"I am... monitoring your safety," Kav'eth says stiffly. "Human physiological responses to enhanced resistance are not well documented."
"Right. Safety monitoring." I finish drying my hair and look at him directly. "You know, for someone who's supposed to be evaluating me as a potential life partner, you seem pretty determined to keep your distance."
"Professional boundaries are important during assessment periods," Kav'eth replies, but his bioluminescence betrays him, flickering in patterns that suggest he's not as composed as he's trying to appear.
"Professional boundaries," I repeat. "Is that what we're calling it?"
I walk over to where he's standing, noting how his posture straightens as I approach. He's taller than me, probably six and a half feet, but there's something about the way he holds himself that suggests he's not used to being challenged or approached directly.
"Can I ask you something?" I say, stopping just close enough that he has to look down to maintain eye contact.
"You may."
"Are you attracted to me?"
Kav'eth goes completely still, his bioluminescence flaring bright enough to cast shadows on the cavern walls. "That is not... the assessment is not based on..."
"That's not what I asked," I interrupt gently. "I asked if you're attracted to me. Personally. Not professionally, not as part of your assessment protocols, but as... you."
"I..." Kav'eth starts, then stops, his composure cracking visibly. "This is highly irregular."
"Yeah, well, this whole situation is irregular," I point out. "But that doesn't mean we can't be honest about what's happening."
I can see him struggling with the question, his formal training warring with whatever he's actually feeling. The bioluminescence beneath his skin pulses in complex patterns that seem to reflect his internal conflict.
"I am not supposed to develop personal preferences regarding assessment subjects," he says finally.
"But you have," I say, not really a question.
"I..." Another pause, longer this time. "Your physical form is... aesthetically pleasing according to both human and Nereidan standards."
I grin at the carefully clinical phrasing. "Aesthetically pleasing. That's probably the most diplomatic way anyone's ever told me I'm hot."
"I did not say—"
"You didn't have to," I interrupt, gesturing at his still-glowing skin. "Your mood lighting kind of gives you away."
Kav'eth looks down at himself, seeming genuinely surprised by his own bioluminescent betrayal. "This is... problematic."
"Why? Because it means you're actually interested in the person you're supposed to be evaluating for life partnership compatibility?" I step a little closer, noting the way his breathing changes. "Seems like that would actually be a good sign for compatibility assessment."
"Personal attraction compromises objectivity," Kav'eth says, but he doesn't step away.
"Maybe objectivity is overrated," I suggest. "Maybe the whole point of evaluating compatibility is finding out whether you actually like each other."
"That is not how scientific assessment works."
"But maybe that's how relationships work," I counter. "And last I checked, relationships were what we were supposed to be figuring out here."
Kav'eth stares at me for a long moment, his golden eyes searching my face as if trying to solve some complex equation. The bioluminescence beneath his skin continues to pulse in those complex patterns that I'm beginning to suspect reflect deeper emotions than he's comfortable acknowledging.
I take another step closer, close enough that I can feel the warmth radiating from his skin. "So why don't you get in the water with me? See what it's like to actually experience something instead of just observing it?"
For a moment, I think he's going to do it. His eyes dart toward the pool, then back to me, and I can see the war between what he wants and what he thinks he should do playing out across his features.
Then his expression shutters, and he takes a deliberate step backward.
"That would be... inappropriate," he says, his voice returning to that formal cadence. "I am responsible for monitoring your safety during physical activities."
"Monitoring my safety," I repeat, not hiding my disappointment. "From over there."
"The resistance enhancement can be... unpredictable with human physiology," Kav'eth says, moving back toward the control panel. "I should reduce the settings to baseline levels for your continued exercise period."
I watch as he adjusts the controls, his movements sharp and efficient, avoiding eye contact. The water around me immediately feels lighter, less challenging, and somehow the loss of resistance feels symbolic of something else slipping away.
"The ship's medical systems will monitor your vital signs while you remain in the aquatic environment," he continues, his voice carefully neutral. "Should you experience any distress, assistance will be provided immediately."
"Right," I say, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice. "Vital signs monitoring."
"I should... return to my duties," Kav'eth says, still not looking directly at me. "Please exercise caution if you choose to continue your workout. The system will alert me if your physiological readings indicate any concerns."
"Kav'eth—"
"The assessment schedule resumes in two hours," he interrupts, finally meeting my eyes briefly. "Rest period will be... advisable before the next evaluation phase."
And then he's gone, leaving me standing there dripping wet in transparent boxer briefs, wondering what the hell just happened.
I look around the empty cavern, processing the abrupt shift from heated tension to formal dismissal. The reduced resistance in the pool behind me seems symbolic somehow, everything that was challenging and extraordinary suddenly made ordinary again.
"Well," I say to the empty space, "that's one way to kill the mood."
But despite the frustration, the pools are still incredible. Even without the enhanced resistance, the water is the perfect temperature, and the environment is unlike anything I've ever experienced. I slide back into the water, letting it envelop me again.
It's not a workout anymore, the resistance is too low for any real training, but it's still remarkably soothing.
I float on my back, staring up at the cavern ceiling, processing what just happened.
The way Kav'eth looked at me, like he wanted something he couldn't let himself take.
Like his training and his desire were locked in a battle that training barely won.
I can't shake the image of his bioluminescence flaring when I asked if he was attracted to me. That wasn't diplomatic composure—that was raw reaction he couldn't control.
This assessment just got a lot more complicated.
And a lot more interesting.