The next day, Daemond showed up at Mahnoor's dorm, his face etched with exhaustion and a subtle tension that she recognized immediately. She opened the door, concern flickering across her features.
"You okay?" she asked, stepping aside to let him in.
"Just a headache," he muttered, rubbing his temple. His grey eyes were heavy with fatigue, and there was a lingering trace of something deeper—perhaps the weight of their agreement from the night before.
Mahnoor nodded and motioned for him to sit on the floor by the couch. "Come, I'll fix that," she said with a knowing smile.
Daemond lowered himself onto the floor, leaning back against the couch. Mahnoor sat behind him, grabbing a small bottle of coconut oil from her side table. She warmed the oil between her hands before gently massaging it into his scalp, her fingers moving with practiced care. The scent of coconut filled the room, soothing in its own way.
As her hands worked through his messy, dark blonde hair, Daemond sighed, his shoulders relaxing slightly. He leaned further back, letting the tension melt away under her touch. The pressure of her fingers on his scalp eased the pounding in his head, and for a brief moment, the confusion and emotional turmoil he'd been feeling seemed distant.
Mahnoor looked down at him, seeing the subtle relief wash over his face. Feeling a playful urge, she stuck her tongue out at him mischievously.
Daemond opened his eyes and caught her playful expression, huffing out a small laugh. "You really like me, huh?" he asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and disbelief. "No other girl stuck around, even as a friend, after I'd tell them… you know, about me."
Mahnoor smiled, lightly ruffling his hair before gently pulling his head back so he could look up at her. She leaned forward, her face inches from his, her voice filled with confidence. "Well, I'm MAHNOOR, a force to be reckoned with," she teased, her tone playful yet determined.
Before Daemond could respond, Mahnoor leaned down and kissed him lightly, a brief but tender touch of her lips to his. The kiss wasn't filled with the urgency or tension of their previous encounters—it was soft, warm, and almost affectionate. It was a reminder that she wasn't going to back down, that she was still there, still fighting for what she believed they could be.
Daemond, still grappling with their agreement, didn't pull away. Instead, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to lean into the moment, feeling the strange but comforting connection between them. The kiss lingered for a second longer before Mahnoor pulled back, her fingers still gently massaging his scalp.
"See?" she said with a soft smile. "I'm not like the others."
Daemond opened his eyes, looking up at her with a mix of appreciation and confusion. "I know you're not," he admitted, his voice quieter now. "I just... still don't know what to do with all of this."
Mahnoor smiled down at him, her hands never leaving his hair. "You don't have to figure it out all at once. Just... let me take care of you today."
Daemond closed his eyes again, allowing himself to sink into the moment. The comfort of her touch, the softness of her voice—it was all unfamiliar, but somehow, it felt right, even if he didn't fully understand why.
For now, he let himself be cared for, his guard lowered just enough to let Mahnoor in a little further.