Chaos' Heir-Chapter 1195: Price

It had been a long time since Khan had been so exhausted or full that he would fall asleep. He barely knew what tiredness was anymore, and the intimacy with Monica had always demanded some sort of compromise in the last years.

Nevertheless, after an unknown amount of time and many sweaty, loud twists and turns, Khan experienced that again. He fell asleep without even noticing it, and the nightmares filled his vision.

Still, the nightmares felt different that time, and having found the array of asteroids had nothing to do with it. A constant cold presence existed in the back of Khan's mind, allowing him to create some needed detachment from those foreign visions.

Khan had long since learned to be relatively conscious during the nightmares, but the confusion from that novel sensation disappeared only when he opened his eyes. Their blue light illuminated the messy bed before landing on a head full of long white and red hair peeking out of a thin blanket.

Everything since the departure from the Kros' structure had felt like a dream. Khan had been in a daze the whole time, only now regaining some semblance of his rational faculties.

The sight didn't feel real, but the full extent of Khan's senses confirmed it. Liiza was truly there, sleeping at his side while curled on his torso, safely held in his warm embrace.

Khan had caused an untold mess, disappearing on top of it, but his mind still wasn't ready to consider all the repercussions. He could only focus on that straight, soft hair, and the hand above the blanket slid toward it to caress it.

The red strands were virtually identical to the white ones. Their color differed but still belonged to Liiza's hair, carrying its distinctive features. Its silk-like softness was nostalgic, but didn't need to be anymore. After all, Khan didn't have to dive into his memories to reexperience it. He only had to stretch his hand.

"You are very warm," Liiza moaned, enjoying the caresses on her hair. Still, she slightly retracted her head, showing her evident blush, and a white light soon shone on Khan's face.

"Hey," Liiza exclaimed, her hands peeking past the blanket to reach Khan's face and hold his cheeks.

"Hey," Khan responded, the hand on Liiza's hair sliding on her back to pull her closer and caress it.

A smile had broadened on Liiza's face since she had woken up, and that expression only deepened while looking at Khan. She was happy on so many levels, be it physical or emotional, but that closeness brought her gaze to Khan's mouth, making her bite her lower lip.

Khan had never forgotten about that habit. Liiza always did that whenever she had impure thoughts, and he had never understood whether she was conscious of it.

"Do you even realize you always do this?" Khan teased, nodding at the lip between Liiza's teeth.

"I don't always do this," Liiza corrected, aware of what Khan was talking about. "The last who made me do it was you."

Khan couldn't help but be surprised. Liiza had told him that things had never been the same after him, and he understood her. After all, he had experienced something similar. Yet, she was a Niqols.

"What?" Liiza chuckled. "Still jealous?"

Liiza groaned and straightened herself, sitting on the mattress. Noticing the bed's poor state put a childish, slightly coy smile on her face, making her hug the blanket over her chest. Still, she didn't forget to peek past her shoulder to address the man staring at her naked back.

"In case you were wondering," Liiza announced, "We did more yesterday than I ever did in the past years."

"Didn't you say you found someone for a time?" Khan frowned, looking up at the enchanting beauty sitting at his side.

"We have been together for a couple of months," Liiza scoffed, "And they were busy months. We hardly saw each other until I just cut it."

Liiza's gaze moved to Khan's exposed torso, and her smile became playful. Her hand went on his abs, tracing their lines while adding something else. "By the way, he is also married and has kids, so you have no exes to worry about."

Liiza wanted to tease and reassure Khan at the same time, but he took the news differently. Khan couldn't help but compare that revelation to how he had lived the past ten years, and the feeling of unworthiness returned.

"Compared to you," Khan muttered, diverting his gaze, "I did so much more. What right do I even have to touch you?"

Liiza stopped playing with Khan's abs. He blamed himself, but Liiza knew it was her fault, and she had already sworn to fix that.

"You'd better touch me," Liiza snorted, grabbing Khan's wrist and forcefully pulling him toward her. Khan sat on the bed, and Liiza settled between his legs before dragging his arms around her waist and adjusting the blanket over her chest.

Khan wanted to hold back, but Liiza was too much for his brain. He held her tightly, and she placed her head on his left shoulder, turning it to whisper in his ear.

"I abandoned my species for you," Liiza warned. "I expect never to feel cold again."

Khan understood the magnitude of what he had made Liiza do, so he promised himself to take responsibility, even if he had to spend his whole life paying her back. Yet, Liiza sensed his heavier mood and didn't hesitate to tease him.

"Or, you know," Liiza exclaimed, looking at the living quarters' exit. "I could always be with random men until we are even."

A happy giggle escaped Liiza's mouth when she sensed Khan tensing up. She turned, and her smile widened when she found him staring at her.

"I forgot how cute you got when I teased you," Liiza chirped, lifting a hand to caress the right side of Khan's face while kissing his left cheek.

"I haven't been called cute in years," Khan shook his head, but Liiza's hand remained clung to it. She actually pulled him down, making him lie on her right shoulder while smiling in satisfaction.

"Wait," Khan said, recalling something. "Is this guy Ilman?"

"You might not believe it," Liiza responded, "But Illman became your greatest supporter after you left. He always said I should have waited for you."

The news about Illman was shocking and heartwarming, but Khan lowered his gaze, thinking about something else. His eyes illuminated the blanket before Liiza's chest, but his mind had far purer words.

"I would have," Khan declared. "I would have waited for you."

"I know," Liiza immediately replied, tilting her head to lay it on Khan's, "But we had to separate. We wouldn't be here otherwise."

"What changed?" Khan asked, recalling the scenes from the previous passion. "We are still broken. We are still toxic."

"Everyone was wrong about us," Liiza confirmed, "But also right."

"How so?" Khan questioned.

"Ten years ago, you would have never kidnapped me," Liiza explained. "You would have avoided making things hard for me at all costs, ending up on some forsaken planet to suffer alone, to punish yourself for something that wasn't your fault."

Khan opened his mouth but promptly closed it. That was exactly what he had done after leaving Nitis, and he could recognize that pattern throughout the past ten years.

"As for me," Liiza sighed. "I had to spend so long among the Niqols to realize how unhappy they made me. I like serving my species, but doing that nullifies me."

Khan didn't know the details but had felt some in the previous passion. Liiza had looked genuinely surprised during the initial phases of their lustful reunion. It seemed she had forgotten about all that until Khan came.

"Though it's funny," Liiza continued, sighing. "It seems I started behaving more like a human, while you became more like a Niqols. Fate must have a sense of humor."

"I'll break it," Khan stated, not hiding his silent anger. "For us to suffer so much just to be together. If fate exists, I'll break it."

Liiza glanced to her right, noticing Khan's serious gaze. He wasn't joking, and Liiza instantly believed he could do it for some reason. She had seen part of Khan's powerful, domineering side during the previous passion, but much remained undiscovered, and she couldn't wait to learn more about it.

"It was unavoidable," Liiza revealed, pulling Khan's face to make it turn toward her. He did, and she didn't hesitate to leave a quick kiss on his lips.

"What we have is unnatural," Liiza explained, laying her forehead on Khan's. "It defies so many rules, and it's too dangerous for beings like us to have. That's why we had to pay the price, and we still have."