Stardate 2260.8.20, Io Station
The next few days to come were a breath of fresh air that April needed. Khan true to his word was being cooperative though, his snide remarks didn't diminish in the slightest. It was something that she could even say she came to enjoy. When she woke in the morning she actually looked forward to heading to engineering and even was able to get her hands on some projects. The projects at least Khan trusted her with. It was simple work like crossing relays and soldering electrical but he would talk with her civilly occasionally about what he was working on. They had an agreement that he would tell her exactly what to say to Marcus to keep him both off their backs and to placate him for the time being. It worked to say the least and she was able to relax. Sleep however didn't come easy still, and she was taking frequent visits to Sick Bay before bed to help with her adjustments to comfortable living. Dr. Wright had taken to injecting her with a hypospray for muscle relaxation.
Though she found sometimes she liked taking a single throw blanket from her bed and a pillow and sleeping on the couch or floor in the living area. It helped on days she was in the lab longer than anticipated and didn't have time to make it all the way down to see the doctor.
"You're looking a little tired." a voice said to her right as she had finished soldering some more electrical units. She broke from her thoughts to look at Khan though he was focusing on the projects before him. To her it looked like a jumble of parts but to him he knew exactly what he was creating.
"How could you tell?"
"You have bags under your eyes."
"I've been having trouble adjusting to being here on Io."
"In what way?" his hand reached for another tool as he continued to work.
"Are you saying you actually care?"
"I am concerned based on the fact that if you are not mentally aware of what you are doing around all this equipment then you might end up without fingers. Then you'll be useless to me."
"It's not a concern. I assure you."
Khan sighed as he threw the wrench down and grabbed her upper arm as he turned her. He backed her up from her work and out the door.
"Let go of me!" she yelled at him trying to pry his fingers off of her but he wasn't letting up and continued to march them. She knew where they where heading. "Fine! FINE! I'll tell you just let go of me!"
He stopped down an empty hallway and let her go as she tore her arm out of his grasp. She glared at him before clenching her teeth for a moment.
"I have trouble sleeping because I don't do well in comfort. On Lunar 1 you are given a bunk or cot and you share your space with your squadron. I am on constant survival training missions and actual missions. The doctor has been giving me something to sleep but it's starting to not work. It didn't really work well in the first place. I've always had a certain immunity to most medications. Not that I ever get sick."
"You're saying you're too comfortable?" he asked not entirely convinced.
"I'm saying my quarters is too big for me. The bed is too soft. I sleep on the floor most nights to try and get a few hours in. I've gone without sleep before but never this much extended period of time. It's starting to take a toll."
He thought for a moment before he came to a conclusion. He couldn't have her not focused.
"Move into my quarters then."
"What!?" she asked incredulously.
"I have an extra room being used as an office of sorts, but I'm sure we can have it rearranged into suitable living conditions."
"No." she said quickly. "First off it will never be approved and second, people will say things."
"Marcus did imply for you to seduce me." he said offhandedly. "Let him think what he wants. It'll only prove to benefit us both."
"I'm not moving into your quarters."
"Don't mistake I am doing this because I desire to. The thought of having to share more space with you is increasing less appealing by the moment."
"Then why offer?"
"Do I need to explain everything to you in great detail always?"
"Yeeeees." she said slowly and he rolled his eyes.
"I need you simply at your best. Nothing more or less. Besides I don't often spend time in my quarters, I'm sure we wouldn't see much of one another there."
He did have a point and it would probably help her sleep in the long run. A smaller room as well as knowing someone else was in the space sometimes would help. She never would admit but she missed Corporal Mackenzie. They shared a bunk for a year prior and it was always nice to know his presence was around. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility she would share quarters with a male officer. she just really didn't want it to be Khan.
"Will you concede or do I need to direct you to the doctor?"
"Fine." she bit and he nodded. "But I'm telling Escobar."
"By all means, I'd rather throw myself out the airlock than try and have another conversation with that man."
Standing outside of Escobar's office, April stared at the metal door wondering if she should ring the bell or burn a hole through it with her gaze. She didn't want to be here but the offer Khan made was overly generous and it worked to both their benefit she supposed. She just didn't like admitting she was tired or that she wasn't focused. Yet, here she was. She didn't want to deal with being put on leave from Dr. Wright not when she and Khan finally could tolerate one another in the same room.
Ringing the bell, she was admitted entrance and walked inside.
Escobar wasn't at his desk this time but rather he was looking out his window overlooking the facility. He had a plate in his hand and set it down. Apparently she had caught him during his meal break.
"Major, wasn't expecting you." he said quickly as he turned to her. "Pardon me, I just finally had time to get a decent meal in."
"No worries, I understand." she said and he looked at her with question as he took in her appearance. She didn't hold herself as high and straight as she normally did. Her shoulders were laxed and her face looked extremely tired.
"You have something you wish to talk about?"
"Yes." she said and opened her mouth to say something but closed it again. She looked down in thought before sighing. "I want to request a room transfer."
"Oh?" he asked surprised. "Is something wrong with your quarters? Not up to your standards?"
"No it's wonderful, and comfortable but...that's my problem. It's too comfortable. Not that I'm not grateful it's just that at Lunar we don't really get those kinds of luxuries and for three years spent getting used to sleeping unconventionally it's hard to revert back to a bed. Or even so much space."
"Ah, yes Dr. Wright mentioned that to me."
"She did?"
"Well the health of the crew at this station is my concern. She asked me to talk with you when I had the chance but I've been preoccupied. This is good then, we can find a solution here and now. We can get you into the barracks if you want?"
"I wouldn't mind that but I've already had an offer."
"Offer?"
"Commander Harrison offered his office as an alternative."
Escobar looked at her both brows raised and his eyes wide as saucers. His mouth then gaped a little as he seemed to not fully comprehend what April was saying.
"Y-you want to move in with Harrison?"
"Uh...yeah."
"Didn't he try to kill you?" he folded his arms and gestured to her and she shrugged.
"We've come to a reasonable understanding of one another now. Just took a bit but I think we both have the capability and maturity to work past something like that."
"Harrison, mature, right." he scoffed.
"He's terribly misunderstood I think." she said offhand.
"If you say so. But if you don't mind me asking are you two...he's technically your superior officer and I need to be informed of things like that."
"No! No, no, no...never. No." April said as her face twisted into one of horror. "No. Look he kind of twisted my arm into this. He told me if I don't get proper sleep then he's gonna carry me to sick bay himself. Dr. Wright will put me on leave and the last thing I need is the Admiral thinking I'm incapable. I need to just get sleep, he's offered and I just have to accept what he wants right now. If he's doing his job, it shouldn't be a huge deal."
"I still don't understand it myself, but, if you two aren't gonna murder one another I suppose I can grant the transfer." he didn't seem all that sure but April nodded.
"Thank you, sir." she said and he gave her a hard stare as if trying to wait out another moment to give her the chance to change her mind.
"Well, good luck."
April cracked a bit of smile and let out a little laugh.
"Thanks. I'm gonna need it."
"Dismissed then."
April left Escobar's office to see Khan waiting outside for her. He was leaning against the wall, arms folded and looking bored. But the moment he saw April he regarded her with a calculating look. She looked left and right down the hall and saw no one as she walked up to him.
"Waiting to see if I would actually do it?"
"I honestly thought you would fight a little more than this but yes, here to make sure you did it. Did the Commander accept the request?"
"Yes. So, when am I moving in?"
"We can go gather some things if you wish."
"We?"
"Or you can go by yourself."
"Help would be appreciated."
April led the way to her quarters and she stepped in, allowing him to follow her. He stepped in, his gaze examining the space. He seemed to take in everything and store it and it didn't miss April's notice.
"It is rather large for one person." he commented. "I would have pegged you as someone who would have personal things about the place however."
"I have one box of clothes, one of books and one of documents and things like that. At Lunar you aren't really given much and you aren't really allowed to have much." April led him to her room as she opened it. Khan stepped in and saw it was clean and neat, not a single thing out of place nor dust. Her bed had been made and folded down tightly like a bunk. A communicator, PADD and a watch was lined up neatly on the right bedside table. Her shoes were lined next to the closet, one pair of dress and one pair of boots. All in all it was immaculate.
"We don't have a lot of things as Section Agents so that way if something were to happen to us we don't have a ton of things to send home to loved ones. Emotional attachments can hurt you, personal belongings can track you, and it's just clutter. Plus if you're transferred it's just easier to pack and go. Nothing really to hold you back."
She said all this while she gathered her belongings. She pulled three small trunk boxes from the closet and put her things into each one in an organized fashion. She was able to sweep her clothes in one go and toss her shoes on top. The dresser had books lined on top of it and she neatly stacked those in the next container. Her toiletries and electronics went in the last one. The dufflebag she pulled from under her bed was a ready bag in case she had to leave in a moments notice. Hauling it over one shoulder she grabbed a box. Khan walked over and grabbed the other two and together they walked out of the quarters.
This time Khan led the way as they made way to his quarters, or well, now their quarters. He set down the boxes and disengaged security protocols and together they walked inside. It was the same as the last time she had stormed in here as there were still things on the coffee table like parts and gadgets. He led her down a hallway and to the right and opened the door. It wasn't a large room but it was quite a bit smaller than the last. It didn't have a bathroom connected to it but she noticed another one across the hall. He settled the boxes down and she as well as she turned to look at him.
"Until a bed arrives, you can sleep out on the couch if you want."
Nodding she looked down and fiddled with her fingers not knowing exactly how to thank him. Or even if she should thank him.
"Thank you for this."
"Like I said, I can't have you dysfunctional. If you are to get what you want and I am to succeed then it's of little consequence sharing quarters with you." he turned to leave but she bravely reached out and stopped him by grabbing his forearm. He stopped and looked down at her hand then rose a brow and looked to her.
"I genuinely appreciate it regardless. I know you don't like me. So, it shows a lot you're willing to allow me into your space."
"Get some sleep." he said as he reached over and gently took her hand off of him. He left, the door closing behind him and she looked around the place before stacking her boxes against the wall and settling on the chair at the desk. He had paperwork strewn about as well as drawings. Taking one up she looked at it as it was an elegant and intricate design of a starship. It was rather large, as the scale markers showed it to be at least several sizes larger than even Enterprise. The detail was extraordinary however. He had quite a talent and wondered if all of these drawings just came to him. What kind of mind he had that he could produce things as if it were just a casual detail. The more she spent around him the more she came to admire just how intelligent he was. Even if she was on the spiteful end of it more often times than not it would be remiss of her to deny he was smart.
And handsome...
And she shouldn't even go there. Closing her eyes and shaking her head she deemed that last thought a product of oncoming madness due to lack of sleep. She needed some quickly before those errant thoughts ran away and took her along making her more foolish.
For it was foolish to think those things about him. He was a mission, and he viewed her as nothing more than means to an end. In the end when this was said and done she would leave and go back to her usual life in collecting intelligence and killing people for it. The more she was here on Io however she questioned if that life is something she wanted to go back to. It was a harsh life always full of uncertainty. Here she had never felt more like she belonged. That in this moment in time she belonged somewhere. She liked to think she was helping Khan rather than being ordered to do so. She did feel bad for him, for he didn't deserve what has happened to him.
"He's an Augment Dictator." her mind told her. She had to remember that. Had to remember he wasn't just a man. He was far more than just a simple man. He could crush her if he wanted to. So comfort isn't what she should be feeling, it should be caution. He was being civil for now, but one wrong mistake and she could find herself back on his shit list. But she didn't feel scared.
Ever since she was a child she never felt like she fit in. Children scared of her, never liked her and always ostracized her. Even though Khan didn't like her he didn't treat her like anything less than what she was either. He accepted her intelligence and her physicality. Perhaps it was that she saw a lot of herself in him in the past and in the present. Only thing left remaining was figuring out the future.
All these thoughts and mixed emotions and April wished they would just stop for one moment so she can recharge. Some sleep would probably help clear these thoughts and get her back to what she was sent here to do.
A/N: Am I moving this story too fast? I mean I just now put them living together. How is this going to work? I have so many ideas I just am trying so hard to mesh them right and put them in the right order. Reviews are welcome!