A gentle tickling, drawing up and down my spine.
'Mmmm...' the sleepy groan is dragged from my throat, a mixture of pleasure and annoyance. Does she not know how sensitive the back of an asari is?
I try to roll over, but the touch follows, drawing up to the delicate folds beneath my crest, eliciting a gasp of pleasure, a flush of heat through my body.
'Liiiaaarrraaa,' her voice dances with a strange melody, and I try to resist smiling. Maybe if she thinks I still sleep she will leave me alone, for just a few more minutes...
'Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey,'
'What? Oh!' Well, so much for the ruse of slumber - but I really have no idea what she is talking about.
'Ha! I knew it!' She sounds far too pleased with herself. How can I get her back for that?
I slowly open one eye, seeing a soft red light bathing the small cave we slept in. I feel wonderful, absolutely relaxed, well rested and allow the smile I have been resisting to pull across my face. 'What time is it?'
'Early.' The touch suddenly stops, and I hear Faith's movement from behind me. Rolling over, I see her straight as a pole, propped up by her arms, chest facing the floor. At some point she must have gotten dressed: partially anyway, wearing just her sports bra and briefs. Suddenly she drops, the movement tightly controlled, until the tips of her tightly clad breasts brush the blankets we slept on, when she pushes herself back up. The movement is very graceful, and I feel a wonderful flush as I see her mostly bare body, muscles rippling across her back and shoulders, hear her breathe heavily. Goddess, does she know what she is doing to me? The motion repeats several times, before curiosity gets the better of me.
'What is "eggs and bakey?" And what are you doing?'
'Something my sisters used to say.' a dip, the muscles in her arms tightening and shifting most distractingly. 'Eggs and bacon was,' another dip, 'one of our,' again, 'favourite breakfasts.'
The motion continues, and I drag my gaze away from her body before I find myself pouncing it, looking out of the cave at the harsh landscape steeped in the gorgeous light.
'I'd make you some... but I don't know... if there would be... any on Mindoir... right now. It's a luxury supply... most of the time.'
'I would like that. Perhaps when we next go to the Citadel?'
'It's a date.' I hear the smile in her voice, more than see it. 'As to what I'm doing... I'm working out... can't let myself... get all soft... and squishy... just because... we're on holiday...'
Suddenly she drops to the ground and rolls over, before lifting her torso up, hands crossed over her chest, and lowering herself down again. A delicious warmth causes me to squirm as the muscles across her abdomen push against her skin at the movements.
'Is that so? It seems like you are trying to seduce me by parading your body before me. Do you think me so shallow?'
'Trying?' Oh... she is teasing... well two can play at that. 'By the way... you're looking at me... I would say... I'm doing a... pretty good job...'
Without replying, I push the thin blanket away, and arch my back, slowly stretching out the tight muscles, deliberately facing towards her as I do so. Unlike her, I am not at all dressed, and imagine the view is rather distracting. To her credit, she only stops for a second before resuming her exercise, though I suspect the flush across her cheeks is only partially from exertion.
'Game on... T'Soni...' her wicked grin is mirrored by my own. She deliberately slows her motions, giving me a very clear glimpse of her body reacting to the stresses she is putting on it.
'Game? I am simply stretching. You already gave me quite a workout last night.' I stand, and begin rolling my shoulders back, noticing from the corner of my eye as Faith suddenly flops to her back before scowling, clearly annoyed at herself, and resuming her activity. Oh, this is fun!
Her position shifts slightly, and she begins to raise a leg with each sit up, crossing over the opposite elbow to touch her knee. Though an impressive physical feat, unfortunately for her the view is not nearly as good for me as her previous exercises, allowing me the focus to do something I know she will like. I close my eyes, and feel the familiar hum of biotics, concentrating the energy to a tiny globe before my face. As impressive as powerful singularities and deadly warping fields are, it is the miniscule motions such as this which require the greatest control, and are best for practice. I pull the globe in closer, allowing it to run across my shoulders, orbiting my body across my skin.
The sensation is most pleasant; a gentle tingling, and I open one eye to glance at Faith as I draw the globe across my breasts, not resisting the shudder of pleasure that shoots through my body, allowing the gratification to spread across my face.
'Oh...' She has stopped her exercise mid-motion, eyeing me openly. I know she likes the struggle, but also that she will eventually give in. But I cannot resist but to tease, to see just how she reacts...
'This biotic exercise requires more focus if I do it to another. Would you like to volunteer... for the sake of my workout, of course.'
She swallows. 'Well... I wouldn't want to... erm... hamper your exercises.'
'Good.' I allow a little force into my voice, something I know she loves. I sit, and generate a similar biotic field right on the top of her head, before gently drawing it in circles, the pulsing energy softly massaging her scalp. Faith abandons any pretence of continuing her exercises, and leans back onto her hands, closing her eyes and humming in pleasure. As fun as this game is, it requires great concentration and mental exertion, and I cannot allow myself to become too distracted by Faith's rather... alluring... noises.
I draw the biotic orb down, taking great pleasure in how Faith tilts her head, exposing the side of her throat to me as it dances across her ear, and down her neck. Humans are very sensitive there, I know, and I do not miss the symbolic significance of the gesture: she is offering herself to me, trusting me, and I feel a flush of enjoyment that she feels so relaxed as to allow me this power.
Lowering the orb further, across her shoulders, I increase the energy pouring into it as I reach the more sturdy parts of her body, and the groan drawn from her as the biotics massage the muscles across the top of her back almost causes me to drop the power and take Faith as mine...
But our game is too enjoyable, and I resist... for now... pulling the orb around to her front, frisking it along the side of one breast, dancing it softly along the bottom to reach the side of the other, denying her the touch I can see her arching back craves.
'Mmm... you're killing me Liara...' Her voice is deep, husky, sending a rush through my body, tempting me to finally drop the persona, but I do not. She begins to sit up, and I speak quickly, brooking no argument.
'You are being so good, Faith... I would not want to have to stop. Stay there until I decide I am done.'
'Grrrnnnn...' she relaxes back down, clearly reluctant but obeying, and again I feel that rush... Goddess, I am glad she enjoys this, having her do as I say is intoxicating!
I continue to slowly draw the globe across the edges of her breasts, wondering what to do next. I could give her a hint of the release she is aching for... or perhaps...
The orb trails down her body, quickly traversing her taut abdomen - it would please a great many people, I imagine, to learn that the great Commander Shepard can be rather ticklish when relaxed - and it slowly titillates down her inner thigh. With a wicked grin I draw it away from her skin, her moan of disappointment quickly replaced by a gasp of pleasure as I feed more power into it, causing it to visibly throb, disturbing the air nearby, the energy only just reaching her where she truly wants, giving her just the smallest hint of pleasure, amplified by the knowledge that just inches away lies...
She slowly arcs her hips towards it, and I growl a warning.
'S... sorry...' Faith's whispered apology almost breaks my act, but her face shows she is absolutely drawn into the moment, and I feel a happy flush flow through me. For somebody so tightly wound, it is always wonderful to see her relax.
'Good. Now then... your clothing. Remove it.'
A hard poke into Garrus' arm had him leap to his feet, instantly alert, sending the chair he was sleeping on clattering backwards. Long held ancestral memories had him bare his fangs with a growl, splay his talons, and crouch into a predatory position before his sleep-addled brain recognised where he was. The Normandy. Communications room.
Oops...
Tali, leaning against the table before him, head cocked in amusement.
'I... spirits Tali, don't you know how dangerous it is to wake a sleeping turian?!' He instantly straightened his back, trying to divert her attention from his rather embarrassing display, despite knowing it was already a lost cause.
'I left you for a while... EDI, Legion and I finished up the blueprints while you snored. But if I'd known waking you up would have you so... mmm... primal... I might have done it sooner.'
'Yeah yeah, growly turian is sexy, I get it all the time.' he said flippantly, hoping to end the horrifying conversation.
'All the time? Really? I never noticed...' drawled Tali, far too confident for her own good.
'Maybe you're too caught up in it?'
'Cheeky bosh'tet!' she leant forward, voice ringing with humour, and slapped him on the chest, knowing she would do little damage. 'Anyway, we're nearly done, we got all the techno-talk out of the way and thought you could help with the rest.'
He snorted. He had been lost within minutes when Tali started talking about ultra-capacitors and micro-doodles and aneurysm-inducing-calculus, so was secretly relieved that they had done what they could without him. 'Much appreciated. What do we have left?'
'Weaponry, and personnel.'
His mandibles flared in anticipation. If there was one thing he knew on ships, it was guns. But-
'Personnel? I thought EDI could handle all of it?'
I could, but in several areas I have yet to match the efficiency of organics. Example: I can replicate Jeff's piloting style to over 99% accuracy, but he consistently defeats me in simulations. I believe this is because I lack what he describes as intuition.
There is one other operational area I predict I may have trouble: communications. Shepard wishes the Normandy to be a war hub, linked to all major governments and militaries. We will have several quantum entanglement communicators, but integrating them with multiple other incoming sources, taking into account time lag, requires substantial processing power. It has been proven repeatedly that certain organics possess what is commonly known as an intuitive "flair" for doing this, and given the importance of communication during warfare I believe a communications specialist would be a beneficial addition to the team. The importance is amplified when considering that these communications may involve, at times, diplomatic sensibilities or face to face meetings.
He pulled his chair from the floor, and sat back down. Tali did likewise, alongside him this time rather than opposite.
'Right, you're the expert on... erm... yourself,' he said uncertainly, 'we'll flag it up for Shepard. I've also just thought: Doctor Chakwas used to have an assistant who worked most of his time in Operations. We're going to be seeing heavy combat: we should find her a new one.'
Miss Chambers has taken combat first aid training to an intermediate level. I believe this, combined with her natural intelligence, will allow her to perform in this position after several months of practical training with Doctor Chakwas.
'Kelly?' Tali spoke up, surprised.
That is correct. During her off-duty hours she studied extensively.
'Well... that works. It will be good to free up the space.' Tali was always thinking about space aboard the ship... even one such as the Normandy. A glance at the hologram still floating above the communications desk showed they would have a lot less of it once the upgrades were fitted.
'We'll have to clear it with both her and Shepard, first, though.' he urged. 'Knowing the theory and being able to keep your cool when somebody's bleeding out in front of you are two entirely different things.'
'Agreed. Also...' Tali dropped her head. 'Gardner was... killed.' Garrus instinctively reached out and touched her arm. Tali never took casualties well: to him, a turian, death was a part of life, a part of his duty. To Tali, from a community where every life was sacred, it hit a lot harder. She glanced in his direction, and gave a thankful nod. 'We will need somebody for all of the hands-on maintenance jobs he did, as well as crew sustenance. They'll need to have a good level of knowledge of human combat frigates, to work with this ship.'
'Ok, add that to the list. Shepard was pleased with the value Mordin added with all those experimental weapon and armour upgrades he researched and helped build, so we also want a new scientist with a diverse skillset. Anyone else?'
Tali shook her head, and EDI spoke up again.
I suggest we add a shuttle pilot qualification to the requirements for our maintenance worker, in case Shepard requires the whole ground team extracted.
Both he and Tali nodded. Having the AI make suggestions had been a little... unnerving... at first, and still was, though she... it... whatever... always struck right to the heart of a problem with logical precision.
I will add it to the list. I believe that is all, unless we wish to employ backup crew in case of casualties.
'Erm... no thanks EDI...' muttered Tali. 'Legion, you've been quiet, do you have anything to offer?'
[We have little experience of such matters. Geth requirements are significantly different to organics: rather than repair our damaged units, we often download the programs to a new platform and use the damaged parts for scrap, rather than waste resources on costly repairs. Without needing sustenance or producing any substantial level of waste, maintenance tasks on ships and stations are very different, and allocated to specialised drones.]
'Fair enough.' the turian admitted. 'So that leaves us...' He pulled up the schematics. 'Wow, you've done a damned good job here guys, there's barely any living room left after all of these upgrades!' Most of the old crew living quarters would be housing backup shield generators, spare ammo stocks and EDI's new computers, rather than just beds and people. The ship was going to be heavy, no doubt, but in space it mattered little. The payoff of not having to house a large crew was nothing short of amazing: this would be the most powerful frigate in the galaxy. 'The Normandy's going to be a powerhouse. You... left the port observation room mostly unmodified other than a bit smaller to accommodate the thicker armour; why?'
'Shepard's orders. She wanted at least one room the whole crew could relax in... other than her own, of course.'
'Good idea. So, once we say Shepard and Liara sleep in the nest, the XO's office becomes Liara's new Shadow Broker lair, and all of these other modifications... I think we'll have enough space for five more people to live comfortably full time, six if Kelly wants the medical assistant job, and a few places we can keep guests. That's a good number. I wonder who they'll be... and where Shepard's going to find all these people?'
'Hopefully not through Cerberus,' muttered Tali, shaking her head, 'I imagine she's already got some ideas and will tell us when she gets back.'
'Well...' Garrus flared his mandibles happily. 'That's the boring part out of the way, let's look at some giant guns.
'Sender ID... Confirmed.
Alliance encryption protocols detected... Verified.
Decrypting... Complete.
From: [Redacted]
To: [Redacted]
The brief was to keep silence, but this is too important not to risk it.
Two weeks ago, we found something. It is what the rumours were talking about: an artefact, far older than any Prothean ruin. We suspect it is as old as the Mass Relays themselves.
I am mailing now because this morning, it activated itself. Whatever it does, Steven, it is active. We enacted security protocols as per data provided by Shepard, but it is alive. If we can find out what its purpose is, this could be the proof we need.
I will be in touch with any further updates.
'So...' Liara's sultry voice caused ripples through Faith she thought had all been spent over the past hours. 'was there a reason you so rudely woke me, love?'
They were tangled in a manner that was less than fully comfortable, but neither wanted to let go, to break the wonderful contact, to lose the heat and comfort they were sharing. Faith grinned into Liara's shoulder. 'I was trying to exercise when you so rudely distracted me.'
'That is not quite how I remember it happening...' Liara's breath tickled Faith's earlobe, causing her to shudder in pleasure. 'Did you wake me simply to show off?'
Faith was determined not to give into the asari's ministrations again, despite how wonderful it felt to let her take control. 'No!' she teasingly pushed Liara away, feeling the air cool her body, despite the heat she knew was baking the land. 'I was going to go for a run, and wondered if you wanted to come with me?'
Liara scrunched her face up adorably. 'Run? I would prefer to swim.'
'I know, but we'd never get anything done in the pool.' Trying not to look at the very inviting asari sprawled nude across her blankets, Faith stood and began to dress again.
'And you would run... for pleasure?' She had to smile at the incredulity in the asari's voice.
'Not really - just five miles or so. Keep us in shape, you know?'
'In shape? Are you trying to say something about my figure?'
She heard the joviality in Liara's words, but did not rise to the bait, pulling on her trousers. 'Are you coming or not?'
Liara sighed melodramatically. 'Very well. I suppose you are correct: if we are to be thrown back into the action, I should prepare my body.' The asari quickly dressed, and excused herself to check on the horses as Faith packed up the little camp.
The weight of the asari's words suddenly crashed onto her. This holiday, as wonderful as it was - and they still had days left - had her almost imagining things were already ok, that she could just lay down the burdens of war and enjoy herself, allow herself to fully relax, that they would not soon be thrown into a war that could very well last decades, or see the end of them.
The thought soured her mood. There was so much more she could be doing now: negotiation with the Council, talking with the Illusive Man about where Cerberus now stood in the war effort, beginning to build the necessary contacts across the militaries of the galaxy-
A gentle cooing drew her from her reverie. She looked down to the lake, where Tri'Lessa and Norman were tied in a shaded area, Liara petting the nose of the former, muttering softly, the latter simply staring at the pair with his unblinking gaze. The water glistened behind them, the lack of wind leaving the surface perfectly still, and the warm morning sun crept across the picture, highlighting everything with a beautiful glow.
The simple sight banished her dark thoughts. That's what I'm doing here. For this one final time, the woes of the galaxy could wait a couple more days. Smiling broadly, she called down.
'Hey, Liara, you ready?'
A/N: Thank you Jay8008 for beta reading.
So, as much as I would love just writing endless chapters of Faith and Liara getting kinky, I will be moving this story on soon, I promise!
