AN: Some plot-related stuff will be happening soon... but this chapter has a fair bit of smut.
. . .
Chapter Nine:
"I still can't believe you're actually here," Lycoris muttered. She stared at Athena with a jittery sort of amazement, unable to hide her grin. When her parents had asked her to accompany them to Omega instead of leaving her at home, she had thought it was a ploy to keep her away from Athena for a while (and away from Commander Shepard's stern, watchful eyes). She hadn't expected them to invite her lover along as well, and the fact that Athena's parents had agreed to let her go was nothing short of a miracle. "The last time your Dad and I were in the same room, I thought she was going to kill me. Now, she's letting us go to Omega! Alone! Together!"
Athena reached out to squeeze her hand, running a thumb over her knuckles. She wasn't vibrating, but Lycoris was happy to see a large smile on her face. "I'm almost positive my Mom talked her into it. That, or she used some kind of blackmail. I can't think of any other explanation. I heard one of their whisper-fights from outside their bedroom door while I was heading down to the kitchen for a snack the other night."
"I believe it," Lycoris said. Her father had always told her that there was more to Liara T'Soni than one could assume on first glance. Lycoris had personally witnessed Athena's mother tear through a combat simulator at record speed, and Doctor T'Soni's plans always seemed to work out, no matter how farfetched they were. It didn't surprise her that even the legendary Commander Shepard would give in to Liara's demands.
Athena's hand left hers, shifting to rest on her thigh instead. "I'm just grateful my Mom and both of your parents approve of... us."
Lycoris noticed the pause, and she wasn't sure whether it made her happy or sad. Obviously, Athena still didn't know what to call their strange relationship. Does that mean she wants to give it a more serious label like I do? Or is she afraid of calling it a relationship at all? Although her own feelings were more than clear since their last meld—she loved Athena, and there was no way she could deny it—she still wasn't sure how Athena felt about her. She remembered the waves of love she experienced whenever they joined, but until Athena said the words out loud, she couldn't be sure. The mating meld was still brand new to her, and she had trouble distinguishing where her feelings stopped and Athena's started.
"Me too," she said at last, trying not to let the questions dampen her mood. Things were good. She and her girlfriend—Wait, is she my girlfriend? I guess it won't do any harm to think of her that way in my head—were on a trip to Omega. A trip where her father would be working, and they would have almost free run of the station. Being the Princess of Omega had its perks, and she planned on showing Athena all the best sights. "I was thinking we could tour the strip for a while after we land. Unless you want to unpack first? There's always someone waiting to take our bags for us, but if you want to change or wash up, we could..."
Athena leaned in, capturing her lips in a short kiss. Lycoris made a muffled noise of surprise, but soon, her eyes closed. She relaxed, losing herself in the warmth of Athena's mouth and forgetting that her parents were only one room away. Athena tasted so good, and each soft brush of her tongue made her shudder. When it slipped inside to tease hers, she thought she might melt into the bench.
Of all the ways to pass the flight time to Omega, Lycoris hadn't thought this was one of their options. They were alone in the cabin because her parents had retired to their own room shortly after take off, but that didn't mean she and Athena had a lot of privacy. Anyone could walk in at any time. Even so, the threat of being caught did little to deter her. Kissing Athena was one of her favorite things in the world, and she couldn't bring herself to stop.
Lycoris was so wrapped up in Athena's lips that she didn't notice the hand slowly climbing up the inside of her thigh until it was almost to the juncture of her legs. "Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa," she said breathlessly. She leaned back, curling her fingers around Athena's wrist at the same time. There was something else she didn't want Athena to find out about yet, and if she reached any higher, the surprise would be ruined.
"What's wrong?" Athena asked. Her low, sultry voice sent shivers of excitement racing along Lycoris's spine and bolts of heat shooting straight between her legs.
"Anyone could walk in," she said. It was the truth, but it wasn't the only thing she was worried about.
"Mmm, they could," Athena hummed. She leaned in for another kiss, and it was all Lycoris could do to keep from falling blindly into desire again. She only managed to pull back when Athena tried to free her hand, presumably to continue teasing her with it.
This time, Athena was a little more concerned. "What's wrong, Corrie? I thought you would be a little more adventurous, especially with what's going on in your pants."
Lycoris's jaw dropped, and she made a conscious effort to close her mouth. "You knew?"
Athena smiled indulgently at her. "In those leather pants, it isn't exactly subtle." Lycoris blushed and tried to look away, but Athena drew her gaze back with a warm hand to her cheek. "And I have to admit, I might have been looking for it. I was hoping you'd take me literally when I asked you to pack it. I'm glad you enjoy your new toy enough to wear it out. Or should I call it our new toy?"
Lycoris sucked in a sharp breath as Athena's hand finally cupped between her legs. She let out a shaking breath, and her cock throbbed in response to the insistent touch. It was hard to think of all the reasons she should put a stop to her girlfriend's teasing when Athena's nimble fingers were driving away her sanity.
"We can't do this," she mumbled, trying to convince herself as much as Athena. "M—my parents. They could... they could walk in at any second to check on us and—"
"They won't," Athena purred. "Why do you think they went back to their room as soon as we boarded? They're going to be busy for a while."
The soft squeeze of Athena's cupped hand turned into steady stroking, and Lycoris felt herself strain further against the front of her pants. Athena had been right before. Leather really was uncomfortably confining. "Don't you remember what happened last time?" she said in a tight hiss, half terrified and half-desperate to reach down and unzip herself for a little relief. "Your entire family walked in on us. Do we really want a repeat of that situation?"
"Your parents would be smart enough to knock," Athena pointed out. Her fingers did what Lycoris's had been aching to do themselves, and the sound of a zipper being pulled down rose above the low hum of the ship's engines. "Besides, isn't that why you wore this? Because you wanted a little adventure?"
It was, but Lycoris didn't say so. The 'adventure' she had pictured in her mind took place in the safety of a bedroom, not in a ship's cabin. Still, as Athena's fingers squeezed into her pants and searched for the edge of her underwear, she couldn't find the strength to pull her lover's hand away. It felt too good as it skimmed over the last barrier between them, tracing the outline of her shaft. She tore her eyes away, unable to look at what was happening in her lap, and swallowed to loosen the lump in her throat. "The..."
Athena silenced her with another kiss. This one stole her breath away, but she was grateful for it because it also muffled her groan. Her underwear came down a few inches, and the teasing fingers became a fist. She couldn't keep from crying out as Athena's warm hand curled around the top half of her cock, squeezing just beneath the swollen head. Heat slid over the tip, and she knew she was already dripping. It's not fair, she thought, gripping the edge of the bench and fighting her instinct to thrust. Her hips quivered with the effort of holding still. It's not okay that she can undo me with just one touch...
Blunt teeth tugged at her lower lip as Athena's thumb swiped through the sensitive divot at the tip of the toy, playing through the pearls of wetness there. "I wish I could have you inside me like this," she whispered once their mouths broke off. "Feeling how hard you are is making me ache." Lycoris's lips trembled as she tried to force them to move, but she wasn't even sure whether she would have agreed with Athena's suggestion or rejected it for being too risky. Fortunately, she didn't have to decide. "But we can't leave a mess, so that's going to have to wait."
Lycoris felt herself pulse at Athena's words. She had no idea where Athena had learned how to seduce her so effectively. Maybe it's me, she thought as Athena's hand fell into a slow pumping motion. Maybe I'm just pathetic when it comes to her and how pretty she looks and how gorgeous her eyes are and how soft her hands are and how good she feels when she touches me... Her thoughts splintered and ran together as the fullness along her shaft started to grow. Athena's fist picked up the perfect speed and pressure, and she was terrified she would end up making a mess after all in a matter of seconds.
She could still remember with vivid clarity how quickly she'd come when Athena had tried to give her a blowjob for the first time. It honestly embarrassed her, no matter how many times Athena assured her that she found it sexy. Lycoris was always losing her cool around Athena, and just once she wished she could hold it together long enough to keep from embarrassing herself.
"Babe, I'm close," she gasped, deciding it was better to admit it before her climax crept up on her. Her control was already wavering.
"Mmm, I know," Athena purred against her neck between kisses. The hand stroking her shaft slowed down a little, but it didn't stop. "I can feel how full you are. So full that you're dripping." Athena's thumb slid teasingly over the tip of her cock, swiping away a drop of slick fluid that was quickly replaced by another. "Goddess, I wish it was inside me..."
"Shit," Lycoris stammered, her inner muscles clenching desperately against the seat of the toy. She couldn't take much more of this, and the fact that Athena knew exactly what to say didn't help. The needy, whispered words beside her crest were almost enough to make her come all on their own.
"Shh, just let it happen, sweetheart," Athena murmured, lips skimming her cheek. "You need to come. I want you to come. Just do it."
None of that soothed Lycoris. She was going to make a mess everywhere if she just gave in, and it felt too good to be over so soon. But before her hazy mind could comprehend what was going on, Athena leaned over her lap and took the head of her cock into her mouth.
"Fuck!" she yelled, remembering too late that she was supposed to keep her voice down. Her hips jerked up, seeking more of the warmth sealed around her. She didn't want to do it, but she couldn't help herself, and Athena's little hum of approval did nothing to help her tattered control.
Athena played dirty. Not only did Lycoris have to contend with soft heat pulling at the head of her cock and a wicked tongue lashing the slit in the tip, but the fist at the base of her length started moving again with more purpose. The steady strokes pulled more wetness up along her shaft and into Athena's mouth. There wasn't anything she could do to fight it. Her release was already pounding within her, aching to spill free, and Athena knew just how to shatter her control.
"The, I'm gonna..." She never finished her sentence. The warm mouth sucking her tip and the confident hand pumping her shaft were too much to bear. She let out a strangled groan, and the pressure in her cock swelled to bursting as she groped for Athena's mind. To her relief, it was there, eager and welcoming. She formed the meld as fast as she could, shuddering as some of her discomfort eased. But being in Athena's head, feeling her desire, was not enough. She needed release.
'That's it,' Athena's voice said, curling seductively around her, through her. 'Come for me, Corrie. Please?'
Lycoris tensed, then melted as she flew over the edge. Her inner muscles fluttered around the short end of the toy buried inside her, and thick streams of come shot from her twitching tip. She grunted, clutching desperately at the back of Athena's head and holding her in place. Some small part of her mind shouted at her not to clutch so tight, but she couldn't help it. She needed something to grip, or she was certain she'd fall apart.
Despite the short build-up, her orgasm seemed to last forever. She pulsed jet after jet of come into Athena's mouth, and more seemed to flood from her every time she felt her lover swallow. The thought that Athena was tasting her, taking every drop, drove her crazy and coaxed her to come all over again. She sucked in ragged gasps, lungs burning, struggling to remember how to breathe.
'More,' Athena thought, fingers squeezing just a little harder. 'Please, I want it all.'
Lycoris couldn't form an answer, but she couldn't resist either. She wanted to give Athena everything. Her stomach muscles flexed, and another surge of warmth spilled from her throbbing shaft. She latched onto the joining, clinging to Athena for dear life as she rode through the harsh waves. She held on, physically and mentally, until her orgasm tapered into aftershocks. Her cock kept rippling, but she had spent all she had.
She watched with glazed eyes, blinking slowly as Athena pulled back from her lap with a soft pop. Her lips were puffy and glistening, and Lycoris's muscles clenched one last time. Watching Athena swallow her come had left her completely dazed, and the thought stayed with her long after the meld faded. "Oh Goddess," she slurred, shaking her head in disbelief. "Did that really just happen? How do you do that?"
Athena smirked. "It's easy. You're easy. I thought it would be a lot harder to convince you while your parents were on the same ship."
The reminder had Lycoris rushing to zip up her pants. She shot a frantic glance at the door, but thankfully, they had remained undisturbed. She just hoped she hadn't been loud enough to alert anyone in the nearby rooms. Athena had been quiet, but she was sure she had screamed at least once or twice in the middle of her orgasm. "We're not doing that again," she insisted, but her voice shook as she said it. "It's way too risky, and we've already been caught once."
"It's all right," Athena teased, leaning in close until their mouths hovered just a few inches apart. "You can pay me back later. Not too much later, but I'm willing to wait until we're somewhere else."
With Athena's mouth so close and just begging to be kissed again, it took Lycoris a moment to register exactly what she had said. She had spent a lot of time over the years imagining all the things she wanted to do with, and to, Athena. They'd been able to cover a lot of those things in the past few months, but there were always more to try. And if Lycoris was reading Athena's retort correctly, her lover was hinting at a desire to be a little adventurous.
"Not in the same place as my parents, huh?" Lycoris asked in what she hoped passed as a sexy purr. "Does that mean you want to wait until we're settled into our apartment on Omega?" She glanced quickly at the door to make certain they were still alone before sliding her hand up Athena's thigh. She stopped just before her fingers grazed the outer lips of Athena's azure, smiling as she whimpered and tilted her hips to encourage contact. "Or are you going to need some attention before then?"
"Before," Athena pleaded. "Goddess, before."
Lycoris felt a surge of pride when she saw darkness cloud Athena's eyes. Her lover was even more desperate than she'd thought. It was nice to know she wasn't the only one who had a problem with control when they were together.
"Before," Lycoris purred in confirmation, liking the neediness that she'd evoked in her lover. "When we land, I'll send our bags ahead, and maybe we can go explore the lower districts. There are plenty of places where we won't be disturbed, where I can take my time paying you back. And you can be as loud as you want." Goddess, now that she'd said it, that was exactly what Lycoris wanted to do. She hadn't meant to get herself quite so worked up again, but she could deal with it until they landed.
"Now," Athena demanded, grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her hand higher. "Please?"
The situation had spun out of control quicker than Lycoris anticipated. As much as she didn't want to disappoint Athena, she still wasn't comfortable doing this when her parents could walk in at any moment. She drew her hand back as gently as possible, pulling Athena across the seat and into her lap while her lover whimpered in protest. "I'm sorry, The. I didn't mean to get you so worked up," she said, hugging Athena's trembling body close.
Lycoris started to worry when Athena didn't say anything, but she was somewhat placated by the fact that she didn't try to crawl back into her own seat either. "It's okay. I'm okay," Athena said, her breathing a little steadier against her neck. A few more moments passed before she pulled back enough to look into Lycoris's eyes. "But you'd better not go back on those promises, or I'll never forgive you."
Before Lycoris could offer reassurances, they were both distracted by an announcement from the communication system. "Attention: we are approaching our final destination," said the ship VI's monotone voice. "All passengers please report to decontamination. Attention: we are approaching our final destination. All passengers please report to—"
"Do you think we should report to decontamination?" Lycoris teased with a small grin.
"I suppose we have to," Athena sighed. She pulled away and stood up from the bench, stretching her arms above her head. It put her breasts on prominent display, and Lycoris stared at them in awe for a moment before shaking herself out of her stupor.
"Guess it's a good thing we didn't keep going. We wouldn't have had time to finish."
Athena gave her a sly look. "You might have managed," she purred, batting her eyelashes. The ache between Lycoris's legs surged all over again, and she could only manage a strangled squeak. She stood as well, cupping a hand at the dip of Athena's spine and escorting her toward the door before she could embarrass herself.
They headed for decontamination, passing a few other people on the way. Most of them were muscular, well-armed, and a bit shifty-looking, so Lycoris suspected her father had chartered the crew as well as the ship. Traveling with her mother's people usually meant C-Sec uniforms and a bunch of buttoned-up turians calling her "Ma'am" at every opportunity, not grumpy batarians with more guns than one person should have been able to carry and lean, no-nonsense asari commandos.
However, it wasn't long before they stumbled across someone familiar. Lycoris smiled when she caught sight of Grizz talking to her father in an out-of-the-way corner. Although the old turian had retired from his job as Aria's bodyguard a few years back, she had kept him on as a confidant and advisor. He acted as one of her most trusted enforcers when she wasn't personally supervising things on Omega, and he still carried a top of the line pistol at his hip despite his age. She lifted her arm to wave hello, but as she approached, she noticed the worry on Grizz's face. He shook his head as he whispered to Aria, and the motion wasn't reassuring.
"Wait," she said, folding her arm around Athena's hip and urging her to stop. Being Aria T'Loak's daughter had taught her to recognize when situations were "off" from an early age, and this definitely didn't look good. "Can you hear what they're talking about?" Athena paused, and both of them listened. Once she focused hard enough, Lycoris could make out a few pieces of the conversation over the noise of the ship and the crew.
"Why wasn't I informed of this earlier?" Aria asked. Her voice sounded worried rather than annoyed as it floated over. "I thought I resolved our issues with Cythia Pyralis last time I was here? I let her take over Eclipse after I killed her boss. She owes me."
"I think that's what shook her up," Grizz said, the flange in his voice wavering. "Pyralis knows she's supposed to be your puppet now, and she doesn't like it. She's smart enough to realize she's expendable, and gutsy enough to think she can do something about it if she gets the jump on you."
Aria rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't call that gutsy. I'd call it stupid. And if she tries anything, she's going to be dead too."
Grizz nodded. "It's nothing confirmed, only rumors, but I want you to be careful."
"It's not myself I'm worried about," Aria said. "The kid can fight if she has to, and her girlfriend's no slouch in the biotics department either, but Tevos and Shepard will kill me if any gang violence springs up while they're here."
"You sound more afraid of them than the thought of Eclipse trying a coup," Grizz said.
"Of course. Have you seen my bondmate when she's angry? People don't realize she can be almost as terrifying as me."
Beside her, Athena snickered, and Lycoris turned to look at her. "You think she's kidding? Dad gets a bad rap because she has her big badass business reputation, but she's really the nice one. Mom's better at diplomacy, but she's a lot scarier when she's angry."
"You obviously know from experience," Athena teased.
Lycoris gave her a practiced wink that she hoped was roguish, although judging by Athena's smile, it came off sillier than she had intended. "Well, I am my father's daughter."
"Mmm, I think we've covered how glad I am that you share some of your father's traits." Athena stared deep into her eyes, wrapping a hand around the back of her neck and pulling her down for one final kiss. When their lips touched, the rest of the world fell away. Lycoris fisted the front of Athena's top, taking control of the kiss as she crowded as close as possible. Her thigh slipped between Athena's legs of its own accord, and she was thrilled by the soft moan she pulled from her lover.
It was only when someone very close to them cleared their throat that Lycoris broke away, blushing as she remembered that they were out in the open. Athena only seemed to be amused, and kept hold of her before she could put too much distance between them.
When Lycoris looked up, it was into an indulgent look from Grizz. "Maybe not here, Corrie," he said, a smile in his voice. "The crew's got a lot to do and they don't need another distraction."
"Sorry, Grizz," Lycoris said sheepishly. Still, she couldn't resist slinging her arm around Athena's waist.
"No problem. But how about you introduce me to your lovely guest?"
Athena just smiled at her total lack of manners and took matters into her own hands. "Hello, I'm Athena T'Soni." She held out her hand in the standard human greeting.
"Ah, Shepard and Liara's eldest daughter," Grizz said, reaching out to take Athena's offered hand. "We've met before, although it's been a few decades. I hope you'll enjoy your stay on Omega."
Athena looked up at Lycoris with a twinkle of mischief in her eyes. "Oh, I'm sure I will." She waited a beat before saying, "Speaking of which, I'm eager to have Corrie give me a tour of her home station. Could you arrange to have our luggage taken to the T'Loak-Tevos residence so we could start right away?"
Lycoris tried hard not to blush, knowing exactly what Athena was so eager for. She thought she'd done a decent job, but Grizz's observant eyes had surely picked up something amiss with their behavior. Still, he was good enough to accept Athena's request without any further convincing. Then Athena took her by the hand and tugged her towards the airlock, eager to explore Omega, and probably find that dark place she had promised such a short while ago.