So, this is adapted from a prompt in Rae's extra prompts folder. I wouldn't generally recommend this method of getting through to one's lover, but in this case, I think dire circumstances and a little telepathic knowledge helps to justify it. Enjoy.

Commander Shepard tapped her foot as she looked over to the doorway for what felt like the hundredth time that evening. There was a turian couple joking as they walked into the restaurant and a pair of Alliance soldiers arguing as they left, but still no sign of the one person she was hoping to see. Shaking her head, she checked the time on her omni-tool. 1936 hours; more than 30 minutes since they were supposed to meet up, and there hadn't been so much as a reply to her messages.

"EDI," she asked, opening up a comm channel back to the Normandy, "Where is Liara?"

"Doctor T'Soni is in her quarters," came the reply. "Would you like me to patch this call through to her?"

Shepard shook her head. "No, that's okay. I'm on my way back anyway."

She made her apologies to the statuesque, teal-skinned matron who owned the restaurant and headed down to the docking bay where the Normandy was currently berthed. A part of her wanted to be angry, but mostly she was just worried. Her bondmate's role as the Shadow Broker was a demanding one, but until the fall of Thessia, Liara had always managed it well. Now, she stayed holed up in her quarters, working obsessively and ignoring her own needs along with pretty much everything else.

At first, Shepard had hoped her bondmate just needed time to process her grief, but over the weeks since then, things had been getting steadily worse. They hadn't made love at all, spent little time together, and since she returned from liberating Omega, they'd barely even talked. That's why Shepard had set up this date. She'd made a reservation at Liara's favorite Thessian restaurant on the Citadel, carved a whole evening out of her own, backbreaking schedule, and even put on her dress blues, only to get stood up. Something had to be done, but she really didn't know what.

When she finally reached Liara's quarters, the door didn't open on its own, reducing Shepard to knocking. "Liara, it's me." There was no response. "Come on, I know you're in there. Did you forget about our date?"

"I'm sorry, Shepard. Something came up and there wasn't time." Liara's voice was flat, not sad, not forceful, just… resigned.

"Liara, something always comes up."

"Then I suppose it was a mistake to have made the reservation. Is there anything else you need?"

Is there anything else I need? Shepard was torn once more between anger and worry. "What I need is to talk to you, sweetheart. Please, open the door."

"Very well."

The door slid open, allowing Shepard inside. It wasn't surprising that, Liara was sitting in front of her terminal, but her appearance was enough to distress Shepard. She was slumped low in her chair, with dark circles around her eyes, and in spite of the hour, she still hadn't properly dressed, instead wearing the same blue robe the commander was pretty sure she'd had on for several days now.

"Liara," Shepard asked softly, "Are you all right?" She came up behind Liara, planting a gentle kiss on top of her head. Her bondmate didn't react to the affectionate gesture though, her gaze remaining fixed on the screen in front of her.

"I am fine."

"You're not even dressed. We're already halfway through the second shift."

"What of it? I am most effective in here, managing my feeds. My meals can be delivered, and this way I don't waste time better spent helping the war effort."

Shepard picked up a tray of ship rations that had been, at most, half eaten. "You mean these meals? We were supposed to have a real dinner and a little time for ourselves." She put her arms around Liara's back, bending down to kiss the side of her neck. "Look, I guess dinner is shot at this point, but I can still have the mess send over a little of that ice cream Vega picked up."

"You go and have some if you like. I have to finish coordinating these grain shipments to Palaven."

"Let Glyph handle it. Or pass it off to Feron." Liara said nothing, instead returning to her screens. Still no reaction. Okay, if the prospect of food isn't working, how about something else. She trailed her fingers down along Liara's sides, teasing the swell of her breasts. "We don't have to eat if you don't want to. I can think of other ways to help you relax. I promise it'll be good and you need the break."

Her touch never used to fail to arouse Liara, but this time her bondmate simply cinched her robe tighter. "There are plenty of others who have to deal with more than long hours, Shepard. Winning this war is the only thing that matters. I forgot that, and as a result, Thessia is gone. I will not let the galaxy follow it. Now, if there is nothing else, I really should get back to work."

Shepard ran her hand through her hair. This couldn't go on. No matter what she claimed, Liara was breaking, and if Shepard didn't find a way to reach her, she'd lose the love of her life forever. All of the normal ways she'd tried of to get through to her bondmate these last few weeks had failed. She'd talked, she'd listened, she'd pleaded and cajoled, she'd offered food and orgasms, and been turned down every time. She'd run out of options. Unless…

There was one more thing, but did she dare to try it? They'd explored what she had in mind before, one of them letting the other take charge as a break from their responsibilities, but only after careful planning beforehand. To simply push Liara into this might be too much. But what other choice do I have?

She released Liara from her arms and she stood up ramrod straight, looking every inch the stern commander. "No. We're not done yet," she snapped.

At last she got a reaction even if it wasn't the one she wanted. Liara flinched from the sudden harshness in her voice. "What do you mean by…."

Shepard didn't let her finish her sentence. "I didn't give you permission to speak, Doctor. You have been disobeying my orders repeatedly, and I've had more than enough of that behavior." She took hold of Liara's chair, spinning it around so that her bondmate was forced to face her. "Stand up when a superior officer is addressing you." Liara hesitated but Shepard hardened her gaze, making it clear that she would brook no disapproval. Liara rose, though her head remained slumped. "Look at me when I'm talking to you." She put a hand under her bondmate's chin, titling it up so that they were finally face to face.

What she saw there broke her heart. The light that she so loved in Liara's blue eyes was absent, replaced by a dull glaze, layers of fatigue and guilt piled high. All that she wanted was to pull Liara into her arms, to cover her face in kisses, to hold her until her pain passed. But she'd already tried that with no success, and so she steeled herself and kept going.

"For one thing, you're a mess," she sneered. "Look at you, Doctor. You're making a mockery of ship discipline. I don't think this thing has been cleaned since the Prothean Extinction." She stroked her chin, making a show of considering her decision. "I think that if you can't dress properly, than you'll have to make do without clothes altogether."

When she went for the tie of Liara's robe, her bondmate moved to stop her, but Shepard was too quick and too strong. With one hand, she pushed aside the feeble block and with the other, she unfastened the garment, letting it fall open. Beneath, Liara was entirely naked, and it only took one more tug before the robe lay on the floor.

Liara tried to cover herself but Shepard grabbed her wrists and moved them out of the way, "Stand at attention. Hands on your sides. I've been entirely too lenient with you, Doctor. You're not Alliance, and that makes you think you can get away with neglecting your duties. You're mistaken."

"What other duties have I been ignoring, commander?"

"Which ones to you think? Do you imagine that it's a good idea to leave your commanding office frustrated and unsatisfied in the middle of a war?"

Liara's head bent back down again, trying to hide the fresh guilt covering her face. "I didn't mean to do that," she said softly.

"But you did, and you're going to remedy it right now."

Her demand elicited a flicker of defiance. "I really do need to get back to my agents."

"No, you need to do this. Now." She turned to the small ball of light that had been hovering behind them. "Glyph, set up a re-route of any incoming calls marked as urgent to Operative Feron, and archive the remainder for later. Then go into rest mode."

"Yes, commander."

While the drone followed her orders, Liara's face twitched as she fought some internal battle that Shepard wasn't privy to, but she said nothing. The commander slammed her hand on the power switch for the monitors, and the flickering screens shut down as one, followed by Glyph a second later. "There," she told Liara, not wanting to give her time to sink back into her head, "No more distractions. Get to work."

"Yes, commander. How do you want me to do my duty?" Liara kept her eyes averted when she replied, and her voice was flat. When they'd tried this game before, her bondmate had been playful, even while bottoming, and Shepard was scared she was taking advantage of her vulnerable state. She can stop this, the commander reminded herself. If she uses her safe word, I'll back off. But if she doesn't, I have to keep going.

Giving the room a quick survey, Shepard decided on a plan. She settled into the now-vacant desk chair and said, "You'll be servicing me. If you'd been good earlier, maybe I would've been more generous, but delinquent soldiers don't get to have fun."

She unfastened her belt but when Liara made to kneel down in front of her, Shepard stopped her. "No. Not like this. Go get my cock." She was thankful the toy had been left here after the last time they'd used it, several weeks earlier. Coming from a mono-gendered species, her bondmate didn't quite understand the reasons why Shepard felt more dominant when wearing the thing, but she did, and just then, she needed all the help she could get.

A minute later, Liara came back from the bedroom holding the flesh-colored shaft. "On your knees," Shepard instructed her, and as Liara set the cock down on the desk and settled in between her legs, the commander held her breath. Soon enough, she'd have some indication if this was working. Please, god, let it work. I can't lose her to this grief.

She lifted up her ass and slid off her dress pants and underwear before settling back down into the chair. The leather felt pleasant on her bare skin, still warm from Liara's body. With one hand, she guided her bondmate's head down towards her toned thighs. "Don't rush," she cautioned her, "Get me ready properly." As much as Liara usually turned her on, right now she was too nervous to be as wet as she needed to be.

Warm lips pressed against her skin and Shepard sighed. In spite of everything else that was going on, she'd missed her bondmate's touch so much. Her hand gripped the back of Liara's crest, steadily but firmly leading her upwards. "That's right," she purred as Liara's mouth neared the juncture of her legs, her tongue flicking steadily over Shepard's skin. "Keeping going." The usual energy still wasn't there, but at least there was some technique to what Liara was doing, and that was enough to fan Shepard's hopes.

Those hopes burned brighter where Liara reached her clit. Her bondmate pulled it between her lips, just the way Shepard liked best, and the commander's hips pushed forward. Her hand clenched a little tighter around Liara's crest and the first of her wetness began to drip out onto her lover's chin. She tried to focus on those physical sensations. It would make it easier to be as selfish as she needed to be. Liara was too lost in guilt and pain to look after herself, but her reactions to Shepard's pleasure had always been so strong that just maybe, the commander could use them to reach her.

After a few more passes of that wonderful tongue, she made herself pull Liara off of her sex. "Enough of that," she told her, "Put it in."

Shepard handed the cock to Liara, and as it slid inside of her, she groaned, a sound that only grew deeper as the sensory plate was switched on. The toy swelled immediately, mirroring the growing ache in the commander's clit. She wasn't doing this for herself, but her body was forgetting that fact, instead enjoying the snug feeling of Liara's hand wrapped around her shaft. It wasn't enough though, and so she guided Liara's head down, pressing her lips up against the thick head of her cock. "Go on," she ordered her, "Suck me off."

Those pretty, dark lips split open for her, and Shepard pushed into the velvet warmth of her bondmate's mouth. She made sure not to choke her, but she didn't want to be gentle either. Liara needed to feed off of the raw force of her desire, and thankfully, that wasn't exactly hard to summon. Not with how good this felt. Maybe it was just instinct, but Liara was responding pretty normally now. Her lips had formed a tight seal around the cock in her mouth, applying a steady pressure that made Shepard moan.

She loosened her grip on the back of Liara's head slightly, relaxing into the blowjob. "Good girl," she purred as Liara bobbed up and down on her shaft, "I really have trained you to suck my cock well. You just need to do it more often."

Given how full her mouth was, it wasn't surprising that Liara's only response was a little murmur. Shepard wasn't sure if the sound was a signal of pride or embarrassment, but whatever the case, Liara was at least feeling something. She wasn't the only one either. Shepard's deprivation was no act, and already she could feel her first peak building inside of her. Each thrust translated the heat of Liara mouth straight into her throbbing clit, and she let her free hand run over the swell of her lover's bare breast. By the time she reached the nipple, it was already hard, and when she teased it with her finger, Liara gasped pleasantly around her cock.

"There," she told Liara, "That's right. Now, focus on the head. I want to fill up your mouth, and you're going to swallow all of it."

Her bondmate did as she was told, sliding up to the tip of Shepard's cock and suckling on it hard enough that the commander saw stars. Her head tipped back, and temporarily, thoughts of everything but her own pleasure escaped her. She rocked forward, her body surrendering easily to the building tension. Her inner muscles clenched around the toy, and it pulled a flood of her release down the shaft and into Liara's mouth. Her hand held her bondmate's head in place as jet after jet poured out of her, her accumulated tension melting into the bliss of her climax. Only when she felt completely spent and her pussy had stopped pulsing around the short end of the toy did she pull out, sighing deeply at the loss of that beautiful mouth wrapped around her.

"Did I do my duty well, commander?"

There was a tremor in Liara's voice when she asked the question that made it hard for Shepard to affect her domineering persona, but she made herself do it. Liara's eyes were still downcast and her words still detached. She wasn't there yet.

"It was a start," she said non-committally. "But nothing more. Go get on the bed. Hands and knees. I need your azure now."

Liara got to her feet, and a second later, Shepard did the same, following her into the bedroom. While she peeled off her shirt, her bondmate climbed on top of the small bed and faced away from her, offering the commander a perfect view of the soft curve of her ass.

"Spread your legs," Shepard instructed her, and when she did, the commander breathed a small sigh of relief. Wetness glistened on the outside of Liara's azure, a sign of her body's reaction that gave Shepard fresh hope.

She settled in behind Liara, running her hands along her smooth, scaled skin. Her legs first, then her sensitive inner thighs, but before she reached her core, her bondmate whimpered, "What… what are you doing?"

Liara's voice was definitely shaking now, but Shepard kept hers as calm as she could. "I think that should be obvious."

"You… you don't have to. I can take you now."

"Did I say this was for you? Now, don't talk back." She gave Liara a swat on her ass before sliding her finger over her folds and towards her clit. It was hard already, and she played with the bud, her soft strokes making Liara tremble with every pass. "I want to make sure your azure is nice and soaked before I bury my cock in it."

On her last words, she pressed two fingers against the tight muscle of her lover's entrance. Wetness dripped out onto them, and as she worked the digits inside, she felt Liara's body slowly open up for her. She began gently, easing her way inside an inch at a time, but once she was fully immersed in that clinging heat, she pressed up against Liara's swollen front wall, eliciting the first cry of the night from the asari.

"Don't hold back," she commanded as she made a few more thrusts, "I want to hear how much you like having me inside of you."

Liara's voice sounded broken, her bondmate's mind fighting against her body's obvious desires. "Goddess, I… I can't."

"You can. You will." She withdrew her fingers before settling in behind her bondmate and lined up the head of her cock with Liara's now-dripping entrance. She paused before she pushed in though. "Now, is there anything else you want to tell me before I fuck you?"

You can say it now. Say "Noveria," and I'll stop.

"No. You can have me, commander."

With a groan, Shepard sank into the warm wetness in front of her. As much as she loved the feeling of her bondmate's mouth working on her, either with or without her cock, there was nothing better than this. It really did feel as if she was sheathed inside of Liara, her clit humming at the translated sensations of pressure and heat flowing into her.

After a few slow strokes to get her bearings, she was ready to do more. Her fingers dug into Liara's rear, and when her bondmate thrashed against the harder thrusts that followed, she held her firmly in place. More of Liara's cries were escaping out of her with every new spot that Shepard's cock hit. They weren't loud, and she was still fighting them, but they were unmistakably the sounds of pleasure.

Shepard, by contrast, was making no effort to restrain herself. As she fucked Liara, she let out a steady stream of moans and half-coherent curses, trying to convey how much she was enjoying this. And she was. Just like before, her desire for her lover was enough to make lust and calculation blend together.

The sight in front of her definitely helped. Liara's gorgeous ass was on full display as it pushed back against her cock, her full breasts swayed with each thrust, and the bare skin of her back was too enticing for Shepard not to run her hands over. The warm flesh felt so good under her touch that she took the time to savor it before sliding around to Liara's belly, and making her way towards her clit. Once she reached the hard ridge, she slowed down her pace, wanting to pay it proper attention.

A series of short, sharp thrusts were accompanied by rough caresses of Liara's bud, and the asari murmured, "Oh, Goddess, it's too much." Her body, though, was squeezing down even harder than before around the cock inside of her, and it was clear she was getting closer to the edge. Shepard wasn't sure she could get there though. Liara was still fighting what she needed, and she not only had to find release, she had to want it. Maybe if she has to wait, the craving will help.

Shepard slid her hands back to Liara's hips and when her bondmate let out a little mewl of frustration at the loss of pressure on her clit, the commander chided her. "This is for me, remember? You're lucky you got that much."

Liara didn't protest further and Shepard picked up the speed of her fucking once more, losing herself in the intoxicating heat of her bondmate's azure gripping her shaft and the press of their bodies together. The deep thrusts felt too damn good, and it didn't take long before she felt the sensations overwhelming her.

"Fuck," she grunted, "Gonna come again."

She wanted nothing more than to bury herself to the hilt and fill her lover's tight pussy, but she suddenly realized that something else might work better. Gritting her teeth, she made herself pull out. A disappointed gasp slipped out of Liara's mouth, but Shepard ignored it, focusing instead on the incredible view she had of her bondmate's body. A few strokes of her hand were all it took and a second, intense climax overtook her. Thick ropes of her come poured out, covering Liara's ass, her thighs, and even the outside of her azure, while her poor bondmate's inner walls were left to flutter desperately around nothing, the Shadow Broker stopped short of her own orgasm.

"Goddamn it," Shepard groaned as a few last spurts of her release dripped out of her cock and onto the sheets, "I needed that."

Liara was not so satisfied. Still on her hands and knees, her whole body was shaking with unmet need, but she remained too obedient to do anything about it. Shepard, however, decided to take a little mercy on her. Gently but firmly she eased her bondmate down on the small bed before turning her over so they were face to face. Liara's skin was flushed a darker shade of blue than usual, and looking into her watering eyes, the commander could tell she was perched on the edge of something. One more push will send her over. I hope.

Her fingers teased up the length of Liara's leg, but they stopped short of her dripping sex, instead just caressing the soft flesh of her inner thigh. "What about you?", she asked as if the answer wasn't obvious. "Do you need more? I know you haven't come yet and I'm feeling generous."

Liara couldn't even form full sentences now, the war inside of her overwhelming coherent speech. "I… I don't…" she mumbled, "I can't…"

"Because if you really are fine, I can get back to work, and you can resume whatever it was you were doing."

She made a show of hunting around for her shirt, and the sight of her making ready to leave finally pushed Liara over the brink.

"No."

The word was little more than a whisper, but it had definitely been said.

Shepard turned, looking once more at her bondmate. "What did you just say?"

"No, don't leave. I need… Please, I need…" Liara's tears of frustration were flowing more freely now, her lover unable to hold them back any longer.

"You need what?" Just say it, Liara, and I'll give you anything you want. I can't bear to see you like this.

"I need you. I need more. Please take me again."

There it finally was, and at her words, Shepard's heart melted completely. Without saying anything else, she fell into her bondmate's arms, covering her with her solid weight. Liara spread her legs once more for her, and the desperate hunger in her face made Shepard's clit twitch beneath the sensory transmission plate, her cock returning to full hardness in response.

With a single, long, slow thrust, she buried herself once more in that wonderful heat. Her bondmate's arms gripped her back, drawing her in as deep as she could go, and when Shepard looked up into her lover's eyes, pools of blackness starred back at her.

"Go on, sweetheart."

The surrender to the meld was instantaneous. Her bondmate's thoughts enveloped Shepard, and everything but the two of them vanished. The overpowering, ragged force of Liara's need was enough to stagger the commander. It wasn't just the frustration caused by Shepard's teasing that was crying out for relief, but all the pain, and fear, and loss of the last weeks and months built up inside of Liara. She needed something good, some reminder that there was a reason to live, to fight, to win.

And yet set against that need were the clouds of doubt and self-loathing; the agonized fear that she didn't merit the comfort she craved, that she should suffer like her people were doing. Now, though, those feelings were being drowned out. Her desire was so powerful that it no longer mattered what she deserved, she had to have this. She had to have Shepard. That shining golden cord of her love and desire for the commander was evident, pushing back all of her darker thoughts.

I'm here, Shepard reminded her. I'll always be here for you.

Even as she sent those words, she began to thrust inside of Liara, giving her bondmate's body the push that it so badly needed. Her own desire had lessened after two powerful climaxes, but sharing Liara's mind had reignited it with a vengeance. She… they needed this now, to be joined, body and soul, to share everything they could.

The pair moved as one entity, the lines between their pleasures dissolving as they made love. The feeling of Liara's heat around her and the sensation of being filled merged together. Each stroke was heaven and she could feel her bondmate giving herself over completely to this moment, and to their union. At last, Shepard could cover her face in kisses, and when their lips made their way together, she drank in every sweet drop of the woman she'd feared she'd lose.

Liara was beyond words now, clinging to Shepard as her hips pushed back against her every thrust. The commander stroked her face, and as she planted another kiss on her lover's mouth, she felt the final threads holding Liara back snap. It was from Liara's end of the meld that their climax began, but it didn't end there. Her azure rippled around Shepard even as her pleasure spilled out into the commander's mind, overwhelming her as well. Shepard stiffened, her fingers digging into Liara's back as she pumped more of her release than she could've believed she had left into her bondmate. If anything, Liara's climax was even more intense, her azure squeezing down around Shepard even while she soaked the sheets beneath them with a seemingly endless series of contractions.

They did finally taper off, but even when Liara's orgasm and the meld had faded, neither of them could bear to move apart. Instead, Shepard pulled her arms tight around her bondmate, holding Liara close as the Shadow Broker finally was able to give expression to all of the pain she'd been trying to cage inside of herself. Shepard let her have as much time as she wanted, just kissing away the tears that flowed down her face and whispering, "I love you," over and over. Liara had needed to let this out for a long time, and now that she finally could, Shepard wasn't going to rush her.

In time, Liara's breathing slowed and when her chest stopped heaving, she wiped her eyes clear. "Thank you for that," she said softly, "I… I was so lost. I don't know what I would've done without you there to find me."

Shepard leaned down, catching Liara's lips for a gentle kiss. It was more tender than heated, an affirmation of how much the woman beneath her meant to the commander. "You won't have to find out. I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

A weak smile now covered Liara's face, the first Shepard had seen there in far too long. "I will hold you to that, commander."

She returned a smile of her own. "Please do. I'm… I'm just glad that worked. I was scared I was pushing you too hard. Dominating you like that without talking about it isn't something I'd normally try… But I couldn't leave you that way. I had to do something, and it was all I had left."

"And it worked. Feeling how much you want me has… quite an effect. It always has, and I desperately needed that just now. Besides, if I really couldn't take it, I still had my safe word."

"You know I would've stopped if you'd used it."

"Of course you would have, my love."

Shepard breathed a sigh of relief at those words. It meant a great deal that Liara had never forgotten that, even in her darkest moments. "I love you," she whispered. "With all my heart."

Liara kissed her gently. "I know. That was never the problem. I only… I felt like I didn't deserve your love anymore. You helped me to become the Shadow Broker. You gave me all of this power, and I still failed. I failed you, I failed Thessia…"

Her arms pulled tighter Liara and she stroked her crest. Now that her bondmate could admit her pain, Shepard wasn't going to let her slide back too far into its clutches. "You used it to find the Crucible plans. That's the only reason we still have a shot at all. And we'll get that VI back from Cerberus, finish building the damn thing, and blow the Reapers straight to hell."

Liara sniffled. Her beautiful face was still teary from before, but the smile that covered it was broader now. "I believe you will."

"We will. Together."

"Indeed," Liara agreed, but surprisingly, she didn't settle further into Shepard's arms as the commander might have expected. Instead, she squirmed free and declared, "That, however, is a problem for the morning. Right now, we have a different assignment. I believe that we should get dressed, retrieve some of that ice cream you mentioned, and take it back up to your cabin."

Shepard grinned. "Sure thing, but why my quarters?"

Liara gave her a mischievous look before turning to her own body, sticky with the evidence of their lovemaking. "Because, love, I very much need a shower. And to get a decent night's sleep for once, preferably in a bed we have not made such an utter, damp mess of."

Shepard laughed, a warm, rich sound that came straight from the heart. Here, now, was the charming, sensible woman she loved so much, and with her back, she knew they had a fighting chance to win this war.