Today is going far too slow, just like every day right now. Liara sighs as she cooks by her stove, her heart perpetually tormented by the recent news that Jane's shore approval request has—once again—been denied. It's been nine months now. Liara has to wait for the twelve month mark, a whole year, and as lovely as their calls have been... She wishes she could at least feel those grins the marine always beams on their vid-calls. She terribly misses the warmth, and the intensity, and the goddess-awful times her solitude is decimated by the one who thinks it hilarious to do so.
She even misses all the audacious noises when Jane eats.
Sizzling keeps half Liara's mind here as she fries vegetables, trying out another new human recipe to keep her focus... And faith. Shore leave will be approved next time. It will. It's just another three months, and she's been able to do nine months so far. There will be even more for them to catch up on and share, to show each other rather than tell stories of it.
They still have yet to celebrate Jane's promotion to Junior Lieutenant. It doesn't matter if she says it's just because Ensign is a probationary rank, and it doesn't matter if she doesn't feel like she's earned anything yet. She's received a well-deserved promotion and they will celebrate and that is the end of that story.
By the Goddess, though, at this rate? There will be multiple promotions, and still no shore leave approvals.
Liara sighs again.
It's becoming the only thing capable of tumbling out her mouth right now. She shuts off her stove as she transfers the frying pan over to cool down. She watches the steam waft away as she curls her leg behind the other to soothe an itch, toes rubbing along the calf. She looks down and pinches at the hem of her white blouse, groaning at the sight of some tomato splatter. She's just washed this blouse.
"I was being careful... How did this even happen this time?"
Oh well. She'll have to remember to change shirts before their vid-call tonight, to spare herself the teasing—and to keep the human recipes a secret, to surprise Jane when they will get to see each other again.
Armali's deafening noises buzz loudly from her open windows in the living room. She had hopes to show the marine around, but... Three more months. What a depressing reminder. Jane really wasn't kidding when she said that the first couple of years will be the rockiest of the relationship. On a positive note, at least it's distance that's the perpetrator of these trials, rather than anything about or between them. Liara has to hold onto this positivity for the next three months, to retain her focus so that her quality of work doesn't suffer for it either. She's almost completed her next paper—but she's been stumped in recent weeks, growing apprehensive over the news of the request this time.
Liara forces herself to grab a plate of food, despite not really having an appetite. Another sigh trails after her as she meanders over to her living room, looking out the glass door of her balcony to observe traffic, poking and prodding her vegetables without purpose. Her eyes flutter shut when she pops it in her mouth, pleased to have finally gotten the seasoning right as the flavor bursts in her mouth.
Amber lights up as her omni-tool engages, a permission she's programmed in advance for it to notify her whenever it's the marine calling. Her mouth sweeps up in a smile as she answers it, humming. "Hey, how are you? Did you just finish your patrol?"
Feedback lines scribble over the omni-tool screen, with harsh static in the background. She's confused to be hearing ragged breathing. Her heart contorts with panic as her mind races to the worst conclusion.
"Jane, are you safe? Are you injured? What is-"
"I'm fucking lost, doc."
More static, and heavy breathing. There's an echo of... Steps? Maybe?
Knocks at the doorway throw Liara at the mercy of confusion, because she hears it rapping along through the omni-tool connection too. Her feet carry her over to the door and the plate of food is abandoned somewhere at some point, her mind stuck on one track, her heart clambering up to her throat with her hope. Her eyes begin to burn just as she makes it to her door, and Jane chuckles tiredly.
"Fuck... You're not even home, are you?"
There's a race to press the button to open the door, and Liara stands in shock, the olivine eyes snapping up from the omni-tool with a casual salute bouncing off the temple. There's a sheen overtaking their eyes too, then, when moisture slips down Liara's cheek in disbelief.
Always ever so casual, as if this isn't as big of a deal as it is, Jane beams a grin. "And now I'm found."
Appreciative eyes rove down, and that grin grows ever larger—Liara knows. She knows and she's damned and she's certain with every part of her soul that it is not because of her legs. The marine invites herself in, as she always does, dropping off her bag at the corner as she presses the button to close the door. Her hands find hips as if she's been exploring them every single day of her life, her lips pin-point accurate over a pulse, her nonchalance cracking in her tone as she whispers.
"I'm home."
"You..." Liara grabs by the forearms, leaning away as she looks down. The marine looks different—her hair seems longer, her muscles more defined, but most importantly, the insignia on the shoulders of her uniform shirt is different. It was one bar, on the vid-call last time. There are two now. What comes after Junior Lieutenant, again? Just Lieutenant probably. She'll look it up on the extranet later. Her hand comes up to thumb along it, her gaze feeling like it's disconnected with her mind as it slowly pans back to the warm grin. "You're here... And you've been promoted again?"
A beat. This just isn't right.
Liara's heart sinks and her brow furrows. "This is a dream."
Laughter challenges that. Jane leans in to steal a kiss. "It's been a while since you've complimented me," she teases. "I'm that dreamy, huh?" Her hands slip down and over, fingers roughly sinking into the asari's rump to goad a gasp. "Sounds like I need to get to work and start making some dreams come true, then."
"You're actually... Here...?"
Stunned, it's all Liara can manage to comprehend right now. Then there's a spark on her skin, an electricity that buzzes hard as calloused hands remind her of blissful sensations, sneaking up underneath her blouse for a devious finger to trace circles over her lower back. A nose prods and pushes aside her blouse's collar, teeth finding and nipping the crook of where her throat meets her shoulder.
"One advantage of surprising you is finding out you are an asari commando. Almost, anyways," Jane chuckles. Her thumbs hook on underwear, pulling it down a couple inches.
Shivers roll through Liara's body, and they twist until her back meets the wall. Fingers slip into her underwear and touch her intimately, the intensity ramping quickly as soon as a moan is pulled from her. Her head falls back with a painful thud and a content sigh is pulled from her when the marine kneels, the underwear tugged down so that a tongue glides along her core.
"Jane," Liara hisses between gritted teeth. "Inside. Someone will hear us from the hallway."
"So what?"
Yes. Mm hm. This is what it feels like to blush this hot, again. Not even lonely imagination dared to be this adventurous.
Fingers buried in auburn tresses, it takes remarkably little time to be worked up—having missed this intimacy so profoundly. She groans when she falls apart, wanting to last longer. She grows squeamish when Jane lifts her, encourages her legs to wrap around the waist, and tastes herself in the marine's mouth.
"Give me a tour," Jane murmurs in between kisses. "Tell me where your bed is. We're spending all of today in it first, and then we can talk." She tilts her head and dips under the jaw, suckling and rolling the patch of skin between teeth roughly. Pleasure chases pain, and Liara holds for dear life as she isn't given the chance to talk, with the marine smothering her mouth as she blindly navigates the apartment. She grins devilishly when they pass by the kitchen, stealing a quick peek inside to witness the mess of pans and ingredients all over the counter.
Liara rolls her eyes. She knows she'll be hearing of this later. That's okay. But first?
She's determined to hear her name more often than Jane's.
Sweat dissipates as their bodies cool, making their skin sticky and every movement rife with friction, even just laying on each other. Liara rolls in to lay on the marine's side, propping herself up on her elbow as she smirks down at Jane.
"So do I want to know how much of my information you've hacked, if you've found out where I live?"
"I didn't hack it," Jane huffs with a weak laugh. "I followed the same address you gave me when I sent that flower to you, that one time."
Oh.
That's kind of disappointing. Liara prefers her story so much more, with this mischievous one.
Lips press to the human's shoulder, appreciating the muscles that shudder against her mouth. Her eyes flutter shut, to hide the sheen burn as the weight of realization slams down on her again, but there's a blissful rapture making her heart soar.
"You are unbelievable," Liara murmurs. "Now, more than ever. I will never trust you again."
"I'll start telling the truth from here on out just to really mess with your mind," Jane promises deviously. Her arms pull in and loosely embrace, kissing the top of the asari's crest. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I just wanted to surprise you so that you wouldn't stress with planning anything. And I'll never forget the face you made."
"Mm. I'm certain I must have looked and sounded like quite the fool."
"The exact opposite. Promise."
Elbows have to be tapped to loosen the tightening hug. Liara worms her arms around too, needing to stay mindful when all she wants to do is squeeze like her life depends on it. There's still a sense of disbelief that Jane is really here. She hasn't forgotten, though. She remembers every damning word. They only have a week to make the most of this, before it's back to the goddess-awful wait.
The intensity flows in and out of waves, where innocent kisses quickly transcend into more. There is no small amount of pride blooming in Liara's chest when she hears her name chanted with reverence, to be the one to coax out all the tension that's been pent up in the marine for all her mind-numbing watch duties and space patrols in peaceful systems—or so the vid-calls went, despite days of radio silence at times.
When Liara's touched, it's rough, it's desperate, her skin sporting bruises from love bites around her body. She welcomes the burn and matches it with her own. Her sheets are kicked off the bed when it becomes a nuisance, tangling in their limbs. She maps the muscles with her mouth, coaching herself to look up and maintain eye contact as she does—but she always shies away. The only time she's able to is when she finds and kisses scars, looking at Jane with worry when she does.
"No big deal," Jane always insists. "I haven't been on any dangerous missions. I'm pretty sure that scar is from me bumping into a crate."
Her lies need work. This scar has grotesque bumps as if it's been stapled shut. Liara has a strong feeling she'll never be told of any kind of dangerous mission, but she doesn't press. The marine is here right now, and every minute is precious.
They spend the entire week exploring the apartment rather than Armali.
There's a perpetual lightness carrying Liara's heart, and she wakes up every morning with a song humming on her breath: 99 bottles on the wall. It's easier to work, and the clarity of which to study artifacts she discovers and curates has been nothing she's felt before. She checks in on her omni-tool often while on the dig site, keeping an eye on the clock to ensure she won't miss tonight's vid-call with the marine.
Two years of this, and counting.
Every shore leave request has been approved, every three months. The worst is over, the rockiest part of the relationship has been breezed through and Liara is elated to be able to see Jane more often. They actually do things and explore other places, now just as focused on creating new experiences with each other rather than indulging emotions, in case if it will be a treacherous wait until the next time.
This relationship is only growing stronger, every single day.
Ideas swim about in her mind, and her complexion suffers for it. She hasn't forgotten her last call with her mother, gushing all about Jane and their latest adventures on her shore leave. She hasn't forgotten the way her face flamed and how she rushed to disconnect the call when Benezia asked about bondmate rites and children.
There's a ping, a request, her omni-tool lighting up already. Her brow pinches with confusion—the vid-call is four hours earlier. She accepts it as she searches for a comfortable rock to sit on, her lips quirking up in an automatic smile, upon seeing Jane's grin.
"Hey, doc," her voice is low and husky. She bounces her eyebrows for some reason—and is that a new scar, there on her brow? "What're you wearing?"
Liara looks down at herself. "Just the standard edition of the archaeological-"
Laughter interrupts her, and she almost huffs at the marine's hiss. "I knew it!"
"Knew what?"
"Anyways, so I'll swing by to pick you up soon. I've organized another trip for us. And-"
"What?"
Jane's grin is only growing as she parrots innocently. "What, what? Did you have work planned on our anniversary? If so, 'fraid to say I'm canceling it on ya. I'm kidnapping you to Kahje."
Liara's heart twists with panic and swells with hope, but she's still stuck on her: "...What?"
"See you soon," Jane sniggers.
The vid-call ends.
This doesn't make sense. Is this a shore leave request, approved earlier? It's well under the three month mark. Liara knows, because she counts down the days. Her head snaps over to the entrance to the dig site, her jaw dropping in disbelief when, once again, she's been caught off guard and surprised. The marine hops down the dirt cliffs with the most arrogant grin she's ever sported, and she's lugging an oxygen tank over her shoulder.
"H-how..." Liara breathes incredulously, pinching herself to determine this isn't a dream this time. "How did you even find me here?"
"I've been working on my hacking," Jane teases, but what's most terrifying is that the mischief is backed up with evidence. "I zeroed in on your frequency during a call, after you updated what cluster you're in." She sets the oxygen tank down with a smack on the dirt, coughing when it kicks up on her. She wafts it away with her hand. "Now unless you wanted to do something else for our anniversary... I've secured a flight and our hotel. We'll get to dive to our heart's content on Kahje, and explore the city this time too."
Liara's brow pinches, an anxiety gripping her. "The hanar won't like that once they find out I'm there, Jane."
"I've already handled that too," the marine smiles confidently. "No politics or religious zealots will be comin' after you with... Uh... Jellyfish pitchforks. Promise." She leans down as she drums her fingers on the oxygen tank. "So? What do you think? Is Kahje okay, or do you want to go somewhere else?" She bounces her eyebrows provocatively, smirking as she gestures to the dig suit with a point of her chin. "I have no issues turning you into an asari commando for the week, here."
Fierce heat grips Liara's complexion and she blurts, admonishing. "You know that is not what being an asari commando entails!"
Jane laughs. She ensures the tank can stay upright without her holding onto it as she strides over, leaning down to frame the jaw and capture lips in a much overdue kiss. Her breezy air is still as casual as ever, making decisions in the spur of the moment and living the way she's wanted to since they've first met. The kiss is broken when the marine leans back a little, looking at her with the same reverence and warm smile throughout the years. It blooms into a sheepish grin, a rarity of a blush striking across her nose after everything they've done.
"I couldn't find anything on the extranet if asari celebrate anniversaries... We missed our first year when I couldn't get that last shore leave, so I wanna make up for it this time. On the same date, every year, humans celebrate... Well, different stuff, sometimes. Can be a sad anniversary just as much as a happy one. I want to celebrate today, 'cause it's the day we talked to each other for the first time, two years ago. That was the start for me. We can pick a different day if there's one that means more to you, though. I'm not picky—but I am greedy. I wanna have one even if asari don't typically celebrate that kind of stuff."
Liara stares, absorbing the words. She is familiar with anniversaries, yes, but she thought that humans typically celebrated the kinds of anniversaries that sounded similar to bondmates.
Which... They aren't.
What if there are plans for that too? Oh, Goddess...
"So?" Jane prods. "You look anxious. Did I break you, or something?"
"N-no."
"We don't have to do anything at all if you really don't want to. You know that, right?"
"Right." A beat. Liara nods. "Mm hm. Right."
"Yep. I broke you," the marine sniggers, leaning down to plant lips on the forehead. She spins on her heels and moves the oxygen tank back over by the cliff exit, folding her hands behind her head as she takes a look around the dig site. There's a devious grin growing then. She torques her torso as she glances over at Liara, then abruptly snaps at attention as she salutes with gusto.
"Requesting clearance to access the dig site, team lead Doctor T'Soni, ma'am!"
"Permission denied," Liara blurts, a new panic settling in as she pushes off from her seat to chase after Jane, who brutishly invites herself as always. "Jane! Don't touch anything!"
"Touch, touch," the marine teases with a laugh over her shoulder. Thankfully her hands come up to fold behind her head again—but there's no faith they'll remain there. "Touch, touch, touch!"
Tides take this mischievous human.
Liara's ready with her biotics and is not above using them to preserve the artifact if Jane makes any moves towards it. There's a sudden move, but towards the asari instead. She grunts when she's pushed and twisted until she hits a dirt wall, soon bracing herself for yet another spontaneous ride as they've taken quite the indulgent liking to. She swats when she's tickled, groans when teeth bite into her shoulder, and laughs when Jane is deduced to a gagging and coughing fit for having eaten all the dirt caking the archaeologist's dig suit.
"Bad idea," Liara lilts.
"Yeah I'm learnin' that the hard way," the marine chuckles, remedying her issue as she searches for the zipper to the suit.
"My tent-"
"Here first. Then the tent."
Liara shivers with disgust, framing Jane's jaw to pull her up. "I do not want dirt... There."
"Where?" Jane inquires innocently—almost even pulls off the face for it. Her eyes are telling an entirely different story.
That she still thinks she can try to get away with this, two years later, is commendable, but naively hopeful.
Eyes narrow their warning, and Liara is pleased it gets across loud and clear when the marine takes her by the hand and drags them off towards the tent, laughter chasing after them. Her cot creaks and groans at the protest of two bodies crushing the poor thing, soon spreading a blanket on the floor instead to have more room. Liara laughs when impatient hands work on her suit, soon to have gasps and hums aching in her throat instead. She changes things up as she abuses her biotics to help gain the upper hand and flip the marine onto her back, sneaking hands underneath the uniform shirt to rake her fingers down the stomach. Her gaze flits up over at the shoulders.
Two bars, still. Jane has been kept stagnant in the ranks for a while. Is it because of the nature of their relationship, with the mention of other officers ridiculing her?
Goddess... Hopefully not.
Liara slows them down and intertwines fingers with the hands reaching for her. She settles and sits more comfortably on the marine's hips, smirking at the ever-hungry glaze in the eyes roving over her undergarments. There's something empowering about being looked at this way. It always blossoms warmth in her chest every time their gazes connect, and those olivine eyes would immediately switch, swimming with exalted affection.
"Can we just talk tonight, Jane?"
For some reason, it's the marine's turn to look anxious. "Uh oh. Is this where I get dumped?"
"What? No," Liara chuckles. "You have done nothing wrong." She uses their hands for balance as she leans down, planting a chaste kiss on the nose as she looks up with amusement. "You may be surprised to hear that I enjoy your company outside of the bed."
"Oh?" Jane arches her brow, smirking. "And here I've been beginning to think it's all I'm good for."
"Of course not." Another kiss, trailing across the cheekbone. Liara sits upright again. "Why don't you tell me more about Kahje? I can start packing up my gear tonight, while you catch up on rest here."
"Let me help, then. I'll tell you all about it while we-"
"I do not mean to be rude, but it is best if I handle my equipment," Liara bubbles with mirth. "I appreciate the thought though. You look like you need sleep, too. Have you been having trouble, again?"
There's that sheepish smile, the one Jane always makes when she knows she's been caught in something. She tries to beam it all away with an overly-exaggerated grin.
When will she learn her old tricks won't work anymore?
"Jane," Liara's brow furrows with concern. She's quicker with her finger on the lips to silence any lies for her sake. "Please talk to me about it."
"I... Can't." Jane's gaze flickers off to the side, fixating on the tent wall. "I wish I could, but... The missions I go on now are classified. I don't know how to navigate that with you. I trust you, but... My duty..." She sighs. "I don't know. It's such a weird place for me to be, to figure out these kinds of boundaries. These missions really aren't big news or anything like that, anyways. Just a campaign—patrols to suppress pirates—so I feel like it's better if I don't talk about it."
"Is that why you've been excusing all your injuries as some clumsy accident?"
Another lie is about to be concocted, probably an insistence that all these scars are due to accidents. Another press, her finger renewed on lips. Liara doesn't know where she's pulling it from, but she somehow manages a meager smile, when she's feeling nothing but concern.
"You do not have to reveal the details of your missions, Jane. I will not press. My intention is not to make things harder for you... But please do not lie of whether or not you have been on a mission." Her finger glides across to the side, tracing a new scar cutting vertically on a brow. "You cannot possibly believe that, two years later, I am still buying into how you have had this much bad luck with crates." She smiles, injecting levity when she notes the guilt lurking into the marine's eyes. "Did someone throw one at your head, this time?"
Jane chortles, and it finally gravitates her gaze back as she nods feverishly. "Yeah." Her eyes fall to their last joined hand, squeezing her fingers. Her other slides up the thigh, resting on a hip. "I'm sorry, you know? For worrying you. I know you haven't believed that load of shit since day one lying 'bout it. But I just... I don't want you to worry."
"You are achieving the opposite when you lie to me." Liara climbs off the hips, settling down to lay on the marine's side as she drapes her leg over Jane's. She pulls on her side of the blanket over her for cover. "I will always worry, Jane, whether you tell me the truth or not. I think we should both be worried when I stop being worried," she chuckles. "I know the nature of your work will be... Well. I have confidence that you'll always return to me, safe and sound. You have been working hard every single day. And-"
"Gettin' nowhere for it," Jane grumbles. "Now I know how dad feels."
Ah... The stagnancy has been troubling her. Of course it has; Liara can relate. She wraps an arm around the waist and squeezes, hoping her words will get through.
For both of them.
"Patience, you will get there. I know you will. You know it too."
"Yeah..." Jane kisses the top of the asari's crest. "I really can't help with your equipment, huh?"
Liara leans up on her elbow and captures lips, shaking her head with a smile. She parts with another brief kiss on the forehead. "You can help me by getting rest. Something tells me you will need every bit of it, if that oxygen tank is any indication of what activities you've planned."
Jane grins, that fiery excitement finally sparking back in her eyes. "You bet we're going diving every single day. We're going to find and excavate a prothean fish, once and for all."
Liara laughs as she gets up, working her suit back on. She keeps it to herself that there's no such thing with the protheans being their own species.
Well... Who really knows? Maybe the marine isn't the only one with surprises.
Their third anniversary is coming up.
Liara prays with every part of her being that the shore leave request will be approved, so that they're able to celebrate it. She needs to one-up Jane after the surprise last year, keeping true to her word that she had lined up a whole week's worth of diving explorations on Kahje.
This time? Liara has plans for them to return to Dekuuna, to actually explore Unovasereng.
And not in its hotel beds.
Every vid-call is usually met with restlessness, and the marine grinning to tease her over it upon seeing her. Liara has been struggling at her dig site, unable to focus on the new artifact she's discovered, daydreaming about Dekuuna and taunting Jane about planning the best anniversary ever.
Maybe she'll be able to work up the courage to ask if the marine is willing to be her bondmate.
Oh, the very thought sets Liara's face aflame. She has limited knowledge on how humans celebrate that stage of the relationship, apart from what movies have revealed with such dramatic weddings. If it comes to that, Liara prays that Jane will not want such a large crowd, with eloquent speeches or exuberant festivities.
Something small, simple, and quiet will be nice.
"Who am I kidding?" Liara's face falls in her hands. "Jane is the very definition of loud and theatrical."
Time is ticking. There is roughly thirty minutes left before their scheduled vid-call. Hopefully nothing has surfaced last minute, as some calls have suffered the ill timing of. More importantly, even if it's postponed again, then hopefully Jane is safe.
Liara throws herself back into her work as she heads to collect the data disk she's carefully preserved in a container for further study with her equipment back home. She packs her belongings up and begins the arduous process of carrying everything back to the surveyor, her heart rate picking up for every minute she sees gone on her omni-tool. She decides to sit and wait in the cockpit to do the vid-call first before she takes off, resting her head back against the seat as she recollects what information she has been able to yield from the damaged data disk.
It's taking all of her discipline to remain focused on her relationship rather than her work, for once, but she's excited from all the speculations over something that's thus-far promising to be a breakthrough. Her theory that there has been some kind of extinction event responsible for wiping out the protheans is slowly stitching together. Perhaps its due to the mention of the Conduit on this data disk—though more than that, she cannot say. She can only hope her equipment back home will be able to salvage more comprehensible information.
Amber lights up beyond closed eyelids. She swears her heart kicks at her stomach, her lungs depraved of air. There's a disgusting feel of sweat trickling down from the back of her fringe. She hesitantly answers the call, doing her best to muster a smile that doesn't reek of anxiety.
To her surprise, the marine is wearing such a smile.
"Hey, hon."
Liara's brow furrows with worry, squinting at any new details in the screen. No scars. No reason to lie. Or perhaps she's going to try, to carry on her tradition of surprises. Jane laughs nervously, shifting about in her seat. Where is she? Cramped quarters. She must be forced to be hot racking again; what a dreadful thing those marines have to go through.
"Say something, doc. You're making me extra nervous here."
"Why are you nervous at all?" Liara frets, her heart pounding it's way up to her throat. She swears her own anxieties are going to cause a meltdown soon.
"Can we... You know... How's your day been?" Jane does a bit of squinting herself. "You're in your ship. Just landed, or taking off?"
"Why are you nervous?" Liara parrots, her mind stuck on one track. There's a dreadful feeling now, especially when the marine forces a laugh.
"You're drop dead gorgeous-"
"Jane."
"Sooooo I can see my dad."
Oh. Okay. That is not so bad. Why is she looking and sounding like it is a bad thing, though? Didn't she once say every moment they spend means-
Oh.
Oh.
"You... Want to spend your next shore leave with him?" Liara guesses, and she struggles to suffocate her sigh of disappointment when the marine's anxious smile ramps up a notch. She musters what encouragement she can and hides her mouth as she buries it in her palm, pretending that she's just resting her chin. "That is great news, Jane. It has been a while for you two to catch up, hasn't it?"
"I haven't seen him since before I left for officer candidate school, yeah." A guilty look strikes across Jane's face, and she struggles to keep looking at the omni-tool. "He's still going to be working, but at least he's stationed on a colony. He doesn't know that I'm coming. I want to surprise him and figure out where he goes when he's off-duty, slide a drink down the bar to him or something."
"So you've already planned it all," Liara notes quietly, trying to ignore that sinking feeling of her heart. She renews effort to stay focused on the positive, instinct calling on her to evict that look off her lover's face. "There will always be next shore leave, Jane. Unless... How long will he be stationed on the colony?"
"Oh, no, next shore leave will definitely be for us. I'll make up for it, I promise. I'll plan the best anniversary ever this time."
Liara smirks. "You will be competing with me then."
That scarred brow arches, intrigued, lips set in that rambunctious grin. "Will I, now?"
"Do not think you will find out anything from me. It is my turn to surprise you." The asari's eyes narrow with warning. "And do not even think to hack into my finances."
Jane's laughter isn't very promising that she won't. It doesn't sound as lively as it usually does, though, and it dies off a little sooner. Her eyes are dull. She looks so exhausted. She falls quiet and struggles to look at the omni-tool again, her gaze flitting down to her bedding or over to the wall her elbow's touching. Liara sighs, revealing her mouth as her hand falls to her lap, and decides to joke in hopes to lift the marine's spirits up.
"I suppose I can relinquish you for one shore leave, after hogging you for three years. It's about time I take responsibility for my own entertainment."
"Heh..."
"It is okay, Jane. You know that, right?"
"I do," Jane mumbles sullenly.
So convincing.
"Jane..."
"I do, I do," the marine relents, giving a sheepish shrug. "It's just... I still feel bad. It's our third anniversary but... But I haven't seen him in so long, and I feel like if I don't go now, then who knows when I'll get my next chance? He's always served on war ships, so this is his first colony detail. He's recently been promoted to Rear Admiral, too. I want to surprise him with a dinner, to celebrate, 'cause I doubt that old geezer even toasted to himself. Mom said he even turned down a party."
Upon mention of promotion, Liara tries to get a good look at the marine's shoulders.
Still two bars.
"That all sounds lovely, I am sure he is going to be happy to see you," Liara smiles, drowning the voice that whispers how lovely it would be if she could too.
"Yeah, if he even remembers what I look like anymore," Jane quips with a short laugh.
Awkward silence soon falls on them, and that guilt festers again. Liara rushes to evict it, to maintain momentum and make the most of what time they have left for this call.
"Tell me more about what else you would like to do for him, perhaps I can assist with some plans. Where are you going?"
Jane's eyes light up, her insatiable hunger and love for travel ignited.
"Elysium. Humanity's oldest colony in the Skyllian Verge—there is so much history there. Aliens are allowed there too. If it's not a total industrial shitshow, then I'll take you there someday."