And then they were on the moon, looking back at earth. Dairine, self-conscious, tried to release Roshaun's hand, but it tightened fractionally around hers and she let him keep it, pretending she hadn't noticed. He was staring at the Earth, glowing with heartbreaking beauty in the sky above them. It took her breath away, as it always did.
"I said earlier that I disliked your planet. It is possible that I… may have judged too soon."
Dairine considered this. It wasn't an apology, but it was probably as close as she would ever get. She leaned her head against his arm—nowhere near his shoulder, she noted absently in the back of her mind, he really is tall—and found herself surprised by how comfortable she was, standing here with him on the moon.
I am perfectly normal. You, however, are unusually small.
That made Dairine jerk away in surprise, wide-eyed. Roshaun just looked back at her levelly, tugging her back gently by the hand he still held. She resisted the gentle pressure for a moment or two, and then gave in, letting him pull her back to his side.
"It is beautiful," he said quietly, turning back to the Earth.
"Yes," she agreed. But we're going to have to have a talk about this later.
As you wish. But there was an undertone to the thought, partly worry about whether there would be a later to have a conversation in, and partly a feeling of "not if I can help it". Dairine sighed, torn between worry and irritation.
"Come on," she said, "I'll show you around."