Lasting Impressions 5 - Dark Rhythms

Title: Lasting Impressions - Chapter 5: Dark Rhythms
Author: xRebel666x
Game: Mass Effect
Characters/Pairing: Commander Shelby Shepard (femShep) and Samantha Traynor

Chapter 5 – Dark Rhythms

 “With all due respect, you've been working nonstop since we’ve left Earth,” Samantha advised, expressing her concern towards the officer leaning idly against the edge of the Galaxy Map staring deeply into the datapad in her hand.

 “I have a lot of lives depending on me,” Shelby reminded as she browsed through the incoming reports. Shifting from one report to another, the bleak numbers continued to sink deeply into her psyche.

 “I know. You remind all of us on a daily basis about how dire this is but you’re exhausted and starting to get a bit… grumpy.”

 “Grumpy?” Shepard raised her eyebrow at the accusation, “I am not grumpy.”

 “All I’m saying is that you should take the evening off.”

 The Commander tucked the datapad under her arm and riposted, “Sounds vaguely like you’re giving me an order, Traynor.”

 Feeling like she might have overstepped her boundaries, the mild mannered woman dodged behind the safety of her monitor and made it a point to avoid eye contact, “Not an order. Merely a polite suggestion from someone with a vested interest in your health... Commander.”

 Shelby stared quietly at her newfangled partner. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped before a word could be muttered. She took a deep breath and fought the fiery urge to recite her brash statement. Coming to the realization that the toll of the war was drastically affecting her physically and mentally… whether she wanted to admit it or not.  

 She strode towards her companion, with her mannerisms reflecting the desire for a peaceful outcome. She snuck behind Samantha and wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her close. Shepard rested her chin atop her partner’s shoulder and gently nuzzled against her ear. Traynor closed her eyes and embraced the warmth of her Commander’s arms, whispering, “Does this mean you will you take my request to heart?”

 Taking a moment to think it over, she finally agreed, “Yes. I suppose I am permitted to have a few hours to myself.”

 With that said, Shepard unwrapped herself from Samantha’s body and disappeared into the elevator. Watching as her beloved superior retreated to her quarters, the Communication Specialist sighed in relief. She never expected to be so invested towards someone this quickly, especially with someone as important as the Commander. Their relationship was barely over a week old and she was already finding ways to involve herself in Shelby’s daily structure. She knew being intimate with a highly decorated war hero wouldn’t be easy and the presence of the Reapers would only make her commanding officer’s involvement more crucial… yet Samantha sheepishly desired to spend more time with her loved one.

***
 
 Samantha continued on with her daily duties, making it a point to hold any reports and calls from interrupting Shelby. She felt a sense of calm knowing her Commander was up in her quarters getting some well-deserved rest and didn’t want anything to disturb her. As she was rolling through the incoming messages, she overheard the elevator door sliding open. Typically the noise did not distract her but there was an unusual sound pinging against the metal floor. She quickly turned around and fell backwards onto her console in disbelief.

 Her pale skinned Commander was boldly standing in a short black cocktail dress with matching high heels. She had a beautiful silver necklace with a deep red gemstone that corresponded nicely with her ruby lips. What really made the look complete was her hairstyle. Shelby spiked it up into a Mohawk that even put Vega’s to shame.

 Samantha never expected to see her superior wear a dress. As uncharacteristic as it was, her heart went aflutter over how sensually appealing her Commander was. She could hardly contain herself. Her eyes were trying to focus on the blonde bombshell but kept bashfully darting away to prevent the red flushing to her cheeks. She was apprehensive about sharing how mesmerized she was by her partner’s beauty.

“Something the matter, Traynor?” Shepard asked, catching her Communications Specialist taking in the sight in front of her.

 “No, ma’am…” she stuttered, averting her gaze and trying her hardest to stare directly at the orange text glowing on her console, “I, uh, just thought you would still be resting.”

 “Well, I was,” she continued to notice Samantha’s eyes bolting to the side, “Do you have an issue with my hair?”

 “Why would you say that?”

 “You keep looking at me so I figure something must be putting you off. So it has to be my Mohawk.”

 “No, that’s not it at all. I quite like what you did to your hair.”

 “Then what’s the problem?”

 “I never thought,” Samantha was quickly becoming tongue tied, “I never expected to see you… it doesn’t seem your style.”

 “Not my style?”

 “No, that’s not what I mean. It definitely fits you. I mean, it looks highly attractive on you.”

 Shelby put up her hand to stop the rambling soldier, “I understand what you’re saying, Samantha. I know I usually don my Alliance blues and have a strict professional look but I am fully taking your suggestion to heart. I figure I would dust this dress off, spike my hair up, and ask you to join me.”

 Traynor felt completely off-guard, “Join you? Where?”

 “I figured we could go relieve some stress at Purgatory.”

 “What kind of relief were you thinking of?”

 “Drinking and dancing… but I wouldn’t suggest doing them both at the same time,” she chuckled, running her fingers through her Mohawk.

 “This is such short notice.”

 “You know how I enjoy keeping you on your toes.”

 “Indeed, you mention that quite a bit.”

 “Well, is it working?”

 “Severely so, you’re doing a great job at,” she paused, mesmerized by the faint twinkle glimmering in Shelby’s eyes, “keeping me on my toes.”

 “So will you join me or am I going alone on this venture?”

 “Of course I will go with you. Just give me a moment to dress accordingly.”

 “Twist my arm,” the Commander bowed, using her hands to gesture towards the elevator.

***

 The pink and blue light hues dashed against the open spaces of Purgatory. The multi-leveled club was rustling with bodies, dancing like a captivated soul to the beat of the bass. The energy of the music pumped through the speakers, mesmerizing the crowd. Summoning everyone to bend and twist to the rhythms echoing in the melody.

 Wearing a red long-sleeved sweater dress and black leggings, Samantha did her best to coordinate her outfit to match her companion’s. She could never wear anything as revealing as the Commander but wanted to look nice for their outing. As she waited on one of the lounge couches for Shelby to return with their drinks, she tried to remember the last time she went out clubbing… or dancing for that matter. She would have preferred staying in with a good glass of wine and playing a few rounds of chess but she couldn’t deny Shepard’s request. If this was her way to relieve stress, Samantha was going to do everything she could to be supportive.

 “A glass of the finest asari wine available for the misses,” Shelby came around the couch and handed the tall glass to her sweetheart before taking a seat beside her, “and a round of the Shepard Special for myself.”

 “They named a drink after you?”

 “I come here so often that the bartender created this concoction. Everything else I was drinking was too weak for my tastes. With this one, three rounds and I’m out.”

 “What’s in it?”

 “No idea… but it seems as though James and I are the only ones able to stomach it. I’ve even seen some krogan get knocked out after one drink, although they were considered ‘lightweights,’” she gloated, her grey eyes shimmered a golden hue when she heard her partner’s giggle.

 “Cheers,” Traynor held her glass up to Shepard’s and lightly tapped them together.

 The Commander took a hearty sip of her strong spirit. As the warmth of the alcohol spread through her chest, she had a genuine smile curl unto her lips. She scooted closer to her companion and took her free hand into hers. Rubbing the palm with her thumb, she commented, “You look really stunning tonight, Samantha.”

 “Thank you,” the shy Alliance soldier blushed.

 “I know I said this before but I’m really glad you didn’t return back to the lab. Otherwise I would be spending a very empty night alone in my cabin.”

 “But with your looks, your charm, you could have anybody.”

 “I could… but I don’t want just anybody,” Shelby finished her drink and set it on the table. As she stood up, she pulled gently on Samantha’s hand, “Come dance with me.”

 “Dance? With you?” she asked with her eyes widening at the very thought of joining her on the dance floor.

 “Yes, with me. Unless you want to dance with someone else here?”

 “It’s not that… I don’t really know how to dance,” she confessed.

 “That’s okay,” Shepard smiled, “I don’t either.”

 The Communications Specialist chuckled at her remark. Deciding it would be worth checking out how bad of a dancer she was, she took a deep breath and got up. Shelby escorted her paramour to an isolated corner and immediately began moving her body to the music. It wasn’t long before she was flailing her arms up in the air and spinning in circles.

 Samantha covered her eyes, ashamed to be seen near this atrocity. She only heard stories from the crew about Shepard’s infamous shuffle… now she had the opportunity to see it first-hand. No matter how bad her moves were, Shelby didn’t stop. There was a golden glow in her eyes that revealed how deeply she enjoyed her “dancing.” It didn’t matter what the other patrons thought, it didn’t matter how embarrassing others would perceive it to be, she was doing this for herself and no one could tell her otherwise.

 The rhythm of the song began slowing down and the melody shifted to something more hypnotic. The tantalizing trance track swept across the floor and altered everyone’s dance style. Couples were joining together to share their enticing movements while lone individuals were left to express their sensuous motions in the dim lights.

 Shepard matched her pace to the dark rhythms and worked her way behind Samantha. Placing her hands on her shoulders and sliding them down the length of her arms. She could feel Traynor’s hair standing on end, her skin crawling in excitement. When her hands reached hers, she intertwined their fingers and guided their arms to cross over each other. Bringing their bodies closer, Shelby rested her chin atop her partner’s shoulder and shifted their hips to grind to the music together.

 The overwhelming embrace Traynor was experiencing from her commanding officer left her in a daze. She closed her eyes and allowed her body to follow the fluid movements. Consumed by the vocals in the song, she drowned out all of the patrons idly watching the decorated War Hero dance with her companion. Nothing was going to take this moment away from her.

 As their hips swayed in sync, Shepard brushed her lips against Samantha’s ear and whispered, “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately… and I want you to move into my quarters.”

 “Are you being serious, Commander?”

 “I know we’ve only been together officially for eight days but right now isn’t exactly the ideal time to take things slowly. The fights… the negotiations… this war will only be getting worse and I wouldn’t mind having someone to come back to at the end of the day. Someone I can hold onto at night and fight for,” she confided to her tan sweetheart, “and I want that to be you.”

 “I don’t know what to say,” surprised at the sudden request, “When do you want me to start moving my things in?”

 “Tonight,” she said nonchalantly.

 “Tonight? I don’t get a say in this matter?”

 “You can say whatever you want…” her smile brushed up against her lover’s cheek, “but my mind is already made up. You’re moving in tonight.”

 “Fine,” she gleefully chimed, excited for this new opportunity, “but on one condition.”

 Shepard chuckled, “I invited you to live with me only a minute ago and you’re already giving me orders.”

 “It’s not an order. Just hear me out… you’ll like this one.”

 “Okay, permission to speak freely.”

 “My one condition is that you keep your hair spiked up like that more often.”

 “Granted,” she nodded and sealed their agreement with a kiss on her partner’s cheek.