asked, "Do you want to come to bed with me?"

"Any time, honey." He hurried to scoot over, then held up the blanket for her, and she laughed as she kicked her shoes off and joined him. She slid one arm up and around his neck, and he was quick to drape one over her waist. She sighed contentedly, turning and pressing a kiss to the arm under her head, and he let out a pleased noise of his own. She couldn't help teasing, "What got you feeling so cuddly?"

"Mmm, you know me too well. I'm secretly attempting to reclaim all the body heat you've stolen from me."

"That makes sense, because you're not basically an addict when it comes to us holding each other. You're not getting any of it back, though."

"Oh? And why is that?" he asked, clearly amused, his blunted talons absently running up and down the small of her back.

"I spent it all on Noveria just now."

"Damn. I knew I should have done this sooner."

"That's what you get for putting things off for so long," she chided, glad that his mood had improved.

"I have procrastinated a lot more than I should lately," he groaned, burying his face in her hair.

"Anything I can help with?"

"Not really. It's nothing important, anyway, and it doesn't change what I have to do now."

"Oh? And what's that?" she asked, curious.

"If I can't have my body heat back, I'm commandeering yours." He slid his hand down, until he could comfortably tug her closer, and she let him guide her leg so that it was hooked over the narrowest part of his waist.

"And what authority do you have to justify it?"

"Well, my girlfriend is a Spectre, and she's saved the galaxy twice, which means she's kind of a big deal, so…"

"So you're claiming my authority by proxy just because you see me naked on a regular basis?" she asked with a snort, before tilting her head up to nuzzle the hollow of his throat.

"Yep." He slid his hand to the curve of her ass, carefully holding her hips to his.

"Alright, but I'm going to be using my boyfriend's authority as head of the turian's Reaper Response Task Force to make you cut it out. He's also one of the most famous, if not the most famous vigilante Omega's ever seen, which means he's kind of a big deal, so…" Anya arched into him a little as she spoke, and he let out an approving rumble that sent more heat rushing to her lower belly.

"Is he now?" he chuckled. "And what do you think he'd say about you coming onto me like this?"

"About damn time?" Anya guessed, and he laughed.

"I don't mind waiting, sweetie," he murmured, amused.

"Yeah, but we haven't been...super affectionate...in the last week or so."

"We've been affectionate."

"Don't play dumb, you know what I'm talking about." She shot him a reproachful look.

"Anya, you've been grieving. I'm not going to make a pass at you when you're sad like that. I can take care of myself if I get wound up."

"I mean, I guess, but at some point, I'd like us to get back into being intimate. I do like it when you fuck me," she teased softly. "I would also like to point out that I can take care of you just as well as you can take care of you."

"Well, I'm pretty sure I have the advantage on experience, but I won't stop you from trying," he said with a laugh. She grinned at that.

"Roll on your back."

"What?"

"You heard me. C'mon, honey, it's going to be fun," she said playfully.

"I'm just a little worried since we have different definitions of 'fun.'"

"Just...trust me, okay? I'm pretty sure you're going to enjoy what I have in mind."

"How sure is pretty sure?" he asked.

"Like...on a scale of one to ten? About a nine point nine."

"With ten being the good one?" he pressed.

"Yes, but this is the last time I'm going to try to talk you into trying something new tonight, so…"

"Alright, alright, I'm moving…"