"Let's eat out tonight"
Liara rasied her eyes from the datapad to look at him where he lay sprawled on the opposite sofa.
"Okayyy…" she narrowed her eyes. "Why?"
"Always so suspicious," he huffed. "We're celebrating."
"What, exactly?"
"Er… Me finishing N7."
"That was six months ago," she smiled.
"Okay, me getting a command post."
"That was three months ago."
James thought for a moment.
"Shore leave?"
"Which started two weeks ago."
"Urgh," he jumped up and crashed down onto the other sofa beside her. "That corrupt Volus banker you uncovered this morning. That is what we're celebrating."
"Well then I suppose I should go and get changed." She dropped the datapad into his lap and made her way across the apartment. He grinned as he watched her; stage one: complete.
—
"You look very smart," Liara smiled, smoothing out small creases in his shirt—for once, a more formal buttoned one rather than a tshirt.
"And just what is that supposed to mean?" he raised an eyebrow with a smile.
"Just that you scrub up well Captain Vega." Liara laughed.
"Well I've got you on my arm haven't I?" he replied, eying her sleek dress approvingly. "I've been letting the side down." She rolled her eyes but kept smiling. "You ready T'Soni?"
"Always, Vega."
—
James caught himself tapping the table nervously—Liara, of course, noticed.
"What's wrong?" she asked, the concern in her eyes so familiar, so comforting but always bittersweet. Her own work was just as dangerous as his in many ways and he worried about her too, despite her obvious capabilities. He hoped she knew that. "James?" He shook his head and smiled.
"Nothing, nothing's wrong." His smile widened. "Everything is fantastic."
Liara returned the smile and reached out to stop the tapping by holding his hand. "It is isn't it?"
"Which is why," he steeled himself with a deep breath. "I've been thinking that uh… just hear me out on this okay? Just think about it… There's still a lot I don't understand about Asari traditions and stuff, so I don't know how this will sound to you or if there's an equivalent… but when humans have found their… their bondmate I guess, they get married—" Liara's eyes widened a little, so he hurried his remaining words, completely forgetting the speech he'd planned. "And I guess it's even a little old fashioned for humans now… And whatever you say," he squeezed her hand. "It changes nothing about us and how I feel. But I'd be grateful if you just, y'know thought about it."
James waited nervously—how could it be true that he could keep a low heart rate whilst tearing through Batarian Slavers and yet now it was ready to burst out of his chest?
"James," Liara started slowly, "There are parts of human society that are still confusing to me," He nodded rigidly as his stomach sank. "—but I believe you're supposed to be kneeling."
He was on the floor so quickly that his chair toppled over, narrowly avoiding a waiter.
"Doctor Liara T'Soni," he started, confidence swiftly returning as her smile grew as wide as he'd ever seen it "Will you marry me?"
Liara nodded, flushing that shade of lilac he loved so much.
"I need hear you say it," he teased shakily.
"Of course I will," A few tears escaped her eyes as she stood up. "Of course I will you idiot."
James sprang to his feet and pulled Liara into a kiss that swept her from the floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck and responded without any of the composure or inhibition she usually maintained in public. When he finally set her down she took his hands in hers.
"James?"
"Yeah," he answered, sure that he had never been as happy, or looked so dopey, in all his life.
"I believe there's also supposed to be a ring."
—
ONE YEAR(ish) LATER
They were sprawled, fully clothed, on the bed in their apartment, basking in the Citadel's artificial sunlight. James' ship had docked two hours previously and his bags lay unpacked where he'd dropped them. Exhausted, he'd collapsed straight onto the bed and his wife had snuggled up to him happily. It had been a month and a half since they last had any time together—and that had only been a week. They had vidcalls and extranet emails—and of course they both had plenty to focus on- but being apart didn't seem to get any easier. Much had been said in the cab on the journey to their apartment but now they were content just to lie there.
"James?"
"Mmmm?"
Liara sat up and looked down at him beside her.
"I've been thinking,"
"Yeah?" he shuffled backwards to prop himself against the headboard. "Anything in particular?"
"About you dying."
He stared at her.
"Well don't sugarcoat it Blue,"
Liara frowned and scooched closer to him.
"I mean," she started "Even without you getting shot at every minute of every day," she batted his chest "It's still… I'm not even 150… and the cold reality is that when you do…go,"
He took her hand. "Many many years from now."
She smiled at him.
"Yes," Liara nodded. "A long time from now when you're old and fat and senile."
"Hey," he pouted.
"What I mean is… when that happens, it'll just be me." She looked down at the bed sadly and he gestured for her to move back to sit beside him, looping an arm around her shoulders when she did so.
"Why are you thinking about that shit, hmm?" he asked softly. "I've got a while left in me yet you know,"
I guess even if you live a thousand years Death still hangs over you.
"I know," Liara's head dropped to his shoulder. "But what I mean is…" She sighed and turned to face him properly, her expression nervous. "It doesn't have to be now, but I… I want us to have a child James."
Liara bit her lip, watching him.
Say something pendejo!
But she carried on before he could.
"And only when you're ready—if you're ready… but I want—Goddess, it sounds so selfish… I want something that's both of us that will carry on… And I know we've never really talked properly about having children… but it's not just that I want a baby, I want our baby… And then you'll still be with me and there will be someone else who loves you as much as I do" her voice cracked "and 200 years later I won't be left wondering if all of this was just a dream."
With a broad smile he pulled her into a stunned kiss.
"I've been thinking the same thing." He grinned against her lips.
She exhaled as though she'd been holding her breath the whole time.
"Really?"
"Really," he nodded, still beaming. "I've just been trying to figure out how to say it. You remember my submission for the galaxy's least coherent marriage proposal right?"
"I remember it very well," she smiled. "But James I mean what I said about you being ready—"
James shook his head, moving to hold her hands.
"Liara I want to know my kids… see them grow up, play with them, interrogate their dates… not wait until I'm too old to throw a ball around with them or leave with them with a few photos and no memories. This job makes you think a lot about… y'know… and about what's important… so I definitely want this and I am definitely ready."
With a joyous laugh Liara threw her arms around him.
"And you don't mind that they'd be…?"
"Asari? Yeah I get that and the DNA stuff—but who cares?" James snorted."Oh no, my daughters will be beautiful biotic badasses who'll live for a thousand years. Where exactly is the problem supposed to be?"
"Goddess I love you,"
"I love you too, Blue"
They held the embrace a while longer but eventually separated.
"So," she smiled. "Daughters, plural hmm?"
"Damn right. I have a houseful of little blue chicas planned."
Liara bit her lip again—not nervously this time but in that special little way that taunted him on lonely nights during deployments.
"What's that look for?" He arched an eyebrow, though he hoped he already knew the answer.
"Well if we're decided… we might as well start—if you're not too tired or—" Her words turned to a shriek and then laughter as James flipped her onto her back and pounced to claim her lips.
"Quiero estar contigo para siempre." He murmured.
"Eres el amor de mi vida" she replied.
—
FIVE (ish) YEARS LATER
"You okay Captain?"
"Hhmm?" James turned to the Davies as the Citadel grew smaller and smaller in the distance.
"You just seem a bit…" He was a good kid, reminded him of Alenko a bit. "…out of sorts."
"Yeah I'm fine Private," he said with a small sigh.
"Got someone back there you're going to miss?" Lieutenant Graves had joined them now.
James smiled and nodded.
"My wife just had our second kid. Only had a week before I had to ship out again."
"Aw man," said Graves. "That's gotta suck."
"Understatement," he said grimly.
"Congratulations though," said Davies. "A boy or a girl?"
James laughed, prompting confused looks.
"Well my wife is Asari," he smirked. "So if it had been a boy something would have gone very wrong."
Davies looked a little embarrassed, but they both smiled back at him.
"So how'd you meet her?" the Lieutenant asked.
"The war,"
"She military too?"
"Used to be- sort of… but not anymore- she's an information broker. Damn good one. But yeah, she's gets the military thing… which helps- still hard sometimes." He shook off the reverie. "Still, just one more reason to look forward to retirement."
"You worn out already Captain?" laughed Graves. "I thought you'd keep going until they took you off the field in a bag."
"Guess he's getting old," added Davies.
"Hey, I helped save the freaking galaxy. One year under Shepard is as tough as ten under anyone else."
"Ugh," said Graves with an eye roll "Here come the war stories."
"I will have you court-marshalled Lieutenant."
"Yes sir, sorry sir."
—
TWO(ish) YEARS LATER
The SSV Blenheim had docked at the Citadel for two months of shore leave before its next tour of duty. As Captain, James had to wait around whilst the crew filtered out and various things were unloaded. He was signing off the shipment of Drell Blood they'd agreed to transport when he heard an ensign shout from the docking ramp.
"Excuse me Miss, you can't be up here!"
"Daddy!"
A small blue figure crashed into him, thin arms wrapping around his broad leg.
"Hey there chica," James laughed, scooping up his eldest daughter to hug her to him. "Did you miss me?" Aurelia nodded and nuzzled into his neck. Grabbing his bag, he adjusted his hold on her and walked down the ramp, smiling at the flustered ensign as he passed.
Liara was there waiting for him, their younger daughter in her arms. For all his maintenance and ego, there was evidence of the passing years on James' face. But Liara, of course, looked exactly as she had when they'd first met, although less stressed—even with two children and a high pressure job. From her mother's arms, Eleni reached out with pudgy fingers.
"Hi baby girl," He let her grab his finger as he bent down to kiss her cheek before straightening to look into Liara's smiling eyes.
"Hey you," he grinned.
"Hi there," she smiled. James started to lean for a kiss, but Aurelia had other ideas.
"Daddy did you beat all the bad guys?" she asked, tugging his dogtags for attention. He stifled a sigh.
"Later" Liara whispered, sparking instant flutters of excitement.
"Daddy!?" Aurelia repeated.
"You bet I did," he said as they walked towards the cabs.
"Did you blow them up?"
"A couple of them yeah, I'll tell you all about it at dinner okay?"
"Not all about it I hope," Liara said pointedly.
Aurelia pouted with the skill of someone twice her age and wriggled to be put down.
"So have you both been good for your Mom?"
"Yes." She replied instantly.
"Hhhm, I'm not sure I believe you. Is that true Liara?"
"Oh more or less," she smiled, handing Eleni to him when he gestured and laughing as he cooed shamelessly over her.
"What?" he asked indignantly.
"Nothing Mr Big Tough Soldier," she smirked.
"Mommy can we go to 'Yuzo's' for dinner?"
"Not tonight," Liara said as the cab door opened. "Daddy's cooking us eggs,"
I think this whole thing probably just got worse and worse as I went on, but I enjoyed it and if I'm lucky someone else might too.
The time periods were sort of randomly picked and I called the ship 'Blenheim; because it was the only battle I could think of at the time other than Agincourt- and that was already used.
The names for the daughters were also difficult because lots of the known Asari names end in 'a' and lots of traditional Spanish girls' names also end in 'a'- so they all sounded strange together, especially if you stick Vega on the end. But yeah.
I've said it before but I'll say it again, there needs to be more fic about these two.
Thanks for reading.++++++++++++++
