Dragan swallowed hard, his mind already sparking with ideas, connecting his research to this unexpected moment, searching for a way to salvage it.
"Please, sir," he said suddenly, stepping forward with his hands raised in a calming gesture. "Before you say anything, let me explain. This isn't what it looks like."
Dr. Emerin crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing sharply. "Then start explaining."
Dragan took a deep breath and pointed to his lips. "Look closely, sir. Right now, I'm wearing a micro-layered biotech lip cover. It's a transparent, nano-mesh membrane that acts as a live collector of biochemical signals."
Dr. Emerin frowned but leaned in slightly. Under the faint blue glow, there was indeed a nearly invisible shimmer on Dragan's lips.
"This is part of my most advanced step toward finalizing the cure for Aurelia's sickle cell condition," Dragan continued, his voice growing steadier. "The membrane captures real-time data on hormonal and emotional responses, especially during intense, real emotional triggers like close human contact. It reads changes in stress hormones, oxytocin surges, adrenaline shifts, and even micro-oxygen diffusion in her blood."
Aurelia, still stunned, finally found her voice. "Dad, he's telling the truth. You know I've been struggling with those episodes. This is one of the crucial first steps to stabilizing my hemoglobin at the cellular level."
Dragan nodded quickly. "Exactly. The emotional triggers help activate certain immune and genetic responses in her. The data is transmitted live to my console in my room. I can show you the readouts now [proof of neurochemical interactions, oxygen levels, immune cell activation, everything."]
Dr. Emerin's expression shifted, caught between anger and scientific curiosity.
Dragan pressed on, sensing his chance. "Sir, you know her sickle cell crises are triggered by emotional and physical stress. This experiment was designed to simulate emotional proximity in a safe, controlled way so we could stabilize her genome adaptation before we move to the final nano-sculpting serum."
Dr. Emerin's eyes flickered as understanding finally began to dawn. He lifted his wrist console and opened a direct link to Dragan's lab server. Instantly, detailed streams of data flooded his small screen: real-time hormonal graphs, oxygen saturation charts, blood cell shape logs, neurotransmitter levels -exactly what Dragan had described.
The tension shifted in the room like a held breath finally released.
Dr. Emerin looked up from his screen and exhaled, his shoulders lowering.
"This… is a bold approach," he said slowly, his voice no longer harsh. "But it's scientifically sound. These metrics… they're extraordinary."
Dragan nodded, relief flooding through him. "Yes, sir. We're still in the early phases, but it's critical groundwork. We had to do it this way -real emotion can't be faked in a lab. We needed genuine data."
Aurelia stepped closer, her voice soft. "I trust him, Dad. He's trying to save me."
A long silence followed.
Finally, Dr. Emerin rubbed his forehead, letting out a long sigh. "You two are reckless… and lucky that the data supports you tonight."He turned toward the door but paused. "Finish your… experiment carefully. And Dragan… I want the full results on my console first thing tomorrow morning."
Dragan nodded instantly. "Yes, sir. You'll have it."
Aurelia swallowed and grabbed Dragan's hand tightly as her father stepped out, closing the door gently behind him.
For a long moment, they stood frozen, listening to the echo of his fading footsteps.
Finally, Aurelia let out a shaky laugh and pressed her forehead to Dragan's chest. "We almost died just now."
Dragan gave a small smile, lowering his lips to kiss the top of her head. "We survived… and we're one step closer to curing you."
She looked up at him, her eyes glassy with tears but now sparkling with hope. "You're insane… but you're my insane."
He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight. And in that quiet, electric moment, they both knew ;against all odds, they had won tonight.
Aurelia looked up at Dragan, her eyes wide and shining. She shook her head in disbelief, a breathless laugh escaping her lips.
"You're so brilliant," she whispered, her fingers still curled around his shirt. "How did you even come up with that idea? Were you really planning this all along? You're a genius… I can't believe you pulled it off."
Dragan opened his mouth to answer, a playful spark in his eyes ;but just then, the door creaked open again.
Dr. Emerin stepped back inside, his face stern. "What brilliant idea?" he demanded sharply, his gaze locking onto them.
Without missing a beat, Dragan straightened up, his mind racing as fast as lightning.
"It's… an emergency contingency I developed, sir," Dragan said smoothly, his voice calm but quick. "In case Aurelia's condition suddenly deteriorated during an emotional episode, I designed this lip membrane system to collect real-time data instantly, without invasive tools. I realized that strong emotional responses could give us the final push in her gene stabilization, and I needed a way to capture that safely and precisely."
He took a steady breath, his words flowing confidently now. "I never wanted to reveal it like this, but… tonight gave us the perfect chance to test it under real conditions. And the data we gathered is already groundbreaking."
Dr. Emerin's eyes narrowed, but the curiosity had returned. He glanced at Dragan, then at Aurelia, his stern look softening , just slightly.
"Show me the results tomorrow," he said finally, his voice low. "I'll be the judge of your so-called brilliant idea."
He turned and left again, closing the door more firmly this time.
Aurelia stared after him, then turned back to Dragan, her face breaking into a wide, amazed smile.
"You really are a genius," she whispered, pulling him close again.
Aurelia reached up slowly, her fingers tracing the curve of Dragan's jaw as if memorizing every line, every small imperfection she had grown to love. Her touch was gentle but trembling, carrying all the unspoken words that had built up between them.
Dragan lowered his forehead to hers, his breath shallow and warm against her lips. For a moment, they just stood there , eyes closed, hearts thundering in perfect, fragile rhythm.
Then, as if guided by some invisible thread pulling them together, their lips met.
The kiss was soft at first, hesitant and almost shy, like the delicate brush of wings. But as their hands tightened around each other, it deepened, turning into something fierce and consuming. Every fear, every tear, every promise spilled into that single moment, sealing it like a vow written in fire.
Aurelia felt her entire body melt into him ;the warmth of his mouth, the gentle pressure of his hand at her back, the steady heartbeat beneath his skin.
When they finally pulled away, their breaths tangled in the small space left between them, her forehead stayed pressed against his.
Their eyes opened slowly, shining with relief, exhaustion, and something deeper ;a quiet, powerful love that no words could ever fully capture.
It was a kiss that said we made it, we're still here, and we're enough.
A kiss that felt like both an ending and a beginning.
...