DISCLAIMER: I do not own MASS EFFECT and am not gaining any profit from this story. All rights belong to BioWare. the only thing I DO own is my own copy of the game for XBox360

Author's Notes:

I hadn't really thought this story through, but I did know that I wanted to see more Liara/Shepard fics. This is just a quick one shot and can take place at pretty much any time in the game after you meet Liara and before you go back to the Citadel to fight Soverign.

I welcome reviews and constructive critisism gladly (anything to improve my writing, or just feedback), but please be nice?

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy it.

Admission

"What do you think, Liara?" The asari in question snapped out of her personal thoughts as she looked up at her friend and commander, Jane Shepard. She mentally bereted herself for staring at those green orbs of the commander's and cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry, Shepard. What-what was the, erm, question?" Shepard noted how Liara's voice wavered slightly and barely suppressed a frown, choosing not to say anything. Instead, Shepard's smile returned and she repeated her question.

"I said that your field of study must be really interesting. And then I asked if there was anything else you wished to discuss with me before I ended this meeting between you and me?" Liara looked down at her paperwork, though not quite seeing it, and blushed slightly. She hoped Shepard hadn't noticed.

"No, Commander, there is not," she mumbled, wondering why her tongue now seemed to swell up so badly that she could not speak with her usual briskness. Okay, she knew why. It was her, Commander Jane Shepard.

It seemed every time they spoke, she grew tongue-tied or was even more awkward. She would literally have to force her brain to work correctly and then run as a mechanical VI would. During meetings with the rest of the staff, she would simply stare at Shepard, when she thought no one was looking, of course, and just memorize every inch of her face. This was not necessary, of course, since Liara already had every inch of Shepard's face mapped out.

What she was slightly ashamed of, however, was the fact that there were times, when she was not researching or whenever she had a free moment, that she would simply close her eyes and imagine Shepard walking up to her, grabbing her by both her shoulders, and just kissing her with more passion than any of those women in those Progenitor-be-damned human romance novels Chief Ashley Williams had given her. She had begun reading those novels lately, and they had allowed her mind to imagine things she really shouldn't be imagining. Her curiosity to study human literature and maybe to understand humans more had peaked out of curiosity she asked Ashley for a few novels, and before she knew it, she was hooked.

Shepard continued to smile at her, and she damned her knees for becoming so weak. They felt like jelly.

"Okay then, Liara," the Commander said. "If there is nothing you need to discuss with me I suggest we draw this meeting to a close."

"Right, then," she agreed. She stood up and cleared her throat. She finally forced herself to look to Shepard's eyes and return her smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, Commander." She leaned over and paused when Shepard caught her looking within her eyes. She froze up when she saw something in her eyes she had never really noticed before, though she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

"Is something wrong, Liara?" Liara jumped when she realized she was staring again.

"No, Commander, nothing is wrong." She muttered something else Shepard couldn't quite understand and left.

Liara collapsed against the sleeper pod. Why didn't she just tell her and get it over with? She knew why. She didn't want to run the risk of rejection. She loved Shepard so much, and yet she knew that there was no way she could ever return her love. And she would never put such a pressure upon her to love her in return. Why should she tell her? There was so much at stake if they didn't succeed, Saren would take over the galaxy, humanity and all aliens would be destroyed, she could not stand to put more pressure on Shepard's shoulders to love her.

She sat up. Why shouldn't she tell her? After all, they had a strong friendship. Surely it could survive an admittance of love. If she didn't love her, then she was almost positive she would be willing to forget she had ever said anything.

Just as she had decided that she would tell her, she began to debate with herself. Would their love survive what she told her? She had already taken a few chances with love and had been hurt every time. Dare she take that chance again? She did not know. She knew she loved Shepard with all her heart, but could she be sure Shepard felt the same for her?

Shepard and Liara had begun to regularly eat together at the mess hall and just talk. They sat there, staring at each other from across the table. Their conversations remained casual and friendly, though there was something lacking in their usual banter. It was something Shepard had noticed only within the past five minutes or so, and it greatly bothered her.

It seemed to her that Liara had been extremely distracted within the past week. She didn't know why or what it was, but there was something bothering Liara. And as Shepard thought more about it, she thought that perhaps it had something to do with her. Shepard didn't know what she could have done, but she had the very distinct feeling she was a big part of it. What could she have done?

"Liara, do you mind if I ask you something?" Shapard finally asked. Liara looked up at her as though she had forgotten Shepard was there. She had been concentrating on the food in front of her, or so it had seemed to Shepard. The truth was that Liara was actually thinking about her, and during the thought process she had forgotten all about both Shepard their discussion.

"Oh, of course, Shepard," she breathed, trying her absolute hardest not to turn an even darker shade of blue. She cleared her throat and reached for her now cold coffee. She didn't pay attention. She needed some sort of a distraction so as not to think that she had just been caught daydreaming, even if Shepard didn't even know it herself.

"You seem to be distracted as of late, and I was rather hoping you would share with me your burden?"

"Burden?" she repeated, trying hard for the word to penetrate to her brain.

"Well, I assume it is a burden," she said. "It is a rare time indeed when you would allow something to consume your thoughts without expressing them with me. So what else could it be besides a burden?" Liara sighed, set her cup on the table, and laid back. It was true. Keeping this secret was the biggest burden of her entire life, and she had known a few. Liara wondered if she would ever tell Shepard about the deep feelings she harbored for her.

"You are correct, Shepard," she finally said, staring into the fireplace. "I am carrying a heavy burden. Unfortunately, this is one burden I cannot share with anyone; especially you." Shepard frowned.

"You say 'especially'. Why?" Liara's eyes widened as she realized her mistake. She had meant to say 'even you' but had accidentally said 'especially you' instead. Her mind screamed to her to cover her mistake and to do it as quickly as was possible. But the question was how? Liara looked down at her cup before she set it down.

"Well, I may have said 'especially', but what I meant to say was 'even'." Shepard did not quite buy that.

"Please, Liara, tell me what is wrong," she pleaded. She looked up at her and smiled sadly.

"I-I-I-," She could not think of what to say to her. What could Liara say to her? 'Yes, Shepard, there is something. I wanted to tell you: I think love you, always have, and always will.' just didn't seem like the way to go. Her hands were shaking now and she couldn't control them. How could Shepard see right through her? Liara silently cursed her for knowing her so well.

"Liara," Shepard whispered. Liara hadn't noticed that Sheppard had stood from her seat and was now kneeling beside Liara. She placed her hand over hers and squeezed it gently. She took her other hand and reached for Liara's chin, forcing her to look at her. She finally did and all was lost. "Please tell me what is wrong." Liara's bottom lip quivered.

"I'm afraid to tell you," she whispered.

"Why? Are you afraid that I will be angry?" She nodded, attempting to blink away her tears. This only caused a few drops to fall from her eyes. "I promise I could never be angry by anything you say."

"How can you be sure?" she asked.

"Because I care about you, Liara. More than I've cared for someone in a long time. Maybe… Maybe I even love you." The silence was thick. If Liara thought she couldn't breathe before, it was even harder to do so now. She smiled broadly and placed her hand upon Shepard's cheek.

"Shepard…" Anything she was about to say was cut off by Shepard's lips upon hers. The kiss was soft at first but grew in intensity when Shepard felt Liara's arms wrap around her neck and her hands wind into hair. She was encouraged even more when Liara's fingers began to massage her head and she heard a moan coming from Liara. They finally pulled back, both panting and with swollen lips. They smiled and rested their foreheads against each others.

"I take it you love me too?" Shepard asked. Liara laughed slightly and nodded.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you," she whispered. "I've loved you for so long that it seems there was rarely a time when I didn't love you. When I close my eyes, I still can see your smile. It's bright enough to light my life out of its darkest hour. Please believe it's true when I tell you I love you."

"I do believe it." And with that, Shepard captured Liara's lips once again.

Hours later, when their food and drinks lay cold and forgotten, Liara and Shepard lay upon her bed in the commander's quarters, both happier than they had been in a long time. Shepard lay with her back against the bed, holding Liara's back flush against her chest. She reached over and picked up her hand and kissed the palm.

"I am so glad I told you," she said.

"Yes, I am too. I had to let you know the truth. And now you do." She sighed and smiled. It wasn't long before they fell asleep. It wasn't long before Liara was dreaming of Shepard and she was dreaming of Liara, burdens and all forgotten, even if momentarily.

FINI

A/N: Please click the little green button below and tell me how I'm doing!