Hey there! At the moment I'm replaying Mass Effect Andromeda and what a lovely game it is! I go as slow as possible, paying attention to all conversation, especially when my squadmates have these hilarious talks in the Nomad.
I do hope you enjoy my writing. Don't be shy to leave feedback, I love hearing from you!
*four days later.
Chapter 14, Tea time confessions
She woke up in a sweat. She'd nearly died!
... No... not me... Sloane. He didn't shoot me... he shot her!
She shook her head. The nightmare had been incredibly real and she struggled to shake it off. Behind her half closed eyelids she still saw Reyes' evil smile as she lay there, bleeding out.
What the fuck! ... wake up Steph!
His face was twisted in a devilish grin as he placed the gun against her forehead. "Goodbye Pathfinder."
"NO!" With a loud scream she jolted upright, suddenly wide awake.
Just a dream just a dream!
Clutching her arms to her body she trembled. A sheen of sweat covered her forehead. Her night slip stuck to her body. She hated that feeling!
Fucking hell what an evil dream!
She tried to control her breathing but only partially succeeded. Fragments of her nightmare still flashed through her mind and she harshly bit her lip as she squeezed her eyes shut.
Snap out of it. Now!
She opened her eyes and turned on the lights. That helped.
She couldn't deny it any longer - the images of Sloane lying in a pool of blood with a huge hole in her head haunted her. Why? She'd seen a lot of suffering in her young life, why would Sloane's death bother her so much? Maybe she cared too much. Was she too sensitive? Sloane had been a ruthless killer, a psycopath. Drugs dealer.
A lot of people were glad she was gone. No-one seemed to mourn her.
Perhaps her view of the world was naive. The assassination had clearly helped Kadara. Things were looking up. The outpost was making good progress.
Still, was all that worth a murder? A human life? Everybody around her seemed to believe the answer was yes. And if the answer was yes, than what was truly the value of a life?
Sloane's dead eyes stared at her. Accusing her. She shivered. "Aaagh! Stop thinking! Go to sleep!"
For the next half an hour she tossed and turned but sleep eluded her. Her mind refused to shut down, continuously mulling over Kadara's events. She looked at the clock and sighed.
3AM.
Might as well get a cup of tea.
With a hum of relief she got out of her sweaty night slip and donned a new one. Panties too. The cool, clean material felt extremely pleasant against her skin and she felt much better already. She haphazardly tied her hair back and went to the sink to splash warm water in her face. Feeling refreshed she set out for the mess hall.
At night the Tempest was at a comfortable temperature so there was no need to cover up. Besides, everyone on board was asleep, right? The mess hall was dimly lit and deserted, just as she wanted it to be.
She prepared some tea and found herself a seat. The hot tea warmed her insides, a familiar comfy sensation. She already felt a lot better.
This was exactly what I needed. Stupid nightmare!
Humming happily she noticed the warm air on her cooling body. The soothing sensation made her shiver and she became aware of all her nerves tingling pleasantly.
Nice! This should help me get some sleep...
She put her cup down and stretched, tensing as many muscles as she could. Buzzing with pleasure she felt her body respond, heating up.
The warm sensations made her think of... Peebee? She grinned. Somehow the asari had a way of sneaking into her thoughts.
Peebee. You cutie. We had some lovely times together. And if it wasn't for her fear of commitment, I would probably be with her...
A part of her still longed for the witty, attractive alien. She was so funny!
Of course Peebee had noticed her holding hands with Reyes, kissing him goodnight. She wouldn't hide her happiness from anyone. So for the last four days they'd only shared a few short talks, about Remtech, about the mission. Peebee obviously didn't want to talk about Reyes so she never brought it up. They kept if professional. She understood Peebee's need to pull back, even though it stung a little.
Still, she did not regret her decision. Reyes and her were an excellent match. They laughed, worked and played together and she found herself thoroughly enjoying his company. She marveled at his energy and enthusiasm. He was amazing in bed. She'd never met a man who could go all night... and keep up with her. Besides that he worked so very hard for the people of Kadara and that was reassuring her he was a good guy. A keeper.
She smiled, her secret smile. Felt her soul flicker with longing. Damn he's a steal!
At 22 years old she was still discovering some aspects of her personality but at a young age she'd realized she was bisexual. Woman or Man, she loved certain traits of both. Women were so deliciously round and soft. Men were so wonderfully strong and hard. Why choose when you can have both?
Both. Love it!
During her college years she'd have girlfriends and boyfriends, choosing lovers on either side of the fence. She loved playing with them. She loved discovering what made them tick, loved exploring their quirks. She loved fucking them. She was definitely not shy and knew what she wanted. She suspected, no she knew she was a very generous lover.
Those were some wild times!
Feeling a tinge of excitement she bit her lip. After college she'd discovered Asari. And simply thinking of the charming creatures made her squirm in her seat.
Asari. Fuck yes! Sexy space babes!
The blue aliens had been all over the early initiative program and she'd happily and eagerly invited them into her bed. She grinned at her own preferences. Was she too easy? No, that was not true. She was quite picky... and once she'd decided she pursued her choice full steam.
She realized what she was doing and felt extremely silly. She laughed out loud. "Oh my Gosh... going from a nightmare to overthinking my love life... crazy much, Steph?"
Still giggling she poured herself a second cup of tea. That's when Peebee walked into the mess hall.
"Ryder! What are you-"
"Geez! You scared me!"
"Sorry! It's just... ehm..." Peebee nervously touched her crest, "I heard you moving about. Can we talk? I... "
Peebee sounded so vulnerable and fragile that she rushed to make her feel comfortable. "Of course! Please sit down... I'll make you some tea. What's up?"
Peebee waited for her cup of tea. When they were seated she whispered, "I... I wanted to congratulate you. With... him. He looks like a nice guy."
She couldn't read the expression in the asari's eyes. Was it disappointment?
They stared at each other for a few seconds.
"So there." Peebee stated, her voice thick, thoughtful.
"Thank you." Ryder clenched her hands behind her back. She wished to know what the asari was thinking but still could not read her young friend. Peebee was a master at hiding her emotions.
Just ask.
"Penny for your thoughts."
"I'm... I'm happy for you Ryder. I am." Her voice was hollow. It sounded too much like she was trying to convince herself.
"Hey you..." Stephanie took the maiden's hand. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm still here, on the Tempest. I'm still your friend."
The asari nodded. "Yes. Thank you." She fiddled with Ryder's hand. "But we won't fool around anymore... will we?"
Peebee almost made it sound like a question. Ryder clearly heard the disappointment. She's sad. She's sad she's losing me to Reyes.
"Peebs, Reyes and I are starting a relationship. So the answer is no, we can't do sex anymore."
"Too bad. But I understand."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome." Peebee's tone was a little too flat, telling Steph there was something more, something she wasn't telling her. "C'mon spit it out. We're friends, you can tell me anything."
"Well... " She hesitantly touched her crest, "You told me you're bisexual. I've just never seen you with a guy. New situation."
"Ah that. Yes." Ryder grinned from ear to ear. "He's definitely a guy."
Peebee read her flawlessly. "How's he in the sack?"
"Ha!" Stephanie smiled. Peebee certainly wasn't shy in asking. And she was happy to share with her blue friend. "To-tally awesome. Seriously... we're having a good time together. A really good time."
"Happy for ya." Peebee grinned. She took a sip of tea. Smiled mischievously. "He's a nice guy. Looks good too. Wanna share?"
Stephanie sucked in her breath. She put her cup down, it banged on the table. "Oh my God! You! You're a shameless vixen!" She studied Peebee's eyes, sparkling with mischief.
"Yep." Peebee grinned, "but you knew that already."
"Point taken. But it makes me smile!"
"Good. I love seeing you smile."
Peebee's naughty question triggered something deep within her. Even if I am Reyes girlfriend, Peebee still wants to play. With me. And him.
She rolled her eyes at the scandalous idea. Threesome? So very naughty!
For a second she pictured the three of them together doing... wild things. The image was a scorcher and she felt her body respond, felt her belly heating up with excitement. Her tits glowed with erotic tension. Squirming in her seat she enjoyed the warm sensations. "Mmm..."
Threesome sounded great. She liked Reyes. She liked Peebee. Sex with both of them was a lovely idea!
"Okay. I'll ask him."
"Nice!" Peebee smiled and took a sip of tea. "That's something to look forward to."
"Slow down," Stephanie tried to dampen her friend's enthusiasm, "he still has to agree."
"Oh he will."
Steph noticed Peebee staring at her breasts. She realized why. Her low-cut night slip was already showing plenty of cleavage and now her aroused, hard nipples were forcefully poking in the flimsy fabric.
She made no move to cover up, nothing her friend hadn't seen before. She rubbed Peebee's hand, "enjoying the view?"
"Sure!"
They both laughed at the situation and that reminded Ryder of one of the reasons why she loved Peebee's company. They were so comfortable around each other, like they'd known each other for years. The young asari had virtually no shame - just like her!
Peebee grinned, but a second later her face was serious once more. She gently squeezed Steph's hand. "I really enjoyed what we had together... " she hesitated. She closed her eyes for a second and her hands clenched to fists. She blurted out her words. "I need to tell you something. I like you. I want... I hope... perhaps we could..." She threw up her arms in frustration. "Oh! I don't know what I want Ryder!"
Steph kept quiet, hoping that her friend would continue. Peebee never talked about her feelings. The young maiden was visibly uncomfortable.
"I like you... " Peebee was forcing the words out, "and now that you're with him, I feel... I want..."
Stephanie felt her world turn upside-down. Did Peebee just confess to wanting more than friendship? Did she like Ryder more than just friends?
Closing her eyes she thought of her initial longing for the bubbly, witty maiden.
Eos had been what? Six weeks ago? It seemed like months. She'd instantly liked the young maiden and her intuition proved to be very right. They clicked on so many levels it was almost unbelievable.
Oh Peebs... if you'd made a move on me I would have said yes in a heartbeat!
Her heart twisted in her chest. For weeks she'd fancied Peebee. And now that she was Reyes' girlfriend she suddenly sensed the asari's longing for her.
Damn! Now what?
So that was bothering Peebee! She was overjoyed to at least understand her concern. She stared deep into the lovely golden brown eyes. Her heart was pounding and she knew that she still felt very much attracted to the blue alien. Peebee was a dream. Had been from the start.
... but I'm with Reyes.
Her mind was racing. The thought of having Peebee as a sex friend while being in a relationship with Reyes was... fascinating. Hot.
Yes - I want Reyes. But... but... I don't wanna give up on Peebs! I can't have both, can I? Can I?
She harshly bit her lip. The attraction she felt for Peebee was real and strong.
And has been like that since I met her... but she doesn't want my heart! Does she? A relationship with her cannot happen. Can it?
Thinking of the amount of fun they'd shared she shivered with pleasure. She's amazing. Witty. Sparkly. So very naughty. Naughty like me!
Peebee was everything she'd hoped for and that's why it hurt even more to know they could not be together.
Reyes was a marvel. She loved his warm personality, his honesty, his strength. He was an incredible attentive lover. She could easily picture herself by his side, living together.
A persistent little voice whispered in the deepest corners of her mind. He's wonderful, but he's not Peebee!
... could she have both? Would she even want that? Wasn't that extremely selfish?
I'm not ready to give up on her. I'm not! But I like him! I love what we have together! I... I want him!
"Aaargh!" Growling with frustration she threw up her hands. Why was this so hard? Peebee blinked back at her. The temporary tattoo around her eyes had virtually faded, making her golden eyes even more breathtaking.
Time for truth. "I like you too Peebs. A lot. I'm sure you've noticed. But I always wanted... more. I want more than being sex friends. You must have noticed that too."
"I have..." The asari whispered. "But I... I'm not sure I can handle that. Commitment s-scares me."
"Will..." She needed to know! "Will that change... soon?"
Peebee winced. Her voice was a hollow whisper. "I d-don't know. I really don't know. I'd love to be more t-trusting of people... but it's very h-hard. I'd change it if I could..."
Ryder sucked in her breath. In three minutes Peebee had shared more than she'd done in all the weeks prior! She clearly heard the anguish in the asari's voice.
Gently squeezing the blue hand she felt her heart open up. She just wanted to hug Peebee and tell her everything would be fine. "Okay."
Her voice was as sincere as her heart. "Okay. My dear friend... take your time. If there's anything I can do to help, let me know, alright? Anything. That's what friends are for."
Peebee smiled shyly. "You're a true friend Steph." She took both of Ryder's hands and affectionately caressed them. "I can talk with you. About... stuff. Life. That's nice. Thank you."
Ryder nodded. This felt so right. She loved being close to the young asari. She'd do anything to help Peebee. For a few minutes they were content to just sit there, holding hands, enjoying each other's company. The tea was getting cold.