Challenge Accepted

Summary: Jim sends Spock back to the bridge so he can talk to John Harrison alone. When Harrison issues a challenge, Jim can't find it in himself to back down and crosses a line he may not be able to come back from. One-shot, deleted scene type thing. Warning: mild slash.

A/N: I had an idea pop into my head when Jim was getting into Khan's face across the glass. This is kind of a deleted scene type thingie that just refused to leave me alone until I wrote it. There will, of course, be slash between Khan and Kirk, but it's fairly mild. I also have a second one-shot planned for Khan and Bones.

Bones was taking a blood sample from Harrison when the man spoke, his words startling Bones and alarming Jim with their perceptiveness.

"Why aren't we moving…Captain? An unexpected malfunction, perhaps in your warp core? Conveniently stranding you on the edge of Klingon space."

"How the hell do you know that?"

"Bones…"

Jim's tone held a note of warning at what Bones had inadvertently revealed before Khan spoke again.

"I think you'd fine my insight valuable Captain."

When Bones was done he turned to Jim who spoke quickly.

"We good?"

"Yeah."

"Let me know what you find."

The three of them turned to leave the Brig, Bones moving much more quickly than Jim and Spock as he was highly unnerved by their prisoner. Khan's deep baritone voice stopped Jim in his tracks, and Spock was quick to express his concern which Jim dismissed just as quickly.

"Ignore me and you will get everyone on this ship killed."

"Captain I believe he will only attempt to manipulate you. I would not recommend engaging the prisoner further."

"Give me a minute."

Spock gave Jim a hesitant, searching look before leaving the brig. Jim nodded to the only security person on duty at that time and she silently left the brig to give the Captain privacy. As soon as they were alone Jim stormed up to the glass between him and Harrison, his voice tight with barely his controlled emotions.

"You let me explain what's happening here. You are a criminal. I watched you murder innocent men and women! I was authorized to end you…and the only reason you are still alive is because I am allowing it. So shut your mouth."

Harrison closed his eyes as he savored the wild emotion rolling off of Jim in waves.

"Oh Captain. Are you going to punch me again, over and over until your arm weakens? Clearly you want to so tell me. Why did you allow me to live?"

"We all make mistakes."

"No. I surrendered to you because, despite your attempt to convince me otherwise, you seem to have a conscience, Mr. Kirk. If you did not then it would be impossible for me to convince you of the truth. 2-3, 1-7, 4-6, 1-1…coordinates not far from Earth. If you want to know why I did what I did, go and take a look."

"Give me one reason why I should listen to you."

"I can give you 72...and they're on board your ship, Captain. They have been all along. I suggest you open one up."

Jim's lips twitched as he held back a sudden urge to laugh.

"You don't actually think you can goad me into opening up a live torpedo we know nothing about while it's still on my ship? I don't think so buddy…nice try though."

Harrison tilted his head slightly to one side, an almost sinful smirk making its way across his lips as he leaned on the barrier between them.

"Then what would I be able to goad you into…Captain?"

That deep voice slid down Jim's back like a lover's hand and made him shiver, an action Harrison's sharp eyes noticed immediately. His intense stare never wavered and Jim wondered, briefly, if this was the feeling animals had when being studied.

"I won't be manipulated by a criminal."

"I do wish you would stop using that word Captain. I am no more a criminal than you are. Everything I did was to protect my family…my crew…something I think you can understand all too well Captain Kirk."

"You…wait…what?"

Harrison had successfully managed to distract Jim from his anger, now it was only a matter of maneuvering the Captain's other emotions in order to get what he wanted.

"Do I frighten you…Captain?"

Jim snorted and gave the man an 'are you kidding me' look.

"Like hell. If a gigantic ship, with advanced technology from the future, filled with pissed off Romulans bent on destroying the federation didn't scare me…what the hell makes you think you can?"

Harrison hid his triumphant smirk as Jim played right into his trap, though he did find the Captain's choice of comparison to quite telling.

"If you do not fear me, then why do you stand on the other side of a barrier?"

Jim opened his mouth to say something, and then promptly closed it as he couldn't quite think of how to respond to that one. Harrison leaned more on the barrier, his eyes locking with Jim's as he let the challenge show in them.

"Come on then Captain…prove to me that you do not fear me."

Jim growled softly and, despite the warning bells going off in the back of his head, punched in a code that would allow him…and only him…to pass through the barrier. He took a centering breath before boldly stepping across the barrier and into the cell with Khan, his body stiff and tense as he waited for an attack. When Harrison only stared at him with a raised eyebrow Jim slowly started to let himself relax a bit, his tone challenging and sarcastic.

"There…I'm inside the cell now…that proof enough for you Harrison?"

Harrison's eyes sparked at Jim's challenging tone, the alpha within him demanding that he put the Captain in his place, but he kept his rigid control in place as it wasn't time yet.

"Very good Captain…but are you brave enough to try and punch me again?"

Jim knew Harrison was playing with him, knew that he stood no chance in a fight against the man after what he'd seen him do to the Klingons, but he was never very good at backing down from a challenge. He growled softly and swung a fist at Harrison's face, only to have the man grab his hand in mid-flight. The grip Harrison had on Jim's hand was tight enough to prevent him from moving it, but not so tight as to cause pain.

"Well captain…clearly your need to prove yourself easily overrides your survival instincts, otherwise you would have remained outside of the cell and not attempted to hit me."

Jim tried to use his free hand to pry Harrison's fingers off of his fist, but the man merely maneuvered his hand to hold both of Jim's wrists at the same time while still leaving himself a free hand. Jim's growl grew louder with his frustration at being tricked and caught by Harrison.

"Bastard! Let go of me right now."

Harrison's suddenly dark smirk caused Jim to become wary, his body jerking in another futile attempt to get free. Harrison moved his hand, jerking Jim's body to be flush against his own.

"Now…captain…what shall I do with you now that you are at my mercy?"

Jim kicked out, aiming for Harrison's knees in yet another escape attempt. Harrison backed Jim against the wall of the cell and roughly inserted his own knee between Jim's legs. He used his hand to pin Jim's over his head, his other hand ran teasingly over the Captain's stomach and abs as the muscles jumped under his fingers.

"That was a very bad idea Captain. I was created to be the perfect Alpha male, and you present such a beautiful challenge."

Jim growled again and squirmed as Harrison's hand moved up under his shirt. He jerked at his hands, trying to free them from the iron grasp of the man pinning him to the wall, only to feel Harrison's teeth nip at his jaw line. Jim froze at the feel of teeth so close to his neck, his instincts overruling his reasoning for a moment. The man's deep baritone voice rumbled through Jim's head as he spoke softly into his ear.

"If you cooperate and submit to me then you will come out of this with little harm done to you. If you fight me I cannot guarantee you will not be harmed. Do you understand this Captain?"

"Stop…stop calling me Captain…my name is Jim…"

"Jim…"

Jim shivered violently as Harrison whispered his name with that sinful voice of his. Jim had a pretty good idea of what Harrison planned to do with him now, but he had no idea why the man wanted to do this with him. Jim's mind and body were fighting with each other, his mind knew this was bad and that he should call for help or fight…but his body instinctively responded to Harrison's commanding aura and voice. Harrison was calmly watching Jim as the fight raged in his eyes, he knew Jim would fight and challenge him…it was in the blonde's personality and was part of the reason Harrison chose him.

"Get your hands off me Harrison."

Jim bucked his hips and twisted his arms in an attempt to get loose from the other man's hold, but the sudden hissing intake of breath let him know that it may have been the wrong thing to do. Harrison's eyes almost seemed to glow at him in their intensity and the man's voice was almost growling in his ear.

"So…you have chosen to continue challenging me then…I will enjoy coaxing you into surrender."

"Fuck you! I will not surrender to someone like you…not after what you did."

"What I did? Tell me Jim…what did I do that causes you to fight so much against what your body clearly wants?"

Harrison ran his fingers lightly across Jim's crotch and the blonde had to literally bite his tongue to stop the moan that tried to escape from him. His bright blue eyes looked up at Harrison and anger flashed in their depths, though it was soon taken over by lust as Harrison's fingers kept touching and teasing.

"You murdered innocent people in that meeting room, and one of them…"

Jim stopped and shook his head, knowing he shouldn't tell Harrison anything that could be used against him, but the darker man ran his tongue along the column of Jim's throat. When that tongue flicked over Jim's weak spot he knew his fight was all-but lost and his shoulders lost much of their stiffness.

"One of them was the only man I ever saw as a father…Admiral Pike."

Jim's voice choked a bit when he spoke the Admiral's name and Harrison felt a brief surge of pity. He knew the pain of loss, and from what he'd heard of Admiral Pike he'd been a good man.

"Would it help if I told you I had not meant for him to die? My only target was Admiral Marcus…I do regret that a good man like Admiral Pike had been caught in the line of fire."

Harrison held back his look of triumph when Jim's muscles relaxed, an indication that he was just about giving in. Harrison continued to lick and suck at Jim's neck, making sure not to leave a mark where anyone would see it. When Jim began making soft mewling noises he knew his point had been made. Harrison's eyes sparked as he let go of Jim's hands and gently, but firmly, pushed him back outside the barrier which solidified instantly.

Jim cursed and hit the barrier with his fist as he glared at Harrison. His override code could only be used once per day and he'd be damned if he'd ask anyone else to use their code because that would involve answering too many questions. He locked eyes with Harrison, who was smirking in outright triumph, and growled softly.

"You…what the hell was that about?"

"That was merely to prove a point. You will understand more if you do as I said before. Have someone you trust go to those coordinates and see what is there…and open one of my torpedoes. What you find will most certainly lead to you changing your views on how much of a criminal I am…Captain."

Jim glared at him for another long moment before turning on his heel and leaving the brig. He pulled his communicator out and called Scotty on his way to the bridge.