“Yes.” Helix closed his eyes, suddenly seeing the error so sharply that it might as well be etched into his skin. “I don’t want you to get hurt. There’s no guarantee that this will go smoothly or that the syndicate will—”

“I don’t care,” she cut in. “When I left home, when I told my mothers I’d be roving the galaxy with you, I made my choice then. I won’t lie—I’m homesick. But if you left, I would be lovesick, and that wouldn’t be an improvement.”

“I’m still learning, a pitiable, unworthy excuse, but accept it nonetheless. Please.”

“Only if you agree not to let outsiders impact our relationship. The only thing we owe each other is honesty. You cannot offer guarantees of safety, I understand and accept that. Respect my right to make an educated choice.”

“I will. I promise. Stay with me. Please. And try to forget that I was ever so foolish.”

He wanted to get closer to her, so close that he could breathe her in and do more than they’d managed in that storage room on the Vault. But this was another public space. Between the museum, the market in the Vault, and now the station garden, it seemed that his reproductive system might be imperfectly wired, as he primarily experienced the urge to mate when it was most impractical and inconvenient.

Finally, she gave a soft sound, one of acceptance. “You forgave me for not seeing that you didn’t need my protection.”

“But I will always need your affection,” he said.

“You have it.”

For a while longer, they watched Aevi play and then the Pherzul dashed back and threw herself at Helix. He caught her, relishing the tickle of her feathers and the twist of her tail winding around his neck. “Food! I demand tribute.”

“The fierce one has spoken,” Qalu said.

After trying four different places, the fifth one consented to serving Aevi, who seemed to occupy some nebulous social strata, since her species wasn’t recognized as formally sentient, yet Qalu had given her an implant, and it was clear that Aevi was much smarter than anyone had imagined Pherzuls could be. She devoured more food than Helix, and promptly went to sleep draped over his shoulder like an article of clothing. Qalu seemed amused as he carefully carried the little one back to their habitat.

“I wish we had more privacy,” he whispered.

Qalu’s gaze warmed with a glitter of interest. “We would have to be quiet.”