A/N: Hello again! I wanted to wait to post this short little chapter until my fic moved out of the top position of recently updated - I think it makes it more difficult for people to see that the story's been updated if it stays at the top - but I just caaaaaan't. I'm off work and it's been cloudy and rainy/snowy (AKA perfect writing conditions) so I've been writing like crazy and refreshing FF like crazy.

So here it is. It is short. It is cliche. But it is my favorite kind of cliche and I regret nothing. I really hope you like it. :)

Thank you again for reading and reviewing. I love all your support.

Ronon tossed restlessly in his sleeping bag and brought a hand to his ear to block out the incessant sound of teeth chattering, but to no avail. Turning back to the source of the noise, he watched as the dark shadow next to him visibly shivered in the darkness. He stared at her, burrowed into her bag, knees pulled to her chest, and he was reminded of the way foxes sleep in the winter – curled into a tight ball with their tails wrapped around them to conserve their body heat. Except for a small part of her face and head, nearly every inch of her was tucked away; a few loose strands of auburn hair peeked out the edge of her bag, shining almost violet in the moonlight. Plumes of fog floated into the air every time she released a breath and, judging by their frequency, as well as the grating clatter of molar against molar, he concluded there was no way she was asleep. Unsure if it was frustration or pity that motivated him, he unzipped the edges of his sleeping bag and divested himself of its warmth, the shock of the wet chill of the autumn night raising the hairs on his arms, chest, and neck. He picked up his bag, now unfurled like a blanket, took two short steps to where she lay, and dropped it on top of her.

It landed with a soft whuff and she jumped in alarm.

"It's just me," he announced quietly.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. "You scared the shit outta me!"

"You're cold," he stated as he sat back on the ground.

"No, I'm not," she argued.

"Bullshit. I haven't been able to fall asleep 'cause of all your teeth chattering over there."

"I can't take your sleeping bag," she protested, sitting up and clumsily pushing it off of her.

He watched as the bag slid, inner lining side down, into the dirt. "You didn't seem to mind taking Sheppard's jacket earlier tonight," he snapped, his voice unexpectedly tinged with jealousy. "I don't see how this is any different."

Rogers paused in her objections and he wondered if she, too, had detected the unwarranted resentfulness in his tone. For a moment, she sat upright, unmoving in the cold night air, staring back at him. "Ronon, you'll freeze," she finally whispered.

"I'll be fine," he said as he unfolded the floor-length leather duster he had been using as a pillow. "I've got my coat. Won't be the first night I've slept outside without a blanket. It's not that cold, anyway." He yanked the coat on, pulling roughly at the collar to get it to lay flat across his back. "Just take it and go to sleep." He made moves to lie back onto the damp earth, but she spoke again.

"We can at least share," she offered.

He ignored her, placing both his hands behind his head, lying on his back to gaze at the stars. There were none – just clouds.

"Look, if you don't want to sleep next to me because of our conversation earlier, let's just pretend like it never happened." She drew in a breath. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put you on the spot like that."

He turned his head to get a glimpse of her; she was still sitting up, looking down at him. He had to admit, her offer was beyond tempting. Given the choice between lying cold and alone on the hard ground, or keeping a soft, young, and beautiful woman warm all night, he'd be an idiot to choose the former. "I thought you didn't like it when men touched you," he said at last.

"Grab," she whispered. "I should have said grab…not touch."

He recalled the bruises on her wrist and wondered if someone had recently grabbed her, grabbed her hard enough to leave a mark, and if so…who. His ribs squeezed uncomfortably in his chest and his heartbeat hastened at the thought.

"Please just share with me," she begged. "You'll be too cold to sleep and I'll feel too guilty. It doesn't make any sense for both of us to lose sleep over this."

He swallowed. "Fine," he conceded. Her offer wasn't merely enticing, it was logical. At least, that's what he kept telling himself as he inched over to her.

Once he was at her side, Rogers nestled into her bedroll and lay on her back. Ronon pulled his previously-rejected sleeping bag over the two of them and did the same, his shoulder touching hers.

After a moment in which neither of them spoke nor moved, he felt Rogers lift her head. He watched as she evaluated the sleeping bag situation to realize that even with Ronon's bag unzipped to its full size, with both of them lying on their backs, it only covered part of him, still leaving most of his body exposed to the bitter air.

"I'm a side sleeper," she whispered as she turned her back to him.

He let out a labored breath, before he too flipped onto his side. Rogers glanced briefly back at him as he moved close and slipped his elbow under her neck so she could rest her head upon the flesh of his bicep. Her ear was cold against his arm. He reached for the sleeping bag one last time and pulled it up to his shoulders, to her chin, making sure it completely covered them both. Uncertain of where to place his free hand, he tentatively decided to rest it on the rise of her hip.

"No teeth chattering," he whispered into her ear.

"No teeth chattering," she agreed with a quiet laugh. "Good night," she said as she settled in against him, pressing her body closer to his.

The scent of her hair and her skin, the heat of her body and her breath, the intimacy…it all overwhelmed his senses and he found himself instantly grateful for the extra layer of thick, synthetic fabric between her backside and his groin.

"'Night," he mumbled, realizing that being so close to a woman, especially to a woman as beautiful as the one lying in his arms, would keep him up much longer than any teeth chattering.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed. ;) Let me know what you thought!