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When Uzi had been born, Khan knew that she stole a part of his heart. Sure all pill babies were that small, and that adorable, but this one was his. And she meant the world to him, just as Nori meant the world to him. His family had quickly grown to be his favorite thing in the world.
The new found father had quickly become obsessed with Uzi’s tiny everything, the little noises she would make to get his and her mother’s attention, how small she was in his arms when he picked her up to soothe her cries and give Nori a break so she could rest up for once. He especially adored the little giggles and sounds of happiness she’d make when Khan or Nori would play with her.
The love only grew when Uzi was finally old enough to have a proper body rather than the little pill baby shell. He was simply amazed by how tiny she still was! Khan remembered how he would grip her smaller hand in his own and tease her about it, and how Uzi would get all huffy and complain. Back then, Uzi hadn’t had as much bite towards him, just a grumpy little girl. He had thought it was adorable then, still now a little, even if her grumpiness had grown and she had become angsty and flat out rude towards him.
If only Nori hadn’t died.
Khan knew he had become so suddenly distant from Uzi, and cold. It must have been confusing for the young girl. What was once a happy and warm home had quickly grown quiet and chilling, Khan had thrown himself into his work, a desperate attempt to keep everyone, especially Uzi safe from the monsters outside that hunted them. But… That wasn’t the only thing that kept him so suddenly distant from his beloved daughter. Of course he still loved her, to death even, that was his baby girl… But now when he looked at her face, at her behaviors, heard her voice…
All he saw was Nori.
She was so similar to Nori, it was unsettling sometimes!
And…. Admittedly… Khan had grown to resent her. Of course he knew it wasn’t Uzi’s fault she was just like her mother, but it hurt so much to see a tiny version of Nori all the time… So he had escaped in his work and need to protect her, and distanced himself from the little girl the best he could.
Khan watched Uzi storm away from him, her frustration with his attempts at reconnecting and being an actual father pretty clear. His core ached, ached with his stupid choices of abandoning his daughter when she needed him most. In his grief over Nori he had… Kind of forgotten that Uzi was going through the same grief and he had just disappeared for her. So in a way… she lost two parents.
And now he was maybe realizing that she wasn’t going to let him have that connection again… Not that Khan really blamed her.
He was at fault after all.
But it didn't stop the pain, nor the tears that threatened to spill as he watched her stomp back to her room.
Khan promised her, and himself, he’d keep trying regardless, he wouldn’t abandon Uzi again.
He couldn’t help but to think… She’s still so small huh?
Still so adorable.