She couldn't remember the last time she'd just…stayed still. Hadn't thought, hadn't dreamt. Had just taken a moment for herself, a moment to be selfish, to be lazy. And god, she thought as she stretched, the blankets tangling around her calves, did it feel good. She sighed, relaxing and flopping, boneless, back into the bed.
She never wanted to get up. The galaxy could sort out its problems itself for a few hours.
"Come back to bed," She called, propping herself up to look over at her-
Bondmate? Lover? Time to make that official.
But later.
"Five minutes," Liara muttered, her head bowed over another holo. Shepard longed to run her fingers along her crest; find the sensitive spots, massage them in the way that made Liara's breath catch in her chest.
Liara was wearing too many clothes and looking far too serious.
"Workaholic," Shepard declared.
"Says you," Liara shot back, looking over her shoulder, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. The war had left its mark on her, in the darkness in her eyes, the puckered scars running up her thigh from the Mako doing gymnastics, but in that moment Shepard only saw the person she'd fallen in love with, what seemed like an eternity ago.
"Stop worrying about the galaxy for five seconds," Shepard pleaded, sitting up, the sheets slipping off her shoulder. She smirked as Liara's eyes were tugged to the now bare skin, enjoying the feel of her lover's eyes.
"That's not very…responsible," Liara said at last, her eyes flicking up to meet Shepard's.
"Screw being responsible. Galaxy saved, remember?" She held out her arms, "C'mere."
"Oh fine," Liara put the holo down and then Shepard sighed with satisfaction as the asari slipped into the bed beside her and wrapped her arm around Shepard's waist. Everything she'd wanted to do today was complete.
"Mm," She mumbled, pulling Liara against her and running a hand up and down her spine, a little disappointed about the shirt that was getting in the way. But…during the War, most of the time they'd either been too busy to touch or desperately tearing each other's clothes off.
It was nice. Just to hold her.
She felt Liara's lips against her throat, her voice low and fervent, "I love you."
"I love you too," Shepard whispered back, tilting her mouth to hers, in a lazy, soft brush of their lips.
A blue hand clutched at her shoulder, and Liara pushed herself closer and Shepard loved her so much her heart ached in that moment. She settled for wrapping her arms around her tighter.
"It's really over," She whispered as their bodies tangled together. They simply existed. "All of it. It's over."
"Yeah," Shepard replied, caressing her jaw with a thumb, before smirking; "Now you're stuck with me."
"Good," Liara whispered in the moment before they kissed.