Blackwork

James awoke for the third morning in a row to an empty pillow beside him. He blinked sleepily at the indentation that proved to him that Shepard had in fact slept there. She had come to bed late and he could remember the feel of her soft skin sliding against his as she mounted him the way she liked to do. He hadn't quite fully woken up during the experience and it still seemed like it could just as easily have been a dream.

It seemed like he'd gotten to spend more time with her the two nights the Doc made them sleep in the med bay before she allowed them to return to their own bed. Their own bed. He supposed technically it was still just her bed, but it felt like their bed and their shower and their shuttle bay and their... server room. The last one made him smile as he threw off the covers and headed to the bathroom while trying to imagine other more creative corners of the Normandy they could make theirs.

He turned on the shower, then stood before the toilet for a few seconds berating his hard cock into submission until he could take a proper piss. Once his bladder was emptied he flushed, then moved to stand under the stream of hot water, beginning the work of shifting his mind off her and into gear to start his day. He grabbed the soap and started washing.

The Normandy had docked at the Citadel in the early hours of morning, which meant the usual run-around of restocking, and then who knew what else. He was hoping for some casual time out with Shepard, but got the sense that wasn't in the cards judging from how she'd been bouncing off the walls the past few days. He couldn't blame her, but it seemed like she'd barely stopped working long enough to sleep, much less have sex. Somehow she still managed to find time for both, just not enough for his satisfaction. Not after the server room. Don't go there again, man. Nothing productive will come of it. Time to go to work.

He felt a light draft and turned his head to see Shepard leaning in the open doorway with her head cocked to the side and a small smile on her face.

"You just gonna stand there and watch?" he asked with a smirk, turning to face her and eyeing her uniform.

"You gonna give me a show?" she asked with one eyebrow raised. Her smile widened and her eyes drifted down his soapy chest to where his hands were lathering up between his thighs.

His voice grew a little deeper. "Depends... If I do, will you join me after?" He started stroking himself more deliberately while she watched and got hard again almost instantly.

She sighed and he saw a look of disappointment cross her face. Her eyes met his again and she said, "I can't this morning. I have an early meeting with the Asari councilor. I just wanted to come say good morning to you before I left."

"Oh," he said dejectedly and dropped his hands to his sides. "Well... shit. What am I supposed to do with this now?" He gestured to his soapy hard-on.

She gave him a rueful smile. "I'm sure you'll think of something, James. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, sure. Later, Lola," he said, trying to sound disinterested. He turned back around to face the stream of water from the showerhead as the door shut behind her, leaving him alone with his erection. He stood letting the water cascade over him and watched the suds wash down the drain. He groaned and looked down at his cock, saying, "At least she said good morning."

He finally grabbed the soap, resigned to take care of matters himself. He was soaping up for the second time when he felt a light draft again, followed by a pair of soft, naked breasts pressed up against his back and strong, slender arms wrapping around his chest.

"Hey," he said, surprised. "I thought you had a meeting." He started to turn around.

"Stay there," she said, her breath hot against his neck. He stopped moving. He watched her drift a hand over his wet chest. His breath caught and he tensed slightly when her fingertips teased their way down his taut stomach and continued lower.

"I do," she said throatily. "But I couldn't just leave you like this. I would've been distracted all morning thinking about you." She gripped his cock in one fist and began stroking slowly.

He let out a small gasp at the sensation of her palm slick against his hard, soapy length. "Oh... well, you do what you gotta do, I guess," he said in a breathless voice. Goddamn she felt good.

He felt her lips soft on his shoulder and her tongue trailed up the side of his neck. She nibbled delicately at the flesh behind his ear.

One hand worked his cock deftly while the other explored the rest of his body. He felt her trail her fingertips over his chest, teasing his nipples, sliding down the wet skin of his abdomen across the top of his thigh to cup his balls gently in one palm. He grunted softly at the sensation, his hips twitching in response.

Her other hand kept pumping him, faster now, sliding up over his swollen tip and all the way back down his shaft to his base, squeezing gently as she stroked him. His vision began to blur from the sensations and he had to place his hands against the wall to hold himself up. His breathing quickened and his hips began to twitch rhythmically in response to her strokes. He let out a low, guttural groan and felt her teeth bite gently at his shoulder as his orgasm hit. His cock spasmed in her grip and he watched in a daze as his thick juices painted the steel wall in front of him.

She gave him another kiss on the shoulder before pulling away. He stood disoriented, observing his recent artwork intently as though it had some profound meaning. He barely registered her grabbing a towel and her voice as she left him alone again.

"I'll see you later James," she said, the tone of her words carrying a promise.

"Yeah, sure. Later Lola," he replied distractedly.

ooOoo

Shepard was on her way out of the embassies after her meeting with the Asari councilor. She immediately tapped a message into her omni-tool. Done with meeting. Got time for lunch?

A few seconds later it beeped with the reply. Hell yeah. Starving. Apollo's in 10?

She smiled and tapped back, See you in 10.

When she exited the elevator at the Presidium Commons ten minutes later she saw his sturdy form leaning on the railing nearby, gazing at the view. She sidled up next to him and bumped him with her shoulder, leaning on the rail beside him.

"Hey, Lola," he said softly, and turned his head, leaning close to kiss her on the cheek. He lingered there for a second, closing his eyes and inhaling the delicate almondy scent of her. She turned her head and smiled at him, then leaned closer and gave him a slow, lingering kiss on the lips.

"I forgot to do that before I left this morning," she said when she pulled away.

"Oh yeah? I didn't notice," he replied with a grin. She grinned back and turned to walk towards Apollo's.

"How'd the meeting with the councilor go?" James asked as they walked.

Shepard sighed. "I was hoping for more time here, but it looks like we need to turn around and go again. The Reapers are hitting Thessia pretty hard, and it turns out there's a Prothean artifact there that the Asari have kept under wraps all this time. We might be able to learn something from it."

They settled down at a table at the open-air restaurant and James said in a low voice, "But what about your new network. I thought you had all the answers you needed already."

The waiter was promptly at their table and they placed their order.

Shepard resumed the conversation once the waiter had departed.

"I have some of the answers. But part of knowing how to find the answers is knowing which questions to ask, even with my resources. I only have a really broad idea of how we beat the Reapers. I'm still trying to put the pieces together. This artifact might help me figure out what questions to ask next."

James nodded and said, "So I guess it's not as simple as pushing a big red button somewhere that's labeled 'Reaper Nuke', huh?"

She laughed. "If only it could be that simple." She sighed and continued, "There are so many pieces that still need to be put into place. The Crucible isn't complete. Hackett still needs tons of resources and manpower to finish it. I still need to figure out how the Catalyst fits in. And of course there's Cerberus to deal with at every turn. Kai Leng is still out there somewhere and I have no doubt we'll see his face again before we're through."

"Do you have any idea what the Catalyst is yet?" he asked.

They both paused their conversation as their drinks were placed in front of them a moment later.

"Not exactly," she answered. "But I think the Keepers here on the Citadel have information that can help me figure it out. I was hoping I'd have some time here to... link up with them and maybe get some questions answered."

"You can … link up to them? The Keepers?"

"Yeah, they're Thorian symbiotes, so they're part of the network. But they're pretty mindless creatures, so it's not like... well, like how I link to you. You're the only other person I've done that with. It's a little… unsettling when I link to you, actually."

"It seemed like you liked it the last time you tried it," he said, his eyes holding hers steadily as he took a swallow of his drink.

She felt heat rising up her chest at the memory and shook her head, trying to remain in the present. When her eyes met his, she saw a look of amusement in them.

Finally she said, "It was... mindblowing, if you must know. Being in your head at the same time that you're... inside me... I had no idea it felt that good to you." Her voice fell to a whisper and she swallowed. She shuddered slightly at the pleasant memory.

"You do feel good, Lola," he said, his voice rough. "You feel incredible, really. And wherever you were, in my head or in your own, it was worth it, for me at least." He paused for a second, then said, "Just out of curiosity, this morning... were you...?"

She shook her head. "As tempting as it is, I've been trying to avoid it. It isn't like I can read your thoughts or anything, I just see things through your eyes, and get sortof an impression of what you're feeling. If I go deeper I can see memories, but it feels too much like I'm invading your privacy. When we're making love it's a pretty powerful combination. If I'd tried it this morning, I probably would have missed my meeting." She smiled at him ruefully, but he got the sense that, had circumstances been different, she would have given in to the urge.

"Anyway, we were talking about the Thorian, right?" she said in a clear attempt to redirect the conversation to something different.

"If you say so," he said with a knowing smile.

Their food arrived, giving them a welcome excuse for silence.

After munching on his food for a few minutes, James said, "So the Thorian hasn't really helped us at all so far, has it?"

"On the contrary. Remember Shiala?" Shepard asked.

James nodded and she continued. "The Asari we spoke to on Feros was a clone of an Asari that used to work for Saren before he betrayed her and gave her to the Thorian. It can still clone her, and it has. Anderson didn't believe me when I told him he'd have reinforcements, but as we speak there are squads of identical Asari commandos slinging their biotics around at the enemies on Earth. Thorian Creepers, too."

He gave her an uncertain look. "Creepers? What are Creepers?"

"They're the Thorian's version of Husks," she explained. "Cannon fodder."

He gave her a dubious look. "They sound... creepy. Better hope the soldiers are warned before they start popping out or they won't know who's friend and who's enemy."

"Trust me, the Thorian knows who the enemies are. The soldiers will figure it out, just like they did with the Geth."

After several moments of comfortable silence, Shepard asked, "Have you heard any news of your uncle?"

James' brow creased and he pushed back his empty plate, then took a long swallow of his drink. He shook his head and said, "Nothing. All I know is the entire west coast from LA to San Diego is overrun. I just hope he made it out in time."

He grew silent again. It was always the first thing he checked when they were on the Citadel. He hoped that the absence of the name "Emilio Vega" on any casualty lists meant his uncle was still alive and kicking. He'd also checked for "Josh Sanders" again with the same results, and had to wonder if he really cared if his waste of a father had actually survived.

"James," Shepard said gently. "You can talk to me you know."

He met her eyes and sighed. "Yeah, Lola, I know. I've just been thinking a lot about all the little things that brought me here. Even as far back as when I first enlisted. So many things could have gone differently and I never would have ended up part of your crew." His voice trailed off and he looked away. He cast his gaze out over the Presidium for a moment, his mind drifting to the past again before her voice brought him back to the present.

"You're more than just part of my crew, James. You know that," she said softly.

He met her steady gaze and knew she meant it. Hell, he'd known it the first time she'd said she loved him. It still floored him sometimes that she had, but he knew she wasn't the kind of person to throw those words around lightly, and neither was he.

"I know better than to question my luck, Lola, but you have no idea how lucky I feel with you. And it's not just about me and you. The war isn't even over yet and being with you makes me feel like we've already won."

She studied him for a second and said, "Well, we haven't won yet, but if I have anything to say about it, we will. And I want you beside me when we finally pull it off."

"I've got your back, Lola," he said with a grin.

"Of course you do. It's my best side," she said, smiling back.

"Babe, every side of you is your best," he replied, and thought he actually saw her blush a little.

ooOoo

Thessia was a disaster. The planet was almost overrun by Reapers, the Asari commando squads pushed to their limits. And then Cerberus showed up, horning in on their target. James heard no end to Shepard's cursing after Kai Leng retreated with the data from the Prothean VI before she'd had a chance to kill the bastard. James had gotten a couple close shots in but the Cerberus operative was blindingly fast and his shields had obviously been enhanced by some kind of Cerberus tech.

But the Reapers were there in force and they had no choice but to retreat as well, reluctantly surrendering the planet to the enemy.

As they quickly boarded the shuttle he glanced at her and thought he'd never seen her so furious before. On her it looked like a slow burn, but he had grown accustomed to reading her moods and knew she was raging deep inside. She wasn't looking at him, or at anyone, but her face had that intense expression that he'd learned you didn't want to step in front of. He knew better than to try to talk to her for awhile, and just hoped she would be cooled down enough later to accept his expertise in distracting her when they were alone together.

They settled into their seats in the shuttle and left it up to Cortez to get them the hell out of dodge. After awhile he noticed that she'd closed her eyes and leaned her head back on her seat. She didn't look in any way relaxed, however.

Once the shuttle had finally breached the turbulent atmosphere and their ride was smoother, he turned his attention to Liara, who was now standing and staring out the window of the shuttle, the horizon of her home world blazing red in the distance.

"Hey, Wings, how're you holding up?" he asked quietly, moving to stand beside her and leaning against the interior wall of the shuttle. He was surprised when she suddenly leaned into him and buried her face against his neck. Unsure what else to do, he wrapped his large arms around her slight frame and held her. He winced slightly at the soreness in his abdomen from where Kai Leng had biotically tossed Liara into him during the fight, just before making his escape. He was actually surprised she'd stayed conscious considering the force of the attack that had knocked the wind from him.

Liara made no sound for several moments, but he was sure he felt hot tears dampening his skin.

"I told them we'd save them," he heard her muffled voice speak with quiet agony.

He did his best to sound comforting in spite of his own internal turmoil over the loss. "You can't blame yourself. Even if Cerberus hadn't shown up, there's nothing we could have done. But the war isn't over yet. There are still Asari to save, and I know if Shepard has anything to say about it, we'll take Thessia back before this is all over."

She nodded her head and pulled away from him, wiping the wetness from her cheeks. She gave him an embarrassed grimace and stepped back.

"I'm... sorry for invading your space like that. I don't usually get so emotional."

"Believe me, I understand. Besides, you're Lola's friend, so I'd like to think that makes you my friend, too. Shit, we've been on enough missions together. Just because we haven't spent much time talking doesn't mean I won't have your back when you need me."

"Thank you, James. You have no idea how much that means to me."

He shrugged lightly in response.

After a moment of silence, she looked at him and asked quietly, "Why 'Wings'?"

"Um... well, your..." he gestured to her head, "They sortof remind me of wings. And I guess I have a thing for wings."

He smiled sheepishly and cast a quick glance at Shepard, who was still sitting quietly with her eyes closed and her jaw tightly clenched. He thought Liara looked even sadder than before for a moment and worried that he'd hurt her feelings somehow.

"If you'd rather I didn't..." he began, and she shook her head.

"No, I like it," she said with a sad smile. In a near whisper, she said, "My mother used to call me Little Wing, before she died. It reminds me of her."

ooOoo

They were heading to Horizon next, thanks to Traynor's quick thinking.

As the team was exiting the war room, James felt a gentle squeeze at his elbow and turned his head to see Shepard walking quietly beside him.

"Hey, Lola," he said in a subdued tone.

"Hey, I'm going to spend some time with Liara. I think she needs some cheering up, if that's possible. Do you mind staying scarce for awhile?"

He shook his head. "Anything you need. Hey, do you have enough whiskey?"

She grinned at him, "You read my mind. I don't suppose you have an extra bottle of the good stuff stashed anywhere?"

"I'm your man, Lola. I restocked while we were on the Citadel. Check your underwear drawer."

"You hide the good liquor in my underwear drawer?"

"Can you think of a better place for it?"

She laughed and elbowed him gently in the ribs. "I knew there was a reason I loved you so much, James. Come and join us later if you want. I'll try to save some liquor for you."

ooOoo

Shepard groaned and covered her face with her forearm. "Don't tell me you saw that video."

Liara giggled drunkenly, "You had to know I'm linked to the Normandy's security feed."

"EDI!" Shepard called out from where she lay prone on the sofa, her empty glass resting loosely in one hand on her stomach.

"Yes, Shepard?"

"Did you know Liara's been spying on us ... all this time?" she sat up and poured herself a refill. Liara was leaning on one elbow at the other end of the L-shaped sofa, her head towards the fish tank.

"Forgive me, Shepard." EDI's disembodied voice replied. "I was under the impression that you were aware of and had approved Doctor T'Soni's links to our networks. Shall I disable them?"

Shepard vaguely recalled approving something of the sort months ago. She trusted her friend implicitly, after all.

"No, no... I must've forgotten. I actually feel more comfortable knowing you're here, Liara. Even if you are spying on us."

Liara let out a sound of protest, until Shepard raised her glass in a toast. "To spying friends!"

They both laughed and drank.

"Sooo... you saw the video," Shepard said after she swallowed. "I'm not sure how I feel about that. What'd you think?" She repositioned on her stomach facing Liara and gazed at her friend attentively with an inquisitive slant to her brow.

Liara hesitated for a second. "Um... I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, Zoe. Do you want a critique?" She paused and stared thoughtfully at her drink before continuing. "It was hard to see much. Mostly all I could see was James, which, as you know, is an impressive sight. You both certainly seemed to be enjoying yourselves, of course. If I'd had audio to accompany the video I might have been able to form a more complete opinion. From a purely scientific perspective, of course." She pursed her lips in a scholarly manner and took another drink.

Shepard nodded sagely in agreement, "Of course." They both were unable to suppress their laughter, however, and broke out into hearty peals that lasted several moments.

When their laughter subsided, Shepard took a deep breath.

"Liara," Shepard said, the syllables of her words drawn out slowly and carefully. "I have a confession to make." She set her drink down on the floor next to her and looked at Liara with a serious expression. Liara sat up and looked at her friend intently.

"I'm listening."

"I love James. I am just crazy in love with him."

Liara gave her an unimpressed look. "Did you just figure that out?"

"Well, no... but I didn't think you knew. Shit, Liara, is there anything you don't already know about me?"

Liara sat thinking for a moment. "Not a lot, no," she said with a small shake of her head.

Shepard was distracted from the retort she was about to make by the sound of the door to her quarters opening. James' heavy booted footsteps brought him down the steps and into view. He greeted Liara with a smile and a nod and walked over to Shepard, leaning down to her uptilted face and kissing her softly. He'd clearly been working out and was radiating heat and the familiar sharp aroma of gun oil mixed with his own spicy scent. The combination caused a sudden heat to build between her thighs.

"What is this, a pajama party?" James asked with a smirk, eyeing their casual attire and looking at the nearly empty whiskey bottle. He picked up the bottle and looked at Shepard with a raised eyebrow.

"We have another whole bottle," she said defensively.

"Lucky for you," he said. "I might have had to take drastic measures if you didn't leave me some."

"You want me to pour you one?"

"In a bit. Gonna hop in the shower first - I don't think I'm fit for polite company at the moment."

Shepard and Liara both glanced at each other and snorted out simultaneous mirthful laughter at his comment, clearly very drunk and sharing some private joke. He just left the room with a shake of his head. Shepard watched him intently as he walked back up the steps headed for the shower.

She noticed Liara's attentive gaze on her after the door to the bathroom closed and the sound of the shower started up.

"What?" she asked.

Liara only smiled. "I don't need to be the Shadow Broker to be able to tell how you two feel about each other, Zoe."

Shepard turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling with a sigh. "I suppose it's a small thing, but I almost feel guilty sometimes about how good we feel together. He makes me feel like a teenager... only better, because there's none of that... hesitance that you get from lack of experience. But it isn't just physical. He's so honest, and direct. And funny..."

She rolled onto her stomach again to continue cataloging James' positive attributes, but paused when she looked at Liara and said, "Did you just roll your eyes at me?"

Liara spoke in a mildly mocking tone, her laughter barely contained, "And he's so sweet and he has such a nice ass and his pallus is so huge."

Shepard laughed out loud. "Leave it to the scientist to use the word phallus."

Liara shrugged and took a sip of her drink. "Sorry, I'm not familiar with the more colloquial terms for male genitalia, considering Asari don't have them."

"I like 'cock'," Shepard said, matter-of-factly, at exactly the same moment the bathroom door whooshed open and James stepped out amidst a cloud of sweet-smelling steam.

Without missing a beat, James said, "Well, that's a relief. I was getting a little worried with all the time you've spent with Asari lately."

He strode back into the room wearing only a towel that barely fit around his muscular hips.

"Hey, Hot Stuff," Shepard said in a flirty, whiskey-deepened voice. He gave her a sideways smile as he moved to the covered compartment in the corner that she'd cleared out for him to keep his things in.

He dropped his towel and swiftly drew on a pair of clean sweatpants, not quite oblivious to the rapt silence behind him. He draped the discarded towel over a hook in the bulkhead.

"You know you're the only one for me, right?" Shepard said, sitting up and handing him a drink as he walked over and bent to kiss her upturned face again. He only smiled and caressed her cheek lightly in response. He moved to settle himself in a nearby chair, her eyes tracing the rippling muscles of his shirtless torso as he sat.

"You two are so perfect," Liara said dreamily.

"We'll be more perfect when the Reapers are dead," James said, and Shepard looked at him with a surprised expression. She'd been just about to say the exact same thing.

It was then that Shepard noticed Liara sitting up with a determined expression on her face, studying them both intently.

"James. Zoe. I have a... favor of sorts to ask you both, now that you're here together."

"Sure, Wings. Anything you need," James answered after taking a long swig of his drink.

"Just hear me out first before you agree to it," Liara said with a slight shake of her head. Her hands were gripping the edge of the sofa tightly. She seemed anxious, Shepard thought.

"Okay, Liara. What is it?" Shepard asked, concerned. What in the world would Liara ask for that she couldn't get on her own?

Liara took a deep breath and met their eyes one at a time.

"I'd like to meld with the two of you," she blurted in a rush.

"Liara..." Shepard gasped, sitting up straight and moving to the edge of her seat. "What brought this on?"

James looked confused for a second before asking, "Wait... you're saying you want to have little blue babies with... both of us?" He gestured between himself and Shepard with his drink before tilting the glass back and drinking the rest of it in one long swallow. He poured himself another.

Liara focused her response on James, her expression tense. "Let me explain. I have no idea - none of us do - what the outcome of this war will be. It isn't about me wanting a child. Shepard and I have been close friends for a long time, and you... you seem to bring out the best in her. I've seen the two of you together long enough to know how special your relationship is. I just want the option, if I survive, to see all the best qualities of you both live on together, especially if either of you are killed."

To Shepard, she said earnestly, "It's like the time capsule I showed you before... only different. This way, it's actual flesh and blood that will carry on your traits. It's... a kind of gift, I guess. And I'd like to give it to the two of you. Thessia falling has made me examine closely who matters most to me, and you are at the very top of my list."

"So, you're not asking to have a threesome with us?" James asked.

"James!" Shepard admonished.

"What? It's a valid question," he stated defensively.

"Not unless that's something both of you are comfortable with," Liara responded.

"Liara?" Shepard looked at her friend with an expression of surprise. "Is that what you were hoping for?"

Liara seemed flustered, but forced her eyes to meet Shepard's. "I care very deeply about you. You're my closest friend and you have been for some time. Is it unreasonable of me to want to preserve something of you for the future? Something more than a silly hologram?"

Shepard's brow creased, "But, Liara... you know James and I are together."

"I know, and I'm not trying to come between you." Liara sighed deeply, "I apologize if I'm not making myself clear. I want to join with the both of you because I... I'm afraid I'll lose you completely otherwise. I want to keep a part of you both, and I want to keep you together, which is why I have to meld with you at the same time. So your traits are stored together."

Shepard was deeply touched by her gesture, but was still confused. "So why are you so anxious to ask?"

"Zoe, you already know the experience of melding by itself is extraordinarily intimate. Understanding how intensely physical your relationship with James is, it wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility for such a joining - with the three of us involved - to turn into something physical once the melding is complete. It isn't something I've ever tried before, but the idea does appeal to me. I just don't want to do it unless both of you are comfortable with the idea."

"Liara... I..." Shepard began, but paused when she noticed that James had grabbed a pillow and was now holding it on his lap. Her eyes narrowed when she looked at him. He caught her glance and shrugged at her with a little half smile.

"James? I'd like to hear what your thoughts are," she said in a measured tone.

He cleared his throat. "I love you, Lola. Never forget that. But the idea of seeing you and a hot Asari go at it... No man with any cojones would say no to that." He took a deep breath, then said in a more sober tone, "But in all seriousness, I think Liara's offer is worth considering, even if it's just to preserve your traits - not sure why she'd want mine, to be honest. The chances of us surviving to pop out our own rugrat are pretty slim, you have to admit."

Shepard was struck speechless for a second. They'd never even toyed with the subject of kids before, and for good reason. But what Liara was offering was certainly much more than that.

"I guess we know where he stands on the issue," she said in a subdued tone, her mind churning over the possibilities.

"James," Liara said. "I'm asking you because I believe you two belong together. If I lose you both in this war, I want to know you're still together in some fashion."

"Zoe, what about you?" Liara asked expectantly, turning to Shepard.

"I thought only Asari Matrons had children. Aren't you a bit young for that?" Shepard asked abruptly.

Liara seemed surprised by the question. "Traditionally, yes, but we are free to choose when to settle down and raise children. I hadn't considered when that might happen, actually. It might not be for another century or more, but could certainly be earlier depending on the circumstances."

Shepard studied James intently for a moment and he held her gaze steadily. She was struck by how resolute he was. This wasn't about sex for him any more than it was for her, she realized. This was about forever.

"Okay," she finally said with a slow nod of her head. "Tonight? Now?" she asked uncertainly, looking at Liara.

Liara nodded and stood. "I would take advantage of the time we have. We may not get another opportunity."

It was almost surreal to Shepard once they began. She proceeded with a kind of detachment as Liara took charge, settling herself on her knees in the center of the bed and directing them each to kneel on either side of her. She had them both link hands around her.

James cleared his throat and said nervously, "I've never... ah... melded before. This isn't going to hurt, is it?"

Liara smiled calmly and shook her head. "No. I'm not sure how best to describe it, but it's generally a pleasant experience. Are you ready?"

Shepard met James' eyes and squeezed his hands gently, then looked at Liara. "Ready."

Liara lifted her hands up and gently rested one palm against Shepard's cheek and the other against James' with her fingertips lightly touching their temples. Shepard sensed Liara's biotics begin to envelop them in a soft field of energy and heard her utter the familiar words with a strange intensity that seemed to echo deep inside her mind.

"Embrace Eternity."

ooOoo

Shepard and James held each other's gaze over Liara's slightly bowed head as the Normandy slowly dissolved around them. Finally it seemed as if just the three of them were floating weightless in empty space. Liara's biotics swirled in a translucent blue cloud around them and gradually Liara herself seemed to become insubstantial before Shepard's eyes, her body transforming into a bright cloud of swirling energy that drew James and Shepard into it.

Shepard felt her body begin to tingle intensely from head to toe. It was a pleasant sensation that intensified until she felt like her skin was gradually turning to mist and evaporating. The feeling slowly seeped into her muscles, then her bones, dissolving her body and leaving nothing behind but a network of branching, sparking nerves and impulses.

She felt like she was made entirely of light and energy. An intense, insistent pull began to draw her in and she felt a sharp snap as Liara's energy abruptly pulled them both to the center. Shepard's energy instantly began to intermingle with James' with Liara's blue light swirling in and around them both, continuing to urge them closer until they were finally indistinguishable from each other. Every particle of her being seemed to merge with his, and they seemed to ignite each other into a million pulsing points of light, suspended within a sustaining blue haze.

They lost themselves completely in the swirling cloud. Nothing remained of consciousness or emotion. Nothing remained but pure sensation and memory, which they explored for an eternity.

When the sensations began to recede and she could feel her body once again it took Shepard a second to get her bearings. Her skin still tingled pleasantly and she realized that Liara's arm had relaxed and her hand had drifted down and was resting on Shepard's breast. Shepard felt an uncontrollable need to maintain the contact, to try to replicate that metaphysical closeness through her physical body. She was still rocked by the experience, her eyes closed and her chest heaving.

"Liara," she said huskily. "James... I need..." She gasped as she felt James' large fingers squeeze her hands and seem to pull at her with gentle insistence. The palm at her breast drifted lower and she moaned at the soft contact as fingertips slowly traced her nipple beneath the thin fabric of her shirt.

She felt the figure nearest her shift position, turning towards her and moving closer.

"Zoe," Liara whispered, her breath hot against Shepard's neck. Smooth hands drifted beneath her shirt and soft lips were against her throat, the sensations causing lightning bolts of pleasure to shoot across her skin. Her eyes shot open and were met by James' smoldering gaze. She pulled him towards her, some irrational piece of her mind believing she could pull them both into her again and hold them there forever.

"Oh god, I want you inside me," she breathed and thought she read agreement in his eyes.

"Yes," Liara whispered in understanding, echoing the look in James' eyes. Liara began pulling Shepard's shirt up, and Shepard released James' hands, which immediately began searching for something new to touch. Finding Liara's slight body in easy reach he snaked his hands around her torso and worked at the zipper of her skin-tight jacket, pulling it down to reveal bare, supple breasts. As his large, calloused hands caressed her soft skin and teased at the tips of her breasts, Liara became more insistent with Shepard's clothing, pulling her shirt off over her head. Her soft lips met Shepard's in a gentle kiss, her tongue exploring slowly. Her hands drifted back down over the creamy swell of Shepard's naked breasts, her fingertips swirling and caressing over their rosy tips.

Shepard's hands fell to Liara's shoulders and pushed the fabric of her jacket down, peeling it off and tossing it away, giving James access to more bare Asari skin. He shifted closer to them, his lips grazing over Liara's shoulder and up her neck. She moaned softly against Shepard's lips as his tongue trailed over the soft ridges of flesh that lined the back of her neck.

Liara's mouth left hers and began to drift lower, over bare breasts, her tongue trailing across her flesh as she moved. Her lips captured one pink tip between them and Shepard gasped in pleasure as she began to gently suck. Liara's hands pulled at the waistband of her pants and she raised her hips, allowing her pants to be pulled down over them.

James met her eyes with an intensity she'd never seen before. He reached one hand up to fill the void Liara had left, tracing Shepard's jawline softly with his large fingertips. His thumb traced the contour of her lower lip and her tongue snaked out and languidly licked the tip. She saw his lips part in anticipation as he slipped the thick digit between her soft lips. His eyelids fluttered closed as she began sucking gently, his lower body unconsciously grinding against the pair of clothed hips in front of him.

Shepard released his thumb when Liara gently pushed her back onto the bed and sighed softly as her friend began kissing her way down her torso, slowly pulling her pants the rest of the way off. Liara felt a tug at her own waist and raised her hips up for James to pull her pants down. With surprising strength, she pulled Shepard's hips closer to her and bent her head. Shepard cried out in ecstasy as Liara's lips and tongue met the eager, pulsing nub of pleasure between her thighs.

James met Shepard's eyes again as she lay back. He felt a low rumble build in his chest at the sight of her creamy breasts heaving in pleasure and her dark locks in a sunburst around her head on the pale covers of the bed. He watched transfixed for a moment as Liara's head moved slowly between Shepard's thighs, causing her to moan and writhe in ecstasy. He urged Liara's pants the rest of the way off and she lifted each knee to accommodate him while she continued to work attentively at Shepard's core. He gripped Liara's pliant bottom with both hands and slid his fingertips between her thighs, gently exploring. He heard her moan in pleasure and she wriggled slightly at his tender touch.

He found her warm and wet, much like he knew Shepard must be at this moment. He stroked her gently for several experimental seconds. She was shaped a little differently, he could feel, but she felt no less alluring and feminine to him than Shepard did. He stripped his pants off quickly, then after contemplating briefly, he lay down on his back with his head between her thighs. The light in the room was too dim for him to get a visual lay of the land, so he relied on the sensitive flesh of his tongue to explore her soft folds.

She was completely smooth and soft as velvet. Her core felt like multiple layers of intricately textured petals beneath his tongue. As he explored he discovered a cluster of three small, soft orbs that seemed to quiver of their own volition when his tongue came into contact with them. He heard her moan softly in response, her hips twitching slightly over his mouth.

He was only marginally aware of shifting movements on the bed around him as Liara's hips moved closer to his mouth. He gasped against her when he felt the familiar hot, slick friction of Shepard's sex sliding down his length and enveloping him. He dropped his head back on the bed and groaned in pleasure at the exquisite sensation as she began moving atop him. Yes, that was where he belonged.

When he opened his eyes again, the previous view had reversed itself and he realized Liara had turned around, placing her knees on either side of his chest, her quivering azure center poised once again over his eager mouth.

He tried to get his bearings, the intense physical sensations in the aftermath of their earlier shared experience were nearly overwhelming. He felt Shepard's core gripping him tightly, seeming to slowly milk the life from him. The mildly floral scent of Liara's sex was poised over his mouth, an offering to him.

He snaked his tongue out, raising his head up slightly to taste her again. He gripped the backs of her thighs and slid his hands up to her center, slipping his fingers between her thighs and exploring as he worked her with his tongue. His discovered her tight entrance nestled in the center of the small buds he'd discovered earlier and teased at it gently with his tongue, slipping deeper and tasting gently between the tight flesh.

"Oh goddess!" Liara gasped when she felt James' thick tongue find her opening and tease his way past the barrier. The pleasure was almost unbearable and she reached for Shepard, placing one hand on James' muscular stomach for balance as the other woman leaned towards her and captured her mouth in a hungry kiss. One of Shepard's hands drifted over Liara's breast, cupping it and teasing at the tip, exciting her further.

She gripped Shepard by the back of the neck with one hand and slid her other hand down Shepard's stomach between her thighs, wanting to feel the other woman's soft folds, still fascinated by how similar they felt to her own. She was briefly distracted by the feel of the thick, hard muscle of James' sex that was buried deep inside Shepard. He was so undeniably male and she understood why Shepard desired him. She gripped his thick flesh tightly for a second, enjoying the feel of it as his hips thrust up and he plunged deep into her friend. She slipped her fingers back up to feel the soft petals of Shepard's sex, finding the tender bud at the top and caressing it gently.

Shepard gasped against Liara's mouth as she felt the woman's gentle yet expert touch between her thighs again. "Liara," she gasped huskily, gripping the back of Liara's neck and pulling her into a deeper kiss as she began feeling the pleasant surge of ecstasy building between her thighs. She heard James begin to groan in pleasure and struggled to maintain her steady movements against his hips.

James groaned at the sensations of the two women touching him. He felt Shepard's familiar tightness around his thick, hard length combined with the soft, alluring textures of Liara's sex over his mouth, then Liara's hand gripping him as he thrust into Shepard. It was a struggle to even focus on the task at hand. He finally managed to find some kind of mental balance between all the sensations and resumed his steady attention to the tight opening that he'd discovered made Liara quiver and moan. He slid his fingertips closer and slipped one in slowly past her soft entrance as he licked the small buds that surrounded it.

He felt Shepard's familiar low, escalating moans and gasps and the accompanying clench of her muscles around him that signaled her climax. Then he heard Liara's cry of pleasure and felt her hips begin to twitch and her slick flesh quivered over his mouth. Her flavor abruptly changed to something almost spicy that tingled tantalizingly at the back of his throat, the sensation adding to the buildup of pressure in his shaft as he felt his own orgasm take over. His hips began to buck against Shepard's almost of their own volition. He gripped Shepard's hips with both hands and gasped against the soft flesh above him as he finally came, thrusting his hard sex into Shepard violently.

It took them several unspeaking moments to recover before they slowly disentangled themselves from each other and silently crawled beneath the covers together. Shepard felt James nestle tightly against her back and Liara's smooth skin against her chest. She wrapped an arm around her friend and pulled her closer, their thighs entwining beneath the sheets. She fell asleep, exhausted but still tingling from the joining, feeling like it would be painful to be parted from either of them just yet.

Sometime during the night, soft touches and caresses began again. She felt James trail his lips over her bare neck, and his hands caressed her naked flesh. She still felt the pleasant charge beneath her skin that the joining had left behind, sending jolts of pleasure through her body where his fingertips made contact.

She heard his gruff, desperate whisper in her ear, "I need to be inside you, Lola."

She rolled onto her back and he was above her instantly, his mouth hot on hers, his tongue plunging past her lips, insistent and hungry. He parted her thighs with his knees and she lifted her legs to either side of him, raising her hips up slightly, her core open and ready. She was eager to be made whole again by his hard, penetrating flesh. He buried himself inside her with a low groan of ecstasy and she gasped in pleasure as he began moving with slow, steady thrusts. He continued kissing her and exploring her body with one hand as he moved inside her, making love to her slowly and deliberately.

"Oh, James," she sighed in pleasure against his lips when their kiss broke. He kissed her neck and shoulders softly, continuing to rock his hips against hers. She gripped him tightly with her legs, sighing again as he began whispering her name over and over. They were one again and she wanted this feeling to last forever.

"Forever," she whispered and she felt the delicious clench of muscles as their climax overtook them both. "Forever," he whispered back huskily as he spasmed inside her.

When they awoke in the morning the need to have each other overwhelmed them yet again. It wasn't until after they were finished that they noticed Liara was gone.