Even though the Citadel Fleet was not a frontline unit, its asari commandos were still drilled to near-perfection. Vel wasn't assigned to sweep the Cerberus ships, but watching them work through the captured vessels alongside turian and salarian teams was a treat.

After a brief catching-up with some of her previous teammates who were now also aboard the Destiny Ascension, Vel appeared at Lidanya's foyer with her duffel bag. Not wanting to disturb the Captain's adjutant, she headed for her cabin directly, using the remaining time to get settled in.

The cabin was fit for a senior officer, with its own bathroom, terminal, and a window. Vel resisted the urge to plop down on the comfortable-looking bed (her own bed! On a warship!), instead allowing herself a moment to appreciate the room as the glow of the Wards flooded through the window and bathed everything in a soft purple haze.

Definitely different, she thought again, looking back down at her open duffel bag, her thought drifting to to Lidanya. None of this would have happened without the captain's favor, and she definitely had been… welcoming. But there was something else underneath, something she'd chalked up as her own naive presumption; something which emanated from the captain in the most subtle glance of her eyes, and which had drawn Vel to accompany her whenever she requested. It was something that in the silence of her current solitude was too loud to dismiss. But to acknowledge it…

She cut her train of thought. The only certainty now was that she enjoyed Lidanya's company, as strange as it may have sounded coming from a commando.


Lidanya was unsurprised to find Ami waiting for her when the elevator doors opened. The maiden was nothing if not efficient, and the two minutes it took to walk to the captain's quarters were once again enough to go over the schedule for the following day.

With a promise to try for some rest, Lidanya bid her adjutant goodnight and pawed at the lock to let herself in her cabin—noting with approval the activated lock panel of the previously vacant room on the right. With a small smile and a thrum of anticipation, she stepped through the silently sliding door into her sanctuary.

She was a little early—which was to say, less late than she had assumed—and felt the urge to make the most of the short time she had gained. A quick glance told her there was little need to clean up for her guest; her traditional round bed was neatly made, the small kitchenette was uncluttered, and the seating area around the virtual fireplace and entertainment center was orderly for a change. She briefly considered moving the chairs out of the way, but left them alone as she realized that Vel might prefer to use one of them or even lie down rather than sit on the floor as Lidanya herself usually preferred.

Well… I suppose I could make myself more presentable, she found herself thinking, not a little surprised by her vanity. It had been a long while since she had put any real effort into herself… when her daughters had taken her out the last time they had both been to visit, maybe? She smiled bemusedly at her foolishness, but did nevertheless quickly strip out of her uniform and toss it into the cleaner even as she reached for her one proper dress. Telling herself that a casual appearance would let Vel be more at ease in the meld, she slipped into the orange garment and made a brief, fussy stop at the bathroom mirror before returning to the cabin to stare at the calming sight of the nebula out of her panoramic window until her visitor would arrive.


Reaching for her pistol, Vel paused briefly as she contemplated her standard commando fatigues. A dress uniform was perhaps more suitable for a meeting with the captain, but this was off-duty hours. Deciding on a less military-like look, she slipped out of the fatigues and pulled on her black tights and magenta top. Throwing her black jacket on and with quick clasps of her boots, she made for Lidanya's door—but not before clipping her Predator to her hip. She was the captain's bodyguard, after all.


As much as Lidanya detested being held back at the Citadel when war raged all around her, the beautiful dance of lights visible through her window did remind her that it was not without reason. She could have watched it for hours, and often had, but tonight her thoughts were occupied by something else entirely.

She was still at the window when Vel arrived a few minutes later. She stood a handspan away from the glass, drawn to her full height, and arms crossed behind her back to combat the flutters of anticipation she felt deep in her abdomen. In the dimmed room, the few light sources painted her markings a bright, vivid pink. They did not actually glow, as some of her younger staff liked to claim, the pigmentation merely reflected light incredibly well and thus created the illusion of luminescence.… and despite her increasing self-consciousness and frantic second thoughts about more professional attire, she knew she cut a striking figure with the ghostly lines on her skin cascading over her shoulders, along her arms, and as far down her back as the dress revealed.

She did not turn around when the door behind her slid open, listening instead for any clues to Vel's reaction to the door unlocking and opening automatically for her.

Vel took a second to survey the cabin as the door slipped open. Lights were dimmed, and a holographic fireplace painted the living area a warm orange. But her attention was drawn to the luscious violet glow of the Serpent nebula which bloomed from the panoramic window on the far end of the room. The five Wards were half-open, their city lights visible, giving the Citadel the impression of a jewel-encrusted star laying on a purple velvet, surrounded by silvery dots of light gleaming from passing starships.

And in the center of this frame was Lidanya, her silhouette tall and made even more striking against the vivid background, and her slender outline was accented by a soft lilac glow owing to her lavender skin tone. The orange dress flowed elegantly down her figure, and she appeared both regal and hauntingly beautiful.

Vel found herself stopped at the door, taking in the sight of the captain as if appreciating a piece of artwork with trepidatious awe. With a deep breath she shoved aside her doubt of whether she truly belonged here and took a step across the threshold, and another step, and another, until she was in the middle of the room. Certain that Lidanya heard her approach, she tucked her hands behind her and put on a bright smile.

Lidanya closed her eyes, shutting out everything but sound. It felt like minutes, but she only counted a few seconds until Vel's soft breath and rustle of movement behind her unwound the knot in her chest, the sign of the maiden's confidence and willingness finally allowing Lidanya to exhale. She heard the soft steps approach and come to a halt, but at first only turned her head, chin tilted demurely down and slowly opening eyes gazing into nothing as she tried to even her faintly quivering breath.

You must trust her implicitly.

She had not quite regained her composure when she heeded her thoughts and forced herself to turn, willed herself to allow even the small signs of her weakness to be seen by Vel.

Seeking out the asari's eyes, Lidanya noted—how could she not, Goddess—that Vel had changed into more casual clothing, matching her own choice. Somewhere in the back of her mind her warrior-self nodded approvingly at the weapon, but her physical nod and smile were purely manifestations of the warm flush she felt at the confident, strong, and… beautiful and enticing asari before her.

Vel let her gaze linger on Lidanya's delicate movements as the dim lights played along her form and lit up her markings like pink luminescent foils. She felt her breath skip just once, finding herself longing for those glimmers as Lidanya slowly opened her eyes, and she allowed, perhaps unexpectedly, a softness into her own eyes as she met hers, heart stirring at the almost imperceptible weakness in the asari's poise.

"Good evening, Velana," Lidanya said softly, her voice involuntarily lower than usual, the words escaping even before she was able to consciously focus on the task of properly welcoming her guest again. "Would you care for something to drink before we begin? Or a bite to eat?" she asked with slightly more control.

In the privacy of the cabin and out of uniform, Vel realized as Lidanya's silky voice broke the silence like featherlight caress, that the asari behind the rank was... so much more.

She took a second to take another deep breath―though trying hard to conceal the fact―to acquire much needed oxygen and adjusted her tone to a semblance of normalcy before opening her mouth to decline the offer of refreshments. But she paused on a second thought, saying with a faint smile instead, "Wine, please."

Lidanya barely registered her own question. Even as she was saying the words, she saw something in Vel's eyes that engulfed her entire being. Her mouth formed the syllables, her hand rose in a polite gesture, but for a brief moment nothing existed except for those wondrous eyes.

Her breath hitched, and the muscles in her abdomen and even her hips tensed almost enough to be visible as the warm flush she'd felt earlier became a blissful flood that made real what she had tried to ignore… and it terrified her, the strength of the emotion, something powerful enough to sweep her away like a feather, something so completely out of her control.

She turned toward the kitchenette quickly, perhaps managing a nod and a smile as she did, unsure how clearly she had faltered. She strode toward the small cache of wine that she rarely touched, her first instinct to hide herself, to regain herself… but just in the few steps it took her, another desire rose, the desire to lose herself, to lose control, to… give herself to someone. To Vel. Maybe you imagined it. Maybe she just saw through you. And even if she… even if there had been something…

Vel stood tensely as Lidanya passed her to the kitchenette so closely that her scent seemed to draw across her teasingly with their proximity, and she wanted nothing but to indulge in that closeness, to be in her presence and to embrace that weakness. To feel her warmth.

In another second the matriarch was out of her sight, and she approached the panoramic window, hoping the coldness of space through the thick glass would cool away the flush that had overtaken her. Goddess.

With a shaking hand, Lidanya pulled the stopper from her favorite Illium vintage, thoughts racing through her head. Even if there had been something, she could never make an advance, not toward her subordinate. She feared she had already been too forward in her moments of weakness. She told herself she didn't dare hope that Vel would, but hope she did, hope that what she had seen was real, and that the maiden would be fearless enough…

Wrenching herself from her fantasy, she tried to recompose herself, to somehow fix the behavior that must have seemed bizarre or even rude to Vel. "…Please, sit anywhere you like, Vel," she said, knowing she should have tried to turn to smile at the asari to reassure her, but not daring to move her gaze from the glasses before her.

After having cleared her mind enough to re-orient herself to her surroundings, Vel looked into the kitchenette—to check on the host, of course—from the safety of their distance. It was real, she thought while quietly admiring Lidayna's elegance. But would she be way out of line to even imagine that flare of emotion between them would manifest itself into something…

She snapped back at Lidanya's voice, drifting softly from across the room (so soft—as the asari wasn't facing her—that she almost missed it). Murmuring a thanks, she settled on one end of a couch, hands on her knees, facing away from the kitchenette for a chance to compose herself before the matriarch returned.

Lidanya carefully replaced the stopper, but left the bottle on the counter instead of stowing it. She had the feeling she might have use of it later… and in any case, it would be a convenient excuse to get up and give herself distance if she needed it.

She lifted the two delicate glasses, enjoying the confidence with which her hands held the vessels, the fluid within barely stirring as she turned back toward the room.

If the concentration of pouring the wine had momentarily cleared her head, she was lost again as soon as she laid eyes on Vel, primly seated on the sofa. The fire from within and the light from outside danced on the maiden's crest, caressing the folds and contours as Lidanya only wished she could. So vivid was the image that she could barely keep her hands steady as she felt ghosts of imaginary, reciprocal fingers tracing across her own skin.

Oh, Goddess, I must call this off. She will see right through me, I cannot…

But she didn't. Her legs, closer to her heart than her mind, carried her to the maiden's side in just a few steps, carried her so close that she thought she could feel the heat of Vel's body radiating against her thigh. She leaned down just slightly to pass one of the glasses to her guest.

"Here," she said, trying to distract herself from her own thoughts and the captivating visage just below her.

Vel heard the soft rustle of footsteps, but she kept her eyes on a dreadnought somewhere outside the panoramic window, finding repose in the orderly trails of lights of Citadel traffic, until Lidanya's voice brought her back. She received the glass with courteous grace, finger brushing Lidanya's almost imperceptibly and almost innocently. Behind her polite smile, her eyes danced along the matriarch's luminescent markings, finding their ways to those beautiful pools of light.

And for just a second, Goddess, she let her mind wander, bathing in Lidanya's mesmerizing gaze from such closeness, wishing in that instant to be the only subject of that attention.

Lidanya felt like she was drowning in the twin pools of magenta looking up at her. They wandered with only the slightest hesitation before fixing her, and held her longer than she would have dared hope. Even the physical touch of their fingers was a faint echo of the connection she wanted to believe she felt in those eyes.

She will see it, Lidanya thought with panic clawing its way into her consciousness when Vel freed her to set her glass down. Even her centuries of practice only went so far… this meld was to touch specifically on their relationship. If the maiden's mind was half as bold and disciplined as Lidanya thought, she would see it well enough. I should call it off, or tell her. She will see how I feel, she thought, embarrassment flushing through her. "Would you like for me to take your jacket?" she said instead.

Vel looked away before her eyes said too much and nodded a reply. Setting down the glass, she shrugged her black jacket off and pulled her arms out of the sleeves, revealing the magenta-tinted depiction of a wicked dagger inset in a Thessian rose adorning her left shoulder. As she removed the jacket completely, tendrils of thorny brambles spiralled out of the centrepiece design, crawling down along her arm, and ending on the back of her hand.

"Thank you," she said, holding out her jacket, looking back at Lidanya.

The sight of the rose pushed the jacket out of Lidanya's mind, the intricate shape instantly recognizable even heavily stylized… and she could smell them, felt the memories reaching for her. Her eyes followed the design down Vel's arm and back again, drinking in the asari's surprisingly slender frame… slender, but not frail. Taut muscles rippled reassuringly as the jacket came off to reveal a magenta shirt perfectly complementary to the tattoo and those wondrous eyes… and quite complementary to the curves underneath.

Lidanya thought she couldn't pry her gaze off the tattoo and the enticing body it was imprinted on, but when Vel's eyes turned back to her, there was nothing else and the decision was made. Let her see. She can pretend she did not… but if she wants it, and if she is bold enough, she will take it.

Vel could feel Lidanya's gaze. She could feel it along her shoulders as she removed the jacket, and its ghostly caress along her torso as she shifted slightly in her seat seemingly innocuously. She kept her chin down, slowly straightening out the jacket in her hands, not wanting to stop the matriarch at all, and most of all not wanting to reveal any more through her own wavering eyes, until she had to finally hand the clothes to her host.

Rendered breathless by the step she had chosen to take, Lidanya quickly grasped the offered jacket and turned to take it… somewhere. She had not actually considered that part, and simply walked to hang it in her own closet. "Your… your art is beautiful," she said over her shoulder, somewhere beyond fear now. "Is there a story to it?"

Her fluttering heart calmed slightly when Lidanya moved away, and she dared take a breath, though her mind raced with anxiety. There was no point hiding it now, she had already stepped out of line with her carelessness, and her mind would be as plain as an open book during the meld… but she couldn't change how she felt.

"The rose is the symbol of my hometown… A small district in northern Thessia, by the mountains. And the dagger is the symbol of our huntress order. It's sort of our little ritual for joining the ranks," she said, her soft voice barely audible before she finally dragged herself fully back to reality.

"Each little branch of bramble represents a mission after I joined the commandos, and each thorn on a vine is a kill," she continued, though turning slightly embarrassed as she went on, "After the Reapers invaded, I haven't had time to work on the tat. It's grossly outdated. But with the number of battles we've had to fight, I may have to figure out something else before I'm completely covered in ink."

Lidanya wished she could trace the brambles, follow each perfect line of magenta to each thorn, reliving the tapestry of Vel's experiences. Longing for the touch, she let her finger trail the sleeve of the jacket before she reluctantly closed the door and turned only to stand there gazing back at Vel, confounded by being so unwilling to go to the only place she wanted to be.

"I remember the foothills in the north, and the bloom…" she said, trailing off as she tried to summon her earlier courage, forgetting to finish the thought. She knew she should have tried to regain control of the situation, to draw herself back and distance herself, but for the first time in years she felt completely safe in the company of another… a strange realization through the heart-fluttering trepidation, the near-panic she felt.

Vel smiled softly, delighted by the flash of memory invoked by Lidanya's few words. "The bloom that carpets the slopes and fills the valley with an avalanche of lavender," she reminisced, magenta eyes looking wistfully at the holographic fireplace. "And petals that drift and dance through southerly breeze, their fragrance traveling as far north as the bay."

She looked back at her host, wondering if she was also from around the same parts that she'd be familiar with the imagery, or if she had simply spent time there; perhaps as a student on a careless summer, or as a traveller who made the pilgrimage for the sights? The draw she felt in her being that had pulled her to Lidanya all this time was now tinged with a sense of curiosity, and she wanted to know more about her.

Lidanya walked back to Vel's side with as much confidence as she could muster. She leaned down to pick her glass back up, only to realize that the maiden's presence made even the most trivial decision an incredible maze of possibilities and outcomes as she tried to decide whether she would dare seat herself next to Vel on the sofa, or the chair opposite the asari.

Vel's smile widened as the matriarch returned, and she shifted just slightly towards the armrest, subtly hinting at the space on the other end of the couch as she looked up at Lidanya expectantly.

Glancing over as she straightened back up, glass uncertainly in hand, Lidanya's eyes fell on Vel's again. In her warm vertigo, she almost missed the maiden's subtle, inviting shift.

With what she hoped was a small smile, she ran her free hand down her dress and gathered the hem against her thigh to slip to the other side between Vel's knees and the low table on the other side.

Vel's gaze involuntarily followed the trail of Lidanya's hand before she politely looked away, turning her knees accommodatingly to one side just barely enough to allow passage. She felt her chest constricting as the matriarch came so close that she could feel her warmth on her cheek, and the shallowness of her breath was the only thing that stopped her from turning and meeting those down-cast eyes.

Eyes cast down at her feet to guide herself in this exhilarating closeness, Lidanya found herself babbling, the memories set alight by the fondness in Vel's words. "I spent a few years there… never up on the mountains, just on the foothills," she said as she tried to seat herself as gracefully as she could, legs neatly folding behind her and her elbow leaning against the backrest to allow her to face Vel—if she ever dared to lift her gaze back to the maiden, that was.

"School expeditions…" she continued, "I wanted be a biologist. Am one, technically. I graduated, but rejoined the fleet right after."

"I imagine the landscape must've been even more breathtaking back then…" Vel said, reining her mind back to reality, watching with courteous attention as Lidanya sat down neatly. She turned slightly in her seat to face her, though she didn't move back against the armrest. "And the animals," she continued, her voice taking on an even lighter tone, "they're as at ease with us as with their own kind."

The wine glass weighed in her hand, and she finally gathered her courage and lifted the glass slightly, offering a coy smile as she proposed, "To… the bloom of the mountains and the animals?"

"To the bloom," Lidanya agreed as she lifted her own glass, something about Vel's words drawing out a less inhibited smile and encouraging her to look up. Her eyes lingered far too long on the beautiful pattern on Vel's arm—so close, only a handspan away—and scandalously long on the lips drawn into such a perfect invitation, before she finally sought Vel's eyes.

It was all Lidanya could do to keep still, to not ask for permission to reach across this short distance to trace the brambles with her fingers or—Goddess—to feel Vel's lips on hers. Trying to hide her trembling breath and her guileless eyes, she turned her head to the side and tilted her chin up just slightly to sip her wine, hoping that the familiar, favored taste would ground her.

Vel lifted the glass as Lidanya did and took a small sip of the wine. The Illium vintage was a change from… vodka, she thought, which definitely felt like the only alcoholic beverage of choice amongst her Alliance team mates.

She stole a glance at the matriarch over the rim of the glass, eyes tracing along her swept-back fringes as she mapped her delicate side-profile and slender neck. She saw the longing in Lidanya's eyes, and they sent a shiver through her skin as they drew across ever so slowly and tenderly to her own. She wanted her to ask, and her intent eyes had expressed as much.

"I am sorry for making you wait," Lidanya said when she lowered the glass into her lap, savoring the complexity of the wine as she tried to think of the most mundane discussion to gain time to gather her thoughts… but nothing to do with Vel was mundane. "How did your day pass?"

"I didn't wait long at all, unpacking took a bit of time…" Vel replied, tucking her legs under her as she twisted her torso slightly, leaning just barely noticeably closer. "After our lunch, I boarded the captured Cerberus vessels with the assault teams. I wasn't assigned to participate, but I was able to watch the operation. The efficiency and precision of the commandos of the Citadel Fleet rival even those seasoned ones on the frontlines.

"How was your meeting?" she asked finally, using the question as cover to lock her gaze on Lidanya's, her magenta eyes dancing as she sought the same emotion in the matriarch.

"It…" Lidanya started, trailing off when she raised her eyes to Vel's, and saw the desire in them. I am not imagining it, she thought, her breath hitching and her thighs pressing together as she tried to still her body.

Oh, Goddess.

She tilted her chin down, and looked down at her lap as she tried to think through flashes of their joined bodies and minds, wanting nothing more than to pull Vel into her arms… but she could not. It was not possible. She had lived with the military law for so long that no matter how lost she already was, no matter how much Vel may have felt the same, Lidanya could not cross that line.

"…It was… fine. No news," she managed to say.

Seeing her emotion mirrored in those twin pools of magenta gave her courage, though, courage that she had to share with Vel. She had concentrated so much on controlling her own emotions that she had neglected to allow for the possibility that Vel might need encouragement. She needed to invite Vel, let her know that she was welcome, that Lidanya would be hers to take.

Lidanya looked up into Vel's eyes again, still from under her lashes and chin demurely tilted, but unflinchingly now, allowing her gaze to say what she couldn't. She reached forward with a hand yearning for touch, and let her eyes quickly flick to the delicate lines of the tattoo before returning to Vel's. "May I…?"

Vel's heart quickened slightly from what she saw in Lidanya's eyes, the shift of her body, and the faintest hitch of her breath. The longing that they shared beckoned her like dancing flame to a moth, and she lowered the glass to her lap, fearing that it may tip in her wavering hand.

Her mind went into knots temporarily, forgetting any reply she had prepared for the conversation. They were irrelevant now... not when Lidanya's hand was only inches away from her. She looked down, seemingly innocent to the matriarch's request, using this moment to collect herself and still her wandering thoughts that begged her to take the offered hand in hers, expressing how they both felt through their interlaced fingers… But she managed to ground herself and put on a welcoming smile before looking back up, answering softly and invitingly, but not overly eagerly, "Of course."

She had the presence of mind to set the half-empty wine glass on the low table before leaning forward, right hand propped on the cushion as her tattooed left arm reached out, hovering a finger away under Lidanya's hand.

Lidanya indulged herself and savored the last of her wine as she watched Vel lean down to put her glass away, eyes stealing on the soft, sensitive ridges behind her crest.

As Vel rose back up and leaned forward, Lidanya took the moment to try to settle herself, wresting her eyes away from vibrant teal and magenta contours to deposit her own glass back on the table.

She leaned back up, taking the opportunity to shift closer to Vel as she did, bringing her knees forward, almost touching the side of Vel's leg. She let herself slump just slightly to make herself smaller, and turned her upper body directly toward the maiden.

Please… she thought, a half-prayer as she sought out Vel's eyes again, looking distinctly up at her now. Lidanya reached out across the small space separating them, first bringing her left hand underneath Vel's. With the infinite care, she gently touched her palm to Vel's under the guise of stabilizing and lifting her arm… not quite daring to clasp the hand, feeling as though she was floating off the couch from just the small contact.

Vel's fingers dug into the cushion, looking for support as Lidanya shifted closer and sent a ghostly sensation crawling along her leg. A tinge of blue flush crept into her cheeks when she looked down, seeing those eyes looking back up at her, and the hinted intent swimming in them had only become suffocatingly clear with their proximity.

Her heart raced when their palms touched, and she gave a tiny bit of resistance to coax more contact as the hand lifted up her arm. She grew breathless as Lidanya's finger traced the tattoos, as if her fingertip drew the breath right out of her with its lightest motion along her skin, slowly setting her mind alight with flashes of fantasy. She wanted to nudge forward just slightly and loop her arm around her slender waist, embracing the form that rested next to her ever so delicately.

The fingers of Lidanya's right hand lightly touched Vel's wrist, trailing a line up just a little before moving her hand over the asari's shoulder, fingertips hovering where the tattoo started, just above the dagger. "So beautiful…" she said quietly, locking eyes again. "Is this the beginning?" she asked, giving the asari one more out.

As Lidanya's finger rested on her shoulder and the matriarch caught her again with her gaze, Vel's breathing stilled to a near-complete stop. "Yes…" she whispered softly and almost soundlessly, thumb brushing against the back of the matriarch's hand as her fingers curled around hers, "…it is." She leaned down, her magenta eyes searching and finding the courage in the asari in front of her before closing, snuffing out any lingering fear and pressed her lips softly against Lidanya's.

Vel's 'yes' took Lidanya's breath away, even the throb of her heart pausing in the second stretching to infinity when Vel's eyes captured hers.

Whatever poise she had built melted away in that first brush of their lips along with her lingering fears and doubts. Even hopes and dreams were forgotten in that moment. All that remained were the two of them, and now.

She responded to the kiss after the briefest moment, not of hesitation but of complete powerlessness under her emotion, responded to Vel's gentleness with equal tenderness and the lightest pressure even as she curled lower underneath Vel, fingers twining with the maiden's and her other hand sliding up to the curve of Vel's neck.

Struggling to breathe for the wonderful, aching lightness in her chest, she forced herself to break from the lingering kiss to see Vel, to lose herself in those eyes again. Lidanya's eyes fluttered open as she drank in the intoxicating scent of the asari, lips still hovering on hers.

Their contact brought on a dizzying vertigo as if the entire universe around them had fallen away, leaving Vel suspended amidst a bottomless sea, the softness of Lidanya's lips the only thing that held her. If her first brush was a fearless gesture of the stirring of her heart, the matriarch's response was an acceptance that gripped her with the lightest reciprocity; faint, but undeniably certain.

Her fingers slid between Lidanya's, curling over the back of her hand, head tilted down for her as the caressing hand rested lightly on her neck. She leaned closer, her hand cupping the matriarch's cheek gently and reassuringly, slender fingers wrapped just barely over the back of her crest. Their legs were definitely touching now, and even that was almost an afterthought in that instant as she lost herself in the kiss.

She let out a ghostly breath as Lidanya broke away, drawing much needed air for herself slightly shakily from a wash of high. Her thumb brushed lightly along the asari's cheek and her eyes fixed on hers again, holding her tenderly with her gaze as she offered small, soft kisses on her hovering lips as if savoring their closeness.

Lidanya couldn't help the small smile playing on her lips for the wash of relief and contentment, of safety and and the deeper currents of emotions yet unnamed flaring with each brush of Vel's lips. She indulged herself another moment of captivity under that gaze, and then captured Vel's mouth for a kiss… still softly, but deeper, shivers dancing welcome trails down her spine with each small tremble of Vel's breath.

Vel exhaled and allowed herself to be drawn in, fingers stroking the sensitive ridges below Lidanya's crest. The emotion in the asari's eyes was soft, yet incredibly intoxicating; tender, yet seizing her with the strength of her feathery caress, and she felt each delightful quiver of the matriarch's breath tugging her closer.

Reluctantly, Lidanya relinquished the simple happiness of holding the maiden's hand, gently lowering it onto the knee she slid up on the cushion. Gasping into the kiss for the sensation of both of Vel's hands on her, Lidanya trailed her now free hand over Vel's side and onto the curve of her waist.

Vel stretched her torso with the movement of Lidanya's hand, nudging it with a slight shift of her waist invitingly. Her hand propped on the cushion behind the matriarch, the freed hand gliding gently along her leg as she leaned into the kiss.

The asari before her felt different; there was still an undertone of weakness in the tiny movements of her body, but the movements were also… relaxed, as if comforted by their close proximity. And Vel would be there, faithfully guarding Lidanya from whatever plagued her heart as she would any other threat.

Lidanya's eyes fluttered, each attempt at keeping them open thwarted by the electrifying strokes along her folds and now her thigh, her body wanting to both lean back into the caress and forward, upward into the kiss.

The most overwhelming urge caused her back to arch, her chest to push forward with the need to feel Vel's body against hers, to be held in those arms, desired and protected. Her unsteady hand gripped onto the the taut muscling just behind the curve of Vel's hip, fingers sliding slightly frustratingly on the magenta fabric as she pulled Vel toward herself, on top of herself even as she curled further underneath the asari.

She parted her lips just slightly, letting the softer, inner parts touch on Vel's in a promise, a welcome before she broke momentarily, only to softly kiss the corner of Vel's mouth, nuzzling the maiden's cheek as she trailed kisses down to her jawline and her neck, all the while trying to ignore the tantalizing presence of Vel's mind, so close for her to reach.

Vel let out a soft hum as the matriarch broke the kiss, trembling with a sense of longing, but she turned her head slightly to one side, promoted by the tiny hint of Lidanya's lips. Her breathing increased and she leaned lower, pressing her chest against Lidanya, caressing the asari below her with a rhythmic movement of her body, indulging for a moment in Lidanya's trailing kisses.

Her fingers dug lightly into the creases beneath Lidanya's crest, her own mental barrier lowering by the beating of her heart. A sensation of electricity manifested from her mind and coursed through her spine, drawing a faint gasp from her and continued to crawl across her skin, seeking, thirsting under the layer of fabric.

Lidanya ducked her head a little lower, laying a kiss just underneath the curve of Vel's jaw and trailing her lips along the side of her neck down to the first neck fold, savoring the slight change of texture almost as much as the scent of Vel's skin.

Murmuring with pleasure as Vel's embrace became more assertive, she kissed her way up along the folds to the delicate furrows around the ear, pausing only for a moment before lightly, hesitantly flicking the tip of her tongue across the sensitive skin.

Vel tilted her chin up and turned it slightly to one side, obediently under Lidanya's trail of gentle kisses, offering more access. Her spine arched into a pleasured curve as she purred softly in response, her body meeting the matriarch's in a slow undulation.

Her fingers worked under the crest, keeping her close while she caressed the sensitive creases under the folds, at times curling with eagerness from Lidanya's roaming lips, and shivering with a powerlessness from the timid lick.

"Vel…" Lidanya breathed out, more an affirmation than anything else.

"Lidanya..." Vel used the brief lapse to tilt her head down again, her hand stroking along the top of Lidanya's fringes as she whispered by her ear, soft voice cooing reassuringly and protectively.

Lidanya tried to shape her mind to receive Vel while she was still able to, struggling to concentrate even for the briefest moment through the sensations all over her body now, each more pleasing than the other, and the welling emotion… Wishing for Vel to reach into her later when the moment became right, she tried to leave herself open and welcoming.

Her body responded to Vel's cues instinctively and with certainty, letting the commando's strong arms take a little more of her weight even as she sought more contact, her breasts and abdomen pressing against Vel's, reveling in the warmth and the bewitching motion, her fingers tucking just slightly under Vel's waistband.

Vel kissed the soft fold below and pulled back with a lingering nip, her mind sensing a call, a welcoming emotion somewhere in the ethereal space between their two beings, dancing with alluring invitation.

She replied with an answering emotion, phantasmal at first, slowly glowing into tangibleness, lighting up her mind before spreading across the rest of her body, heating up her skin with a darker tinge of blue as nerve endings sparked.

Lidanya smiled slightly as she felt ripples from the eager stirring of Vel's mind, more than happy to let the asari take it—take her—at her own pace. The smile turned into a uncontrolled, chest-shuddering gasp as Vel's fingers deftly worked their way deeper underneath her crest, the muscles of her fringe relaxing with her building arousal.

Even her neck and shoulders gave, leaving her head resting on Vel's hand for a moment before she regained a little control and slowly drew back, cheek brushing against cheek, nose against nose until she found herself lost in Vel's eyes again.

Vel planted a trail of quick kisses along Lidanya's neck, breathing out as softly as she could, feeling the building high. Her heart rang with the same stir as they locked eyes again, taking in Lidanya's emotion that seemed to manifest in every small movement of her body and her intent gaze. Vel was drawn to the asari's elegant beauty and the way she carried the might of the Fleet so seemingly effortlessly; the might that also hid Lidanya's longing behind a mask of command, a longing that the matriarch decided to allow Vel a glimpse.

A longing that also drew her to me, she thought as she saw the emotion flickering in her dancing eyes.

The thought of this beautiful, wonderful creature wanting her, wanting to be with her overpowered Lidanya, stilled her body. The sense of safety, of belonging, was so strong that she could not, did not want to hide the plea in her eyes nor her thoughts as she looked into those pools of magenta, lips parting unconsciously.

Vel took another second to savour the plea emanating from Lidanya's thoughts before dipping her head, irises shifting rapidly from magenta to pitch black before her eyes closed. She cupped Lidanya's cheeks with her hands, and a wave of emotion reached out in a warm embrace as their lips touched.

Lia lost her hold on the physical for an instant, so strong was the initial rush of Vel's being into her despite its gentleness. The welcome kiss was lost in a flash of obsidian when they joined, all sensation falling away until for that briefest moment nothing remained but Vel all around her.

A curtain of darkness fell around Vel as her eyes swirled into pools of black. Her mind unravelled and refocused, sensing and following the only other warmth in the immaterial space. The rhythmic movement of their bodies slowed to a halt as her awareness to reality severed, holding onto the familiar light, and the second slowed to an instant that lasted an eternity in the embrace of their minds.

The world returned in the slowing pulses of their two hearts, each time slightly more whole, Vel's mind holding hers in a tender but strong embrace just as her body was, their kiss just as the gentle twining of their minds even as ghosts of sensations from Vel became ever stronger.

This is her. The brief haze lifted to clarity only shared between interwoven minds, the emotion was as sweet as Vel had felt in flesh as her consciousness laced with Lidanya's. She immersed in the presence of tender thoughts, caressing the edge of consciousness. The pleasure of her body made divine with the purest form of affection.

Lia let Vel explore her rather than reach out herself yet, her affection and desire foremost in her mind… but the tenderness and the perfection with which the asari's mind enveloped hers helped a little to quell the fear and embarrassment that upheld the few mental walls that still remained.

Vel…

Beyond the facade of a captain and a matriarch, even beyond the private, more vulnerable glimpse that had captivated her, Vel found the asari within. Still strange, yet hauntingly familiar, and she held out a gentle gesture, her mind whispering in turn.

Lia...

Lia smiled into the kiss, the invocation of her pet name setting her more at ease and stripping away the defensive structures she had created for herself even as the world solidified around them again… the world, but especially Vel.

Within the tender and curious embrace of the asari's mind, and the intoxicating intertwining and amplification of their mutual attraction and affection, she found her thoughts circling back to the sensual as her body responded to the kiss with the passion she felt within herself and within Vel, each touch conjuring vivid flashes of fantasies to the fore of her thoughts.

The reassuring, exhilarating weight of Vel on her even let needs surface that she would never have shared in a meld without the trust and comfort she felt in Vel's arms. With deep embarrassment she pushed aside those thoughts of submission, the excitement of giving herself to Vel completely, and the burning wish that the asari would one day be able to fulfill that need…

Vel purred into the kiss as she regained a grip on reality from Lia's entrancing presence. The feedback of emotion as the matriarch's mind overlapped her own was blissfully overwhelming, and her thoughts enveloped Lia's protectively as if taking the place of the asari's previous mental barriers.

Now is not the time, Lia's confused thoughts swirled, Vel's gentleness pulling her back into the moment even as she found her hands sliding down the asari's sides and onto her back, feeling through Vel the ghosts of her own fingers brush along the skin as they slipped underneath the magenta top and tugged it upwards.

Behind flashes of passion and sensation that sparked between their awarenesses, there was something hidden. It was something like the hint of weakness that Vel witnessed in Lia by the panoramic window, except now in the openness of their meld, it was more than a hint.

Fragments of fantasies flared to the surface before being suppressed, and Lia's raw willingness to submit sent a slight thrill through Vel. She reached up, turning Lia's head slightly to one side with her hand as she licked along a ridge behind the asari's neck as if making a mark, before nipping the soft flesh lightly between her teeth.

She broke away to let out a soft gasp as Lia's fingers brushed over the sensitive areas along her spine, her own hand sliding between the cushion and Lia's back to reciprocate. She shifted lower briefly and invitingly, allowing Lia's hands to slide higher, before shifting back up, her tongue flicking higher to the folds under the asari's headcrests.

A whimper escaped Lia's lips with that first lick and nibble, the flash of possessiveness she felt in Vel undoing the last of her apprehension. Vel's protectiveness and the incredible sense of belonging and the way the asari's mind wove into hers had grounded Lia, given her the confidence and security to open and expose herself… and the way that Vel tentatively lay claim to her drove Lia to the edge, the need to beVel'sflooding her consciousness with affirmation and encouragement.

Vel let her sensations run freely through the meld as Lia's fingers danced expertly along her spine. The thoughts that held Lia was tinged with a growing desire as her mind was set aflame with the asari's echoing emotion and a deep willingness to be hers. Her hips moved with Lia's, and her back curved and shifted under the irresistible touch of Lia's hands.

Lia shifted slightly, her hips bucking against Vel's even as her back flexed toward the asari's hand, yearning for her touch. She let Vel turn her head as she pleased to expose her neck and crest to the skillful tongue the caress of which left her trembling and gasping, her own hands exploring Vel's uncovered back, lightly brushing down the columns of muscle on both sides of her spine and briefly slipping underneath the waist of her pants before drawing trails up to the small of Vel's back, seeking out the sensitive spots that Vel had already found, guided by the strengthening sensations she felt through their joining.

Vel explored as Lia did, her tongue tasting the delicious trembles wrought by her flicking, picking up the most sensitive areas along the ridges at the back of Lia's head from mental flares of pleasure. She worked those spots in response to the movement of Lia's fingers, lapping them with her tongue as a signal, subtly guiding Lia's touch along her spine.

It was all Lia could do to keep her fingers stroking and teasing the strands of nerves in the small of Vel's back, the asari's deft tongue drawing soft mewls of pleasure and causing her fingers to grasp tighter as it danced from one sensitive fold to another.

Vel's hand slid behind Lia, supporting her back as her other hand reluctantly let go of the asari's chin. Taking a daring initiative and longing for more contact, her free hand travelled along Lia's torso, seeking and undoing the fastenings on her long dress.

The disappointment of losing the caressing touch of Vel's hands amazingly made it into Lia's consciousness, but all the stronger was the quivering flush when she glimpsed Vel's intention in her thoughts just as she felt one strong arm lift her off the cushion and the other begin to undo her dress all the while the asari's tongue kept her rising higher and higher with its flicks and strokes.

She had to bite her lip only to keep her embarrassing whimpering down, but through a small grin and another soft gasp, she managed to form a single audible word.

"Bed."

The faint word rode on the heated emotion that bound Vel and Lia together in their meld, the passion behind it kneaded into Vel's mind by the melting touch of Lia's fingers. She could only nod wordlessly, nibbling on Lia's neck firmly in silent agreement.

Vel pushed up slightly on the cushions, only far enough so she could see Lia, longing burning in her eyes at this temporary separation from the asari. Her hand let go of the zipper for now and stroked along Lia's headcrest as she brushed her lips against hers, stopping short of a kiss as she sat up, teasing Lia to follow.

Lia shuddered when Vel drew away, the loss of the bewitching tongue and strong arms only made bearable by the lingering sensations and the emotion she felt through the meld, the emotion that was reflected in Vel's eyes when the asari looked down at her, the emotion that became overwhelming at that lightest touch of Vel's lips and the caress of her hand on Lia's crest.

Vel stood up and took a half-step back, her hands still holding onto Lia's. The same violet light bloomed from the panoramic window, blending with the delectable shade of lavender blush on Lia's soft skin, making the asari seem almost heavenly. It was impossible to keep her breath steady—not after she had tasted Lia's embrace, and she gave a small tug on her hands as she took another half-step back towards the bed.

Lia let Vel rise, hands reluctantly letting go of the receding hips, almost believing that the unbearable lightness she felt would lift her along with the maiden. The sight of Vel above her stole her breath away, the beautiful, graceful features bathed in the dancing, purple light, the asari's quickened breath… Lia could only clasp Vel's hands tighter for her desire to let her fingers take the place of the rays of light caressing every curve and contour.

She all but forgot her disheveled state and her slipping dress as Vel pulled her up effortlessly. Unable to stop herself she took a step closer and brought herself into an embrace by drawing her arms behind her back, hands still clasping Vel's as they came together over the curve of Lia's rear. The brush of her breasts against Vel caused another delicious flush and throb within her as she ducked in to nuzzle Vel's neck, the tip of her nose softly brushing against skin as she breathed the asari in.

Vel's arms wrapped around Lia tightly, hands resting behind the asari. Her fingers weaved between hers, caressing with the simple friction of skin as Lia's small frame nestled in her arms. The complementing curvatures of their bodies met, so softly with a flood of mutual yearning that resonated in their meld, drawing a grin and a quivering exhalation from her.

She let go of Lia's hands as her nuzzling seized her. Lifting her chin compliantly, her hands glided down Lia's spine, keeping her close. She could feel the flush within Lia as if it was her own, infectious and... addictive. The brush of Lia's breasts coaxed her hips to press tightly against the asari as her hands snuck lower to Lia's rear, searching for more of the sweet emotion.

Lia delighted in the small sounds and trembles of pleasure she elicited from Vel, the asari's arms around her the support her weakened knees needed. Seeking out the most sensitive spots along Vel's neck, she teased with the tip of her nose and small jets of cool air, only shreds of restraint keeping her lips hovering just above the skin.

She smiled when she felt the ghost of Vel's grin on her own lips, the perfection with which she fit against the asari raising a sense of contentment even through the ever-building desire that burned every part of her… every part of them. She gasped sharply and only barely kept herself from burying her face into the curve of Vel's neck when the asari slid her hands lower and pulled her closer, the heat of their bodies unbearable as their hips joined.

A biotic shroud began to swirl about Vel like ghostly arcs of blue fire, lightening them both through subtle manipulation of mass fields as she took another few steps back. She let out a soft gasp and almost tripped in her backwards trek as Lia roamed over sensitive spots along her neck, thankful that the back of her weakened legs finally touched the edge of the round bed.

So perfectly in unison did they move toward the bed that Lia almost didn't notice at first, her body responding to Vel's confident guidance on its own. She let the asari pull her until they came to a halt, lightly raking her fingernails over Vel's forearms behind her back, enjoying the singular sensation of the maiden's biotic aura dancing around them.

With a smile and a flood of emotion through their meld, she drew slightly back to seek out Vel's eyes, losing herself in the pools of magenta now amidst the swirling obsidian as she gently guided the asari to seat herself on the bed while Lia remained standing before her, the straps of her undone dress ever so slowly slipping off her shoulders without their embrace to keep it in place.

A breathlessness took over Vel as Lia's gaze fixated on her, the desire echoing behind those beautiful eyes setting her skin ablaze. She pulled back, planting a soft kiss on Lia's lips before sitting down on the bed, her eyes savoring the smooth contour of Lia's shoulders as her hands traced down along the base of the asari's neck to her shoulders. Feeling the resonance of her touch through the meld, she gently pushed down the straps of Lia's undone dress along her arms like unwrapping a precious present.

Lia leaned imperceptibly forward seeking the lips that had left hers with a soft promise of more, stopping herself when the incredible flutter of anticipation she'd felt earlier flared up as Vel's hands rose to her neck and trailed down over her shoulders.

Lia...

With another intimate whisper of the pet name, Vel slowly lowered the dress along Lia's luscious figure, allowing her eyes to map the blue skin underneath as it was revealed. Her lips followed; softly, with a tinge of eager possessiveness, laying a trail of kisses along Lia's front as the dress came down.

Lia felt a sudden wave of bashfulness when Vel lowered the dress past her shoulders and ever down, the silken fabric slowly brushing over shivering skin to reveal her chest and breasts, her abdomen. The reassurance of Vel's invocation of the name private to just the two of them settled her again, the exhilarating sensations Vel's lips caused as they traveled down her body only rivaled by the exquisite beauty that was the sight of the asari kissing her.

Seeking Vel's eyes each time she looked up, Lia brought her hands to the asari's crest, lightly holding onto her and stroking along the length of the fringes with her fingers. She smiled as she felt the hint of possessiveness in Vel again, the knowledge that this was for her and her alone thrilling Lia as she tried to convey all her feelings in a single thought representing this wonderful being before her. Vel…

Vel let the dress fall with a shuffling sound of fabric, looking up at Lia. Her chin rested against the asari's torso as if cued by the gentle stroking on her fringes that only worked to fan the smolder within her. She drank in Lia's submissive gaze, sensing through the meld the desire to be hers alone, and her mind held Lia's consciousness tenderly, promising with an affirmation of what Vel had felt for the beautiful asari before her.

The powerful emotion conveyed in Lia's single mental whisper of Vel's name moved her to wrap her arms around Lia's waist tightly, responding with a soft nibble on the asari's abdomen as she laid claim, tasting the thrill that was as addictive as the delicious flush emanating from Lia. Vel wanted her, to feel her warmth against herself, to move to the rhythm of her body, and to bathe in her enticing emotion.

Lia's back arched as Vel's arms circled around her waist, needing the asari closer… just closer. The perfectly comfortable room was no longer warm enough for her. A chill ran over her skin and the heat she needed could only be found in Vel's embrace.

Her fingers curled into the creases of Vel's crest when she felt the entirety of the asari's response to her own emotions, desperately seeking something tangible to hold on as she melted into the feeling, losing herself for a moment. Many quickened throbs of her heart later, Vel's strong arms around her and the sharper possessiveness and the teeth on her skin brought her back.

With a slight shift, Vel moved aside along the edge of the bed, making room beside her as she looked up at Lia again, fingers brushing along the small of her back teasingly.

Lia forced her eyes open again, taking in the sight below her. She wanted to straddle Vel, sit in her lap with legs wrapped around the asari's waist and the physical urge was almost overwhelming… but Vel wanted her at her side. With quivering breath from the thrill of obedience she felt, she let her knees fold, turning around as she sat on the bed, her trailing hand drifting from the Vel's crest to her jaw and lightly turning the asari's face toward herself.

Vel turned her head to Lia by the the airy touch of her fingers… so light was the gesture that it left her gasping softly for more contact, her mind hazy with the flush of urges permeating through their nervous connection.

She leaned towards Lia as if diving freely into an ocean, arms propped around the asari's slender waist, her lips seeking hers, compelled by the fire burning in their meld, and spelled out the desire that had so completely taken her for Lia in a passionate kiss. Her hands came up and felt along Lia's back, massaging the columns of sensitive spots lining her spine, and she tilted her head to one side, nibbling on Lia's delicate jaw before nuzzling against her neck, planting a trail of kisses down to her collarbone.

Her hand rose to stroke along Lia's crest tenderly before resting on the back of her head, and she pulled back slightly, only to breathe in the sweet scent of the asari in her arms.

Lia's hand lingered on Vel's jaw until the asari leaned in to kiss her. She reluctantly let go, and brought the hand behind her back for support, propping herself up against both arms and only barely keeping herself upright under the physical and emotional passion.

She was left longing, gasping for more when Vel broke from the kiss, her back arching from the teasing fingers, and her thighs pressing together as she tried to get closer to Vel. A small sound of disappointment escaped her when she could not kiss Vel again, drowned soon by her soft sounds of pleasure when she exposed her neck to the asari's kisses.

She did not even try to stop the flood of fantasy when she looked down at Vel, the asari's lips still so tantalizingly close to her skin, now incredibly sensitive all over, the images of Vel traveling lower and lower mixing with those of anticipation of being able to strip away the fabric still separating them, of the beautiful form hidden beneath, of the feel of Vel's skin on hers.

Tilting her head, she ducked lower to capture Vel's lips, one undefinable, shapeless plea in her mind as her lips parted, and her hand urgently slipped underneath the magenta shirt. Please

Vel responded with an echoing thought of affirmation amidst a whirlpool of passion as Lia's hand slipped under her shirt. Her hips shifted back just slightly, letting the asari's hand slide higher along her side with the hem of her magenta top, inhaling softly as air flowed against a thin strip of teal skin now exposed—chilly, following the trail of heat spreading from Lia's touch.

A moment of hesitation passed before the permission set Lia's hands free, a moment of indulgence in the delightful anticipation. Vel's invitation was echoed by the subtle change in her posture, the asari's form welcoming, tempting, close.

Vel's mind gently nudged Lia's along encouragingly, glowing with a wanting emotion as she swam in the asari's ocean of fantasies, whispering into the meld and letting her know that Vel was hers just as much as Lia belonged in her arms. She guided Lia's other hand to her waist as her kisses slowed to a breathless nuzzle below Lia's ear before she leaned back slightly.

Lia caressed the swell of Vel's hips, enjoying the feel of the slightly giving muscle, all too aware of the asari's gaze on her to truly settle her quickened breath. She slipped the fingers of her other hand under the hem, too, thumbs drawing small circles on top of the fabric as the fingers slid upward along Vel's sides and over her ribs.

Vel's arms rested lightly around the asari's neck, torso stretched to present herself in a welcoming arch. Her lips parted expectantly as she finally drew away along Lia's jawline, teasing her to remove the thin barrier separating their bodies. Waiting. Letting.

Lia could hardly focus on the feel of the skin under her fingers, her eyes stealing to drink in every alluring inch of teal revealed. The sharp contours of muscle, the play of light and shadow, the shape of waist, the navel, the tiny shivers of flesh… The urge to lean in to kiss, lick, and nip her way was strong, but she willed her hands to stay on their upward course, curving toward Vel's back as they got higher.

Vel's fingers curled against the folds under Lia's fringes, tracing along the sensitive grooves as the asari's hands slid along her sides, sending her eyes fluttering close. The slowly spreading chill as her shirt was lifted drew a shallow breath from her, soothed only by the warmth of Lia's soft caress.

Light played off microscopic scales on Vel's torso, and her teal skin glistened with tiny specks of white as her body shifted with small movements of unbearable anticipation. She arched her spine under Lia's hands and pushed her chest up, prolonging the slow gliding of her touch. Her fingers dug into Lia's folds when her shirt came to the momentary and delightful stop, and her lips quivered with a soft intake of air as the fabric was pulled over her breasts. She lifted her arms, offering a little resistance only to feel the pressure of Lia's hands.

Lia delighted in the resistance the tightened fabric encountered when it hitched against the asari's breasts, holding her breath and biting her lip when she freed them, the small bounce echoing as a tug within her.

With difficulty she turned her eyes up to seek out Vel's when her hands reached the asari's underarms, holding the gaze while she tilted her head down to softly kiss the tattooed brambles. Her hands lightly but insistently pushed up on Vel's arms, lifting them above the asari's head to slide the shirt off the rest of the way.

Lia threw herself into the flush of yearning from Vel, her own desire long past any control and still deepening with every touch, physical and mental.

She dropped the shirt somewhere, irresistibly drawn back onto the exquisite shape of Vel's torso. She ran one hand down across the asari's back, teasingly close to the most sensitive areas, and the fingers of the other were languidly circling a breast, caressing, cupping the perfection.

Vel's mind glowed with longing even after this short interruption of their closeness, and her arms rested back down around Lia's waist, pulling her closer as she pressed against her, sliding in a rhythmic motion, feeling herself nudging Lia back onto the bed as their bare bodies sought more contact.

Lia gasped softly when Vel took control again, the thrill from the assertiveness far surpassing the temporary denial of the supple breast in her hand. Another gasp welcomed the touch of their bodies… and Vel's motion against her as the asari pushed her down on the bed drove her past conscious control again, her own body responding by grinding against Vel's, seeking something, anything to relieve the ache pooling between her legs.

Bucking against Vel, one hand grasping the asari's rear as the other dug into the muscles in her back, Lia sought out Vel's lips, kissing neck, jaw, chin, relying on sensation and scent when she could not open her eyes.

The feel of Lia's writhing torso under hers was electrifying, and Vel let escape a soft moan as the asari's intense emotion resonated in their meld, mixing with her own burning urges in a sweet whirlwind of desire. Her fingers danced along the back of Lia's head even as her breathing became quickened, massaging Lia's sensitive grooves in response to the passionate undulation of her body. The feedback in their nervous connection was amplified by their greater skin contact, driving Vel, engulfing her in flares of irresistible sensation echoing in Lia. The only release was down, towards the soft embrace of her beautiful partner, and she reveled in every brush of their bodies like a ravishing note in their perfect duet.

The phantasmal sensations from Vel guided Lia to the soft edge of the asari's bottom lip, her small nip turning into a sharp exhalation and a shudder when Vel's fingers again found the strands of nerves behind her crest.

The burning need within her grew, it reached out into Vel and tried to pull the asari's mind tighter around hers even as the shared sensations strengthened. A realization surfaced somewhere in the flood of emotion before being lost again: she had never been this out of control, quite literally unable to stop even if she had wanted to. Vel…

Vel's mind was a swirling nebula of colors, glowing almost white-hot from their emotions. She felt the wordless tug from Lia, and in a blink of a thought her conscious awareness flowed around Lia's mind, spreading, fusing with her burning senses. She held Lia in her thoughts tightly, protectively, always in contact as the asari was lost in their storm of passion, even as each pleasured pulse of Lia's mind sent a thrill coursing through her entire being.

Lia's hand slid from the asari's back onto her side even as the one on her behind grasped tighter to pull the rocking hips closer. Her fingers slipped between their bodies, fumbling unconsciously to undo the fastenings of Vel's tights, and her lips pressed onto Vel's, almost desperate to communicate the passion she felt as they parted, tongue shyly flicking against Vel's upper lip.

Lia... Vel whispered into the ether of their melded consciousness when her thoughts were broken for an instant by a shiver as Lia's hand slipped between them, her abdomen tensing. Caressing down Lia's arm, her hand joined the effort in a sort of frenzy, and her lips parted by Lia's invitation as she lightly licked the tip of the asari's tongue.

So deeply was Lia joined with Vel that it was becoming hard to tell which hand was whose. Their bodies she could still separate even with the echo of sensation, her legs winding around Vel's, the asari's breasts pressing against her, the deft fingers on the back of her crest… but in the heat between their bodies, the two hands melded into one where they frantically touched, and finally succeeded in freeing Vel from the last thing separating them.

She brought her other hand up momentarily, and slipped her fingers underneath the waist, murmuring into their kiss as she pushed the tights off, her hand sliding over the beautiful, delectable roundness of the asari's rear. The fingers between them, regained for a moment when Vel's hand shifted, grasped the muscles of Vel's abdomen and flank, nails lightly raking the skin.

The safety of Vel's mind embracing hers allowed Lia to let herself feel and express the full depth of her arousal and passion as she kissed the asari deeply, her body trying to be one with Vel's as much as their minds were.

Vel let go of Lia's hand, letting it slide lower as she petted along the asari's arm, pausing briefly as her body was taken by a shiver, her hips shifting against Lia's roaming hand, and she purred softly in approval when the last barrier between them was finally removed.

Lia's caress drove Vel to lick along the folds under the asari's headcrests, flicking and lapping, reciprocating her partner's arousing touch. She broke into exhalations between twirls of her tongue as Lia teased her with her nails, and she pressed against Lia with a curve of her spine, grinding as her hand slid to glide over the soft skin along Lia's leg.

Their physical touch and passion were a catalyst, binding them together as Vel embraced Lia in mind and body. The boundary between their consciousnesses blurred as their thoughts were set on one another, flooded with not only the pleasure of their bodies, but also the bliss of oneness within their melded minds.

Lia's mind was aflame with pure joy from how even the emotions that she could not yet describe in the language of her mind found were so easily found by Vel, and how she could feel them reciprocated in the asari's embrace.

The shared feelings amplified each other, strumming something deep within Lia, the reverberation almost too much for her body to contain. For the first time, she reached into Vel a little, seeking release just as Vel's attentions on her completely exposed neck and crest were building her high to something unbearable.

Whimpering uncontrollably, she rolled her hips underneath Vel, loving the friction from the asari's grinding motion against her. She shifted slightly, and parted her thighs and lifted her knees, her dextrous toes seeking out the waist of Vel's tights and feverishly working to help push them down along the asari's thighs and shins.

With a bit of contortion, Vel reached back and unzipped her boots, pushing them off the heels of her feet and kicked them off. Continuing the progress Lia started, she hooked onto the waist of her tights with her toes and finally pushed the fabric off her legs. She pressed tightly against Lia, prompted by her pull, and her back involuntarily curved in a pleading arch towards Lia's hand, drawing out a soft mewl as the asari's teasing thumb traced lightly along her breast.

Lia tightened her grasp on Vel's rear, pulling the asari's hips closer to hers even as her other hand trailed up between their bodies to finally cup a breast, thumb lightly, teasingly tracing the contours.

The strength of her yearning still surprised her when she let it all free into Vel. I need you. She needed Vel now, tomorrow…

Vel's other hand trailed lower along Lia's chest, but she paused, gasping uncontrollably, fingers digging into Lia's blue skin briefly as her mind was suddenly flooded with the asari's presence. The delight of their shared affection and the... heavenly physical sensation permeated through her core, and she let it take her.

For the first time Vel let Lia's emotion take her completely. Her mind and body were only able to respond in the most primitive language of passion as she lost herself in the yearning building up in her partner. Between the flares of their intertwined consciousness, Vel's lips found Lia's again, her thoughts a blur as they raced, but one was as clear as what she had felt from Lia. I'myours.

Lia felt Vel's sentiment more than consciously understood it, the asari being there for her simply becoming an inalienable fact of their joining. Vel's passion drew her in more and more until she was lost in the kiss and the gasps of their shared breath, the asari's sweet lips both sating her need to be closer and stoking it, leaving her craving for more.

Every one of Lia's touches stirred raw sensations in Vel as their consciousnesses joined. Each stroke of the asari's agile fingers lit up pulses of pure pleasure in her mind than simple physical contact ever could, made even more overwhelming by Lia's affection that intertwined with hers.

I'm yours... she repeated, moving and flowing with the roll of Lia's hips, mind and body both melting under her sensual caress. Now, and tomorrow...

Lia reached further down with her hand, the feel of the contour arousing her to what would have been a deeply embarrassing degree without the safety and acceptance Vel had enveloped her in. Her hips bucked against the asari's again, the need too overwhelming to control even as the her fingers slid down the back of Vel's thigh, the tips digging into the skin along the cords of muscle just a little.

Her other hand existed only under the guidance of the sensations from Vel, squeezing, tweaking, teasing and caressing the asari's breasts, following the strokes eliciting the sharpest pleasures to give all that she could give Vel.

She broke from the kiss to trace her lips down Vel's chin and jaw to lay a trail of kisses and nibbles down her neck even as the touch along the asari's thigh became lighter as Lia's fingers deftly curved onto the inner thigh and trailed upwards ever so slowly.

A whimper escaped Vel's lips as Lia teased with her light trailing hand, and her body shifted like it was under the asari's spell, squirming against Lia's touch as her senses take her. Vel's fingers managed to rub along the grooves under Lia's headcrests, and her other hand continued the trail down the asari's chest, delicately tracing her soft mound before cupping it in the palm of her hand, her thumb brushing over the sensitive spot.

Yours, Lia echoed with all her being. She was Vel's as much as the asari was hers… in the chaos of the war, in the unlikeliest of places, she had finally found home.

The echoing emotion imprinted deeply in Vel's mind with the voice of her lover's very being and the tender kisses along her collarbone, weaving into her consciousness like an inseparable thread in a tapestry, and she wanted Lia. She wanted to feel her, to please her, and to immerse in the warmth radiating in her presence. Vel found peace in Lia's mind, and at the same time her thoughts burned with a white-hot desire.

Lia gasped breathlessly when Vel's fingers simultaneously stroked her crest and her breast, lips pressing ravenously around the soft skin just above the collarbone. Sucking and nibbling, her lips were guiding her further down while her crest sought more contact with the asari's fingers, their touch stimulating such waves of pleasure that she might have found release with nothing beside them… but she wanted all. Urging Vel to continue her caress…deeper…there… she kissed the V between the asari's collarbones, tongue drawing a circle on that softest of skins.

Vel followed Lia's whispers, fingers tracing along her headcrests before slipping under the grooves, rubbing the sensitive flesh under the folds. Her other hand gave Lia's breast a gentle squeeze, letting the asari's building sensation orchestrate the dexterous movements of her fingers.

Lia couldn't help her fingers digging into the softness of Vel's inner thigh when she shuddered with the building ecstasy. With much effort, she made her touch lighter again, fingers sliding up toward the heat only to teasingly stop at the groove where thigh met groin. With a synchronous nip at Vel's collar, she drew her hand back onto the asari's rear, stopping for a moment to savor the tingle it elicited in her before she continued her trail over the asari's hip and onto her lower abdomen. Sliding her fingers between their bodies, lightly digging into Vel's mound, she paused for the briefest moment.

Vel's desire seared to an unbearable degree, sending a shiver through her from the ghostly feel Lia left in the wake of her teasing fingers. She gasped as Lia's hand again slipped between them, her breath stilling in anticipation as the asari's touch trailed between her thighs. She pleaded, not in words or even tangible thought, but in a raw emotion of need.

The room receded from Lia's reality when Vel's need became one with hers, the power of the emotion turning her inside out even as the pleasure from the maiden's divine fingers coursed through her body in a wave made manifest with first her chest and then stomach and hips thrusting against the asari.

The sensation an infinite reverberation between the two, forever building as each felt the other's pleasure… and then the echo of that echo, made the cabin melt away, and the soft, silken surface underneath her fade into nothing and leaving the two of them suspended in a field of stars, the pink and magenta of the nebula dancing on their bare, joined form. Without was the ageless cold and absolute stillness of space, and within only their shared heat, and the perfect, loving motion as their bodies synchronized, slowed as the moment stretched into eternity.

With Vel's permission… her demand, her need, Lia drew her other hand away with a last, longing brush over the hardened point of Vel's breast, and then gripped behind the asari's crest almost desperately as she pulled her back into a deep kiss. Impossible as it was to tell that it was her hand sliding over the heat between Vel's legs and not the asari's on Lia's, she wordlessly urged Vel to reciprocate, the need to feel the asari in her overpowering as she cupped Vel's slick folds in her palm before pulling her hand back ever so slightly, finally letting her fingers explore the asari. Take me…

Vel's consciousness melted for a brief moment as she was drawn into a passionate kiss. Her perception of the surroundings peeled away then concentrated into one single being in her arms. Lia was her entire universe as they freely floated in the space of their fused minds, devoid of awareness of anything else besides each other, and the only thing that grounded Vel—the only thing that encompassed her existence was her lover's heavenly touch and hungry urge.

She felt her chest tighten, letting a moan into the kiss as the asari explored. Lia... she whispered in the meld as the presence of her lover flooded her mind and all her thoughts. Collecting herself just barely enough to will her hand away from Lia's breast with a lingering brush, Vel trailed down the roundness and the asari's tense navel, finding her way along the quiver of her hips and the soft crease where her leg met torso. She pressed her palm between Lia's thighs, letting the asari's desire take her breath before curling her fingers, caressing to convey the ripples of pleasure Lia drew in her.

Vel

Lia couldn't have told whether she physically gasped the name of her lover into their kiss, or if it was an inward expression of her feelings for the asari who now filled the entirety of what she could perceive.

The sensation of Vel entering her was profound and primitive, Lia's body responding to it in the only language it knew. She thrust herself against the caress in an instinctive rhythm, a low, soft mewl escaping her as she gripped Vel tighter, their bodies joining as their minds were. The blissful confusion of feeling her lover inside her, and her own fingers easing into the slick, quivering heat closing tightly around them, and Vel's sensations of the same had made the togetherness something incredible, and time drew away like the tide, their shared pleasure stretching into uncounted minutes.

The ethereal whisper of her name between breathless gasps and the waves of building pleasure Lia so skillfully fiddled within her drew Vel into the rhyme of her lover, each stroke pushing her towards the searing crescendo. Quickened moans filled her chest, and the reverberation of their shared sensation coursed through her being, melting away words into bliss. Her fingers followed the echo of their caress within each other, eagerly pleasuring the most sensitive spots with a hunger for the quiver in her lover's body.

With her thumb and the heel of her hand pleasuring the small bundle of nerves just above Vel's entrance, and her fingers curving to find the most sensitive spots within, the intimacy of the physical and mental connections they shared, the enormity of the emotions, and the reciprocation and security she had in Vel were so powerful that it could not last for much longer, the first uncontrollable shudders of her apex rocking her and curling her toes and fingers, muscles contracting tightly around Vel's was the only concept that remained through the white-hot pleasure as she threw herself into Vel completely.

Lia's burning thought was felt, not heard, through a shiver that began overtaking Vel. She could only mirror the emotion as she lost herself in the next pass of Lia's fingers, the shiver turning into an overwhelming shudder that traveled up her spine, driving her into a frantic writhing. Her mind blanked for an instant, and there was only Lia as every nerve ending in her body screamed ecstasy.

The pure, raw pleasure in their shared orgasm did what nothing else could and erased the final barrier between them. Every part of Lia's being soared, freed from physical limitations and barriers for a glorious, blissful moment that stretched into forever as the pure white of pleasure collapsed into the brilliant blue of eternity in which only their joined self remained.

For a brief moment Vel's whole universe was alight with a presence. It was glowing, passionate, and soul-consumingly attractive. It was a font of affection and pleasure, and it guided her through the blissful storm. It was so bright that it chased away any lonesome shadow, yet so... familiar, as if Vel had been a part of the threads of being that began to emerge, swirling with fabrics of her own mind.

It was Lia.

Untold time had passed when Lia's consciousness welled again. The beautiful, spiritual weightlessness still softly enveloping her evoked the thought that she may have died… and it was all right, this goddess infusing Lia and everything around her.

Only slowly the throbs of their still-synchronized heartbeats exorcised the illusion and led her into the reality that was, if anything, more heavenly.

Shuddering with aftershocks, she struggled to catch her breath in her lover's embrace, glistening bodies intertwined. Vel was still inside her, the asari's weight reassuringly on top of her when she opened her eyes to seek out Vel's. She reached across their joined minds, gently caressing Vel's. Trying to embrace the asari in turn, she let her… her love envelop Vel. She did not feel the tears on her cheeks when she softly whispered her lover's name.

Vel followed, and at times led; twirled, and held Lia's presence that returned the warmth gently, fiercely—returned with undeniable love, and Vel responded. She kept Lia close with the same emotion that pulsed within their shared mind, not letting go as she began to regain her form, falling with Lia through a newly discovered gravity to their breathless embrace and entangled bodies.

"Lia..." Vel whispered to the voice so close to her, catching her breath even as her body writhed with sweet shivers that still rippled through her. There were no words as their eyes met but a smile, a tender gaze as Vel noticed Lia's tears, and a soft kiss that expressed something deeply different than before.

No words were needed when Vel kissed her, the wonder-full requital of love so clear in the asari's soft lips that it sent quivers through Lia again. She dove in the pools of Vel's eyes, knowing that she would never be lost, never drowned. The swirling obsidian receded and revealed more of the beautiful magenta as the intensity of their meld slowly ebbed with their shared breaths.

Lia's consciousness was still flush with Vel's wondrous presence as they slowly recovered, even this lightest of connections only leaving them independent but not separated from each other. Lia reached in to cradle Vel's mind in turn, the asari's protective, loving hold on Lia's never faltering as the meld deepened once more.

With another soft, infinitely tender kiss, Lia slowly rolled the both of them on their sides, knowing that even the asari's strong arms and the gentle hand behind Lia's crest could not support her the entire night, not after the blissful exhaustion from the hours that they both had completely lost track and concept of. She whimpered with loss into the kiss when Vel finally withdrew from her, and when she herself had to part from the warm, inviting body of her lover for the few seconds it took to draw the silken sheets up to cover them and mold the mattress below them into pillows.

With a contented sigh, she nestled tightly back into Vel's arms and laid her forehead against the asari's. The light, rolling waves of their love were the undercurrent for the exchange of ever-more fickle and fleeting thoughts as they both slowly drifted toward sleep.