Context: Between ME1 and ME2. Not entirely sure about this one, but I absolutely had to write a fic for another of asarimaniac's deviantART pieces : "Kira + Liara - Quiet Corner" (so sweeeet!)

Liara giggled and bit her lip as Shepard raced from the elevator to a corner of the shuttle bay, gently leading her by the wrist. They scurried and ducked behind a pile of crates, peering behind them to be sure they'd found their favorite quiet corner on the Normandy—the only quiet corner they had found thus far—without anyone following or seeing.

Shepard playfully tugged Liara forward, making the asari fall into her arms. Liara pressed further into her with a smile on her lips that refused to leave as she kissed her bondmate. Shepard let them slide down the crates until she hit the floor with Liara sitting in her lap. The maiden braced against the crate behind her bondmate and dived deeper into the kiss. Shepard hummed in appreciation, caressing her jawline with one hand and finding the nape of her neck with the other. She trailed her fingers along the grooves at the base of Liara's crest, reveling that only she had the right to do so.

Liara tugged on Shepard's hoody sleeve to bring her closer if at all possible. She relaxed into the kiss, thankful for this moment away from the crew, the squad, her work, and the Commander's duties. In her hundred and six years she'd never dreamed she'd enjoy kissing someone as much as she did Commander Shepard. She found it positively addicting.

"I love it when we can escape like this," Shepard said between kisses.

"Goddess, Shepard," Liara said breathlessly. "Me too." She curled her fingertips into the crate behind the spectre's head when felt Shepard swipe her tongue against her lower lip. She groaned into the kiss for more, but the Commander pulled away slightly.

"Goddess, Love," Shepard looked at her as if in wonder of some mystery. "How did you find me? I feel like I won some sort of karmic lottery."

Liara blushed lilac slightly, looking down into their laps with a blissful smile. Shepard could be disarmingly sweet, not just the bearer of battle scars Liara could dote on for hours and the pillar of strength she could lose herself in every moment they could spare. Moments like this. She chuckled softly and rested her forehead against the Commander's. "I believe it was you who found me."

Shepard hummed softly as if in thought. "I suppose I did. Well then…finders keepers."

Liara chuckled. "What?"

"Sorry," Shepard laughed with her. "Means that I found you, so I get to keep you."

As Shepard reached for Liara's lips with her own, Liara pulled back playfully. "Oh do you?"

Shepard frowned with a pout. "Yes. Yes, I do," she said with a matter of fact tone.

Liara pursed her lips to the side in mockery of deep thought. "Hmmm."

Shepard narrowed her eyes. "Mine."

Liara tried, but it was moot. "Shepard!" She couldn't help the laugh that escaped.

The Commander laughed with her and stuck out her tongue teasingly between her teeth. "Fine, I'm yours too. Happy?"

"Immensely," Liara purred and resumed a kiss that had too long been interrupted.

Unfortunately it didn't take long for them to be interrupted again.

"Commanding officer requested for vid conference with the council. Where the hell are you, Commander?" Joker's voice sounded through the comm.

"Damn him," Shepard hissed under her breath. "And the council. Why can't they just read my reports and leave it at that?"

Liara nuzzled her nose against the Commander's. "Because they want to know their favorite spectre is continuing to save them and the galaxy."

"More like they want to make sure I remember who's boss," Shepard sighed. She tried to get up, but gave up dramatically. "Oh no! You must be using your biotics to hold me to the floor! I can't seem to get up!"

"Oh no!" Liara laughed and resumed their kiss once more.

"Achm!" someone coughed, interrupting them further.

Shepard's and Liara's eyes followed the sound slowly and both relaxed when they saw the intruder. "Damn it, Garrus," Shepard chuckled.

"Hurry it up, Shepard. The sooner you tell them to suck your ass, the sooner I can convince you to go pirate, right? Omega could keep us occupied for decades."

"For the record," Liara turned back to Shepard, "I'd prefer for you to not make our home Omega."

Shepard's eyes went wide before a broad smile claimed her entire visage. She squeezed Liara into her, refusing to let her go. "Our home?" she whispered in Liara's ear before kissing her above it in delight.

Liara felt her cheeks warm, fully aware of Garrus witnessing their affections. "Yes," she whispered back in her bondmate's ear. "Wherever you are, I'm home, Shepard."

"Chm chm," Garrus coughed again. "Shepard, I think Joker's going to wet his pants if he has to deal with Councilor Tevos much longer."

Shepard laughed and patted Liara's knee for access to her own legs once again.

Liara held her tighter for a single second before reluctantly granting her Commander an escape. She held a hand out to help her up and pulled up a little too hard on purpose so that they were pressed together for another brief second. Shepard raised a brow at her. She gave her an unapologetic, but subtle shrug and smirk in return.

Regarding Garrus who was still waiting, Shepard laughed. "What? Are you my officer escort or something? I got the all-too-clear message, Vakarian. I'm going. I'm going."

Garrus gave a low chuckle. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"Wait," Liara tilted her head and knit her brows in confusion. "How did you know where we were?"

"You've been sneaking back here for weeks, T'Soni." Garrus answered.

Shepard gaped. "You knew?"

"Giggle fits in an otherwise relatively quiet shuttle bay have to come from somewhere," Garrus harassed her.

"We're Commander Shepard and Dr. Liara T'Soni," the spectre chided. "We do not giggle," she said firmly.

"Riiiight," Garrus shook his head with mockery in his voice.

"Commander! Help!" Joker called through the comm again. "Sparatus is baring his fangs! He said he's going to kill a varren puppy for every minute he has to wait!"

"Ugh, he did not," Shepard complained. "Alright," she deflated and kissed Liara's cheek. "I'll see you later. Duty calls."

Liara sighed and squeezed Shepard's hand before parting from her. "Later," she promised just above a whisper.

Shepard jogged away, leaving Liara and Garrus.

Liara fidgeted in what she took for uncomfortable silence.

"Sooo," Garrus began with mirth in his voice. "How's that going?"

The maiden's eyes widened in surprise. "Um, fine, Garrus. Thank you."

"Look, uh, T'Soni, Shepard is probably the toughest soldier this galaxy has ever seen, but…be good to her."

Liara blinked rapidly in further surprise. "Garrus?"

"She reminds me of my sister…" Garrus explained, shifting uneasily. "And I can tell she's in pretty deep with you."

Liara swallowed, feeling completely ill-equipped for this exchange. She decided blatant honesty couldn't falter. "Garrus, I assure you, I hope to make her happy as long as she'll have me."

Garrus let out a relieved sigh. "Ok. Good," he said bluntly and patted Liara's shoulder awkwardly. "Good talk." He walked away as fast as his turian legs would carry him to tinker with the Mako.

Liara heard an all-too-familiar, rumbling chuckle and turned to see Wrex sharpening the end of his shotgun, probably for a more deadly melee attack.

"Don't worry, Blue. I gave Shepard a similar talk," he sneered.

Furrowing her brows in slight astonishment, Liara asked "Similar?"

"I might," Wrex chuckled again, "have told her to treat you well or she'll find out my secret recipe in pyjack stew is whelp meat from people who don't know how to treat a girl right."

Liara's eyes widened further. "You didn't!" She chuckled softly and covered her lips with a palm. "Goddess, what did she say?"

Wrex paused his sharpening and gave her the most genuine smile she'd ever seen him wear. "Said I had nothing to worry about. And damn if I don't believe her." He returned his attention to his shotgun.

Liara smiled warmly at him. She couldn't pin it, but for some reason she'd bonded soonest with Wrex aboard the Normandy. Perhaps it was his being a man of few words. It was comforting to know that if he said something, it was exactly what he meant. She imagined Wrex and she shared a similar relationship to Garrus and Shepard. The krogan felt like an older (and appropriately ridiculous at times) brother, especially at the moment.

Before she could respond, the comm announced "Attention all crew," and paused. Liara smiled at her bondmate's voice. "Moreau would like a word."

"I, Lieutenant 'Joker' Moreau," began Joker's voice with heavy reluctance "would like to apologize to the crew for —aw come on, Commander do I really have to—"

"Moreau, would you like me to space you? Or better yet, flick your pelvis and make it impossible for you to enjoy shore leave ever again?" Shepard asked in the background.

Liara laughed aloud, covering her smile and shaking her head at the comm above them. No doubt this was revenge for his earlier antics.

"I, Lieutenant 'Joker' Moreau," Joker repeated with enthusiasm, "would like to apologize to the crew for what I am about to do."

Joker proceeded to sing rather horribly. Luckily it was a short, old Earth sea shanty and Shepard only made him repeat the chorus once.

"One more announcement," Shepard's voice became the prominent one. "The council has asked us to investigate a nearby system based on new intel. Dr. T'Soni, be ready to report for briefing. You'll be joining me planet-side."

"Joining, eh?" Garrus laughed from under the Mako at the other side of the shuttle bay.

"Heh heh," Wrex chuckled and finished his sharpening.

Liara covered her face with both palms, shaking her head. "Oh Goddess."

She made her way quickly to the elevator, deciding that there were a few too many 'big brothers' in the shuttle bay. She sighed as she rode to the crewdeck. Apparently their quiet corner was not so quiet anymore. No matter. She grinned, remembering that she had a meeting with the Commander waiting for her. She promised herself that she certainly would be joining her, very soon.