Liara slowly navigated her way through the restaurant's menu, both excited about the selection of quality food, and nervous over the reason for the surprise dinner arrangements. She didn't feel she was well enough acquainted with Sha'ira for it to be a gift for her sake, nor did she feel she was on good enough terms with the Matriarch. She was close friends with mother and aunt Tevos, but she had only rarely looked at me, or addressed me, prior to today. Yet, Shepard… she broke her thought process for a moment and glanced across the small table to the commander, too distracted with the menu to notice her staring. There is no possible way that Sha'ira…gained pleasure from Shepard and gave this as a reward, and the menial task we accomplished for her certainly didn't warrant this…
She had been to Zhenaire's only twice before, as it was, much like the consort, available to an exclusive clientele only, and even they had to suffer through long waiting lists. She had been thankful for Shepard's request for a secluded booth when they entered, as their choice of clothing had not been traditionally appropriate for such an upscale establishment, especially her being a T'Soni. It was kind to let us in, in such a state…though I wonder, would Shepard ever wear something more traditional? I can hardly imagine her in a dress, or a robe, or… but…perhaps that is a question for another time…
When they had entered the booth, she could feel the relief swell off of Shepard, who had seemed to be feeling similar concerns. They hadn't spoke to each other since entering though, and she wondered whether Shepard was feeling uncomfortable after the meeting with Sha'ira, or if something else was troubling her. I know I tend to be comfortable in silence but she does not seem the type…perhaps she is merely too engrossed with the menu to focus on anything else, let's not jump to conclusions Liara…
Liara cast her gaze back to her menu and decided to start with a glass of Jihliq. The vibrant violet juice had been a favourite of hers since she had been a child. However, she had difficulty choosing main platters, what with so many childhood favourites clearly displayed on the menu; instead she briefly scanned through the 'human cuisine' portion of the menu for a starter, feeling adventurous enough to attempt something Shepard may be familiar with.
"Sh…Shepard? May I ask you a question?" Liara asked, breaking the long-standing silence. The human looked up from the menu cautiously, her teeth slightly gnawing on the left portion of her bottom lip, her eyes a strange mixture of copper and sea green. She willed her eyes back to her menu nervously, feeling a strange, foreign ache in her chest. Am I merely nervous, wondering about Sha'ira, or that perhaps Shepard has changed her mind and cannot have me on board the ship any longer? And where did that sinking feeling come from? Should I see Doctor Chakwas about it when I return to the Normandy? I think I should, if she would be so kind…
"Uh, yeah. Ask away…" she heard the woman say, her voice betraying anxiety. She must be tremendously uncomfortable with me here. Perhaps I should leave and let her enjoy…no, it would be terribly rude to leave after such a reservation was made, and after having ordered a drink already. I must stay and…hope I do not unsettle Shepard further.
"Is there an…'appetizer'… on the human menu that is similar to…oh, what was it called…the…" Liara said, her words stumbling out as her eyes lifted and met Shepard's, derailing her train of thought. She willed herself to glance back down to the menu and took a breath in an attempt to focus. "There was this white meat in one of those boxed meals…"
"You're eating the MREs?" Shepard asked, looking stunned as Liara peeked up at her. The woman's lips slowly curled up into a bright smile, her amusement evident. "You're crafty. I've been wondering why we've been running so low on MREs lately. Normally biotics get tubes but…and I knew Wrex wasn't eating the damned paste tubes, but yeah, alright…yeah. Anyway, I think the word you're looking for is 'chicken'. If there's anything similar to chicken on the menu."
"Is it a problem that I am eating the boxed meals? I…did not favour the tubes…" Liara said shyly, feeling as if she'd done something she wasn't supposed to.
"It's no problem. Just more cost effective to feed tubes to biotics because of how much we eat. If you enjoy the MREs…or even just prefer them over the tubes, that's fine with me." Shepard said with a smile, reassuring Liara's fears were unfounded. "And it looks like there's a starter with glazed duck…duck's like chicken. You'd probably like it if you could at least stand the chicken MRE."
Liara nodded slowly and scanned through the menu for the item Shepard mentioned, ordering it while she still felt she had the will to do so. She then flitted back through to the asari section, choosing a small kiaurthi salad and a plank of gerr'hong. She had fond memories of returning from biotics training, where Shiala would have one of the freshly caught fish ready on the dining table for her. She never would tell me which spices she used on it…she mused, as the wave of nostalgia passed. I last had this a month after graduating from the University…has it been so long already? Mother had stopped even sharing smiles with me then…when was the last time that…
"Liara?" she heard called out, snapping her away from her thoughts. Her eyes refocused and found Shepard staring at her with concern. Oh Goddess…did mother not teach you to always be attentive in front of guests or peers? Although…I am her guest and…I am certainly not exactly her peer…
"Are you alright?" the woman asked, leaning forward slightly in her seat; her arms resting casually on the table, her eyes gently meeting hers, her voice softly filling their space.
She is asking me if I am fine, when she was…molested by Sha'ira less than an hour ago? She thought to herself, her face contorting slightly in confusion. "Yes, Shepard, I am fine. I was more worried about you, if I am to be honest. I am terribly sorry for…abandoning you when we returned to Sha'ira's."
Shepard blushed, eyes darting away from her gaze, again evoking the dull ache in Liara's chest. Oh, I have certainly failed her…
"It's fine. The consort just likes toying with me, but…I don't know, she's not all bad." The human said sheepishly. Liara couldn't help but feel frustrated at how Shepard seemed to be downplaying the matter.
"Your sense of comfort should be respected more by her. If she is such a visionary, she should know that her touch torments you." Liara stated hastily, trying her best to control her anger.
"I think she's doing her best to help, in her own way. Just not sure if it'll work, in the end." Shepard said, offering a shrug.
Liara crossed her arms and stared the women down skeptically. "And touching you all over, practically ravaging you…that's supposed to help?" she asked bluntly, wholly skeptical of the possibility. "I cannot see how, if you dislike the touch."
"It's really not that simple…" Shepard started, before her eyes went wide. "And if it's alright, I'd rather not talk about that. It's a lot to digest, and I know you just want to help, and I really appreciate your effort today, but…can we talk about something else?"
Liara nodded in agreement; somewhat confused over the partial answer she was given, and somewhat relieved at the request. She didn't want thoughts of Sha'ira's actions to spoil her dinner.
"Is there any topic in specific you're interested in discussing?" she asked, sending the human deep into thought for a few moments.
"Uh, nothing specific, I guess. Heck, tell me about yourself, Liara. It's not like we're all that well acquainted, but we may as well be if we'll be on the same ship together for a while." Shepard said, her hazel eyes glimmering with curiosity.
"Me? I am afraid I am not very interesting, Shepard. I spend most of my time on remote digs, unearthing mundane items buried in long-forgotten prothean ruins." Liara stated, wishing that she had taken the initiative to ask about Shepard, rather than have the focus placed on her. She worried she would bore the soldier to tears, more than anything.
"That actually sounds interesting… and I'm sure they aren't mundane to you. Do you work with a team, or do you go solo like on Therum?" the woman asked, as a furry strip above her right eye rose in apparent inquisitiveness. Those seem much like my facial markings…I have seen other humans with similar ones, and some of the male sex with large protruding ones near their mouths and jaw line…I wonder how they occur? I should research it later tonight…
"I tend to work alone ever since an incident seven years ago with some graduate students, who were selling my findings away to the highest bidder. Not that it gained them many funds, mind you." Liara explained, shaking her head at the foolishness of her former employees.
"That sounds…kind of dangerous and…I don't know. Being alone for so long must be tough." Shepard said, her eyes seeming to darken slightly as a look of concern shifted over her face.
"Sometimes I would run afoul of indigenous life forms, or stumble across a small band of mercenaries or privateers…but I was always careful. Until the geth found me on Therum, I never found myself in any situation that my biotics could not handle." Liara stated, recalling the plethora of harmless past encounters she'd had to face. "As for the solitude…well, that is one aspect that most appealed to me. Sometimes, I just need to get away from other people." She finished quietly, expecting a look of confusion or amusement, expressions she was far too familiar with when discussing the topic, but was merely met with a kind smile from the woman.
"Good to know. Any reason why?" Shepard asked simply. Truly? No…snide remarks about being a shut-in, or joking about how I'm not as adventurous as I should be, or could be with the help of some non-asari…? No…I suppose it would be horrible to project such assumptions onto Shepard…I am such a fool sometimes…
"I suppose it comes from being a Matriarch's daughter, especially one with Benezia's status. People expected me to follow in her footsteps, they wanted me to become a leader of our people, to do like my mother does and guide my house's followers into the future." Liara explained, pausing apprehensively as she weighed whether or not to continue. "Maybe that's why I became so interested in the secrets of the past. It…sounds foolish when I say it out loud. It sounds as if I became an archaeologist simply to spite the Matriarch."
The human pushed herself away from the table slightly, stretching her back a little bit; a barely audible grunt of pleasure sounding from the human. Liara's chest felt strange again, and she fought a frown as the human leant back forward. "It doesn't sound foolish to me. People take interest in what they're exposed to, I guess, but we can also decide that stuff's not for us. You made your decision based on what you thought was… interesting. That's part of growing up." Shepard noted, her words welcome and reassuring.
"The Matriarch always told me that all children rebel against their parents. For so long, I felt foolish, that maybe she was correct. I am happy you are not of that mind, Shepard." Liara said, feeling a smile tug at her lips. "But there was more to it than that. I felt drawn to the past. The protheans were these wondrous, mysterious figures. I wanted to know everything about them."
Liara paused and drew her eyes away from the human's, feeling as if she was prattling on like a stereotypical maiden, and hoping that she wasn't boring the commander.
"Perhaps that is why I find you so fascinating. You were marked by the beacon on Eden Prime, you were…you were touched by prothean technology and not only lived, but have memory of it!" Liara exclaimed, unable to restrain her excitement over the prospect of someone having a message from a prothean beacon existing in their mind.
Shepard merely looked at her strangely, with what seemed to be amusement, fear, or both. "Sounds like you want to dissect me in a lab somewhere." The woman said, a slight tinge of pink filling her cheeks.
"What? No! I did not mean to insinuate…" Liara couldn't help but feel her heart seize at the statement, as a crippling fear ran through her core that she'd said something terribly wrong. Oh Goddess, what have I done?! I must have…did the translator fail? Or did something I said have a different cultural meaning than I could have anticipated? Oh, Liara, you are so dense! You've gone and upset her! You probably haven't even gotten into the details of what an archaeologist does! For all she knows, you're a different type of medical doctor, or a scientist or…oh Goddess…
"Ah, I never meant to offend you, Shepard. I only meant that you would be an interesting specimen for an in-depth study…" She rambled, cutting herself off as the flames of embarrassment engulfed her. "No! I…oh Goddess, that sounds even worse!"
As she brought her eyes back to Shepard, preparing to beg for forgiveness, she noticed the woman looking both amused and slightly dazed; her face a baffling shade of red that only served to worry Liara. Oh Goddess, is she angry at me? Or is she suffering some reaction? Or…
"Relax, Liara. I was…only joking." Shepard said, sounding as flustered as she appeared to be, grinning slightly and wide eyed.
The realization hit Liara like a warp blast, and her hands instinctively cupped her mouth in shock. "Joking? Oh, by the Goddess! How could I be so dense?" she asked, feeling humiliated by the turn of events. She lowered her head against the table and buried it in her arms. I want to just disappear…why can't there be an escape hatch here that leads to a prothean ruin where no one will bother me, and I won't make a mockery of myself and my family name? Oh, what would mother think of my foolishness? "You must think I am a complete and utter fool." she mumbled, her voice muffled as she hid herself away.
"Hey…" she heard the woman speak, her voice soft as a summer's breeze, a hand gently stroking her shoulder. She peeked her head partially out of cover, finding Shepard kneeling beside her, appearing tremendously apologetic. "I'm sorry. I…I'm kind of bad with jokes. I have a hard time reading social cues, and I thought it would be funny, but it really, really wasn't. I honestly should have just gone for a pun instead. I'm so sorry for making you upset. You're not a fool at all."
Liara didn't know whether to feel relief, or confusion, wondering how two socially awkward people managed to make each other feel so embarrassed.
"Now you know why I prefer to spend my time in the field with data disks and computers. I always seem to do or say something embarrassing around other people, and humour often escapes me." Liara scoffed, lifting her head from its hiding spot, feeling the same pit in her chest as Shepard's hand fell to her side. "But…I fear that perhaps we are both so inept that this was bound to happen."
Shepard smiled widely and rose to her feet. "Yeah. To be honest, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner, looking back." She stated, moving back to her side of the booth. "I can understand the draw of being alone, having quiet time away from the masses…when you're surrounded by people all day running you here and there, it gets real easy to value the time you get to yourself."
Liara nodded in agreement. "My home was always so hectic…nearly a hundred acolytes rushing around, the odd dignitary, family friend or rival over to meet mother…all the social gatherings I was forced to attend…when I simply wanted to sit on my bed and read, in peace."
"That's…kind of silly, if you don't mind me saying. Your species live for a thousand years and you're rushing around like that? Doesn't sound much different than humans." Shepard noted, making Liara laugh. It was difficult to imagine anyone making such a comparison.
"I will have to admit that it was fast-paced, yes, but…I'm not sure it's comparable. Perhaps you might have a point, although if someone were to tell me that a year ago, a month ago, I would not have paid it any heed." Liara said between chuckles. "I did not really know much about your species when we first met and…admittedly, I still know very little, despite some recent researching. It was hard to take humanity seriously… your kind seemed too rushed and high-strung all of the time."
Shepard leaned against the padded back of the booth seats and gave a sheepish looking shrug. "Yeah, well, we don't exactly have the luxury of time. We're lucky if we hit 150. Or not so lucky, depending on how you like the process of aging."
"That is true. At first, I thought that your limited lifespan was a weakness of your species. I am still not certain it is a strength, but…you humans are creatures of action. You pursue your goals with an almost indomitable determination. It is an admirable trait, but…also an intimidating one." Liara said, her voice growing quiet as she finished, watching the commander's features slump. Liara couldn't help but stare at the woman, who looked, for a number of moments, entirely crushed.
"You're…scared of us? Of me?" Shepard asked, her words pained and faint. "I…look, I know I did something that would have freaked any normal person out. I really don't blame you for being scared, it's just…is there anything I can do to show you that I would never…"
"Shepard, please." Liara said, interrupting the woman, hoping to clear up whatever miscommunication had taken place. "I…will admit that the encounter outside Chora's Den was shocking, and I was startled by the sounds of agony, but your story…I may not condone the violence, but I do not blame you. More importantly, I do not fear you."
Shepard wiped at her eyes slightly at the last remark, smiling in what seemed to be relief. "Then…then what do you mean by humanity being intimidating?"
"The rest of the galaxy sees humanity as something of a bully. Your species runs over anyone in their path to get what they want…looking at human expansion in the traverse is enough proof." Liara explained calmly, thankful that Shepard was looking a fair bit happier than before. "It's up to people like you to change their minds, Shepard."
The Spectre laughed at the remark and shook her head. "There are no people like me. At least, no humans."
"Perhaps that is why the Council chose you to become a Spectre. They saw something special in you…the best of what humanity had to offer." Liara openly wondered, which seemed to fluster the woman, as her face went red again.
"Not so sure you can say I'm the best humanity has to offer, Liara. Hell, you ask pretty much any human not on the Normandy about me and you're bound to get some pretty…let's just say you'd hear some bad things. I think humanity can do better than a control-freak orphan girl with no real formal education. I'm just a soldier." Shepard reasoned, drawing a frown from Liara.
"We are more than what we do, Shepard. Aunt Tevos saw something good in you. She trusted you to find me, instead of an asari commando unit. That is rare." Liara explained, drawing a small shrug from the woman. She was about to continue when a knock came at their booth; seconds later, an asari entered carrying a plate of small objects and her drink, and set them in front of her. As quickly as the waitress had entered, she was gone.
Liara prodded one of the objects with a utensil and held it up for inspection. It seemed to be a white meat with a reddish glaze, partially wrapped in a leafy vegetable. There were seven left on the small, ornate platter. She concluded that they were small enough, so she popped it in her mouth and took in the sweet, pleasant taste of the appetizer. This is much better than the boxed meals…I fear I shall have them spoiled for me!
Liara poked at another and devoured it happily. When there were but three left, she glanced upward to see Shepard staring at the food predatorily. She cautiously poked one of the pieces and watched as the woman's eyes matched every movement fluidly as she lifted it into the air.
"Shepard, is everything alright?" Liara asked, curious as to the human's behavior. Shepard snapped out of her daze and gave an apologetic look to her.
"Oh, uh…sorry. I've been eating paste for over a week and it kind of makes everything else seem like it might be the best food ever." Shepard said, rubbing her upper arm. "I'm sure my food's on its way, I'll stop being creepy and watching you eat."
Liara paused for a moment, considering her options, and extended the utensil and the bite-sized food toward Shepard, leaving it a few inches from her face. "Well, you recommended it to me, so I can hardly deny you a bit of the spoils."
Shepard's eyes went wider as she seemed to be weighing her options, her gaze focused entirely on the small piece of food in front of her. She took in the scent and hummed in agreement as her eyes closed and her head leaned forward, taking the object into her mouth.
Liara sat in wonder as the woman chewed, the taste seemingly eliciting a moan of pleasure from the human, who slowly leaned back against the seating and swallowed, licking her lips in satisfaction.
"Oh my god." Shepard mouthed, her eyes still closed, a brilliant smile extending across her face.
Liara couldn't help but blush at the commander's reaction, drawing parallels to some research she had done earlier in the morning. Is she alright? Is this sort of reaction normal? Hrm…certainly not, although perhaps Shepard is right, that after an extended period of eating nutrient paste…perhaps the body reacts to some missing components of more common foods…or perhaps it creates a chemical imbalance in humans from the lack of organic food in their diet? Hrm.
She took another look at Shepard, who looked completely satisfied, seemingly lost in a food-produced daze. And her reaction seemed to be similar that of arousal, from what I learned this morning. Is it normal for human females to get aroused by food or meat? I recall that merely thousands of years ago, women would rarely hunt their own food…perhaps there is still a genetic link between the taste of food to the potential pleasure they may receive from their mate? But…by that logic…I…oh Goddess, is Shepard reacting to me as her mate? She wondered, blushing furiously at the thought, her chest aching once again as thoughts whirled through her mind. She quickly shook them out of her head, taking a long sip of the jihliq; her body warming as the violet liquid soothed her nervous system. Humans are complicated!
Another knock sounded at the door, snapping Shepard out of her stupor, though her bright smile held in place.
"Been a while since I've been this excited for food!" she gleefully stated, her child-like enthusiasm bringing a smile to Liara's face.
Complicated, but…endearing…
The duo walked out of the restaurant and into the artificial darkness, the Citadel's night cycle in full swing. The walkways were practically glowing from the masses of lights lining them, the station's generous amount of foliage casting intimate shadows along each pathway. Shepard felt comfortable just walking alongside the asari, she had learned much about the prothean expert throughout their dinner. Sure, I probably could have talked more about myself than I did, instead of just twisting practically everything back onto her. I can't help it that she's led an interesting life…
The walk to the transit terminal wasn't far, but a relatively familiar voice that called out from behind her made her realize that the walk would take longer than she'd planned.
"Commander Shepard!" the woman called out, finally catching the duo, her white camera drone floating quietly overhead. "Commander Shepard, Khalisa bint Sinan Al-Jilani, Westerlund News. Would you answer a few questions for our viewers?" the woman asked, her tone more of a demand than a request.
Shepard stopped in her tracks and held back a sigh. She knew the reporter well from the smear campaigns she had run against any human who dared to ally with another species. She couldn't blame her for doing such a thing, seeing as she had a very popular program, but she mentally seethed, knowing she couldn't get out of the interview. Such is the life of a public figure…
Shepard nodded and turned to Liara. "You should probably wait outside of the frame, there's no need to drag you into this." She noted, turning back to Khalisa. "Confidentiality will probably keep me from answering all questions you have, but I'm open to anything you want to ask, so long as you leave her out of it. If you're interviewing me, I only want you to address me, is that clear?"
"Clear as crystal." The reporter noted. "I just want to set the record straight. My viewers have been hearing some wild stories about you lately, Commander."
"Well, I'm ready when you are." Shepard stated flatly, prompting the reporter to tap away on her omni-tool, the drone hovering around to face the commander.
"Humans have been trying to get the respect of the galactic community for twenty six years. With that in mind, what are your feelings on being the first human Spectre?" Khalisa asked politely, her tone more laid back, less aggressive than she was used to.
Shepard mulled the question over for a moment, thinking up a decent answer. "The Spectres represent the best of the Council species, acting as the first line of defense for the galaxy. To be asked to join them is an honour."
"Some have said your appointment is the Citadel 'throwing humans a bone.'" The reported stated, her tone slightly more firm and aggressive than before. "Have you encountered any situations where the Citadel has asked you to place its needs before the needs of Earth?"
Shepard couldn't help but grin a little at the sly accusation and the trap the reporter was setting up.
"The council is concerned with the needs of the whole galactic community. We, humans, are part of that community. Our needs are certainly on their agenda, but we're one of many." Shepard said calmly.
"You really do believe that, don't you?" Khalisa asked, sounding slightly baffled.
"Look, I get the concern, but Spectres are appointed based on their skills, their expertise. I'm still new, but there will come a time when I'm called out to help with a situation in turian space, or in asari space, and there will come a time when an asari Spectre, or a salarian Spectre will come to the aid of humanity in the same way. Spectres are a way of promoting galactic cohesion, showing that we can all work together. A human isn't needed to address every issue humanity encounters. We're all in this together." Shepard rambled, shrugging at the end.
"But you can understand if our viewers, if humanity would prefer a human representative to put priority on human matters." The reporter asserted, drawing a nod from Shepard.
"I do understand completely, but try to think of it this way. Yes, I'm a Spectre serving the galaxy first and foremost. As much as I trust that they'll handle any issues related to humanity with great care, they're trusting a human to handle their matters with great care. Hopefully, I can help foster some trust in humanity with other species through this position, much in the same way that I hope other Spectres will with humanity. Like I said, we're a team. We can't keep segregated and distrust our allies. Humanity's strength will come from the galactic community realizing what humans can do, and trusting us to do it well." Shepard explained.
"That's certainly an interesting perspective, Commander." The reporter noted, seeming to shift gears. "You recently took control of an advanced human warship for your missions. Is there anything you'd like to tell us about it?"
Shepard grinned a little in amusement at the question. "Actually, the Normandy was co-developed by human and turian engineers…the best and brightest of both of us. Its design incorporated a lot of amazing innovations that were the result of this teamwork. All of which are classified, I'm afraid." She said, finishing with a smile.
The reporter's eyebrows quirked up at her statement, drawing a sly grin across Khalisa's face.
"So the turians have knowledge of the Normandy that is being kept secret from the Alliance public?" Khalisa asked, her excitement visible across her face. "Do you think it was appropriate to hand Earth's most advanced warship over to the Citadel?"
"Well, I will say first that the Alliance is more than just Earth. We have a number of fantastic colonies whose citizens are just as human as anyone else. The Normandy was never Earth's warship, it is the Alliance's." Shepard said, correcting the reporter, hoping to get her on her heels. "There were also a few in-house innovations that didn't involve the turian engineers, so we didn't give everything away. And I wasn't aware the ship had been 'handed over' to anyone. I'm in command, and last I checked, I'm human, I hold a rank in the Alliance. Same goes for most of my crew."
"You're human, yes, but you do work for the Citadel now, Commander." Khalisa stated, sounding somewhat annoyed. "Rumours back home say you're tracking a 'rogue Spectre' named Saren. Do you have any comment on that?"
"I'm afraid I can't comment on whatever my current assignment may or may not be." Shepard noted, feeling the light from the drone fade out, cutting the recording.
"Don't worry, we'll find out." Khalisa said with a smug look on her face. "The eyes of Earth are on you. Don't let us down again, Commander."
Shepard watched the woman walk away before turning her focus to wherever Liara had gone, noticing two humans standing in front of her, looking fairly perturbed. Christ…what do those tools want?
"How can I help you two?" Shepard asked as she approached them, noticing Liara looking confused and slightly worried.
"Seems like your asari whore didn't know much about you, Butcher." One of them stated, her tone a little too playful for Shepard's liking, her words lighting a fire in her eyes.
"So we were just telling her some stories of your honour and glory." The other said, sarcastically, turning his gaze away from Liara to Shepard.
She shook her head, frustrated that she hadn't noticed them before, and furious that they would call Liara such a name. Shepard flung her hand out, the two offender's bodies rising up and floating helplessly in the air.
"You have ten seconds to apologize to her." She stated flatly. The woman looked back to her as best she could.
"Or what?" she asked, skeptical that Shepard would act.
"Well, I'm a Spectre and you know my rep. What's another two on my tally?" she growled menacingly, hoping the two would be convinced.
"Fine, fine! Fuck, I'm sorry!" the man cried out. Shepard turned her gaze angrily to the woman and focused a ball of biotic energy in her hand as a warning.
"Alright! I'm really sorry for calling you a whore, just don't kill us!" the woman pleaded, causing Shepard to turn back to Liara, who looked apprehensive. She gestured the asari to follow her down the walkway, leaving the two humans floating in the middle of the path.
The walk to the terminal was silent, but she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable by it. As they waited for a skycar to return, Shepard nervously glanced over to her companion. I fucked it up…damn it, I know I should have said something before but…I mean…aw Christ. I just wanted to have a nice relaxing evening, show Liara that I'm not what everyone thinks I am…and what do I do? Physically threaten them immediately! Damn it… What the hell is wrong with me?
"I'm sorry for what happened back there. I wasn't paying attention and…I'm sorry they called you what they did." She mumbled, hoping that Liara's impression of her hadn't been swayed by the two from before. "I wouldn't have killed them, I just…I figured that might scare them off. And I'm sorry if what they told you was…scary, I guess. But…they weren't there, they didn't know what happened…"
"So tell me." Liara spoke, interrupting her. Her face bore no accusation, no hostility, no shred of judgment. Shepard lowered her head and sighed. I don't want to have this conversation right now…it's not the time for it…
"Liara, I…hell, I promise I'll tell you one day. I will, but…not tonight. It's been too crazy of a day for me to handle that." Shepard said quietly, worrying that her unwillingness to talk about it would spur Liara into accepting whatever the two from before had mentioned, repeating what had become a familiar cycle for her to endure. "It's not something I can explain in a few minutes. I just…can't do it tonight. Are you fine with that?"
She watched with curiosity as Liara's hand snaked its way over to hers, her gloved fingers intertwining with Shepard's warm, fleshy ones, feeling a slight squeeze from the asari. The sensation was entirely unexpected. The warmth she was accustomed to with asari was minimal, and instead of feeling sexual tension, there was merely a simple, soothing pleasure from the Liara's reassurance.
"I trust that you will tell me when you feel more at ease." Liara said simply, her words softly blooming into her ears. "Now, we should get off to Tevos' before those two goons decide to return."
Shepard couldn't help but smile uncontrollably as she got into the passenger seat; Liara insisted that she drive due to second hand stories of Shepard's maniacal driving, and she wasn't about to complain. She was too pleasantly surprised that even though her reputation as a poor driver was haunting her, her more prominent reputation was dismissed by the asari. Her mind recalled all of the people who had once been acquaintances or friends, who cut away from her after hearing about Torfan; all of her fellow soldiers who would operate on missions with her, terrified that she would send them to their deaths. Having that burden lifted for even one night, with one person, was a remarkable relief that Shepard couldn't describe. All she could do was smile.
A/N: WHOOO FLUFF CHAPTER. You can thank Tayg for the early release, she convinced me to split the chapter into two and put this half up early. Was all supposed to be set for December 1st, but…well, I received a decent offer :P
Not exactly an early Christmas present or anything but just a gift I felt like giving (and writing). It's been so difficult to hold onto this chapter, I really wanted to post it as soon as I'd finished and proofed it(about two weeks prior to the release of this), but…well, like I said, I at least held out this long. Also, I was able to touch it up a bit over that span, so it wasn't an entirely agonizing wait for me. And while splitting this in two kind of dilutes the fluff (first scene is lots of fluff, second scene...a bit of fluff), I'm sure it will last you until the next chapter (which will have a mix of fluff and character development). Would have been nice to have a chapter book-ended in fluff, but alas...I am both impatient and Tayg is quite generous.
Anywho, a seventh and final chapter this November for you lovely people. I hope you enjoy it :)
Thanks to everyone for your amazing support! Readers, reviewers, followers…you're astoundingly excellent, and I sincerely hope you're getting some entertainment out of this :)
Have a wonderful night! I'm just going to go return to my term papers…*sigh*