A/N: Bioware owns all. Strictly for personal amusement.

I have received a few requests for a fluff chapter and seeing as how I love fluff and believe in mush, here it is. This contains some plot but it's mostly fluff. FFN needs more FShep/Liara happiness so I hope I can provide at least a little.

Title courtesy of Lisa Stansfield.

Chapter 37 – Live Together

The Citadel

They had it narrowed down to three choices on Illium. The couple had decided the asari colony best suited their preferences when deciding where they wanted to live. First on the list was a small studio apartment in the heart of Nos Astra's restaurant district. The location was close to the club that Aethyta owned and the building security was above average. Space was at a premium on this prime piece of real estate and the couple would have to trade it for location.

Shepard watched Liara study the screen as she guided the interactive tour VI into each corner, inspecting and planning. There was a certain ... look ... she had whenever she was intently studying something. Her eyes always scanned for each detail and sometimes her mouth would slightly open as she discovered something new. Her eyebrow-like markings would dip just above the bridge of her nose if she was perplexed. "I know this sounds weird but, how much control did Benezia have over your appearance?"

Liara turned towards her love, confused as ever. "I am not sure I understand your question."

"I mean when asari sample for DNA and then, well, get pregnant, do they plan everything out then?"

A smile spread across her lips. "You are so cute when you get inquisitive." Liara pushed her own chair aside and sat down sideways on Shepard's knee, wrapping one arm around the human's ribcage. "The mapping that takes place is instant and then a combination of both patterns form the DNA of our daughters. It is not like a catalog, it is random."

Shepard reached her fingertips to Liara's eyebrow-like markings, tracing one with the pad of her thumb before placing her hand back on Liara's knee. "But you have eyebrows and freckles, which humans have as well. But humans had only started living on the moon when you were born. It just dawned on me, is all."

"They technically are not eyebrows since I do not have hair like you." Liara threaded her fingers through the jet black locks hanging on the back of Shepard's neck. "Speaking of which, your hair is getting too long. It is beginning to fall over your eyes."

"You love my hair, don't lie." Shepard closed her eyes as Liara began scratching the base of her scalp. "You play with it enough."

"I do but I want to be able to see your eyes and I like it hanging just above your shoulders." Liara's fingers drew tiny circles as she opened her hand and then scrunched it closed.

Shepard let out an audible soft moan.

Liara spoke bluntly. "It makes you look rugged and sexy. I would prefer it short."

"Well … I wouldn't want to stop being sexy so tomorrow," Shepard rubbed her head into Liara's hand, "I'll get a haircut." Shepard opened her eyes expecting to see 'mischievous' Liara sitting on her lap.

Instead, Liara's eyes were already focused back on the screen. "I think this one is too small. I would like to learn to cook for you eventually. I think we should rule this one out."

"I agree." She wants to learn to cook for me? Shepard squeezed Liara's knee and couldn't help but smile. Love is so fucking grand. "And I'd like that. So, we need a bigger kitchen. What's next?"

Liara typed at the keyboard with both hands, accessing the VI for the second apartment on the list. "What do you think of this one?"

As the asari guided the interface, Shepard focused her gaze on her lover's crests. While Liara's eyebrows, freckles, and lips were a darker shade of blue than her skin tone, the gem-like textured facets covering her crests were much lighter, almost white. Remarkably, the 'auditory receptors', as Liara had called them, were in almost the same position on asari as they were on humans.

"Shepard, are you paying attention to me?" Liara turned her head, her 'ears' no longer visible.

"As a matter of fact, I am paying very close attention to you." She reached her hand out, trickling her fingertips over the ridges on the back of Liara's head. "Your crests feel like my ears."

Liara's body instantly shivered from the delicate caressing.

"But they're much more sensitive." Shepard's voice lowered an octave, the words were purring off her tongue. "I love seeing your reaction when I do this."

Liara smiled. "They have many more nerve endings, yes but you still always squirm when I lick your ears." Liara reached back to remove Shepard's hand and placed it on her knee, kissing Shepard on the cheek. "But we have to get through this list before we go to Illium. How about this one? It is much larger but 40 minutes outside of Nos Astra. It has a large kitchen, seating area, study, and of course a master bedroom and bath as well as a guest room and small garden on the balcony."

"Too far away." Shepard pulled Liara in closer, sliding her lover's hips along her thigh. The asari's 'ear' was within reach. She leaned in to whisper, just as Liara has done to her so many times. "Do you know how beautiful you are?" She quickly nuzzled her nose along the sensitive ridges before pulling away, wanting to soak into the warmth and beauty of her mate. "And you get more beautiful by the day."

Liara met her gaze, a blush overtaking her blue features. "Flatterer."

"I try." Shepard cheekily laughed before looking back to the apartment layout displayed on the terminal. "And too big. I don't want to be crammed but I like having you close so I can sense you even when I can't see you. Besides, it's too much to clean."

"So you do not wish me to purchase one of those Canadian maid outfits I see in the lingerie stores?"

Shepard burst into laughter and glanced back at her lover. "I love you, Liara T'Soni."

Liara tried looking serious but a smile was cracking through her pouty lips. "Why are you laughing at me then?"

"Because it's French, not Canadian, and no, I wouldn't." Shepard's eyes inspected Liara's entire body and she grinned. "I much prefer you naked or wearing only a shirt … and then drop something … and you have to bend over and pick it up." Or maybe I'll get her one of those outfits Aethyta mentioned…

'Hey, kid. Look at this.' Aethyta handed her a copy of Fornax, pages already opened to a fishnet bodysuit. 'She never has to take it off. You can lick her right through it. And trust me, it feels really fucking good,' she winked, 'for both!'

Shepard felt the heat return to her cheeks, just as it did at the moment she saw the advertisement. She had very quickly closed the magazine.

"Why are you blushing all of a sudden, Jaye?"

"Just remembering something Aethyta said." Her nose wrinkled. "Then she called me a prude." She tilted her head to the side, genuinely curious. "Do you think I'm a prude?"

There was such innocence within the question; Liara couldn't help the wide smile overtaking her features. "I think you are shy around everyone else …" Liara kissed Shepard's nose. "Except me. But if you would like me to tell her how talented you are, I am sure she would stop calling you that."

"Fuck, no. I don't think I could handle the embarrassment." Shepard shook her head side to side. "I don't need her correcting my form too." Shepard loved spending time with Aethyta despite the fact that she ended up struggling for words in response to the matriarch's frequent blunt and sexual comments. "It's bad enough when she gives me advice."

"Oh? Advice?" Liara's interest was perked. "And what did she tell you?" She wiggled her eyebrow markings as the cheeky grin overtook her lips.

Shepard felt herself face getting warmer and she took a deep breath. "She told me I needed to throw you on the bed and peel you out of your clothes." She could see Aethyta's smirking face in her mind. "I swear she tries to embarrass me on purpose."

"You should have told her I walk around naked all of the time so there is no need." Liara reached out, running her index finger along the scar on Shepard's forehead. "If she is teasing you, a different response would surprise her a bit."

"Yeah, and encourage her to do it more? No thanks." Shepard looked back at the terminal, wanting desperately to change the subject. "Let's see the last one."

The final apartment was on the opposite side of Nos Astra as the first. It was a two level condo with an ample kitchen. There were winding stairs leading into the bedroom which overlooked the seating area below. The entire dwelling was surrounded by windows displaying a view of the city.

"This one looks and sounds perfect, don't you think?" Shepard liked the little study nook beneath the stairs where they could set up a perfect office space for Liara.

"We need to ensure we get this exact unit and not one that faces north. The view would not be nearly as ... breathtaking." Liara began to giggle mischievously.

"Meaning?" Shepard knew she was in trouble when Liara cackled like that.

"Meaning ..." An innocent look overcame the asari. "There is a large billboard advertising Azure on the north face of the building. But if I remember correctly, a similar one did catch your eye once ..." Her voice trailed off as she momentarily pursed her lips and batted her eyes. "... and you wanted to take me there on our first date."

Shepard inhaled deeply, once again shaking her head side to side. "I didn't know what Azure was, and I don't want to be reminded of that every time I look out the window either." Shepard's nose wrinkled as her upper lip slightly rose revealing her teeth. "That was so fucking embarrassing, by the way. I finally decide to ask you out and I choose some fetish hotel, and then you get me to admit I watched Vaenia."

Liara took Shepard's face in her hands, cupping the human's cheeks. "But you are always so cute when you blush. I could not resist teasing you a little." Liara joined their minds and showed Shepard the exact look on her face, completely dumb-founded and bright red. "See how cute you were? You acted like it was the worst thing in the world to admit you watched porn."

"So you're saying I am a prude." Shepard began to playfully pout and broke their meld.

Liara reached in for a full kiss on the lips, making a loud smooching sound. "No, Jaye. I am saying you were a prude. Now ... is up for debate." She ran her hands down Shepard's shoulders and rested them just above her breasts. "Perhaps you should convince me otherwise."

Shepard reached down and slid her arm under Liara's legs, lifting her up before carrying her over to the bed and letting her down with a slight thump. She crossed her arms and puckered her lips, once again tracing a path with her eyes from Liara's gorgeous face to her delicate toes.

Liara dipped her chin into her chest. "Is this the point where you are supposed to peel my clothes off?" She was only wearing a shirt and bikinis.

Shepard climbed on the bed and straddled Liara, pinning her arms down. "Maybe I want to make love to you with your clothes still on."

Liara's lip curled upwards as she dragged her tongue across her teeth. "Hmmm. That is rather tawdry, Jaye. That may convince me that you are not a prude."

Her voice was husky, the arrogance oozing out. "I'd call it uncivilized." Shepard leaned down kissing Liara roughly on her lips. She made a mental note of the measurement her thumb and index finger took as they wrapped around Liara's wrists and stored it safely in the back of her mind.

Tomorrow she would begin looking for bracelets.