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Birthday streamers, balloons and other odds and ends were scattered all around the combined dining-living room. Someone had attempted to stack paper plates on the table, but had stopped mid-way for whatever reason. Ice cream and melted onto remnants of cake. Vids from an old Earth series played on a constant loop, the only sound in the house.
Liara stepped through the mess carefully, not wanting to wake the sleeping blonde on the couch. The birthday party had exhausted her, or more accurately, a certain set of triplets had worn out the retired commander. It was easier to fight against a group of Asari commandos than tame those three. From which side they got that from, it was still up in the air.
Reaching the couch successfully, a small smile touched her lips at seeing how peaceful Nanial looked. Old age was coming faster than she had anticipated- the deeper wrinkles at her eyes and the aches she tried to hide- worried her, but to see her finally sleeping...
She found herself being pulled forward, an arm around her waist as she was placed on Nanial's lap. A head of blonde hair with dark roots showing, buried into her neck, making a small laugh slip from her. "Didn't we discuss how we don't watch people when they're sleeping?" Nanial murmured sleepily.
"Broker habits die hard." She closed her eyes as she adjusted more comfortably on her lap, happy to feel her arm around her waist. Moments like these were rare now, the biotic blue triplet an aggressive bunch. "I didn't want to wake you."
"And miss a chance to spend some time with my girl?"
Liara punched her arm lightly. "Stop it with the 'my girl' stuff. Dad's not around anymore, you can stop being so possessive."
"Sorry, sorry- wait." Nanial shut off the vids. "What is that noise?"
"What noise? It's quiet."
"I know but... what is it? I had dreams of this... quiet thing."
She slugged her again, but couldn't help the grin on her lips. "Dad took Garrus, Tali and the kids to the shuttle station. We've got a few hours."
"A few hours, huh?" The blonde leaned back enough to look at her, hand sliding to cup her cheek.
Liara leaned into her palm, not sure whether to be happy that the scars were starting to soften, or to be concerned of her aging. She glanced to her at feeling a stern gaze, blushing at the intensity of those green eyes. "W-what."
"You're thinking about it again, aren't you." The former Broker glanced away, the blush turning to shame. "I've got plenty of years in me, don't doubt that. I promised you old age, marriage and a lot of blue babies. I don't plan on breaking that, my promises are solid."
"i'm still waiting for those children. The goddess messed up and sent us devils instead. Some poor devil couple have our blue babies."
Nanial laughed and leaned up, pulling Liara forward to kiss her lips softly. "Alright, alright, they got it from me, former Shadow Broker."
"I bet you used to give kids wedgies in school."
The Asari kissed her.
"At least I didn't ruin my mom's yard digging for artifacts."
A counter kiss.
"You're a renegade in a paragon's body."
Nanial smiled and leaned her forehead against hers. "Can't win even on my birthday, can I?"
"Perhaps." Liara shifted on her lap so that her knees were on either side of Shepard. She leaned up so that she was taller, framing the soldier's face with both her hands. "Do you want me to tell you about the first time we met? How this rogue Spectre swooped me off of my naive feet in the ruins, and then came back from the other realm to help me become the Shadow Broker after surviving a suicide mission into the Omega 4 relay, and again to defeat the Reapers. Each time defying all the odds to keep her promise, to save the galaxy, to help others. Each time, coming back. Or should I tell you about how I'm so happy every day to wake up next to you, to see our children in the home we built together and how each day is always an adventure."
She paused, realizing just how silly all of that sounded, and risked a look at Nanial. The blonde's face was a deep shade of red, obvious that she was trying to look away but stopped by her hands. "You're the worst," she murmured. "Making the savior of the galaxy embarrassed like this."
"Then maybe they did get it from me." Liara leaned down to press a kiss against her lips once again, hovering there. "Happy birthday, Nanial."