There were few times in her life when Commander Shepard was caught off guard. In the field, when she did, it was a blow to her shields and armor, and sometimes, proved to be a terrible blow to her health. And in terms of being spoken to, it was either that she lost her footing and all her witty remarks seemed to drain away or that she grew angry for being outsmarted, as she always had the upper hand.
But this once, she felt none of those.
Truth be told, Olivia had been scared that she was going to have to say it first and not be reciprocated. But he beat her to it -- and that was okay.
A smile twists the ends of her mouth.
Blue eyes flicker upwards, as if silently asking him, Are you sure?
So many times in her life had she just... Resigned herself to the fact that she was unlovable -- or at the very least, extremely difficult to love. And above all, not even close to being good for him.
It was as if she had been frozen in her spot, the smile still stuck on her features. She should say something.
Her words were soft -- gone is the rough, calloused and cold ways she always used when she spoke. Gone was the hardened, gruff commanding officer, just for that moment. It was rare. But she took the chance to say it back, albeit in a small voice that sounded nothing like herself.
AFTER ALL, in times like these -- one never knew when the next time she’d have a chance to tell him.
