A/N: Although this story involves an established relationship between Shepard & Liara, the main pairing of the story is Shepard & Traynor, because the poor Specialist doesn't get nearly enough love from the fandom. It is light on plot and heavy on smut of the femslash variety. If any of the above description is not your cup of tea, then please consider moving along in search of a brew more to your taste.
Also, huge thanks to owelpost for the encouragement. If you've never read her story "Glacial Fire," then I humbly suggest that you immediately stop reading this to go rectify this situation (and yes, I believe that not reading her brilliant story totally counts as a "situation"). Really, go on now. Don't worry, this story will still be here when you're done.
Disclaimer: The characters and universe belong to Bioware. I've just borrowed them for a bit of playtime.
"Shepard wants you, you know."
Samantha Traynor didn't take her eyes off of the chessboard, her face wearing the slight frown of concentration that Liara had grown familiar with during the course of their semi-regular games. The matches, played during stolen moments, provided them both with a welcome respite from their increasingly chaotic lives.
"I'm sorry. What was that?" Traynor's tone was distracted. She'd lost the last three matches to the asari, and she was determined to end her losing streak.
Realizing her opponent had not heard her, Liara repeated her statement with added emphasis. "I said, Shepard wants you."
The intensity in Liara's voice finally pulled Traynor's thoughts away from the stratagem she'd been devising, and as she looked up her expression shifted from concentration to confusion. "I'm sorry," she repeated, a note of query in her voice, "Shepard wants me what? Does she need me to do something?"
"Really, Samantha. I would expect someone of your intelligence to be more proficient at multitasking. What I have been trying to tell you, but you have been too distracted to hear, is that Shepard desires to have sex with you." Liara leaned forward, her gaze never wavering from studying the board, as she continued. "Need I remind you that it is your move?"
Sam was frozen in place, eyes wide and mouth agape. A small corner of her mind idly considered how comical she must look. An avatar of stunned speechlessness, no doubt. Finally finding her voice after several long moments, she managed to a spit out a response. "No. Surely you're mistaken."
Liara met her eyes for the first time since dropping a proximity mine in the middle of their chess match. Anger flickered in blue depths. "I do not make mistakes. Not when it comes to Shepard."
Traynor abruptly stood up and began pacing. "How do you..." she started before breaking off with a sharp shake of her head, staring intently at her feet as they carried her to and fro across the room. "What I mean is, why would you...no, that's not it either." She crossed the room a few more times in agitated silence before beginning again. "What I really mean is, have you lost your mind? Why would you tell me something like that? What precisely am I supposed to do with this information, assuming I even believe you? And I'm not saying I do."
"Well, you could consider returning to the game. I believe I'll have you checkmated within five moves."
"That settles it. You've definitely lost your mind. Heaven knows you're under enough stress. I mean, aren't we all, really? But especially you. Having to run the Shadow Broker network, manage all those agents, sift through all that data, while also scouring the galaxy for resources for the Crucible. Oh! And let's not forget all of the angry hoards of mercs and machines and monsters that try to shoot you, roast you, freeze you, or biotic you to death on an almost daily basis. Yes, that must be it. Unsurprising, really. I mean, anyone would crack under that strain."
Sam had continued pacing during her monologue, and she could feel the asari's gaze tracking her movements across the small cabin.
"Samantha. Sit." A beat later, she softly added, "Please." Sam stopped pacing and met Liara's steady gaze, the tension in the human's body suggesting that she was on the verge of fleeing the room. Liara schooled her features into an expression that she hoped was reassuring, or at the very least non-threatening.
Sam stared at her for a long moment and finally returned to her seat, although she kept her body poised to rise again at a moment's notice. Liara sighed in relief, grateful that her mask seemed to have allayed the human's fears enough to continue the conversation.
"I asked you here tonight specifically to share this recent discovery with you. I thought a casual atmosphere would make this conversation easier. I can see now that was wishful thinking." Liara paused to draw a deep breath, as if to steel herself before continuing.
"It is no secret Shepard and I are romantically involved, and have been so - off and on - for years. We are still together, and we are still committed to each other. However, in recent months a new...thread...has appeared within the fabric of our relationship. A thread of restlessness, of longing. It is only recently that I have discovered its origin. Put simply, it is you. Or, more specifically, Shepard's feelings for you."
"But, I never..." Sam barely got the words out before Liara interrupted her.
"Samantha, this will be easier if you will listen to me for the moment. I will answer what questions I can when I am done. But please, let me finish."
"The attraction Shepard feels towards you has become a growing liability. She feels frustrated in your presence. She feels guilty in mine. She is angry at herself because she thinks her feelings for you are a sign of her weakness. She thinks of herself as beyond human frailties, and she is proven wrong every time she thinks of you. She thinks she is failing me, and it terrifies her - because if she can fail me, she can fail the galaxy."
Liara picked up one of the smooth wooden pieces from the board - her own queen, Sam absently noticed - and began idly massaging the piece between delicate blue fingers.
"This can't continue. I have tried to reassure her that she has not - could not - fail me. That I accept her for who she is, and that I know she has always been a woman of certain...proclivities. Desires. Our relationship is the first time she has even attempted monogamy, even though she finds it...limiting. It is one of the reasons I do not question the depth of her feelings for me." Liara paused, fixing Sam with a piercing blue stare before continuing.
"This whole situation is one problem among many that prevents her from sleeping at night. If we are to prevail against the Reapers and save the galaxy, Shepard must be at her best, both physically and emotionally. Right now she is neither."
Sam interrupted, unable to restrain herself any longer. "I don't know what you want from me. I would never come between two committed people, and I can assure you I've done nothing to encourage this." No matter the temptation,she added silently.
"Nothing?" Blue eyes flashed in challenge. "That is an interesting word choice. Tell me, what exactlywas the motivation behind your little display in Shepard's shower?"
Sam swallowed. "Okay. So that was definitely an incredibly stupid lapse in judgment on my part. But, in my defense, at the time I didn't know that Shepard was taken, much less that her lover was the most powerful information broker in the galaxy. I may have been a little more obtuse than I care to admit, but even I'm not bumbling enough to knowingly attempt to seduce the Shadow Broker's woman."
Liara sighed yet again, her momentary flash of anger fading and leaving tired resignation in its wake. "I did not bring you here to assign blame, Samantha. I brought you here to help solve a problem. "
Sam stared at her hands, which were clenching and unclenching with nervous energy, before finally lifting her eyes to meet Liara's. "Okay. Let's pretend I believe you. But still, short of transferring to another ship, I don't see what I can do..." Sam's eyes widened as soon as the statement left her lips.
"Is that what this is about?" She accused, her voice growing increasingly agitated. "Are you trying to tell me I need to transfer? Because distraction or not, my place is here, doing what I can to help Shepard defeat the Reapers."
"Calm down, Samantha. I did not bring you here to convince you to transfer, or otherwise remove you from this ship. If nothing else, you are too valuable to the mission. Besides that, I consider you a friend - - and I have few enough of those that I'm not prepared to start throwing them away. No. I have examined this problem at length, and determined that the best solution is to facilitate a liaison between you and Shepard. If you are willing, of course. And from your behavior during the course of this conversation, I believe that you are."
"A liaison?" Sam's voice hitched on the word. "Between me and Shepard? You mean...oh God, you do mean. Are you serious? How can you possibly be serious?"
"Of course I am serious. Having an...encounter with you may not assuage her guilt. Although I am hopeful that my involvement in this arrangement will convince her that there is no need for her to feel guilty about her desires, or for acting upon them. But at the very least, being with you will hopefully...satiate her curiosity. 'Scratch the itch' is the phrase I believe you humans would use. And anything that can be done to ease anyof the burdens she carries...well, it is worth the cost."
Liara brought her hand to her face, absently tracing some of the deep worry lines etched across its surface. "She's very close to falling apart, Samantha," she continued quietly. "This much, at least, I can do for her."
"Does Shepard know about your plan?"
"No. Not yet. I needed to speak with you first, to see if you would agree to it."
"But you actually think that she will agree to this lunacy?" Sam couldn't keep the incredulity out of her voice.
"I do not think, I know.I told you before, when it comes to Shepard I do not make mistakes." Liara paused, giving the specialist an open, appraising look. "I do not know if you've ever joined with an asari before, Samantha. It is...difficult for partners to hide strong emotions during the meld."
The asari was quiet for a long moment, leaving each woman alone with her thoughts. "I have tasted the depths of Shepard's desire for you. Believe me when I say that she will agree to this proposal."
Traynor's breath hitched at the certainty in Liara's voice, and her already flushed skin heated anew with the implications. Was Liara saying what she thought? That Shepard had been thinking of her while joining with the asari? That while she and Liara were...Shepard had been thinking of...No. It was too ludicrous to believe. It was impossible to imagine that anyone who had the beautiful, powerful, and damnably fascinating asari in their bed would ever be distracted by thoughts of a bookish communications specialist from the colonies.
Liara's voice broke her reverie. "So...If you have no other questions, I would appreciate your decision." Sam glanced at the asari. Although her pose exuded tranquility, the specialist couldn't help but notice the death grip the asari had around the unfortunate wooden queen still embraced by her left hand.
Sam continued to carefully study the unmoving face before her, asking in a guarded tone, "What about you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Just what I said. If I were to agree to this madness, where does that leave you? Are you reallyasking me to believe that you'd be completely fine with another woman having sex with your girlfriend?"
"Frankly, my thoughts and feelings about this situation are none of your concern. It is enough for you to know that I am doing this freely, of my own volition. "
"Okay. Fair enough. But I would not cause you pain, Liara."
Liara waved her hand dismissively, leaning forward to hold Samantha's gaze. "Shepard is the only one that matters here, Samantha. But if it helps to broker this arrangement, then know that I absolve you of blame for any...emotional repercussions I may suffer. It may also reassure you to know that asari culture is not so tied to the concept of monogamy as many humans appear to be. We live very long lives. It is common enough practice for our people to have multiple partners at any given time. The idea of 'lifetime commitment' takes on a different meaning when your lifetime stretches across a millennium."
The words lingered in the air, and Traynor found it impossible to glean any insight from the complete lack of expression in the asari's visage. But it did not escape her that all of Liara's assurances were couched in generalizations about asari culture, rather than specifics regarding her personal views on monogamy and commitment.
Yet again Liara interrupted her train of thought. "It grows late, Specialist, and I still have a lot of work to do before the evening is done. I believe I have presented you with enough information to properly evaluate the situation. I would appreciate a decision."
Still receiving no response from the human, Liara decided to try a different approach. "Do you find Shepard attractive?"
Sam inhaled at the bluntness of the question, and her eyes darted around the room in an effort to avoid the blue eyes trained upon her with such intensity. Sam could see little point in lying to the asari, who doubtlessly wouldn't believe it anyway. She likewise saw little advantage in revealing the depth of the truth behind her answer, and therefore she simply answered, "Yes."
Liara's voice held no trace of surprise or challenge when she responded. "Then your decision should be simple."
Sam let out a short, humorless laugh. "You could use many words to describe this entire proposal. 'Simple' is not one of them."
Traynor shot up out of her chair and resumed her pacing, her mind a whirl, still trying to get a grasp around the absurdity of this situation. This was like something out of some bad adult vid. Things like this didn't happen to normal people, did they? She certainly thought she was fairly normal. Well, beyond living with the constant threat of death at the hands of a Reaper. Or Cerberus. Although she supposed that passed for normal in these end times. She certainly wasn't exceptional like the two other players in this twisted drama - two of the most powerful and altogether frightening people in the galaxy. Based on that alone, a healthy sense of self-preservation dictated that she should flee the cabin and never come back.
Could it be a trap? Some small, paranoid corner of her mind wondered. Could Liara be trying to trick her into some admission of desire, leading to her quiet disappearance at the hands of a Shadow Broker agent the next time she was walking alone on the Citadel?
No. Sam rejected the idea as contrary to her observations of the asari. Liara was a methodical, patient chess player; a capable strategist, but a conventional tactician. Her strength lay in her ability to quickly formulate a plan of attack and commit to it, making adjustments - and sacrifices - as needed.
The silence in the cabin grew thick, and Sam knew she must say something. She laid out all of the information she had, analyzing each piece of it again, and made the only rational decision possible. She would reject the "proposal" and hope to escape this farce unscathed. Really, what other choice was there? She opened her mouth to say so, and was rewarded with the biggest shock of her life when she heard her own voice say "Yes, I'll do it."
She clasped her hand to her mouth, rendered completely speechless by her response. Where had that come from? She turned to the asari, frantically trying to reconnect her brain to her wayward mouth so she could retract her statement.
What she saw pulled her up short. A myriad of emotions danced across delicate blue features, and it was impossible to decipher them all. But the most recognizable emotion was relief. It flowed off of the asari in palpable waves, the tension leaving her body as she rubbed a hand briskly across her face, taking a moment to gently return the queen to its position on the chessboard.
"Thank you," came Liara's soft response. Genuine relief - and possibly even gratitude - lay behind her words.
Any further objections died on Traynor's lips, leaving her to nod in mute acknowledgment.
The moment quickly faded, and Liara's face once again slipped into an inscrutable mask. She stood up, her manner business like. "I will speak with Shepard at once. The sooner we can execute this plan, the better. Come to my cabin tomorrow after your shift ends. If Shepard responds as I predict she will, matters will be settled by then and we can go to her together."
Sam could do nothing more than stare, flabbergasted by the speed at which her life was spinning out of control. Her normal loquaciousness was completely stifled by the surreal situation.
"There is one other thing you should know. Understand that whatever happens between you and Shepard, it will not change my feelings for her, nor hers for me. Despite how this may appear, we are committed to each other. It would be...foolish for anyone to entertain thoughts of changing that. And you have never struck me a fool, Samantha."
Her warning issued and received, Liara turned to her monitors, her focus clearly shifting to the next item on her agenda. The dismissal in the gesture was obvious. As Sam turned to leave, still in a state of shock, Liara's voice stopped her short of the door one last time.
"Oh, and Samantha? I suggest you get as much rest as you can tonight. You're going to need it."