In the middle of some...

Those eyes. It was always those eyes.

They expressed every word he didn’t speak. All the times when their professionalism kept them from saying what they wanted to, his eyes told her what she needed to hear. Their intensity was one of the first things she had noticed about him. She even thought that they were one of his best features.

Half the time, she couldn’t even describe the way it felt to stare into them.  When she looked at him, when she held his gaze and saw that sharp glint of assurance, everything just felt right. He was peace, he was calm, he was drive, he was motivation.

He was her center.

He reinforced the will that would let her succeed, and drove away the uncertainty that might impede. On the battlefield, or off, it didn’t matter. His eyes could never hide it. For them, love was empowerment, not a hindrance. It was every bit as vital as shields and barriers.

She was Commander Shepard, she was a soldier, and she was more than capable on her own. His love just made her stronger.