Two Floors Below Me – Part 1
Shrios FanFic by Enitari
Shepard couldn't stop thinking about him. She had not stopped thinking about him, not once, since he joined the crew. That drell, that man, he was so fascinating. She was lying in her bed in her cabin, with her hands behind her head, looking at the stars, thinking about that he is just two floors below her. Only two floors.
"It must be something wrong with me," she whispers quietly to herself, "I have never felt like this towards someone, ever, and I hardly know him..." she takes a deep breath and tries to think about something else.
She lifts her head from the warm, comfortable pillow she rested her head at and started glaring at the aquarium. The fishes seemed to manage. Maybe she should just feed them some more. She slowly rolls her eyes and makes a long sigh, and directs her eyes to the coffee table, and notices some dust on it. "Maybe it's time to do something productive in this cabin", she thinks to herself, "It's a while to go before we get to the Citadel anyway." She stretched her body and was just about to get out of bed when it knocks on the door.
The sound of five slows knocks met her ears and she immediately pulled herself out of bed and stood up, straightened her dress, and quickly tweaked her hair.
"Who is it?" she shouted nervously from where she was standing.
"It's just me Shepard," the voice answered calmly.
"Oh, Liara! Come in!" she answered and walked towards the door.
Shepard opened the door and there Liara stood, smiling, as she walked slowly past Shepard and into her cabin.
"So, I guess you have been working these past few hours?" Liara asks in a sarcastic way.
Shepard sighs and smiles at the same time, crosses her arms and asks "working on what?"
Liara turns around, "Oh, I don't know, something. Well, to be honest I just wanted to say something sarcastic for once" she smiles and walks towards the couch. Shepard smiles back and follow Liaras lead. They sit down.
"You have been sleeping, haven't you?" Liara asks while crossing her legs.
"You almost know me too well Liara," Shepard answers in a joking way.
Liara smiles and nods her head, "I guess I do. Isn't that what best friends do? Know each other, almost too well?"
Shepard mimics Liara and nods her head and smiles back.
Suddenly, Liara moves closer, and looks like she is about to say something important, but she is still smiling. She is almost smiling too much now.
"So, I've noticed that you have been looking quite a lot at our newest recruit, Thane. " she smiles even more, "well, I can inform you that he has been looking quite a lot at you as well. Maybe you haven't noticed that," Liara moves away from Shepard, still smiling.
"Wh—what?"
"Stop acting like you don't know what I am talking about!" Liara answers and bumps Shepard on the arm, "I am happy for you Shepard, that you have finally found someone you think is interesting! I was beginning to think that you never would-"
"Alright Liara, I get it. I just… I didn't think that it was that obvious!" Shepard answers with a worried voice. This can't be serious, was it THAT obvious? She didn't want anyone to know about this. She just didn't want it to come out, not now, not with everything that is at stake.
"I am the Shadow Broker, Shepard. I see and hear everything, others don't." Liara answers, "but who would've known that the strong, confident Commander Shepard could fall in love so easily?" she smiles. Shepard knows that Liara means well, she always does. Shepard looks at Liara and says,
"Good. Well, to be honest, I can't say I'm in love, Liara. Not yet. I hardly know him. I just think he is fascinating."
"Just fascinating?Nothing else?" Liara says while she stopped crossing her legs and placed her hands on her thighs instead.
Shepard looks down at the floor. It's grey and it feels cold under her feet.
"Well, there's -" Shepard doubts, should she really tell Liara about this? I mean, does the great protector, the great leader Commander Shepard even have time for this? For love? She isn't experienced at all when it comes to love. She thinks for a moment, while she watches her feet at the floor. Liara just keeps looking at her, waiting for her to say something.
"There's more," Shepard takes a small breath and raises her look from the floor, "he is unlike anyone I have ever met. I don't know how to explain. I have never seen anyone as beautiful he is. As you know, I have spoken with him in private. A lot in fact. He told me about his past life, and I told him about mine. He told me things that he had never told anyone else before. And he confessed that he has come to care for me…"
Liara moves closer and puts her hand on Shepards shoulder, "then what are you waiting for, Shepard? You, of all people, deserve to settle down, at leats for a while, and ease some stress. Thane seems to care about you, you're not the only one who has noticed."
Shepard looks at Liara while she smiles and shakes her head,
"I don't know, Liara, I—"
"What do you mean "I don't know"?"
Shepard looks at Liara with an insecure look.
Liara continues, "Go talk to him! Now, Shepard. That's an… order."
"An order, huh?" Shepard laughs while she moves her body forward and places her elbows at her thighs with her hands on her chin.
"I apologize. I just want you to be happy, Shepard. At least think about it." Liara stands up and walks slowly towards the door. Shepard follows her lead. "I need to get back to work, Shepard. I need to study the data we found on our last mission. But, at least think about what I said."
"I will, Liara. Don't worry."
Liara smiles and gives Shepard a long, friendly hug before she walks onto the other side of the doors threshold and smiles at Shepard one last time before the door is closing in front of her.
Shepard had no time to loose. She went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. She looked horrible. Her long red hair was messy and was not in a bun anymore as it used to be and her makeup was smeared almost all over her face. Why didn't Liara say anything? Shepard smiled. "That bastard."
She quickly brushed her hair put her hair up in a bun. She washed her face and removed her makeup and put on her ordinary outfit. It was her favorite outfit. A black and red hoodie with the N7 mark on it and a pair of black pants.
She walked towards the elevator and headed for the Crew Deck. The elevators journey from her cabin to the Crew Deck felt like it was going on forever. She thought about what she was going to say. What if he's busy? Maybe he doesn't have time? Maybe he-
the elevator had arrived at Crew Deck, and the elevators doors opened, slowly, but still smoothly. She saw the door that led into Life Support. She looked at the door a while. "Just go in. What are you waiting for? You've talked to him before. You're Commander Shepard, for god's sake!" she thought for herself. She stood outside the door that led into Life Support, thinking the same thing over and over again for almost a minute.
And just when she was going to open the door, someone else opened the door from the inside.
"Oh, Shepard! You startled me!" he held his hand over his chest, while he was laughing a little at the same time.
"Thane! I'm sorry. I was just about to go see you," she answered with a laugh, feeling foolish and embarrassed at the same time.
They both smiled at eachother.
"You did? What a coincidence" he said, while he stepped one step closer to her, "I was just about to go visit you as well, Shepard" he answered with his deep, velvet voice. "I have something I wish to confess to you."