"Hey! Glad you could make it, come in, come in you know where to throw your stuff." Jane smiled even as she backed up into her apartment, nearly tripping over her cat and then promptly tripping over her dog. Liara managed to not roll her eyes as they were both herded into the bedroom. Liara had a mild allergy to pet dander, and any time spent with those two usually ended with Liara petting or touching them, and promptly sniffling and blowing her nose. Jane had run through several tissue boxes before they both agreed that for long hang outs, the two just had to be locked up.
Liara had enjoyed coming over in the past, and very much appreciated the opportunity. After all, a night at her house meant a much more awkward time as Jane tried not to break anything and Liara worried about how pretentious she had to look with artifacts and diplomas everywhere. It was always easier to go to Jane's apartment where neither of them had to care any further than pushing the stack of never ending papers to one side of the table and making sure neither of her animals had puked on the rug.
"Of course, I wouldn't miss our Friday's for anything." Liara smiled as she held out the wine bottle she'd brought with her, "And not just because I need a drinking partner. Mostly because I like having a drinking partner."
With only a half glare Jane snatched the bottle away paused at the door to the kitchen before grumbling and heading back down the hallway. "Well, we'll drink as soon as I jury rig something. Cat stole my opener, don't laugh at me T'Soni!"
Liara did managed to staunch the flow of giggles, but not before Shepard ducked her pink face into the hall closet. It took a half second longer for Liara to remember that she could open the bottle instead of risking whatever bizarre method Jane wanted to test from the extranet. She'd lost a good bottle of wine to a shoe and another to a sword of all things.
"Do you want me to get that?" Liara asked, desperate to avoid another repeat performance.
"Nah," Shepard stood up, a claw hammer and long screw with very wide threads in the other, "I may have lost the wine opener but I still have a trusty back up."
"I think it would be easier if I just opened it." Liara was still, miraculously holding her grin off.
"With what your mind?" Jane joked.
Liara tilted her head and when Jane did not catch on, lit one of her hands with biotics. "Actually, yes."
Jane hesitated for only a moment longer before laughing, nearly doubled over. "Oh Christ! I always forget you asari all have biotics. Well, help a lowly human out would you?" She held the bottle out.
Liara simply pulled the cork while Jane still held the bottle, the foil peeled back easily and the cork floated a scant inch above it.
Jane jammed the screw into her pocket and dropped the hammer into a loop on her pants near the knee. "That's just showing off now."
Liara grinned and sauntered back towards the kitchen. "Where do you keep glasses?"
A small thump on the half cleaned table let her know she'd been followed. "Above the sink, but fair warning to you, I've only got one wine glass. It's yours, I'll take a shortie."
Liara tried to not laugh as she opened the cabinet and found several beer mugs, shot glasses, and nothing else. Pulling out two of the 20oz glasses Liara shrugged, "You don't have either of those, we'll just split the bottle. Besides I wanted a few glasses anyways. Should I pour too?"
Jane threw her hands up in mock disgust. "Go crazy, let me check on the pizza."
The oven light was flicked on and then back off before Jane looked back at her. Liara levitated the bottle and gently poured them both a glass, twirling the bottle after both pours so the last drop of wine retreated inside.
"Ok, seriously though, show off! I could've done approximately that, with a few spills and everything." Jane complained loudly even as she grabbed a glass.
Liara was rather grateful that Jane took the glasses reading "My Eyes Are Up Here!" and happily took the remaining glass with a stylized engraving of Emptai Peak. Liara was also very happy she had brought a wine, otherwise she suspected that Shepard would have poured her a glass from that awful black box variety she always had around for cooking. Not that Liara would have complained, she would have accepted the wine, drunk it, and probably still asked for seconds. To be fair, she was practically wasting this bottle since the frozen pizza was some off brand that Jane swore tasted better to her. And there wasn't even a salad. Jane would just cut the pizza into six slices and they'd both eat half of it while watching cartoons or re-watching Valentina flicks. Eventually Jane would make popcorn or a tuna spread accompanied by the frilliest and most expensive crackers that Liara had ever seen.
Save two credits on the frozen pizza to buy the crackers overpriced by four. Wash it down with box wine and local craft beer.
If not vids maybe board games. Liara enjoyed a human game called Clue while Shepard had latched onto the turian Raktan. Battleship was a favorite, if by favorite you meant they could half finish the game before getting into a massive argument and Jane trying to poke Liara with a chain of her red and white markers. They learned to not mix food and board games after the Kepesh-Yakshi accident of '91. Liara still had a stain from that in her living room, covered as tastefully as she could by a small throw. Still, she thought of that date fondly.
Not that it was a date.
Not that they were dating.
Yet.
But not dating…not dating with Jane. Liara drank to that.