Such Love.
Author's Note: Prompt from Masskink (/masskink/) :
"From the ME Wiki: The asari celebrate the springtime fertility ritual Janiris, which marks the start of the new year. During this time, they create wreathes of flowers and distribute them among their friends and loved ones. As is the case with the holidays of some other Citadel species, the celebration of Janiris has been adopted by other species that operate in Citadel Challenge: I'd like to see a super fluffy, romantic fic of F!Shep and her chosen lover during this time. I personally prefer Thane or Garrus, but I'm gonna leave it open 'cause I like all the romance options! Bonus points if they do something super cheesy sweet that they were not expecting, and out in public for the crowds to go AWWWWW at."
I'm taking some liberty here since so little is said about the actual celebration do's and don'ts. I hope everyone enjoys this fluffy little fic!
Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect plot characters or other devices, they are the sole property of Bioware and I have no monetary gain coming from this.
Chapter One: Hope Dawns
~~~~TK~~~~~LS~~~~~
Lizza* Shepard was working at her terminal, humming a tune that her new found lover- Thane, had introduced to her not days ago just before they'd braved hell and defeated the collectors. It was difficult to think the mission had taken a year; that this time last year she'd been waking from the dead, starting to fight the good fight all over again with new and less savory allies.
Sighing she smiled, shaking morose thoughts from her head - they'd won another small victory over the reapers and all come out to tell the tale. She had Thane and her crew - family again; all waiting patiently at various spots in the Citadel for their home to be repaired and the journey to start a new again. As she clacked away at the keys of her terminal, Shepard failed to hear the soft knock on her door, only noticing when a thud sounded against it.
"Sorry, just a minute!" Lizza yelled out, shutting down her consol and backing the leather roller chair from her desk. Quickly she disabled the lock on her door , a broad sincere smile brightening her face when Samara strolled in.
"Shepard," Samara greeted, inclining her head, hands behind her back in a somewhat formal posture the Commander wasn't formal with.
"Samara! How are you? I haven't seen you in a few days; did you go off and deliver justice to some darkened corner of space?"
"Not quite, Lizza, I've been preparing for the holiday."
Here Lizza quieted, her happy rambling cut off with the sheer volume of curiosity the Justicar's statement caused to rush through her.
"What holiday?"
"Janiris, a springtime fertility and new year holiday spent with friends, family or loved ones." It was at this moment Samara brought her hands from behind her back, each holding a beautiful wreath of flowers. The asari offered up the creations for Lizza to look at, smiling as the human stepped forward timidly as if afraid to suddenly fall and crush the precious flowers. The wreaths - to Lizza- were spectacular, one an assortment of a vaguely rose-like bloom and what she could identify as orchids, the other simple greens, with small white and deep blue blooms creating the wreath.
"Those are stunning, Samara, where did you get these, and what exactly does one do on Janiris?" Rapid fire questions poured from the younger woman, eyes alight with a thirst for knowledge.
"I made these for you Shepard, and Janiris is much like valentines day, with more emphasis on time spent with loved ones than giving gifts, celebrating the death of the old year with the birth of new things. It in ancient days was when women would offer themselves to the Goddess in hopes of becoming a vessel for the next generation, a beautiful ritual few asari use today when having difficulty becoming with child. Now many celebrate these two events with dinners, traditional flower wreaths and the like. More often than not this is the time asari maids find a partner they find interesting enough to mate with for procreation."
After the Matriarch had finished, Lizza found she couldn't talk for all the thoughts whirling in her head. The explanation had bordered on "the talk" the orphanage Matron had once given her, before sending her out into the world. Even so, Samara was Motherly and often advised the Commander as a parent would, especially considering her rather abundant biotic abilities…
"You made these for me?" The Commander finally blurted, wonder in her eyes as she looked at her dear friend.
"Yes, Shepard, one for you and one for your Thane if you so choose" came the cool reply followed by what Lizza could only later describe as "a saucy wink".
"Oh Samara…Thank you so much, these are so beautiful…I don't know what to say, this is so unexpected."
"No thanks necessary, you kept us alive in the collector base, helped me rid the galaxy of Morinth and have become a - daughter of sorts to me. I simply wished to give you blessings this new year"
Lizza smiled brilliantly then and took the offered gifts from her crew- Mother's hands. Laying them to rest in the crisper drawer for fear of them wilting, she invited the asari to stay a while and catch up on their week apart.
~~~~TK~~~~LS~~~~
Some hours later, Lizza stood before her mirror, carefully pinning the rose/orchid wreath into her hair, a small secretive smile on her lips. This would be her and Thane's first real date - passionate, hurried coupling before the collector base aside.
He wanted to take her out to dinner, maybe even go dancing or see a movie afterward - clearly having researched "proper" human courtship rituals. It thrilled the woman to no end, and drove her to spend much more time than usual picking out attire for the evening. With her wreath firmly secured to set on her brow and then wrap around the base of her chignon*. It was pretty, she decided, feminine yet not completely adolescent. Stepping back to take in her entire ensemble for the evening, Shepard was plagued by a niggling doubt - she dressed in vintage earth style clothing, rarely did she ever see Thane wear anything but leathers.
'What if he doesn't like this?' she wondered frantically, turning this way and that to find fault with her simple black pencil skirt and deep emerald blouse. Both were classic cuts from the 1950's an era long passed and sorely missed by a growing number of Earth-resident humans, the clothing flattered her figure, accentuated the curve of her hips, made her breasts more noticeable…
"By the Gods!" Lizza groaned, half ready to change again, "This is much harder than frenzied sex before a suicide mission…."
"What's harder Siha?" Rumbled her assassin, whom stood leaning against her closet not five feet from her. Screeching the Commander turned, hands going for the her pistol -which usually resided strapped to her side- only to find it gone, a heat rising in her face, the blush doubled by the make-up she'd dusted onto her face.
"Thane!" She murmured, relaxing slightly, only to suddenly feel self-conscious again under his unblinking dark gaze. "I didn't hear you come in…"
The drell smiled at his lover, pushing away from the closet and moving nearer to her, eyes betraying a flicker of mischief and adoration. Giving his flustered lover a soft kiss, he answered the unspoken question.
"You are quite skilled in making yourself look like a delicate and beautiful flower, Siha…Many will have their eyes on you tonight, I am delighted to know that yours will only be on me."
The enticing color rose to the warrior- woman's cheeks again and she stepped forward, pressing against Thane, arms winding around him in a loose, loving hug.
"Keep that up Thane and you're either moving in or I'm changing the locks"
Much later an asari couple sat at a table in the back a Café, watching with smiles as a leather clad Drell, leaned down to kiss his human mate outside the theatre. The pair had on the most exquisite flower wreaths the women had ever had privilege to lay eyes on, and truly looked like a pair the Goddess would bless with eternal life, happiness and maybe even a few children in this new year.
"Do you remember the last time you saw a more perfect couple?" One asked the other.
"No, but those two have been blessed- they fit so perfectly together." came the soft, awe-filled reply as they watched a dazzling smile over take the woman's face as she pulled on her lover's shoulder's to whisper in his ear.
The blatant look of love, so deep and strong, shook the observing pair, small wistful smiles playing on their lips as the male scooped his mate up and carried her off into the night.
~Fin~
Sweet enough everybody? Let me know what you think!
Lizza - pronounced Lee-Zah
Chignon - a low resting elegant bun-hairstyle.