Chapter Text
Tevos dropped her access key ring in the bowl by the door and flicked through her datapad, looking for her bills. She shivered slightly; the first spring flowers had begun to bloom, but the air in the house was cooler than normal. Checking the thermostat she adjusted it and went to the fridge, opening it and pulling out a bowl of fruit salad from the day before. She knew she should be eternally thankful that she hadn’t begun to feel sick - yet? – but, this baby was making her ravenous. Thea had yet to feel the tiny fluttering of another mind against hers, but she hadn’t needed the pregnancy test to affirm what she already knew; she was in there.
She dug a spoon out the drawer and went down the hall to the bedroom, planning on stripping down, running a bath, enjoying her snack, and going to sleep early; another wonderful perk – crippling exhaustion.
Aria was lounging on the bed, flipping through Shepard’s copy of A Christmas Carol. Thea almost dropped her bowl. “Aria! I-how did you get in here?” Aria smirked, had clearly been watching Tevos as she came down the hall, and tipped her head to the open window, where cold air billowed the drapes.
“If we’re going to live here when she comes, I’m upgrading the damn security.”
Tevos searched her face for sincerity, for signs of drug use, for anything… but Aria gave nothing. Aria leaned back and her jacket opened, and Thea saw she was bare chested under the white leather. Well, she certainly knows how to stage an apology, she thought, feeling a hot flush creep at the sight of the soft curves of Aria’s breasts. Thea perched on the edge of the bed lightly, like a bird, and offered Aria fruit, which she took and popped into her mouth, licking the sticky juice from her fingers suggestively. Tevos wanted to believe it, that Aria was here, clean, but...
“I ran you a bath,” Aria said to break the silence, and Thea looked over to the bathroom door, where candles flickered and steam rose from the tub. Tevos closed her eyes. Aria… She rose and reached behind her neck, unclasping her dress and lowering the zipper; as she walked to the bathroom it dropped to the floor and she stepped out of it. Tevos stood in the doorway and looked back at Aria, a question in her eyes. She turned into the bathroom and Aria heard her slip into the water, a deeply contended sigh audible even from the bed.
“Are you coming?” Came her even voice, reverberating off the tiles, and Aria leapt to her feet, stripping off her clothing on the way, pulling something out of her pocket as she went. She kneeled next to the tub and took Tevos’ hand where it draped over the side.
“I-I am sorry,” Tevos looked at her, seeking; couldn't believe those words from that mouth. “The drugs are done. I hate that shit anyway, I mean I’m going to keep selling them; I was just-“ Thea held a finger to her purple lips.
“Aria?” The silent questions masking as her name: Are you back for good? Are you going to break my heart? Do you love me enough for this? Aria nodded, seemed to know what she was asking.
“I do want her, Thea; I’ve thought of her everyday. You just have to know, this life is all I know. But, I’m going to try to… adapt.” Tevos looked at her - naked, vulnerable, and honest - and fell for her all over again. “I’d like to name her Liselle. I don’t know if you’ve thought of anything yet…?”
“That’s a beautiful name, Aria.” She brought a wet hand to her cheek and Aria closed her eyes against it. Aria opened them again after a long while,
“Look, I don’t do bondmate bracelets, tends to ruin the image, but, here,” she held out a bracelet and Tevos looked from it to her; it was woven metal, rose and gold and silver in delicate band. “I-I didn’t know which colour you’d like…” She tucked her bottom lip under her teeth, her turn to search Tevos. “ ‘She is sitting there before me. There is the graceful outline of her form; it cannot be mistaken – there is nothing like it.’ ”
“…’Why is she so excruciatingly beautiful that I cannot be angry with her, even now?’ ” Thea finished, eyes crinkling in the corners as she smiled, “So, you’ve read that one too?”
“I had a lot of time on my hands… will you?”
“I will, Aria.” Aria fastened the bracelet around a slender purple wrist and kissed her; it felt like an anchor to her soul. Aria slipped into the bath, scooting Tevos forward and sitting behind her, placing her hands over her stomach, imagining a tiny girl floating, dreaming; their Liselle. Thea leaned back into her and admired her bracelet in the soft light of the candles.
“It is one thing to leave me, Aria. If you ever leave her, we’re done. I will make it so you never get within three systems of her again, are we clear?” Aria removed on hand and traced those white lines she had missed so much.
“I love you, Thea.”
Summer was split between Armali and Serrice. Between Shepard’s skyball little league coaching, and Liara’s PhD research; visits to a rapidly expanding Thea, the fiercely protective Aria, and Liara’s parents; between college-aged frivolity and settling into domestic life together.
After Harrot saw the damage done to their apartment in residence Liara and Aria were firmly asked to vacate the premises: “With barely contained anger, you will not be receiving your damage deposit back, Ms. T’Soni; morose rumination, perhaps Ms. T’Loak was not the correct roommate for you…” Then before they knew it, Tevos was the size of a house and classes had begun again. “I can’t wait to fucking graduate…” Shepard had lamented, a pile of books and datapads surrounding her, projects beyond count due.
Aria had disappeared again, but with Thea’s blessing this time; she returned the new owner of a seedy club she'd frequented during her time as a dancer, on some forsaken rock in the Sahrabarik system.
“So, you like run a syndicate now, or…?”
“Just letting everyone else do the dirty work for me, Shepard. Let’s face it: sex, drugs, illegal arms – they pay the bills, but I don’t need my daughter in the midst of it.”
Thea Tevos had married Aria T’Loak in a small ceremony on a Sur’Kesh resort, with Jane Shepard and Liara T’Soni standing by their side. Miranda and Jack sent their regrets via an honest-to-god, old-fashioned paper postcard from Earth: ‘Just Married: Las Vegas, Nevada!’ two different colours of lipstick stained the back next to the xoxoxo’s. After breaking up and getting back together more times than any of them cared to count, their elopement floored Shepard, who opened and closed her mouth like a fish, holding the postcard in her hand.
“What? You did not see that coming, Jane?” Liara had teased.
All of Thea’s extended Salarian family attended the Tevos-T’Loak wedding and the party went late into the night; asari dancers from Omega arriving at the 11th hour, much to the outward dismay of both Liara and Tevos. Secretly, they had arranged it: a late bachelorette for Aria, who reveled in the attention and got spectacularly drunk. Liara slipped away during the festivity as Shepard was going shot-for-shot with Aria, off the flat stomachs of blue-skinned strippers. Jane stumbled into their room in a tizzy; she had tried her keycard about a dozen times before she realized she was trying to unlock the door with her credit chit. She was halfway through pulling her shirt over her head, desperate for water and sleep, when a throaty voice, dripping with sex, stopped her in her tracks:
“Hello, Shepard.”
She peered through the neck hole of her shirt, realizing too late it was a button-up, and a slow grin spread across her face.
“My God, Liara. You have to stop doing this to me…”
“What fun would that be?”
Liara was standing next to the bed, red, silky lingerie barely covering her breasts and azure; the straps on the bikini set looked very flimsy, tied in bows on her hips. She still makes my mouth go dry, Jane thought.
Matching three-inch heeled shoes capped off the picture; pointed toes and straps winding around slim ankles set off Liara’s legs, and Jane watched as Liara bent one of those legs at the knee, grabbing the heel behind her and tilting her head to the side, exposing an elegant neck that begged to be worshipped. Well, well. Been reading Fornax, Liara?
The petals of some white flower were scattered on the floor, leading from the door, to the bed, on the sheets… Jane struggled out of her shirt, tearing the seam down the back in her hurry. While she was stripping off her bra Liara came to her, placing a soft hand on her chest and directing her to the edge of the bed, where she thumped down, pulling Liara with her. The asari straddled her lap, running fingers through damp red hair, and Shepard buried her face in blue cleavage, cupping her breasts but not removing the garment just yet. She ran her tongue up the centre, pulling Liara closer and tracing her collarbones, coaxing a moan that made Jane wet.
“God, Liara. I’m so drunk…” Liara laughed and shoved Shepard’s shoulders down, so she was lying on the bed with her feet still planted on the floor.
“Hmmm, well…” Liara leaned over her and nibbled on her earlobes; it was Jane’s turn to moan. As her girlfriend undid her pants Shepard stared up at the ceiling, willing sobriety. When she was done undressing Jane, Liara took her time undressing herself, undoing strings with maddening slowness, swinging her hips and grabbing her own breasts at they came free of the cups. Shepard stared, unblinking, salivating and aching to touch her. When Liara wiggled out of her panties, with the finesse of the dancers downstairs, Shepard thought she would come just watching her. Liara rejoined her and gently tempted her to the middle of the bed, leaning over her with breasts just above her face – just out of reach – and opened the bedside table. “Well, drunk or not, Shepard, for what I have in mind for you do not have to do much…” There was that naughty glint in her eye that drove Shepard insane with yearning. She felt something long and hard slide between her legs and she twitched into it, Oh, Liara, you read my mind… Liara turned around and Jane was treated to a close up of her most delicious physique; she could see it glistening, could smell her arousal, and she grabbed full hips, reaching with her tongue and taking her. Liara pressed down and let out a long whimper, obviously not expecting Shepard’s mouth on her. She rocked on her face, momentarily forgetting her purpose, before returning the gesture, Jane crying out, the sensation heightened by the alcohol.
“Oh, God, I love you,” she said around Liara’s clit, making the asari jump. Shepard felt Liara’s fingers slip into her and she clenched around them before releasing and taking them deeper; soon she was close – so close – but Liara stopped, climbed off her face and kneeled between her legs. She held up the toy and ran it through Jane’s wetness again before slipping the shorter end into her with almost no resistance. Liara ‘Mmmmm’ed her consent, running a tongue along the shaft that stuck up out of red hair – Jane felt every sensation like it was her own clit. Thank God for modern technolooggy- “Ah, Jesus…Oh, I’m gonna-Liara, stop teasing me.” Liara brought her lips to Jane’s, straddling her again, and kissed her; Shepard tasted herself on them.
“Lay back,” Liara whispered against her ear and Jane did as she was told. Liara sat up, kneeling over Shepard’s newest addition, and slowly lowered herself onto it, throwing her head back as she was filled; Jane almost came right then, as Liara’s heat covered her, 360 degrees, all smooth silk and molten wetness. No, I was wrong: this is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen… Shepard thought of all the times Liara had surprised her, one-upped herself. She fought the urge to thrust up into her, wanting Liara to dictate their pace. Liara’s eyes opened and blackness met Jane’s greenery, and she let out an airy exhale before beginning to raise and lower herself on Shepard. Jane reached out and put a hand on each of Liara’s breasts, kneading and beginning to meet her movements with her own. She grunted, unable to articulate the feelings, her emotions, in any other way. Liara grabbed Shepard’s hands, covering with them her own, becoming more confident in her tempo and starting to rotate her hips. She leaned back, her hands behind herself, on Jane’s legs, pumping up and down and around, cries coming from her very depths. Shepard watched, fighting to maintain control, as Liara’s breasts bounced, her skin broke out into a light sheen, and her moans became more urgent. Soon she leaned forward, body pressed against Shepard’s and Shepard grabbed her hips, hard enough to bruise, pounding up into her, unable to help it. Every inch she moved felt like heaven; she had never imagined…
“Ah, ah, ah, ah-“
“Oh, God, Liara,”
“Jane, please…”
“That?”
“Oh, Goddess, there, there,”
“Liara-“
“Don’t stop…”
“I won’t-Oh God, I won’t-“
“Ahhh, ah, Shepard!”
Liara went stiff above her and she felt her clenching, fluttering, around her, unlike anything she had felt before, and she slammed her down onto her again before screaming out with a harsh yell, spilling into her. Shepard twitched her hips once or twice, unable to help it, and Liara made a shrill noise, almost on the edge of pain. They stayed like that for a long time before Liara rolled off her, with less grace than she had earlier.
“Well, that was quite the surprise…”
Christmas was upon them again before they knew it.
“Are you packed?” Liara came out of their bedroom pulling her shirt back over her head; living with Shepard had its ups and downs, and sometimes they were the same – being overcome while trying to do chores was one of those times…
“Shepard, stop, I’m-“
“Come on, Liara, it’ll only take ten minutes…” she kissed her crest, drawing a sigh from her, “just ten lousy minutes…”
“Well…”
“And just think, me, alone, missing all the naughty things I’ve taught you…”
“Well I wouldn’t want you to be distracted by a dancer on your layover on Omega…”
Jane was sitting on her suitcase, which in turn sat on the ottoman, trying to get it to close,
“Yep, just put some last-minute things in.”
“Shepard! How many? You’re only going for a week,” Liara raised her brow markings and shook her head, using biotics to pull the zipper closed.
“Well, Aria gave me a few things that Thea forgot…”
“And Aria does not have her own bag?”
“ ‘It ruins the image’ or something… don’t know why, like crime lords don’t own luggage?” Jane replied and Liara rolled her eyes, checking her Omni-tool for the time. “I can’t believe I’m going to miss Christmas…”
“For the birth of a child, Shepard…If you do not leave now you are to be late for your shuttle,”
“Ah, shit.” Shepard dashed back to the bedroom and emerged with her toothbrush, giving the closed luggage and inquisitive look.
“Buy a new one, Jane,” Liara sighed and pecked her on the cheek. “You know your itinerary?”
“Yes: Here to Omega, pick up Aria at Afterlife – I wish she had given that damn club a different name – one last night of debauchery – don’t worry, no dancers - before both of us are off to Sur’Kesh to meet Thea. Baby is due any day, so we’ll be back in a week at the most.”
“If she’s on time…”
“She’s Thea Tevos’ daughter. She’ll be on time,”
“She’s also Aria T’Loak’s daughter; she may be fashionably late.” Shepard kissed her, grinning. “Here,” she handed Jane her necklace, “wear it. Part of me will be there for the excitement.”
“I can’t believe the Pirate Queen of Omega is going to be dad, like, any second…” Shepard said as she clasped the necklace around her own neck. “I remember when she was just some kinky broad in my-err-never mind,” Liara gave her a contemptuous look, and smiled behind her hand.
“I wish I could go with you,” she said, quietly, Jane pulled her coat on; it seemed like winter had come again within a blink of an eye.
“Me too, honey. But defending your dissertation is more important,”
“Is it?” Liara sighed again.
“And when we get back we can play doctor for real, Doctor,” she nuzzled her neck.
“Still not a doctor, yet, Jane,” she teased, but opened up to her kisses.
“You will be in a few days,” Liara moaned against her mouth, and Shepard almost reached down and grabbed blue breasts under her shirt, but managed to tear herself away, “Okay, I’m gone; I love you.” Liara grabbed her arm and pulled her back with another kiss, whispering next to her lips:
“Come back to me, Jane Shepard,”
“Always.”
She finally remembered her dream.
“Come back to me, Jane Shepard,” she heard in her head as she fell through space.
No, no, no, no, no. This wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be a thousand years, and blue babies, and…
Liara… I’m sorry Liara. I’m sorry I won’t be there to catch you this time… I tried to be brave…
She closed her eyes and saw Liara's face, those blue eyes the last thing; the only thing that had ever mattered.
The End