Blue. Pink. White. Blue.
As she seamlessly transitioned between the multiple interfaces across the thirty or so screens in front of her, the colors bounced off the metallic walls and reflected in the windows with a beautiful, ever-changing display of light. Her fingers were gentle and precise, dexterously preparing a message to Aria T'loak with one hand even as she again switched interfaces with another. He watched the lights illuminate her face, adding definition to that perfect jawline, the colors dancing along full lips that he was all-too-familiar with.
"Glyph, did you send those palladium shipments over to the Crucible?"
Her voice was like silk, intoxicating.
"Of course, Dr. T'soni."
Those hands were moving again and he felt the inexplicable need to intertwine his fingers with hers. Shepard knew that nothing would come out of his advances while she was working, but it had never ceased to stop him from hoping. He pushed himself away from his casual lean against the wall and crossed over to where she was standing with two strides. He let his hands brush against her waist momentarily as they came together to embrace her from behind. Shepard inhaled her scent as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, showering soft blue skin with kisses and soft nibbles. He heard Liara's breath hitch and she reached back out of reflex, tangling her fingers in his hair as he took skin just above her collarbone between his teeth and sucked gently.
"Shepard," she said softly, tugging lightly at his hair.
"Mm?" he hummed against her neck, making his way back up from her collar to her jawline.
"As much as I enjoy your distraction, I have a lot of work to do." Her voice sounded almost reluctant but he had to admire her self control. He pressed his fingertips against her jaw, his feather-light touch turning her face toward him. Cerulean eyes made contact with brown for a fraction of a second before he touched his lips gently to hers.
"Alright, Shadow Broker," he allowed a smile to paint his features as she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Shepard pulled away out of sheer will, and punched the door panel. The metal hissed as it slid open, and he lingered in the frame for a moment longer. "Let me know when you're done."
Liara laughed humorlessly. "I'm never 'done,' Shepard." The door slid closed.
And nearly every day, that cycle repeated.
He'd watch her. Long for her. Have her just within arms reach. "I'm busy."
Observe. Want. Touch. Kiss. "I'm busy."
Need. Request. Denied. "I'm busy."
Lights dancing across skin he so desired to touch. Blue. Pink. White. Blue. "I'm busy."
And finally, he snapped.
He ran his hand up the inside of her thigh, again exploring every inch of her neck with his lips. She sighed, catching his wrist with her hand and spinning round to face him. "Shepard, you know what I'm going to say."
He laced his fingers in hers. "Then don't say it." He went for her exposed collarbone.
"Shepard... mmh..." she paused for a moment, throwing her head back as she desparately tried to push back the feeling of ecstasy he was instilling in her gut. "I have work to do."
"To hell with your work!" he snapped at her, and she was taken aback. If he was going to be honest with himself, Shepard was taken aback as well by his own audacity. "It'll still be there later."
She pushed him away angrily. "In case you haven't noticed, we are fighting for our survival. I know you can't keep track of the exact details of my work but you know it's detrimental to the success of the Crucible. I want you too, Shepard, more than you can imagine. Do you think it's easy for me to have to say no to you every day? To see that door close on that disappointed puppy dog face? It's not."
He cupped her jaw in both hands. "Then don't say no! I know we're fighting for our survival, Liara! I know the stakes. And if these are our final days leaping into scenarios where one or both of us might not make it back, I don't want to waste them watching you work yourself to death!"
She was silent, breaking eye contact and removing herself from his touch. And her silence only strengthened his resolve. He cleared all distance between them with a single step, practically pinning her against her workstation. His hand took her by the back of the neck and forced deep blue eyes to look into his own. "Liara, I want you by my side forever, however long that forever may be. Don't deny me that." His voice was soft again, pleading, loving.
"Glyph?" Her voice trembled and this time she couldn't break eye contact even if she wanted to.
"Yes, Dr. T'soni?"
"Please lock the door on your way out." And then her lips were on his, hands sliding underneath the hem of his shirt and pulling him closer. Shepard grinned, lifting her legs and hooking them around his waist before carrying her to the bed. Clothing was lost along the way, tossed carelessly among the Shadow Broker's equipment. They tumbled onto the mattress in a tangle of limbs and emotion, memorizing every square of each others' bodies. He pinned her down and kissed from top to bottom before capturing her lips in his as he took her. With a gasp, those beautiful blue eyes became wholly black and wave after wave of pleasure and love and emotion overtook both of them, simultaneously racking their brains and nerves. He never had to tell her he loved her. She already knew. And together they embraced what little of their eternity that they had together, and embraced it fully.