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C136 - Compliments

Sneaking out of the party had been extremely easy, especially when everyone was busy flirting, drinking, or trying to enjoy themselves. Khan had simply been focused on leaving even before reaching that spot in the valley.

Snow arrived on the other side of the mountain a bit before two am, and Khan was already waiting for the creature in the first empty spots that he found. He didn't know much about the area outside the academy ground, but the Aduns could rely on the mental connection to pinpoint his exact location. The thick crowns of the trees even covered the sky, so those still in the party had no chance to notice its arrival.

??

The Aduns needed less than three hours to reach the marsh from the academy, and that only if it didn't play around during the flight. Time wasn't on Khan's side that night, but the Niqols' customs managed to bring some relief to his packed schedule.

The Niqols were aware of their character. The professors and superiors knew that the students would spend their time enjoying themselves at night. Suppressing that nature to enforce a stricter discipline would go against the very disposition of their species, so they preferred to avoid planning the lessons and other events early in the morning.

The Niqols' relaxed approach to discipline gave Khan the chance to approach the long flight without risking being late for his first lesson. Of course, that depended on how long he spent with Liiza. He would have less than three hours with her even if Snow did everything perfectly.

Skipping an entire night of rest for mere three hours with his girlfriend sounded pretty unreasonable, especially since Khan wasn't even sure that Liiza would be in the marsh. Yet, the couple had already failed to meet the previous night. Khan also didn't ponder too much about the issue either. He had a chance to see Liiza, so he would take it, even if it consisted in mere minutes.

Khan would normally meditate while on Snow's back, but he didn't want to arrive at the lessons exhausted, so he decided to sleep while the Aduns took care of bringing him to the marsh. The noise of the thin waterfalls awakened him before the eagle could dive toward the muddy ground and drop him near the cliff's base.

The path toward the secluded cave felt easier to remember already. Khan could reach it in no time and remain under the three hours required by the travel. The clock on his phone had yet to hit five am when he saw the entrance of the cavity unfolding in his vision.

A pair of white lights lit up at the end of the cave when Khan crossed its entrance. All the Niqols had those captivating glowing eyes, but he felt able to see the tiny differences that made Liiza's gaze unique.

"Why did you even come?" Liiza's sleepy voice resounded in the darkness of the cave. "You have lessons soon."

"Five hours and a few minutes, to be precise," Khan commented while walking straight for the two glowing eyes.

Liiza's features slowly grew clearer as he approached her. She had wrapped herself in a blanket that appeared thicker than usual. The warm fabric was even covering part of her head and hiding her hair.

"That leaves us with a bit more than two hours," Liiza complained without moving her eyes away from Khan. "Why didn't you remain in the valley? Don't tell me that Ilman got to your head."

"I'm definitely not fine with Ilman," Khan snorted while sitting cross-legged in front of Liiza, who had just started to straighten her back. "George even set me up. I have to advise Ilman on girls-related matters now."

"How did you even end up in that situation?" Liiza tried to maintain a stern expression, but giggles inevitably escaped from her mouth when she placed her back on the rocky wall.

"I have no idea," Khan sighed. "What should I even tell him? I don't know why George thinks I'm good with girls."

Khan and Liiza were basically sitting in front of each other. Their legs were close enough to make them experience their partner's temperature, but they never touched.

"I can think of a few reasons," Liiza revealed while diverting her gaze.

"It's different with you," Khan replied. "Our mana messed up with our minds."

"Am I nothing more than an alien unable to control her urges for you?" Liiza scoffed as her smile vanished. "Do you think that I kissed you just because mana told me to do it?"

"You know that I didn't mean that," Khan quickly explained. "I'm saying that I didn't do anything special with you. I've just been myself."

Liiza's expression froze for a few seconds before she broke it to heave a helpless sigh. Khan felt unable to understand the reason behind that reaction, but he didn't have to wait too long to receive an explanation.

"You can be so stupid at times," Liiza remarked in an annoyed tone. "You work, fight, and train harder than everyone else, but you always fail to recognize your value."

Khan opened his mouth to speak, but Liiza promptly glared at him. She wouldn't let him say anything until her speech ended.

"Yes, mana made deciding to kiss you easier," Liiza admitted, "But I think we are way past that, right? Also, I didn't just jump on you because our mana is compatible. I remember telling you to climb a mountain first."

Khan couldn't help but reveal a smile at those words. He had already teased Liiza about their first meeting after learning that she had withheld many explanations about the Aduns back then. It turned out that part of her wanted to test his character, and the result of the climb confirmed that she liked him.

"Khan, it's not even just that," Liiza sighed again. "You looked for me even if your superiors told you to stop. I could sense your sorrow when we first met, but you still decided to risk everything over faint sensations. You also had to fight your feeling for your friend to pick me, and I know that you still feel bad about it."

Liiza seemed able to look right inside Khan's mind. Everything she said was true, and he couldn't help but feel warm when those words reached his ears. She had learnt so much about him, even if she was unaware of many details about his life. Her sensitivity to his feelings had simply taught her a lot.

"It wa-," Khan began to say to clarify Martha's issue again, but Liiza interrupted him with another glare.

"You are good-looking," Liiza continued with her descriptions of Khan's positive aspects. "You have no idea how attractive you are when you stop pretending, and I bet every girl would fantasize about you after seeing you shirtless. Trust me when I say that you only have to be yourself to make girls fall for you."

"You sure know how to improve my self-esteem," Khan commented before widening his eyes in fear of receiving another glare.

"I won't let you dismiss my words with a simple joke tonight," Liiza scolded while unwrapping the blanket and spreading her arms to reveal her usual white tracksuit. "I'll make sure that you understand them properly."

"I'm still angry at you for hiding Ilman for so long," Khan teased, but Liiza's serious expression made him lose any desire to laugh.

"That's fine," Liiza announced in a firm tone. "I also want to know more about your friend. Just come here first. I can't handle the cold as well as before."

Liiza's voice gained a timid tone toward the end of her line, and Khan's mind directly went blank as he bent toward her and sat between her legs. Liiza didn't hesitate to wrap the blanket around his chest and imprison him in a cold hug. Khan could feel her heart beating on his back due to how intense her embrace was.

"I missed you yesterday," Liiza whispered while digging her head on Khan's neck.

"Do you really feel cold without me?" Khan asked as some worry seeped into his voice.

"It's not actual cold," Liiza explained as her lips trembled on Khan's neck. "My body didn't change. It's just intense longing."

Khan couldn't help but remain astonished at how intense the Niqols' feelings were. Liiza's species had evolved to endure the Nitis' cold environment, but her longing for Khan made her cover herself in blankets that she didn't need. Her emotions could affect her body in ways that humans barely could explain, and Khan felt blessed to realize how deeply his girlfriend cared about him.

Liiza kissed the base of Khan's neck and played with the same spot for a while. She even bit at times to reveal her intentions, but he didn't stop her. His hand reached the back of her head to accompany her movements. He would let her leave a large mark that night.

"Ilman is harmless," Liiza whispered when she finished playing with his neck. "He proposes to me so often that I take it as routine. I didn't hide it on purpose. I just don't see him as relevant."

"It's fine," Khan sighed. "I'm just annoyed about our situation. He isn't hard to handle."

"Are you bragging about being a good liar?" Liiza asked while bending backward and making Khan lie on her.

Khan ended up resting on her chest, but the softness of her captivating curves didn't make him divert his attention by her intense gaze. Liiza had left his neck to look at him, and her expression seemed to carry a faint hesitation.

"Why do you want to hear about my friend?" Khan asked after understanding that Liiza's hesitation came from that topic.

"She made you hesitate to get with me," Liiza explained, "Even with mana messing up your mind. I want to know her, even if only through your words."

Liiza wanted to sound as if she were teasing Khan, but he understood that there was something else to the matter. He could even guess the meaning behind her doubts. They had been together for only a month, but their intense feelings were making their relationship incredibly important in their lives.

Liiza had already reached the point when her body suffered in Khan's absence, and he had always been willing to skip sleep or risk making his superior angry to see her. She was also the main pillar on which he had built his current happiness. They had already brought their relationship to the next level when it came to its physical aspect, but they had to do the same with their feelings now.

"Is it time to go over our whole lives?" Khan asked as a faint smile appeared on his face.

The couple had started describing parts of their lives during the past month, but they had never gone too deep about it, and they had never been too detailed either. However, it felt almost necessary to do that now, especially since their situation kept worsening due to their duties. A complete knowledge could help remove eventual doubts and pointless worries.

"I want to, but…." Liiza stated as her worry filled her voice, "But you travel even if you knew that our time together would have lasted only a few hours. Are you sure that you want to spend it talking?"

Khan arched his eyebrows in surprise, and a broad smile appeared on his face as he understood what Liiza meant. He turned in her embrace to face her and bring her on his lap. Liiza didn't oppose the process, and she soon ended up sitting on him, with legs wrapped around his waist and arms clung to his neck.

"How come you are becoming shyer as we learn more about each other?" Khan asked as his arms went around her waist.

"Feelings intensify," Liiza revealed while closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth spreading inside. "My body plays tricks on me, and it needs a few days to adapt to the new intensity. I'm lucky my boyfriend doesn't exploit my temporary weakness."

"I wonder what would have happened if we didn't have to hide our relationship," Khan wondered while ignoring Liiza tempting tease.

"Our situation is rarer than you think," Liiza smirked as the darkness of the cave hid her intense blush. "I've heard that two Niqols with compatible mana can decide to spend their lives together after a single week of relationship."

"Wow," Khan gasped. "We are done for then."

"We might be an exception due to the differences between our species," Liiza contradicted him.

"Do you want us to be an exception?" Khan asked, and they both opened their eyes to stare at each other at those words.

"Didn't you have to tell me about your life?" Liiza promptly switched the topic of the conversation.

"You first," Khan grinned. "This good boyfriend is too busy suppressing his urge to exploit your weakness to talk."

"You won't escape this," Liiza warned. "Don't even try to use our short time to your advantage and leave before your turn comes."

"I won't do that," Khan exclaimed as an honest smile appeared on his face. "I want you to know about me."

Khan's serious reaction made Liiza's expression freeze. She gulped and pushed him toward the ground before kissing him and lying on his chest. He took care of adjusting the blanket while she moved her fingers through the insides of his uniform. It took a few minutes, but she eventually started to speak, and his turn arrived almost thirty minutes later.

To be continued