Those scripts had shadowed every previous encounter.
With Khar, the only thing that mattered was what made her happy. He took pleasure in her pleasure and amplified it. She loved that.
If sex could feel this right, she did not care what the world thought. Something that felt this true at the core of her being had to be clean and real.
With Khar, she felt safe enough to tell him almost anything. Almost. Some part of her still feared the magic might shatter without warning.
He did not drown her in compliments, but when he spoke, his words carried weight. He strove for honesty and did not seem threatened by disagreement.
If this were a romance back on Earth, she would have been suspicious. How could everything be this perfect?
Ah yes. There it was again. The instinct to ruin something good before it could be taken from her.
So she reached for her strongest argument.
“On Earth, people traditionally marry to give children stability. There are societies where divorce was only allowed if one partner was infertile.”
Khar’s shoulders relaxed, as if a crushing weight had lifted. She had not even realized how tense he had been.
“You want descendants?” he asked gently. “I can give them to you.”
He rubbed his face against her palm like a giant cat. “My body has adapted to yours. Do not worry about that. We had not discussed it, so I did not press. But if you decide you want it, I am ready. If you decide you do not, I remain at your side. Only you matter.”
She froze, thoughts spinning until a few coherent ones surfaced.
“That is why you did not finish inside me?” she asked. “I thought it was a Divani custom.”
“No. I took precautions on my end. It is courtesy, since I do not know human norms. And an additional safety layer. There is no manual for Divani-human pairings.”
“Damn right,” Lily snapped. “It would be assault to get me pregnant without my consent.”
He did not retreat. He stepped closer. “I told you I would never force you. The option exists if you want it. Are there other expectations?”
“I need time to process this,” she said. “And if we did have children… how would that even be possible?”
Pride straightened him. “A Divani trait. It is how we rose to leadership on our homeworld and how we expand in the wider universe. When a Divani finds a true partner, we adapt. The offspring is viable and fertile, though it leans toward Divani biology. It can later pair with other Divani without further adaptation. Other species have similar phenomena. We are not unique.”
She nodded slowly. “When I accepted I might never return to Earth, I let go of the future I assumed, including children. So even the possibility feels like something to be grateful for.”
“Most species face declining births over time,” he said. “Resources remain, but societies falter. There is no true solution. it is one of the reasons Divani became powerful across the universe. But you do not need to decide now. What matters to you besides reproduction?”
“For most people…”
“Not most people,” he interrupted softly. “For Lily, a Sun-loving female from Earth.”
She swallowed. “Trust, I think. Caring for each other. Sharing what you have and achieving more together than alone. Staying when things get hard. And exclusivity. I do not think I could compromise on that.”
He looked at her as if she had spoken a revelation. Absolute attention, no judgment. It made her squirm.
“Something like that,” she finished. “It is hard to transplant an Earth definition wholesale.”
“I disagree,” he said calmly. “All of that I can fulfill.”
She giggled at his earnestness. “If you insist on a label, husband feels too early. On Earth, people usually get engaged first. Fiancé and fiancée. It is not as final, but it declares intent.”
Khar nodded solemnly. “Understood. If you remain satisfied with me for a long time, I will be your husband.”
She laughed, flustered. “Something like that. There is no fixed timeline. It is a trial period for both of us.”
