Young Encounters

"What's this?" Liara asked as she leaned on Shepard in the loft's bed. They had both been at work on their own datapads, but as night blurred into the morning hours, Liara decided she'd put hers down.

"This?" Shepard smiled. "Just a little fantasy I've written down—what it would've been like if we'd met when we were younger."

Liara raised a brow. "Fantasy?"

Shepard grinned. "What? I'm allowed. You're my bondmate, right?"

"Yeees," Liara nodded slowly with an amused smirk on her lips. "I'm just used to you showing me fantasies I suppose," she looked at Shepard's lips at the thought.

Shepard crumbled a little at Liara's gaze and leaned in for a kiss. Their breathing became ragged.

Liara plead "Show me."

"Dive in," Shepard smiled on her lips and grinned when Liara entrenched herself in Shepard's mind:

Shepard, proud to now call herself sort of, kind of, close enough to being an adult, stared at the credit chit in her hand that would allow her a full day of pretty much whatever she wanted. Her mother felt a bit guilty about not being able to see her on her birthday and had sent her the chit in her stead. Shepard was rarely left behind, having been a spacer kid all her life, but every once 'n a while she simply couldn't follow her mother to all the places she had to go. Shepard loved the spacer's life—she would join the Alliance as soon as she legally was able. Still, it was nice to have a day on the Citadel with wide open spaces, plants, and nonhumans everywhere.

Liara scrolled through an article on the Mars Prothean archives while she sat at a table near Apollo's Cafe. Humanity was still a hesitant species to trust the galaxy, so unfortunately the article did little to inform her of anything she didn't already know. She wondered when it would be possible for her to visit the archives herself. She'd briefly met only a handful of humans in her young lifetime. Most had been political colleagues of her mother's and since she was not exactly in good graces with her mother at the moment, she hadn't been in her circle for some time. Mostly Liara kept to herself. She only came to the Citadel when she needed to restock on supplies before heading out to a possible dig site. She had so much work to do before anyone would take her seriously, but she knew that her theories were right. She knew there was more to the Prothean extinction than what had been discovered thus far. And she would prove it.

Shepard paid for rapid transit for the Presidium commons. She wanted to check out some of the weapon kiosks where her mother always purchased her mods and upgrades. Alliance shooting ranges were well-equipped, but she knew the kiosks might have something new that she could beg her mother for. She daren't buy a gun without her permission even if she was old enough now. She was pretty sure her mother would space her.

After glancing through the kiosks, adequately torturing herself and drooling all over the guns she couldn't have, Shepard made her way to a café. A turian helped her and she glanced around for a table where she might be able to eat while she figured out what else she wanted to do with her day. She wished she was like most of her friends on Alliance ships—that she had some sort of homestead she could go to when minors weren't allowed onboard. Eating alone in public looked a bit sad. She mentally shrugged. She'd read a bit while she ate, that is, if she could find a table. All of the café's tables were occupied. Her eyes travelled to a table at the bottom of a short staircase. A lone asari sat reading, her back to Shepard. Maybe she wouldn't mind another lone reader. She'd try to not bother her.

Liara glanced up when she heard a cough—someone announcing themselves. Her brows knit. She met a pair of brilliant eyes and the human girl in front of her flashed a smile. "Mind if I sit across from you? I just need a place to read like you while I eat."

Liara found herself studying the human: her hair, her lips, her freckle pattern that matched hers. She looked young, even by human standards, but not a child. She estimated they were relatively in similar junctures in their lives. The human coughed again and she realized she'd been looking the girl over for far too long. "I'm sorry, I was caught off-guard. Of course. Please sit."

"Thanks," Shepard smiled again and placed her plate on the table before sitting. She looked over the railing to admire the view before turning back to the asari. "I'm Shepard."

Liara's brows knit again. "You herd a domesticated animal for a living?" Liara asked her, wondering why the human thought it important to tell her. She felt a thrill go through her when the girl laughed heartily.

"No, no. My name is Shepard. I'm Shepard, not a shepherd."

"Oh!" Liara blushed in embarrassment. "I apologize. My name is Liara T'Soni."

"Pleasure," the human nodded at her. "Well, I'll let you get back to reading. I didn't want to disturb you."

Liara smiled. "You haven't. I was finished and to tell the truth I could use the excuse to let my mind rest for a bit."

"Oh!" Shepard echoed Liara, though she wasn't embarrassed. "Cool. So, Liara?"

Liara nodded that she'd remembered her name correctly.

"What's your story?" Shepard smiled as she took up her sandwich and dived in for a bite.

Liara blinked rapidly at the direct question. "Well…" she faltered. "Let's see…"

Shepard swallowed. "Sorry. Didn't mean to put you on the spot there. I'll tell you mine—not much to tell yet. I'm an Alliance brat. There. That pretty much sums it up," she laughed and took another bite.

"Well then, I'm an archeologist and that pretty much sums it up," Liara smiled at her.

Shepard's brows met. "Archeologist? What exactly do you study?"

"Protheans, mainly," she explained. "I'm interested in their extinction."

"Really? I visited the archives in the Sol system once on Mars. There's a crazy amount out there. I can't believe it took my species so long to figure everything out. It's a bit embarrassing to tell the truth," she paused to take a sip of her drink. "Though, we're catching up I think."

Liara nodded. "Yes, humanity is incredibly fit to adaptation, I've read."

Shepard smiled. "So what are you doing on the Citadel?"

"I've come to resupply my food and equipment stores before I go on another dig."

"Dig? Sounds exciting," Shepard looked at her curiously.

Liara chuckled. "Not really. I mainly fiddle with things I don't understand and hope ruins do not bury me along with the items I study for another 50,000 years."

Shepard returned her chuckle. "Still, I bet you find some neat stuff," she took another bite.

Liara couldn't seem to stop smiling at the human. She wasn't one to usually talk to people so randomly like this, but something about this young woman made it easy. "Why are you on the Citadel, Shepard?"

"My mom couldn't take me on a mission and it's my birthday so she wanted to leave me somewhere I could at least entertain myself."

"Happy birthday!" Liara said surprised. "I'm surprised you aren't spending it with friends." She grimaced at her own words. They might sound judgmental and in the least they were prying.

"Nah," Shepard shrugged. "They all have family to stay with on a world somewhere. I'm one of the rare kids that's all military."

"I see." Liara pondered for a moment. She could use a bit of a reprieve from her studies and the human seemed to like her. "Would you like to do something with me? I need any excuse I can get to avoid reading another article while I wait for my supplies to be ready."

Shepard's smile brightened. "Sure! I was thinking of hitting up an arcade on the SilverSun Strip and maybe a movie."

"Sounds like a plan," Liara nodded.

"Skadooosh!" Shepard bragged as her holo robot avatar punched the living lights out of Liara's. She laughed. "Sorry. I very clearly meant to say 'good game,'" she chuckled at the asari next to her.

Liara pursed her lips in frustration. "How are you so good at this?"

"I play it at every station that has one. Plus I box…not sure if that really helps, but" she shrugged, rather than finishing the thought.

"I see." Liara pondered the human.

Shepard chuckled. "Do my ears freak you out?"

Liara blushed and her eyes became wide. "What? No!"

Shepard laughed. "I'm only joking—at least half joking. Hell, I think they're a little freaky. Asari are much prettier—"

Liara watched as the human became a little red and she wondered if their species blushed for the same reasons. She smiled, their eyes darting from meeting each other's to anywhere except the others'. The young asari tried to recover their conversation. "Aren't asari crests a little strange to you? And we don't have fur, er, hair," she stumbled.

Shepard grinned. "Not you don't, Lucky. I have to shave every freaking day. My mom won't let me get laser treatment until I'm 18."

Liara's gaped a little as her head tilted. "You shave? Where?" She picked up one of the human's arms and saw the barely visible hair there before something else dawned on her. "Wait, you're 18?!"

Shepard's eyes grew wide before she laughed. "Yes, mainly my legs, but there are a couple other," she coughed a little awkwardly, "places. And not yet. How old are you?"

Liara shook her head in amazement. "I'm 94."

It was Shepard's turn to regard the asari in absolute amazement. "Woah! Awesome!"

Liara laughed. "Awesome?"

"Yeah! I wish humans could live as long as asari."

Smiling at the human, Liara shook her head. "It's relative. We go through similar stages I'm sure, just at a slower pace. Though once asari are adults, there are few changes. I'm nearly 100 which will just barely legally make me a maiden rather than a child in my culture."

Shepard nodded. "Same here. I'm not quite 18—that's when the Alliance considers humans adults and you can join up."

A pair of turians were waiting for the game so they stepped back, Shepard leading the way up the stairs. "Hey," Shepard paused in the middle of the steps. "I just got an idea—when are asari allowed in casinos?"

"100," Liara answered reluctantly. How did this human who was less than a fifth of her age make her feel like such a child at times.

"Ah, darn. Movie it is." Shepard shrugged and continued up the stairs.

Liara reached for her arm. She wasn't sure why, but she wanted to make this a birthday the human would remember. "Wait, why don't we try anyway?"

Shepard raised a brow. "Um because my mom would kill me if I did anything illegal."

Liara tilted her head and laced her words with a bit of sarcasm. "As a daughter of one of the most influential and powerful matriarchs in the galaxy, I have no idea what that would be like," she grinned. "Come on." She took the human's hand in hers and led the way.

Shepard glanced around at the casino. To be honest, she'd expected it to be a bit more exciting. Any place 'adults only' was supposed to wild, right? Though she'd been the one to charm their way in—her silver tongue was a gift from being raised around strict, military adults her entire life—she was a little nervous this would somehow come back to her mom so she kept looking around, trying to make sure there wasn't anyone that knew her. Regarding Liara, Shepard became calm. This asari was so different than any she'd ever met before. Most, including a few asari they'd bumped into in the casino so far, were condescending to humans, especially young humans. She could understand it a little. After all, a three-hundred year old had a lot more experience in the galaxy than any human could hope for and that wasn't even a third of the lifetime an asari could expect. But Liara hadn't once made a comment that made her feel naïve in comparison to her though, despite their age difference. She decided Liara was right—it was relative. Her and the asari seemed to be pretty much the same 'age'.

Liara was glancing around the room as well and Shepard leaned close to her in a whisper. "Want to go to that movie? It's not that great in here anyway."

Liara froze when she felt Shepard's breath caress her crest and she felt herself shiver slightly in response. What was that? she thought. "Sure," she nodded. She just knew someone in here would recognize Benezia's daughter.

To be continued…?

Liara put the datapad down with a big grin waiting for her bondmate. "Is that really what you were like as a teenager."

"Pretty much," Shepard shrugged. "Goofy as heck."

Liara let just the tip of her tongue escape between her teeth as she stuck it out in a tease. "Adorable," she corrected her bondmate.

"What were you like? Did I get close?"

"Remarkably," Liara nodded.

Shepard bit her lower lip at the thought. "Show me?"

Liara gave her a coy grin. "Always."