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Shepard was more than a little bruised. To hell if the whole galaxy wanted to reject her for being (reluctantly) associated with Cerberus. But Liara? Pushing her away; acting like they hadn’t sprang into each other’s arms and kissed the moment Shepard set foot into her office...it damn hurt.
So she wanted a drink, something strong to numb her for at least a little while, even though her cybernetic liver could process alcohol like it was water. At the Eternity bar she met Aethyta.
Asari matriarchs were larger than life, experienced beyond human comprehension, wise; perhaps even to a fault as they look down on the rest of the galaxy. There was no mystique to Aethyta, however. Yet it didn’t detract from her...admittedly strong pull on Shepard.
The human leaned on the bar, displaying her interest. Aethyta spoke to her about her life, her past. The ancient asari had little to hide and nothing to lose, if anything maybe a strong impulse to bitch about life, much like a middle aged human would after being beaten and battered during youth. Shepard could relate, a little bit. As comparatively short lived as she was, Shepard had been dragged through the mud of the galaxy quite a bit.
And here was Aethyta, asari matriarch and bartender, and a steady moor for Commander Shepard who braved the raging seas of the universe.
“Anyway.” Aethyta stepped back, as if remembering they were just customer and employee, and not two women with strong sexual tension between them. “Can I get you anything else, babe? I’m sure you didn’t come here for my old stories.” Perhaps she drawled like this to everyone, blunt yet bearing so much sex appeal on her matriarch shoulders.
Shepard...she had intentions. She leaned back, crossed her arms. “I like your stories. Maybe I came here to talk to you, specifically.” If only she weren’t wearing this armor, she’d be flexing her arm muscles. Aethyta mentioned being into asses but Shepard was no stripper.
Aethyta snorted, not giving a shit about decorum or grace. She grabbed a rag, and began polishing an already clean and shiny counter. “What in the hell could a human want with an old asari like me? Stop kidding me, Shepard. The kiosk is over there.”
In a rush of boldness, Shepard inched forward. She interpreted the fact Aethyta hadn’t already slammed her with a biotic field as a sign that this was, at least, a little bit mutual.
Low, purring, and very suggestive, Shepard said, “I want to get to know you better, Aethyta.”
The asari matriarch blinked. Seen everything, yet still taken aback by Shepard’s boldness. A smirk slowly drew on her features. “You’ve got balls, human.” For once, Aethyta eyed her up and down, seizing her up. Whatever she found in Shepard, it made her worthy. Blue fingertips reached to hold Shepard’s chin, a disarming, yet arousing gesture. “I don’t think you can handle me.”
Shepard did not back down. “I think I can do more than just handle you.”
Aethyta’s laughter rumbled low. Her intoxicating scent- a mix of the usual musk of a bar and some woody essence- pulled away with her. “Well...if you want a challenge, I’ll send the location of my place to your omnitool. For your eyes only.”
“I…” That...actually worked. Holy shit. Shepard straightened up, tried and failed to gather her bearings. “Okay. I should-I should go.”
“Get out of here you horndog.”
Stepping away from Aethyta’s gravity, she noticed some of the patrons staring. Shepard was definitely not subtle.
Shepard ditched the armor- and her party- at the Normandy, and made her way through Nos Astra in an N7 tanktop. Despite being the hero of the Citadel, who fought Saren (or whatever Sovereign turned him into) and helped bring down a Reaper, she could not fucking believe she actually seduced an asari matriarch- a headstrong, no nonsense one at that. There were no transactions driving this encounter, just pure desire. Or maybe curiosity more than anything, from Aethyta’s part.
It was as she navigated the apartment district, using the omnitool to find her way around the winding paths and the tall buildings, that the twinge of guilt hit her. Liara.
No. They were done...and it was her choice. So what if Shepard was still maybe, a little bit, very much in love with Liara? She was single and ready to mingle regardless.
And mingle she would. Determined, Shepard came at a stop in front of a door which the omnitool marked as her destination. The mechanism parted it before her, and Aethyta was revealed behind.
She still wore that skin tight red dress. It was her uniform, her armor.
Aethyta leaned against the doorframe, generous hips cocking as a hand came to rest on top. “Hey there, babe. Glad to see you didn’t chicken out.”
Shepard was going to peel her out of that damn thing. She flexed her frame. “I never back down from my battles, Aethyta.”
That word, battle, it lit up Aethyta’s eyes, and a maiden’s fire roared behind them. With lustful, violent hunger, she grabbed Shepard by the fabric of her tanktop. “Just come and fuck me already.”
Shepard was pulled into the matriarch’s apartments, and the door locked behind her.
“Oh...fuck…”
Shepard woke the morning after very, very sore. The neighbors might’ve believed they were destroying the apartment, with how loud the sounds of them smashing (heh) into furniture and walls were. For them not to call security, this might’ve been common for the matriarch.
Indeed Shepard felt like she was ran over by a krogan. Sprawled across Aethyta’s bed, very naked and very achey, she realized she was alone on these crumpled sheets.
“Having regrets already?” Ah. There was Aethyta, standing by her dresser, one leg crossed over the other and a drink in her hand. And goddamn....this was the first opportunity Shepard have after a long night of rough fucking to, well, admire Aethyta’s physique in just lacy underwear. Whatever matriarchal meant when referring to asari figure, it was glorious. Aethyta was strong, a little bit plump in very specific, delightful areas. “Nice ass, by the way. I would’ve wifed you up in my matron years.”
“No regrets.” Shepard propped herself up on her elbows. “Last night was...incredible.” The whole thing was a show of dominance through and through. Savior of the galaxy versus battle-worn asari matriarch. “I figured you’d be a little more cuddly, though.” All that talk about finding peace in whatever arms would hold you...
“Aw.” Aethyta clicked her tongue. “C’mere.”
As it turns out, Aethyta did indeed have it in her to crawl into bed, right next to Shepard, and wrap the human up in her arms so firmly and protectively. Shepard underestimated how much she needed this...warmth, a hug. Someone who would peel down her defenses to get to her most vulnerable parts, and then tuck those in an embrace against a feminine figure.
Aethyta rested her chin atop Shepard’s head...ran her fingers down her scalp, and her other palm in strange, specific shapes on her back. Perhaps some strange asari sign of affection…
They lay there, together. But they weren’t meant to be. There were simply far too many centuries between them, feelings and experiences that would never be translated by advanced software.
But, as Shepard learned by cruising the galaxy in her quests, some people you crossed paths with exactly when you needed them...only to never see them again. Two perpendicular lines intersecting in spacetime.
Or, at least, things would’ve been a little less awkward had they been destined to never meet again. But no, whatever entity reigned supreme in the universe fucking hated Shepard.
She met Aethyta again, in the Citadel. She was watching Liara quite intently...and it made Shepard very, very nervous. Mainly because she and Liara had patched things up since Illium, and while Shepard did not consider her encounter with Aethyta a mistake, there was no need to bring those things up again.
So she decided to confront Aethyta, walk up to her at the bar, seemingly innocent as she gestured for a drink. Shepard was experienced in the art of charming, and knew that sometimes the right words could diffuse a situation without tears or bloodshed. Or breakups.
Aethyta’s eyes lingered on Shepard as she poured the liquor into the glass. Shepard’s fingers pressed into the counter, tense. But she would take things slow and steady. Accept her drink and take a generous swig of liquid courage.
The glass touched down on the bar. “So.”
“I remember you.” Aethyta said.
Shepard cleared her throat. “I’d be a little hurt if you didn’t remember me.” Shit, that sounded flirty, didn’t it? “I mean, not really. That’s not- I’m not-”
Aethyta leaned her hip against the bar, gaze faraway...in Liara’s general direction. “I’ve lived longer than you humans can comprehend, watched colonies rise and fall, had kids with hanar...But damn,” a devilish, wicked smirk landed on Shepard, a featureless brow arching, “never thought I’d have a one night stand with my daughter’s girlfriend.”
“Y...what?” The information truly didn’t register, at first.
“I figured you were approaching me for a reason, so might as well come out with it.” Aethyta slammed her hands on the counter. “Because I sure hope you weren’t trying to go behind my daughter’s back.” The telltale tendrils of biotics surrounded the matriarch’s frame. “ Nobody messes with my girl.”
“Wait! No, I would never do that to Liara, I didn’t even know you were related! And-”
“Shepard?! What’s going on here?!”
Oh, shit! Liara, sensing trouble from where she sat, had rushed to Shepard’s side like the darling she was. And, for once, Shepard wished she would’ve stayed at the sidelines. “N-nothing’s wrong, Liara. You should go back to your table.”
“I agree with the human.” Said Aethyta, nonchalantly wiping a glass. For a split second, sweet relief washed over Shepard that Aethyta wasn’t out for blood. Yet.
“I know who you are.” Liara said, with that edge to her voice acquired throughout years of information warfare.
“Oh, really?” Aethyta challenged. “Let me guess, you don’t appreciate the asari government sending someone to keep an eye on you.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Liara leaned over the counter. “I know you’re my father, and I don’t need you to protect me. Shepard is the most amazing person and an exceptional partner.”
Shepard needed to get them out of here, “uh, Liara,” she tried nudging her by the shoulders, pulling and tugging lightly. Shepard had great respect for Liara’s biotic abilities, and the last thing she wanted was to be the subject of a heavy pull. “We shouldn’t be causing a scene here in the middle of the Presidium. Everyone’s on edge as is.”
Perhaps it was a desire for something to explode, something other than an entire homeworld being razed by unholy sentient machines, but Aethyta only warned Shepard with a smirk before saying, “and did you know your darling loyal girlfriend eagerly crawled into my sheets?”
Liara froze. As did Shepard. The former processing, the latter bracing for impact.
When Liara turned to face her, she was glowing with biotic energy. “You did what?!”
“Liara!” Shepard backed away, shielding herself quite usefully with her hands. “It was back on Illium, we were on a break-”
“But with my father?!”
“I had no idea! How was I supposed to know?!”
It didn’t matter and Liara didn’t care. She saw red, and she ran after a panicked human across the Presidium. C-sec didn’t dare intervene.
And Aethyta remained at the bar, chuckling to herself as she carried on with her bartending duties.
“Commander?”
EDI’s voice rang through Shepard’s cabin. The woman herself was a defeated pile of flesh on her mattress. She contemplated one of her model ships and resisted the urge to fly it around and make laser noises like a child. That’s definitely the sort of stuff an AI would post to the extranet for the heck of it. “Yeah, EDI?”
“I noticed some alarming security footage from the Presidium,” Shepard’s mind immediately went to some sort of invasion, until, “I wanted to ask if you and Liara were doing alright, and if you need Dr. Chakwas to tend to any injuries.”
Shepard shot upright like a spring. “EDI I need you to delete that footage-”
“Unfortunately, there are multiple clips of the altercation on a myriad of forums, taken from at least three different angles.”
“Are you serious?!” This was arguably worse than a geth invasion, mainly because Shepard couldn’t fix it with any amount of gunning bad guys down or hacking things. But whatever. Small problems compared to a mass extinction. Shepard slumped back down to her bed. “Whatever…”
“If this makes you feel any better, the general consensus is that you have a very appealing backside, and it seems to be boosting human morale across the colonies by 15%.”
“It does not make me feel any better, but thanks EDI.”
“Of course, Commander. But you did not answer my inquiry.”
“What?” Oh, right. Shepard and Liara. “We hashed things out. We’ll be okay.”
“Good.”