"They use the color to attract mates," I explain. "The more vibrant the plumage, the more desirable the gho'ba."
"Huh." He tilts his head, still watching.
Before I can think better of it, I reach over and gently tweak the curve of his ear between my fingers.
"It is the same color as your ears," I say, "when you get embarrassed."
The effect is immediate and deeply satisfying. Color floods into those ears, spreading across his cheeks in a flush that proves my point perfectly. I cannot help the smile that tugs at my lips.
"You think you're pretty funny, don't you?" he asks, but he's smiling, easily laughing at my teasing.
"I think I am hilarious," I manage.
Cody does not pull away or duck his head the way I expect.
Instead, as I withdraw my hand, he catches it. His fingers close around mine, sure and deliberate. He holds my gaze as he does it, and there's no embarrassment in his expression. Just a tenderness that makes my pulse quicken.
Still holding my gaze, Cody lifts my hand to his mouth. His lips press to my knuckles. The touch is gentle, almost chaste, and yet it sends heat racing through my entire body.
The laughter dies on my lips.
I swallow a gasp, but I cannot hide the way my scales flush darker along my throat, cannot control the sudden hammer of my heart. His eyes meet mine over our joined hands, and I see my own want reflected back at me.
I lean toward him, pulled as if by some inexorable force?—
"Oh, this is fascinating."
L'Stourn's voice cuts through the moment like a blade. He's not even looking at us, his attention fixed entirely on his tablet as he reviews data. "Dr. Petrova, have you seen the scans the drones collected? It's excellent news. The sediment buildup in the filtration chambers is minimal. If the purification systems are equally preserved?—"
I freeze.
How could I have forgotten? We are not alone. The entire engineering team sits mere feet behind us, separated only by the back of our seats, and I was about to lean across and kiss Cody like we were the only two beings in the universe.
Heat of a different kind floods through me.
I gently tug my hand from Cody's grip. He lets me go without resistance, though disappointment flickers across his features before he schools his expression.
I turn my attention to the ship console, busying myself with readouts I don't actually need to check.
"I should contact L'Zaen and D'Rett," Cody says, his voice impressively steady. "Let them know we're heading back."
"Yes." My own voice sounds strange to my ears, hollow and tinny. "That would be wise."
He activates the comm system, and I listen with half an ear as he relays our status and estimated arrival time. L'Zaen's response is brief and professional. D'Rett says something that makes Cody laugh. It is a natural, easy sound that helps drain some of the tension from my shoulders.
I turn my attention to the viewport as Cody brings the shuttle to life. We lift off, and I watch the facility grow smaller, then disappear into the vast golden expanse of desert. I am struck again by how much my world has changed, and yet the desert looks exactly as it always did.
The flight back passes in comfortable silence. Dr. Petrova and her team review their findings, voices low and excited. Cody pilots with his usual competence, and I watch the desert roll past beneath us, the ghost of his lips still tingling on my knuckles.
When the hangar comes into view, I nearly do not recognize it.
The transformation is remarkable. Where we left chaos and neglect, we return to find order and progress. The thick layer of dust that coated every surface is gone, cleared away by the cleaning bots we deployed. The broken windows are now covered by a clear protective film that ripples slightly in the wind but holds firm against the elements.
"L'Zaen's been busy," Cody observes as he guides into the hangar bay.
"So it would seem."
He sets us down smoothly, the shuttle settling onto the pad with barely a shudder. The ship's engines cycle down to silence. Behind us, the team begins gathering their equipment, the sounds of movement and conversation filling the cabin.
