Opening of Heart . . . and Mind

"I had not expected to see you again," Samara commented lightly, but her eyes spoke more than her words, or voice, "I trust your recovery is going well."

"Better than last time," Shepard agreed, working hard to keep from stuffing her face and trying to eat properly, "I swear, your food is even better, you should try eating it."

The warrior smiled softly to herself, and began eating her food, again. With the alien eating moderately and at her side, the spacer was able to restrain herself, and their meal was done in a peaceful silence which they took joy in sharing. After they finished, they left their containers on the washing machine, and went to sit down and talk. Yet, once they sat down besides each other, their silence remained, permeating the air, making it hum with peace. Hannah wasn't in her best condition yet, so the low and arid breeze cooled her to sleep. Her head was slumped against the firm and unyielding blue shoulder, but the justicar did not mind. She even relished from the contact, smiling softly, and then, in an act so unlike herself, she gave into the mood, and fell asleep herself, her own head on top of the still recovering human's.

"I must admit, I did not fancy myself waking like this," Samara shakes her head softly against the words being whispered, "but, I must confess, I like it . . ."

The human snuggled against her, and she just cuddled the creature in a protective embrace. It was such an automatic reaction, that Samara didn't catch it until she heard the sigh coming from the snuggling creature. It was then the warrior's struggling choice to figure out her own reaction, mostly due to sleep, but once she caught on to it, she sat up, still holding the human close. So startled was the woman, that she didn't fall asleep as her sigh had suggested.

"Hannah, you differ greatly from anyone I've ever met . . . ." The words were laced with care, and utter astonishment, but whatever else was to follow, was never uttered.

"Hey, Samara," a warm and kind hand was placed on the blue cheek with tender care, and looking into those soft blue eyes, the alien realized something, both painful and calming; there were feelings behind the look, but the owner had yet to figure them, "thank you for allowing me to stay here, for protecting and helping me."

The words pained her in ways she didn't understand. To hide this fact, she lay back down and brought the human with her. The movement and exchange were enough to exhaust the woman, who now resembled the child she had found so long ago, that sleep came easy. For the human at least, but not for Samara. She didn't know if the human's heart was true, for the now-girl might just see her as a protective figure, a rescuer, and not as she was. It was a painful realization.

"So, will you tell me what ails you?" The question was soft, and discreet, letting Hannah know that her pillow and mattress noticed her wake. The only thing the human did was sigh in pleasure from the contact; the asari was rubbing her lower back. "Should I stop?"

The question had its desired result; the child was wide awake. Still, she didn't open up, which troubled the justicar, so, instead of stopping, the rubbing was now done with one finger in a slightly smaller circle, with a higher amount of pressure being applied. Samara had no idea on how to comfort her friend. From said friend's reaction though, she could tell she wasn't doing the right kind of comforting. The human's small body hair stood on end, she became paralyzed for just a few brief seconds, and she hid her face on the crevice between neck and shoulder, a favorite spot. No sound was uttered, but due to the closeness of their bodies, the vibration the blue seductress felt was enough to know the dangers behind such actions, and she reprimanded herself.

But the soldier didn't seem to notice anything or rather, was eager to distract them from each other, but the alien couldn't be sure of the reasons. It could be that the feeling was enough to push her to tell, it could be that she felt a need to confide after a personal instant. Whatever the reason, Samara was ready to face it, as she faced the fragile creature, looking deep into the soft blue eyes, a hand against the now soft and golden hair, but what threatened to overpower her was the feeling that those lovely pale pink lips were right over her own soft violet ones. But there was pain evident in those eyes, and she had to fight hard against her own will of taking the pain away. The girl opened her mouth to speak, and after she finished speaking, she began crying, and the only thing her companion did, could do, was hold her tight. It was as if the world had gone mute in that brief instance, as did her voice. Too bad Samara knew how to read lips . . . .

"But . . . how . . ?" She had gotten her voice back, but not her words.

"They found me," the girl-turned-woman began, crying, "I have no idea how they found out, how they learned . . . ."

"I taught you to hide it," the alien replied softly, and a sob escaped her friend, "because you do not hold the power to make use of them."

"And still they learned," her voice was about to break and she was a step away from hysterics, "they took me as a test subject, they —"

"Abused from a position of power," Samara spoke fiercely, the justicar in her arriving to envelope the woman in her arms in a protective embrace, "you've been through enough, you're —"

They looked into each other's eyes, and the human couldn't help herself, she sniffled pathetically, and the warrior's face softened. Hannah frowned lightly at the action, and then, in an impulsive action, she kissed the seductress who held her. The brief instant in which their lips join, Samara forgot everything and held the woman closer, tighter, and once granted access to the mouth, the only thing to bring her back was the moan she elicited from the vulnerable corporal. That brought the blue humanoid back and she forced herself to move the human away from her.

"No, Hannah, this cannot be," the woman swallowed, but didn't look away, "you should know that your feelings aren't real."

"Wait . . . ." Clearly, the creature expected something else; such was the shock that she became paralyzed just as Samara moved slowly and with deep regret away from the spot they had shared. "What?"

"Hannah, do you not realize the truth of your feelings?" It took the refugee a minute to realize the face her companion had was one of worry, tender worry. "I am but the hero of your distress; I'm the savior of your nightmares. Justicars will often be compared to the knights of your medieval times; a justicar found your world long ago and instilled these principles to help your kin on such dark times — but I cannot use your feelings as they are."

"Ah, so you believe my feelings are born from the fact that you save me?" The human was offended, as expected, but what wasn't, was the pain and betrayal. "I didn't come to you to rescue me from my own past, Samara, I came here instead of going to my parents because I missed you, not just the fact that you made me feel safe, I just missed you . . . .

"Missed the silence we could share, missed the way you taught me to be stronger, how you always found a way to push me further, how you're warm and kind, and overall, caring." She shook her head briefly, tears threatening to fall, looking famished, but more than that, looking confident. The realization startled the warrior. "I missed the simple gestures, the connection I felt when you touched me even if it was just to explain something about a weapon, and I thought myself, those feelings would vanish once I left . . . ."

When did I start knowing her so well? Samara wondered, looking tenderly at the creature across the room from her, when did she channel her confidence towards this?

"They didn't . . ." Samara finally spoke as she began crossing the distance, her first steps timed to the shake of head that confirmed her statement.

"It was more than just the fact that you were the first person who saw me for who I was, not the family I belonged to," her own mother had taken her father's name, which was the reason why she had taken on her mother's maiden name as her own. "I missed you, and even if my relation with my parents is better, there is still a bitterness which we cannot overcome. I didn't seek their help because they wouldn't understand, I didn't seek yours because you would, I did so because I knew your support was what I needed, your touch was what I longed."

"I understand," Samara did, she honestly did, and her hug showed it, "I am sorry for doubting your feelings."

"Don't be," the surprised human replied, surprising her companion, "it's the way you must be . . . ."

They held each other in tender arms, and it was then that the alien realized an astounding truth. Blue hand on caramel cheek, they stared into each other's eyes, eyes so similar in color, even if not in tone, eyes that they knew so well, that they stood there, struck. Samara never knew she could feel like that for another creature.

"I believe I can find more than happiness now," she whispered softly, holding the cheek gently, "with you . . . ."

"So, we can be together," the hope in the soldier's voice left the child she had been in shame, "even if it's for a while?"

"Shouldn't you report to your captain?" The older creature countered in a caring tone, a teasing smile on her lips.

"I already did," Hannah confessed, her eyes going towards the floor in shame, "right as I was free from my captors, I contacted my captain. His orders were to get away from there, to safety and to recover."

Samara tilted the chin up, forcing their eyes to meet, and the human seemed eager to voice something, but she wasn't about to allow her. So, instead, she used the open mouth from which words would hurriedly escape and forced the woman to moan. She even felt the eyelids fluttering; this made her grin despite the kiss.