Tranquility unnerves Jane. She's antsy, rubbing clammy hands along her slacks, her gaze snapping to and fro in this garden. She actually misses the bandage over both her eyes to hide all of this from her. She feels absolutely ridiculous with an eye-patch, ignoring all the looks other asari cast her way. It makes the buzzing under her skin crawl up towards her neck, skittering down her spine.

Somewhere, Liara is here. She's trying to lead by example, yeah, Jane totally gets that—but it's too terrifying to leave this bench. It's nice to see Liara seem so at peace at least. That goddamn taste of stress is replaced by the fragrance here, whimsical and fruity and calming.

The calm is terrifying.

Every time a new body emerges from leaf-laden pathways, Jane's body tenses for a fight. She's constantly analyzing for threats, waiting to see weaponry, chiding herself over and over again in her reminders that asari can fucking kill with their goddamn minds. She knows she's being irrational. She knows this fear holds no foundation other than the roots in her figments of imagination.

Still, she checks the skies often for dropships.

Relief comes when Liara slowly meanders back towards her, a couple of picked flowers hidden in the palm of her hand as she glances around to see if there's anybody watching her. The number one rule of this garden is not to disturb or pick anything, for every attention to detail has been lovingly paid to by botanists in their unified goal of inspiring this healing garden to life.

Healing garden. Jane tries not to scoff at it. There's nothing healing here. She appreciates Liara's efforts and research, of course, but whatever research has told her that humans find nature restorative and produce a calming effect needs to be fact-checked, stat.

"Smell these," Liara whispers before she steals another look around, swift with turning up her palm to the point it bumps into Jane's nose. A brief laugh, a rapid apology, an even quicker sniff.

Yep. Nothing calming or balancing about this.

"Smells nice," Jane forces through half-clenched teeth, looking up with the biggest puppy eye she can muster so that they can get the hell out of here already.

"What does it smell like to you?" Liara asks, possessing that kind of wistful tone as if she wants to guide on a reflective journey, the way she does when she reads.

But.

"Liara, please, love... Can we go?" Jane runs her hands along her slacks again. "We're too exposed out here. I have nothing to use for cover."

Something is rattling inside of her, sounding off alarms, and her anxiety steadily chips away at her composure as she looks around their environment to decipher the threats that are setting her instincts off. It clicks when Liara kneels, a gentle palm coming up to caress her cheek and guide her firmly into connecting their eyes together. She's rock-steady, a resolve etched in her expression as she carefully enunciates her words.

"We are safe here, siame, I promise you that. I will protect you."

Siame, that's new isn't it? The translator's being all funky about it. There are other priorities at play besides asking though.

"I should be saying that to you," Jane blurts, her brow pinching in exasperation. "I'm the marine here."

"Here? No. You are human here, with wounds on the mend." Liara rises, hiding the flowers she's filched in her satchel before she offers her hand to Jane. "Walk with me."

"I can't."

A flicker of a smirk. "I have scouted out a wonderful place for us to share a kiss in private... And perhaps more."

Jane's mouth hangs, staring in disbelief. It's almost enough to jumpstart her muscles and have her hopping off this bench, until she narrows her eye, chuckling at her lover's clever strategy. "That is so cruel, hon. Also pretty damn sad that that's more convincing to get me moving than anything else."

Liara plants her hand on the bench's arm rest as she leans over, hovering over the marine's face to plant a kiss on the forehead, and a gaze snaps down to a teasing preview of cleavage hiding behind this fragile blouse. She swears that these cheap blouses must be bought because it's already known they're all going to have buttons popping off as soon as she loses it and rips it off. She's boiling in her seat, hissing lowly.

"You're horrible to me, love. That 'wonderful place' of yours better not be a bluff."

"Only one way to find out," Liara whispers coyly.

"No way would you go through with it if you got all embarrassed about us making love at the entrance of your condo."

All the scientist has to say in her defense is a hum. She leans back with a smirk, even though her throat is committed to betraying her composure with it splotching a pretty burgundy. She holds out her hand again, and the war is renewed as Jane struggles to make her legs listen to her. How she's even walked in here to begin with honestly baffles her. She wipes her hands along her slacks, looking up at the sky, the sky that's blotted out when Liara hovers over to block it as she looks down at the marine with hope and patience and fucking hell just what the hell has Jane ever done to deserve this?

Lips press to hers chastely, before there's a playful peck on her nose.

Fuck it all.

Jane's burning for the reason she's shamelessly being tricked into and she has to see this through even if it's just to get her ass off this bench. She rocks forward and uses momentum to plant herself up into standing. Liara doesn't waste a single precious second as she grabs the marine's wrist to pull her and force her to walk. The rattling inside of her explodes and her stomach contents swim up to her throat, dwelling wretchedly as they move aside the hanging branches in the pathway to reveal the enclosure of a tunnel where the wooden archway is heavily intertwined with vines.

Once, she would have lost her shit the way she used to on Dekuuna, or Kahje, enamored with this architecture and nature co-existing so serenely. The length of this tunnel is another roadblock though.

Heels come to a stark halt, and her gaze is fixated past Liara even when the scientist twists to look at her, puzzled by this stop.

"What's at the end of the tunnel?" Jane asks, a lump lodging in her throat no matter how many times she swallows to clear it. "I don't want to go if we don't know what's there."

Liara studies her quietly, as if gauging her responses, trying to decrypt clues. She turns fully to face Jane and angles her head as she leans in, hooking her fingers underneath the marine's as she pulls for the warmth of her body to seep in and thaw these frigid muscles.

"What lies beyond this tunnel is a pond, about the size of our bathroom back home. There are little critters croaking, and a few birds singing. There are many trees and it is not maintained when you pass the treeline, as I do not think they intend for visitors here to delve deeper within. The grass came up to my knee. I was thinking we could get lost in the trees, safe from prying eyes... Preferably so we do not get in trouble if someone spots us and calls the authorities."

Jane's gaze snaps to Liara, stunned. "Wait, you were serious?"

All she has as her answer is firm fingers encircling her wrist, tugging her along, her legs moving on Liara's command. Sure enough, everything that's been described is there. She's speechless and still doesn't know what to think when they climb over a tiny ankle-high fence to head into the thick grass, weaving between trees until one look behind shows only more trees rather than the garden and its flowers and pathways. She isn't aware she's been holding her breath until it kicks out her chest when Liara gently pushes her against a tree, unhooking her satchel to let it drop into the tall grass.

"This has to be a dream," Jane mumbles. Her jaw is nudged to angle away to expose it to lips suckling and lightly kissing away at her throat. Shy fingertips glide across her clavicle, tracing the neckline of her shirt. Her skin ripples with electricity thrumming along, shivering down her spine as her nape prickles with hair standing at attention like a loyal soldier. A chill bolts through her when teeth tenderly roll her ear lobe.

Wondering what insanity has gripped her lover, she sneaks her hand under the blouse to press her palm over Liara's chest, feeling the heart hammer fiercely away. She chuckles quietly, angling her head back as she frames Liara's jaw to stop her. "Don't get me wrong, this is all really hot, love... But I don't want you to force yourself if you're this nervous." She playfully flicks the scientist's beet nose. "I've never seen you blush this hard before." She beams a grin when Liara's timidity comes soaring back with her meek eyes and smile. "You took me here to relax and enjoy the garden, right? So let's focus on that. I feel better now, maybe I won't get stupid again." She plants a peck on the forehead, before she brushes the tips of their noses together. "Though I wouldn't mind if you push me around like that, back home."

"Goddess," Liara laughs breathlessly. "That was the hardest for me to do." She leans back with worry returning to brim in her eyes. "If this place is adding to your anxiety, then perhaps we should go. It's clearly not doing what it says it's supposed to."

"I mean, to be fair, I don't think this garden has been built with marines in mind. I love you, hon, but if smelling nice stuff is all it took to erase... All that... Well. I'd be smelling you all night." Her mischief sparks and she grins as she curls her head in, planting her face in the side of Liara's neck as she mocks a loud sniff, proud to earn and hear the sounds of laughter as Liara tries to push her off from the ticklish sensations.

But Jane persists. She grabs elbows, twists them, pins Liara against the tree in revenge, and is forced to eat her words when that delicious gasp ignites all kinds of devilish ideas. She slides her leg in between and raises it so that her thigh rubs intimately against her lover, the hairs on her nape rising as a dull fire blazes across her shoulders when nails rake across, through her shirt.

"Fuck," Jane grumbles, forcing her hands to cling to tree bark as she coaches herself to stop moving. The ragged breaths hitting her ear is trifling with her discipline. "God, the sounds you make..."

Shy hands sneak under her shirt, fingers spreading and splaying over her stomach. She drops her head down onto Liara's shoulder with a groan. "I swear to god I will, love. You know I don't care if people end up hearing us. I'm trying really hard not to though 'cause I know you will."

"I-I... Think it's bound to happen, if we don't get this out of our system now," Liara husks timidly. "M-maybe... Quickly...?" She hisses with another intimate rub, clinging onto Jane's shoulders.

One look at her, and Jane falls apart. The flushed face in front of her is more gorgeous than anything else nature could ever think to concoct. She doesn't want quick, though. She quietly works to undo Liara's slacks and slips her hand inside, claiming lips to muffle the gasp when she touches the slick core. It's been so long since she's been allowed to touch, with how much stress has devoured Liara's mental energy.

Unknown to the other, each make a mental vow to leave her lover breathless tonight, all throughout the night.

Without much room to work with, Jane's barely able to slide her finger inside. She nudges aside the neckline of the blouse with her nose as she bites on the bend of the shoulder, nibbling on the flesh with insistence until she's sure to leave a bruise in her wake. She draws circles, paving slow kisses around the pulse that thunders against her lips as Liara's breathing grows more shallow, tasting the salt on skin as light sweat collects. There's a whimper, with Liara's body suddenly tensing. Jane quickly kisses again to swallow the gravelly groan, slipping her finger inside as her lover's hips twitch to ride out the waves.

Hands fly up and cling onto Jane's shoulders, knees buckling a little. The marine's hands shoot up to hold by the ribs, chuckling quietly at the sheepish smile of gratitude as Liara's head lazily lulls against the tree. "I got you, hon. Won't ever let you fall, unless it's on top of me."

"You're relentless," Liara rasps with a husky laugh. Her dazed gaze flutters about, her cheeks darkening a pretty new hue. She gives Jane a look as if she's in disbelief, that they've actually done it, and the marine kisses under the jaw as she idly buttons Liara's slacks back up.

"I don't know what's gotten into you—besides me, as usual-" she laughs when there's a harsh pinch in her waist, making her flinch. "-but that was amazing, hon. I've missed hearing you, watching you unravel." She comes up to rest their foreheads together, angling her head so that there isn't much pressure closing around her injured eye. "Did you enjoy it too?"

There's a light huff. "Is that a rhetorical question?" She tilts her head and captures lips softly, before she trails open mouthed kisses along the jawline to tug at Jane's earlobe. "It's your turn tonight."

"Nope."

"Yes."

"Nope."

Already annoyed, Liara pinches the waist again as she plants her smirk over the pulse hammering away at the marine's throat. "Yes."

"...Nope."

"Jane, will you just-? Stop that," Liara laughs. "Let me love you back too, please. I..." She trails off, the lips on throat suddenly heating up. She pushes her mouth into skin to muffle herself. "I like to do it and hear it all too, you know. You are not the only one."

"Too bad."

Indifference always riles Liara up, and Jane will take this secret to her grave that most of the time, she does it anyways even if she's a sucker that's already caved in by the first 'please'. A huff hits her jawline, before indignant blue orbs come to meet her with a narrow look. She smiles confidently—as if she's won the battle. How Liara has seriously not clued into just how much mischievous delight she gets from this, she will never dare to ask so as to keep one of many of her primary sources of fun. She decides to derail completely to keep the upper hand, maybe play another game later to make it all the sweeter for Liara when she gets to 'win' something she's already won. Jane pulls on their hands and dips to the side to pick up her lover's satchel, slinging it over herself as she takes lead to guide them back towards where she thinks the garden was.

Curiosity has her lean in for a moment to smell a budding flower, it's powdery aroma is like citrus. Sweet, and pleasant. She glances over her shoulder with a devilish grin.

"I like the smell of your garden the most."

She laughs when Liara biotically-shoves her in a bush.

"Jane, are you coming to bed any time soon?" Liara hollers from the bedroom upstairs.

"I'm almost done, hon!"

"You said that an hour ago."

Annoyance is better than worry at the very least, even though the scientist should most definitely be worried with what Jane's cooking up. She grins and continues browsing the office terminal, drawing crude diagrams of pathways to take and board the sky-rail here. She jots down destinations, researches the cost of renting a sky-car instead, and blanches over the daily due. For once, she needs to be just a bit frugal and conscious with her money right now—even if the Alliance has her slated and paying as if she's in the Reserves.

When are they going to call her back? Reach out to her? There's been no word since the ceremony. Isn't there a legal process? A military lawyer? A fucking preacher, just something? She hasn't even been requested to give any updates on her wounds, but at least her Alliance chit's been working and they've been clearly authorizing the payments to the doctors she has been visiting here.

This is side-tracking from her current mission.

Through planning and surveying popular spots, she tries her hand at building a little 'tour' route of her own, perhaps maybe surprise Liara with places in Armali that she's never been to. The beach is definitely a first stop. Knowing her lover, there's no way the shy scientist has relaxed around a bonfire at night, daring to go skinny dipping. The wealth of how many bodies of water here that are not eezo-free is a little daunting though.

Maybe Jane will mutate into something hotter, or be blessed with biotics if she takes a sip of their water like it's some fountain of life. She doesn't think Liara would be on board, knowing the high risk she'll just die a horrible death.

There's Turmani beach, which seems quite far off the drop-off point from the sky-rail. They'll have to either pack light or lug their shit all that way. Jane chews on her lip, deciding to bite the bullet and look into renting a car for themselves. It'll be much easier and allow far more freedom to surprise with any or all destinations, depending how it goes.

"Jane," Liara somehow sing-songs her groan. "Come to bed already!"

"I swear I'm almost done, hon!" She laughs when she hears some kind of dramatic rustle. Probably taking it out on the comforter by kicking and huffing it about.

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? So that I fall asleep first?"

"What?" Jane murmurs her confusion under her breath, trying to think of why she would be doing this on purpose. And then she grins. She readjusts her eye-patch when it moves out of position from her cheek, raising her voice to be heard. "I swear I'm not!"

There's a brief pause. And then another spot-on accusation with pin-point accuracy.

"Maybe not, until I said something."

"Guilty," Jane laughs. "You know me too well. You can start a timer, I'll be done in ten."

A huff. "You're on. Timer's started."

Oooh, Liara's definitely getting a little sassy and spicy tonight. That's fine. The pressure of time doesn't really pressure Jane. It's only making the damn eye-patch a nuisance with how often she has to adjust it, struggling to keep her grin off her face. She continues her research, moving on from the beach to another club. She's read up on awesome reviews of what the night life is like on Afterlife Alley, and she's willing to bet that if they're both emboldened with some drinks in their system, then maybe they'll finally be able to unwind and let loose from themselves. She's hoping more so anyways that Liara will still enjoy it.

The end of the trip is stopping by the nearest library from there. A dose of peace and quiet for Liara, and hopefully a chance where they can call each other, even if they're a few aisles separated, just so that Jane can hear in her ear the tales of whatever Liara chooses to read that night.

Nostalgia is a blessing and a curse. Jane shuts the terminal down and folds her papers, taking them with her so that she can ask for them not to be looked at, unless Liara doesn't want any of this to be a surprise. The marine's thoughts won't stop wandering back to the Alliance. She can't make up her mind, her heart. At the ceremony, she was so certain she's wanted nothing to do with that life anymore.

But... What does she do now?

All she knows is how to fight, and her other skills will only lead her to trouble since, well, hackers usually are criminals. Maybe cyber-security? She's more like dabbled at it though. There's no documentation, no formal education. And worst of all, she'll just be a desk-jockey. No disrespect to the occupation, but the entire thing that's enthralled her about being a marine is actually diving into the action, actually getting to do good, and save people. All she'll save is some credits in an account. It's just not the same feeling, the same urgency, the same fulfillment.

Jane plods wearily up the stairs, wracking her brain, suddenly at the mercy of something that should be happening years down the road to call it a mid-life crisis. Perhaps with the average life expectancy of a marine, this is a mid-life crisis. She smiles a little when she comes to the top and sees that her lover is, in fact, timing her on the omni-tool. Liara smirks like the smartass she is, pushing herself up into sitting against the headboard. Her eyes fall to the papers in the marine's hand.

"Something I'm planning for us," Jane answers the silent question, setting them on her night table. "You can take a look if you'd like, but I'm hoping for it to be a surprise. Places for us to go in Armali."

"Hm," Liara hums, nodding. "I will not peek."

"I mean, you can if you want to."

Those lips quirk in a lazy smile. "So are you asking me to or not?"

"I mean... You can see if there's any place you've already been to."

Liara laughs. "I'll wait for the surprise. Even if it's a place I've been to, it's a place I've not been to with you, I'm assuming."

"Yeah, pretty much."

Liara beckons with holding the comforter up. Jane disrobes into her underwear and slithers in, swallowing giggles in her mouth when she wraps an arm behind Liara's hips and roughly pulls down until her back hits the mattress. The conversation is deigned to wait a few minutes when the spark between them alights, and Jane's already burning in her skin when she realizes that the asari's wearing what she's designated her 'special' underwear, which is just plain white stuff. But not granny panties. The marine still grins like a fool and suffers suppressing her laughter—another secret to take to her grave.

"I have something I've been planning for us too," Liara husks, her shyness coming on strong whenever she attempts her version of being seductive and sultry. She's never going to get it that she doesn't need to put any effort in.

"Does it involve ravishing you all night?" Jane trails open mouthed kisses over the freckles dotting the scientist's shoulder like stars in the night sky.

"N-no," Liara chuckles.

Jane stops for a moment, looking up with curiosity. "Wait. Is this not your 'I want sex!' underwear?"

"N-no! And I do not possess such underwear!"

"Oh right, 'cause I usually take 'em all off anyways."

Jane laughs when she gets a huffy shove, and biotics are used against her so that she rolls off, and Liara slithers over top on her side, her leg lazily hooking over the marine's knee. Teeth gently bite on an earlobe, dainty hands clasping over Jane's shoulder. Liara kisses down the jawline, before her head hits the pillow.

"I want us to just hold each other tonight," Liara confesses in a tiny little whisper. "I want to talk, but most importantly, I would love for you to open up, siame. Talk to me about what was going through your mind at the garden today."

Discipline, willpower, persistence. Jane repeats these three words in hopes she will embody at least one of them, to help her stay at least her standard of composure. There's a little bloom of anxiety invoked just from the simple question of it all, and Jane immediately turns her head to kiss the scientist, in a last ditch effort to distract and derail from this. No quarter is given. Liara leans back an excruciating inch, then another when the marine tries to extend even further. She wears that knowing smile. Her nose gently brushes and pushes away Jane's jaw in order to tuck into the neck, inhaling deeply. The slow sigh sinks into skin and Jane feels the bugs skittering across her skin for it.

"I can't," she croaks. "Please don't make me talk about it, Liara."

"I will not make you do anything," Liara kisses softly. "I will not ask of that, I only wish and seek to understand what you were thinking of at the garden itself."

"Like of the place itself?" Hope feels compelled to clarify, but she feels as though there is something else in the works even when the scientist nods. "Oh... Well it looked pretty nice, I'll give it that. You know me though, dunno a thing about the plants or trees themselves."

"What about the smells?"

"Eh... Was hard to pay attention. But the two you brought over to me did smell good, from what I remember. Which were they?"

"Hyacinths and matthiolas. I was thinking perhaps we could try our hands at gardening and have a little box on the balcony. Then we could cut them and stick them in the vase in the living room, or the kitchen, or wherever else you think would be good. What do you think?"

"I think that's a brilliant idea, love," Jane tries to nudge the head out her neck, gliding her hand along the scientist's jaw. There's a brief sting burrowed behind her injured eye, from straining to see at this angle, and she twists on her side a little more. Something compels her to just take a moment to study when Liara falls fully back on the bed, tentatively tracing a thumb along the curves of the asari's face. For a moment, she's caught off guard when there's another sting prickling both her eyes, and she smiles it away when Liara immediately looks concerned for it. "Just in awe. I'm damn lucky, I really am." She leans down to press her lips to Liara's forehead, staying as she closes her eyes. "I wish I could come up with ideas the way you do, to make your life a little brighter."

"Mm hm. We need to go to the doctor, Jane."

"What, what?" Jane leans back with surprise, blinking down at the coy smirk on her lover's face. "Why? Did I just hurt you?"

"No, you need to get your memory checked. If memory serves me correctly, I do believe..." Liara's gaze slyly pans over to the papers on the nightstand. "That you are coming up with ideas too."

"Oh, psh, but that's just the usual travel stuff. I always do that anyways."

"And?"

"And..." Jane's brow pinches, her face contorts as she looks up in exaggerated thought, prompting a little giggle beneath her. She grins down and launches an attack on the throat, making noisy and silly kisses as she trails down until her chin brushes the curve of Liara's breast. "Listen here, smartass... Don't you remember that persuasive debate was not a required skill in officer candidate school?"

Pride fills Jane upon earning that sweet, brief, raw laugh. She looks up and watches that slow transformation where realization causes the pupils to dilate, the blue orbs sparking into a lovely vivid color as she plants her next kiss along the rim of the bra. She braces one arm above Liara's head for balance, her other hand sneaking down before she squeezes it underneath, drawing a gasp when she grabs her lover's rump. She's must've done this hundreds of times, and it never gets old. How it still surprises Liara when she does so is an indulgent delight every single time—even better when it ignites a fire in the way those lust-addled eyes watch her, brimming with promises of vengeance.

There's been something the marine's been wanting to try, but for the longest time she hasn't been certain whether or not Liara would enjoy it. At least, to be worked up enough so that she wouldn't shrink in her shy shell that it's getting just a little too racy than what she's accustomed to.

Curiosity takes the reins. Jane comes up into sitting and positions herself to sit over her lover's hips, taking her time as she gently skims her fingertips down Liara's stomach. For once, there's no room for ego, and the marine remains loyally vigilant in keeping it out of her expressions whenever her simple touches explode into magnificent reactions.

"Damn lucky," Jane murmurs under her breath, turning a fingernail in to glide down the sides of ribs, into meaty flesh, stopping at the jaunt above the hip bone. The hiss chasing out threatens her discipline, her composure. She's never been good at playing the waiting game, or the torment game, teasing long enough to try to get Liara to break—break out her shell, and demand action. Just these reactions are enough to make Jane say fuck it and give exactly what's wanted, what's deserved, what she's selfishly wanting to taste and hear too.

Reverence stays her hand from succumbing to her own wants, trying desperately to keep this experience solely about Liara. The asari's eyes flutter shut as her head lulls back, exposing her throat, and there's an immediate temptation to latch onto it, or explore that curiosity. Another hiss spills through clenched teeth when more nails grate down the front of her stomach. Jane reaches behind her and blindly feels about the thigh, using the backs of her fingers to follow the curve inwards, teasingly touching everywhere near the entrance. She hooks her fingertip along the rim of the underwear and follows it along, and can't help but smile when Liara's eyes snap open upon not getting touched. Her lips part for a moment, before clamping shut.

She's thinking about saying it.

It's too risky, though, to indulge curiosities, even like this. Jane falters and chickens out when she plants her hand just below Liara's throat, her index and thumb rubbing both sides before down to the clavicle. She's struggling as her lover watches her with hooded eyes, patience at war. She crumbles just as she sees the lips part again, interjecting before her discipline is damned.

"I know it's not really hot to just chat away like this, love, but I want to try something. I'm worried it's gonna fuck up your experience though. I get it's tough for you to talk about these things, but could you let me know somehow if you like it or not?"

Liara's eyes change instantly. It's almost scary how in one blink, she can turn into some ravenous sex fiend ready to romp all night, then shift back into this timid ball of innocence. It's part of her charm, though—now also part of the reason Jane is cursing herself, because she doesn't think she'll yield an earnest answer anymore, with shyness getting all in the way.

"W-well... What do you want to try, that we haven't already?" Liara asks, her own curiosity seemingly getting the best of her. She looks down at herself, her face flushing at their positions, but her gaze flicks about as she studies to try to deduce it all herself.

Jane wants to scream: oh, there is still so much that they haven't tried, but it very well treads deep into naughty kink territory. Still, she's in no rush, and all of this has more-than-adequately expressed the depths of their feelings for each other. She can't deny she would like to chase anything that would make it even more pleasurable for her lover though. She's pulled out her daydreaming when meek hands rove up and over her thighs, palms squeezing firmly, thumbs running along cords of muscle. She always fails to keep her ego out of this. The day she realized Liara touches this way to appreciate muscles was the day Jane tried to vow to keep that to herself too.

But she's certain with the way that she's grinning, and the way her lover is rolling eyes, is a vow long since broken.

"So?" Liara prompts quietly, her penchant to get nervous coming in.

Jane slides her planted hand upwards a little, so that the web of her index and thumb presses into the base of Liara's throat. Uncertainty blooms in those blue orbs, and the marine immediately pulls away. A hand snaps over her wrist, and Liara stares at it as she seems to war with her mind. Her pretty complexion takes on darker hues as she tentatively pulls Jane back to her throat.

"We c-can try, siame... But... What do you plan on doing?"

"Just holding your throat. I won't squeeze to cut off your breathing—it's uh... It's what you're supposed to do, mindfully of course, 'cause lack of oxygen supposedly makes it all feel better. But it's risky. And I don't wanna push ya like that, just wanna... Just wanna hold."

Another hue. Liara's mouth opens, shuts, opens, shuts, syllables croaked and choked. She settles for nodding in understanding. Or is that permission?

"I know it's hard to talk about it," Jane repeats, speaking carefully as she hovers lower so that she can press her lips to the burning forehead. "Please, let me know at any point if it gets too much for you, or you figure that you don't really like it and it doesn't do anything for you."

Another nod.

Jane swiftly comes over to claim her lover's mouth, biting and suckling the bottom lip between teeth to steal Liara's mind away. The marine looks deep in those gorgeous blues as she pulls at the lip, before releasing with a pop. A needy hand buries in the back of her hair and nails sink into her scalp, but nothing more happens, until she bites and pulls the lip again. She grins when she's pushed with that ferocity and her lips are smothered with hunger, a tongue gliding inside to run along the roof of her mouth. She blindly reaches behind her with her free hand until she touches Liara intimately, swallowing a muffled whimper. Jane draws circles over the underwear, the pits of her belly burning with how everything's so wet already.

Adrenaline gets the better of her as she swings her leg over to settle off the hips, pulling the underwear down enough so that she can slip her hand in, sliding her fingers in the velvety heat that sucks her deeper in. She tentatively experiments as she firms her hold on the throat, mindfully watching Liara's eyes for any signals that her lover may be too timid to say aloud. She gets her signal loud and clear when both hands bury in her hair and pull her in more aggressively, and she groans when her tongue is suckled, before teeth scrape the tip.

Jesus fuck she's definitely been expecting a hell of a lot more timidity and stop-go's for this. Her skin feels like it's on fire with every choked whimper clawing out her lover's throat, desperately chasing the high as hips ride her hand. She curls her fingers deep inside and pulls, and a hoarse moan floods inside of her mouth.

"Siame," Liara breaks the kiss with a groan, planting her feet on the mattress as she lifts her hips. "Please..."

Wet flesh pops and beads of sweat steadily accumulate, trickling down. This is a hell of a lot more tame than what they're usually like, and Jane can't remember a time where she's been more aroused to witness all of this. She knows what Liara's asking for, to go down on her, but there's something captivating to watch all of this. She grits her teeth and leans back for a better view as she continues to fuck with her fingers, looking over as she pumps in and out. She slews cusses under her breath, wondering how much farther she can go with all of this. She looks back as she curls her fingers to rake her tips along the walls clamping down on her, throbbing and fluttering against her. Her eye falls on her hand as she tightens her hold on Liara's throat.

Searing heat bites Jane's hip, the rifle's recoil bumping into her as the floor is chipped away just scant inches away from her foot. Liquid explodes, trickling over her hand, rivulets of blood chasing down her wrist, staining her forearm. She immediately rips away and stumbles back, her heart hammering in her throat, a dizzying rush overwhelming her as lukewarm vomit pits in her chest.

Liara sits up with fear in her eyes. Violet blood keeps gushing out from her neck, running down her chest. The vibrant color audaciously sparkles under the beams of the ceiling lights. Jane looks at her shaking hands, deeply stained, bewildered as to why she's holding a knife.

"I-I don't... I'm... Liara..." She looks up, throwing the knife away as she stumbles back into the railing when the asari crawls forward on the bed, the blood spurting in episodes.

Liara's going to die like this.

"We have to stop the bleeding, we have to..." Jane looks around for what to use. Liara's mouth is moving, but no noise is coming out. "Your throat is cut, don't fucking talk!" Jane barks, charging back into the fray as she reaches for the throat. She needs to apply pressure—did she cut the artery though? What if it doesn't clot? She engages her omni-tool to call for help, fighting against the hands that keep trying to grab her wrists. She rips away when lips desperately claim hers, pushing her lover off her. She climbs over top and reaches for the throat to stop the bleeding.

Suddenly, Liara's eyes turn black.