zThanks for bearing with me guys. I know I haven't been posting regularly. Life has just been keeping me anchored in reality with little time to focus on writing but I am back for now. Just a little warning, the next couple of chapters won't have as much action and will have a lot of fluffy stuff for the lovers, but their will be some important details throughout it. So if you're here for the action, just hang in there for a few chapters. :)
Shepard February 23 2183
"Alright Councilor Tevos, we're ready to begin." She squeezed the bridge of her noise as she took a seat at the table in one of Benezia's meeting rooms. We had made sure to keep all the staff and security and any other prying eyes far away. "Shepard, you do realize that the more people are in on this, the more this is liable to go wrong?" She surveyed the room, the stress visible in her face.
"I do. But this is my ground team, and for anything to work smoothly, they have to understand at least the basis. They don't have to know every detail, although I would prefer they know as much as you allow." I tried to be as diplomatic as possible. This was no time to argue and I knew that the crew was ready to do anything that was needed of them, even if it meant just keeping quiet.
"Very well Shepard. The entire objective of the next three weeks is to convince everyone that Lady Benezia is dead. Coincidentally, this will snowball a few things into effect, starting with Liara's change to head of household. It is important and very crucial that we broadcast and drag out all of this. Liara's change to head of household will include two ceremonies; one at the beginning of next week and one the following week. The broadcast will create a distraction that will allow us to get Benezia to the high priestess to assess her and see what they can do for her. I've already sent a discreet team of commandos to deliver her to the high priestess, we should hear back from them on the day of the ceremony. Tomorrow however, Liara will break the news of Benezia's unfortunate death, leaving out the fact that she was indoctrinated or any mention of the reapers."
"Then what are we going to tell the public?" Alenko broke in as the first question from the crew and I decided that now was the best time to tell Tevos and everyone of the story me and Liara came up with. "Not we Lieutenant. Her." I pointed at Liara as I carried on. "And she's decided to stick as close to the original story as possible to avoid confusion later on if... no, when Benezia wakes up. We'll tell the story of how Benezia began watching Saren for the Council because of all the complaints of his corruptness becoming an issue; how Benezia thought she could stop Saren and make him see the right path and ultimately he used and brainwashed her to the point of no return." I swallowed as I began the last part, Liara cutting me off at the start of my next sentence.
"And that is when we found her, tried to get her to see reason. Instead, she tried to kill me and that is when Shepard stepped in, saving me and the T'Soni household." Everyone was quiet. Tevos seemed quite pleased with the story and so she carried on.
"That's good. Shepard looks like a hero and everyone will be looking at Liara for her take and direction on the T'Soni's next move as a major household. After the broadcast tomorrow, i'll pull some strings to make sure it is aired continuously so Liara stay away from any broadcastings, I suspect it's going to be emotionally draining enough. Once that is announced, their will be questions on when Liara's ceremony to take over the house begins. The first ceremony will be Benezia's funeral, which will be a large event with many guest and televised worldwide. The next ceremony will be your naming as head of household and will consist of you and naming your first mate, which I am suspecting you already have an idea?" Tevos looked onto Liara, a small glisten in her eye that caught my attention. Their was something to the way Tevos was treating Liara, although I couldn't really figure it out.
"I have a couple ideas, yes. I am not sure on which way to take yet but I will let you know before then."
"Take the next two weeks to think Liara, this is a lot being put on you in such a short time. You will make the right choice for you in the end and that is all that matters. The last ceremony will be much smaller and intimate." Again, I caught the glint in Tevos' eye and couldn't quite figure out why it caught my attention so much, I just had the feeling it wasn't normal. Tevos continued on with the details for the next two major events to happen throughout the week and their purpose. Once she was done, she nodded her farewell and took her hand into Liara's while doing an old customary asari gesture from what I could discern. The team began to babble between themselves but I caught a glimpse of Liara's own confusion before she looked up to smile at me. I made it a mental note to ask her if she knew what was going on with Tevos once we were alone again.
"Well it seems we have a few free days, why don't we drink the night away?" Garrus looked around the room to his suggestion, the group seemingly in agreement and aligned with his train of thought. Liara looked at me though, waiting on my signal on what to do. I knew that some of the staff were already really interested in the relationship between me and Liara and I didn't need any news getting out before I had a chance to solidify it myself. It would look much too suspicious if we both weren't around even though we both had an early morning. "Alright, but I think me and Liara are only good for one or two drinks, we have to be up early . I'm sure you all will put enough of them back for the both of us though." A small excited shriek came through Tali's suit as she hugged onto Liara who forced a small smile to grow across her face. I hated the thought of having to do this, knowing Liara wanted nothing more than to lay in bed and sleep away some of her pain of this whole situation, but I thought at least the drinks would do her some temporary good.
We retreated to a room adjacent to the one we were in; this one a stark contrast from the one we had just left. The walls were made of glass and the room was filled with lounging chairs and couches surrounding a fireplace with a screen built into the only wall in the room. Set off to the corner was an L-shaped island with a fully equipped bar behind it and stools surrounding the exterior. One of the servants came striding down the hallway and stood neatly behind the bar. Wrex was the first to approach the woman, her hands giving away her anxiousness.
"Got any ryncol?" He asked coolly enough to put the woman at ease as she nodded and went to pour a krogan's cup full. "Hah, I didn't expect their to be any of that back there." Wrex turned and barked to the young asari who wasn't fully focused on anything.
"My mother always kept several cellars full of various foodstuffs and drinks of each culture. She was very known for creating diplomatic solutions with some of the most outcast of groups. It is why so many people expected me to follow in her footsteps. Their are not many asari that are willing to do half of the things she did for the sake of peace and diplomacy." Her words trailed off slightly as she lowered her head, I fought the urge to pull her head up to meet my gaze, opting instead to rest my hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry Liara. You're going to be a great leader of your house, I know it." She looked up to catch my smile, for now that would have to do it.
"Yea and if you're as half as good a leader as you are in battle, you're going to do just fine. Hah!" Wrex shouted the words as he slammed his cup down, making the asari behind the bar jump back into the shelf behind her. Garus and Tali gave similar affirmations as they ordered drinks from the bar. It made me realize just how great the team was becoming, the closer they got, the better missions went, and the more I understood what Anderson meant.
Some time went on with everyone breaking off into smaller groups. Joker sat with Tali and Garrus at the bar, both men teasing Tali as she got drunker and drunker. Ashley, kaiden, and to my own surprise, Wrex, had been sitting around some L-shaped couches in a lively conversation about pre contact war history, leaving me and Liara off to the side on one of the loveseats in the corner. Neither of us said much, instead we just enjoyed the view of the intimately lit garden placed directly outside. I broke the silence as I looked down at the time on my omni-tool.
"It's getting kinda late, I think i'm gonna get some sleep before tomorrow." I got up from my seat and Liara popped up faster than I had seen her move all night. "I- I am quite tired too. I think I will join you Commander." I'm not sure why, but I felt a chill run down my spine as I nodded to the young maiden. We retreated out the room with a couple of smirks from Joker who I just managed to roll my eyes at before I hit the corner. The walk back to our rooms was quiet but intense. Something about the atmosphere surrounding us felt chaotic, more so from Liara, but my confusion of the entire situation didn't seem to help. "I will come to your room in a little Shepard if you do not mind, I just need to get myself together a bit." She spoke the words almost in a whisper, and I caught the glimpse of gloss in her eye before she walked into the room. I couldn't help but want to go in and bring her into the tightest embrace I could manage, but I just resigned myself to the balcony connecting our rooms. I dropped the privacy filter to get a better look at the countryside we were on. Out in the distance, I could see the outline of Thessia's major city Armali. I knew from my experience with Asari that Armali was considered to be the new capital of Thessia, taken from the oldest major republic from Thessia, Serrice. Although it was very much up for debate still. I traced the outline with my eyes over and over, absentmindedly getting lost in the lights.
"It is very beautiful. I used to love spending time their as a teenager while my mother tended to her business partners. Afterwards she would take me to history museums and let me roam around to my hearts content." Liara positioned herself next to me, careful to keep enough of a distance, while still maintaining close enough for comfort. I could see the gloss in Liara's eye come back even brighter than before. I grabbed her, pulling her into the tightest embrace I could, forgetting about any of Tevos warning to not look to intimate. She broke out into body wrecking sobs and I allowed her to put all of her weight into me. "I'm sorry Liara. I wish I was better with words, or even had words that could help you with what you're feeling right now. I know things are hard but I promise you, everything is going to be okay. I'll make sure of it." I took the mental beating that came with me making promises and pulled Liara slightly away to look into her beautiful Cobalt eyes. I leaned closer in a moment of absent-mindedness and she gently pulled away, looking out into the scenic view of the balcony, I came back to reality quick, forcing my face and body to steel like the well taught marine I was. I quickly turned the privacy filter back on as I looked back at the young asari with a lopsided grin on my face.
"Oops. Almost screwed up their." She allowed a small laugh to escape her pained expression which quickly melted away once I pulled her back into me; this time not hesitating on bringing our lips together. In a surprising moment, she used her lips to part mine, partly tapping my teeth before I opened my mouth to invite her tongue in. A jolt of excitement weaved its way down my body that forced me to grabbed onto her tighter, not once stopping for a breath away. She snaked her arm up the nape of my neck, grabbing a hand full of my hair as she pulled me in closer. I could feel the passion between our kiss turning to pure hunger and I fought the urge to pick her up and take her back to my room. I caressed my hand up the woman's thinly clothed back to her neck and up to the base of her crest, fingering the grooves expertly. She shuttered into my mouth as her body begin to slip from my grip and down to her knees. I let go of the fight in me and scooped her back up, wrapping her legs around my waist. I realized how perfectly our bodies meshed together as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders. We both pulled back from the kiss at the same time, completely out of breath panting against one another. A loose breath caught my ear and sent another jolt down my body. I let out a low moan against my own will before burying my head into the young asari's neck receiving a much louder moan from her as she involuntarily threw her head back. She released a few more moans as I traced the folds on her neck with my tongue, almost as if I knew exactly what she wanted. We were completely in sync at this point, almost recapturing the essence of the night on the ship on our way to Thessia. I remembered the look in Liara's eyes; hungry. it only grew more as I peeled off my bdu shirt. I wondered if she had that same look in her eyes now. I pulled back from her neck to make eye contact, and she lifted her head to meet my gaze. The look was their, but this time their was something more. I could feel the pain more than I did the first time, her expression less hungry and more begging. A bit of readjustment in my grip and I turned to go through the doorway, laying her gently on the bed as I extinguished some of the fire I felt, allowing it to smolder into a passionate glow. Liara stopped me for a moment, placing a hand softly against my chest.
"Shepard, I do not want you to feel like you need to do this to make me feel better. I... well, I do not want to do this out of pity. And I do not want to seem as if I am moving too fast. I have just always been one to know exactly what I wanted and well.." Her voice trailed off and her cheeks pooled into purple puddles.
"Liara I can assure you that I want this as much as you do, probably even more. And you don't have to worry about moving fast either. I knew that I wanted you before I even knew you as crazy as that sounds, it's true. I don't understand why but I know I want you more than anything. This isn't really my field of expertise though, so i'm just going with the flow." The words were something playing on my mind from the first time I had heard her voice. I had fought the thought so long but now staring into the woman's face, it seemed to be easier to say than think. She gave me a somewhat puzzled look but wasted no time pulling me back into the kiss, this time crashing our mouths together as her hands found their way back to my hair. I pulled away much to her discontent, lifting my shirt over my body turning her discontent into deep analyzation as if she were trying to memorize every inch of my body. I couldn't wait any longer as I practically ripped her shirt off of her. My eyes widened when I realized she didn't wear anything underneath. Her whole top uncovered, exposing beautiful breast that sat perfectly on her chest. My jaw sat unhinged, and I couldn't help but reach my hands out to cup them; a perfect fit in my hands. I rubbed down the rest of her body, enjoying the smooth yet slightly almost unnoticeable scaly feeling of asari skin. It was cool to the touch, heating up in every spot my hands found themselves. I rubbed down all the way to her hips, gripping them before pulling off the soft fabric of a sari garments. To my surprise, she didn't wear anything under the outfit at all. It was my turn to analyze every inch of her until I realized how uncomfortable she had become under my gaze.
"You're so beautiful Liara. I could stare at you all day." She blushed underneath me and opened back up even more confident than before. I had to admit I was enjoying taking my time with the young woman, but the burning need in me was slowly forcing its way back up. I slid down the woman's body, leaving a trail of kisses behind. The lower I got, the more Liara squirmed underneath me, moaning as she gently fingered the curls in my hair. I fought the urge to plunge myself into her, gently licking up the wetness she had began to leak. Apparently, she had been fighting her own need just as much as me. Her gentle tease of my curls turned into fisting my hair as she unconsciously guided my face deeper between her legs. I didn't fight it, instead I enjoyed drowning in the sweet musk that now covered the bottom half of my face, eventually finding an even pace that she accepted. Liara had become increasingly louder as I raced and dipped my tongue into her skillfully. Her moan now turning into a low scream, she could barely make out her words.
"Shepard, I... need meld." She could barely make out the sentence as I nodded my acceptance causing her to arch her back deeper into my face. I wrapped my arms into the dip in her back as I felt the touch of her mind against mine.
She slipped in effortlessly as I let my guard down and I fought my own release as all of her emotions and sensations overpowered me. I could tell by the way she dipped her hips in and out of my tongues hold on her that she could tell how excited I was to finally get a taste of her.
"You are more excited than me." She spoke through the meld much more clear than her voice could. I smiled, trying my hardest to send my own emotions over the internal link as I caressed my hand up her thigh, moving my mouth up to attach to the bud of nerves I had been only slightly teasing here and there. I gave it my full attention as I slid two fingers into the wet opening that begged for my presence. She whimpered into me as I plunged deep inside of her, the feeling ghosting in myself forcing me to go harder and harder as we both reached a point of ecstasy. I couldn't tell if the moans were external or through the meld. It didn't matter as Liara caved her body into mine, shaking and shuddering under my own climax.
We laid there for a moment, still wallowing in the meld as the waves of pleasure dissipated, now washing over with feelings of deep fondness and happiness. I laid my head on the young Asari's stomach with my eyes closed, smiling into the room as Liara played in the thick curls of my hairs.
"I still do not understand the concept of human hair. Their is technically no use for it in your species anymore."
"It has use. Just not for survival now. Most humans look at their hair as a part of their personality. Who they are."
She looked down at my hair, noting each curly, thick, wave of it. I allowed her to play with it as I stared off, drifting back to the meeting earlier. "Why was Tevos acting so nice. Not that she's mean, but she isn't usually that personal with anyone."
"Tevos was one of my mothers closest friends when I was younger. I spent a lot of time of with her and her daughters when my mother was somewhere too dangerous, and Shiala was needed alongside her. She has always been a guardian mother to me. She once funded one of my expeditions. Their is much more to Tevos than she lets on." I was more shocked at the thought of Tevos having kids than anything. "Wait Tevos has kids? How come she never speaks about them or show them off?"
"They are estranged. From what I know, her daughters became of age and wanted to know more about their father. Tevos would not allow it due to their father being another asari. Once they became old enough, they left to find their father. Tevos keeps tabs on them, making sure they are safe, but even I do not know who the other asari is. Both my mother and Tevos have that much in common."
"Do you still want to who your father was?"
"Some days I really do. Like times such as this. But my mother had her reason even if I think they are unreasonable at times. She always knew the right thing to do."
"And you will too Liara. I believe in you." I pulled myself up to meet her lips; giving her one long kiss before wrapping her in my arms and the blanket next to us. I watched as she drifted to sleep, looking more like herself before we had made it back to Thessia.