Chapter 10
Love, Lust and Dreams
Leaving the casino had gone remarkably well when taking into consideration the mass confusion caused by the sting operation Ghost had initiated. Perhaps it was his way of providing a distraction for them to walk out unnoticed. Kasumi wasn't sure, but if it was then the plan went off without a hitch.
His team had used various ways of knocking out the remaining four agents. Grissom, their Drell teammate, and Gallick used a neural shock and submission net, respectively. Whitney, their hotheaded human, decided to smashed one agent's head into a Quasar machine repeatedly as Valera, their Asari pilot, electrocuted the other with an omni-tool program. Surprisingly enough, Whitney managed to get a jackpot in Quasar from smashing the Cerberus agents head into the machine, something she was quite proud of.
While they were capturing and dragging the agents out of the casino, Ghost, Darian and Tara—the three publicly better known members of the crew thanks to the war—were easing everyone's tension by explaining the situation and informing them they were safe to continue on gambling. It wasn't every day you saw a sting operation in a casino, especially one handled by Ghost who allowed his men to literally drag the unconscious agents out by their feet.
Al-Jilani was the first reporter to approach the three. For once she wasn't trying to smear anyone, instead choosing to ask the N7's on their operation, their team, their association with Shepard, and plans for the future and their service. Kasumi and Shepard managed to slip away without being noticed, but doing so forced them to take their time and move through the crowd who wanted to watch and hear what the purple eyed leader had to say.
Ghost, for all his secrecy, did great in front of a camera. He explained that while he would go into depth about the operation, there was more to it than this casino. It was an ongoing mission and for the sake of all involved he couldn't divulge all the information or how they worked. He did say, however, that as long as Cerberus was a threat to all people of the Galaxy, he and his squad would stand ready to protect them. Al-Jilani praised their dedication but what she didn't realize was that he was giving every Cerberus member listening a fair warning. They were all in his squads sights and they could expect to one day be in a similar situation if they didn't turn themselves in now.
Kasumi found it rather polite of him to give the terrorists a warning and chance to give up now even if no one understood what he was doing except her. If it was up to her, she wouldn't have even given them a warning at all. After everything their leader ordered and everything Shepard had gone through because of them, the thief was firmly in the camp of smashing their faces into a Quasar machine first and asking questions later.
The reporter asked more about his team and how it was to be the leader of the first cross-species N7 squad. Ghost told her he felt honored to be an example of cross-species cooperation and hoped to not let down those who put faith in him and his team. He then told her that he was privileged to be the leader and friend of such a great team. His comment led to the three cracking jokes at one another, each falling into their familiar comradery in front of the camera only to break it off when they remembered they were being interviewed.
Both women were nearly out when Al-Jilani asked for their association with Shepard and plans for the future. Curiosity got the better of them so they stayed to listen. Ghost told her it was merely a coincidence that they had been teamed up and he didn't know much about her recovery other than that if her show of dancing and stubborn attitude to get back to health were anything to go by then she would be back in no time.
After hearing the reminder of their dance, Shepard and Kasumi traded a look speaking volumes of getting the hell out of there to continue where they had left off before leaving to come to the casino and how they felt after their dance. It didn't take long to get back to the apartment at the quickened pace both women found themselves walking at. It wasn't too quick that they risked Shepard tripping and falling in her heels, but it was certainly quicker than normal.
What could they say? They were both excited to return. Kasumi's heart was thumping along quicker than normal because she knew what was waiting for them once they got back. She had planned for this. Okay, saying she had planned for this was a little far. There was no real plan for when they got back. They were going to be together and see where things ended up going but otherwise the only thing the thief had done was set up the room. She had made one more promise as part of their date and she intended to deliver on it, everything else they would wing.
Just like always. Kasumi smiled to herself at her own thought. There were really two things she had planned but both were surprises she couldn't wait to give the beautiful redhead. She was hoping to pour her heart out for the N7 and finally be able to act on the thoughts her imagination had come up with.
They entered the apartment to find Jack, Miranda, and Garrus standing about conversing with one another. Other than the three the apartment seemed to be completely empty, which was a strange sight to come back to. Kasumi had expected the others to be back from whatever they were doing and back to hanging around the apartment. She hoped to continue to steal away Shepard from everyone else for the remainder of the night but she had expected to share with the crew, at least for a little while.
Jack was the first to take notice of their arrival, a smirk forming on her lips the moment they made eye contact. "When did you have the time to learn how to dance like that, Shepard? Weren't you too busy saving the galaxy?" Jack questioned with humor in her tone.
So someone did record and share it. Well it certainly makes explaining it to the guys a whole lot easier. Then again the last thing Kasumi wanted to do right now was explain something. There would be time later to talk about it and make fun of Shepard's previous dancing compared to their tango. Right now she wanted to bring her Shep up to the bedroom regardless of how awkward things would get for their teammates.
"Actually learned around the time I joined the Alliance years ago. I haven't done it since. We really were winging it as we went along," Shepard answered. Jack nodded with a smile on her face. She clearly was going to have fun giving the N7 a hard time in the future about this. "Who recorded it anyways?"
"Not sure. I'm sure we could probably track them down, but surely you aren't looking for petty revenge over someone recording you dancing good for once, are you Shepard?" Miranda teased.
The N7 attempted to retort but stopped short. Her failed response earned a laugh from all four members of her squad. The former Cerberus operative had a valid point. It was the first time their Commander had danced very well and someone had finally captured it instead of the dance move she normally used. Even if it was their moment being shown to whoever decided to watch it, at least it was a good show.
"I wouldn't have believed it without the recording." Garrus paused for a moment and hummed to himself before continuing, "I'm still not sure I believe it. It could have been a fabrication. Miranda are you sure you checked—"
"Yes, Garrus, I am sure," the former Cerberus operative interrupted with a smile.
Kasumi couldn't help but smile to herself at the banter. She still wanted to go up to the bedroom but time with their friends was always enjoyable. She would never grow tired of hearing them banter with one another or poke fun at Shepard. It was something the thief had missed a lot during the war. "My dancing wasn't that bad before…was it?" the N7 turned to the thief with her question.
"Not going to lie Shep, if someone would have told me you could tango I wouldn't have believed them." Shepard sighed to herself so Kasumi gave her a peck on the cheek. "I still love you regardless of your dance moves without a partner." The redhead smiled a bit victoriously to the others who, thanks to Kasumi, had lost the banter battle. Love won that round for them both.
"Cheerleader, Garrus, let's get out of here before we're victims to hearing them bed each other."
"Leaving already?" Shepard questioned.
"We really stayed behind to let you two know none of us would interrupt you…" Garrus cleared his throat awkwardly, "…Blowing off steam."
Shepard and Kasumi blushed and smiled bashfully. They had called them out on the carpet of what their evening plans were despite how obvious they probably were. "You've got a few hours before we have to come back. I doubt you'll stop anyway, but I thought I'd give you two a heads up," Miranda said as she began to walk to the exit.
At least she knows, Kasumi mused.
"Ha! Those two will probably be at it for the whole night. Gonna be hard for anyone near their room to get to sleep tonight," Jack said humorously following after Garrus and Miranda. Both women had magnificent blushes coating their cheeks while the three walked by. The tattooed biotic slugged the redheads shoulder with a smirk on her face. "Have fun you two. Try not to break anything with your biotic's."
Shepard slugged her back, a smirk making its way onto her own face. "As long as you and Miranda hold yourselves to the same rule."
And that round goes to Shep.
Garrus and Kasumi chuckled at the two biotic's stunned silence followed by grumbles under their breath that none of them could understand. The thief did take notice to the faint blushes that crossed their faces but let it go; she'd tease them about it later.
Once they were gone Shepard looked to Kasumi with a smile. "Looks like you've got me all to yourself Kasumi." She stepped in closer, resting her hand on the thief's cheek, her gentle touch making her knees quake under her. If things continued as they were she didn't doubt her touch making the rest of her body quake. "What would you like to do?"
Her question was mostly serious wondering if there was anything in particular she wanted. There was, but to say the words would only give the N7 the courtesy of winning this round before their main event.
The thief moved in closer so their lips were merely inches away from each other. "It's a surprise," she whispered. She turned and gently bumped the lower half of the redhead with her hip. "Follow me if you want to find out."
Before Kasumi even reached the stairs she was turned around and pulled into a kiss. It was wonderful to feel her lips against her own again but there was a surprise she wanted to get to so she broke it off. "Come on Shep, there's something I've prepared for you." Kasumi tugged on her hand to follow her up the stairs. Shepard smiled at her playful tugging and allowed herself to be brought up the stairs and to the bedroom.
"Care to sit down while I get them?" the thief asked while she shut the doors for privacy for the rest of the night. Hopefully for the others sake the doors will block any sound as well, otherwise they might just want to stay away from the doors. Shepard and Kasumi weren't going to provide any therapy sessions for anyone who got a little too close to the doors.
"Sure. Can I take these heels off?"
Kasumi smiled and thought about telling her no for fun but decided against it. She didn't want her Shep to be uncomfortable and if the heels were making her feel like that then it was time for them to go. "Yep. I want the honors of the dress though." A pleased smile crossed the N7's face before the thief walked to the other side of the room behind her. "And no peeking."
"With that promise how could I argue?" Shepard asked.
"Simple, you can't." A laugh came from the N7, the lovely sound filled Kasumi with warmth just like staring into her eyes, kissing her and pretty much everything that involved being with her did. She opened the drawer that Shepard never used and pulled out the two items she had purchased for her. "Ready Shep?"
"As ready as I can be."
Kasumi walked back around the bed and held out the items to her, the shocked look was satisfying to say the least. "Real authentic candles just as you asked." She gave one of the scented candles to Shepard and set the other on the nightstand next to the bed. "They're both scented Ginger Peach, it's a pretty smell, or at least I think it is. I hope you—"
"I love it," Shepard interrupted after smelling the candle. "I was just joking when I said I wanted candles, but thank you." The thief smiled while lighting the candle she set down then took the one from the N7 to put on the opposite nightstand. "Mind if I dim the lights?"
"Only if you do it too help me set the mood," Kasumi said with humor. She lit the second candle with Shepard dimming the lights so the room was mostly lit up by the candles. That was half of her surprise now it was time for the other half. "Care to join me in the center of the bed, Shep?"
Shepard turned around and met the thief in the center of the bed, both resting on their knees and sitting straight up. They intertwined their fingers and rested their foreheads on each other's, each soaking in the comfort of their close proximity. The N7 moved in for a kiss but Kasumi backed away to prevent their lips from touching.
It felt wrong doing it and even the redhead gave her a confused and worried look since she had never backed away from a kiss since she pulled away from their first awkward kiss. Her nerves were starting to get the best of her. Kasumi un-intertwined her fingers and grabbed her Shep's wrist with shaky hands. "Shep I…" She stopped herself as the words she wanted to say became too hard to say.
Instead of saying the words she brought the redheads hands to her hood. Her sky blue eyed lover caught on immediately to what she was doing. "Kasumi…we don't have to do this if you aren't comfortable."
"I want to. Nerves just getting the best of me." She placed Shepard's hands on her hood. "I love you Ana and I want you to take this damn hood off." Her hood always granted her security and safety from prying eyes, without it she felt exposed. With Shepard, though, she didn't want to hide under it any longer. She made her feel safe and filled her with warmth and comfort. The hood felt like a barrier between them now. She wanted to finally be free of that barrier in private; she didn't want to hide anything from the woman she loved.
The redheads eyes stared deeply into Kasumi's, searching them for any sign that she felt forced or wasn't fully sure of herself. "Are you sure Kasumi?"
"Yes." She smiled. "After all, I still get the honor of taking that dress off so it's only fair."
Shepard tried to fight her smile but failed. Humor was a good way to beat her nerves back at having her Shep's hands so close to removing the hood. The redhead had caught onto it and kissed her forehead. "Only if you're sure."
"I am."
Without further hesitation Shepard pulled the hood back, slowly revealing Kasumi's face unobstructed and her long ponytailed black hair. The thief couldn't help but avert her gaze from her Shep's as the nerves came back in full swing. It had been a very long time since she had allowed someone to take off her hood. Keiji had been the last one to do so and that was a long time ago.
She felt the N7 pull out her ponytail gently, allowing her hair to fall back into its natural state and drape over her shoulders. Once she finished with the hair tie the redhead slipped her hand into the now free hair she had never been able to see or feel before. "You know," Shepard started as shivers moved across the thief's body and pleasurable tingles made their way across her skull from her hand running through her hair, "I've never laid eyes on someone as beautiful as you."
Kasumi looked back into her sky blue eyes unsure of what she would find in the depths. The small pessimist in her told her there would be a jest in her eyes but that was easily batted away when her loving eyes locked with her own. "I'm sure you're exaggerating," the thief deflected not used to dealing with such a compliment.
Her words were reflected in her eyes. The redhead truly believed her own words and couldn't understand why the thief had deflected it. "No, I'm not." Shepard brought her hand out of Kasumi's hair and rested both of her hands on both sides of her neck. "You are a beautiful woman who is funny, loving and a giant tease some days. And I love you with all my heart. So if I tell you you're beautiful then that means you are."
"How could I argue with that logic?" Kasumi felt her voice falter hearing what her lover said. There was not even a sliver of doubt or any sign of her saying it to make her feel better. It filled her heart with so much love and warmth she began to feel tears well in her eyes.
I've never felt so loved and wanted before.
She and Keiji had been in love, but the level of love that Shepard had for her and was pouring into her heart was greater than their love ever was. "Simple, you can't," the N7 wisecracked.
Kasumi breathed out a laugh and two tears escaped her. Before she could wipe them away the redhead did it for her. She placed a kiss on each cheek where the tears had been then gave her a small kiss on her lips. "Happy tears?" she asked. The thief nodded unable to find the voice to explain the reason why.
Thankfully she didn't have to. Shepard's velvety lips met hers again this time in slow passionate kiss. All of the nerves were washed away in a grand waterfall of love that both women shared with one another through the kiss. Kasumi opened her omni-tool without breaking off their kiss and activated the sound station on the redhead's nightstand, another addition to setting the mood that she had prepared.
The music she had activated was soft and added onto the already romantic mood they had. The N7 smiled into their kiss at the addition of music pleased at the selection she had chosen. Kasumi slid her hands up the woman's back following the zipper trail until she found it at the top. She pulled it down slowly while her Shep began to kiss and suck on her neck.
A yelp escaped the thief when Shepard suddenly nibbled down on her neck, the N7 made a pleased noise which Kasumi could only take as a sound of payback for doing it to her during their casino date. That or for taking her time to unzip the back of her dress, both were possibilities.
Soon the zipper stopped at her waist line before the start of the lower half of the dress. The thief allowed her fingers to trace up the now bare part of the woman's back getting a small shudder from her Shep. Kasumi worked her hands up to her shoulders and helped to push the shoulder straps off her shoulders and to her biceps allowing Shepard to snake her arms out from the straps with the help of the thief.
Shepard had moved from her lower neck to right below her chin line near her ear and was thoroughly enjoying her freedom to kiss any part of the thief she could reach that wasn't covered, which wasn't much yet but that would change soon. The feel of her lips against her skin and her tongue tracing circles when she sucked on her neck made the thief close her eyes and hum in approval of the feel. Her warm breath tickled her skin and made Kasumi anxious to feel it everywhere else. First things first, this dress has to go.
In a way it was a shame since Shepard looked so beautiful in it, but she also looked gorgeous out of it and she couldn't wait to feel her fully bare body on her own. Under her dress the N7 still wore her underwear so those would have to go as well but for now the dress was first.
Together, after Kasumi managed to get the redhead to part from kissing her, they removed the dress and tossed it to the floor leaving Shepard in her underwear and Kasumi still fully dressed but without her hood on. She couldn't help but to stop and stare at the magnificent woman in front of her even if she wasn't fully unclothed yet. Her beautiful face held a smile; the candle light reflected off of her fair skin, the shadows formed accenting her muscle tone. The thief rested her hands on her Shep's shoulders then allowed them and her eyes to begin to trail down her chest slowly.
Both her eyes and hands lingered on the N7's breasts, her currently confined perfect breasts that she couldn't wait to free. She received a pleased grin from the woman and a nod for her to continue touching, feeling and staring at her lovely bosom. It was a pleasure to do so, the thief leaned forward and gently kissed Shepard's bare chest then continued to place kisses down it to the clothed parts. A thrumming sound echoed in her lover's chest making Kasumi smile into the vibrations that came from it.
A bit reluctantly Kasumi moved away from Shepard's chest and allowed her hands to continue down her chest to her perfect abs and curvy hips all the way to her firm thighs. They were completely bare permitting the thief to run her hands across them in every direction without gloves or clothing covering them for the first time. Her skin was soft as silk, her scars beautiful, her eyes filled with lust and love, her smile infectious.
Shepard was perfect.
The redhead leaned back up into her capturing her lips with her own while the thief continued to enjoy the feel of the woman's skin under her hands. Wearing gloves constantly made Kasumi really appreciate what it felt like to take them off and actually be able to feel her lover's skin under her hands. The feel of her scars, the lines her muscles formed, her goosebumps when she first started running her hands across her legs, all of it was wonderful. Kasumi loved her acute sense of touch because of these things, some didn't notice or didn't think much about this but for the thief she found pleasure in being able to know every inch of Shepard's body by touch alone and being able to feel the shivers of pleasure she caused in the woman she loved.
Her Shep soon had her hands under her tank top allowing her hands to travel up the thief's stomach meanwhile moving her shirt up too. A smile formed on the thief's lips as she brought her own hands back to her tank top and began pulling it off with the help of her lover. Kasumi enjoyed feeling Shepard's skin under her own hands but feeling the redhead's hands gliding across her own body exploring every part of her that they touched felt amazing.
Most would assume that because she was in the military that Shepard would be rough and have rough hands but that was a false assumption. Her hands were soft and they moved across her stomach gently and with care. She wasn't forceful in her actions or trying to race to the finish of who could get their clothes off the fastest or trying to get her on her back to race to a climax. She moved slowly, taking her time to explore every inch of the thief's body that she could feel right now and it felt marvelous sending a fair share of pleasurable tingles across all of her sensory nerves. Every area her Shep touched felt like she was setting her nerves on fire, a fire that didn't burn but sent satisfying responses across the rest of her body.
Hands soon found themselves cupping her breasts as Kasumi herself pulled her top off the rest of the way. The moment her top was on the floor, Shepard's lips were back on hers while her hands gently fondled her breasts. A muffled moan escaped the thief from the sensations of the redheads lips on hers again mixed with the feel of her hands playing with her bra covered breasts.
"Can you promise me something Ana?" Kasumi asked as they broke off the kiss.
"Anything."
A smile pulled onto Kasumi's lips. "Be gentle."
Shepard breathed out a laugh at the comment then cupped the thief's face in her hands. "Only if you do the same."
Hours Later
"Ana?" Kasumi's quiet voice brought Shepard from her thoughts. They had only finished making love a few minutes ago and the N7 had lost herself thinking about all the pleasure they had both given each other. Both women had poured their souls out to one another and the hours of love they shared had brought them to a euphoric nirvana that neither woman had ever felt before.
If it wasn't for the fact they were both humans and neither one had Asari mind melding capabilities she would have assumed what they had experienced was a meld. Considering neither one of them were blue that left her wondering if their feelings for one another were just so strong that they had experienced the closest human equivalent to a meld. It was also possible that she was overthinking it, but in the end the incredible time they had spent with one another would be on her mind for the next few days by the feel of it.
So many of the feelings were clouding her thoughts from the thief's hands running across her bare body, her lips pressing on every part of her, her tongue working wonders just as she promised. Touch wasn't the only sense that had imprinted itself on her memory though. The scent of the candles mixed with the scent of Kasumi remained fresh with each breath she took. The sight of the magnificent woman when she had first taken the hood off to when she no longer had any piece of clothing on her was a sight she continued to see even when her eyes were closed. Seeing the way the candle light bounced across her body giving her a majestic look made the N7 believe that the woman she was madly in love with was a goddess.
The declaration of love back at the casino continued to ring in her ears alongside the pleasured sounds that the thief had elicited. Everything echoed in her mind and across her body and that was not a bad thing.
Shepard tilted her head down to the black hair sprawled across her chest and the woman she loved who was resting her head on top of chest listening intently to the heartbeat. The N7 herself was running the fingers on her left hand up and down the thief's side while her right hand rested above her own head on top of her still damp hair.
Kasumi's hair was still damp as well and their bodies were more or less in the same situation, not that they were complaining. It was for all the best reasons that they were in this state and to be honest they couldn't wait to do this all over again. "Anything new from my heart?" she asked, the smirk on her face making itself known in her voice.
The thief giggled softly and tiredly to herself, a sound the redhead cherished each time she heard it. "Besides sounding strong, no. I wanted to ask you something, well two something's actually."
"Shoot."
"Do you…do you have any dreams for the future?"
The question caught the commander off guard. At first she had thought it was meant as a joke but Kasumi sat up and rested on her elbow next to her so they could look each other in the eyes. Well sure she had dreams, but those had been before the final run. Now she was enjoying each present moment instead of worrying about what was to come. "I did. I haven't thought too much on them since I woke up, been too busy enjoying myself each day with you."
She smiled in response and planted a kiss on her lips. "Flatterer."
"What about you?" the N7 asked.
"As long as I'm with you I'm happy."
Shepard leaned up to her and kissed her way up her bare chest until she met her lips again. "Now who's the flatterer?"
As long as I'm with her I'll be happy too. Kasumi grabbed the redhead's left hand with her right and intertwined their fingers; she kissed the back of her hand before resting it against her cheek and closing her eyes. "What kind of dreams did you dream?"
Part of Shepard wanted to ask why she was asking but she decided to answer and find out later. "Well being able to be your lover was one but obviously that one is a reality now." The thief smiled at her answer, clearly happy with that reality too. "Otherwise…I don't know, having you on the Normandy again while we fixed the galaxy and if we ever retired I assumed we'd buy a ship to travel. We'd keep this apartment and buy a secluded beach house on Earth where we could escape from prying eyes. We'd have to hold a reunion each year to get the guys back together again so that'd be here and then we'd visit them when we weren't busy."
She gave a pleasant hmm of approval to the plan. "Anything else?"
"Maybe adopt two kids who need parents. Gender and race wouldn't matter to me if we went the adoption route. If we didn't do adoption then we'd obviously talk more about it. Really though they were passing thoughts. I never really believed I'd live to see any of this and I always told myself if I did that I would let you choose and be the best lover I could be for you."
The thief remained silent for a moment but her smile remained as she seemed to be mulling over the thoughts Shepard had just given her. All Shepard wanted to do now was fulfill being the best lover she could be and getting Kasumi to smile everyday was a part of that. It made her smile as happiness grew in her heart.
Seeing her lover smile had helped to heal many of the wounds she had been dealt and if it helped her too then making her laugh and smile was what she planned to do every day for the rest of their lives. "I think you'd make a great parent for what it's worth," Kasumi finally said.
"So would you, though I think our kids would be little trouble makers." They'd have a thief and a Spectre for parents; it would only be inevitable for them to cause the same amount of trouble their parents had caused growing up and in their adulthood.
"Like parents like kids," she responded with a joyful smile on her face.
Shepard smiled and gave her a small tug trying to get her to come back down to her. She wanted to hold her and kiss her again; doing both gave her a peace of mind and filled her with a great joy. "Why do you ask, love?"
"Curious to know what the future might hold for us. I like your plan." Kasumi opened her eyes and allowed herself to be tugged to Shepard so they were face to face. "I love you, Ana."
Shepard smiled. "I love you more, Kasumi." The thief let go of her hand and cupped her face, their lips meeting once more in a passionate kiss. Once again she found herself getting lost in her lover's touch and the feel of her lips against her own wishing for this reality to never end no matter what came.
As soon as they met they parted just as quick, she gave a faint frown only to receive a smile from Kasumi and a peck on the lips. "Don't pout. I had one other something to ask you, remember?"
A bit reluctantly she nodded. Kasumi did say that and she wouldn't ignore her request knowing that they'd still be together once she was done asking. "Right. What's your second question?"
Kasumi lifted her leg up and laid it down on the other side of the redhead then pushed herself up so she was straddling her waist. She intertwined both of their hands and pinned them above her head before leaning down so they were nose to nose. "Ready for round two?"
They both smiled at one another. "Be gentle," Shepard teased.
"Only if you do the same," the thief teased back.
This was definitely going to be a day and night to remember.