Unless she had completely lost her grip on reality, Khar noticed her too.
Maybe as an exotic curiosity. Maybe as something unfamiliar and intriguing. But not as nothing.
The memory that sealed it came from their last journey.
During the two chrono-years she had spent mostly alone with Helios, Lily had dressed and styled herself for function.
When Khar returned from his brief absence, something shifted. She found herself wanting to look better.
Not for anyone in particular. The lie barely held.
One morning, she braided her hair into a long, neat plait.
When she entered the control room, Khar looked at her longer than usual.
“Lily,” he asked in that precise, formal Divani cadence, “may I touch your hair?”
Her heart had slammed against her ribs.
Khar almost never touched her unless there was a reason. Every deliberate movement from him felt weighted. Intentional.
“If you want,” she said. “It’s just a braid.”
She stepped closer, tilting her head up toward him. Instead of touching her from the front, he turned her gently by the shoulder so her back was to him.
His hand moved down the braid, barely there at first, as if testing whether the contact was permitted. Then he slid his fingers upward, slow and controlled, until they reached the nape of her neck. Where hair met skin, he traced a single line.
Lily shuddered.
Then he closed his hand around the braid and gave it a sharp tug. Not painful. Decisive.
A sound escaped her before she could stop it.
“What are you doing?” she snapped, heat flooding her face.
Khar stood behind her, unrepentant. If anything, he looked entertained.
“It’s a good style,” he said calmly. “Practical. Controlled. In combat, it gives an opponent something to grab, but it’s safer than wearing your hair loose if you leave only one braid.”
“Then why don’t you wear yours like this?”
“Divani braid their hair only after bonding with a mate.”
She had no answer for that.
Khar had chuckled softly and walked away, leaving Lily furious and uncomfortably aware of every nerve he had ignited with a single, casual gesture.
She thought about it far more often than she should have.
And the more she analyzed their interactions, the clearer it became. One moment stood out in particular. When she commented on his physique, his answer could even be considered flirty, if she squinted.
“Khar, tell me your secret,” Lily said, her voice quiet but determined.
“What secret?” Khar sputtered with uncharacteristic hesitation.
“Your secret workout routine. You look the best you ever have since I’ve known you, so speak up.”
“Oh, blasted Cradle… I suppose one or two things have changed lately… but it is a rather big secret.”
