WARNING!: I am finally giving in to my demanding readers and doing an anal scene. DUN DUN DUUUUN! Please don't let this chapter scare you away from the story if you don't enjoy anal, this will be the ONLY chapter to include it. It isn't a BDSM thing, Liara just has a pregnancy craving she can't seem to control, so it will be very sweet and mild. I'm just such a pleaser *sob* that I had to do it because I've had quite a lot of readers asking me to write one. But seriously, give the scene a try. Even if it's not a personal kink, (and as long as you're not repulsed by the idea), you may discover you like the idea. And like I said, this is a very sweet scene.

So, to anyone who doesn't like anal, you've been given fair warning to skip this chapter. Unless you never read the author's notes. In which case this is going to be a very uncomfortable chapter for you.

Next chapter: little blue babies will finally be making their dramatic entrance! ^_^

Chapter 33

"Liara . . .!" Shepard gasped for the umpteenth time in the week they'd been married. "Goddess Liara I'm coming again . . .!"

Her beautiful blue goddess was currently straddling her hips, riding their new favorite toy with driving force, and all Shepard could do was hold on for dear life. The human was currently sprawled on her back, gripping Liara's thighs, but the asari had insisted she set the pace this time. So Shepard happily obliged, holding perfectly still as Liara took what she wanted. She wasn't sure if it had something to do with pregnancy hormones or what, but Liara had been absolutely insatiable since the wedding.

"Shepard . . ." Liara panted, her beautiful face straining as she ground her hips down harder. One of her hands was currently between her legs, furiously working over her azure and the sight was proving too much for Shepard to handle. Seeing the quiet, sometimes painfully innocent asari taking her pleasure like this, without any shame or care in the world . . . Sweet goddess it was just too good. "Shepard I'm . . . I'm going to . . . I - ah!"

It was all the warning the human received before Liara was crashing into her mind in a powerfully forceful meld, filling Shepard's mind with roiling lust and desire. It proved too much. Shepard arched off the bed with a cry of ecstasy, her muscles straining then freezing as liquid fire burst from the head of the toy and deep into her wife's body. Liara froze with her, digging her fingernails into Shepard's straining stomach as she released her own aching orgasm around the pulsing toy. Shepard couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight of Liara milking the toy for all it was worth, their joint fluid glistening visibly on it with every thrust.

It was at that point Shepard received an incredibly vivid, visceral image through the Meld, followed by a flood of desire to fulfill the fantasy. In the image, she was on top of Liara, coming in an entirely different opening between her wife's legs. For a moment she was completely confused, thinking the image and desire originated within herself. Then she was floored when she realized the clawing desire came from Liara. It took several moments of collecting her shattered self and heavy breath to finally form proper words.

"Liara?"

Liara stared down at her with a look of complete horror for several moments. Then she pulled away from Shepard so fast they both yelped in discomfort. Before her poor mortified bondmate could run off, Shepard grabbed Liara's arm and pulled her on the bed next to her. She used her other hand to cup Liara's opening to ease her through the discomfort of pulling out too fast.

"Liara it's okay, I promise. Don't go, it's okay," Shepard said, carefully sliding two fingers in Liara and continuing to shower her with soothing words and light kisses.

Liara buried her face in Shepard's neck and curled into herself. Shepard held her for several minutes before finally deciding to press the subject.

"Liara," she tried, but as soon as she spoke, Liara shook her head and buried her face even further in her neck and the pillows. Shepard had to bite her lower lip to keep herself from chuckling. There was really nothing cuter in the universe than an embarrassed Liara. "Oh Liara, look at me. It's just me, Shepard. Your Shepard. Not some Catholic nun with a damn ruler, about to beat you for such a 'hedonistic' desire."

That caused Liara to finally pull back to give her a look of complete confusion. "What?" the asari demanded.

Shepard chuckled. "Oh, she lives! I thought you died of embarrassment. Glad you're okay."

Liara swatted Shepard's chest then groaned and buried her face again. "That's not funny."

"Hey," Shepard said softly, tilting Liara's chin up. "It's just me. Liara, I want you to tell me about your desires; I want to satisfy them for you. Is this something you've wanted before?"

Liara vigorously shook her head. "It . . . it started a f-few days ago," she stammered.

Despite her poor bondmate's embarrassment, Shepard was still grinning like an idiot. Or so the expression went. "Liara. You don't need to be ashamed of a craving, even if you consider it weird. Aethyta told me your mother had some odd cravings when she was pregnant, and the same is true with most asari. Lots of people like what you showed me. I've never done it before, but I'm not opposed to the idea. It's okay, I promise."

"Would you . . . I mean . . . would you not . . .?"

Since Liara seemed incapable of finishing sentences at the moment, Shepard decided to help her out after chuckling a bit more. "It doesn't gross me out, I'm not disgusted by the thought, and I love every part of you. There isn't an inch on your body I wouldn't be willing to touch, lick, or put this toy in if you asked me to. If you asked me to put my tongue in that opening instead of the toy, I'd happily do it. I might insist you shower first, but that'd be my only stipulation. But if you want me to come in that particular orifice, I am more than happy to oblige. Hell, even if you only want to do it once and never again, that's okay too. In fact . . . I'm really glad you had the craving because it's something I would love to try, but not something I'd ever ask of you."

Liara shifted slightly and Shepard took that as her cue to remove her fingers from her silky heat. They both sighed a little wistfully but were glad they could more fully embrace. Shepard cleaned her fingers and removed the toy from herself, then they settled in each other's arms.

"You . . . you'd never ask?" Liara said after a few more moments of comfortable silence.

"No. Never."

"Why?"

"Because I'd never want to make you feel like you had to do it just because I wanted it. If you did it just to please me, it could end up hurting you."

"Oh," Liara said, her voice already sounding disappointed. "So . . . it will be painful?"

"Not if I'm careful. With a lot of foreplay and lube just about all pain can be avoided. If it's a powerful enough craving, and from what I felt it definitely is, you'll derive pleasure simply because you want it. And I'll derive pleasure simply because it's you. So if you want to try it, I'm in. If not, that's okay too."

Shepard bit back another grin as she watched Liara turn several shades of dark purple. "Can I think about it?"

Shepard laughed and gave Liara a crushing hug. "As long as you want. Like I said, it doesn't make one bit of difference to me. If you want it, I'm here. We both know I love it when you use me for your pleasure and cravings anyway. This one is completely in your hands. And if you're too shy to verbally ask for it, just hop in my mind, send an image, and I'll know what to do. Sound good?"

Liara buried her face again with another groan of frustration. "I'm beginning to hate these cravings. But okay."

"Do you trust me?"

That got Liara's attention. She lifted her face again to peer into fuchsia eyes. "You know I do."

"Then trust that I'll take care of you, Love. Trust that I'll never make you feel ashamed or embarrassed. Trust that I'll keep this craving strictly between you and me, and that I'll never use it to make you feel bad or even tease you about it. I hope someday soon you can just ask me for what you want without feeling ashamed. I want you to be comfortable with me, Liara." Shepard softly stroked Liara's cheek while she spoke, and she could practically see Liara's walls crumbling.

"Okay," she replied.

"Promise?"

Liara nestled deeper into the human's arms. "I promise."

O=O=O=O=O

Two days later, Liara found herself in the uncomfortable position of having a craving so powerful it was almost crippling. She stood in the bathroom staring at her reflection in complete annoyance and disbelief.

"What's wrong with you?" she muttered to her reflection. She grabbed her toothbrush and began furiously working it around her mouth. Shepard had finished showering and teeth-brushing first and was currently waiting for her in bed. But even as she rinsed out her mouth and tried to think of anything but the craving she'd been suffering the past few days, another visceral image flooded her mind. A pulse of arousal immediately rushed down between her legs as she imagined Shepard on top of her . . . inside her . . . coming in a whole new area of her body . . .

She buried her face in her hands and shook her head. 'I shouldn't like that idea so much,' she reprimanded herself. But fighting it was proving useless. The more she tried to fight the craving, the more she wanted it. It wasn't unlike her earlier cravings to make-out with Shepard, only this one was much stronger. Her make-out craving had only subsided when Shepard gave her what she wanted, and she was beginning to realize this was probably not going to go away until she satisfied it. Liara sighed in slight frustration and resignation. She could tell she was fighting a losing battle. She replayed Shepard's words in her head over and over, drawing strength and courage from them. 'I hope someday soon you can just ask me for what you want without feeling ashamed.'

Liara took a long, deep breath, inhaling as much courage as she could muster. On the exhale she moved to the doorway but stopped before she left the safety of the bathroom. She could feel Shepard's eyes on her but she couldn't quite bring herself to look at her bondmate. She ran her foot along the back of her calf and fidgeted with the door frame, praying to the goddess she wouldn't actually have to spell out to Shepard what she wanted. 'And how would that go? Shepard I desperately want you come in my . . .' She blushed just thinking the last word.

"Liara?" Shepard softly inquired, breaking through Liara's hesitant fog. "Are you okay?"

She chewed furiously on her lower lip. Despite the current awkward predicament, she was still painfully aroused and her craving hadn't subsided one bit. 'Damn it.' "Shepard . . . I umm . . . I think I'm experiencing a . . . umm . . . craving."

"Oh. Oh!" Shepard immediately sprang off the bed and crossed the room to the slightly mortified asari. "Are you sure?"

"By the goddess, Shepard, please just make this craving go away!" she exclaimed, battling back a flood of heat trying to permeate her face.

Her lover's strong hands cupped her face and pulled her in for a series of soft kisses. Then Shepard lowered her hands and began softly massaging Liara's shoulders and back and it didn't take long before she was melting into the human. She pulled back after a few minutes and gave Liara a loving smile.

"There. Now that you're more relaxed, we just need a couple things."

Shepard's relaxed tone, loving smile, and massaging hands eased the remnants of her tension and embarrassment. It was going to be okay. They were going to make love just like they always did. This was normal, there was nothing wrong with it. She could do this. And with any luck, she'd enjoy the process of satisfying this particular craving.

After a few more soft kisses, Shepard proceeded to do a couple of things Liara didn't fully understand, but she trusted that Shepard knew what she was doing. Her wife disappeared to the kitchen downstairs for a minute then came back with a bowl and filled it with steaming hot water and a washcloth. She set it on one of their nightstands then laid a large soft towel down on the bed. Liara stood in the bathroom doorway the entire time, fidgeting a little nervously with the frame. Shepard then finally opened the nightstand and removed their favorite toy along with a bottle of lube.

Crossing the room back to Liara, she brought their lips together again in a slow kiss. Liara wasn't sure if it was from having to wait so long to finally get what she wanted, but at that moment she lost all patience for anything other than getting to the heart of her craving. She pushed Shepard's N7 robe off her broad shoulders then dropped to her knees, grabbing the toy from the human's fingers. She immediately buried her face between her wife's legs, purring against her when she felt and tasted how wet she already was. Apparently her wife really did want this, and that thought comforted Liara in ways she hadn't thought possible.

After thoroughly spreading Shepard's arousal around with her mouth, Liara pulled back, replacing her mouth with the base of the toy. She didn't fully understand why, but she loved putting the toy inside Shepard, loved watching the human's face when the sensory-transmitting plate began sending her body wonderful signals. She eased the thickest part of the bulb inside Shepard, then fitted it snugly against her. Shepard rewarded her with a sharp inhale of breath when she stroked the length of the shaft several times.

"Such a tease," Shepard said, her voice strained slightly.

Liara kissed the tip of the toy and stood, pulling Shepard to the bed. She settled down on her back and Shepard followed her onto the bed. She knelt in front of Liara and opened the bottle of lube. After squeezing a particularly liberal amount on her hand, she tossed the bottle aside and brought her lubed hand to shaft of the toy. Liara pulled Shepard's face to hers so the human was kneeling over her and locked their lips as they began spreading the lube over the toy. Liara shivered in delight every time Shepard let out a soft groan of enjoyment from the contact.

The archeologist battled back a surge of shyness when Shepard gently pushed her legs open and placed a well-lubed hand between her legs. She nibbled the human's lower lip to keep her from pulling away and she felt Shepard grin into the kiss. Shepard seemed in no particular hurry to give Liara what her body so desperately craved at the moment. She took her time toying with her wet folds and aroused bud, slowly circling it with soft caresses and occasionally slipping a finger in her silky walls. Soon Liara was whimpering into their kiss and lost in a sea of pleasure and love.

She was so distracted and relaxed she almost didn't notice when Shepard's fingers began pressing against her other opening. It started with a slow sweeping downward motion, starting at the top of her azure, then lowering all the way down to tease the tight ring of muscle there. She mostly only noticed when the cool air hit her opening after coming in contact with the lube, making her shiver involuntarily. Shepard seemed to pick up on this because she immediately covered her again and began lightly teasing her other opening with a gentle finger. She winced ever so slightly when a slick fingertip dipped inside, but it was far from painful. She was surprised to discover she rather liked the feeling, if only for the psychological aspect of knowing she was giving this one last secret place to Shepard. She decided right then to take this secret place from Shepard someday as well. She didn't know why, but knowing that she, too, would claim and own this part of her wife someday bought her the comfort and reassurance she needed.

Just when Liara started trying to focus on Shepard's probing finger, her bondmate plunged her tongue in her mouth, and within moments Liara was moaning softly in enjoyment of the erotic kiss. She wasn't sure how Shepard was able to multitask so well, but she had never been more grateful. Before she even realized it was happening, one of her bondmate's fingers was buried completely within her. She pulled away from the kiss and gave Shepard a hesitant look, but she melted when she saw the look in her wife's eyes. She saw endless love, tenderness, and a delicious arousal all reflected in her bright fuchsia eyes.

The next few minutes were a a flurry of pleasure and sensation. Shepard seemed determined to drive her to distraction as she worshiped her lips, breasts, and neck with her lips and tongue while her fingers continued their gentle exploration. She was so wonderfully overwhelmed in Shepard's tenderness that she was surprised when the human pulled back to gaze at her.

"You ready, Love?" she crooned, giving her a soft kiss on the lips.

Liara blinked. It took her a moment to realize that not one, but three of her wife's fingers were embedded to the knuckle inside her. She may have tensed were it not for the look of complete love and adoration radiating from Shepard's beautiful eyes. So instead she nodded, biting her lower lip when she felt another small surge of shyness. Her wife carefully withdrew her fingers, and Liara was startled to realize she missed the sensation of being filled. But she had stubbornly resolved herself from the beginning of this not to feel embarrassed by anything she might experience or enjoy.

Shepard brought their lips together again with more soft kisses, stroking Liara's inner thigh all the while. "Meld with me, Love," she whispered around the kiss.

Liara had been hoping Shepard would ask, so she didn't hesitate to rush forward into her lover's mind. She found everything she could have possibly wanted and needed - excitement, arousal, giddiness, and of course love. While Liara comfortably settled into Shepard's mind, the human carefully lined the head of the toy with Liara's other opening and began firmly pressing against the tight ring of muscle. Liara concentrated on relaxing her body and Shepard's distracting lips which were currently teasing her neck.

When the head pushed past her entrance and her body accepted the first inch of the toy, both of them were left temporarily breathless.

"Oh fuck . . ." Shepard gasped, breathing heavily against Liara's neck. "Oh god, Liara . . . god you feel so good . . ."

Liara groaned softly just hearing Shepard sounding so strained and aroused. It was enough to relax her even further into the mattress and accept another inch of the toy. Shepard slowly settled on top of her and Liara took comfort in her wife's weight on her, letting a small, happy sigh escape her lips. Shepard's lips found her neck again, sometimes kissing it lightly, sometimes nipping, sometimes pausing to gently suckle on the exposed flesh.

Liara's head spun when she felt their pelvises meet, and she automatically wrapped her legs around her lover's waist. Shepard was practically beside herself.

"Liara . . . oh god Liara you're so beautiful . . ." Shepard whispered, her voice wonderfully ragged and breathless. "Oh god . . . I'm . . . fuck I'm inside you . . ."

The asari ran her fingertips up along Shepard's back, causing the human to shiver. She deepened the Meld and was suddenly more sympathetic to why Shepard was feeling a bit overwhelmed. This opening was warmer than her other one and it clung much more desperately to Shepard's length. And oh . . . it felt so incredible through the Meld. Shepard stayed for quite sometime before lifting her hips, withdrawing the toy agonizingly slowly. Liara found herself sighing in pleasured relief to no longer be so filled, but it only lasted a moment before Shepard filled her again in a hard thrust. She hissed in a breath through her teeth but was again relieved of the temporary discomfort when Shepard began slowly withdrawing again.

One of Liara's hands traveled up Shepard's back to grip her lovely red hair and the other pressed between them to begin toying with her hardened, neglected azure. Shepard's lips on her neck, the burn of being filled, the relief of being emptied, all of it was arousing her beyond belief, and her body was soon screaming for release. She intentionally didn't give herself the stimulation she required for release, however, wanting to extend the beautiful moment happening between them. She especially loved the feelings Shepard was sending through the Meld. Whatever shame or embarrassment she was feeling since discovering the craving had been completely forgotten, replaced only by love.

Shepard continued the somewhat languid pace for what felt like a small eternity, and Liara had to be impressed by her wife's restraint. She could feel how much Shepard wanted to go faster, but she was also completely focused on Liara's pleasure. That knowledge alone made Liara's head swim and she sent a flood of arousal, lust, and unbridled love into her wife.

'Liara,' Shepard sent over, since her vocal chords were otherwise occupied with continuous soft groans. 'God I love you. Fuck you feel so good . . .'

'Shepard . . . oh goddess please come in me. Goddess I want it so much.'

'God I can tell. I've felt it from the start of the Meld. And holy fuck it's so hot that you want this . . .'

Shepard at last began thrusting faster, still withdrawing slower than her thrusts in, and continuing to tease Liara's neck with her lips. Liara increased the speed of the fingers on her azure, matching Shepard's climb toward finality. Soon both of them were strained and breathless, no longer reaching for climax but battling it off, unwilling to end it just yet.

'Goddess Shepard, I don't think I can hold back any longer . . .'

'Please . . . please just a little longer . . .'

'I love you. Oh goddess I love you I can't hold it anymore . . .!'

The rush of words was the only warning she could provide before every muscle in her body was tensing.

'Oh god I'm almost there . . . oh fuck Liara I'm gonna come so hard . . . oh fuck . . .!'

Both of them were helpless to fight it any longer. Their orgasm started in the pit of their stomachs then tore through the rest of their bodies like a ravenous animal. Liara felt Shepard's hands ball up into fists around a handful of sheets as her arousal jetted from the pulsating toy and into her body. A scream of sheer relief and ecstasy spilled from Liara's lips and she arched into her wife, clinging to her and mercilessly circling her own aching azure. Spurt after spurt of Shepard's arousal spilled into Liara with every driving thrust, and every drop brought endless waves of relief to her craving until it faded into nothingness in her mind. Shepard continued thrusting into her until she had emptied everything she had to give, and with one final jerk of her hips, the last burst of fluid spilled into her.

Liara let out a long sigh of sheer ecstatic relief and melted into the bed in a spent heap. She lost herself in the feel of Shepard's hot breath on her neck, the rippling aftershocks, the endless love she was receiving through the Meld. Shepard physically pulled out a bit quicker than she did with her regular opening, but Liara found she was grateful. She realized the reason for the washcloth when Shepard pulled it from the still-warm water and covered both Liara's openings with it. The warm heat brought another soft sigh to her lips, and she was grateful for the millionth time for such a caring partner. After pulling the toy from herself and setting it aside, Shepard settled back on top of Liara, cupping her and gently massaging between her legs through the washcloth. They remained within the Meld for sometime, sending each other adoring feelings of love and contentedness.

"So did I help the craving?" Shepard murmured, running her lips along Liara's neck again.

"Oh yes," Liara sighed again, smiling dreamily as she replayed the image in her head over and over. "I daresay we may have to return to this particular craving." Liara almost let the sentence hang before hastening to say, "Only on very special occasions, of course."

A huge, adorably goofy grin broke out over her commander's face. "I was hoping you'd say that. And you know I'd be happy to accommodate you any time you have this, or any craving."

Liara rewarded her with a smoldering smile.