Undergarments

Chapter 3

An electric tension thickened the air. Like the moment of bated silence in a concert hall before the first chord is struck. Nervous anticipation, but not of something wicked; rather, something rapturous.

"Y-You mean it?" Liara was trying to take deep, calming breaths, but her body was simply not cooperating.

"I mean it, darling."

How…how is this real?

"Can you say it again…please?"

"Li-"

"Please, Shepard, please…I need to hear the words again, from your mouth."

The Spectre swallowed, glancing away for a moment as if collecting her thoughts. But when she turned back, a flame had been kindled in her eyes.

"I love you, Liara T'Soni."

Goddess, how she'd dreamt of those words. No matter what, it was with that short phrase that every one of her fantasies both began and ended. It didn't matter if she was imagining a romantic stroll along the Thessian coast, an intimate dinner at a fancy Citadel restaurant, or something more…carnal; it always came back to those three words. What other sentence in any of the galaxy's languages could hope to convey such wealth of meaning and emotion in so few short syllables? Contained within those words was an entirely different universe, a promise of a life free from pain and sorrow and loneliness. With them, Lana was sculpting her future, deciding which branching pathway to lead her down. This human woman held every one of her remaining nine hundred years at the tip of her tongue.

And now those words had been spoken. This was no dream, no trick; they had been said aloud, and in so doing, had rewritten her entire existence.

If she wasn't already petrified of appearing foolish, Liara would have slapped herself to be sure. Instead, she simply gripped Lana's arms, unable to speak. Her grasp was so tight that it turned her knuckles pale, but neither woman noticed. Liara stared deep into her beloved's eyes, scouring their depths for any signs of doubt. She had to be sure that Lana meant it—truly meant it—because if she didn't…

Liara's heart had been battered too much already. One solid strike was all it would take to shatter it into a million irreparable fragments.

But no matter how deeply she searched, she could find nothing but warmth and love. Goddess, so much love.

"Oh…" It came out as more of a tiny squeak than an actual word. Her brain was too busy doing backflips of joy to form sentences, meaningful or otherwise.

Shepard loves me! She loves me! She actually loves me!

She repeated the words over and over again in her head, scarcely able to believe they were true. It was only when her vision started blurring and a look of concern tinged Lana's features that she realised she was hyperventilating. With great effort, she forced herself to slow down and finally found her voice.

"I would do anything for you Shepard," she whispered. It was the truth. If the next words from Lana's lips had been an order to kill herself, she'd have done it without a moment's hesitation.

In response, Lana's expression shifted in a way Liara couldn't identify.

"You don't have to prove anything to me," she said gently.

Liara could feel her heart swell.

You ask so little of me, but I have so much I want to give.

"I know, my love," she replied. "But I want to. Goddess, you don't know how much I've…let me please you. Here. Now. Tell me what you want, w-whatever you want…"

"Are you sure? I…I want you too Liara, but wouldn't you rather-"

"Yes. I'm sure." For the first and only time in their entire conversation, Liara's voice was firm. "Shepard…I want it all, I want everything. With you. But right now, what I want is to make you happy. Please…show me how."

Lana seemed to collect herself, sucking in a tremulous breath, before giving a tiny nod.

"Okay. If you're certain," she rasped, clearly affected by the intimate moment just as much as her new partner was. "One thing though."

"Anything."

Goddess, anything.

"If we're going to do this, please, call me Lana."

Despite her nerves, Liara's mouth twitched in a shy, involuntary smile. It was not a surprising request, but it carried a weight belied by its simplicity. A privilege only granted to a friend…or a lover.

"Lana," she said slowly, tasting the name and how it felt to speak it aloud. It slipped through her lips like a wistful sigh. Next to her, she felt her beloved shiver with…desire?

I still cannot believe this is happening.

"Alright. O-Okay," Lana gulped audibly. "Well, ah, why don't you start by kneeling down?"

Liara rushed to comply, sinking onto trembling knees, face upturned so she could continue to stare at her angel's pristine features. There wasn't much room in the cramped cubicle, but she was able to nestle herself comfortably between Lana's legs.

"I-I don't know what to do," she stammered. "Will you teach me, Lana?"

Shepard cupped her nervous partner's cheeks, letting the tips of her thumbs stroke across freckled blue skin. She smiled as the asari subconsciously nuzzled against her palm, apparently unaware that she was even doing it.

"I promise," she said. "I'm right here with you, darling, every step of the way. First, let's get these trousers off."

Ruefully breaking their touch, Lana slipped the tips of her fingers into her waistband. A second later, the material was unseated from her shapely hips. But when she felt Liara's shaking hands brush against her own she let the curious maiden take over, setting the pace for their explorations.

Liara couldn't help but blush at the sight of Lana's underwear, remembering what had led to their midnight encounter in the first place. The recollection was short-lived, however, replaced by baser thoughts as the creamy flesh of her beloved's legs was revealed. She could scarcely process what she was feeling right now, her mind still not having come to terms with the fact that she was actually undressing Commander Shepard, and not just with her eyes.

"Oh Lana," she whispered, trying to find the words to express the incredible joy that was flooding her body and failing. She raised her hand, and now her fingertips were just inches from the white cotton; the only barrier between her and Shepard's womanhood. It was so sudden, so immediate. Was she doing this right? Liara withdrew quickly, not wanting to presume too much.

"It's okay Liara, it won't bite." Lana chuckled, her voice just a tad breathless. "Go ahead, touch me…"

Liara had to bite her bottom lip painfully hard to force her body into action. Every muscle felt sluggish and unresponsive. Slowly, fighting an immense trepidation that threatened to steal this perfect moment from her, the asari brought one trembling digit up between Lana's legs.

Her touch alighted on the soft fabric, and Liara let out a tiny cry of surprise at the rich warmth she could feel beneath it. Shepard's sex was burning with desire. In wonder, Liara allowed a second tentative touch, followed by a third. They were feather light, but even that was enough to detect the texture of the skin beneath. Eagerly now, Liara brought her whole hand up to cup the fevered flesh.

When Lana inhaled sharply, Liara had to take a moment to prevent herself from swooning.

"What do you want, my love?" she husked.

"Mmm, take them off darling."

Liara obeyed immediately, her fingers hooking into the elastic and pulling it down, unsure of what exactly she was about to uncover. Most of her research into humans had been focused on their culture and social interactions, but she had come across some articles on their physiology. Liara had been surprised by how similar it was to asari, even internally; the differences were superficial at most.

All of that led her to believe that Shepard's nether regions should be structurally the same as her own. That thought brought her some comfort, although not as much as it might have done if she'd had more experience with her own body. This was all so new to Liara, but she trusted Lana would guide her through everything she needed to know.

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise as the panties dropped low enough to uncover the first curls of golden-blonde hair. The whole concept of 'hair' was another strange, alien property of the humans she had yet to fully understand. She had been under the impression that it only grew on their heads, and on the chests of the males. Clearly, she'd been mistaken. Liara had often wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers through Lana's tresses. In her fantasies, she'd imagined burying her face in them, inhaling the Spectre's scent and planting tender kisses on the scalp beneath. It made her blush now to imagine doing the same to this lower, and clearly far more intimate patch.

Past the subtle swell of Lana's pelvis, gravity took over, and the underwear swiftly pooled around her feet. Liara gazed at the exposed flesh with a fierce intensity, her conscious mind still a few seconds behind, whilst her unconscious mind catalogued the exhilarating tableau of sensations presented to her.

"You like what you see?"

"Goddess, yessssss…" Liara's voice was nothing more than a lustful hiss through parched lips. "It's…it's…exquisite."

Lana giggled in a way that was far too carefree for someone who had spent ten years in the military.

"I've, uh, never heard it called that before. You certainly have a way with words."

Liara was only dimly aware of what Lana was saying. In fact, if it had been anyone else talking, she doubted she'd have even registered the noise. Like a priceless artifact clawed from the depths of some unreachable world, the asari stared, awe-struck, at her prize.

The patch of short, wiry hair was neatly trimmed, and gave way to smoothly shaven skin below. Liara was transfixed, tracing a path along each layer with her gaze before breathlessly moving on to the next. First there was a full set of rounded outer lips, swollen with arousal, and opened wide to reveal the treasure they cradled. Within that parting was a delicate flower with two petals of flesh. Crinkled skin engorged with lifeblood and heavy with the moisture of desire. Lana's inner lips were the most incredible shade of raw pink. They were small, but not small enough to hide within their shell. Like a blossoming bud, they poked free, yearning to be admired. At the apex of those two beautiful folds was a petite hooded bead. This little nub was an even darker shade than the surrounding skin; almost crimson. And nestled in the centre of it all sat the pulsating gateway to Shepard's inner body. It was the most perfect of sights; that twitching entrance, dripping with juices as if welcoming her in. It made Liara faint to imagine that she was the source of not only this lubrication but also the swelling and the hardening and the hitching of breath that Lana was experiencing.

And the smell. Goddess, the scent she'd picked up from the panties had been a pale imitation of the heady aroma that encompassed her now. Even with no other reference to go off, Liara instinctively knew that it smelt of sex and lust and desire. She wanted to bury her nose in those plump folds and inhale that smell forever.

"Liar-a." Lana's voice was getting more and more strained. "I-If you don't touch me right now…"

Right. Yes.Oh Goddess, what should I do?

"Help me Lana," she said urgently, desperate to fulfil the Spectre's request. "W-What do you need?"

"Oh God, your lips…those gorgeous lips. I n-need them."

"Where?!"

"The small bead…a-at the top…my clit. K-K-Kiss it. Please, darling."

It didn't look like Lana was faring much better than Liara. Her legs were shaky, and the asari saw that she was having to hold on to the sink to support herself.

Okay. Right. I can do this. Oh, by the Goddess…

With the utmost care and attention, Liara closed the gap between their bodies. Her lips brushed against Lana's tender nether regions for the first time and drew a frantic moan from the other woman.

"Oh my goddddd! I've been waiting for t-this."

Liara took the briefest moment to ponder how those words sounded like they should have been spoken by her before she lost herself in ecstasy. She nuzzled into Lana's sex, eagerly seeking out her precious target. The Commander's nectar bathed her face, except this time it was straight from the source and even sweeter than before. She didn't hesitate; she couldn't. Like a starving woman, she feasted, allowing her tongue to probe every crevice, every wrinkle, hunting every last drop of precious secretion. Lana surrounded her, enveloped her every sense. Sight, smell, taste, touch; all were overwhelmed by this most intimate form of contact imaginable. The one that Liara had yearned for on so many lonely nights.

The asari raised her hands, taking a hold of the Spectre's hips to brace herself. Tearing her eyes away from the exquisite sight in front of them, she looked up, locking gazes with the woman she adored so completely. Her Goddess, her Athame, her everything. Watching intently, capturing every gasp and cry Lana made in her mind's eye, she let the tip of her tongue toy the tiny nodule of flesh which Lana had called her 'clit'.

"Ohhhhh, Li-Liara. Oh my god, k-keep looking at me. Yes my love, oh yes, just like that, yesssss!"

Lana gripped the asari's head with an almost painful insistence, holding her in place. It didn't bother Liara; she was exactly where she wanted to be already. A Prothean could have materialised in the room and offered her an invitation to travel back in time to the empire's heyday, and she wouldn't have even been able to stop long enough to refuse. Her whole being was focussed on the tiny bead that seemed to give Lana so much pleasure when touched. Liara extended her tongue again, flicking it backwards and forwards across that sensitive spot and delighting in the noises it drew from her beloved. Emboldened by how consumed the Spectre was, she pressed her mouth closer, licking in broad strokes and whimpering at the feeling of pliant flesh conforming to the contours of her jaw. Lana's slick skin was like velvet on her tastebuds.

"Ok, n-now…now, oh god, now p-put a fing…ah…a f-finger, inside m-me."

"Inside?" Liara squeaked around her mouthful.

In response, Lana grasped hold of one blue hand and guided it down between her legs. Liara moaned as she came into contact with the wetness which liberally coated Shepard's inner thighs. And for the second time in as many minutes, she found herself battling light-headedness. Liara felt faint as her fingers began to delicately probe the folds of flesh which lay just below where her mouth was anchored.

I will not pass out now. I cannot. Not when Lana needs me.

Using every ounce of resolve she had, the asari clawed her way back, throwing herself into the task at hand and redoubling her efforts. There was no way she was going to fail now; not when she'd already somehow achieved the impossible. Losing consciousness would have to wait until after Lana was satisfied.

With infinite tenderness, Liara spread Lana's lips and positioned a fingertip at her entrance. Then, glancing up at the Spectre's face and carefully watching for any signs that she was doing something wrong, Liara eased her digit inside. It glided in smoothly as Lana's body welcomed her with fervent yearning.

"Ohhh, oh god, yesssss, ah, ah, t-that's it darling. N-Now move it in a-and out."

Cautiously, and slowly at first, Liara began. She was amazed at how slick the walls of Lana's womanhood were, and at the immense heat which poured from it. Its texture was incredible; a delicious blend of smooth and rough flesh, thrumming in time with Shepard's heartbeat. Closing her eyes, she revelled in the feeling of Lana, pressed against her lips and clutching at her finger.

The Spectre appeared transported. Throwing her head back, she moaned so loudly that Liara was sure the entire ship would hear. Not that she cared. She kept up her double ministrations, watching in wonder as she drove Lana closer and closer to that wonderful precipice. She felt so powerful, so blessed that it was her privilege, and her privilege alone, to fulfil Shepard's desires. Lana's hands were spasming against the sides of her head; one minute tense, gripping like a vice, the next minute limp, as if the Spectre had lost all control of her muscles.

"Ohhhhhh Christ, oh my g-god, Li-Li…d-don't stop…pleeeeeease!"

Liara gazed, enraptured, as Lana flung herself over the cliff with reckless abandon. Her beloved's entire body writhed against her, internal muscles clamping down on her buried finger and clinging on for dear life. The sight sent mindless, liberating waves of pleasure through the asari. Enough to make her wonder if this is what it was like to have a religious epiphany. How could nuns take vows of abstinence when this was the purest, most spiritual event she could possibly conceive of? Watching Lana in the throes of an ecstasy she'd created was like watching the Goddess herself dance at her request. Nothing could ever hope to compare…with the potential exception of what she desperately hoped was coming next.

Tears of happiness welled in Liara's eyes as she rode Shepard's trembling aftershocks, unwilling to part from her new home just yet. They spilled down her cheeks, disappearing amongst the glistening secretions which now coated her face.

"Oh my…oh m…Li…I…y-you…oh…"

Both incapable of movement and rational thought, the two women paused for a second in reverent silence. Lana was busy trying to roll her eyes back to the front of her head, while Liara quietly wept, and offered up prayers of thanks to anyone who would listen.

Eventually, Lana recovered enough to look down and notice her partner's tears.

"Hey…hey darling, what's wrong?"

Looking up through watery eyes, all Liara could say was the truth.

"Nothing…n-nothing. Everything's perfect. Oh Lana, I love you so much."