Undergarments

Chapter 4

Liara couldn't say how she made it to the bed. One moment she was kneeling on the floor of the bathroom, staring up in awe at her partner's love-struck expression. The next, she was being guided onto soft sheets by strong, gentle hands. She sank back onto the cot, weak all over, but managing to prop herself up on her elbows so she could keep looking at her beloved.

Goddess, Lana.

The Spectre stood in front of Liara, completely nude from the waist down. Despite that detail, she carried herself with the same simple grace she always did. An amused but tender smile played at the corners of her mouth as Liara's gaze raked her up and down. Although the maiden's eyes were still drawn to the junction of Shepard's thighs (much to her own embarrassment), she wanted to appreciate Lana's beauty in its entirety. For so long she'd had to be content with momentary, stolen glances. Not anymore.

The skin of Lana's legs was soft and smooth; hairless, or close to it. Its pinkish hue was still a source of fascination for Liara; so different from her own mundane blue. Faced with such a pristine sight, it naturally guided her attention to what few imperfections there were, although such a term felt insultingly inaccurate. The first to catch her eye were a few tiny brown blemishes, arranged in a triangle just inside Lana's left knee.

Wait, I remember reading the name for those. Goddess, what was…ah, 'moles'. Yes, that was it.

These 'moles' were not so dissimilar to her own freckles, Liara thought. Did they serve a purpose? Never mind; now was not the time to be asking such questions.

Her eyes kept wandering, gravitating next towards the spots where Lana's flesh was sadly marred by coarser, darker skin. Not sad because of the appearance – Liara could not even imagine such a thought – but because of what they represented. Scars. Times her dear, sweet Lana had been injured; had been in pain, without Liara there to comfort her. Shepard was a soldier, Liara knew this of course. Such marks were inevitable. Still, it hurt to dwell on what could have caused them. And how there may be more yet to come.

Shuddering, Liara hastily abandoned that mental image, instead looking down at the floor where Lana's bare feet stood on the metal deck.

It really is incredible how similar we are.

Seeing Shepard's body like this, it wasn't hard to understand why some theologists treated the similarities in form of all the major species as evidence of a higher power at work. Liara was not really a woman of faith, but she had to admit, the asari-like beauty she saw in Lana made a compelling argument. Humans, especially, were so close to her kin. It was like they were made for each other.

Liara looked up again. She couldn't tell if she'd been staring at Shepard forever, or if her heart was beating so fast that all the world was passing by at a crawl. Whatever the case, Lana didn't seem to mind. She returned Liara's gaze with warm affection, before finally speaking.

"If you want to look, it's only fair you see everything."

Liara blushed momentarily at having her curiosity commented on. But she didn't look away. Instead, she watched, rapt, as Lana's arms moved to grip the base of her crew shirt. In one fluid motion, the Spectre pulled it off and tossed it aside. No sooner was that done then her hands were behind her back, unhooking the clasp of her plain black sports bra. It swiftly joined the top on the floor, and at last…at last, Liara was able to drink in the sight of her beloved laid fully bare.

A few more scars dotted Lana's torso. However, Liara was much more drawn to what lay beneath them. Only now was Shepard's warrior physique truly visible, in the shadows of lean muscle that rippled across her belly. There was an understated but definitive strength that radiated from her every fibre. Liara had seen that strength first-hand; fighting to protect the ones Lana loved. Fighting to protect her. The thought spread shivers throughout Liara's body. But her focus was quickly pulled further upwards still.

Lana's breasts rose and fell softly in time with her breathing. Spellbound, Liara traced their contours with wide-eyed admiration. They were modestly sized – slightly smaller than her own, she guessed – but firm, and topped with the most adorable nipples that, like Lana's other intimate areas, were an incredible shade of rosy pink. The tips quivered, visibly hard in the cool cabin atmosphere. Once again, Liara was overwhelmed by how much she and Lana shared. Despite the thousands of lightyears separating their births, they bore the same likeness. Her body was Lana's, and Lana's, her's…or so she desperately hoped.

"By the Goddess," she whispered, voice thick with emotion. "You are…everything."

Lana's smile widened. A slight blush of bashfulness bloomed on her cheeks and across the top of her chest, but she played it off with an effortlessness that Liara could only dream of possessing.

"And you, my love, are everything to me," Lana replied. "I think it's time I showed you just what that means."

Approaching the bed, Shepard sank down and straddled the lap of her transfixed partner. Liara gasped at the feelings of both heat and weight as Lana's naked thighs pressed down on her own, clothed ones. The space between them disappeared, and suddenly Lana's face was only a hair's breadth from her own. Heavy, breathless exhalations danced across her skin, but all she could see were Lana's eyes, half-lidded with lust. The kiss which followed claimed her utterly, and she melted into her lover's lips with a whimper of pure need.

Hands felt their way to the collar of Liara's tunic, pausing briefly to caress the ridges of her neck before fumbling to find the zipper. The lab outfits Liara wore were designed for practicality and protection, not ease of removal; a fact which Lana was now discovering. Even so, it didn't take long for her to worm her fingers into the clasp and grab hold. Liara was aware of the movements only at the peripheries of her consciousness; completely consumed by the sensation of Shepard's mouth on her's. It occurred to her that perhaps she should be helping, but she didn't trust herself to move from this position without collapsing.

Slowly, Lana began to undo the zipper, pulling it down from Liara's throat and then following the curved path across her upper chest. In its wake, the lab coat peeled away, revealing lilac-flushed skin slick with nervous sweat. Liara winced in surprise as the chill air struck her flesh. But the momentary cold was immediately washed away by the waves of warmth emanating from their passionate kiss. Liara moaned into her beloved, eagerly welcoming Lana's tongue with her own. The feeling of the two sliding over each other, rough and wet, filled her centre with pulsing desire.

The kiss only broke when Lana's hands finally reached the base of the tunic. With a little metallic 'pop', the ends of the zipper separated. At the same time, Shepard detached herself from Liara's mouth, drawing a small squeak of longing from the asari.

"I want to…see you…as well," Lana managed between laboured breaths.

As what was about to happen really sank in, Liara suddenly felt apprehensive…well, even more apprehensive than before. What if Shepard didn't like what she saw? Liara knew that asari tended to be considered attractive by other species, but she had never thought of herself as anything special. In fact, compared to the glamourous models, actresses, and dancers that acted as the face of her people in popular media, she was downright plain. What if Lana had been watching such videos and was expecting a sexy blue goddess, and instead she got…her? These doubts ate away at the back of Liara's mind as Lana undressed her, but she didn't dare voice them. This entire experience was like a waking dream, and Liara was terrified that if she pushed it too hard, it would slip through her fingers and be lost forever.

Lana pulled the tunic aside, and like the masochist she apparently was, Liara studied every minutia of the Spectre's expression, searching for any signs of disappointment. She prayed to the Goddess that she wouldn't find any.

Shepard's eyebrows quirked up. A reaction not of immediate distaste nor of arousal, but instead of …

Surprise? What? What does this mean?

"Doctor T'Soni," Lana said, her face shifting from a look of mild shock to a mischievous grin. "I never imagined you were the kind not to wear underwear."

Liara instinctively glanced down, eyes widening as if she had never seen her own body before. Such a comment was not the worst outcome she'd been fearing, but it sent a spike of anxiety through her nonetheless. Had she made a faux pas? Violated some unspoken human cultural norm? She rushed to explain, wincing at the tumble of stammered half sentences which came out instead.

"I…s-sorry, I didn't…that is, it was not deliberate. Y-You see, this garment has support built into it. It's designed…and I didn't think I, that is, we would be, and, and…and you were simply teasing, weren't you…?"

Liara's words petered out as the realization struck her. Goddess, how could she be so dense? Oblivious to the most basic social cues? Shepard had made it blindingly obvious, and still she'd put her foot in it.

"Just a bit," Lana replied, her smirk softening into something more tender. "Sorry, probably not the best time. No more games, I promise. Just…"

She leant back, allowing herself a full view of Liara's exposed chest, and sucked in a sharp breath. "…this. Oh, wow…"

An electric anticipation filled the room as Liara watched Lana staring at her. Her heart felt like it had clawed its way into her throat and was now pounding at the base of her skull with its hammering pulse.

After a few seconds, Lana swallowed audibly.

"You are so beautiful, Liara. May I touch you?"

Liara could hear the desire in Shepard's voice as plain as day. She still could not comprehend that she had the power to awaken that in her beloved, but there was no denying it. Somehow, despite everything, Lana wanted her. Her. All she could do was thank the Goddess for this wonderful, magical gift. Within moments it felt like her whole being was overflowing with joy; too much for one soul to contain. What had she done to deserve this?

I am yours Lana. You can do whatever you like to me.

In person, Liara just gave a tiny nod. She was certain that if she tried to speak, she would break down entirely.

Time stood still. Then Lana's hand was at her chest. She cupped Liara's right breast, gently taking its weight and caressing it with her fingers. For Liara, the action was like the completion of a circuit where she was the conductor. Her anticipation discharged, morphing into something she could not even describe, and triggering a shudder strong enough to make her whole body convulse. Unbidden, a raw and ragged moan escaped her lips, filling the entire cabin with the sound of her yearning.

Goddess…yesssss…

It wasn't just the pleasure of the contact, although that was incredible in itself; it was also what it represented. Knowing that it was Lana touching her this way…that finally, she was receiving the loving attention of the woman she adored so completely. For months she'd longed for this intimacy with every cell in her body. But truthfully, the yawning gulf which had lurked within her was far older than that. An erosion of the spirit caused by decades of loneliness; more than her beloved's entire lifetime. Now, Lana's love was rushing in to fill that hole, plunging down into every crack in Liara's heart like liquid sunlight.

As if on cue, Lana stroked her thumb the length of Liara's breast to graze her engorged indigo nipple. The sensation shot another lightning bolt of pleasure through Liara's singing nerves, surging from her chest straight to her aching sex. She cried out again, softer this time, but no less wanton.

"Lana…" she said hoarsely. There was nothing she could say, no words to capture what she was feeling, but her beloved's name felt right in her mouth.

"Liara. God, you're…" Lana too seemed deeply affected by what was passing between them. But, unlike Liara, when words failed the Spectre, her actions took over. "Let's get you out of this."

Lana slid her hands around Liara's back beneath her tunic, supporting the asari's weight in a loose embrace so that her arms were free. It took Liara several seconds to respond—the sudden proximity of Lana's breasts to her face made it very difficult to focus—but she managed to weakly shrug the lab coat over her shoulders. A few stilted movements later and she'd peeled the sleeves off as well. She was immediately rewarded with a light kiss on the top of her head, right on the ridge of one of her primary crests.

As if I needed further motivation.

Willing her sluggish muscles to life, Liara grasped at her trousers next, unceremoniously tugging them down her legs as fast as she was able to. She couldn't see what she was doing, although that was a small price to pay when the obstruction was Lana's beautiful body. Goddess, she could stare at it forever. Her shaking hands lost their grip several times, and she had to awkwardly shift her weight up off the cot (bringing her hips tantalisingly close to Shepard's womanhood in the process). But at last, it was done. With a light kick to free her feet from the messy bundle of clothing which had pooled around them, Liara found herself nude and trembling beneath the woman she craved.

Lana kissed her head again, lingering long enough to softly nurse Liara's fevered skin with her lips, before leaning back once more. Her piercing green eyes laid the asari bare, leaving her somehow feeling even more naked than she already was.

"Amazing," Shepard murmured, shaking her head slightly. "Just…amazing. You're incredible."

Liara blushed again; the effect somewhat lost in the flush which already covered her entire body. She wasn't used to this level of scrutiny. Normally it would make her highly uncomfortable, but this…while she did still feel twinges of embarrassment, they were submerged in the sea of all-encompassing love and acceptance which flowed continuously from her partner. It was like riding a rollercoaster, where the knowledge that there was no real danger allowed fear to morph into excitement.

"N-No one has ever looked at me the way you do," she said.

And I am glad. If all those decades alone brought me here, to you, then it was worth it.

"They don't know what they're missing," Lana replied, her expression intensifying to what could only be described as a lustful smoulder. "But believe me, I intend to do much more than just look."

Lana's seduction was turning Liara's insides to jelly. Enough that between her legs, Liara could feel copious amounts of wetness soaking into the bedsheets, incontrovertible evidence of her own desire. Perhaps it was for the best that she hadn't worn undergarments; they would certainly have been ruined by now, if not long before.

"Please…" she said. She didn't know what Shepard intended to do, but she did know that whatever it was, she needed it with a fierce desperation.

Lana favoured her with another quick kiss; a promise of what was to come. Then, she swung herself off Liara's lap and crawled up the bed, wiggling her hips at the blushing asari as she did. The sudden movement after so much reverent stillness startled Liara. Not that she objected. After all, it granted her a perfect view of Shepard's posterior; the one part of her beloved she had yet to commit to memory. So round and smooth, with the subtle flexion of powerful muscles beneath…Liara wanted to reach out and touch it. Maybe later…

Goddess, even the thought that there would be a later made her head spin. She could barely process what was happening right now.

I want enough 'laters' to fill a lifetime.

Having taken more time than was strictly necessary to prowl up the bed, Lana took a place at the far end. She sat with her back up against the wall and her legs spread provocatively wide.

"Come here," she whispered, patting the space between her thighs.

Liara did not need telling twice, although it did take her a moment to make her limbs cooperate. Gingerly, she lifted herself up, releasing a tiny 'ah' as her dripping centre peeled away from the sheets. The things Lana did to her…she was already a quivering mess of arousal and the Spectre had yet to even touch her properly. Would she even survive what came next?

There was only one way to find out.