Headache (A Mass Effect 3 One-Shot)

Shepherd watched as the keys of the piano depressed under Glyph's ministrations, filling the apartment with lingering notes and resounding chords. Liara sat nearby, a soothing presence, as the music washed through Shepherd's mind, clearing it. The battles on Thessia, Rannoch, Palaven, and elsewhere in the galaxy seemed more distant than ever. However, the constant reminder of the challenges ahead remained in full force. The moment was bittersweet, but pleasant nonetheless. If only this could last, Shepherd thought remorsefully, eyes slipping shut but for a moment.

"This is a nice place," Liara commented from her seat on the couch, tapping casually on a datapad.

"Shall I transfer over your reports so you may work here?" Glyph asked studiously.

"Yes. Thank you, Glyph." Liara glanced over at her human friend. "And thank you for inviting me, Shepherd."

Turning away from the piano, Shepherd once again absorbed the sight of Anderson's gifted apartment. The near-constant hum of passing skycars added to the urban ambiance of the place, which was awash in reddish light from the busy Silversun Strip just outside. An artificial fire danced along the tiled hearth in the expansive living area, giving the room a relatively relaxed atmosphere.

As Glyph's playing came to a melancholy end, Shepherd joined Liara on the couch. "It's my pleasure, Liara. You can use the apartment anytime." Shepherd shifted a bit closer to the petite asari as she smiled warmly.

"I appreciate it," she replied, pleasantly surprised by Shepherd's unusually close proximity. Her blue eyes fell when she realized Shepherd was merely curious about her work project on the datapad.

"Is that Omega?" the human asked, pointing to a holographic display of the grimy space station. The image rotated slowly as a list of names scrolled quickly beside it.

Liara nodded. "It is. When the station was evacuated, many people fled to different parts of the galaxy," she said in an ominous tone, dismissing the list with a swipe of her finger.

Shepherd straightened, nodding. "I get it – you probably want to keep an eye on some of those people. It would be easy for shady characters to disappear in all the confusion."

"Exactly." Liara smiled at Shepherd's perception – a quality that often surfaced in the commander. "Tracing someone's movements can be difficult if put off too long."

Shepherd leaned forward on the couch, placing elbows on knees. A somber glint crept into the human's eyes. "They might not be moving much longer..." Shepherd sighed, a rather quiet sound, and massaged throbbing temples.

Frowning with pity, Liara watched her suffering friend. "I have faith that you'll keep us all moving, Shepherd." The next several moments were spent in silence, during which Liara felt a pang of remembrance in her chest. Many of her people did not share the same faith as her, and the evidence to the contrary was right before their eyes, in excess. A hopeless sigh escaped her lips, and her voice quivered as she said, "If not..."

Sensing Liara's shift in mood, Shepherd startled minutely and returned a questioning gaze to her. "Liara?"

The young asari felt herself become trapped in the human's intense gaze; Shepherd could hold anyone's attention quite easily... especially hers. "Shepherd, it's, um... it's nothing." Liara shook her head at her own nonsense, focusing her gaze on the ground with some difficulty.

"Liara, c'mon..." Concerned, Shepherd placed two fingers under the asari's blue chin and tilted upward, forcing their eyes to meet once again. "Talk to me, T'Soni," the commander ordered jokingly, hoping to lift her spirits.

Surprised by the contact, Liara reflexively flinched away from Shepherd's touch, but held their eye contact steady regardless. She smiled to compensate for her silly reaction and inched away from the commander ever-so-slightly, deciding that the proximity was a bad thing after all. "I... I'm..." She inhaled sharply, a bit frustrated by her loss of words. "I don't wish to burden you with my problems, Shepherd," she said earnestly.

Brow furrowing with sympathy, Shepherd leaned forward and gathered Liara's trembling hands, holding them fast. "You know you can share anything with me... right?"

Liara sighed outright, moved by Shepherd's seemingly boundless compassion. Since their very first encounter on Therum, the human's undeniable appeal had progressively grown, unbeknownst to anyone but Liara herself. During their reunion on Illium, she could barely keep herself from dropping everything to join the crew of the Normandy again... join Shepherd again. But at that moment, something that had once seemed so unattainable was sitting with her, grasping her hands tightly. Amid the sorrow and pain of the war, the fear and dread of the Reapers, Liara felt her heart swell with dormant longing.

She hesitated, carefully watching Shepherd's expectant and inviting stare. "To tell you the truth, I haven't made peace with Thessia yet. Every time I think about it... every time I picture those Reapers..."

Shepherd squeezed the doctor's hands when a tremor shook her slim body. "Liara, we will win this war. The sacrifices made before only make us stronger."

Unable to resist a small smile, "Do you really believe that?" she asked incredulously.

Shepherd fixed a stalwart gaze on the asari. "I do. Once we get the plans for the Crucible from Cerberus, we'll avenge every life that was taken on Thessia, Earth, Palaven, and everywhere else in the galaxy. We'll decimate the Reapers," the human finished boldly, nodding with finality.

Liara felt her eyes moisten. "By the goddess, Shepherd...," she sighed, staring down at their entwined hands. "I wish I shared your confidence."

"It comes with a good amount of ignorance, too," Shepherd chuckled quietly, withdrawing from Liara. The human then leaned back against the couch, hands massaging temples once more. "And maybe the occasional headache."

Liara's hands tingled from the warmth Shepherd's had left on her skin; she clenched her fists tightly, wanting to hold onto the sensation for as long as possible. Then, glancing at Shepherd's pained expression, she said unthinkingly, "May I help you with that?"

Shepherd frowned skeptically, unsure of what she meant. However, since it was Liara, a friend that the human had trusted for many years, the skepticism was short-lived. "Um... sure."

Liara's heart stuttered in her chest. Why in Athame's name did you offer that? she asked herself, desperately trying to think of a way to politely retract the offer. However, as Shepherd continued to stare curiously, the asari resigned herself to her task. "This... might feel a bit odd," she warned, shifting forward on the couch to place one hand on the commander's forehead. Allowing a subtle biotic connection to flow through her hand, Liara whispered, "Embrace eternity..."

Shepherd felt an immediate calm settle along every nerve ending, soothing sore muscles and curing the headache immediately. The human gasped quietly, nearly overwhelmed by the feeling. It was the pinnacle of sublimity and comfort.

After a minute or so, Liara removed her hand and turned away from the commander, embarrassed by how much she enjoyed easing a simple headache. Deep blue rushed into her freckled cheeks.

Blinking lethargically, Shepherd sat up and regained a bit of composure. The experience had been so profound and pleasurable, yet so brief. Glancing sideways at the bashful asari, Shepherd smiled and spoke with a whisper, "Liara... thank you."

Finally able to look the human in the eye without blushing fiercely, Liara returned the smile. "Of course, Shepherd," she said meekly. "Anytime."

Shepherd's grin grew. "How about right before we deploy the Crucible and all hell breaks loose?"

Liara laughed, melodious and easy, feeling her usual self return. "I'll remember that," she said happily.

The chirp of Shepherd's omnitool stole the couple's attention as the orange tool flashed on the human's forearm. Apologizing, Shepherd stood and opened the new message, eyes scanning the content quickly.

"It's Garrus," Shepherd said, dismissing the holographic tool and glancing down at Liara. "I should go."

"Where is he? Is there trouble?" Liara asked, rising quickly from her seat.

Shepherd rested a hand on her shoulder to calm her. "Relax. We planned to meet at the casino bar for some drinks."

"Oh." Liara nodded, allowing Shepherd to pass by her. "I'll be going too, then."

"Please, stay." Shepherd strolled into the kitchen to snatch a credit chit from the counter, slipping it into a back pocket. "Make yourself at home – we are on shore leave after all. The apartment will be quiet all afternoon," the human said, smiling reassuringly.

Liara hesitated, debating the offer, and then nodded. "I will. Thanks, Shepherd."

"No problem. I'll see you tonight at the party, too?"

"Of course," the asari said warmly.

"Great." Shepherd waved before tapping the door button to leave. "See you then."

Liara waved back halfheartedly as the commander disappeared through the door, and the apartment suddenly seemed very, very quiet. Collecting herself, Liara scooped up her forgotten datapad from the couch and sat down, uncomfortably aware of the heat emanating from Shepherd's former seat. A dull ache had settled in her chest from the disappointing exchange, and no amount of biotic tricks could remedy that particular pain. Yet, a small shred of hope broke through the loneliness, reminding her that Shepherd was truly her dearest friend and only death would part them.

The list of names from Omega suddenly seemed rather unimportant, even though she'd received seventeen requests for them from clients in that day alone. Setting the datapad aside, Liara reclined against the sofa and closed her eyes in an attempt to relax.

"Please play that song again, Glyph," she requested.

The notes simply began to play in response, drifting to her ears with a new meaning than before. She pictured Shepherd's surprise when she had played the notes herself, and felt the comfort that their easy relationship provided her. A smile then settled on her blue lips – a nostalgic smile, an honest smile. And amid the sorrow and pain of the war, the fear and dread of the Reapers, Liara felt happy.

"Glyph, can you copy that song to my personal files on the Normandy?"

"Certainly, Dr. T'Soni."

Finally satisfied, she smiled once more to herself. I want to remember this visit.