An idiot in what way, though? Cal searched his face, trying to find a clue about what, precisely, he was having regrets about now. His words from a moment before, which he was only now just realising could be misconstrued? Or maybe letting her into his life in the first place? Or –

Flynn’s hand brushed her cheek. Cal had a second to register that her heart rate was sky-rocketing before he leant in and kissed her. Her claws unsheathed of their own accord, tapping against the glass in her hand with a light tinkling sound. Cal had been kissed before, by suitors she’d ultimately deemed inappropriate after a period of courting, but not like this. Not with warmth and passion tenderness. Cal had been kissed before, but never in a way which made her feel so seen, so well-known, so cared for.

He pulled back, but not all the way. She was still close enough to see how the light transformed his eyes into a mosaic of different shades of blue. He started apologising, his lips tight with worry. Cal set her glass down on the table, tugged her hand out of his and ran both hands up his chest and over his shoulders, hooking her arms around his neck.

“Well then,” she gave a small, slightly sly smile. “We should do it again.”

She leant in, but her mouth had barely connected with his when her earpiece crackled to life.

“Do what again?” Buddy’s voice came through the communicator, clear as if he was in the room with them. There was barely a pause. “Are you two kissing? About damn ti – ”

Cal reached up and silenced the communicator by pressing the button on the back. She wrapped her arm around his back and pulled herself onto his lap before leaning back in to kiss him again. Her communicator remained, thankfully, silent. Buddy could override the mute button if he really wanted to, but he seemed to have a sense of decorum. That, he was chattering blithely away without realising he’d been muted.

She wasn’t aware of time passing; all she knew was that it was later when she slotted her head into the convenient gap between his shoulder and his neck. One arm was wrapped around his back while the other rested against his chest, moving with the steady rise and fall. Cal couldn’t remember ever feeling so calm and safe, or so naked.

“On Xara,” she said, as something in the way of an explanation, “a scholar wouldn’t look twice at someone from the agricultural class.” She had to bite back the final niggling doubt: I know you don’t mind, but are you sure your family won’t? “I know Shaman’s not Xara,” she added, partly to remind herself, “so, how does this work here?”

She pulled back slightly, just enough to be able to look him in the face. “Because,” she grinned a little mischievously, “my parents would pull your tail off if they knew you’d kissed me without their permission.”