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Deep in the Hortorium, Yalana and Mao-Ladd were poring over their notes on the new plant species that Qeshi-Rae had discovered. So far, they confirmed that Sample L1-0 was edible and that when the pomes ripened, the berries would likely be sweet.
Qeshi-Rae insisted on calling them Sample L1-0 until a suitable name could be found. She passed through the Hortorium a handful of times a day to check on their progress, and then made her way to look for new books in the Cabinet of Curiosity.
This impeded Yalana's attempts to catch her alone. She wanted to fix whatever issue she'd caused that made Qeshi-Rae afraid to speak in front of her. The past fortnight she'd done nothing but pore over every single conversation they'd had, picking at the parts where she thought she might have given the chief the impression that she could not speak her mind in her presence.
"Why don't you go with her into the Cabinet?" Mao-Ladd suggested.
"And do what? Follow her around while she reads tomes I don't understand?" Yalana retorted.
"Ask her questions about what she's reading. She might talk more that way."
"I'll understand none of it," Yalana stated, frustration seeping into her voice.
"Why do you keep trying to catch her anyway?" Mao-Ladd asked. He nonchalantly flicked a page in the tome he was referencing, but Yalana knew that look on his face. He was up to something.
"It's just, I want to…" Yalana stammered, "encourage her in this new plant thing but I need to make sure she understands the danger of being out all day like that."
Mao-Ladd's look read, I smell your amaro-shit, but he said nothing.
"I just wonder because you seem so frustrated about it," he went on after a pause. "Though I certainly can't complain about the way you've been taking that frustration out on me."
Yalana blushed and looked around to make sure no one else was in earshot. It was true, she'd been ravenous for sex in the evenings. They had a routine each night from years of living together that had been hard to break after the flood of light was reversed. The past fortnight she'd begged Mao-Ladd to fuck her harder and longer until she couldn't think straight, and he had obliged enthusiastically.
"Keep it down," Yalana whispered. Mao-Ladd raised an eyebrow.
"You know that everyone who works here knows we're together, right?"
"I… hadn't thought about it," Yalana said petulantly, crossing her arms.
He went back to whatever he was writing down. She looked off into the distance for a few moments, considering.
"I suppose I'll go and see what she's up to. She could just as easily get into trouble in a library as outside these walls, knowing her."
Mao-Ladd smirked and Yalana felt butterflies in her stomach. They'd been together a long time, but the tinctures they'd concocted to make him more masculine had somehow settled him further since nighttime was restored. She wondered if it was the ability to sleep under the dark that allowed his hormones to finally settle. As a result, his smiles became devastating in a way they hadn't been before.
He'd been handsome before, he was handsome now, and she'd loved each part of him in between. She loved him more than anything, if she was honest, and she was starting to realize how much she'd taken that for granted.
"Well now's your chance," Mao-Ladd said, waving up the stairs. Qeshi-Rae was walking toward the Cabinet of Curiosity. She'd likely looked for them down here and missed them in the alcove they were shrouded in, thus not stopping to check in as she usually did.
"I supposed you're right," Yalana said, walking up behind him. She leaned over to kiss his cheek. "I love you, you know that right?"
"Of course I do, Lana," he said, turning in his chair to face her. "Why? Is something wrong?"
"Nothing at all. I just felt I needed to say it."
Mao-Ladd stood and wrapped an arm around her, cupping her chin with his other hand.
"I love you too," he said, leaning down to kiss her affectionately. She wrapped her arms around his neck and debated pulling him into a broom cupboard, but she needed to look for Qeshi-Rae. Much as she hated to admit it, his advice was sound.
"I'll see you later," she said, pulling away from him. She tucked a lock of hair behind his ear before turning to go and find the chief.
Qeshi-Rae climbed the spiral stairs of the Cabinet of Curiosity, looking for the section she'd been scouring the day before. There were small alcoves around the central column, and some on the middle tiers had the tomes she was in search of. She enjoyed the privacy as it allowed her to take her time.
She hardly paid any attention to the quiet footfalls on the stairs behind her. These sections of the library were usually empty, and she could rely on having relative peace in which to find what she wanted.
Qeshi-Rae was surprised when she got to her section and the footfalls continued behind her. She ducked into the alcove that was her destination and hoped they would pass.
"Chief?" came Yalana's voice.
"I-Yes? Yalana? Wicked White, what did I do?" She'd thought she'd been exceptionally well behaved lately, so a lecture from Yalana was truly a bolt out of the white for her.
"I just wanted to see if you needed any help. Or, you know, to talk about what you're working on and see if I can help."
Yalana's posture was shy, something Qeshi-Rae couldn't remember seeing in her entire time working with the older woman. She scoured her mind for things she could have possibly done to invoke this behavior.
"I'm just…" What was she doing? She looked at one of the shelves and skimmed the titles. "Cross-referencing the description of Sample L1-0 to see if I can find a relevant taxonomy. It could give us insight on how to cultivate the plant. Adversely, it could indicate a plant that is ill-suited to the current terrain and inform us of a need to keep it from invading."
The words fell from her mouth as soon as she refocused. It was the truth, but she didn't want to admit that she was struggling with her self-assigned research task.
"Oh, simple enough," Yalana pushed up the silver framed glasses she wore. "Point me at a book and I can get cracking with it. Work is slow at the Hortorium anyway."
"I… You-that is… umm here." She turned and grabbed one of the medium sized tomes she'd had no luck with and handed it to the Drahn woman. Yalana sat down on the alcove's chair and began flipping through pages.
Qeshi-Rae turned to the stack to regain her composure and looked for a book she hadn't opened yet. Who knew, maybe having Yalana here would help her focus. Yes, this could be good! Finding a suitable tome, she turned to take the other chair at the desk and realized it was missing. Someone must have pulled it to another alcove.
"Oh, do you want the chair? I can stand," Yalana offered.
"No, no, I couldn't, I'll just sit on the floor!" she declared impulsively. Qeshi-Rae rushed to sit down on the floor, losing control and falling too hard on her ass. Her eyes watered but she tried not to let it show.
"Are you alright chief?" Yalana asked, looking down at her.
"I'm great!" she said, too cheerily. Qeshi-Rae bent her head to the tome before she could earn herself another lecture.
There was a rustling of robes, and then Yalana was sitting on the floor next to her.
"Are you sure?" she asked. Qeshi-Rae looked into her violet eyes and finally gave up.
"No, I'm not okay," she tried to keep her voice to a whisper. "I sat down too fast and my butt hurts, I can't find anything worthwhile in these tomes because I can't concentrate long enough to really read them. I'm so excited about this new opportunity and I'm afraid I'm going to mess it up because I won't find the right information or the right tome or th-"
"Chief, CHIEF!" Yalana hissed, trying to keep her voice low. "It's okay, Mao-Ladd and I can help you."
"You… you can?" Qeshi-Rae removed her glasses and wiped at the tears that had started to form in her eyes.
"Yes, we read all the time. You needs only tell us what to look for and we can assist."
"And you're not… mad at me?" She winced at how whiny she sounded.
"No, I'm not mad." She couldn't see Yalana's expression with her glasses off, but she thought the Drahn woman sounded a bit sad.
"And if you need help with reading," Yalana continued, "have you tried reading out loud? It might help you focus better."
Qeshi-Rae sniffled then put her glasses back on and considered for a moment.
"I suppose I could try that. I'd have to check the books out, though. I don't trust myself to keep quiet enough."
"Great idea," Yalana smiled a genuine smile and Qeshi-Rae was sure she forgot how to breathe for a moment.
Yalana cupped the side of her face, and she felt the other woman's thumb brush away a stray tear.
"Chie- Qeshi-Rae. I'm sorry if I have made you feel like you can't talk to me because I'll only lexture you. Truly, I am. Can we start over? Try to collaborate more and I'll try to be more… patient."
Qeshi-Rae was certain she'd forgotten how to form words with her mouth. Yalana was apologizing? For lecturing her? Was the sky white again?
She closed her eyes and made herself take a breath. Yalana seemed earnest and Mao-Ladd had been encouraging recently that she'd be open to a friendship at the very least.
"I'd like that," Qeshi-Rae said, opening her eyes. She didn't understand the expression on Yalana's face, but she smiled in response.
Then her face was leaning in, her hand sliding back to nest in Qeshi-Rae's hair, and she pulled them together into a kiss.
It was awkward at first. Their glasses fought each other for a moment, and Qeshi-Rae was so stunned she didn't kiss back. Then she parted her mouth, and her hands were wrapping around Yalana's neck as their kiss deepened. The tome fell to the side, forgotten, as Yalana pulled the Mystel woman closer. Qeshi-Rae began purring, and Yalana had to break the kiss to giggle.
"What? Did I do something funny?" She was sure the look on her face was that of shock.
"No, no! Mao-Ladd hasn't purred like that in a while, I forgot how cute it is."
"Oh," Qeshi-Rae's blush deepened, and she twirled a finger in her hair. Strands of it had come loose from the longer ponytail she wore lately. Yalana's hand reached up and tucked another lock behind her ear.
"Why don't we go back to mine and Mao-Ladd's rooms and I can find some other things to teach you?"
Qeshi-Rae was still struggling with the sudden change in dynamic, but she took Yalana's hand and followed her lead through the Cabinet, then back toward the Catenaries for some private mentoring.