The walk back to Mahnoor's dorm was quiet at first, the soft hum of the city around them filling the silence between them. Daemond was lost in thought, his hands in his jacket pockets, while Mahnoor walked beside him, glancing up at him from time to time. She could tell he was still grappling with everything they had just talked about over dinner.
As they turned into a quieter, more secluded street, Daemond suddenly stopped in his tracks, his face tense with frustration. Mahnoor paused too, turning to face him, her brow furrowing in concern.
"Daemond?" she asked softly.
Without warning, he grabbed her wrist and gently but firmly pushed her back against the wall of a building. It wasn't aggressive, but there was an urgency in his movements that caught her off guard. His grey eyes were searching, intense, as he stood in front of her, his breath coming in short bursts, almost as if he was on the verge of saying something he couldn't quite figure out.
"Why is it this way?" he finally asked, his voice low and filled with frustration. "Why do I find all other women so revolting, but not you? Why is it that when I look at you, I can... I can do things I never thought I could with a woman?" His words came out in a rush, like he'd been holding them in for too long.
Mahnoor's heart raced as she looked up at him, her back pressed against the wall. His hands were still gripping her wrists, though not tightly, just enough to keep her in place as he spoke. His face was so close to hers, and she could see the torment in his eyes—the sheer confusion and desperation that seemed to have been building inside him for weeks.
"I don't understand," he continued, his voice quieter now, almost pleading. "I don't feel this way about any other woman. It's just you, Mahnoor. Why you? Why can I... comply to your needs when I can't even imagine doing that with anyone else?"
Mahnoor swallowed, her pulse quickening. She could see the battle he was waging within himself, the lines between his grief, confusion, and desire all blurring into something he couldn't make sense of. And yet, here he was, standing in front of her, admitting that something about her was different.
"I don't know why," she said, her voice soft but steady. "But maybe it's because what we have goes beyond just physical attraction. You're not attracted to women, Daemond, but maybe you're not just seeing me as a woman. Maybe you're seeing me as someone who's connected with you in a way that no one else has."
Daemond shook his head, his grip on her wrists loosening slightly. "But I don't want to hurt you," he murmured, his voice pained. "I feel like I'm just... using you to replace what I lost with him."
Mahnoor looked deep into his eyes, feeling the weight of his words but also knowing that she had made her choice a long time ago. "You're not using me, Daemond. You're trying to figure out your feelings, and I get that. I don't expect you to have all the answers right now. But I'm here, and I want to be with you—however that looks for us."
He leaned in closer, his forehead resting against hers, and for a moment, they just breathed together, the tension between them palpable but not uncomfortable.
"I just don't understand how I can feel this way about you and not about anyone else," he whispered, almost to himself. "It's like... you're the exception."
Mahnoor smiled faintly, her heart aching for him but also for herself. She knew he was struggling to reconcile his feelings, and she couldn't blame him for that. But at the same time, she couldn't deny the way her heart fluttered every time he looked at her like this—conflicted but drawn to her.
"Maybe I am the exception," she whispered back, her hands gently freeing themselves from his grip to rest on his chest. "Maybe this is something we'll both figure out in time. But for now... I'm just asking you to let me in. Let me be there for you."
Daemond closed his eyes, a long exhale escaping him. He didn't have the answers, and maybe he never would. But there was something undeniable between them, something he couldn't explain but couldn't walk away from either.
After a moment, he pulled back slightly, his gaze softening as he looked at her. "You're the only one who's made me feel... like this. And I don't know if it's right or wrong. But I don't want to lose you."
Mahnoor smiled, her hand moving up to cup his cheek. "You won't lose me, Daemond. Not if you let me stay."
He leaned into her touch, his eyes closing for a brief moment as if savoring the comfort she was offering. For now, that was enough.