430 Shoes
Cute snores welcomed Khan's awakening, but he couldn't see anything when he opened his eyes. He had to straighten his back to get out of the nest of curly hair and regain access to his vision.
Monica whimpered but didn't wake up. Khan could sit and rub his eyes before falling prey to the sweet sight. Monica had her legs on his lap, a simple blanket covered her body, and her expression embodied peace.
'I won't be able to hold back anymore.' Khan cursed, even if a smile remained on his face.
Khan and Monica had taken a significant step forward. The event had been joyous, and Khan almost couldn't believe how good it had felt.
The restraints that Khan had to put on himself for many months could be the reason behind that pleasant surprise. He could also blame the transformation for his enhanced sensations. Still, he liked to believe that Monica had something to do with that. After all, she had done a lot during that intimate moment.
'You can't stop getting cuter, can you?' Khan cursed again as he ran his fingers over the leg peeking out of the blanket.
Monica whimpered under that touch, and a pleased expression soon joined her peace. That reaction almost pushed Khan to wake her up, but he forced himself to divert his gaze and rest his head on the couch's back.
'Jenna was right,' Khan thought, recalling all the comments Jenna made about Monica and that topic. 'We definitely are compatible. Now what?'
The day had given Khan a taste of the rudeness he could face in the Harbor. Monica's underlings were only worried about his potential relationship with her, but his destination was bound to have people who disliked his background.
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Khan had already faced similar problems, especially during his time in Ylaco, but he had changed a lot since then. Dealing with Monica's underlings had proven how he struggled to pretend now. He could show a poker face, but someone would eventually find a crack in it, and he couldn't imagine what would happen afterward.
Things would even worsen from now on. Monica was an emotional trigger that grew stronger as Khan got closer to her, and his own instabilities would eventually resurface. He would probably snap at some point, and the issue had no reasonable solution.
'Maybe, it's for the best,' Khan guessed. 'I need to build a network of people who respect the real me anyway. Surviving until then is the only issue.'
The results of the scanners flashed in Khan's mind once that topic returned. The transformation had pushed his attunement with mana to sixty-nine percent. He only needed one point to become a third-level warrior.
Khan was still holding back from making the meditative sessions a core part of his training schedule, but it seemed that the time had come. Finding something that would turn him into a necessary aspect of the Harbor would take time. Instead, his new star was right around the corner, and he might need it to avoid eventual punishments.
Checking the phone revealed that Khan had only slept for a few hours. The ship had probably set off by then, putting the arrival in the Harbor a couple weeks from now. The trip would be pretty long, but time sounded short when Khan thought about his many tasks.
The training was obvious, but Khan planned to take a look at the books left behind by Master Amelia. The new state of his relationship also hinted at busy times, so Khan could already predict that his sleep would be rare and short.
The odd position enforced by the couch eventually made Monica wake up. She opened her eyes only to feel Khan's caresses on her leg. Turning in his direction also put her before his warm expression, and she couldn't help but reach for it.
Monica straightened her back while holding the blanket on her torso. The two exchanged a kiss before Monica moved to his collarbone and shoulder to leave wet marks that expressed her affection.
"How are you feeling?" Khan asked.
"Great," Monica reassured while leaving another kiss on Khan's shoulder. "Maybe a bit lightheaded."
"It would be strange otherwise," Khan teased. "We didn't exactly hold back, especially you."
"I'm glad this area is soundproof," Monica giggled. Her shyness couldn't come out after her last barrier had crumbled. She had opened herself completely, so she couldn't feel any tension or shame with Khan.
That reaction shocked Khan a bit. He didn't expect things to evolve so quickly, but seeing Monica in that state added fuel to the wild urges he had just fulfilled. He was ready to take her into his arms, but his emotions froze when her fingers touched the tattoo.
Khan followed Monica's movements closely. She stared at the tattoo while tracing its lines with her forefinger. Her touch expressed curiosity, but it also carried a great deal of care.
"It's incredible how this survived all your battles," Monica commented while keeping her eyes on the tattoo.
"It's made out of mana," Khan shortly explained, "And it's part of me."
"Jenna mentioned something about it," Monica revealed. "It's connected to your ex, Liiza, isn't it?"
"It is," Khan confirmed as a sad smile made its way onto his face. "Humans don't love like Niqols, so one of their shamans wanted to test my feelings."
"Test?" Monica repeated. "Was it dangerous?"
"I would have needed special surgery if I failed," Khan stated. "Still, everything went well, and now it's there forever."
"I see," Monica whispered. "Does it have a meaning?"
Khan didn't want to spoil the moment, but lying to Monica wasn't an option either. Yet, he hesitated anyway. He didn't look forward to hurting Monica.
"In the human language," Khan announced, "Eternal love."
Monica had never lifted her gaze, but Khan could still notice the tremor running through her eyes. He also sensed her emotions, but something odd happened there. Sadness spread inside her, but her relationship wasn't the target of that feeling.
"So much pain," Monica voiced as she caressed the tattoo. "You fought for them, killed for them, but you still lost in the end. It's so unfair."
Khan frowned. He expected Monica to hurt or at least snap, but she didn't do anything remotely similar. She only felt sorry for him.
"And now my family is treating you like shit," Monica continued. "It's so depressing and irritating."
Monica finally lifted her gaze, and she felt surprised to see Khan's frown. She couldn't understand what was happening, and Khan's silence eventually made her pout. "What?"
"Aren't you jealous?" Khan bluntly asked.
"Of course I am," Monica snorted, "But not about your ex. I just wish you had more marks about me."
Shock ran through Khan again. The moody Monica was showing a surprisingly understanding and calm behavior when it came to another woman. The scene was almost unbelievable.
"Idiot," Monica snorted again while laying her head on Khan's shoulder. "I can only imagine how important she was to you. I have big shoes to fill."
Khan knew that Monica and Jenna had spoken after the kiss, but it took him that answer to understand how deeply their talk had gone. He could even guess what Jenna's feelings had made her hint at, which wasn't what he wanted.
"You don't have to fill anything," Khan called while moving his shoulder away to reach for Monica's face. "You just have to be you."
"But I have an annoying family," Monica cried, "And it's because of me that we can't be together openly."
"Fuck your family," Khan stated as he held Monica's face with both hands. "As for everything else, we'll figure something out together."
"Really?" Monica almost begged.
"Really," Khan promised.
Monica's face lit up. A wave of life invaded her and pushed her arms around Khan's neck. He pulled her closer, and the two exchanged a kiss before she snuggled on his neck.
"So, how many tattoos are you getting for me?" Monica questioned.
"Are we starting with the demands already?" Khan chuckled.
"I think three is a good number," Monica continued before laughing when Khan pushed her down to lie on top of her.
"I know a better way to leave marks on me," Khan whispered, knowing that he had already gone over a similar topic with Liiza. Still, instead of the usual sorrow, he found himself appreciating how Monica had reached the same realm.
Monica's timid side flashed on her face before she lost herself in Khan's expression. She instinctively pulled him closer while spreading her legs to cling them to his waist, and words became useless afterward.
As Khan predicted, the two weeks of flight ended up being quite packed. Studying the books on the ship, training, and Monica occupied most of his time, leaving him barely any minute to sleep or rest.
Khan's new vitality came in handy, especially since things only escalated with Monica. She grew bolder and more confident inside the privacy of the ship, which pushed Khan to be even more open about his desire.
Monica couldn't refuse Khan, and he didn't even try to hold back when she used one of her meaningful looks. Their passion became impossible to contain, and Khan could only be thankful that the ship had enough condoms.
Luckily for the couple, the soldiers had left Monica's belongings in the corridor at the ship's center, so the trip went by without any awkward interaction. Khan studied, trained, and let his passion run freely until the pilot gave the inevitable announcement.
"Miss Solodrey, you can activate the external cameras if you want to inspect the landing," The pilot said through the ship's speakers.
Monica groaned while rubbing her face on Khan's bare chest. They were on the ship's floor, where they had assembled a makeshift bed. Three bags acted as pillows while two sheets separated them from the cold metal and covered their bodies.
"You go," Monica whimpered. "I'm not getting up."
"It's your turn," Khan pointed out.
"It's not," Monica rebuked.
"Because you say so?" Khan asked.
"Because I say so," Monica confirmed.
"And here I hoped I could get a good spectacle," Khan teased.
Monica had closed her eyes, but they snapped open to look at Khan's intense gaze. She could see herself at the center of his attention, and she knew that complying would deepen his stare.
"Scoundrel," Monica whispered. "You are lucky I'm the best girlfriend in the world."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Khan joked before grunting. Monica had bitten his chest, and she pushed on it to leave the sheets and stand up.
The desire to add another joke or complaint left Khan. He fell prey to the sight that unfolded in his vision and even crossed his arms behind his head to appreciate it fully.
Monica's naked beauty shone under the ship's artificial light. She showed her back to Khan and peeked past her shoulder to display her complicit smile. She loved when he only had eyes for her, and he didn't even try to hide his interest.
The slow walk to an interactive menu on the ship's wall lasted far too little for Khan's tastes, but the screens that popped out suppressed his disappointment.
The external cameras captured an eerie grey moon with giant structures growing on its side. A series of transparent domes occupied almost a quarter of the satellite and revealed the many buildings hidden underneath. White lights also shone past them, allowing the ship to see many details from a distance.
The place resembled an immense city divided into multiple districts. Its size didn't surprise Khan after his experience on Milia 222, but the heavily human style created a more harmonious picture. The scene was beautiful, and eagerness inevitably spread inside Khan.
The cameras eventually captured a series of ships leaving the dome to approach Monica's vehicle, and the pilot didn't hesitate to make another announcement. "Miss Solodrey, the landing procedures have started."
Monica pressed a label on the interactive menu before replying. "How long until landing?"
"Should be one hour," The pilot responded. "I'm confident I can save us at least twenty minutes."
"Don't worry," Monica reassured. "I need the extra time to make myself presentable."
"As you wish, Miss Solodrey," The pilot confirmed before the communication ended.
Khan lost himself in the scenes on the screens. Seeing the approaching ships with the massive dome in the background created an otherworldly and exciting picture. He had already witnessed similar events, but they never stopped triggering his wonder.
"Hey," Monica called while sitting on Khan's waist and planting her hands on his chest. "You aren't looking at me."
"What a needy woman," Khan sighed as he arched his back to make Monica lose her balance and fall on him.
Monica voiced a short cry, but a giggle followed when she found Khan holding her by her waist. Her head descended on her own, and Khan knew the perfect line to make her fall into a kiss. "Let's use this hour well."
****
Author's notes: The fourth volume will end here. I think I could have handled some parts better, but I hope you liked it anyway. I'll see you tomorrow in the Harbor, which will mark the beginning of the fifth volume, and, yes, we'll eventually get a new cover too.
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