Chapter 504: Social event

Khan wanted nothing more than put Induna behind him and immerse himself in his girlfriend's love. Yet, he felt obliged to tell her everything first. He would kiss Monica only if she still accepted him.

Monica held Khan's hand while a cab flew them to the second district. Her gaze remained lowered while tales of Induna's events reached her ears. Her expression didn't shake even once, and her grip remained steady.

Khan's tale ended with the briefing with the Headmistress. The latter wanted their conversation to remain classified, but Khan couldn't keep things from Monica.

"That's everything," Khan eventually said, lying deeper into the seat's back. He wanted to add something but remained silent to let Monica process his tale.

"Is this why you have yet to kiss me?" Monica wondered, lifting her gaze to show her teary eyes. "Were you worried about my reaction?"

Khan wanted to say something, but Monica lifted her free hand to reach for the right side of his face. She was a bit angry, but her worry was far stronger, and a smile even broadened on her expression when a sniff resounded.

"I told you already," Monica did her best to hold back her tears. "I'd love you even if you were a real monster, and you aren't. You are deeply scarred, but your actions are never cruel. You just do what you have to do."

Khan reached the hand on his cheek to hold it. Even after learning about what he had done, Monica didn't change her opinion of him. It actually pained her that he had worried about that.

"Maybe I was waiting for your approval to move on," Khan explained. "I'm sorry. Bad habits are hard to kill, especially when I make so many problems for you."

"Dummy," Monica sniffed, escaping Khan's grasp to punch his chest. He barely felt her attack due to how little strength she had put into it, and more followed.

"Idiot, stupid, scoundrel!" Monica complained, continuing to hit Khan's chest. "Cause as many problems as you want. Kill whoever you need to kill. Just make sure to come back to me."

Monica couldn't hold her tears anymore. She exploded, and Khan intercepted her new attack to pull her into his chest. Strength abandoned Monica's body, leaving her powerless in Khan's embrace.

"Were you worried?" Khan whispered, caressing and kissing Monica's hair to help her calm down.

"I couldn't sleep at all," Monica whimpered. "Last time you returned, you were a mess. You are even worse today. I'm afraid you won't come back from the next mission."

Monica wrapped her arms around Khan's torso and tightened her hug. She initially held back from applying her full strength for fear of potential injuries, but Khan's calm demeanor eventually reassured her.

Monica didn't mention it, but Khan knew that the lack of calls had worsened the situation. He couldn't even imagine how worried she had been during those days.

"I'll come back," Khan reassured. "I'll always come back for you."

Monica lifted her head to show her teary face. Khan hated himself for making her cry again, but Monica seemed to sense that instinctive reaction, so she pushed herself forward to reach his lips.

"I was going crazy," Monica revealed once the kiss ended. "I thought they would have brought you back in a coffin."

"You won't get rid of me so easily," Khan reassured, reaching for Monica's cheeks to wipe her tears. "You are stuck with me."

"Good," Monica exclaimed. "I wouldn't know what to do otherwise. The bed isn't the same without you on it. The flat feels empty when you aren't around. My days don't start if I don't hear your stupid jokes."

"My, my," Khan gasped. "It seems you have gone mad."

"You made me like this," Monica complained. "So don't you dare die on me."

Another wave of sobs arrived, but Khan was ready to take Monica in his arms again. So much blood was on his hands, but Monica didn't want to be anywhere else. She completely accepted him, and he couldn't help but feel saved.

"You'd be glad to know the Headmistress grounded me for a while," Khan chuckled.

"I'm not," Monica whined. "I don't enjoy seeing you getting hurt all the time."

"I thought you liked taking care of me," Khan teased.

"I don't like it anymore!" Monica snapped, pointing her pleading expression at Khan. "So, stop getting hurt."

"Alright, alright," Khan instantly agreed. "Come here now."

Khan pulled Monica closer to make her stretch her legs over his lap. She was basically sitting on him, and he cuddled her to disperse what remained of her worry.

"How did you get into the Headmistress' office anyway?" Khan eventually asked.

"I threatened all the soldiers I found until one led me to the office," Monica explained.

"That sounds like my lovely girlfriend," Khan nodded, and a giggle resounded in his arms.

"By the way," Khan mentioned. "Shouldn't you be in class?"

"I'm not leaving your side today," Monica stated. "I don't care what you or my mother say."

"Is that so?" Khan smirked. "I was about to say that I don't really want you at my side."

Monica recognized Khan's tempting tone and glanced at the braces around his leg. Her gaze then moved to the bandages on his face. He was still hurt, but Monica could see how full of energy he was.

"And where do you want me to be?" Monica played along since Khan looked mostly fine.

"I can think of a few places," Khan whispered, lowering his head to make their noses touch, "But on me sounds like a good start."

.

.

.

The trip to the Harbor had made Khan fall behind on his studies, but Monica brought him back to speed while he was bedridden. She even skipped classes to focus on him while Anita and George took care of delivering notes.

Ideally, Khan would attend classes in his injured state, but the Headmistress required time to spin the story in his favor. Being outside would work against him, so he opted for complete rest, meditation, and intense study.

Still, as much as Monica and Khan would love to spend the entire week alone, mandatory social events remained. Khan's injured state also prevented him from moving too much, leading to a strange situation on the weekend's last day.

"Remind me why we are doing this," Khan sighed, straightening his position on the crutches.

"Social connections require constant nurturing," Monica explained, adjusting Khan's casual clothes. "We can't allow ourselves to disappear anymore."

"But why so many?" Khan complained.

"They are the best and wealthiest in the advanced classes," Monica stated. "Their friendship is a priceless asset among our generation."

"What are the chances that we'll get any studying done?" Khan questioned.

"None," Monica giggled, "But we'll be together in a more restrained environment. We won't need to stick to my mother's rules so thoroughly."

"Someone is eager to take me out," Khan teased. "We shouldn't have been so late then."

"That's your fault!" Monica scoffed, stomping her feet and crossing her arms. "You should have let me go when the first alarm rang."

"I remember it the other way around," Khan chuckled, leaning forward to approach Monica's pouting face. "You almost broke my new phone when you threw it away."

"It's still your fault," Monica giggled, taking Khan's face in her hands. "You should feel bad about it."

"How could I when you make such cute sounds?" Khan joked, but Monica showed no shyness. Instead, her hands slid on Khan's face to take his neck in her embrace.

"Only sounds?" Monica asked.

"Your expressions are worth mentioning too," Khan whispered while Monica pulled him into a kiss.

"Praise me more," Monica muttered, and Khan let go of the crutches to limp toward the bedroom's wall, pushing her in the process.

Monica let out a cute gasp when her back hit the wall, but Khan's lips soon sealed her mouth. All their duties and worries suddenly disappeared to make room for their mad passion.

However, a message lit up above the couple, and its light was bright enough to distract them from their intimacy. They both lifted their gazes and laughed when they read those angry words.

'I'm going to tell everyone about that kinky game of yours if you don't come out,' George said in his message.

"We should show our faces," Khan sighed.

"How can George convince you when I can't?" Monica complained. "Should I be jealous?"

"George doesn't have this," Khan joked, softly slapping Monica's butt. She let out another cute gasp, and an intense expression followed, but reason had the better of her.

"You can have it once everyone leaves," Monica whispered tempting words before kissing Khan and escaping his embrace to pick up his crutches.

"Ready?" Monica asked once Khan had worn the crutches, and he gestured a simple nod to make her open the bedroom.

A series of cheerful cries resounded when Monica and Khan appeared in his flat's corridor. New couches, seats, and tables had appeared in the main hall, and multiple familiar faces filled them while calling for the couple.

"You took your sweet time," Zoe laughed.

"We can excuse Khan due to his injuries," Lucian stated.

"Right," George scoffed. "His injuries definitely are the problem."

"It's uncommon for the host to be late," Lucy commented.

"We can give the Captain some leeway," Mark announced. "After all, this is his first time."

"But not Monica's," Anita sighed. "My girl is on a bad path."

"I might be a bit envious," Marcia admitted.

"Khan, can we smoke here?" John shouted, even if a lit cigarette was already in his mouth.

"Allow me to apologize for the delay," Monica announced when she and Khan reached the array of couches and seats. "I took longer than expected to prepare."

"She couldn't choose a dress," Khan added, stopping his limping to face the entire room. "I told her she would look perfect in any of them, but arguing with a Solodrey is impossible."

"It's still cute when you try," Monica giggled, reaching for Khan's cheek to kiss it. "Never stop."

Laughs and more comments resounded in the hall, forcing Monica to perform an elegant bow that highlighted her yellow sundress. She didn't have the time to prepare thoroughly for the social event, but her figure remained the embodiment of harmonious beauty.

"You guys, sit down," Lucian called. "We are all friends here, so there is no need for ceremonies."

"And I've already filled your drinks," George added, pointing at the empty couch and the glasses on the table before it.

Khan and Monica exchanged nods and smiles while reaching their couch. Khan immediately picked up his drink while Monica folded her legs on the pillow and leaned toward his head to adjust his bandages.

"You need to change them soon," Monica voiced, carefully stretching the cloth over the padded area.

"I'll remove them soon anyway," Khan responded. "My hair is already growing back there."

"I'll take you to a saloon once you do," Monica stated.

"Eager to have a date?" Khan teased.

"Very," Monica replied. "I want the entire Harbor to see me with my man."

The comfort and intimacy shown by the couple silenced the hall. Lucian, George, and Anita had gotten used to that behavior by then, but Mark and the others felt shocked.

"By the way," Lucian cleared his throat to break that awkward silence, "I've taken a look at what you brought back. You can sell most items in the shopping district, while Pandora might be interested in the bones."

"Pandora?" Khan repeated. "How much are they willing to pay?"

"Not much," Lucian admitted. "You might be able to make two hundred thousand, but that's mostly due to your name."

"Wait on the sale," Khan ordered. "There is a chance Pandora might want the shells too."

"Is there something I should know?" Lucian wondered as his eyes lit up.

"I guess a lot," Mark joined the conversation. "Khan has been so cryptic about his mission on Induna. Even the Global Army has yet to release an official report."

"You'll learn everything soon enough," Khan laughed, and the buzzing of his phone put a smile on his face. "Perfect timing."

Only a few seconds had to pass for everyone's phones to ring. The descendants opened that notification, and their eyes widened in surprise when they realized what it was. The video of Khan's battle in the underground hall had just hit the network.

"So, what do you think?" Khan asked as his expression went cold.

"I think," Lucian hesitated due to the amazement those images caused. "I think I need to contact Pandora again."