"[Harder]," Jenna cried.
"[It will hurt if I go any harder]," Khan grunted.
"[Khan]," Jenna called in a pleading tone.
"[Fine]," Khan whispered. "[Brace yourself]."
Faint cries and even a few suppressed moans followed that exchange of words. Anyone would get a specific idea of what was happening when hearing that conversation and those tones, but that conclusion would be completely wrong.
Khan and Jenna were in the bathroom, under the shower, but they weren"t doing anything s.e.xual. Jenna had simply wanted his help to remove the spray from her skin, and he quickly discovered that the process wasn"t as easy as it looked.
The gas had almost fused with Jenna"s skin and hair, creating a slim layer that was hard to remove. Khan had to put real strength while scrubbing her with a soft sponge, but the process still took an entire hour.
Khan was also to blame for that lengthy process. He didn"t want to hurt Jenna or rip off her hair, so he needed her reminders to put some real effort into the scrubbing.
"[I feel so clean]!" Jenna announced when she felt that Khan had removed all the itching gas from her.
Khan heaved a tired sigh and threw the sponge on the wet floor, but he soon found his hands full. Jenna didn"t hesitate to jump on him to express her grat.i.tude, and both of them had to muster the entirety of their self-restraint to suppress the urges caused by the naked hug.
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"[Let"s get you some clean clothes]," Khan stated as he stopped the water and left the shower while Jenna continued to cling to his neck and waist.
"[Clothes won"t hide that thing pressing on my b.u.t.t]," Jenna whispered to Khan"s ear.
"[The others have no idea that your stoic face hides such a lewd mind]," Khan sighed.
"[I like how I can speak my thoughts freely with you]," Jenna giggled as she hid her face in Khan"s neck while he carried her back into the bedroom.
"[Hey, what are you sticking your tongue out for]?" Khan scolded.
"[You taste good]," Jenna responded while leaving a deep kiss on Khan"s neck.
"[Jenna]," Khan complained before placing Jenna on the bed and grabbing her elbows.
Jenna let Khan do as he wished. Khan lifted her arms while pushing her onto the bed. Jenna"s eyes half-closed as Khan made their foreheads touch. Their noses were so close that they could feel their breath spreading on their faces, and their wet bodies didn"t help defuse the situation.
Khan was lying on Jenna, between her legs. She was welcoming that action, and both of them could feel their respective warmth. Their eyes didn"t hide their excitement either, and their faces seemed to grow closer with each pa.s.sing second.
Jenna and Khan seemed unable to stop. They could feel how they were both ready to go all the way. Their mouths opened to blow inviting warmth and wetness as they grew closer. They were almost on the verge of kissing, but Khan abruptly turned his head and laid it on Jenna"s chest.
"[That was close]," Khan cursed.
"[That was so exciting]," Jenna commented as she wrapped her arms around Khan"s head.
"[Make some room]," Khan ordered as he pushed Jenna deeper into the bed.
Jenna soon reached a pillow, but the two didn"t change position. Khan rested on her chest while she caressed his head. He even closed his eyes to enjoy that relaxing moment.
"[Do you want to sleep before getting back to work]?" Jenna asked.
"[No, it"s fine]," Khan muttered. "[We"ll sleep tonight]."
"[You can use my chest as a pillow]," Jenna teased.
"[Shut up]," Khan scolded while pinching Jenna"s waist.
"[You"ll leave a mark]," Jenna complained.
"[You can at least try to sound disappointed]," Khan joked.
"[Will my kiss leave a mark]?" Jenna asked.
"[Will you kiss me again if I say no]?" Khan wondered.
"[Maybe]," Jenna laughed.
"[You are impossible]," Khan cursed as he snuggled closer to Jenna"s neck.
The two remained in that position for a while, enjoying the increasing affection that their time together was generating. They felt close even if they had known each other for barely three days, but the world eventually caught up to them.
A cute groan left Jenna"s mouth when Khan"s phone rang. She tried to put more strength into her hug, but she had to let Khan go when he pinched her again.
Khan went to the bathroom to find his clothes and retrieve his a.s.sets. He brought the knife back to a bedside table while checking his phone. Luke wanted to plan the details of the incoming meetings, and he also wished that Khan had told him more about Jenna"s situation.
"[You are fine with human food, right]?" Khan asked while writing a short message. "[Luke will probably agree to anything you ask, so tell me if you want something specific]."
"[Expressing requests would show acceptance of the cooperation]," Jenna stated without forgetting to add her annoyance to her tone. "[It"s better if I remain detached and let you handle everything]."
Khan nodded as he sent the message and connected the phone to the wall before approaching the entrance. He was still naked, so he stopped the door before it could open completely before peeking outside.
The corridor that expanded from the room was empty, but the waiters had already brought clean clothes. They had even prepared a few sets for Jenna to let her choose what she preferred.
"[These look nice]," Khan exclaimed as he closed the door and placed the clothes on the bed.
Jenna briefly inspected them before going back to pretending to be annoyed, but Khan knew how to handle her. He laughed as he reached the pillows and took Jenna in his arms.
"[We can stay naked until the meetings]," Khan rea.s.sured while caressing Jenna"s hair. "[I"ll even help you choose what to wear]."
"[Will you help me wear them]?" Jenna asked in an emotionless tone.
"[You sure like to be spoiled]," Khan joked.
"[You are the best]," Jenna exclaimed as she dived into Khan"s chest and let him cuddle her properly.
The meetings would happen after lunch, which was still a few hours away. That time wasn"t enough for a complete training session, so Khan didn"t mind spending it in the comfort that Jenna"s company generated. Still, it turned out that Jenna had other plans.
"[Do you feel any difference]?" Jenna eventually asked while sliding her head closer to Khan"s face.
"[Right]," Khan exclaimed as he raised his arm and closed his eyes to immerse himself in the synthetic mana that filled the room.
Khan didn"t achieve much in the Nele"s arts, even if he had spent two sleepless nights training. The mana would reply at times, but those events were random.
However, Khan now felt as if the distance between him and the mana had shortened. Faint purple-red strands of energy left his hand and mixed with the environment as he tried to establish a conversation, and a warm breeze eventually blew in the room.
"[I never succeeded so quickly]," Khan gasped.
"[The synthetic mana is easier to talk to]," Jenna stated. "[Well, it"s not really a conversation]."
"[I can feel it now]," Khan exclaimed. "[It"s still faint, but I can sense something different. I don"t know how to describe it. It feels shallow]."
Khan wasn"t coming up with random words. He had always felt an innate disdain toward the synthetic mana, but there was something else now. That energy felt almost simpler and lighter, but Khan knew that those words couldn"t properly describe its qualities.
"[Shallow works for now]," Jenna uttered. "[You know the mana, but you are still a novice in our arts. You"ll manage to see different details after learning how to establish a conversation]."
"[It"s still easier to control it]," Khan continued before releasing a far denser wave of mana from his palm.
The light in the room flickered under the interference caused by the chaos element. Khan forced his mana to expand slowly and create a small cloud that influenced the environment.
Khan frowned as he focused on using his mana to alter the energy in the room. That was already an advanced exercise, something that went beyond the requirement of the [Blood Vortex]. Khan wanted to take control of the synthetic mana instead of talking to it.
That exercise didn"t come from books or teachings. Liiza unleashed her spells through that approach, and Khan tried to imitate her. His control was still lacking in that field, but he was slowly getting there.
Khan had to let his mana disperse at some point. Forcing his energy to affect instead of destroying was exhausting. He even felt that he was too violent in the process, but that was the best he could do.
"[I think I can use your teachings to improve on this field]," Khan revealed. "[Faint mana capable of affecting a large area. That should be the last step]."
"[Are you sure that"s all you want]?" Jenna asked as she lowered Khan"s arm to raise her own.
Jenna released her energy, which dispersed immediately. Soft gales quickly started to blow in the room, and Khan widened his eyes in marvel when he saw that they gained different colors.
"[The universe is big]," Jenna announced. "[Many intelligent species have developed unique arts connected to mana. I can"t claim that ours is the best, but I can see its strong points]."
The multicolored gales converged right above Khan and Jenna to create a small tornado that never abandoned its different shades. Jenna was only using the colors to highlight the various winds and show how she could prevent them from fusing.
"[Taking control and altering nature are different things]," Jenna explained as she made the tornado shrink and land in her palm. "[You are forcing the synthetic mana to imitate the nature of your element, but that will only allow you to trigger destruction on a larger scale]."
Jenna closed her hand and brought it before Khan"s face. Khan instinctively took it in her grasp, and Jenna opened it to reveal the new shape of the tiny tornado. It had turned into a half-transparent flower with multicolored petals.
"[The chaos element is violent]," Jenna continued, "[But there"s far more to it. I think you can get somewhere with your approach, but you should think about what you want to achieve]."
Jenna lifted her head to blow on her palm. The flower dispersed, and its various colors quickly vanished into the air.
"[That"s a tricky question]," Khan sighed as Jenna placed her hand back on his chest and he closed his eyes.
The mana could accomplish marvels, but Khan had always used it as a weapon. The nature of his element didn"t help even when he learnt alternative methods, but the Nele"s approach seemed to offer a new path.
Still, having a new path didn"t bring answers. Khan wouldn"t know what to tell his mana to do even if he had alternatives. He could think of different weapons or uses, but they always involved destructive purposes.
"[You don"t need to find the answer now]," Jenna rea.s.sured. "[Take your time. Learn. Study the world and yourself, but don"t put limits on your elements. They exist only in your mind]."
Khan and Jenna didn"t speak anymore. The sheets became drenched, but they didn"t care. They let the room"s warmth take care of that as they rested in silence and waited for the meeting to arrive.
Jenna pretended to be picky during the dressing part, and Khan let her have fun. She was using the clothes as an excuse to make Khan touch her all over, but she eventually opted for a simple black hoodie paired with slightly baggy trousers.
The first meeting was with Luke. Khan let him inside and saw him pushing a short cart with a few plates on it. The scent coming out of that meal was so appealing that even Jenna raised her head to peek at it, but Luke"s smile flickered when he inspected the scene.
Jenna and Khan weren"t hugging anymore, but they weren"t too distant either. They were sitting side by side, and Luke could recognize that they didn"t use any dryer on their hair.
The sheets also showed signs of having dried up naturally. They were messy, and they almost showed the silhouettes that Khan and Jenna had created by resting in the same position for a few hours.
Yet, Khan and Jenna"s clothes were clean and tidy. They didn"t get wet, which told Luke that the two had worn them only after drying up.
Luke could only add those details to the idea that had already filled his companions" minds. Everything pointed toward the fact that Khan and Jenna were an actual couple, and Luke could only act accordingly at that point.
Khan also inspected Luke, but for very different reasons. He was worried that Jenna"s pheromones would cause problems, but Luke seemed to have come prepared. He had applied a brown ointment under his nose, which allowed him to act normally even in the range of Jenna"s influence.
"I can come later if you want to enjoy the meal peacefully," Luke eventually exclaimed.
"Don"t worry," Khan replied as he approached the cart to take two plates and hand one to Jenna.
"Fine then," Luke announced. "I"ll add a few reports to your list. I just want to remind you that all of this is cla.s.sified."
Luke approached one of the free openings on the wall and plugged his phone to create a series of images. Most of them were reports, but Khan and Jenna also saw pictures that could turn into holograms to inspect them better.
"The material used in the stolen item comes from Tainted animals similar to chameleons," Luke explained while using holograms to add details. "Their skin has great flexibility, especially when it comes to alterations that involve mana. It"s honestly the best of the best."
"What"s the illegal part?" Khan asked. "I don"t see the problem with Tainted animals."
"The location is the issue," Luke replied. "These chameleons live on a planet currently at war. The Bise are fighting with another species that shares their xenophobia, so exporting resources is sort of a taboo. That"s why we have to smuggle it."
"How does that even happen?" Khan questioned.
"The Global Army has no involvement in this," Luke revealed. "The Bise are the smugglers, but they only deliver the merch. Another criminal organization on milia handles the sale."
Luke"s eyes often fell on Jenna, but she remained emotionless. She didn"t react to the explanation at all, which left Luke disappointed. He hoped to get some confirmation that she had interacted with the material, but she stood perfectly still.
"Is that all?" Khan asked.
"I"m afraid it is," Luke admitted. "I still don"t think this lead is solid enough to require an investigation. You know what kind of hindrances a thief has to overcome. Simple smugglers can"t do that."
Luke was paying a lot of attention not to name the factory or the reinforced fabric. He didn"t know how much Jenna knew, but he didn"t want to reveal cla.s.sified information pointlessly. Leaving that knowledge to Khan was more than enough.
"I"ll see what we can do with this," Khan stated. "I know it"s a long shot, but it doesn"t hurt to purse it while we lack other leads."
"I"m just worried about your safety," Luke smiled.
Khan nodded to rea.s.sure Luke, but he quickly changed the topic. "Bruce should be next, right?"
"I can speak for Bruce and Amanda," Luke declared. "They have worked under my supervision and reported to me after every trip. They have tried to enter a few inner circles in some clubs, but they never got past the first bodyguards."
"Which clubs?" Khan wondered.
"I"ll send you a list," Luke stated. "Their descriptions are quite thorough. You will appreciate them."
Luke knew when his time to leave had arrived, so he didn"t hesitate to exit the room after exhausting the topics. The second meeting happened a few minutes later, and it featured Darrell Armend, Isaac Foreters, and Claudia Palbeel, the other first-level warriors on the team.
The three were young, and they all carried the same n.o.ble aura that Khan had noticed on Bruce. Darrell was the shortest of the group, with well-developed muscles, short dark hair, and green eyes. Issac was tall and slender, with dark skin, slightly long curly brown hair, and blue eyes, while Claudia had a fair complexion, long blonde hair, and dark eyes.
Seeing Khan and Jenna sitting on the same bed shocked the three wealthy soldiers, but they lacked Luke"s sharp eyes. They didn"t notice all the details that the sheets and hair carried, but they still reached the same conclusions.
Khan felt glad that the three had the same brown cream under their nose. He wasn"t sure descendants from wealthy families would accept to find compromises with seemingly random guests, but they behaved adequately and respected Jenna"s species.
The three soldiers had clear limits due to their level. They had to act carefully on Milia 222, and most criminal organizations wouldn"t take them seriously even when they worked together, so they had focused on smaller operations.
Darrell, Isaac, and Claudia had tried to investigate the drug traffic in the city on the second asteroid, with few results. They had failed to turn into dealers, but they had gathered enough information to give Khan a general idea of how to purchase those substances.
That wasn"t much, but it still added details to Khan"s understanding of Milia 222. The city had far more than they showed, and he slowly uncovered parts of it as he heard reports and lived inside it.
The third meeting was incredibly awkward. Martha and Monica had entered Khan"s room to reveal what they had learnt during their investigations, but each of their lines ended with faint glances at Jenna.
"I know this isn"t much," Monica explained in a steady tone and through her elegant manners after exposing her report. "We will continue investigating and keep you updated. Luke is processing everything we bring to him, so he is the most aware of the bigger picture."
"Every detail matters," Khan commented while looking at the many reports that had ended up covering the wall. "The answer must be somewhere here, on Milia 222."
Monica knew how to separate her feelings from her manners, so she behaved politely even if she was clearly interested in the nature of Khan"s relationship. However, Martha appeared slightly sad, and she couldn"t stop a pressing question from leaving her mouth.
"Are you leaving soon?" Martha asked.
"I don"t know how soon," Khan revealed without adding too many details. "It mostly depends on Luke."
"It must be important if we can"t learn anything about it," Monica added, trying to keep the conversation on the main topic. "You might be onto something."
"That"s hard to say," Khan admitted. "I"ll tell you if I find something."
"I can"t wait for your call," Monica teased while showing one of her elegant smiles and retrieving her phone.
Martha had to gulp to suppress further questions, and Monica helped by approaching the exit. The two women left without wasting time in goodbyes, but Khan heaved a sigh once the door closed.
Both Martha and Monica didn"t send any message to Khan after his return to the building. He didn"t even talk to them to explain the nature of his relationship with Jenna. He didn"t know how he felt about Monica, but he wanted Martha to learn the truth.
"Why is this always so troublesome?" Khan cursed in his mind as he lay down and crossed his arms on his forehead.
"[Are the meetings over]?" Jenna asked.
"[Yes, they were the last ones]," Khan replied. "[Now we need to sort everything out, update you on important aspects of the investigation, and wait for Luke to open the path for the dock]."
"[That might take a while]," Jenna stated while taking off her hoodie. "[I don"t know how influential Luke is, but the dock isn"t easy to approach]."
"[Are you undressing]?" Khan questioned when he heard Jenna.
"[Of course]," Jenna giggled. "[You should too. It can"t be good to remain up]."
"[You woke up less than ten hours ago]," Khan scolded.
"[I"ll force myself to sleep to help you rest]," Jenna giggled. "[Though I"ll need an incentive]."
"[Sleeping is a waste of time]," Khan claimed before performing the check-up technique. He was still fine, but his mind was showing signs of exhaustion.
"[I guess I"ll only put you in danger if I train in this condition]," Khan sighed.
"[That"s exactly what I meant]," Jenna declared as she threw her clothes away and went under the sheets.
Khan raised his arms to glance at Jenna. She was showing a pure smile, but he could see the thoughts hidden behind that expression. She was too easy to read for him now.
"[Remember to watch your hands]," Khan warned as he removed his clothes and went under the sheets.
Jenna didn"t hesitate to cling to Khan, and her legs ended up ignoring his warning right away. Khan and Jenna only laughed at that interaction, but they soon relaxed to attempt to sleep.
"[Those two]," Jenna spoke before they could fall asleep, "[Martha and Monica, they both like you]."
"[Martha and I have history]," Khan revealed. "[She is the reason why I came to Milia 222]."
"[She seems nice]," Jenna uttered.
"[She is]," Khan agreed. "[I"m lucky to have her in my life. As for Monica, I still don"t know what to think about her]."
"[Why is that]?" Jenna wondered.
"[Everything in the investigation points toward a spy]," Khan explained. "[She is a suspect]."
"[I see]," Jenna whispered. "[I don"t know about the investigation, but her feelings seemed honest. I could sense her yearning without even looking too hard]."
"[I can"t trust her so easily]," Khan sighed.
"[So]," Jenna exclaimed, "[Who do you like the most]?"
"[Between them]?" Khan asked. "[Definitely Martha. We were even about to end up together]."
"[Really]?" Jenna wondered. "[I think Monica suits you more]."
"[How]?" Khan asked.
"[Martha seems really nice]," Jenna repeated. "[Maybe too nice for you. I can"t see her getting her hands dirty if the situation needs it]."
"[She can fight]," Khan pointed out.
"[It"s not about fighting]," Jenna explained. "[I"m talking about the dark parts, your dark parts]."
The surprise that Martha had shown when Khan had threatened Milia 222"s soldier reappeared in his mind. Khan knew that Martha wasn"t na?ve, but she remained good at her core.
Instead, Khan"s mindset was twisted. He had initially been afraid of those dark aspects, but Liiza had helped him accept them. They were part of his character, and he couldn"t throw them away.
"[Are you saying that Monica can]?" Khan asked.
"[She does feel more suitable]," Jenna stated. "[Of course, not more suitable than me]."
Khan laughed, and Jenna soon imitated him. The two snuggled closer and voiced a few more jokes, but they eventually let their drowsiness take over their minds.
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