Chapter Four:
Lycoris woke to a soft, warm mouth brushing against hers. Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled when she saw Athena's familiar face. For once, it hadn't been a dream. "Hey you," she said, her voice cracking a little with sleep. "Looks like you're finally awake."
Athena kissed her again a little more firmly, and Lycoris shuddered at the contact. She parted her lips, allowing Athena's tongue to tease between them. It ended sooner than she would have liked, but the knee pressing up between her thighs was a small consolation. "I'm finally awake?" Athena teased, still an inch away from her mouth. "I've been waiting on you for at least half an hour."
A flush spread across Lycoris's cheeks. "Yeah, but you were the one to fall asleep first..."
"That was your fault." Athena scattered a few more kisses across her face, catching both corners of her lips and the very point of her chin. "You wore me out. I didn't expect the joining to be so exhausting."
The back of Lycoris's neck tingled with the memory of their meld. The overwhelming flood of sensations had been difficult to channel at first, but they had been intensely pleasurable, and even more intimate than she had expected. "It was different than a normal meld," she agreed, staring up into Athena's eyes. They were green again instead of black, but she could still remember how they had looked at the peak of her orgasm. "More…intimate."
"Well, it's supposed to be," Athena pointed out. "You have to go deep to map someone's genetic code."
A grin spread across Lycoris's face, and a giddy, weightless feeling bubbled up in her stomach. She knew Athena more intimately than anyone else ever had, down to her very core. It was an exciting thought, and it made her chest swell with pride. "It was amazing," she said, wrapping her arms around Athena's torso and stroking the silky curve of her back. "We should do it again. Soon."
"Well, when did you take your pill? They last about ten standard hours."
"Dunno. Sometime early this morning?" She had choked it down with a long swig of juice at breakfast, too nauseous to swallow it dry. "I didn't wanna ruin the mood by stopping to take it while you were with me."
"I don't think you could ever ruin the mood," Athena said as she stroked Lycoris's crest. "You were wonderful."
Hearing Athena say that made Lycoris preen. All she'd wanted to do was make everything perfect, and even though things hadn't gone exactly as planned, she felt like she had succeeded. Lycoris didn't know how to show her appreciation, so she pushed up onto her elbows and captured her new lover's lips with her own.
Athena welcomed the kiss, and Lycoris quickly got carried away. Every conscious thought emptied from her head except for Athena. She could only focus on how soft Athena's lips were, the satin texture of Athena's skin, the little noises of pleasure that she wanted to hear coming from Athena again. This time, things went a little more smoothly as she guided Athena onto her back and settled carefully on top of her.
Lycoris had just started to trail her hand down Athena's stomach when she heard the front door slam. A few moments later, a familiar voice shouted her name. She was so startled that she jerked away and promptly fell off the bed, a loud expletive following her disgraceful crash to the ground. It took her a moment to sit upright, and Athena started giggling. That was twice in one day that she'd totally ruined the moment with her clumsiness.
"Are you all right, Corrie?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine…" But her disgust at her own fuck up was quickly replaced with something that bordered on panic when a knock pounded on her door. She could hear her father calling her name again, this time with a hint of concern in the tone. She was too out of sorts to do anything, but luckily, Athena threw her clothes at her while hopping into her own.
"We'll be right there, Matriarch T'Loak. Corrie just fell out of her chair," Athena said, stifling her laughter. Lycoris shot her a glare in the middle of pulling her shirt over her head, but desperation made her move quickly. She hurried to finish dressing, hoping her father wouldn't decide to come into the room. If she did, the messy bed and the all too obvious scent of sex would definitely give her away.
After a quick glance to make sure that Athena was properly covered, she opened the door and tried her best to look casual. Her father stood in the hallway, arms folded across her chest and a knowing smirk on her face. "You fell out of your chair, huh?" she drawled, her eyes fixing on a spot above the collar of Lycoris's shirt. "Did the chair bite you, too?"
Lycoris's mouth gaped open. She clapped her hand over her neck, but it was too late. The damage was already done. "I - it was nothing," she stammered, blushing furiously and avoiding her father's eyes. "I was… I mean…"
Aria rolled her eyes. "Kid, I wasn't born last century. I know what a hickey is. Just make sure you put some medigel on it before your mother gets home. She will notice."
The thought of her mother finding out was even more embarrassing, and Lycoris buried her face in her hands. She flinched a little when Athena stepped up behind her, squeezing the side of her shoulder. "Corrie? Are you okay?" she asked. The laughter in her voice had been replaced with gentle concern.
Lycoris shook her head. "No. Kill me. Just kill me now."
"Don't you think that's a little dramatic?" Aria said. "You've been interrupting me and your mom since you could walk. It's about time I returned the favor."
"It wasn't like that," Lycoris said, but it sounded like a lie even to her own ears.
"Right. Sure it wasn't. But just in case it was, the two of you might want to hop in the shower and make the bed. Your Mom's due back in a couple of minutes."
"Stall her?" Lycoris pleaded. Aria's smirk grew even wider, and her blush returned when she realized what she had accidentally asked. "Not that way. I mean… ugh, never mind." Unable to hold her father's eyes any longer, she hurried back into the room, dragging Athena behind her.
As soon as they shut the door, Athena burst out into nervous laughter. Lycoris stared at her in confusion, unsure whether to be worried or annoyed by the strange reaction. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to offer comfort. She folded her arm around Athena's shoulders, waiting for the awkward burst of giggles to pass. "I'm so, so sorry about that," she blurted out. "I didn't know she'd get home early…"
"No, I'm sorry," Athena said, still sniffling a little. "I'm just glad it was your father who caught us instead of mine."
Lycoris shuddered at the thought. The famed Commander Shepard could kill her in more ways than she could count, either with her choice of state of the art weapons available only to someone with her military clearance, or with biotics. And while Lycoris hadn't personally seen Commander Shepard's biotics in action, by all accounts, they were every bit as impressive as an asari commando's. Lycoris actually trembled at the thought of what Athena's father would do to her if she found out that she'd deflowered her first daughter.
"Come on," Athena said, wrapping Lycoris in her arms. "It isn't so bad. Your father was great, and it doesn't sound like she's going to tell your mother or either of my parents."
"Yeah, but when your Dad does find out, I'll be lucky if I'm not a blue puddle of goo a few seconds later."
"This isn't one of those cheap action vids," Athena said. "She'd put a bullet through your heart or warp your insides to the outside."
Lycoris knew Athena was trying for levity, but the blood drained from her face when she thought about the possibilities. Still, she wouldn't trade a single moment with Athena, even if Commander Shepard murdered her in the most gruesome way possible.
"Come on, Corrie. We should listen to your father and take a shower," Athena said, gently tugging Lycoris with her toward the bathroom. "I think your mother will start asking questions if she sees us like this and realizes I smell like you." Lycoris still seemed a little stunned, so Athena started to undress her once her own clothes were off. She set the temperature to a pleasantly warm setting and dragged Corrie under the spray.
Tired of the glazed, slightly petrified look on Lycoris's face, Athena pushed her up against the wall and drew her head down for a scorching kiss. That seemed to snap Lycoris out of her daze. Her lover reversed their positions, pressing her into the wall instead. "There's that sexy confidence," she said when they parted for air. She stroked her fingers down the side of Lycoris's face, chasing the water droplets that clung to her skin.
"Goddess, The. Just looking at you makes me so crazy I can't think straight." Lycoris dropped her head again and nibbled the sensitive skin on her neck. "It's not too soon to meld with you again, is it? Because I still want you."
Athena cut her off with a soft kiss, ignoring the water that ran down both their faces. She cupped Lycoris's cheek, tracing the dotted tattoos that spread out around her eyes. "It's never too soon, Corrie. Now that I've been inside your head, I can't get enough."
Lycoris grinned down at her, and the big smile that spread across her face made Athena's heart flutter. "Really?"
"Really." She traced the folds along Lycoris's neck, weaving her fingers up through the sensitive grooves. "So…do you think you could kneel in this shower without slipping and falling over?" Her cheeks burned as soon as the words came out, but she didn't want to take them back. She had loved going down on Lycoris during their first time, and she couldn't deny that she was curious about receiving the same treatment. She had spent a lot of time imagining how good Lycoris's mouth would feel, and she was eager to see if reality matched up to her expectations.
Lycoris's eyes lit up. "I think I could manage that. But you're the one who should be careful, because I'm gonna blow your mind. Your legs won't be able to hold you up by the time I'm finished with you."
In any other situation, Athena might have laughed, but something about the eagerness behind Lycoris's words made her gasp instead. She had no doubt that Corrie had every intention of fulfilling that promise. Lycoris pulled her in for one last kiss before sliding down to the floor, bracing herself on the shower wall so she wouldn't slip. Athena reached for one of the metal bars in advance, wrapping her fingers around it as she stroked the back of Lycoris's head with her other hand. A little shyly, she shifted her thighs apart.
The response she got banished the last of her hesitance. "Goddess, you're beautiful," Lycoris murmured, staring at her in awe. Lycoris leaned forward, pinning her hips to the wall, and she let out a whimper. The first touch of Lycoris's tongue was even warmer than the water. It slid up between the lips of her azure, covering her in a slow, hot swipe. Her inner walls pulsed, and she clutched tighter at the metal bar and the back of Lycoris's head, not pulling her forward, but desperate to hold on to something. Her mouth fell open, and she let her head fall back.
"The…" Lycoris whispered, parting her outer folds with the pads of her thumbs. "You're so swollen." She gasped, and her body quivered as Lycoris pressed a few hot kisses on the very tip of her ridge. "And you taste so good."
Athena was surprised Lycoris could taste her at all with the water pouring over them, but the compliment made her melt. She sagged against the wall, surrendering to the burn of Lycoris's lips as they sealed around her. The pressure felt wonderful, and her hips jerked without her permission as she tried to push even more of herself into Lycoris's mouth. "H-how did you learn this?" she stammered. Her vision began to swim, and she rocked forward again, desperate for more warmth and pressure. With just a few touches, Lycoris already had her desperate.
Moments later, she felt Lycoris's consciousness brush against the edges of her mind. It was still a little unfamiliar, but she welcomed the new presence inside of her, smiling as Corrie's thoughts twined with hers. 'I'm not sure. I'd lie and say I've done it before, but...'
'But I'd be jealous and kick your ass,' Athena finished for her, enjoying their banter even more when Corrie's mouth was busy between her thighs. She sucked in a stilted breath and her hips jerked hard against Lycoris's face when her lover nipped gently at her clit. If that was the way Corrie was going to reprimand her, she would have to find more ways to displease her.
Athena knew they were both still learning, and while she wanted to direct Lycoris to go faster, it felt too good for her to risk changing anything. Lycoris teased her clit for a little while before sliding down to explore the shivering muscles at her entrance, sometimes pushing her tongue past the tight ring to torment her even more. Athena couldn't decide which she liked the most, but she was getting desperate for Lycoris to stop playing around and push her over the edge.
A hoarse cry tore from her throat when Lycoris's hot mouth pulled her back in. Moments later, two fingers replaced her tongue, and the fullness sent a rippling shudder through her entire body. She clutched the back of Corrie's head, resisting the temptation to dig in with her nails at the sudden swell of sensation. 'Corrie!' She could sense Lycoris's surprise when she started rocking her hips forward, but she couldn't bring herself to stop. The shared emotion might have been embarrassing if she hadn't also felt Lycoris's pride at having made her lose control. There was no better aphrodisiac than knowing Lycoris found her sexy, and Athena couldn't find it in herself to temper any of her reactions.
'Corrie, I - I'm going to...' She tried to think a warning, grinding her clit even further into Lycoris's mouth and pushing down onto her hand to take her fingers deeper. She wanted Lycoris everywhere when she flew apart, afraid that it would be the only way she could come back together again.
'Come,' Lycoris thought. The single word echoed endlessly in Athena's mind. She didn't know if Lycoris was just letting her know that she knew, or if she was demanding it. Either way, Athena couldn't hold back as the pressure inside of her swelled and then broke, exploding into pure bliss. Warmth rushed to meet Lycoris's teasing mouth, and her muscles quivered with each wave of pleasure.
Athena didn't know how long she sagged against the shower wall, held up only by Lycoris's weight against her legs and lower torso, but she didn't care. Lycoris's mind was wrapped comfortingly around hers, and there was something incredibly soothing about the way they overlapped. Nothing had ever felt more right than this connection.
It was only when Athena started noticing the water starting to chill that she reached down and caressed Lycoris's face where it was cradled against her stomach. She nearly purred in delight when Lycoris nuzzled softly against her abdomen, placing a light kiss just above her navel. Lycoris's movements were as languorous as her own, and even though she knew that her lover had only shared in her orgasm, Athena felt strangely proud of herself. "We should get out of here," she said, a little reluctantly. "I'm starting to freeze."
Lycoris pulled back and looked up at her with large, pleading eyes. They were still dark around the edges, and Athena sighed as the last tendrils of the meld dissolved. "Do we have to?"
Athena nodded her head, but her smile grew wider as she watched Lycoris groan and pick herself up. She looked stunning with water rolling over her broad shoulders and streaming down past her slim hips. After allowing herself to stare for a few more seconds, she turned off the shower and hit the button for the air dry. Lycoris huddled into her arms for warmth, and their bodies stayed pressed together as they stepped back out into the bathroom.
"Do you think your Dad's still out there?" she asked, glancing warily at the door.
"Definitely."
She chewed on her lower lip. "Do you think she'll tell my parents?"
"Nah. Mom might, but she doesn't know yet. We're safe for now."
"You're assuming Benezia won't tell either," Athena said. "She might be annoying, but she isn't stupid."
"You'll just have to make sure she doesn't rat us out."
Lycoris opened the door to the bedroom, and Athena peeked over her shoulder, smiling at the sight of their discarded clothes crumpled on the floor. Part of her still couldn't believe that she and Lycoris had finally shared the mating meld together. She had dreamt about it for years, and the reality was taking a while to sink in. On impulse, she wrapped her arms around Lycoris's waist. "Thank you, Corrie," she murmured into the sweet-smelling skin of Lycoris's throat. "Thank you for sharing this with me. It was…"
"Perfect."
They smiled at each other, and Athena's heart swelled. Even without the meld, not all of her connection to Lycoris had faded. Something still bound them together, and it made her feel warm all over. Their lips met for a brief, gentle kiss, and they finally pulled apart to get dressed, still wearing identical grins.
"Well, you took your sweet time getting home."
Athena shot Benezia a sour look as she shut the door behind her. She rolled her eyes and huffed, tossing her bag onto the nearby couch beside her sister's feet. "And it didn't take you any time at all to start irritating me. Leave me alone, Benezia. I have a lot of homework to do."
"Homework, huh?" Benezia switched off the vid she was watching and sat up, crossing her legs in front of her. "So? Was Lycoris any good or what?"
"That's none of your business," Athena snapped. She started toward the second floor landing, but changed her mind half way there and headed for the kitchen instead. Apparently, the mating meld burned more calories than she had expected, because she felt like she had just finished a biotic workout.
Unfortunately, Benezia followed her. "Aw, come on. You're even walking funny. You might be able to hide things from Mom and Dad, but you can't lie to me."
"That's because you're always sticking your nose in my business." She deliberately turned away from Benezia and opened the pantry, searching for some of the protein bars her mother always kept on hand.
"You mean Lycoris was sticking her nose in your business..."
That comment hit too close to home, and she whirled around. Humming energy blossomed around her fists, crackling as she clenched her fingers. "I'm warning you. Drop this now, or Mom and Dad are going to come home to a Benezia-shaped smear on the wall."
"Not that I'd really object, but what's with the threats?" Diana asked as she strode into the kitchen. She headed directly to the fridge, pulling out a bottle that was undoubtedly filled with some kind of protein supplement. The whole thing disappeared in just a few long swallows.
"Hey, why do you always take her side, Di?" Benezia huffed, crossing her arms.
"Because you were born to annoy us, sis," Diana said, rubbing her hand back and forth over Benezia's crest in a way that she knew her sister hated. "And I know the only reason you've stopped following me lately is because you think commando training is boring."
"Speaking of," Athena said, seeing a way to redirect the conversation so that it wasn't about her and Lycoris any longer, "I thought you had drills or something today."
"We did. One of the humans was hit pretty hard with an uncontrolled biotic throw, so we spent the day in the weight room instead." Diana reached back into the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, taking a few small sips as she leaned casually against the kitchen counter. "But that doesn't explain why you were threatening to make Nezzie a stain on the wall."
"You know how she is. It's only a matter of time before I won't be able to hold myself back."
"Just try it, I dare you," Benezia said. "Then there really wouldn't be any reason for me not to tell Mom and Dad."
"Tell Mom and Dad what?" Diana asked.
"Nothing," Athena said quickly.
"That definitely means something, but I'm gonna be honest. I don't really care. I've got my own shit to deal with. Just work it out before Mom and Dad get home, because I'm not sitting through another "family meeting" that's really just for the two of you."
"Fair enough," Athena said. "Even though it's Benezia's fault…"
Benezia gave her a sour look. "Hey, it's not my fault you and Lycoris can't keep your hands off each other."
Athena shoved the middle of her chest to keep her quiet, but it was too late. Diana's eyes widened, and she lifted her hands defensively, slowly backing away. "Whoa. I'm not getting involved in this one. Good luck with that, The. Just give me a little warning before Dad finds out so I can make myself scarce."
"Dad isn't going to find out," Athena insisted, whipping her head around to glare at Benezia. "Right? Because if she does…" She clenched her fists, and purple-white pulses of light radiated around them. Finishing the rest of her threat wasn't necessary. Benezia shrugged and pretended to play it off, but Athena caught a genuine flash of fear in her eyes. Diana might have been able to hold her off with one of their father's galaxy-famous Vanguard charges, but Benezia wouldn't stand a change. She had spent her entire life studying their mother's style of combat, and although Benezia was a much better fighter than the average asari civilian, her sister had never been able to match her precision. If they actually got into a fight, Athena was confident that she could win every time.
"Fine," Benezia said sulkily, stomping out of the kitchen. "No reason to be a dick about it."
The English phrase - clearly from their father - almost made Athena laugh, but she managed to wait until Benezia was gone from the room. Then, she slumped backward against the counter and snickered, pleased with herself for frightening her sister into submission for once. Normally, she was the one who ended up storming from the room in frustration when they fought. Even though she was a better fighter, Benezia was a far more talented arguer.
"That has to be the lamest parting line I've ever heard," Diana said with a roll of her eyes. "So, what are you gonna do if she tells?"
Athena sighed. "I'm not sure. Let's hope she doesn't."
"So…" Diana glanced over at the door, making sure Benezia had truly left. "Was she any good?"
"Not you, too," Athena said, but hearing the question from Diana wasn't nearly as offensive. She knew her sister was only asking out of curiosity, and not in the hopes of getting her in trouble. "It was… I - I'm not sure I can describe it. I know we've melded with Mom and Dad, with each other, and with some of our Aunts and Uncles, but… this was far beyond anything I've ever experienced before."
Diana's forehead lifted in surprise. "Really?"
Athena nodded. "It was… how can I describe it? I melded with Lycoris a lot when we were children, but the true union is completely different. I wasn't just a guest in her head. I was a part of her. What's the sappy way Mom used to talk about it? Two minds twining into a single, rapturous whole?" A soft smile filled her face, and she aimed her eyes at the floor, suddenly feeling shy. "I thought she was just being poetic, but that's really what it felt like."
"Damn, you're making me want to find a girlfriend," Diana said after a brief, awkward pause. "So, are you in love with her? Because all that sounds a lot like love to me."
She hesitated, twisting her hands together in a nervous gesture. "That's one question I'm not ready to answer yet, at least not out loud." It was a cop-out, but even though she trusted Diana more than Benezia, her sister didn't have to know everything. "I'm going to head upstairs," she said, pushing off the counter and heading back toward the living room. "I have homework to finish."
"Liar," Diana teased, but she didn't push. "You could have finished school years ago if you wanted."
"And you know I didn't want to," Athena said. "Mom and Dad agreed it would be better for my social development to follow the same time schedule as most of the other students. Besides, everyone would have assumed Mom pulled some strings if I applied to Serrice."
"Pfft." Diana snorted. "Mom's only on campus every few weeks. She's not that big a deal."
"She's the president of the University, Di."
"Sure, and I'm the Queen of Omega. What do you think her real job is, anyway? Even when we were kids, there were some days she spent in her room with the door locked…"
Athena had long since decided it was a better idea not to look for answers to that question. Her mother and father both had their secrets, and as she had grown up, she had realized it was probably better not to know. What few details she had uncovered about her parents' activities during the war had all been unpleasant, like the confidential video footage she had unearthed that showed their beloved Aunt Miranda dissecting pieces of her father's body. After that, her desire to learn more had faded. The basic but still mostly truthful outline her parents had given her was enough.
"You'll have to ask her about that," she said over her shoulder as she left. "I'll see you later. Have fun with your training tomorrow."
Once she was alone in her room, Athena finally allowed her joy to shine through. She squealed and threw herself backwards onto the bed, hugging herself tight as she beamed up at the ceiling. She almost imagined she could still see Lycoris's face hovering over hers. Even with the awkwardness and interruptions, with her nervousness and her unspoken feelings, today had been one of the best days of her life. She let her mind drift back over the details, determined to carry it with her always.