C576 Catching Up
The couple didn't calm down until late at night. Khan and Monica didn't even eat since he couldn't bring himself to stop, and the two fell asleep only when exhaustion had the better of them.
Still, sleeping had never been Khan's forte, especially after the transformation. He woke up hours before dawn, and his eyes instinctively fell on the figure on his chest. Monica couldn't appear more relaxed, and her snoring quieted down when Khan caressed her hair.
'This must be her first real night of sleep in a while,' Khan realized. Monica's extreme sides had deepened to match Khan's broader emotional spectrum, leading to a slight addiction that only he could satisfy.
Khan was no stranger to that addiction. It was a trademark of his love, which many had criticized during his time on Nitis. He had improved in that field but had also accepted that he couldn't change himself. In a way, he had simply matured.
That maturity didn't prevail that night. Khan continued caressing Monica's hair until an urge made him slip from under her. He carefully laid her head on a pillow before heading for her flat waist and claiming it as his new resting spot.
Khan didn't know the reason for that childish urge but didn't care enough to look for answers. He wrapped an arm around Monica's waist, snuggling his head on it and closing his eyes. He wouldn't fall asleep, but that felt like a good spot where to think.
Thinking turned out to be impossible since a tremor ran through the symphony, updating Khan about the situation. Faint rustling noises resounded before a careful and loving touch reached the back of his head. Monica had woken up, and her first instinct was to show her support.
"What did they even do to you out there?" Monica whispered, her caresses growing more intimate.
Khan's selflessness kicked in. He didn't want Monica to worry about him, so he left a kiss on her sensual waist before turning toward her and changing the topic. "I heard you closed an important deal."
"Don't change the topic," Monica scolded.
"You even came here all dressed up," Khan teased, leaving Monica's waist to crawl toward her face. "Was it all for me?"
Monica faltered when Khan's face was about to reach hers. Still, her resolve kicked in, making her deliver a soft slap to Khan's cheek.
"Tell me," Monica pouted before her voice threatened to crack. "Can't you tell me?"
Khan was usually unbeatable with words, but his girlfriend knew his weakness. Her cute but pained expression was too much for him to handle.
"Dammit," Khan cursed, letting himself go to crash back on Monica. "So much for being mine to use as I wish."
"I am that," Monica giggled, happy she could defeat Khan. She straightened her position, making him slide until his head reached her lap. Her hands followed, moving to his face to hold it lovingly.
"But," Monica continued, slightly leaning toward Khan's face, "I don't only take care of your dick, do I?"
Khan had a joke ready for Monica's lack of decorum but couldn't muster the strength to say it before that concerned expression. He rolled his eyes and brought an arm on his forehead while a sigh marked his surrender.
"We had reached a stalemate during the investigation," Khan explained. "Criminals had taken control of a distribution center at sea, but the Thilku leader blew it up."
Monica felt surprised, but her hands remained steady. She wouldn't let Khan experience the slightest discomfort.
"There were three hundred and twenty-two innocent workers still in the distribution center," Khan continued. "The Thilku leader didn't feel anything sacrificing them to get the criminals."
Monica let go of one of Khan's cheeks to uncover his face. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it was to experience something like that, but the contents of Khan's mind were clear to her.
"It wasn't your fault," Monica stated. "You know that."
"I still want to feel this disgust," Khan revealed. "If I stop, I might become like your mother. I might even turn into something worse by the time I find the Nak."
"You won't," Monica declared, forcing Khan's gaze to focus on her. "I know you won't."
"You don't count," Khan sighed, lifting a hand to reach for Monica's face. "You are blinded by love."
"I am," Monica confirmed, taking the hand on her face, "But that doesn't mean I'm wrong."
Monica pulled Khan's hand, bringing it to her chest. She trapped his fingers, making sure that his palm adhered to her rib cage. Her heartbeat was slow but powerful, and Khan could sense far more from that simple touch.
"Am I lying?" Monica asked, confident in what her mana would tell.
Behind all the love, Khan could sense Monica's trust in him. It was connected to their relationship but with something deeper as a foundation. It was hard to put into words. Khan could only accept that those feelings were true.
"What am I supposed to do with you?" Khan sighed, giving up once again. "I hope you are ready to see me like this whenever something bad happens."
"I wouldn't be worthy of standing at your side otherwise," Monica giggled, bringing Khan's hand back to her face to storm it with kisses, "And my Captain deserves the best of the best."
"You are the best of the best," Khan stated, snuggling closer to Monica's waist to hide his face into it.
"Scoundrel," Monica happily scolded when she felt Khan's lips on her waist, but her word had no consequences. She let Khan stay on her lap and alternated between caresses and kisses to his hand to make his rest more enjoyable.
"What was your deal about anyway?" Khan eventually asked, his lips still partially glued to Monica's skin.
"Nothing important," Monica scoffed. "My family wanted to close this deal about a mine of abyssclay for some time already, but the owner was set on selling only to me personally."
Khan had reached his personal paradise. He was on Monica's lap with his face immersed in her waist. There was no better place in the world, but those simple lines made that bliss crumble.
"And what did you do?" Khan questioned, his voice growing colder.
"I had to dine with him," Monica revealed, aware of the changes in Khan's mood. "He couldn't try anything, so he only suggested, but I glared at him at each compliment."
That explanation wasn't enough for Khan. He left his heavenly spot and straightened his back until Monica's face filled his view. She had truly disliked the dinner, but seeing how riled up Khan was put a smile on her face.
"Did you really glare at him?" Khan asked.
"I even refused his hand," Monica nodded. "He would have kissed it otherwise."
"Who is this man?" Khan wondered.
"Why do you want to know?" Monica teased.
"I want to glare at him too," Khan said.
"Do that if we happen to meet him," Monica giggled, lifting her left hand to put it between their faces. "For now, know he couldn't stop looking at this."
It wasn't hard to understand what Monica meant. She was still wearing Khan's ring, and its purpose was more than obvious. Monica had wanted it for that very reason, which had worked out.
Khan was still pissed, but seeing how happy Monica was warmed his heart. He didn't even realize that his head leaned forward, bringing his lips to the ring.
Monica fell into a daze watching Khan play with her hand. She made it easier for him, sticking out her ring finger to direct the kisses there. Khan eventually slid his face into her palm, and she instinctively leaned backward to return to the mattress.
"Why was Master Amber here?" Khan asked, crawling over Monica and sealing her lips with his.
"She," Monica gasped in the break between kisses and waited for the next one to continue her reply. "She is here because of my family."
"Did they ask her to keep an eye on you?" Khan wondered, moving to Monica's neck.
"It's here to help me," Monica said, her breath growing ragged. "Help and protect me."
"Is it because of the Thilku?" Khan questioned, slowly making his way toward Monica's chest.
"I didn't receive the order yet," Monica replied, closing her eyes and reaching for Khan's hair, "But it must be connected to Neuria."
"Did your family send you here to reward me?" Khan scoffed, lifting his head to look at Monica.
"If they did," Monica responded, pushing Khan's head back to her chest, "I don't mind being sold to you."
Khan smirked, pleased by the answer and the gasps Monica voiced while he played with her. The grip on his hair grew tighter as he continued to descend, but he kept teasing Monica with more words.
"I'll teach you if you end up going to Neuria," Khan said by the time he reached Monica's belly button.
"Yes," Monica exclaimed in a tone that resembled a moan, "But not now."
That reaction made Khan prouder. He decided to slide even deeper to get where Monica wanted, but a hungry growl suddenly resounded in the bedroom.
Khan and Monica lifted their heads simultaneously, only to hear the growl again. It had come from Monica's abdomen, but Khan's body didn't let it remain alone. His stomach also cried in hunger, warning the couple about needs beyond their lust.
The couple couldn't help but explode into a laugh, and Monica pulled herself downward to reach Khan's face. She kissed him a few times while he lay on the mattress and left his chest open for her head. Meanwhile, he used his free hand to search for his phone lost on the bed.
Monica nestled on Khan's chest, and he held her tightly while voicing a short victory cry. He had found his phone, which he brought before their faces while opening menus connected to food.
"What do you want to eat?" Monica asked.
"Spicy chicken," Khan said without showing any hesitation.
"Predictable," Monica sighed, stealing the phone from Khan's hand, "But I pick the place."
Khan kissed the top of Monica's head while she browsed through the available places in the Harbor. In theory, it was too early for shops and restaurants, but anything was possible when requested from Khan's phone.
Food took half an hour to arrive, during which Khan and Monica mostly caught up with each other without leaving the bed. The period spent separated didn't affect their natural rhythm, and things only improved once their bellies were full.
"Cuddle me," Monica cried as the post-meal drowsiness appeared. She was already back on Khan's chest, and his hand was also on her hair.
"I never stopped," Khan chuckled, putting more strength in his caresses. He was finally fully relaxed, but his phone was already moving toward the next task, and Monica could soon see it.
Khan left the phone on the mattress as holograms came out of it. They took the shape of a specific test that featured intricate red runes. Those symbols were unreadable for ordinary humans, but Khan could make some sense out of it.
The holograms caught Monica's interest, but she remained silent to let Khan focus. In theory, she wasn't supposed to be in the room during those tests, but Khan was a special case, and the embassy was bound to double-check that result.
Khan followed the test's instructions, activating as many functions as possible on the runes the holograms put forward. He didn't recognize much, and things got worse once the phone brought up more complicated symbols, but the results were still somewhat satisfying.
"Wow," Monica exclaimed once the test ended. "Can you really read five hundred Thilku runes?"
"The test only makes a projection based on the lines I recognized," Khan explained. "It's probably lower since some complex runes don't highlight them."
"Isn't this still good?" Monica wondered.
"I wish it were better," Khan sighed, closing the test and throwing his head on the mattress. "Sadly, I'm already at the complex runes, and it takes a while to memorize them."
"You wouldn't accept mediocrity even if the fate of the world were at stake," Monica snorted, reaching for Khan's cheek to pinch it. "I bet you went on a training and studying spree after the death of those Thilku."
"The fight with the Ambassador also drove me to that," Khan smirked, peeking at Monica's pouting face.
"I can even imagine what you were thinking," Monica scolded. "You thought things would have been different if you were stronger or more knowledgeable."
"It's true," Khan pointed out. "They could have."
Monica wanted to refute that statement but couldn't. It wasn't a matter of destroying Khan's hopes. It was actually the opposite. Khan had done more with far less, so he probably could have saved everyone if he were slightly stronger.
"I'm just happy you came back in one piece," Monica admitted, hiding her face in Khan's chest. "I don't care about the Thilku. I just want you to be safe."
Khan understood Monica's concerns, but there was no solution to them. He could only cuddle her until she felt reassured enough.
"If you end up on Neuria," Khan mentioned once the idea popped into his mind, "You might meet Amox. He is a good Thilku. I told him about you."
"What did you say about me?" Monica wondered, peeking at Khan's face.
"That I loved you," Khan responded.
"Really?" Monica giggled, completely lifting her head and placing an arm under her chin. "And what did he say?"
"That I should marry you," Khan teased, and Monica's eyes widened in shock.
Khan wanted to tease Monica some more, but his phone suddenly rang, distracting him from that interaction. It was odd to receive a call at that early hour, but looking at the name on the screen made his mind go blank. Somehow, Mister Cirvags was calling him.
To be continued