Chapter 17

Carpe Diem

Kasumi sat quietly next to the artificial fireplace in the apartment with one of her favorite paperback novels in her hands. The night cycle was almost in full swing for the inhabitants of the Citadel; soon the Normandy team would slowly start migrating back to their beds to rest after a long day of work.

For the time being the thief was alone; serene, meditative music played softly off her omni-tool while her favorite candle burned nearby. A lot of things happened the day she had been knocked out on her side of things and while she was unconscious, but the serenity Kasumi had now made it easy to forget. I'm really going to need to spend some time in the combat simulator,she thought. Pummeling me shouldn't have been so easy for them to do. I was a bit complacent. It won't happen again, but keeping my skills sharp by using the combat arena is a good idea. Maybe I'll take Shep with me to make it a date.

She smiled at the thought. The last time they had been in the combat simulator together the commander had put the stipulation of no medi-gel on only to end up getting hit. At the time Kasumi had made a joke about her getting old and not being able to keep up with her agile nature; after the war ended and when Shepard finally woke up she found out it was because the redhead was admiring her that she got wounded.

Yes it was quite possible the same instance could happen again where her lover got distracted mid-fight, but that was okay. In the combat arena that wouldn't be costly other than getting bruised, and there would be some personal enjoyment for Kasumi being the cause of distraction. The first time she hadn't been able to revel in her lover's eyes being more focused on her than the battle. Ensuring she wouldn't get hurt this time would be important.

Saving her while she is distracted would also be an entertaining outcome, Kasumi thought with a mischievous smile tugging onto her lips. The playful teasing I could get out of that…I would take the lead in out flirt battles without a doubt.

The last few days since she awoke had left her in a deficit against the redhead who thoroughly enjoyed being able to take the lead. Right now Kasumi was a bit helpless and wouldn't be able to take the lead anytime soon, but if they did go to the combat simulator and her idea did come to fruition then she could turn it around.

I only have myself to blame for losing the lead, she reminded herself as she turned the page in her book. Getting myself hurt and being unconscious for a few days really worried Ana. I can't say I blame her for the teasing; it's a way to make light of what could have been disastrous and helps to ease her nerves as well as not let me live down scaring her. Kasumi had found a sort of Zen in the peaceful environment of the apartment, but she did not forget what happened, not by a longshot.

She could still recall the event in perfect clarity, which wasn't comforting whatsoever.

First thing to go awry when she was out buying another red rose to give to Shepard before heading out to actually start helping people was all comms in the area going down. A good idea on their part to keep me from warning Shep or the others, the thief conceded. She didn't enjoy the outcome it had, but she had to give credit where it was due, although it was a bit obvious when they did it. Thanks to all the people around at the time, shutting down comms became completely obvious when civilians in the area lost all connection to their calls.

Kasumi had checked her own right away and found that it too was down. It was obvious at that point that something bad was about to happen. Immediately instincts kicked in and her eyes began darting around in search for who could be the one behind doing it.

The comm jammer that they had used was only short ranged; it was the only kind of jammer available with all the tech that was fried. Long range jammers were either still wrecked, in military hands or on the black market costing more credits than they had before, and they were expensive before the war.

Short ranged comm jammers were a bit old school compared to the long range kind; they could only jam their target if the person jamming was in the area of said target. Because of this the only people who really used the short ranged jammers were those working in tandem with others and those who could blend into an area like Thane or a smart thief like her.

This made things for the user difficult if they couldn't blend in and it made finding them easier for people like Kasumi who was able to find the shiftiest looking people staring right at her. There was a high possibility that they hadn't tried to hide at all, definitely with what they had ended up doing anyways. Either way, their bad intentions for her were quite obvious.

Whether it was the N7 tags around her neck or the fact that civilians had seen her helping others after the war ended that caused them all to listen to her when she ordered everyone to find cover in the marketplace was unknown, but in hindsight it didn't really matter. They had listened and that had helped to save more lives than not listening would have caused.

I guess being seen in the news dancing with Shep and kissing her probably helped too.

Gunfire had exploded on the scene, wounding the present C-Sec officers while stray rounds had hit civilians caught in the crossfire. Whoever had planned the attack had really thought through everything and they were gunning for her without care for who was caught in the crosshairs. The cliché villains, Kasumi mused.

Almost every person the Normandy team had run into from the SR-1 to both tours of the SR-2 fit some sort of villain cliché. There was the Illusive Man and his power hungry psychosis, Saren the self-righteous villain who believed the bad things he was doing would save more lives than there were alive in the galaxy.

Then again, if I look at Shep's crew I'm sure there would be clichés among us. Jack the tough woman with a sensitive side, me the thief with a sense of honor, Mordin the mad scientist, Garrus her cool badass partner, Miranda the tough woman with a sensitive side.

Kasumi couldn't help but laugh to herself at giving Miranda the same title as Jack. She wasn't sure what—if anything—was going on between the two, but she knew if she were to tell them they were tough women with sensitive sides they would probably smash her around to give her a sensitive side. That sounds a bit dirty now that I think about it. She shrugged. Jack has said worse.

Being armed helped out a lot to take down the goons who were simply opening fire on the people, but that was when everything came crashing down. Opening fire on civilians after everyone had survived the Reapers, Kasumi shook her head, it was despicable. I couldn't just stay in cover taking shots at them; I had to get them out of there. The thought was a good one but I didn't think it through well enough. No flashbangs or team to help me out, just me against a bunch of goons trying to kill me. Great idea Kasumi, great idea, she scolded herself.

Not wanting to let more innocents die after the war had ended, Kasumi moved into action by helping fallen civilians in the line of fire up and covering them as they moved to cover.

By that time the men had closed the distance and it became a close quarter's fight. Her agile and flexible body had helped out a lot to keep most at bay or out cold when she had the chance to knock them out. It had been going really well at first, but the numbers were clearly stacked in their favor. She was soon surrounded and lacking three hundred and sixty degree vision she hadn't been able to see all the attacks coming.

To be fair Kasumi had managed to knock out and kill a few, stalling long enough for the civilians to find cover or run before something smashed into the back of her head. Everything was severely fuzzy after that—not including the severe amount of pain that was erupting over her body—until finally in her fogged vision she saw a gun aimed at her. She closed her eyes at the sight, expecting a searing round to pierce through her body or head to cause an excruciating pain or a short quick pain that ended everything. In this short time Kasumi found herself thinking about Shepard and the future they could have shared.

A mournful smile made its way onto her face. I really thought that was it for me. There I was on the ground getting kicked around, about to be shot or killed, and the only thing I could think about was Ana and the dreams she had for us. Living on the beach with her, having a few kids…it was a beautiful dream…beautiful like her.

The thoughts served as a quick blast of joy and heartache all in one package because of one reason: she was breaking her promise to not force her lover to find out what life without her was like, preventing them from experiencing such a great dream.

Her only joy in it was it felt real as everything involving Shepard did. It felt in those last moments as if she had been able to live it all and in a way it was comforting. Peace of mind had been achieved in what felt like her final moments, her only regrets had been breaking the promise and causing her lover more heartache than she ever wished to commit.

And that was a big regret going into the next life with, Kasumi thought as she turned the page in her book. That would have caused her so much pain stacked on the heartache of losing Mordin, Thane, Legion and Ashley. I couldn't bear to leave her like that.

Yet striking a deal with the greater power felt utterly useless at that point. Her lover had already struck her promise and succeeded, so what was left for her to ask for? One more chance at a dream and life they wanted to live? One more chance to give Shepard the happiness the thief was able to give her by loving her and not cause her more heartache?

Would asking even work?

Kasumi smiled softly. The better question was why wait to ask in the first place? One more chance was worth asking for and if that was my only way out then I was going to take it so I could see her again. On a whim Kasumi took that chance to ask for one more shot because that was a damn good thing to ask for and something she wanted more than anything.

There was a gunshot yet she had felt no pain other than what pain she had from the beating she received. Hazarding a gander, she cracked her eyes open and found the man who had been aiming a gun at her dead on the ground with a pool of blood forming under him.

All of the others had begun scattering like chickens while screaming something she couldn't hear as another group of people who seemed familiar went chasing after them. They too were shouting what sounded something akin to curses and death threats. Whether it was through some sort of divine providence granting her another shot or just sheer luck that someone was saving her was an unknown.

They had her thanks regardless.

Purple eyes peering down on her gave Kasumi an answer to who had saved her. Only one guy I know with purple eyes. Ghost the moment killer and last minute savior. How he knew what was going on didn't matter so much as him showing up to save her right at the last second.

Sometimes better late than never was a great thing.

His lips had been moving but she couldn't hear what he said. The pain in her head and across her chest and abdomen was too much to comprehend anything else but the injuries she received. The only grace she had, aside from being saved and alive, was that she didn't have any wounds from being shot. If she had been it was likely she would have been bleeding out badly.

Although the damage I learned I had afterwards was pretty bad. My ribs broken, my face and the back of my head being bloodied, possibility of brain damage for a time, it's probably the worst set of physical injuries I had. If the worst had happened, being shot might not have been so bad. Not being able to remember Shepard, their friends or any of the emotional ties she held with them would have been worse than death.

Kasumi shuddered at the mere thought of losing all the emotions she felt for Shepard and their friends, especially the commander. Granted had it happened she wouldn't know any better, but knowing now what could have happened and the pain it would have caused her lover made her glad to have an undamaged mind.

She let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully that didn't happen. Her mind remained intact and her love for Shepard was as strong as it ever was.

She could remember asking Ghost to give Shepard the now broken rose that had found its way into her hand at some point when she was on the ground and then tell her sorry for breaking it, but everything went dark after that.

The moments afterwards were hard to recall, including what happened in her unconscious mind or the dreams that she had experienced while out cold, if any actually happened for that matter. Waking up the first time to be put back under was her first memory after the event and then waking up the last time with Shepard in the room.

She hadn't been caught up on all the goings of everything that happened until the day after waking up, mostly because she was still highly medicated and too tired to comprehend a lot. Doc and her sedatives always have a way of keeping you too tired to fight back, Kasumi mused. Instead the two lovers had spent time quietly together in as close of proximity to one another as they could; only sharing words with one another when jokes or loving words came to mind.

Having her redheaded beauty there next to her holding her hand and kissing the back of it now and then was one of the best ways to recover. Her soft lips still make me quake, the thief smiled as a small shiver ran up her spine at remembering the woman's lips pressing against her.

To have nearly passed from this world without seeing her smile again or her beautiful sky blue eyes would have been a terrible thing. Whatever had allowed her to remain in this life, whether it was divine power, luck, or Ghost being diligent, each had her utmost thanks.

There was much she still wanted to do in this life involving her Shep before passing on, definitely including but not limited to those dreams they shared. The incident was a reminder to seize each present moment they had with one another and never hold back for tomorrow because tomorrow didn't always come.

Honestly the incident shouldn't have needed to be a reminder considering they had lived through a war where that was the day to day motto, but life was full of lessons and this most recent reminder wouldn't fall on deaf ears.

They had both made a silent agreement to never take their moments together for granted. Not that they did before, but sometimes even when you were taking in each experience with both eyes open you could forget to allow your other senses to take it in to create a more livelier memory.

Being stuck in the hospital had disallowed them from being able to do certain things to show each other how much their love for one another had grown by being separated by such terrible circumstances. Instead of doing that and getting interrupted, and in huge trouble, they chose to save it for a time when they weren't in such a public place, like back at the apartment two days from the moment Kasumi woke up.

Today to be exact.

In the meantime Kasumi had been caught up on all the events that had gone on that day, and to say she was a bit upset was an understatement. So much excitement; an old grudge come back to haunt Shep in an attempt to kill her and her friends, an attack on the apartment, an attempt on the ambassadors life. Kasumi sighed, sounds like something out of one of my books and I didn't even get to experience it.

She felt remorse over the loss of lives at the refugee camps, definitely because she knew if she had taken down those men who attacked her that she could have stopped the atrocity from happening. The unfortunate truth was it didn't go down like that and people had died. There was nothing she could do about it now except hope to do better if there was a next time.

The apartment had its big picture window back but the overall state of the furniture and walls was still in need of repairs. Ghost and Shepard sure have a way of getting in trouble, the thief mused. Her purple eyed friend had nearly gotten himself killed by saving the ambassador and had been stuck in the hospital the same as her, though his was a bit more voluntary from what Shepard said.

Ghost had found himself in popular news thanks to his heroic dive into the Presidium Lake to save Osoba from the bomb. Another thing I missed out on. Granted hearing Darian and Tara in a sorrowful rage and suffocating sadness would have been terrible, but seeing him dive out a window with an explosion behind him only proved how alike the event had been to the books she read.

Kasumi had gone on many adventures over the years but never had they contained the qualities of her sappy romance stories or the crime action novels she read, mostly because she was the best damn thief in the galaxy. If I got caught in giant shootouts all the time or left behind clues on how to find me I wouldn't be here leisurely reading a book. I'd probably be in jail or dead if things went really bad.

She had missed out on another crazy adventure, the first being the clone of Shepard which was definitely something that the thief expected to find in one of her books instead of real life.

The Suicide Mission and the Reaper War were too crazy to be in a fictional novel whereas a clone and plot by two ghosts of the past to kill Shepard, her crew, and the ambassador was in a different league of crazy that would make for an entertaining story in the future. And I missed out on both, Kasumi sighed but then stopped and smirked, but in the end I stole the real prize.

It was true she hadn't gotten to be there with Shepard through the clone business or this latest weird adventure, yet her heart now belonged to the commander and she had unknowingly stolen her Shep's heart but now held it with pride.

So despite missing out on the crime action side of her novels she did succeed in experiencing the sappy romance side of her novels, and to be honest she enjoyed those a lot better anyways. That was probably a bit biased yet Kasumi didn't care. Biased or not, falling in love with Shepard was one of the best things to happen to her after losing Keiji.

I wonder when she'll be back? Kasumi pondered as she turned the page of her book, I knew meeting up with Ghost to go meet Hackett was going to take a while, but with the apartment empty I was really hoping to spend alone time with her.

Ghost had stayed in the hospital even after being cleared by Grissom to stay hidden from reporters a little longer, but he had left today—or was forced to leave against his will in his words. With his break over, he and Shepard had gone together to meet up with Hackett about something. Kasumi assumed a new directive for the purple eyed N7 and something similar for the redheaded N7, only without sending her out on some mission to hunt down Terra Firma or Cerberus.

If she had to guess she would say it would be diplomatic stuff or at the least telling Shepard that she needed to become more involved. Shepard had told her that staying out of the spotlight wasn't completely possible anymore but assumed there was still time before having to go in headfirst to deal with the diplomatic side of things.

I hope she is right. I know keeping her out of it forever is impossible, and if I'm honest with myself I am hoping we can get the Relays up soon so repairs can be made on a galactic level. I wonder if anyone out there thinks we survived or not. With no word from the Sol System it was safe to assume everyone outside of it would be trying to get their Relays along with their comm buoys active again or replaced in the case of destroyed comm buoys.

Still, despite wanting to get out there to help others, the selfish part of Kasumi wanted to steal away Shepard from all the troubles of the galaxy. She didn't want to see her weighed down by everyone throwing their troubles at her like they had during the war. If it hadn't been for Shepard doing everything to get the races on the same page and sending Hackett help then it was likely none of what had happened thus far would have happened.

The last thing Kasumi wanted was to become a burden or to allow anyone else to burden her lover. She's already gone through so much for everyone by ensuring that we could all live while not expecting to live to see all her hard work pay off. She shouldn't have to be the one who carries the burden anymore, she thought with determination.

Of course she knew it would not be as easy as saying that; nothing was ever simple when it came to politicians. The least they could do to show their gratefulness would be to stop burdening her emotionally and mentally and not be so blind, deaf and dumb because of their unwillingness to accept frightening facts.

Deep down the Kasumi knew Shepard would never call her a burden, and she hadn't ever felt one in all honesty, but she was resolved to remain vigilant so she never caused her lover any kind of stress. She wanted to be what her Shep had always been for her: a person that when you were with them, the stresses of the past, present and future would disappear, leaving you in a peaceful bliss where nothing could harm you.

Kasumi wanted nothing more than for her Shep to be able to get home safely and then leave all her stresses behind, finding safety and tranquility in her arms or by being in her vicinity. In short, she wanted their love to be as strong as it was and stronger for the rest of their lives.

The peace and happiness the thief saw in the redhead's eyes every time she entered the apartment with all of their friends making themselves at home or when they were together was something special Kasumi didn't ever want Shepard to lose.

And I won't let her lose it no matter what.

As she turned the page to the end of the chapter, the doors to the apartment slid open and revealed Shepard wearing her N7 hoodie and blue jeans. She took in the dimmed lights of the apartment, searching for the source of the serene music and likely the smell of the candle before her eyes finally landed on Kasumi.

A blissful smile made its way onto the commander's face when they locked eyes so Kasumi gave her one in return as her heart pumped a bit stronger. Shepard sauntered over, unzipping her sweater and tying it around her waist leaving her in her tank top and jeans, "Hey Shep. Any exciting adventures today?" Kasumi asked while closing her book after memorizing the chapter she was on.

She gave a soft chuckle as she stopped in front of Kasumi. "Not unless you find debriefing on current events and figuring out next steps exciting," Shepard responded. Kasumi stood up after setting her book down on the nearby small table and met her lover's lips with her own. Shepard's hands found their way up to her purple hood, pulling it back and undoing her ponytail with practiced ease. "I missed you," the redhead exhaled the words as they parted.

"And I missed you. Sappy romance novels just don't have the same effect as kissing you does," she said in a lighthearted manor. Her lover laughed her beautiful laugh then wrapped her arms around Kasumi's neck, holding her close in a warm embrace. "Long day, huh?"

"You have no idea."

Kasumi kissed Shepard's cheek and relinquished her grip on the woman, albeit reluctantly for both parties. "Then let's head up to our room so you can relax."

"Are you…propositioning me?" Shepard queried, a smirk beginning to form on her face.

"Only if you want me too," Kasumi replied with a wink. She turned back around to grab her book and the candle to bring with them up to the room only to stop when a set of strong but gentle arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her softly back into the woman who she loved.

Velvet lips pressed against her bare neck then glided up to her ear. "Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero."

"Since when do you know Latin?" Kasumi questioned in surprise. That saying was from the Roman poet Horace though Kasumi for the life of her couldn't remember exactly what he had written it in or when. It meant seize the day, put very little trust in tomorrow from what she could remember from one of her books and it held a lot meaning to her right now.

While she knew her lover was of the same mindset as she was of seizing the present day with one another, the phrase served two purposes in this moment. First was a reminder of what could have happened and telling Kasumi that neither her lover nor herself would hold back their feelings or take for granted the love they shared.

What had happened was too close to losing one another after falling in love that either wanted to get ever again, and if fate would have it that one of them would die early then they were going to make the best of each damn day they were alive and together.

Tomorrow had never been a guarantee in life and most people forgot that, at least before the war that was the case. Now it was an understanding not just between the two women, it was an understanding the whole galaxy had come to realize.

In this case, however, Shepard was making sure that they didn't forget how close they were from losing each other. Her purpose for doing this was so they continued to take each moment they had with one another and make it a great memory that they would remember for years.

The second purpose was to inform the thief that yes Shepard wanted her to make her comment a proposition and yes she wanted to go do that now. When that realization hit Kasumi, she blushed. Seize the moment and make it a reality right now. We may not have tomorrow. That was the hint Shepard was giving and it was thanks to her knowledge on the saying that she was able to catch the hint. "I only know that phrase. You're not the only one who reads old books," Shepard responded cheekily.

Kasumi chuckled, leaning back into her lover and turning her head to meet her gorgeous sky blue eyes. "But I was the one who let you borrow my books," she retorted.

"Sappy romances included," Shepard teased.

"Hey, my books may be sappy, but they are the good kind of sappy," Kasumi argued.

"Debatable."

"You can't debate about something you haven't read. Besides, despite giving you free reign of my entire bookshelf you never once read one of the romance novels. They are good books," she defended, turning her head away and crossing her arms over her chest in a pout.

Shepard smiled into her neck as she planted a kiss on it. "I love you Kasumi," she said tenderly.

Kasumi felt her heart begin to beat stronger than it had before at hearing those words. She brought her hands out from being crossed and grabbed Shepard's hands. Their banter was fun, but there was something she wanted to do. "I love you Anastasia but…" Kasumi turned back to her with a smirk on her face. "Well." She patted the tops of her lover's hands, hoping her smirk and the action would get her meaning across that she would have to let go if they were to go up to the bedroom.

Her sky blue eyed lover raised an eyebrow in confusion; clearly she was not catching the hint at all. "Well what?"

A bigger smirk tugged onto her face at the innocence of her question. "Well I did make a proposition about going up to the bedroom to relax, didn't I? If I'm to make good on that promise you're going to have to let me go for the moment." Kasumi nudged Shepard's nose with her own. "And I do recall you saying it was a long day so you must be tired and sore. Maybe I can help you relieve some of those aches."

"And how do you plan to do that?" she queried, smiling as she did.

"Grab that candle and walk with me up to the bedroom so I can show you." They shared a quick kiss then the thief grabbed her book, keeping her music still playing on her omni-tool while Shepard grabbed the candle before they set off to the bedroom upstairs. Once they made it to the room, Kasumi locked the door behind them while Shepard moved to place the burning candle on the nightstand, taking the time to light the other as well.

Kasumi dimmed the lights to the same dimmed it was when they had made love after the Casino job. Setting the mood again. The thought brought on a smirk as she turned around to find her redheaded lover untying her sweater with her back turned to her. "So, how do you plan to relieve my aches?"

"Telling you would ruin the surprise, but I suppose I have to give some sort of guidance to do it. Take your tank top off as well and lay on your stomach. I'll be right back," she said. She sauntered across the room and went into the bathroom where an assortment of massage oils waited. When they had cleaned the apartment up after the war, she had found the destroyed remains of massage oil bottles. Kasumi had saw to replacing them for a possible eventuality of them having use.

She came out of the bathroom to find Shepard in a pair of shorts laying on her stomach, her back completely bare and her head resting to the right. Kasumi made her way onto the bed, straddling the redhead's lower half. She opened her visible eye and examined the bottles then shut it again. "Have you ever given a massage before?" Shepard asked curiously.

"No, never really thought about it until I replaced your massage oils."

"I have massage oils?"

"Yep, or you did, but they got destroyed so I replaced them."

"I never bought…oh right, Sanders had an overnight bag from when Anderson owned this place."

Kasumi stopped herself short of doing anything with the oils as the images of Anderson and Kahlee Sanders together passed through her mind, causing her to shudder and banish those thoughts to the deepest abysses of her mind. "I…could have gone without knowing that."

Shepard gave a light laugh. "You and me both, Love. You and me both." Kasumi pushed all the thoughts away and began applying the oil to her lover's back. "So if you've never given a massage before, why try now? I feel a bit special to be your first."

"If I'm honest, I really just wanted free reign to touch your body," she admitted, a sheepish smile on her face as she began spreading the oil with her hands. The kind she had didn't cause there to be a greasy feel and it was apparently healthy for the skin. I guess I'll have to give Sanders credit there. Kasumi imagined trying to approach the subject with the woman then shook her head. Maybe not the best idea. Talk about awkward.

Shepard laughed. "You could have said something."

"I did, that's why we're here," the thief stated in a matter of fact manor.

She slid her hands up the redhead's back, following along her spine, feeling all the muscles in the woman's back relax. So well-toned, Kasumi analyzed, never having the privilege to stare this long at her back. Sure she could trace her muscles with her hands with expert precision in the dark, but staring down at it was a different story.

With practiced precision she glided her hands across her lover's back, massaging and going over all the muscles and few scars she had. Her warm soft currently oiled skin felt marvelous under the palms of her hands. I can feel her relaxing under my hands, and shiver ever so slightly as I glide them across her body.

Kasumi smiled as she noticed a small blush on Shepard's cheek coupled with a smile, her eyes remaining shut in a peaceful bliss. I love her smile. I wonder what she is thinking about. She might not be thinking of anything, but the blush tells me otherwise. She leaned down as her hands glided up the sides of the woman, planting a kiss right below her ear. "Thinking a pleasurable thought?" she queried quietly.

"That noticeable?" her lover asked in return.

"Only a little." She allowed her fingers to trace across the very edge of Shepard's breasts, the only part she could touch for now without making things a little uncomfortable. She sucked on the spot where she kissed, letting her tongue tease and taste her skin as she did. "Care to share?" she asked when she stopped.

"At this rate I'm going to turn over and show you. You drive me to the edge just through your touch normally. This is relaxing and driving me almost off that edge at the same time."

The thief smiled victoriously. "Good." She kissed the redhead on the cheek before sitting back up to continue her massage. "This stuff is meant to help relax you and is good for your skin. All in all it's a win-win, I get to touch you and you get to relax."

"Will I get to touch you at all? I don't want this to be too one-sided. I do desire to touch you as well you know," Shepard reminded.

"This isn't one-sided. I'm doing this because I want to Ana. I know you want to touch me as well and I plan on doing more with you, but for the time being allow yourself time to relax as I take pleasure in touching you and helping you relax."

Her lover sighed. "Okay. I just didn't want you to feel like I was too tired to…" She trailed off and went silent.

"Love me?" Shepard nodded. Kasumi ran her hands back up her lover's back, resting them on her shoulders as she bent forward to plant a gentle kiss on her cheek again. "Ana I can see the love you hold for me in your eyes. I feel it every time you hold me like a warm blanket on a cold night. Every time you kiss me my heart soars. Never think that I think you don't love me because I never would. I unknowingly stole your heart, but I know it well now."

She smiled back and gave a short nod of agreement to leave those thoughts behind. "You were reading a sappy romance before I got back, weren't you?"

"One of my favorites actually, but that isn't where those words came from. Those are real feelings I get by being with you and never forget that," Kasumi stated.

"I won't, my love." Kasumi gave her another kiss on the cheek before sitting back up and continuing where she left off. "What is it about? The book you were reading I mean."

The thief smiled as an evil plan came to mind. "It's a smutty novel, full of sexual encounters between Elcor and Hanar." She noticed the N7 shudder at a disturbing image granted by the statement which caused Kasumi to laugh at her expense.

It was a sort of payback for telling her that the truth of where the oils had initially come from thus giving her the image of two people she really didn't want an image of.

"Kasumi," the woman chided.

"That makes us even for the Anderson and Sanders image you gave me. It is about this woman nicknamed the Champion. It takes place in a world where magic is real, elves, dwarves and these big horned guys live alongside humans, though they are not all of equal status."

She began to explain the book in detail, knowing the plot and characters by heart. There were actually two versions of the story. The original focused on the events going on that the Champion was involved with, a great story full of adventure and interesting characters. The one she loved the most was the second version; a side story to the original which placed more emphasis on the building romance between the Champion and her elven lover

The Champion was a human woman who was a mage the same as the female elf, only the elf practiced a forbidden type of magic and the two didn't see eye to eye on that aspect. There weren't any arguments between the two or anything of that sort, the Champion was truly only worried that something bad would happen to the elf.

Her elven lover before they embraced their love was a bit dense and had very bad people skills. Sometimes she would say things first then question if she should say them out loud then quietly telling herself to shut up. It was cute in Kasumi's opinion and it made the character all the more lovable. The Champion felt the same way, finding herself steadily falling in love with the innocent nature of the elf.

Truth be told, the denseness and very bad people skills didn't really improve that much for the elf.

She always managed to find the positive side in everything no matter how dark things were and the Champion fell deeply in love. The elf had done the same; however the problem was she wasn't sure if the Champion had the same feelings, being unable to tell how head over heels she was for her.

"They eventually do fall in love and it becomes this very romantic loving sappy book," Kasumi finished.

"Does it end happily ever after?" Shepard asked a smile in her voice.

"Kind of…they don't separate, but the Champion has to leave the city because of the circumstances that happen. They promise to stay in contact through letters and meet again. The Champion reminds me of you: strong, caring, can make jokes, has bad luck and travels with interesting company," she explained. The thief let out a sigh as she stopped massaging her lover's back. "I see some of myself in the elf. To dense to realize what was in front of my face for so long then realized it and almost lost you. Then you came back and we almost lost what we had recently gained because of some crazy people."

What a fool I was, so blind to life around me that I almost missed out on being able to fall in love with her.

Shepard turned over under Kasumi then sat up so they were staring each other in the eyes. "But we didn't lose each other, we still have each other and we always will." Her tone was firm, the same as it had been when the thief found herself questioning if what they had was just a dream or reality.

The thief nodded in agreement. "You're right, the elf and I may have been dense but we both got to fall in love with an amazing woman. That's the best similarity and the only one I care about."

Kasumi couldn't argue on the N7's statement because she didn't want to. Worrying about the past would cause her to forget about the present moment she was sharing with her bare chested lover.

The redhead smiled teasingly. "Definitely a sappy book." Kasumi mock pouted, crossing her arms and turning her head away. Her gentle lover's hand found her cheek, cupping it and making her turn to face her. She was still smiling her beautiful smile. "But it does sound like a good one. Just not as good as the love we share."

There was no argument from the thief. The real feel of love was better than any fictional story she read, even if it was her favorite. "True, now lay back down. I have to get your chest," she said, pushing the redhead gently back onto her back.

"Only if you take your tank top off too. I'm the only one without my shirt on and that is hardly fair."

"You just want to stare at my chest," Kasumi retorted as she began taking off her tank top.

"And you just want to touch mine."

That was a true statement but could the commander really blame her? Her bosom was perfect in the thief's eyes and she planned to make the best of having free reign over touching her. The redhead was definitely going to be filled with desire by the time she was finished. That's if I actually get to finish.

It was quite possible Shepard would pull her down into a kiss at some point, stopping Kasumi from taking pleasure in touching her and teasing her at the same time. She tossed her tank top to the floor then undid her bra, giving it the same treatment before grabbing the massage oil again.

She suddenly had an idea that made her grin in pleasure. The thief took the bottle of oil and turned it upside down over her own chest getting a decent amount on it. Shepard smiled a satisfied smile as she sat back up and brought her hands to the thief's chest, spreading the oil across her chest and stomach as Kasumi took the oil that was still left over on her hands and began rubbing it onto her lover's shoulders and upper chest.

Their lips met as their hands explored, never once messing up the others rhythm. Her lips…Longing filled the thief as if she hadn't been able to kiss her in years, causing her to take in every second of it as she poured all her feelings into it. There was a yearning she could feel through the kiss coming from Shepard and it only served to spark the inferno of desire in Kasumi.

The need to pin her down and show her how much she had missed this while being unconscious and how her love and desires seeping through the kiss made her feel that way was becoming overpowering. Of course she knew why Shepard had such a strong feeling of desire and love right now, unlike Kasumi she had been awake the entire time after finding out she had been beaten down severely.

If we had switched places, I'm sure I would feel the same as her. Hell, I was unconscious and I feel like I haven't kissed her or held her like this in years.

It didn't take long for the duo to knock the bottles off the bed, their kissing and desire for one another overcoming the need to use the oils any longer.

Shepard pulled her in closer so they were chest to chest. Kasumi brought her hands to her lover's gorgeous face, feeling the softness of her warm skin under her palms as her velvety lips kissed her own. The commander wrapped her arms securely around the thief's waist as they kissed; her arms were strong and granted the thief safety when being held by them.

In her arms here she felt nothing but the utmost trust in her lover knowing no matter what she wouldn't be too rough or hurt her accidently. She's so gentle, a tough warrior on the battlefield but always caring out there. When we're together the only thing that changes is she doesn't put on a tough act. She gets to be Ana with me instead of Commander Shepard.

She was honored to be that for her, to be safe enough to let all her protective walls that she had on in the field down and just be Anastasia Shepard.

Not missing beat Shepard got onto her own knees and laid Kasumi onto her back while staying between her legs as they continued their kiss.

Kasumi wrapped her legs around the waist of her lover, hoping to keep her from getting too far away. They parted from the kiss, passion and desire taking form in their eyes as they stared at one another lovingly. The thief ran her hands down the redhead's chest and abdomen slowly. Her skin is always so soft. Her fingers traced over a scar. Some people may not find scars like hers attractive but I do. They make her all the more beautiful.

She nudged the N7's nose with her own initiating a short yet passion filled kiss. "You're beautiful, body and soul Ana," she breathed out, her voice carrying all her love and desire for the gorgeous redhead above her as she cupped her lover's face.

"And you say I have the honey tongue," Shepard responded resting her hand on top of Kasumi's. "I love you Kasumi Goto, with all my heart and soul."

Kasumi smiled. "Show me."

Her sky blue eyed lover smiled in return taking her hand in her own, kissing the palm of it as she did. "As you command, my love."

Kasumi was content and satisfied as she listened intently to the heartbeat under her ear. She ran the tips of her fingers slowly up the middle of Shepard's stomach, tracing over every inch of her as the woman held her close.

Once again their love making had blown the thief's mind; there was just so much passion shared between them, so much love. The circumstances of their recent separation only made it more intense taking both women over the edge until they were overtaken by tsunami like waves of pleasure.

The thief let out a satisfied sigh. Her love breathes life into me. "I wish we could do this all day," Shepard said quietly.

A smile made its way onto Kasumi's face as she looked up to her beautiful lover. "What? Make love? I can arrange that if you want."

Shepard smiled in return, kissing the thief on the forehead as her fingers began running up and down her arm. "That too, but I meant be like this."

"Naked with our legs tangled together after making glorious love?" Kasumi teased knowing full well what she meant. Her sky blue eyed lover smirked and rolled her eyes. "We may not be able to do it all day, but we can make it an every night occurrence, love making and candles included if you wish."

"Make fun all you want but I was being serious," Shepard pouted.

Kasumi pushed herself up, allowing her face to become serious which garnered the attention of the redhead who had thought she had been making a jest after her initial two. "Ana, I was being serious. I know I tease a lot, but I love what we share and I would wait all night for you to come back to be with you." She brought her hand to the redhead's cheek, moving strands of her soft red hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek. "I'm yours Ana, forever."

Shepard brought her hand to Kasumi's and took it into her before bringing it to her lips to press a gentle kiss on her palm. "I missed you," she said quietly but her tone remained full of love.

"I am one of a kind, aren't I?" Kasumi responded with a smirk.

Her lover smiled once more before gently tugging the thief back down to her so they were chest to chest and face to face. "That you are, my love, that you are." They engaged in a slow passionate kiss, taking all the time they wanted to as they shared their love for one another through it.

When they finally parted they both smiled and Kasumi laid back down to rest her ear over Shepard's heart. "So, every night?" the N7 asked.

Kasumi's smile returned as she nodded slightly. "Love making and candles included if you want."

Shepard hummed, the thrumming in her chest vibrating into the thief's ear, a hypnotizing sound but not nearly as hypnotizing as the gentle thumping of her heart. "As long as you're here with me, I don't care what we do."

"Honey tongue."

Lips pressed against the top of her head. "Yes, but my honey tongue belongs to you."

"I love you Ana."

"And I love you Kasumi."

Kasumi turned her head up to kiss Shepard, once more finding the commander's lips ready and waiting. As her lover's arms wrapped around her, the thief found herself smiling.

Seize the day indeed.