Shepard and Liara left the store with Shepard's mystery supplies, Liara's lingerie, the vibrator they'd liked, a pair of dildos and a few bottles of various lubricant. The Turian woman from before placed it all in a black plastic bag.

"Are you two shopping alone?" she asked.

"No, we've got someone else with us," Shepard said, a little confused.

"I'm guessing you don't want them knowing what's in here?"

"Preferably no."

"Then I've got something for you." She held out her omnitool and Shepard held out her own. A second later the surface of the bag obfuscated and became very hard to see. "That should do it. The program will delete itself when you're done."

"Thanks!"

"Don't mention it hon, we've all been there. You two have a nice day." They strolled out into the artificial sunlight with their supplies in tow, Liara still lovingly wrapped around her bondmate's arm.

"Hmhm, I've got such wonderful plans for you, love," Shepard said sensually.

Liara hummed with approval and nuzzled her. "As fun as that sounds, I think we should hold off until your mother's left. I get the feeling this might be a little…noisy."

Shepard grumbled. "Waiting suuuucks."

"Cheer up, we can still snuggle."

"Hmmm, true."

"Let's go find her, Aethyta can only keep someone busy for so long."

Shepard was happy to see her mother hadn't gotten too drunk. She and Matriarch Aethyta met them with a wave as they left Apollo's café. "Hey! You two have fun?" Hannah asked.

"Yeah! You?"

"I kept her entertained, don't worry," Aethyta said.

"Are you planning on coming back to the Citadel?" Liara asked.

"Probably. I've gotta come back and see my grandkids, right?" Aethyta said with a wink. Shepard giggled and Liara felt her face turn a bright shade of purple. "Anyway, my flight takes off in a few, I should go grab my bags."

"Do you need any help?" Jane asked.

"Oh no, don't worry about it."

"All right. Don't disappear again, all right?" Liara said.

"I've got your address, I won't." There were a few moments of awkward silence while Liara and Aethyta looked at each other. "Come on kid, it's all right," Aethyta said, holding out her arms. Liara took a few tentative steps forward before Aethyta closed the distance and hugged her tight. Liara broke down and hugged her back. No matter what had happened in the past, they still loved each other. "I'm not going away forever little wing. Not this time. I promise," Aethyta whispered so that only she could hear.

Liara closed her eyes and fought back tears. "I…I…"

"It's okay." They broke apart and Aethyta shook hands with Hannah. "It was nice meeting you. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon."

"How about coming to our place for Christmas?"

Aethyta smiled and started towards the rapid transit. "Asari don't usually celebrate that holiday, but I think I can make an exception. I'll see you before long."

Liara, Shepard and her mother ate lunch, then made their way back to the apartment. By that point it was late afternoon and the artificial sun was starting to set. As it cooled off, they gathered around the fire and continued talking. Eventually Hannah Shepard made her way up stairs to bed, leaving Liara and Shepard snuggled together on the couch. Liara lay on Shepard's chest while she stroked her crests, a blanket draped over them both.

Shepard finally worked up the nerve and gently nudged her bondmate. "Come on, bedtime." Liara groaned uncomfortably. "Am I gonna gave to carry you?" she groaned again. "All right." Shepard got to her feet and lifted Liara in her arms. She carried her upstairs, set her down on their king-size bed and gazed lovingly down at her. "Hey you," she whispered, reflecting once again on just how perfect she was.

"Shepard…I knew…" Liara said quietly.

"What?"

"I knew you weren't dead." She put a hand to Shepard's cheek. "After the explosion on the Citadel, when we were still trying to make sense of everything…They said you were at ground zero…that you sacrificed yourself to set off the Crucible…"

Shepard took her hand, eyes starting to mist up. "Liara…I…"

"But I wouldn't believe it. Everyone kept trying to help me get over it, accept it, but I couldn't. Asari develop very strong connections with their bondmates, I could…almost feel it. Feel you." Liara's eyes were starting to fill with tears. "We were going to have a memorial service for you, put your name up on the wall on deck 3…Goddess I actually had it in my hand…but I wouldn't do it. I forced Joker to jump back to the Citadel and practically screamed at the recon groups to find you." Tears were now streaming down her cheeks. "And they did."

"I told you I was coming back," Shepard said, ruining the bad-assery of the moment with a voice crack.

"When they found you *sniff* they told me…You weren't just alive *hic* you were stable. You were going to live!"

"Oh Liara…"

"You don't *sniff* know how hard I cried Shepard…" Jane pulled her to her body and held on like she was going to float away. "I love you so *sniff* much!"

"It's *hic* it's okay, I've got you. I won't let go." Liara tried her hardest to stifle her tears and a moment later, Shepard felt her pressing gently at her mind. It wasn't the kind of meld she was used to feeling, this one felt so much less like sex. It felt like an ethereal request for a warm embrace of minds. Touched to the point of quiet convulsions of love, Shepard immediately opened herself to her bondmate and felt a cascade of emotion. She felt all of Liara's sheer relief and love for her when she'd first learned she was alive, saw her rush to her side in the hospital and felt her heart practically break when the first thing she said when they'd repaired her damaged vocal cords was "Liara…" felt every atom of her being explode in pure joy when Shepard got down on her knee and held out a gleaming blue-diamond ring and asked for her hand.

"Oh…" Shepard said with quiet tenderness. "Liara…my Liara…I…I love you." They stripped themselves bare and crawled beneath the covers, sealed in embrace both physical and mental. They kissed and cuddled and nuzzled until they finally grew tired and lapsed into sleep, nestled in each other's arms and their minds lost in the ether of their combined love and affection for each other.

Liara woke happily cocooned in her bondmate's embrace, her long soft red hair draped over her cheeks. She smiled sleepily and brushed the soft strands of crimson from her lover's face. She gazed at her for a moment before letting her eyes slide shut and sealing her in the softest and sweetest of kisses. Shepard let out a whimper of affection and kissed her back, pulling her closer, cradling her beloved as if she would simply melt away if she held on to loosely or too tight.

They finally broke the kiss and rested their foreheads against each other. They didn't say a word, they'd already let everything out through their meld the previous night. They simply snuggled close and basked in the warmth of each other's presence. The stillness was only broken by the occasional nuzzle or tender kiss and once by Shepard whispering "My one, my love, my only."

Eventually Liara started to get up, but Shepard groaned disapprovingly and held on to her. "Ha! Come on Shepard."

"Nnnnn."

"We need to get up eventually."

"Nnnnnnnnn."

"You know I can get you to let go…" Liara crooned playfully. Shepard giggled and refused to release her. Liara bit her lip and ambushed her bondmate, furiously tickling her belly. Shepard recoiled and laughed, attempting to protect her sensitive core. Liara used her momentary distraction to get out of bed.

Shepard managed to get under control and fixed her wife with an accusatory look. "That's cheating."

Liara turned around and giggled as her bondmate's eyes explored her gorgeous body. "Hmmm, maybe you'll have to punish me for it later…"

Shepard shivered with excitement and hungrily rubbed her thighs together. "Mmmm, maybe I will." Liara winked and slid into the bathroom to take a shower. Shepard heard the water start as she stretched and got to her feet. She retrieved her N7 bathrobe and glanced downstairs. Hannah was sitting on the couch reading the morning news on her omnitool.

"Morning sweetie!" She said cheerfully.

"Hey mom. You sleep okay?"

"Oh yeah, I slept fine. How about you two?"

"Yeah, we slept fine."

"I'll bet. You two strike me as a pretty snuggly couple," Hannah said with a wink.

"Hmhm, yeah, we are."

Hannah got to her feet. "All right, enough loafing around for me. What are ya hungry for?"

"I was just thinking, you wanna go out for breakfast? You could finally get a good cup of coffee."

"Sure, why not? Where's Liara?"

"In the shower."

"Ooo, I could use one of those. Gimme a shout when she's done, yeah?"

"Sure thing. Let's do our morning stuff and then go out, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan."

Shepard made her way back upstairs, she could hear Liara humming to herself in the shower. It made her smile just to hear her sweet singing voice. A thought struck her and a devilish sensual grin spread across her face. She crossed to the closet and dug around in the corner for a moment. She found the little cardboard box that stored all the various bits and bobs left over after they'd assembled some of their new furniture and carefully extracted twelve coin-sized washers. She looked them all over, making sure they were clean and devoid of sharp edges or rust. After determining they were suitable, she slid gracefully into the bathroom and silently closed the door behind her.

Liara had her back to the door and hadn't heard Shepard come in. The human let her bathrobe fall to the floor and crept up slowly behind her bathing bondmate. Liara gave a small start, then smiled warmly and leaned back as Shepard curled her arms around her waist.

"Mmmm hi," the redheaded vanguard said softly.

"What ever are you doing Shepard?" Liara said in quiet, affection laced mock outrage.

"Hmhmhm, sorry. If I'm within a mile or so of a wet naked asari I just kind of start twitching." Shepard gave her a gentle squeeze and made her giggle.

"I'll keep you away from nude beaches then." Liara reached behind her and held her bondmate to her. "You are mine, and I am not sharing you with anyone."

Shepard hummed lovingly. "Anyway, I owe you an orgasm, and I thought now would be a good time for a little trial run."

"Trial run of what?"

"I want to see if you like bondage at all. So I thought we'd start with the very basics."

"O-okay," Liara said, a little uncertainly.

Shepard gave her a comforting nuzzle and kissed her cheek. "I'm not going to do anything that makes you uncomfortable, I promise. This won't even involve any extra equipment, not really. Have you ever heard of predicament bondage?"

"No."

"It's all the fun of the full scale stuff without the extra hassle. I think it'll be a good warm up."

"Just, tell me what to do," Liara said, intentionally mimicking what Shepard had said to her the first time they'd ever melded. Shepard was so touched that she remembered she almost lost her dom personality in a sea of warm gooey love. But she managed to restrict herself to a tender pleased whimper and another kiss on Liara's neck.

"All right. Put your hands on the wall, and splay your fingers out." Liara complied and Shepard leaned into her. She carefully slid the washers under her fingers, one at a time until Liara was holding all ten of them against the shower wall. "This is one of my favorite little tricks. Here's how it works." Shepard began softly rubbing Liara's belly and whispered into her ear. "You have to keep all the washers up against the wall, don't let them drop, and I'm going to do a few naughty things to you. Also, obviously, mom's up, so you have to do your best to keep quiet."

Liara shivered with pleasure. This was wonderfully erotic. "What happens if I drop one?"

"Hmhm." Shepard lightly nipped her neck. "I'll punish you." Liara shivered again. "Normally that would involve something a little, shall we say, noisy? But under the circumstances, I can think of something much better."

"What?"

Shepard laughed sensually. "I won't let you finish, my love." That thought filled the asari with a new sort of sensation. A wonderful sexual fear and hunger at the prospect of being denied. "You'll get to spend aaaall day thinking about just how badly you want me, but you won't get me. Unless you behave." Whatever doubts or fears Liara'd had about bondage melted instantly. This was so fucking hot she couldn't stand it. "Ready?"

"Mmmm."

"Then I think I'll start slow. Something tells me you didn't quite get a chance to get properly clean." Shepard squirted a generous helping of sweet-smelling bodywash into her palm and began lightly scrubbing every solitary inch of her bondmate. Keeping the washers against the wall was harder than Liara'd been expecting. Shepard was so gentle, so knowing. Her hands lovingly explored and lavished every bit of beautiful blue skin they could reach from the tips of her fingers to her toes. Naturally Shepard lingered on and returned to certain areas more often than others. She kneaded and massaged her ample breasts, softly pinching and teasing her nipples before doing the same to her shapely rear, then working her way down her inner thighs, then back up.

Liara had to bite her lip to stop from making too much noise, she whimpered and let out tiny high-pitched gasps of pleasure at regular intervals, desperately trying to focus on not releasing the metal beneath her fingers. Shepard began planting little butterfly kisses on the tips of her crests, making it even harder for Liara to focus.

"Sh-shepard! You..."

"Hmmm." She'd done a little reading. This kind of contact was the height of intimacy for an asari. "Doooon't drop theeeem," she crooned. By this point Liara was magnificently wet, and aching for her wife to pleasure her. "You like this, don't you?" Shepard teased.

"Yes, goddess yes!" Liara gasped.

"Mhmhm! You smell so good," Shepard said melodiously, taking the very tip of one of Liara's crests a little further into her mouth. "Let's find out how much you like this..." Shepard traced a single finger against Liara's quim. "Mmmm, that sweet azure's all wet for me." Liara quietly moaned with pleasure. "Do you want me to fuck it?"

"Yes!" Liara said wispily.

"Yes what?"

"Yes, I want you to f-fuck it."

"You want me to fuck that sweet blue pussy?"

"Yes, goddess Shepard, please!"

"You want me to make you cum?"

"Yes, yes, goddess yes Shepard, please! Please make me cum!"

"Mmmmm, now how can I say no to a request like that?" Much as she adored teasing her and exchanging a little dirty talk, this wait was driving Shepard crazy as well. At long last she plunged a pair of fingers deep, deep into her bondmate's sex and began stroking her just the way she liked it. Liara almost lost control and would have either cried out or dropped one of the washers had it not been for Shepard's voice lightly cooing into her ear. "Mmmm, such a perfect pussy..."

"Oh, oh Shepard...don't stop, please don't stop..." Shepard worked her deliberately, but not hastily, drawing out and letting her feel every stroke of her fingers. She was very, very wet by now, so much so that even Shepard's slow motions had begun producing a lewd sort of *slap slap slap!* noise on every consecutive stroke. But they were both so starved with hunger that it only served to turn them on more.

"Hmhm, you're all warm for me. Do you like it?"

"Y-yes...Oh Shepard yyyyeeeesss..."

"Mmmm." Shepard took a hold of Liara's breast and began massaging it in circles, kneading and lightly squeezing her soft flesh. Liara let out another stiffled moan and the washer under her left index finger slid just a tiny bit. She was rewarded with a firm but not painful neckbite from her bondmate.

"Ach!"

"Carefullll."

"Sh-Shepard! I AH! I don't know h-how much more I can taaake!"

"I can tell. Hmhm, do you want to cum?"

"Yes!"

"You want me to make you cum?"

"Yes! Please!"

Shepard increased her tempo just enough to really let Liara ride over the edge. The asari arched her back and started lightly thrusting back with her hips against Shepard's fingers, slightly increasing the volume of the slapping noise. It was all so wonderful, so perfect. Shepard could tell she was starting to ride her way into climax. She leaned in close again and whispered "Cum for me Liara, cum right now." She didn't need any more encouragement. She stiffled a cry of joy and rode a wave of pure erotic sensation over her peak, her mouth open wide and her eyes closed tight. Every single part of her body pulsing and radiating one simple, perfect word: yes.

As the wave receded, Shepard slowly withdrew her fingers and whispered "You can let go now." Liara gratefully released the washers and let them drop into Shepard's outstretched hand. She turned on the spot, cheeks flushed with warmth and broad loving smile in place.

"That...was incredible, Shepard."

The red-haired vanguard deposited the washers on a soap tray and let Liara watch as she lusciously sucked her juices from her fingers before sealing her in a wondrous embrace, all traces of her dom persona replaced with deepest sweetest love. "I could tell you enjoyed it," she teased. Shepard sealed her in a long deep kiss beneath the stream of hot water before separating herself to speak. "So does this mean we can do more?"

"Oh, Goddess yes." Liara pulled her back into another kiss.

"Mmmmfff, good."

"How did I do?" Liara said slyly.

Shepard laughed and adopted her sensual dom tone again. "Wonderfully." She affectionately squeezed her rear and parted her lips with a finger. "Such a good girl."

"Mmmm." Liara tucked her head under her bondmate's chin and they swayed on the spot for a little while, enjoying the warm water and knowledge that they had so much more waiting for them.