Archive of Our Own

A Hypothermic Wonderland

The gentle snowfall shared little resemblance to the recent storm.

After several days of an unceasing deluge, distinguished by its howling gales and full-blown whiteouts, respite had arrived, with the worst of the storm packing its bags and pushing farther south to bother someone else.

Now precipitation was light, visibility nearly crystal clear. The air, while bitter cold, had settled into a calm breeze without the icy gusts whipping through.

It was back to an ordinary winter’s day, by all accounts, and so those once at the heart of the storm exhaled a relieved breath and emerged from their shelters for the first time in days, finally freed from the deluge’s tyranny.

Some emerged with shovels in hand. Others started their vehicles, waited for them to warm, and then loaded up with the intent to restock their supplies. A few merely stepped outside for some fresh air, no matter how bitter it felt.

At one such home, as a thin accumulation of snow steadily gathered over once shoveled paths, a red skycar returned from its journey into town, setting down onto the driveway, melting the ice and snow around its engines immediate vicinity.

Within, Anastasia Shepard exhaled a soft breath through her nostrils.

Finally made it.

Home. Rather, what counted for it currently while she and Kasumi figured out their next steps, now that she was officially retired.

Located in Quebec, outside of the metropolitan areas, the house they rented was settled on a beautiful, if not presently frozen, lake; and for the week of Christmas, Mother Nature delivered a winter wonderland to the province.

Emphasis on the winter, less so on the wonderland.

She’d never experienced freezing temperatures without an insulated suit of armor before, or watched snow come in sideways for days without end. Usually she was on and off icy planets in quick order.

Still better than Noveria, though. Nicer people. Prettier, too. And wholly absent of cold-hearted corporations and business people skulking around every corner, who would add a clause in the fine print of their contracts declaring they could surgically remove and sell your ovaries for credits at any moment, if they so much as thought they could get away with it.

Considering her previous experiences, that would somehow still be one of the least corrupt and immoral business ventures on the frozen planet.

Fortunately, she was far from Noveria. Far from the shady deals and corporate espionage. Farther still from the corrupt and arrogant administrators, and the boards, who worried only about rocking the boat, returns on investments, and other such profit-possessed calculations, driven by unregulated avarice.

She wasn’t far removed from diving into the fray, acting as the tip of the spear, however. Retirement was still fresh. Still strange. All she’d known since enlisting at eighteen was life as an Alliance soldier.

Everything now felt like exploring an uncharted world. Plenty of anomalies pinged her radar; civilian life was just so alien compared to the meticulous military structure.

Ahead she could see metaphorical valleys and hills they’d eventually have to cross. Mountain peaks dotted the horizon.

Would they need an alternative path around? Were there any alternative paths available?

Would they find themselves scaling the mountains to reach an objective?

She couldn’t say. She could only do her best to prepare for what could await ahead, and adapt as necessary.

Just like old times, really.

Adjusting to civilian life and finding balance in the new normal would be difficult, but she’d known that, in the end. Yeah, she’d known. It was a lesson she first learned on Mindoir, as life as she knew it was incinerated and blown apart beneath the artillery of batarian slavers.

At sixteen she’d had to adjust to a life without her parents. Without her home. Without the friends and community she’d known all those years. She had to start over and figure out a way forward through the horrible and terrifying new normal she had occupied.

The Reaper War had forced that familiar discomfort onto the whole galactic community. It forced them all to endure harsh realities, long odds, and profound discomforts.

This time will be different, Anastasia thought, observing the peaceful snow falling outside her window, and savoring the heated seat a moment longer.

This time I’m not being dug out of debris, like on Mindoir by Mwangi and her team, or by Bailey and his team on the Citadel when the war ended. I won’t have to relearn to walk. I won’t have to figure out where I fit in a galaxy where my family, friends, and colony were all dead or razed. I’m not barely clinging to life this time.

I’m alive, and I’m not alone. We figured out how to piece together a shattered galactic community. We were able to build a new future together.

She looked to the cozy house, its roof covered in white. Her heart and mind, however, were drawn to the woman she loved within, who had patiently waited at her bedside for the wounded and weary soldier to recover after the war, even when she wasn’t responsive.

Together we’ll carve out a new life. A new beginning. And whenever one of us stumbles, or even if we both fall down together, we’ll just pick each other up again, brush the dirt off our backsides, and try again.

A small smile lifted her lips.

And knowing Kasumi, she’ll probably have a funny quip about it, too.

They were beginning to pen the first pages to the newest chapter of their lives, no longer as the symbols of Commander Shepard and the Mist Walker, but as Anastasia Shepard and Kasumi Goto. Two perfectly ordinary women, by their very strange standards.

So, although the house wasn’t the Normandy, now in the capable hands of her trusted friend and fellow Spectre Kaiden Alenko, it was a comfortable and private port in the storm where they could take shelter, catch their breath, and plot a course for their next adventure.

It was an adventure Thane had named for her, in his final written words.

Find peace, Shepard. You have earned your rest from conflict.

Finding peace, healing the lingering wounds—that was the defining journey of her current life’s stage, one she met gladly, with open arms.

It won’t be easy to adjust. I’m sure life still has a few more punches to throw my way. Still, although this journey will be difficult, all things worth doing are. 

Right, Thane?

Anastasia reached over to the nearby seat and pulled her beanie back on. Then her winter gloves.

Well, I suppose that starts with leaving my warm haven for the arctic tundra waiting outside my door. Can’t say I’m excited for that, but no use stalling. Gotta say, though, collecting sea shells on a beach sounds better and better every day.

It could’ve been worse. The howling blizzard could still be squatting on top of them, and she could’ve been ill-prepared to step out into it.

Fortunately, the intense deluge had broken like a fever last night. The wind ceased to howl, as it had on Noveria, and though she had shelved her weapons and armor, she hadn’t left the house without the proper clothing.

She wasn’t crazy.

Between the black heavyweight wool jacket draping to her knees, winter pants, boots, red scarf, two pairs of socks, and her thermal underwear, she was virtually marching around in ablative ceramic and fabric armor anyway. All she was missing was a helmet.

The beanie would have to do. It wasn’t perfect, but at least it kept her ears warm.

Anastasia reluctantly shut down the skycar then exited out into the cold, pulling the full tote bag of groceries out of the back seat before marching towards the front door.

She raised her head. The slate sky concealed the sun, but a few breaks in the clouds were beginning to form.

Looks like the darkness can be breached, she thought amusedly, a small smirk gracing her lips.

Nearby the house a snowman greeted her, looking as all snowmen should; he had a carrot nose and wore a scarlet winter scarf speckled in snowflakes, beaming with large black eyes and a wide smile. His stick arms were covered by a mismatched pair of oven mittens, colored yellow and blue.

They’d built him together. But only after the preceding snowball war concluded.

Kasumi had started it, of course—mischief was her nature. She’d launched the perfect ambush, too, catching the former soldier by surprise, landing a snowball squarely in the center of her back when she least expected it.

Thinking back to their cheek-stinging smiles and infectious laughter as they pelted one another with snow, searching for cover and concealment whenever they could, left Anastasia smiling widely.

She’d never had a snowball fight before; too warm year round on her parent’s farm.

Even so, Kasumi had made it everything she could’ve ever dreamed of as a kid.

She vividly recalled the thief pleading for a ceasefire of hostilities at one point. Anastasia had taken her at her word, let her guard down, and immediately found a handful of snow suddenly slipped down the front of her jacket. The mischievous little rogue.

After some hopping around, hissing, and shaking of her jacket and shirt, she playfully tackled Kasumi into the white sea, where they rolled around together, wrestling for control, laughing amid promises of vengeance and pleas for mercy.

God, it’d been wonderful. She’d been a giggling mess when she finally captured the thief and dropped snow down the back of her jacket.

“Ana!” Kasumi hissed and giggled, squirming against the cold ice, trying to free herself of it.

“Hehehe! See? This is why you never mess with Commander Shepard!”

Anastasia chuckled at the aural memory.

Payback was too sweet. Even sweeter was when their war ended and they lay breathlessly together, side by side beneath the falling snowflakes, which gathered in red and black tresses. They’d grinned and puffed out giggles, lungs burning from the cold, noses red like a certain heroic reindeer. Their souls couldn’t have been warmer, though.

The bliss she’d felt when Kasumi’s gloved hand found hers and held it—she could scarcely describe it. She’d already been riding on a high, lost to the pure joy and euphoria of their silly snowball fight, but Kasumi’s hand…

That simple affectionate gesture made her eyes sting. It made her smiling lips quiver. It set her free from a heaviness she didn’t know she was carrying so they might continue soaring together, for as long as the moment lasted. It healed a wound she hadn’t felt.

When the thief turned into her, it didn’t matter that their lips were dry from the cold. Kasumi didn’t ask why her eyes glistened with tears, either. All that mattered was she was there, right beside her, in this strange and foreign place they were trying to navigate.

All that mattered was a simple truth Kasumi had whispered to her before they sat up.

“We made it.”

Yes, they had. Somehow, someway, they’d made it through the impossible.

No matter how much time passed, she swore she’d never grow tired of saying it.

Once through the wreath-decorated door and into the house, Anastasia exhaled a satisfied sigh.

Delicious warmth. She would’ve pinned it against the door then and there and worked her way south to express how deeply she appreciated its embrace, if it had a body.

Kasumi would just have to reap the rewards instead.

“I’m home,” she called, wiping her boots off on the floor mat.

Silence followed.

Looks like my guard will have to stay up, she thought fondly, setting the groceries down before undoing her jacket and shrugging it off. No doubt she’s already sneaking around, preparing to ambush me. But I’ve got the perfect counter in mind already prepared.

There were plenty of walls to choose from. Plenty of space to press Kasumi’s back against one, shower her in kisses, whisper sweet nothings and erotic promises, and then fulfill them. Then and there. Wherever there happened to be—pressing her gently against a wall, lifting her on top of a countertop, sitting her on the couch, lying together by the fireplace, or on the comfort of a bed.

Where didn’t matter. Not as long as they were together.

Jacket slung over her shoulder and boots removed, smiling a dumb smile at her erotic plan, Anastasia picked the groceries up and advanced into the kitchen, passing through the holiday decorated house where stuffed dolls of reindeer, snowmen, elves, and such occupied each room; one such elf appeared to be clinging for dear life onto a model of the Destiny Ascension.

Red and white stockings adorned the knobs of certain drawers and doors, while lighted faux garland added vibrant life to the walls of the house.

The kitchen, too, she learned, was absent of Kasumi. Even so she checked around for the tell-tale signs of a tactical cloak’s shimmer, listened for nearly silent footsteps.

There was nothing. The only anomaly was a plate of freshly baked cookies set out on the small kitchen island, filling the room with a decadent aroma.

A gift, perhaps. Or an enticing distraction to lower her guard.

Maybe both.

For now, she had work to do.

Anastasia draped the jacket over the back of a kitchen chair and began unloading their supplies, waiting for Kasumi to emerge without warning. She had long learned to anticipate the sudden brush of air blown against her ear or a sudden finger playfully poking her side.

Mischief was Kasumi’s nature, after all, and she liked to keep Anastasia on her toes.

It was a part of her charm.

Yet no sudden brush of air greeted her. A finger did not poke her side, nor did arms wrap around her midsection. The prolonged absence was curious. Also disappointing, since it thwarted her counter.

Maybe she’s in the shower, Anastasia thought as she worked.

She hummed to herself, considering the idea. It was a possibility. Kasumi had started a morning workout when she departed on a routine mission to restock their refrigerator and pantry, so although she couldn’t hear the water running from the kitchen, it would explain her absence.

She’d investigate shortly.

Once the last of the groceries and empty tote bag were put away, Anastasia meandered out of the kitchen in search for the thief. She never made it to the shower—no need. She spotted her from the living room, through the slider doors which led out into the backyard.

Hands clasped behind her back, she glided gracefully around the frozen lake like an angel dancing on the wind, donning a hooded, vibrant violet winter coat, black snow pants and gloves, and a pair of white ice skates.

Anastasia smiled unconsciously.

There you are.

Quickly, the retired soldier put on her coat and boots, and slipped out the slider doors, marching across the white sea separating her from the lake.

Kasumi noticed her immediately. She adjusted her trajectory, approaching the line where snowy, solid terra firma met the icy lake, and when she was nearly within reach, she raised her arms out for an embrace and smiled the same affectionate smile Anastasia had fallen in love with.

Then she was in her arms. Anastasia immediately lifted her up, utilizing the thief’s momentum to carry her into a rapid spin.

“Ana!” Kasumi whined playfully, holding on tightly and lifting heels towards the sky.

“Hehehe!” Anastasia was grinning, giggling, soaring high once more.

She entered a second, slower revolution, and then a third, before stumbling to a halt. Giggles filled the air in place of the recent howling wind, and though the cold air nipped at her nose and entered her lungs, Anastasia only felt warmth in Kasumi’s arms.

It wasn’t the counter-ambush she had planned, but that could wait until they were back in the warm shelter again, and when she had a wall to work with.

For the moment, holding her partner as their bodies shuddered with laughter was more than enough to satiate her soul.

“How’s the ice?” Anastasia asked, after setting Kasumi back on her skates.

“Even lovelier now that you’re here.”

Kasumi glanced around, then leaned in, dropping her voice into a whisper, as though someone could possibly be listening in.

“Did your critical resupply go well?” she asked.

Her smile was downright infectious.

“Supplies successfully secured and now stowed,” Anastasia quipped in what her partner called her “Commander Shepard” voice. Apparently it was pretty sexy. “On standby, awaiting new orders from Command.”

“The legendary Commander Shepard putting me in command?” Kasumi mocked a gasp. “How scandalous!”

“Follow you anywhere, Ma’am.”

“Well, in that case…”

Kasumi pressed a quick peck against her lips. Then, smiling a charming smile, lightly pushed herself backwards, off and away from Anastasia. She beckoned the former N7 to follow onto the ice with a seductive gesture of her pointer finger.

“Follow me.”

Ana smirked. She followed without hesitation.

“Any bold plans on your mind?”

“Nothing too bold,” Kasumi replied, clasping hands behind her back while gliding backwards. “Just a little bit of fun while the ice is still solid enough to hold us. As long as you’re up for it.”

“I’m up for just about anything.”

“Anything?” Kasumi probed, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Anastasia rolled hers, smiling. “Within reason.”

“So, you don’t want me to cut out some ice for a cold plunge in the lake?”

“Definitely not.”

“Aw”—Kasumi crossed her arms, feigning a pout—“but I was looking forward to getting you warm afterwards!”

“Hmhm,” Anastasia chuckled. “You’ll get your chance once we’re indoors again. There’s still a chill in the air, and you’re a master at sweeping a lady off her feet.”

“True. A certain someone has called me a very charming and captivating woman.”

“They sound pretty charming themselves.”

“Oh, they are. I nearly fainted when I saw her cute back dimples for the first time.”

“You know, I think I’ve heard you talk about her before,” Anastasia said, smirking. “You mentioned it was the first time you ever realized how sexy a back could be.”

Ten strides from the shore, the thief halted.

“My realizations have evolved since then,” Kasumi declared lowly, as though she uncovered the galaxy’s greatest mystery and didn’t want it to be shared.

It wouldn’t be exclusive then, no doubt. 

“Oh? Do tell.”

“I managed to discover another part of her that is even sexier than her back, and learned something about myself at the same time.”

“Should I brace myself?”

“Possibly.”

“Right.”

Kasumi paused for dramatic effect. Then…

“She has very powerful thighs,” she declared with comically grave seriousness. “And, after a little exploring, I learned precisely how to make them squeeze around my—”

“Kasumi!” she exhaled an abrupt, joyful and flustered laugh, cheeks warming.

The thief’s serious expression fractured beneath a gleeful smile.

“Don’t laugh. This is a serious personal discovery, Shep!” she declared, trying so desperately to sound earnest despite the laugh in her voice. “The rush of gratification your thighs have given me through these years can’t be quantified! They possess an unimaginable power, capable of making even the Reapers fall in love with a single squeeze!”

Ana laughed loudly, warmly, freely, and from her belly. She laughed until her eyes stung and her flushed cheeks ached. Kasumi, too, surrendered to her mutinous giggles, sinking in the joyful feeling. Together.

“God, I love you,” she said when she finally found her voice.

Kasumi, beaming, smiled. “I love you too.”

“So, about this plan of yours?” Anastasia asked, glancing away with a dumb smile still tugging at her lips.

Oh, she was definitely finding a wall once they made it indoors.

“Have I ever mentioned how smooth you are at changing conversations?”

“Once or twice. I believe it’s one of my more charming features.”

“At least you know. But, since I dragged you out here…”

Kasumi gave an elegant bow.

“May I have this dance?”

“I may be a bit stiff on the ice without skates.”

“We’ll wing it, like we always do.”

“Looking forward to it,” she said, extending her hand to the thief.

Kasumi took her hand into her own, wrapped her free arm around the retired soldier’s waist. Then, together, they began to move along the ice in a careful dance, reminiscent of their tango from so long ago.

Unlike at the Silver Coast Casino, however, Ana didn’t bother seeking the ceiling—or sky—for the beat. The cool and quiet air wouldn’t provide a tempo anyway, nor would the light snowfall.

She didn’t try to count her steps, stiffened by fears and doubts of stepping on toes and ruining the moment. She had learned from her past mistakes. She focused on keeping her footing on the slick surface as Kasumi glided gracefully with her, as expected, captivated by how beautiful she looked, and how wonderful it felt to be here, on the ice, so far from the impossible odds which had long defined the previous chapter of their lives, and so close to one another.

As close as they had always been, and, somehow, always closer than ever before. Falling deeper, every day.

Anastasia twirled Kasumi around, into her arms, then gently dipped her back. The thief was smiling widely. But, then, so was she.

Lifting her upright, Ana twirled her partner again and released her hand. Kasumi spun around, skates grinding and scraping on the ice, then locked her hands behind her back, gliding effortlessly in a circle around the former N7, spinning to skate backwards every now and then.

“When did you learn to skate?”

“Before I met Keiji,” Kasumi answered. “There was this pompous crime lord with way too much time on her hands who happened to steal a rare jewel from the asari. It was the size of a pebble, but worth millions due to its historical significance. I was hired to steal it back, but that would end up being tricky; the crime lord wore it on their person at all times, as a pendent. Even when she slept.”

“So, how did you get the gem?” Anastasia was curious.

“Well, she liked to flaunt her wealth, and she had a weakness for putting on synchronized ice dances, so she plotted a grand performance centered on a queen and her kingdom. She wielded ice powers derived from the mystical necklace she wore. Anyone who dared to try and steal it was punished with death. The hero of the tale saves the kingdom from her tyranny and inherits the necklace rather than destroys it.”

Kasumi twirled around and began to glide towards the former N7. With every push her skates scraped against the ice.

“Apparently it was an incredible show. But I wasn’t interested in seeing it. You see, the only time she ever parted with the gem was during the performance.”

“The mystical necklace.”

“Mmhm. You would’ve been impressed by the layers of security she had invested into protecting it. In order to get the gem, I needed to steal a part in the performance, specifically one that would get me close enough to the necklace to replace it with a phony worthless one. I learned some basic figure skating and ended up playing thief number three, who nearly succeeds in stealing the gem from the ice queen.” 

Kasumi smiled playfully, with pride.

“I was gone before they realized the difference. They never suspected me.”

“I never doubted that for a second.”

As her partner neared, she embraced her again then hoisted her up like she was carrying a princess to safety, carefully spinning around once. She nudged the thief’s nose with her own.

A dumb thought crossed her mind at light speed, lifting her lips into a goofy smile.

“One might say you were the real gem all along.”

“Ana,” Kasumi scolded, smiling widely at the cheesy joke.

“Admit it, you liked it a little.”

“Maybe—”

Crack!

Anastasia and Kasumi jolted. Quickly, drawn by the noise, their gaze fell to the ice beneath them, directly to the long, imperfect fissure now formed between her legs, traveling towards the shore and farther onto the lake.

“All hands abandon ship?” Kasumi suggested.

“Yeah,” she agreed without hesitation. “Let’s get going.”

She set Kasumi back on her skates, and said,

“Always better to be safe than turned into an ice pop I always say.”

“Since when was that something you said?” Kasumi questioned, amused, turning around and skating backwards to maintain eye contact.

Anastasia walked briskly towards the shore.

“Ever since Mother Nature decided to drop a tundra—”

She heard the sudden burst. Then, instantaneously, anything resembling a solid surface vanished beneath her feet.

The watery prison swallowed Anastasia whole, eliciting a horrible shock throughout her body. Every pain receptor screamed beneath icy blades. Every instinct demanded she gasp. Somehow she didn’t, but the urge to breathe in—to gasp against the sharp pain—intensified alongside the dense fog of panic.

Within a moment she was surging above water, wild eyed, clambering up onto the first solid surface she saw. Beneath the water she kicked her legs, grimacing in pain, crawling on a horizontal plane in a desperate effort to reach safety. To get out of the water, out of the cold.

Warm. She needed to get warm. It was the only rational thought she could hear through the dense fog of pain, panic, and building confusion.

Every inch of her was shivering. Breaths came rapidly, without control.

Warmth. She needed warmth.

Off the ice. Out of the cold. Off the ice. Out of the cold.

Grunting, gasping, kicking her legs in the water, Anastasia reached out to claw forward, and felt a firm hand snatch her wrist.

Frantic eyes locked upon a familiar face, lying in front of her and already pulling.

“I’ve got you,” Kasumi promised resolutely.

Anastasia couldn’t express her gratitude. She could scarcely form a coherent thought. Instead, she kicked, flopped, and clawed while Kasumi pulled her the rest of the way onto the surface of the ice.

Her senses faded after, returning periodically in quick bursts.

One moment she was in Kasumi arms. The air was cold, snow fell around them, but she could see the house. It was getting closer, closer and closer with every quick and awkward stride the thief made on her skates.

The next clear memory was heat, warmth. It took a moment to recognize the dead fireplace beside her. Another to realize she was still thoroughly soaked.

Everything hurt. Her hands trembled and quaked while trying to clutch the zipper of her coat. 

She wanted out of these clothes. Needed to get out of them. She needed warmth.

Kasumi sat nearby, quickly undoing the laces on her skates, tossing them out of the way, before suddenly occupying her whole world.

The zipper offered no resistance to the thief. She disrobed Anastasia, pulling her free of the coat, her pants, boots, socks, and thermal underwear.

It was the last clear memory she had for some time.

Night had fallen over Quebec.

As a lazy breeze brushed over the settled snow, which no longer fell from the grey curtain drawn over the moon and stars, humans and aliens across the province gathered within the comfort of their warm homes, safely tucked away from the frigid temperatures outside their doors.

There would’ve been a time, years ago, when the sparse smattering of visiting diplomats, the rare interspecies partnership, and a few tourist would’ve comprised the aliens on Earth.

The Reaper War had changed that. With the Charon Relay damaged by the Crucible, there hadn’t been any guarantees they might someday fix it and reconnect the galaxy, and so as people began to pick up the pieces on the Citadel and on Earth, some of the aliens who were stationed upon the human homeworld during the war, or during the recovery efforts, set their roots in the soil.

They set them beside the humans who had welcomed them into their communities, who had worked the same long shifts and suffered the same sleepless nights, and together they tried to build something new. Something better.

Something the Reapers could never understand.

Years had passed since the war ended. Those first roots had burrowed deep into Earth’s soil, blossoming from weary beginnings into a thriving garden of native and non-native species, bound together by the indelible connections forged in their darkest hour.

Lifelong friends had been made. Life partners found. Children born in those first years were now maturing into teenagers and tackling adulthood, born within and raised on the quaint cradle of humanity, which they themselves could now call home, but were not restricted to.

Everyone left the cradle eventually, and they could, too, whether to seek adventure across the great black sea to charted worlds, to reconnect with their roots, or to uncover new mysteries.

Who could say? The galaxy was a big place, after all.

Inside the cozy house on the lake, however, the fireplace burned with a reborn phoenix’s flames, warming the retired soldier seated before it, who was wrapped in a thick blanket.

Shep had been bathing in the heat ever since the unscheduled, and undesired, cold plunge. Kasumi couldn’t blame her. She’d seen her shivering from head to toe. She’d heard the frantic breathing which overcame Shep while she stripped away the sopping wet layers sapping away heat and dried her off.

It wasn’t an experience she’d forget anytime soon. Or one she wanted to repeat, for both of their sakes.

Afterwards, once she’d dressed Ana in fresh clothes, she applied dry, warm compresses to her neck, chest, and groin, wrapped her in a blanket, reignited the fireplace, and continued to closely monitor the situation, checking her temperature periodically and calling Miranda for any additional advice.

She’d nailed the basics, apparently. The rest was vigilance and patience, which was right up her alley. She certainly wouldn’t have become the best thief in the galaxy if she behaved like an inattentive, gung-ho mercenary.

Eventually Ana found the strength to stand up. Then to walk around a little, stretching her legs as she paced near the fireplace, hugging the blanket around her body.

Kasumi never left her side. She hovered within reach for support, and when she sat down again she gently detangled her partner’s hair, made messy by the ice plunge. When the pain passed, she massaged her feet and legs with lotion, and may have tickled them once or twice when Shep was feeling better. To coax a smile out of her, of course.

And maybe, selfishly, to ease the tension she felt tangled by. The sound of her giggle, and sight of her smile, did the trick, even if only for a moment.

Now, dressed in Shep’s old N7 sweater, unzipped, and a lavender camisole and comfy grey lounge shorts, Kasumi glided silently towards the fireplace, returning from the kitchen with precious cargo:

A warm plate of cookies.

Ana had finally gained some semblance of an appetite. That she asked for cookies first like a kid asking to have pancakes for dinner—could she be more adorable?

“And here we are,” she said, kneeling down beside her, setting the plate on the floor. “It may not be the Vega Special, but at least it will taste sweet.”

“Hm,” Anastasia hummed a short, amused sound. “I think the cookies smell better.”

“Don’t tell James. His pride may never recover.” Kasumi looked at Anastasia. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better thanks to you.” 

“Looks like we managed to stop your transformation into an ice pop, and prevented some archaeologist from discovering the Commander Shepard frozen in ice. Win-win. For us, anyway. Not so much for that archaeologist. They’ll have to find another career-defining discovery. Maybe a League of One medallion?”

“Guess so, heh,” Shep chuckled. “Our team actually found a few of those medallions during the hunt for Saren.”

“Really?”

“Mmhm.”

“How is this the first time I’m hearing about this? The fate of the League of One is one of the quiet mysteries of the galaxy.”

“Never seemed important enough to mention, I guess. Compared to being resurrected, the existence of the Collectors, and passing through the Omega 4 Relay when we first met, League of One medallions were far from my mind.”

“Good point.”

“It’s been years since then,” Ana said, gazing into the fire with a thoughtful expression. “But, now that I think about it, I remember finding one medallion on an uncharted icy planet, on a salarian who had been frozen for some time. We never did figure out how they ended up there. Or how they died.”

“The mystery endures.”

“We’ll leave it for someone else to uncover. Medallions are nice, but cookies are better,” she said, smiling a goofy smile and gesturing with one between her fingers before biting into it.

“Happy to help.” She sat down beside Ana, crossing her legs. “It’s not precisely how I imagined our dance on the ice ending, but, you know, it all turned out pretty romantic in the end. Cuddling by the fire, eating cookies—if I didn’t know better, Ana, I’d think this was all a plan to charm me.”

Ana finished chewing and swallowing before she said,

“I’d say, as far as plans go, plunging into a frozen lake is right up there with falling through a fish tank.”

“Aw, don’t be so harsh.” Kasumi bumped their shoulders together. “This was a much better plan.”

Ana reached out and grabbed another cookie, eyebrow raised in curiosity. A smile played at her lips.

“How do you figure?”

“Well, no aquatic animals died this time. There were no evil clones trying to steal your life or the Normandy. Oh, and Bailey can’t grumble beneath his breath about any shootouts on the Citadel and excessive property damage.”

“Heh! All right, it went a little better than the fish tank.”

Smiling, Kasumi bumped their shoulders again.

“I also got to see your Venus Dimples. It was only for a few moments, but it’s always a treat,” she added playfully.

“I hear it’s one of the most aesthetically pleasing views you can find. A natural wonder,” Anastasia retorted, then took a bite out of her second cookie.

“They are!”

“Like my ‘powerful thighs?’ ”

“Don’t play coy with me, Ana. You know exactly what I mean. See! That silly smile says it all!”

“Nope. Not sure what you mean.”

“Turning your head away isn’t enough to hide the truth!” Kasumi declared, leaning into her partner and hugging her.

She felt Ana’s body trembling in her grasp, coaxing a grin to form.

“Ha! I can feel you giggling, Shep! Now there’s nowhere left for you to run.”

“Kasumi,” Ana whined, voice painted in bright shades of joy.

“Admit to the truth! Admit to the divine power your thighs possess!”

“Oh god! Hehehehe!” Her groan quickly transformed into a full-blown fit of giggles.

Kasumi joined her, clinging to her partner, laughing together while the tongues of fire flickered about at random, lacking the detectable patterns of a holographic display.

When finally their cheeks were sore and their laughter subsided to a few giggles here and there, Kasumi kissed Shep’s cheek and held on a little longer, hugging her as though it could be the last time.

Even in our new normal, she thought, we don’t have any guarantees. That was true before the Reapers, and it’s still the truth now. So, while we have the time, while you’re still here, in my arms, breathing and giggling… I won’t take it for granted. I won’t slip away for illusory promises of ‘next times’ and ‘tomorrows’ that were never promised to us.

We’re here now. That’s what matters. So…

“Ana?”

“Mmhm?”

“Wherever we go from here, I’m with you to the end.”

Anastasia turned her head and gently kissed the thief’s lips.

“You mean everything to me,” she said softly once they parted.

She squeezed the former N7 and nuzzled affectionately into her, smiling.

“You mean everything to me, too.”