Chapter 11
More than a Dream
Kasumi found herself waking up slowly due to three senses—touch, hearing, and smell. The first one to cause her wake up was the lack of a heartbeat in her ear. She remembered falling asleep to the gentle thumping of her Shep's heart but now it was gone. The mesmerizing sound had hypnotized her into sleep once they had finished giving their love to one another for most of the evening and into the early of the morning. Shepard's heartbeat had slowed down by the time the thief had rested her head on her chest and even though it was slowed down that didn't making it any weaker.
Her heart was special and something Kasumi's ear was very attuned to now. Much like how she now knew every inch of Shepard's body by touch from her scars to her sculpted muscles, she knew her Shep's heartbeat. The ba-dum it made was naturally strong like the woman it was encased in, but for all its strength it managed to remain gentle, another similarity it held when compared to the woman who it belonged to.
Missing the heartbeat brought her to the next sense, touch. Lacking this brought her from the limbo of sleep to a mostly drowsy awareness. There was no skin under her hand, no chest under her head or a leg she had hers intertwined around. Her hand now lay on an empty bed that still held some warmth, the chest she had found comfort lying on was replaced by a soft pillow.
The lack of having her Shep in bed with her holding her as she held her was disconcerting, scary even. Old fears of everything going on being nothing more than a dream began to well up inside the thief. They had had a wonderful night and while Kasumi was used to being the first to wake up, being second to wake up and no longer have the woman she loved there frightened her. She hadn't even woken up at the movements that would have been needed to get out of bed and normally she was a light sleeper, especially when it came to waiting for Shepard to wake up.
When she had been waiting for her to wake up from the near coma state she was in, the slightest twitch in the air had woken her up. Only once had she stayed asleep and that was the time Miranda had found her.
Had this all been a cruel dream that she was now waking up from? Were all her senses coming together in her dreams to give her what she wanted and make her believe it was real only to now take it away? If so, what condition was Shepard in?
The mere thought of that made the thief's heart quicken and made her forget the third sense. She opened her eyes slowly to a dimmed room, her vision remaining blurry from sleep still having its hold on her. Dimmed lights were a good start, it was similar to what she remembered but the mind was tricky. There had been a few dreams she had woken up from and everything around her looked the same as it had in her dreams only for it to fade away after a few seconds.
By feel she knew her hair was free and she was nude under the covers, another similarity to what she believed to be a memory. She needed to find the N7 first. Finding her would prove whether or not she had dreamed it all. "Ana?" she called silently, her voice too tired to convey the true worry she felt.
To her delight, a pair of lips pressed against her cheek followed by her lover's voice. "I'm here, love," her gentle voice full of love told her. A hand glided up her arm, the touch helping to stir the thief out of her sleep followed by the bed shifting as she leaned most of her weight on one knee and one hand to balance next to her.
The beautiful redhead came into sight, her red hair draped over her shoulders tickling Kasumi's face. The sensation made Kasumi laugh softly before she brushed it away. Shepard's torso unfortunately had a bra on it again but remained bare everywhere else and she looked to be wearing her N7 shorts. Her sky blue eyes looked into her own lovingly yet also searching to make sure she was okay, it was a reminder that her thoughts of this being a dream or her Shep leaving were ridiculous and had no foundation.
They were based out of the fear of losing Shepard. The fear had formed itself back when she had been unconscious in the hospital hanging onto the remaining threads of life she had in her. Now that sudden fear she felt for her had only moments before reminded the thief of how spiritually tied to the woman she was and how hard it would be to lose her. After losing Keiji she had part of her heart torn from her. She had chained up and barricaded what was left to stop it from ever feeling that way again only to now give it to this loving woman.
To have fallen in love with her was amazing, to be loved more than the word love could describe was wondrous, exhilarating; it made her feel alive for what felt like the first time in her life. Kasumi was in this one hundred percent, mind, body and spirit. If her Shep was hurt she would be there for her to heal the wounds as best she could. She wanted to share in her joys and triumphs and be someone who gave her a fair share of joy and love.
She also wanted to be there to comfort her if she ever needed it, to be the very best lover she could be just as Shepard wanted to be for her. The dreams she had shared last night were dreams the thief wanted to one day see as the very reality they lived in now…if she ever lost her then…Kasumi wasn't sure she would be able to go on anymore or have the want to go on. She knew Shepard would want her to if that ever happened, but to lose the redhead was to lose what was left of her heart. Losing her would shake the very foundations of her heart and soul now and this time around she didn't have a graybox to escape to so she could relive the memories they had together so far.
Losing herself to a device like that wasn't something the thief wanted to do again and she definitely didn't want to lose the redhead anytime soon. Those dreams are meant to be shared between us, Ana, not for me to chase on my own, so you better not be going somewhere that I can't follow you anytime soon. Kasumi could feel her heart aching thinking of this and quickly banished the line of thought from her mind to move back to the original worrying question of thinking the N7 had left.
Truly the thought had nothing to hold it up other than in her drowsy mind she had at the time. Shepard wasn't one to play with emotions or one to say she loved someone only to get them in bed and then leave. Her Shep cared deeply about the people she called friends, she looked after them and when she fell in love there wasn't a question in anyone's mind if it was something she truly felt or not.
The redhead had told the squad and Kasumi specifically that she was holding onto her love until she found the person she wanted to give it to. For her to finally give it meant that she too was in this one hundred percent. This woman had fought through hell and a thick skull on Kasumi's part to get here. She loved her and had no intentions of betraying that love ever. The thought made Kasumi smile to herself. She was a lucky woman to be loved by such a person like Shepard. "I love you," she whispered tiredly.
Her lover smiled lovingly back then planted a kiss on her lips. "I love you more." Getting the fears from her mind thanks to the touch and kiss they shared reminded the thief of the third sense that caused her to wake up.
An aroma filled the room and it smelled delicious. It wasn't the Ginger Peach smell they had last night though the scent remained under this new smell. The smell of the candle had been imprinted on Kasumi's memory and she'd be able to pick that smell out anywhere now. The new smell was a food for sure but she couldn't place what it was. It was an intoxicating scent and keeping her awake along with making her stomach grumble at not having any of the food.
"What is that delicious smell?" Kasumi asked.
A laugh bubbled out of Shepard. She quickly readjusted to sit down next to her then spoke. "That smell would be courtesy of one Jimmy Vega. He decided to cook his own Huevos Rancheros again for everyone who wanted some."
Vega liked to say that his grandmother made great Huevos Rancheros but his own had become a delicacy among the squad back after their first party and then since coming back now. The man could cook that one meal exceptionally well, the thief wasn't sure he could cook anything else but this meal in particular was amazing. The only person in the squad who could cook a meal better was Kaiden according to Shepard, though Kasumi couldn't vouch for that one since she had yet to taste the biotic's cooking. That could be amended for a dinner one of these nights if she made it out like a challenge.
Wording it right so he would have to do it could be difficult, not impossible, but definitely difficult.
Asking politely would probably be all that was needed, but challenging him to cook a meal would make sure he put his all into the meal. Getting James in on it would help. The pair had a similar one ups-manship that James had with Cortez and using this meal of Vega's to challenge Kaiden would certainly help in seeing who had a better meal.
Too bad none of them cook ramen like my grandmother. Kasumi let out a contented sigh as she thought back to the delicious taste of her grandmother's ramen. No one had cooked a bowl of ramen quite like her and that was a sad sentiment in of itself. Sure Rupert back on the SR-2 could cook ramen and so could the thief herself, but each felt a bit lame compared to her grandmother. I really should have stolen her recipe. Hindsight is always in twenty/twenty.
"What are you planning?" Shepard asked her voice holding a smirk.
Kasumi smiled and rolled herself onto her back to look into her Shep's eyes and see the smirk for herself. "Me? Planning? I don't know what you're talking about."
"I saw the mischievous look you get when you have a plan of some sort," the redhead replied, amusement clear in her eyes.
The thief gave a hum as if deciding whether or not to tell her in turn making Shepard smile. She would tell her, eventually, but not before teasing her a little. Kasumi worked one of her legs out from under the covers but left everything else still covered as she ran the tips of her toes across the redheads covered thigh. "I don't know Ana. You may need to convince me that I can divulge such…" She let her toes gently run along the inner part of her thigh. "Sensitive information."
"I wasn't convincing last night?" Shepard quizzed, feigning a hurt look.
A laugh escaped Kasumi at the mocked innocence. Thoughts of the night before proceeded to creep into her mind from the start of their night of love making to the end. She could recall her lover's beautiful nude body in perfect detail; she could see the candle light bouncing off of her, the desire in her eyes as she watched her kiss down her body.
"I may need some reassurance that last night wasn't a dream." Kasumi sat up, allowing the blanket to fall off her chest to her waist. She scooted forward and laid her free leg across her lover's lap. Her voice dropped to a more serious caring tone while she rested her hands on both sides of her neck. "That what we shared was real and not some figment of my hopes and dreams teasing my tired mind."
Shepard's look softened now fully understanding why she had called out her name. Although the doubts had no foundation, Kasumi wanted to make sure with Shepard that everything they had shared last night was real, that this wasn't some dream they would wake up from to find nothing they thought was real truly was.
The redhead leaned in capturing the thief's lips and ensnaring the doubts with her love to crush them until they were no more. "It was real. We are real, and I'm not going anywhere without you," Shepard promised once they parted.
Comfort washed over Kasumi as the love of the woman poured into her soul again. She didn't like the doubt she held so to have it crushed into smithereens felt good. Hopefully that doubt would never reform itself in her or she'd reintroduce it to Shepard's love and see how it felt going another round against Commander Shepard. Not many could survive going one round against her, but if they did then going a second round was ensuring your own doom. You hear that doubts, show up again and she'll make sure you regret it.
Hearing her Shep say that they were real and the decisiveness in her voice sent shivers across her body. She always seemed to know what to say and how to say it to really rally the spirits in those around her.
Another thing Kasumi loved about her.
"You and that honey tongue of yours," Kasumi mused aloud. She wrapped her arms around her neck, embracing Shepard and holding her close to make sure for now she literally didn't go anywhere. The thief felt her Shep's hands wrap around her lower back and her lips press into the crook of her neck.
"Is there something wrong with my honey tongue?"
She drew a small circle with her tongue on the thief's neck. "It's going to get you into pleasure at this rate." Shepard hummed to herself acknowledging the proposition left by the comment. The thief was quicker though. "Now all you have to do is tell me you brought me a plate of that food and you'll have convinced me to tell you my plan."
The woman broke into a hysterical laugh filling Kasumi's ear with the wondrous sound. Her laugh soothed her soul and made her smile madly. She was keeping with her plan to make sure she made the redhead laugh every day. They detached from one another so they could meet eyes and share their smiles and happiness with each other. "If that's the case then get ready and I'll get you a plate before Grunt decides to eat it all."
"Selfish. You didn't even get me a plate of food." Kasumi turned her head away from the redhead to try to hide her smile and crossed her arms in a pout.
"You were asleep," the N7 argued.
Kasumi turned back to her and poked her in the center of her chest. "And you woke me up by leaving me to go eat food without even bothering to get me a plate all the while bringing the smell back with you. You were selfish. I would have brought a plate back for you."
"You would have had to warm it up once I woke up," the redhead argued again a smile on her face at their debate.
In response Kasumi crossed her arms and turned her head again knowing if she kept eye contact she'd start laughing. "It would have been the thought that counted," she pouted.
Shepard rolled her eyes as her smile became a smirk at their play argument. "You're beautiful, you know that right?" Kasumi felt her lips press against the bottom of her neck. "And you tease very well." Her lips glided down the center of her chest pressing down softly at different points. "And when you're out helping others I nearly drive myself crazy thinking of you."
"Only nearly?" the thief questioned in an attempt to not lose herself to her lips.
It was a losing battle.
"Only nearly so I don't end up in a padded room unable to see you. It would kill me not being able to see your face or hear your voice. I would miss the way you blush when you lose yourself to thoughts about me and the way you smile in victory when you get me flustered." Heart strings strummed. "Knowing you'll be back later keeps me sane, knowing you'll have that smile on your face." She glanced up to Kasumi who was wearing a smile listening to her speak and feeling her soft lips on her chest. "That one there actually." Kasumi grinned and gently ran her hands into Shepard's beautiful red hair. "Seeing it keeps my heart going strong."
"If this is bribery for not bringing up a plate of food, it's working."
"It's not." Shepard left her chest and met her face to face again with a small smile accenting her features. "I meant everything I said, but if you're taking it as bribery I won't be against it so long as you know I wasn't just saying the words to say them."
"I do," Kasumi said. She leaned in to kiss Shepard only to smile at a new thought. Instead of kissing her she snagged her bottom lip between her teeth gently. "You still owe me breakfast, Ana."
The redhead chuckled and the two engaged each other in a kiss. Kasumi brought her hands out from her hair and brought them to both sides of Shepard's face deepening the kiss, hoping that they could stay here in this moment forever. They parted though, both wearing satisfied smiles as they stared into one another's eyes. "I love you, Kasumi."
Her heart swelled hearing it again and being able to see it reflected in her eyes. "I love you more, Ana."
They shared one more kiss before Shepard got up after removing the thief's leg. She grabbed her tank top as she went to go get a plate of food while Kasumi was left to go jump in the shower. While she was looking forward to having the great meal, she didn't really want her Shep to go and get it right away. She had wanted to hold her for a little while longer and, if the redhead had been up for it, strip her out of those clothes again and do a little more than hold each other.
Not like last night was the only night I get to touch her.
After releasing a sigh, Kasumi found all her clothing from the night before and brought them with her to the bathroom. She turned the warm water on and hopped in once it warmed up. The water cascaded across her body, relaxing her and allowing her to release all of her thoughts for the time being.
That was one of her favorite parts about taking a shower. Firstly, it had been one of the few times where she was allowed to be free of her hood and let her hair down without worrying about someone seeing her. Secondly, it was a place where she didn't have to think about anything that was going on outside of the shower.
Before the war ended it was her place of peace where she could escape from the thoughts of the war or think about how the Normandy and her commander were doing. Her thoughts strayed to the wellbeing of the SR-2 and the crew from her time and during the war, but she was always hoping for the safety of them all including her best friend at the time. Now it was just an escape from the outside world where she could take her time and forget all her responsibilities until it was over.
She turned her back to the showerhead and shut her eyes as she leaned back into the water to wash away all the thoughts that would cloud her mind. "Kasumi," Shepard's voice called from outside of the bathroom. "It'll be around an hour for James to get the food ready since he has to go restock on the food. No rush in taking your shower."
That certainly granted her time to enjoy her shower and then whatever extra time she had left she could spend it with the woman outside waiting for her. Then again…Kasumi smiled at the plan she came up with. "Thanks Shep. It's a shame really."
"What is?" the N7 questioned.
Kasumi turned around to face the shower head to let the water run down her chest, smiling victoriously at the bait being taken. Now all she had to do was reel her in and the time it took for James to get back would pass by a whole lot more fun. "That he's going to take so long. Here I had planned for him to be done quickly and I was going to ask for help from an extra set of hands, but I suppose I'll make do on my own with all this extra time we have to wait for him to cook the food."
Silence followed and for a moment she didn't think her plan had worked. Damn. Maybe I should have—
A pair of hands ran across her belly, pulling her body back slowly into another body. She looked back over her shoulder seeing sky blue eyes looking back into hers and the beautiful redhead's hair getting wet under the water with her.
"I'm sure we can find something to do to make that time go by easier," the N7 teased as her hands glided down her stomach.
"I've got a few ideas," Kasumi teased back.
The redhead smiled. "As do I. I'd ask if you want to compare notes but…" Her hands moved down her thighs then began moving back up slowly as they moved to the inner part of them. "I have a feeling we're on the same wave length." Kasumi let out a pleased hum when her hands reached their destination.
This was definitely more than a dream.
"Hey Esteban, where's Lola and Kasumi? I thought they'd be down here waiting for the Vega Special?" James asked as he walked into the kitchen his hands full with groceries.
There was a snort of laughter from Jack who was sitting at the counter finishing her meal. "You're still gonna want to cook it for them," she said not hiding the humor in her tone. The N7 candidate looked to the tattooed biotic in question. "They're having the appetizer before your food, Muscles."
"Appetizer? One does not need to have an appetizer when eating the Vega Special. It is the appetizer, main course and dessert all for breakfast," James replied feeling a bit defensive that they'd have another meal before eating his meal. If they didn't finish their food he'd feel a bit insulted that his masterpiece would be wasted. He put his all into each meal he cooked and the only expectation he had was that those who ate it ate the whole thing so all that work could be appreciated fully.
To his surprise the tattooed biotic began cackling madly at him. "Uh, James." He looked over to Steve who was sitting on the counter with a grin plastered on his face. James knew that grin all too well, it meant that he was about to get schooled because he had missed something important in the context of what she had said. "She means that they're spending time together, intimately."
"But she said appetizer," James replied feeling like he was still missing the punch line. What did an appetizer and the two spending time together have in common? Surely they were hungry still. Jack, who had nearly gotten control of her laugh, broke into a fit of cackles once more and was grabbing at her sides. "What's so funny?"
"Fool primitive," Javik commented to himself. He was leaning against the fridge and while his comment was nothing new to the muscular soldier he noticed that the Prothean was grinning at his expense the same as Cortez.
He was missing something important that was making him the ass end of a joke that even the Prothean understood and he usually didn't involve himself in such a thing. Granted he had changed since the ending of the war, but not by much. Miranda, who had overheard the whole thing before walking in, shook her head in amusement at the confused look on his face.
What am I missing?
"She means they're having sex, James," the former Cerberus operative explained.
An awkward silence fell upon the muscular soldier as her explanation set in. Instead of allowing himself to continue on any line of thought regarding what Jack and Miranda had said he dropped his groceries onto the counter. "Okay! Let's put together some Huevos Rancheros!" James announced in a desperate attempt to forget the conversation had ever happened.
Esteban is never going to let me live this down.