Work Text:
A pheromone (from Ancient Greek φέρω phero "to bear" and hormone, from Ancient Greek ὁρμή "impetus") is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting outside the body of the secreting individual to impact the behavior of the receiving individual. - Wikipedia
Sometimes Jim Kirk was a little slow on the uptake, even he had to admit. But now, a bare thirteen months after he had started sharing quarters with Khan, he had finally caught on.
Khan's mood was infectious.
Well, no, not in the sense that he had an infectious laugh or anything. He didn't. Khan's laugh was possibly the least contagious laugh Jim had ever witnessed. In fact, Jim doubted he had even heard a single all-out belly laugh from the Augment in all the time he had known him. Maybe he never would.
It was more like a subconscious thing. Whenever Jim entered his quarters to find Khan already there, he would end up sharing the Augment's mood. It usually took a few minutes, but then, whatever mood Jim himself might have been in when he came in, he would soon find himself experiencing whatever Khan was feeling.
Up till now, the phenomenon had been too subtle for Jim to even notice. But when he came home today, and his quarters had suddenly turned into a haven of security, making Jim feel as safe as in the metaphorical womb, which could only be down to Khan lying on his bed, eyes half open, smiling at Jim sleepily, something clicked in Jim's head.
He remembered the time he had found Khan in here, silently seething because they had been forced to leave the Polluxians to their fate because of regulations, and how Jim, who had been seeing the whole matter through Spock's eyes up till then, began to feel like smashing something after a while. Or the time of the one year anniversary of Khan's joining the ship, which also meant the anniversary of the demise of the rest of the Augments, and how Jim had barely kept from crying the whole time he spent in here with him, even though Khan's expression had been as stony as ever. Or the weeks following the attack of the sleeper agent, when Jim had somehow been on edge and wary whenever he was in his quarters with Khan, even though he had been sure there was nothing to fear. All down to Khan.
And wouldn't it make sense? A squadron of Augments, designed to feel and share and pass on their battle rage, their triumph, their sense of unity, easily picking up on each other's moods to prevent conflict, perfectly in sync with each other.
And now, Jim was here feeling it, this sense of absolute security, making Jim want to just crawl in with the Augment and bask in it and in his presence.
Not questioning it, he kicked off his boots and did it.
Khan readily opened his arms, pulling Jim close against his disgustingly toned body, and Jim relaxed with a sigh, the Augment's warmth suffusing him. They shuffled a bit until they were both comfortable. Jim closed his eyes, perfectly at peace.
Khan buried his face in the crook of Jim's neck.
The feeling built and crested in a wave of heat at the back of Jim's eyes. He was not crying, exactly. Maybe this was happiness?
"Can you do this more often?" Jim finally said, or thought he said, after what felt like hours had passed.
"I'm not doing anything," Khan's deep voice reverberated through Jim's ribcage, bypassing Jim's ears.
Maybe he's not aware of whatever he's doing, Jim thought. Hell, maybe he really isn't doing anything, and it's all me. After all, who knew with Augments?
Khan's nose nudged him. Obligingly, Jim ran his hand up and down the Augment's back.
He was rewarded by a contented hum.
As always, Khan's version of a cat purr made Jim smile stupidly.
Then it hit him. If he really was picking up on what Khan was feeling via whatever crazy Augment shit was going on here, that meant that Khan was feeling safe right now. Here, in Jim's quarters. Aboard Jim's ship.
His smile turned into one of elation.
"What is it?" Khan wanted to know.
Still grinning, Jim hugged him close. "Nothing. Just being slow on the uptake."
"The usual, then."
Jim laughed, allowing himself the kind of laugh he had yet to hear from Khan.
One day.