Chapter Two:
"Shepard," Liara sighed as she leaned against the comfortable line of her Commander's shoulder, "this has been one of the best days of my entire life."
It was true. Even though Liara generally disliked crowds and noise, she had hesitantly accepted Shepard's invitation for an afternoon out in the newly-reopened Presidium. The normally crowded thoroughfares were surprisingly deserted, perhaps because of the repairs that were still underway, but several of the shops and cafes were open for business. She and Shepard had taken their time wandering the walkways, popping in through doors whenever something interesting caught their eye. Their laced fingers had rarely pulled apart over the past several hours.
Shepard smiled, tightening the arm that was slung casually around Liara's shoulder. "Mine, too."
Liara pulled closer against Shepard's side, tucking just beneath her chin. She did not even care that resting in the crook of Shepard's arm made it difficult to look out over the rest of the beautiful garden clearing. The carefully cultivated trees were native to Thessia, and the smell of their blossoms reminded Liara of home. Someday, she thought, she would take Shepard to Thessia and show her the park just outside of Armali where her mother had taken her to play as a child. It had many trees just like this, and Liara found herself wanting to share a small piece of her old life with her new lover. A lover she had almost lost...
"A few weeks ago, I was not sure that moments like this would be possible," Liara confessed. As Shepard shifted to look down at her, she felt a few strands of red hair brush the top of her crest, but she endured the ticklish sensation and stayed where she was. She did not want to pull away from Shepard's warm, comfortable shoulder.
"Why not?" Shepard asked in a low voice, sounding a little uncertain.
Liara pressed a soft kiss to Shepard's throat, enjoying the way the soft, pale skin seemed to throb under her lips. "I thought we would all die. Or, at least, that you would. I was afraid to think about how happy we could be, since I knew it might not come to pass. But now…"
"Now?" Shepard repeated. Liara looked up at her, and when she noticed the worry line creasing the middle of Shepard's forehead, she pulled away from Shepard's shoulder so that she could reach up and smooth it away. Then, she shifted out from beneath Shepard's arm and took the human's hands in hers, squeezing them tight.
"Now, I know that if I had not been so afraid, I would have spent every moment I could with you before Ilos. I would have gone out with you when we had our rare shore leaves, even though being around so many people intimidates me. I would have danced with you even though I do not like loud music. I would have spent every night in your cabin, making love with you until dawn, and then I would have fallen asleep with my head against your chest, listening to your heartbeat."
"Well, it's not like we would have had a lot of time," Shepard said, but a smile broke across her face. "You know, since we were busy saving the entire known universe from the Reapers."
"Not a lot of time," Liara agreed, "but even a few moments like that with you would have given me so much happiness."
"I actually like that we took things slow," Shepard said. "It's… something I hadn't done before, and I'd always wanted to."
"Perhaps it was slow by human standards," Liara pointed out. "Asari courtships can last several decades, but we have learned to adjust, since many of us find bondmates outside of our own species." She decided not to continue along that train of thought, because she knew she was drifting dangerously close to the 'lifespan talk', and she did not want to ruin this perfect moment with more thoughts of Shepard dying. Instead, Liara was determined to enjoy the present. They were both alive, they had saved the galaxy, and they deserved their happiness now. "Still, I have learned my lesson. I am going to take every opportunity to be with you, to tell you how much I care for you, and to be… happy."
"You weren't happy before?" Shepard asked.
Liara let her thumbs run over the back of Shepard's hand. She had already memorized where the small white scars were. "I was satisfied," she said eventually. "I had a career I found mostly fulfilling, and I was intellectually challenged. But I did not have friends, like I do now on the Normandy. And I did not have you."
Shepard's smile spread into a wide, uneven grin, and Liara felt her heart flutter in her chest. She had grown to adore Shepard's smile, and now that Saren was dealt with, she had the opportunity to see it a lot more often. "Dr. T'Soni, I hope you realize that you can have me whenever you want," Shepard said, flipping her hands over so that Liara's palms could rest on top of hers. Hand-holding among the asari was an incredibly intimate gesture, even more so than with humans, and Liara felt a warm flush spread across her cheeks.
"Whenever I want?" she asked, leaning forward and letting her eyes rest on Shepard's lips. They had been tempting her during the entire day, and although she had stopped to sample them several times as they walked the Presidium, she found herself wanting them again. "Are you sure, Commander?"
"Whenever you want, Liara," Shepard repeated, closing the last inch between them.
The kiss started out soft, just a gentle meeting of mouths, but soon, their lips parted for each other, and their tongues began exploring. Kissing was still relatively new to Liara, but as Shepard nipped at her lower lip, tugging it lightly before soothing the bite with another kiss to the firm swell, she thought that she could not have found a better teacher. Shepard instinctively knew when to be gentle, and when to ravish her. This time, she did not take the lead, allowing Liara the chance to explore instead. She savored it, pushing her tongue gently into Shepard's mouth and enjoying the low, soft noises of pleasure that she made.
They only pulled apart when the need for air made their lungs burn. Liara gazed into Shepard's eyes, and was pleased to see that she was panting a little. "Well, Commander, I have decided that I want you now," Liara said, standing up from the bench and practically dragging Shepard along with her.
"Right here? Like, against a tree?" Shepard asked, dodging the light swat that Liara aimed at her shoulder. "Kidding, kidding. Unless you want to…"
Liara swallowed, but she felt a heavy pulse between her legs at the suggestion. There was something strangely appealing about the fantasy, even though she knew she was not brave enough to go through with it. "I was thinking a hotel room might be more suitable," she murmured, linking her arm through Shepard's and dragging her from the garden. "One of them must have reopened by now…"
"Still thinking about those promises I made to you before Ilos, huh?" Shepard asked as they hurried back out onto the nearest walkway. "A day out in the Presidium, lunch at a cafe, and a stroll through the garden, ending at the nearest hotel-"
"This is going to end much sooner than that if you do not hurry, Shepard," Liara insisted. She had no idea why her need was suddenly so overwhelming, but at that moment, she could hardly think of anything but feeling Shepard's naked skin sliding against her own.
It only took them a few minutes to find somewhere suitable, but to Liara, it felt like they had been searching for hours. The hotel they chose was fancier than she had anticipated, although there were still a few scorch marks around the large front walkway, probably left over from Sovereign's attack on the Citadel. Liara's hand stayed in Shepard's as they hurried through the door and approached the front desk to register, and for once, she barely even noticed the receptionist's look of surprise and awe as she recognized them. A few of the shopkeepers had realized who they were that afternoon, and most had tried to send them away with free merchandise, or requested an endorsement. But this time, Liara could not find it in herself to care. She simply wanted to be alone with Shepard, and the sooner, the better. Fortunately, the receptionist seemed to sense their urgency, because she booked them quickly, adding on a hefty discount and room upgrade before either of them could protest.
Without any luggage to speak of, the two of them stepped into the elevator for the ride up to the top floor and inserted their keycard into the reader. A split second after the doors closed, Liara backed Shepard into the nearest wall, bracing herself on her elbows as she leaned forward for a kiss. Shepard dipped down to meet her half-way, but Liara was insistent, sliding a knee between Shepard's legs as her tongue pressed forward past her yielding lips. Although she adored the way Shepard usually took charge when they made love, Liara was eternally grateful when Shepard indulged her needier moods.
"Goddess," Liara whispered against the point of Shepard's chin, skimming it with her lips. "Shepard, you make me burn, make me want to touch every inch of you." It was a blunt, honest confession. Liara wanted - no, she needed Shepard's bare flesh under her hands. And Shepard did not seem to be protesting, Liara thought, if the hands gripping her ass and trying to pull her closer were any indication.
Soon, Liara's hands began to wander as well, and by the time the elevator dinged and the doors opened to the penthouse suite, she suddenly realized that her fingers had dipped beneath the waistband of Shepard's pants. She let out a whimper of disappointment at the interruption, biting her lip as she debated whether or not to explore further. But Shepard gently pushed her away, nudging her towards the doors. "Come on," she said. "We don't have to make it to the bedroom, but we have to get off the elevator before someone calls it back down."
"We will not be going back down," Liara assured her. "Not until tomorrow morning at the earliest." Then, before Shepard could respond, she began backing her towards the nearest couch, too impatient to explore the rest of the suite and find the bedroom. There would be plenty of time for that afterwards.
This time, in the privacy of their room, Liara did not bother holding herself back. She hurried to tug Shepard's shirt up and over her head, sighing with satisfaction when she finally got to look at her Commander's bare arms. The outlines of muscle were clear, and so was the broadness of her shoulders. Liara shuddered, thrilled that such a powerful creature could melt under her hands. Next came Shepard's compression shirt, which she wore no matter what her plans were for the day. Liara paused for just a moment, admiring Shepard's naked torso and the hardened brown points of her nipples.
Liara bent forward, kissing the familiar freckle just under the curve of Shepard's right breast before running her tongue over it. "You know," she whispered, nuzzling up along the slope of Shepard's breast until her lips grazed the stiff tip, "I have all the time I want now to learn every mark on your body." Truthfully, the scientist in her had already started cataloguing. She knew where several of Shepard's scars, freckles, and sensitive places were, but she was always eager to look for more.
"Yes, you do," Shepard said, running her hand along the back of Liara's crest as warm lips finally wrapped around her nipple. "All the time you want, as long as I get my turn later."
Liara decided to take Shepard at her word, and began a slow, thorough, almost torturous exploration of her Commander's beautiful form. She began with her face, tracing the line of her brow, smoothing her palms over Shepard's freckled cheeks, dipping down to take her lips again and again. She lost herself in Shepard's brilliant green eyes, trying to memorize every detail of her smile in between kisses. Her hands threaded into Shepard's hair, enjoying the sensuous feeling of the soft red strands as they slid through her fingers.
It took her a while, but eventually, Liara moved down to Shepard's neck, trailing a string of kisses along the column of her throat until she found her Commander's pulse-point. She was rather proud of how fast Shepard's heart was racing, especially since she knew she was the cause. After leaving a faint mark there, she ran her hands over the broad line of Shepard's shoulders, feeling the dormant power and strength there. Finally, she brought Shepard's hands up to her lips, kissing each fingertip as she remembered just how good those fingers felt when they were inside of her.
"Liara," Shepard whispered, rocking up against Liara's knee. Fortunately, it was resting directly between her legs. "Liara, I need you."
It was nice to be needed, Liara thought, and not just sexually. No one had ever needed her before. Now, she had a lover who was desperate for her, at least in this moment. The knowledge made her a little dizzy. She began lavishing kisses on Shepard's breasts again, until the hips rocking insistently against her thigh began a hard, steady grind, and the friction of Shepard's pants became uncomfortable. Liara suddenly realized that both of them were still wearing clothes. That would simply not do. Reluctantly, she pulled away before she could worship the sleek sheets of muscle that ran down Shepard's stomach and hurried to unzip her jumpsuit. Shepard tried to help, but Liara batted her hands away. "Take off your pants," she urged instead, hoping the suggestion would make the process faster.
They finished at the same time, kicking off the last of their clothes without bothering to notice where they landed. Then, they simply stared at each other for a long moment. "Liara, I think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," Shepard said, her eyes flicking back and forth between Liara's darkening eyes and the juncture between her legs.
Liara blushed at the compliment, but would not be dissuaded from her goal. She could see where her lover was looking, and she knew that if she was not careful, she would end up writhing beneath Shepard for the rest of the night. Instead, she placed a few scattered kisses along Shepard's twitching abdomen, pausing to place a bite beside the dip of her navel before draping one of Shepard's legs over her shoulder.
Shepard opened her mouth, probably to comment on Liara's newly discovered aggressiveness and determination, but instead, she only let out a cry of surprise and pleasure as Liara's lips folded around the point of her clit. Compared to the slow, leisurely exploration Liara had forced herself to take before, it was sudden, and it had the precise effect she had been hoping for. Shepard flopped back against the arm of the couch and spread her legs wider, offering herself up for whatever Liara wished to give.
Satisfied that she would not be interrupted, Liara set about building Shepard up into a frenzy. She let her hands trail up and down her Commander's sleek thigh as she sucked the hard bundle of her clit. But each time Shepard began to rock in a steady rhythm, predicting her strokes, she changed them - speeding up, slowing down, altering the pressure or the pattern she was painting with her tongue. Soon, wetness was dripping down her chin, and Shepard's hands were scrabbling at the couch cushions, trying to find some kind of hold. "Fuck, Liara - I…" she stammered out, barely able to form words at all. "You - I need… please, I-"
Hoping that the experience she had gained over the past several weeks was leading her in the right direction, Liara abandoned Shepard's thigh and brought her fingers to her entrance instead, pressing forward gently to make sure that Shepard knew what was coming. As soon as the introduced the slightest bit of pressure, Shepard shifted down to take her fingers inside, sliding onto them effortlessly.
Liara moaned around the tight bud between her lips, and she wasted no time establishing a rhythm, thrusting forward with her hand and enjoying the way Shepard cried out every time she pushed deeper. Shepard was so tight, so slick, so incredibly warm around her fingers, and Liara quickly curled them forward, trying to find the same spot that Shepard always seemed to catch right away inside of her. It took a few tries, but eventually, she put pressure against the right place, and Shepard yelped, arching on top of the couch and trying to push herself harder against Liara's mouth and fingers.
Liara was suddenly aware of the empty ache between her own legs, but even that was nothing compared to the buzzing in her head. Seeing Shepard like this made her crave the meld. She wanted to reach out, to take her in, to draw them so close that nothing in the galaxy could separate them. But part of her wanted to wait, to be able to watch as Shepard came and take in every detail. The meld would be a distraction, and Liara was not ready to give up her exploration yet. Instead, she sped up the motion of her hand, ignoring the burn in her forearm and wrist as she gave Shepard a few more desperate thrusts, tightening her lips around the pulsing pink bud of her clit and lashing it with her tongue.
Shepard screamed and went rigid, bucking wildly as she squeezed down around Liara's fingers. For the first few contractions, Liara could not even move her hand, and it was almost impossible to keep her mouth on Shepard's clit. But she tried her best, finding her place again whenever Shepard's pelvis shifted too abruptly. Somewhere in the midst of her lover's orgasm, she managed to glance up along Shepard's tight, muscular stomach, past her heaving chest, and look directly into her eyes. Shepard was staring down at her, watching everything, and Liara felt her heart swell until it felt too large for her chest.
Finally, when the tight pull around her fingers faded to flutters, Liara eased her hand back, giving Shepard a small respite to gather her strength again. She took the chance to explore further with her mouth, scattering kisses over her pubic bone, nuzzling and nipping at her inner thigh, and finally, sliding her tongue past the clasping ring of muscle at her entrance. She could taste the thick, honey-sweet fluid from Shepard's orgasm immediately, and hurried to press deeper, eager for more. In just a few moments, Shepard was rocking against her again, letting out soft moans and kicking lightly at the back of Liara's shoulder with her heel as the sensations threatened to overwhelm her again.
This time, Liara obeyed her instincts. She did not feel the need to hold back anymore, and she wanted to share in Shepard's pleasure. She brought their minds together in a meld, immediately rushing towards the light that was Shepard and embracing it with all that she was. Of all the things she had learned to enjoy since their first night together before Ilos, the meld was by far the best. It was so intimate, so raw, and it made her feel whole like nothing else in the galaxy.
'Liara, I-' Although her mouth could not form words, Shepard's mind was racing, and Liara could feel how desperate she was to express exactly how she felt. 'I love you. I -'
'I love you, too, Shepard.'
And then, "Shepard" and "Liara" became impossible to sort out. All of their feelings, all of their hopes, all of their desires blended together until they were one being. One body speeding towards another release. One whole. The intense connection between their minds was enough to send Shepard over the edge again. Liara found herself being swept away by Shepard's desire, and she felt her inner walls pulse with release even though nothing was touching her. Bliss shuddered through both of them, echoing back and forth as they drew from each other, sharing everything they had.
Finally, the two of them collapsed into a tangle of limbs, not caring that they were an overheated mess. Liara rested her cheek on Shepard's stomach, enjoying the rise and fall. She did not pull back from the meld right away, maintaining the connection and the closeness for as long as possible before it faded out. She wanted Shepard, forever and always, and she was determined to savor each moment they spent together.
"Well," Shepard said after she had reclaimed her voice, "that was a bit of a surprise."
"A nice surprise?" Liara asked hopefully, a little of her shyness returning.
Shepard let out a short, barking laugh that Liara could feel against her cheek. "A very nice surprise. I wouldn't mind having that kind of surprise every day."
"Then it would not be a surprise anymore," Liara pointed out. She pushed herself off of Shepard and climbed up along her body, finally coming to rest on top of her chest.
"Yeah, but it would still be wonderful. Because it's with you."
Liara smiled and closed her eyes, sighing happily as Shepard's fingers began rubbing the dips in her crest. She did not bother to protest anymore. Shepard was right. Whenever they were together, it was truly wonderful.