I do not own nor profit from Star Trek or Gene Roddenberrys creations.
The Augment family had been anxiously awaiting the time they'd be able to see Safiya. The news of her awakening had graced their ears from Gavin, who had taken to studying the effects of the flower. Everyday a few would pass through the temple to see if she had yet emerged from the room she shared with their prince. Khan had been keeping her in their room, letting her get stronger, and waiting on her every need and desire. He fed her, he bathed her, he oiled her body down to ward off the winter dryness. He didn't push having sex with her, preferring to let her wait until she was ready.
Safiya had been thinking heavily on what he had said. They weren't married, and he would let her go. It made her sad to think of his surrender every time he tended to her, though she didn't need all the help that he had been giving her. The way he made sure she was tucked into bed at night, she sighed. Khan may have thought she was asleep, but she was well aware of when he would pull the blankets back up around her shoulders when they slid off. He wouldn't leave the room for more than an hour at a time usually. Except of course when they needed to gather food, and he would, as is his duty, go on the hunting parties with Trick and Ebony.
The other augments were left behind to clear paths, cook, and work on the shuttle. Of course the domestic duties were split evenly among them all, save for Safiya of course, who was working on getting her strength back.
Safiya awoke that particular morning to a warm fire already roaring in the fireplace. Khan was setting up a breakfast of what appeared to be eggs, some sort of meat, and a bowl of something unidentified. She groaned and threw the heavy blankets back, letting her feet hit the cold stone floor.
"Oh, brrr." She shivered, pulling her feet back quickly. Khan looked over his shoulder and smiled, seeing her bare shoulders in her strapless pink nightgown. When he reached her he knelt, took her small feet into his hands rubbing them gently before placing her slippers over them.
"I should have warned you it was cold." He smirked as she smiled at him. Without warning, he scooped her up in his arms, twirling her around in the room as if dancing with her. She giggled, her arms wrapped around his neck, as he smiled at his treasure. When he finally stopped, he kissed her lips gently, and set her down beside the table so she could eat. It was indeed a sort of dry cured meat cut into strips, with a bowl of what resembled cream of wheat, or congee, but she could not be so sure. The congee was savory with a hint of onion, perfect for dipping her boiled eggs in.
"Khan." She started, as she swallowed the rest of the yolk she was chewing. He gave her a glance to show he was paying attention. "I would like to see the others today." She requested. "I was hoping, this evening we could all eat together, as we used to?" She looked saddened. Indeed she had missed the others, and thought that a family meal would be a good way to spend time with them all.
"I will have dinner prepared. We can manage something I'm sure." He reached over and pet her hand. She smiled, a slight blush coming across her cheeks. "Is there anything else you would like to do today?" He arched a brow. She blushed brighter as he gave her that look. When he got her mind where he wanted it, he moaned. "I was thinking I could take you on a walk through your garden today." He laced his fingers with hers. She let out a breath, and shook her head with a soft smile.
"Khan, you are too much." She giggled, shaking her head. "But that sounds very nice. I would love to enjoy the snow." She sighed looking out towards the window.
"Well good then. Finish breakfast and we can take a quick walk." Khan nodded and left. She smiled again, and ate her delicious breakfast. When she was done, she looked over the clothes in the wardrobe, trying to find what would be best. Finding nothing, she turned to another wardrobe to find heavier dresses. 'Always dresses. This woman must have really loved her dresses.' She thought to herself, mulling over the selection. She wanted to wear none of them. What would keep her legs warm if she did? Instead she sat laid back down letting her food settle.
"You are back to sleep?" She heard Khans deep tones as he came back in, tossing something on the end of the bed. He crawled in next to her, holding her tightly to his body. His lips kissed her neck and ear as he groaned. "Oh, my love, you should be up so I may take you out." He nuzzled her.
"Yes, I suppose. But it's so comfy." She mumbled, holding her pillow tightly.
"I agree. I've never slept so well beside you." He admitted. Though he didn't want to, he pulled away from her, urging her out of bed. "We've got you something. Well, made you something." He smiled.
She sat up, running her fingers through her hair, looking at where Khan stood. He was holding a swath of black and tan fur, waiting for her to stand up. "What is it?" She asked softly, as she walked towards him.
"Well, Ebony and Trick made you some mukluks." He showed her a pair of furry boots, with straps of leather wrapping them. She ran her fingers over the course fur.
"Ren spent his time making this for you." He unfurled a long jacket made of the same material as the mukluks. It had a large hood, and leather ties instead of buttons. It easily went down to her calves as Khan helped her into it. The inside was soft like velvet as it stroked against her skin. Already she felt warm, as she pulled her jacket closer.
"And I made you this." He pulled out the last bit, a fur hand warmer. It was all black, shiny and soft as an otter. She looked up to him, as he looked for her approval.
"This is so very nice, Khan. It really is." She shook her head, looking down. "I don't know what to say. Thank you, so very much. I love it." She slipped her hands into the warmer, and smiled happily. Khan helped her into her mukluks, and dressed himself in warmer clothes.
"You know I'm going out in my night dress, right?" She raised a brow, smirking.
"Yes, but you should stay warm enough." He smiled to her. Indeed, she should have no problem with the weather.
The moment she felt the cold air, she shivered, pressing herself into Khan a little more. Her eyes took in the glittering white world with awe. The air was crisp and clean, the flakes coming down soft but thick. She looked up at Khan with a bright smile, excited to be outside. Eyes looked out of the windows, watching her take her first steps out into the world again. The clothes definitely kept her far warmer than she thought they would, as they walked towards the gardens. The path was hard to make out under the thick layer of snow, but the bushes that looked now more like snow drifts guided the way.
As they turned a corner, they came to the spot where the fuchsia flowers grew. They appeared untouched by the snow, as their petals danced gracefully in the wind. She sighed, resting her hooded head on Khans arm which was laced with hers. The smell of smoke was in the air from the chimneys that kept the people warm.
"It's so nice out here." She smiled.
"I am glad you are here. I wouldn't want to be here with anybody else." He stopped turning to her, his cold hand gently cupping her cheek. She admitted to herself how handsome he looked, as the snowflakes fell in his raven hair. He pulled her in, leaning down and placed a warm kiss on her lips, holding them together. "I love you so much." He whispered, barely audible over the winds, nuzzling her cheek with his. He didn't expect an answer, knowing her doubts and uncertainties. Instead, he continued to walk with her, as they talked intimately.
The couple readied for dinner, as the aisles in the temple were rearranged to make use of many long tables. The pews were set aside it as benches for them all to sit on. Safiya and Khan would occasionally peek out of their door, watching the table come together, an effort put together by all of the augments. As soon as they had went inside from their walk, they cuddled together in bed warming up, enjoying conversation as they used to. A knock at the door told them that dinner was finally ready, as they got up and joined the rest of the family.
It was Essex who stood there at the door. "Ah, Safiya. It is so good to see you." Essex reached in quickly to hug her. From the corner of her eye, Safiya could see Khans arm come up momentarily before relaxing back to his side. She returned the hug, feeling Essex pulling her in tightly.
"Essex, I'm glad to see you as well." She sighed, happy to interact with someone else for a change. The hall was warm and smelled delicious, as she saw the rest of the family shuffle in carrying trays of food. "And as happy as I am to see you, Essex, I am also quite hungry." She chuckled, as he loosened his grip around her.
"I imagine you are." He gave a weak smile. "Did you get my flowers?" He asked eagerly.
"I did, they were quite beautiful." She gave a soft smile, resting a hand on his bicep.
"I worked hard to make sure they bloomed for when you came 'round." He blushed sheepishly. He reminded her of a young child eager to please and do good.
"And I am thankful you did. They are almost more beautiful against the backdrop of snow." She kissed him on the forehead, and smiled as he nodded and turned towards the table. Khan took her by the waist and led her into the hall, seating her at the head of the table. He sat to her right, pouring her a goblet of wine and a glass of water from the ewers on the table.
As the feasting commenced, she answered many of the questions that they had for her. Khan would answer some so she could eat, but the overall atmosphere was far friendlier and more family-like than ever it had been before. It was festive and happy, as people soon began to laugh and joke, the heavy weight of her absence lifted. Even Khan began to join in the merriment. Safiya took a moment to admire Khan. His stony exterior was cracking, allowing the bright light of a good heart shine through. It was the way he looked at the others with a kindness in his tired eyes. How he laughed and smiled, not being his typical uptight self. He gave her an occasional knee rub with an accompanying glance to make sure she was still enjoying herself, that she hadn't grown too tired to maintain company.
As the food disappeared, and the ewers were emptied, a storm had picked up outside of the temple walls. In a brief moment of silence, they could hear the windows rattling. Khan gave her a slight smile as the sound of whistling winds hit their ears, and for a few minutes the hall was silent as they all listened in a dreaming fashion. The talking resumed late into the evening until the fires were dying down.
"It has been nice, but I'm afraid Trick and I must get to bed." Ebony finally spoke to Khan. Trick grabbed her hand, giving it a light squeeze. Others began to agree that it was indeed late, and they were also weary. They trickled out, removing trays, giving hugs and wishing her well and speedy recovery. The last one had left Safiya closed the temple door, and turned back towards the cleared table. A shadow was cast from a body at the end of the table.
"Ren." Safiya walked towards him, and sat down across from him. "How are you doing?" She watched his expression change ever so slightly.
"I am, alright." He sighed. "I am glad to see you are alright." He spoke.
"And I'm glad to see you are alright. Thank you, by the way for the lovely jacket." She grinned.
"It was the least I could do for you. I-I'm sorry." He lowered his gaze.
"For what? You did nothing wrong." She reassured.
"Because I failed." He shook. "I failed you. I failed Khan. I should have protected you better than I did." He looked up at her.
"You did all you could." She shook her head with a smile.
"Safiya, you don't understand. I sabotaged the ship." He looked up at her with a sad glance. Khan was in the shadows listening to their interaction, but it was not a story he hadn't already heard. Safiyas expression turned to concern and confusion.
"Why would you do that?" She asked, her brow furrowed.
"I just, I wanted you to stay a little longer. I wanted you to listen to Khan, to hear him out. I didn't realize that we would be assailed by those creatures. I was hoping we would be able to at least hover out of the canyon, and get out... But I was wrong." He was struggling to get his words. "You needed to hear how Khan felt about you, Safiya. You don't realize who he is. Who we are. I know because I've done this before." He gritted.
"Vivienne." She whispered.
"Yes, Vivienne. She taught me everything about loving women. But I only wanted to love her. Khan needed to learn this, and I had hoped he had. I hoped he had decided to come and find you, and I was lucky that he did. Had he not, we both would not be here." Ren stood up, standing at the very end. "Khan loves you more than you know, Safiya. Even before the Eugenics war, he was terrible with emotions and expression, but he is willing to change, and has. He just needs time." Ren grabbed her shoulder, and nodded before taking his leave.
He wanted to impart words for her to think on as he trudged through the snow and wind. The prince and his wife took to their bed, and for the first time in a long time, indulging in each others bodies.