Extra long chapter this time, guys :) I know this story isn't very popular yet, but I'm hoping it will be soon. Enjoy!
Once Aubrey and Khan left the alley, he had snatched up her arm and linked it around his own. Of course she had resisted, but a sharp glare from the Augment had her forcing herself not to make a scene. Though her posture was still tense, she allowed Khan to tuck her hand into the crook of his arm while placing his free one over hers –she suspected it was a silent warning for her not to fight him. To anyone else it looked as if they were a couple taking a nice stroll on the streets of San Francisco, but upon closer inspection those people would have seen the hidden scowl on Aubrey's face and the stony expression on Khan's.
They walked like that for some time, going at a leisurely yet swift pace. Both of their eyes darted around, aware that there could be Starfleet officers anywhere with the potential to recognize them.
But it wasn't Starfleet that ended up getting the jump on them, but rather a small gang of street thugs ready to rob them.
It happened so fast that Aubrey had hardly registered what was happening until she was being held to someone's chest with a hand over her mouth. She tried to scream for Khan, but the man was busy handling his own attackers. While only one was needed to subdue Aubrey, it took the other six to even get Khan to the ground.
And he did not seem happy at all, if the murderous gleam in his eyes was any indication. These men wouldn't stand a chance against his Augmented strength, she was sure of it. Khan was a machine, built to perfection; these guys were thugs with no more training than random street fights.
So it didn't come as a shock to her when Khan lashed out with hardly any effort and sent two men flying into the brick wall behind him. They were knocked out cold immediately, but the other four were effectively terrified. And they were right to be too; Khan had thrown those men five feet in the air with hardly a flick of his hand. His eyes were wild as he peered at them through a curtain of black hair, a sadistic grin pulling at his lips. Aubrey knew then that there was no saving these men's lives. Not that she really wanted to considering the one that was holding her smelled like urine and alcohol and was currently roughly groping at her breasts while he sniffed at her hair. She could feel his body shaking against her and she sneered in disgust behind his hand. But no amount of struggling on her part would make him let her go.
That is until Khan took down two more men with a single punch to each in the temple as they came at him. The man behind her jumped when they landed in front of them in a heap then tore himself away from her with a curse. He shoved her into the wall behind her while ordering her to stay there as he pulled a phaser from the back of his pants. Khan, who was too busy with the other two men, didn't notice when the phaser was aimed straight at his head.
Aubrey didn't even think before she acted and the next thing she knew, she was leaping at the man while shouting Khan's name in warning. Khan turned just in time as Aubrey tackled the man from behind, but in his surprise he pulled the trigger and sent a shot in Khan's direction, who ducked just before it connected with his head. As they fell to the ground, the phaser was knocked from his grasp and clattered a few feet away. She was vaguely aware of Khan disposing of the last two men before making a dive for the phaser. The man began to rise and go after her, yelling curses at her as he grabbed for her ankle, but she managed to grab the phaser and turn it on him and shoot.
He fell like a sack of potatoes into her lap and she immediately squirmed from underneath him with heavy breaths. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as she glared at the heap in front of her and only looked away when she heard footsteps approaching her.
Immediately she brought the phaser up again and aimed it in the direction of the sound, pausing when she saw Khan. He stopped short as well and merely stared at her with a raised eyebrow when she didn't lower the weapon. Around them lay the bodies of their attackers; either unconscious or dead, Aubrey wasn't sure. Right now she was in a stare down with a murderous Augment who just incapacitated six men.
"Aubrey…" he drawled quietly when she still didn't lower the phaser. "Well done, I am quite proud of you."
She couldn't help but be confused. Why the hell would he be proud? Because she had stunned one man and was now pointing the same weapon right between his eyes?
"It was self defense," she growled back at him.
He chuckled lowly and shook his head at her. "I didn't expect you to take a life so soon. You are not as moral as you seem to think you are."
Her eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you talking about? The phaser is on stun."
His brow quirked and a smirk shone in his bright eyes. "Is it?"
Aubrey blinked and she hesitated as a feeling of dread passed through her. Had she…? But the phaser… Oh dear god, what had she done?!
Immediately her eyes left Khan to look at the phaser, terrified she'd see that glowing red indicator telling her it was indeed set to kill. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the blue light instead and she mentally cursed at being tricked so easily, but by that time it was already too late.
Khan was in front of her in a flash and snatching the device from her fingers. A sudden sharp pain in her left cheek then let her know that he had hit her as she fell to the ground while holding a hand to her face. When she pulled it away there was a streak of blood upon her palm.
That bastard had actually struck her! With a goddamn phaser! Choking was one thing –she didn't even want to know what those bruises would look like –but hitting her was another.
She stared up at him in shock, though she really shouldn't have been considering she knew what he was like. He only returned her look with a disapproving one of his own. After tucking the phaser into the back of his pants, he crouched in front of her while gently cupping her chin. She could see the growing anger in his eyes as they bore into her own and his grip gradually increased.
"Do not ever point a weapon at me again, Aubrey. Am I clear?" he growled darkly. She didn't reply and instead returned his heated stare with equal anger. "Next time, you will not be so lucky."
He lightened his grip enough to gently stroke her chin with the pad of his thumb then released her completely as he stood upright and moved around her to the man she had stunned. She turned away and grit her teeth knowing what was coming next and proceeded to stand and dust off her dress.
She stood off to the side waiting for Khan to finish 'taking care' of the seven men. She knew he was just going to each and making sure they were all dead before they moved on. When he was finished, he replaced the fedora that had fallen to the ground on his head and came to her side again. She didn't resist him when he tucked her hand into his elbow just as before and lead her out of the alley as if nothing had happened.
The rest of the walk back to her house went thankfully uninterrupted. There were no more thugs to jump them or any police or Starfleet members to recognize them. And when they reached her front door, she opened it with a relieved sigh.
She didn't even bother inviting Khan in, knowing he'd follow after her anyway. Dropping her keys on the table in the hallway she moved farther in to the kitchen on the right and glanced at the clock on her stove. She huffed in annoyance. It was barely 1200 hours. It seemed like a month had passed since meeting this madman when it had barely been seven hours. She was more than ready for all this madness to end.
Khan gave a noncommittal hum behind her and she turned to see him looking around her living room which could be seen easily from the kitchen. It was decorated much in the same way as her office; a few pictures on the walls, a few shelves with random objects and reading PADDs adorning it, a plain red couch with a matching loveseat and a glass coffee table. It wasn't much to look at.
"What?" she snapped at him, annoyed with his behavior. She realized that even if he was smiling and complimenting her on her simple taste in décor, she still would have wanted to kick him in an area she was sure would hurt even for an Augment.
He didn't turn to look at her as he spoke next. "Your lack of artistic expression is disappointing yet at the same time not unexpected."
She rolled her eyes. "Well, sorry if my house isn't to your liking. I didn't realize I'd be trying to impress a three hundred year old psychopath with a nice living room."
He gave a derisive scoff. "I am not psychotic, Aubrey."
"Could have fooled me."
He turned a glare on her then moved to have a seat on the couch, his back ramrod straight as his eyes continued to roam about the room. Aubrey stood in the kitchen for a few awkward moments before finally making her way to the living room as well. However she stopped when Khan suddenly spoke again.
"I would like something to eat," he said.
She stopped and stared at the back of his head. "So?"
"So, get me something. I awoke from cryosleep several hours ago and have not yet had sustenance."
"Get your own damn food," she snarled back at him.
He turned his head just slightly to stare at her in that way that made her uncomfortable. "I am a guest here, Aubrey. As a good host, it would be impolite to refuse such a request." She could see the taunting smirk pulling at the corner of his lips and she scowled. What was stopping him from shooting her if she still said no? It would have been ridiculous, of course, but the man was crazy so she wouldn't put it past him.
With a frustrated huff, she marched back into the kitchen to prepare a meal of leftovers for him. She piled a chicken breast, peas, mashed potatoes and a slice of garlic bread onto a plate, not even bothering to be neat. She debated not even heating it up for him, but thought better of it when she caught him watching her intently from the couch. Throwing the plate of food into the replicator that doubled as a mini oven, she waited the few seconds for it to be done.
The machine beeped and she removed it quickly then deposited it onto the small dining table in the corner. After retrieving a fork and knife and placing them on either side of the plate she turned to face him expectantly while placing her hands on her hips. He only stared back at her, unblinkingly.
"I'm not your maid. You can come eat at the table like polite guests are supposed to do," she quipped. Of course, she couldn't care less if he ate in the kitchen or the living room; she just wanted to feel some ounce of control around him. Ever since she met him, he's had all the control; not once did she get to call the shots. Now, since they were in her home, she felt a sense of authority come back to her even though she knew it was foolish.
Khan's eyebrow rose slowly, but he nonetheless did as she requested –more like ordered. She was actually surprised; she had a feeling that he would refuse and threaten her with the phaser to bring it to him where he sat. He took slow purposeful steps in her direction, his gaze never leaving hers until he was seated at the table where she had set out the meal for him.
He commenced eating in silence and Aubrey stood to the side unsure of what to do next. He hadn't been angry with her sharp attitude and it made her nervous. Was he waiting for later to lash out at her? Was he purposely making her worry to the point of paranoia? Or was he actually accommodating to her house rules? Maybe he did have some kind of respect towards her after all.
Immediately she shook her head to rid herself of the ridiculous thought. Khan Noonien Singh respected no one other than himself. Ugh, she was starting to get a headache from all these conflicting thoughts. She needed to lie down.
Finally she took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Well, if you don't need anything else, I'm going to have a nap," She mumbled tiredly. Khan didn't even lift his head to acknowledge her statement and it made her sigh in irritation. "The couch is all yours if you need one too. It isn't always easy to ignore the effects of cryosleep, especially when waking up the way you did."
With those parting words she slipped from the kitchen and down the hall to her room, wishing that the shutting of her door was more than just a soft hiss to make the conversation –if you could even call it that –final. Deciding to toss it from her mind, she made her way to the adjoining bathroom while peeling off the stolen dress and shoes and tossing it into the corner of the room. By the time she reached the bathroom she was only in her panties, her bra having been discarded onto the floor on her way. She was determined to forget there was a psychopathic superhuman in her kitchen eating her leftovers.
She dressed herself in the black tank top and fuzzy green shorts she usually wore to bed that she had left in the bathroom that morning and proceeded to brush her teeth and relieve herself. After she was done, she washed her hands, deposited her glasses onto the counter and splashed a few handfuls of cold water over her face with a sigh. After drying her face she trudged back into her room, already feeling the events of the morning catching up with her. Yawning, she stumbled over to her bed and flopped down, pulling the soft heavy covers over her and up to her chin. She must have been so out of it that she didn't hear her door whoosh open. If she had though, she would have more than likely dismissed it as Truffle coming in to sleep at the foot of the bed.
She did, however, feel it when a weight heavier than her cat was suddenly applied behind her back, her mattress dipping noticeably. She immediately jumped and moved to shoot away from Khan, as she knew it only could have possibly been him –the cat wasn't that fat –but he seized her wrist with a speed no other man could match. He wrenched her back so that they were pressed flush together, her back to his chest –which she noted with a small amount of horror was bare –and wrapped his arm securely around her waist, trapping her writhing limb beneath it. In mere seconds, he had her subdued and stuck against his form. With another bout of horror she realized he was under the covers with her and that his legs were also bare as they tangled with hers –no doubt to keep them from kicking him. She severely hoped he had the decency to keep his undergarments on…
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she snapped angrily, attempting to wriggle out of his grasp even though she knew it was futile. "When I said the couch was all yours, I meant that you would be sleeping on it. Not here."
"I am fully aware of what you meant," he replied calmly, his warm breath dancing along the back of her neck as he buried his nose into her hair. Goosebumps prickled along her skin and caused her hair to stand on end as she felt the vibration of his deep voice rumble from his chest and against her back. As much as she tried to suppress it, she felt a shiver course down her spine. "However, since I cannot trust that you will not betray me just yet, you will remain within my sight at all times."
"This is ridiculous. What the hell am I going to do while sleeping?" she grumbled, wriggling again only to find his hold around her waist and at her legs tighten ever so slightly. Deciding it was pointless, she forced her body to relax. After several seconds, his hold loosened the slightest bit, but she had no doubt that were she to move again he'd tense.
"I'll save you the embarrassment of answering such a mundane question with the obvious, Commander. I suggest you make yourself comfortable with it and rest."
"How am I supposed to rest when I'm being held captive? In my own house, might I add! I might as well be wearing handcuffs," she retorted irritably, but nevertheless shifted so that her bottom hand slipped under where her head rested on her pillow.
"I would not be opposed to that idea," he chuckled behind her ear and she was tempted to try and elbow him or hit him in some sort of way. "Try to not think of it as captivity and instead as protection. If any unfavorable circumstances occur during your rest, I am here to defend you." Again, she felt his nose brush the back of her skull as he spoke, his breath warming her skin. Good lord, this man was insufferable.
"Because that makes me feel so much better," she said sarcastically. Was he really so self-righteous that he had to protect her long enough in order to kill her himself? "And I'll have you know I'm perfectly capable of defending myself."
"As you demonstrated in the alley. However, you will not have the need to with me here, now hush and rest."
His clipped tone left no room for argument and with a huff of annoyance Aubrey conceded. Surprisingly, it didn't take her long to fall asleep, as she was so tired she didn't care there was a dangerous man clutching her to his chest like a teddy bear. Minutes after she fell silent her breathing slowed and every muscle in her body relaxed into slumber as Khan's warmth and even breathing lulled her into a deep and dreamless slumber.
When she awoke, Aubrey felt like she was wrapped in a pool of warmth. She was so relaxed and sleep-drunk that her limbs had no strength even if she wanted to move –her eyelids wouldn't even open. With a content sigh she found she didn't want them to; she only wanted to go back into the realm of sleep where she would never have to leave the comforting warmth she found herself wrapped in. She would have been happy to stay where she was for the next several hours –days if she felt like it.
She was about to fall back to sleep when she felt a movement that she recognized as the one that had originally pried her from her beautiful slumber. It was a light brushing of something against the skin of her lower back where her tank top separated from her pyjama shorts. Furrowing her brow, she shifted slightly, burying her head into the pillow with a small whine of protest. The movement stopped, but then there was another that began at the back of her head, tiny strands of her red hair being tugged at delicately.
Sighing in frustration that she was now far too awake to go back to sleep, she forced her eyelids open only to be met with a peach blur. Blinking rapidly in confusion, her brow deepened even farther as she pulled her head back to get a better look at what was in front of her only to discover it was a chest –a man's chest to be precise. Her confusion only intensified; had she gone drinking last night and come home with a man? Lord knows it wouldn't be the first time, but it had been several years since her last excursion out of her world of work and introverted lifestyle. Besides, she didn't have a pounding headache from a hangover, so what the hell was going on?
The moment she looked up and met Khan's sharp blue gaze, it all came rushing back. Everything from yesterday; the Hangar, the people he'd killed… Somehow, in the middle of the night she had twisted in his arms to curl up against him, her hands splayed out over his toned chest, his bottom arm being used as her pillow and her forehead pressed into his collar. The remaining fog of sleep quickly cleared and she gave a startled squeak as she shot away from him, her hands pushing against his chest to move away faster as her legs kicked and scrambled in her haste to remove herself from him. But even with her mind a bit more aware, she was still disoriented from sleep and managed to almost topple over the side of the bed had it not been for Khan's quick reflexes as he snatched her arm above the elbow to stop her from falling.
Despite this, she smacked and pried at his hand to get him to let go and even though she knew he was strong enough to ignore her feeble attempts, he promptly released her and allowed her to tumble from the bed and to the floor ungracefully with a loud thud. Immediately she scrambled away from the bed and away from him as he moved so his body was supported by a bent elbow as he raised an amused brow in her direction. Her thick covers were messily hanging off the edge where she had fallen and were brought down by her legs, but even more noticeably they were bunched just barely above his hips.
Her heart raced and her breathing was laboured as she stared at him with her mouth agape and her hands shaking. He didn't seem fazed at all as he stared right back; actually he looked downright comfortable with his chest bared to her as he lay in her bed. When she didn't attempt to speak and continued to stare, he sent her an arrogant smirk. "Good evening, Aubrey."
'Good' was definitely not the word she would have used in that moment. She felt like she was going to be sick. She couldn't believe that monster had touched her like that; stroking her back and hair as if she was made of the finest china. What was worse was that she was disgusted with herself for snuggling up to him like she had; she had always been attracted to the best heat source she could find in her sleep –often she found herself in a cocoon of blankets or huddled into a ball. On her few nightly escapades, she had curled into her partner and clutched him like a little girl who refused to part with her favorite dolly.
"You –" she sputtered unintelligently, her voice hoarse from sleep and she looked away from him. "You were just –" She couldn't bring herself to say it as she felt horror trickling down her spine. "You were touching me –Oh, god, I feel violated."
"You didn't seem to mind earlier," he chuckled and her head snapped back up to see his smirk widen, his arrogance knowing no limits. "In fact, if I remember correctly, you seemed to enjoy it quite profusely –"
"Stop it!" she snapped, but she had already paled to be a ghostly white. "Don't. Just stop talking."
He ignored her, of course. "It is nothing to be ashamed of, Aubrey. I am well aware my physique is quite exceptional to the female population."
"Please… Please stop talking…" she mumbled as she tried to ignore him and cradled her head in her hands. She heard him chuckle then a shuffling of blankets followed. Curiosity got the best of her and she knew she made a huge mistake as soon as she lifted her head to look at him.
Not only were his torso and legs bare, but so was everything else. Aubrey's hopes that he would be wearing underwear were squashed the moment he stood before her in his birthday suit, staring down at her with that damnable smirk of his. She couldn't do anything but stare in shock –and slight wonder –at his… manhood. It really was quite impressive; but then again she shouldn't have been surprised. A powerfully savage man like Khan with an ego the size of a planet was bound to have a package that rivaled a god's. She just hated herself for not being able to pry her eyes from it.
He didn't move for a while and just watched her staring at him with a blush as red as can be on her cheeks and her jaw slackened. However, after several minutes of silence and staring he finally took a few steps towards her where she sat against the wall. The sudden movement startled her out of her daze and she averted her eyes to the wall on her left while her right hand rose to shield her peripheral vision. In moments he was crouching in front of her and if it were at all possible her blush deepened further.
"Do not feel ashamed to look at me, Aubrey," he told her softly as she felt his hand gently grasp hers and pull it away from her face. Immediately her eyes shut and she kept her head turned away from him, but she jumped when she felt him take her chin –still with surprising gentleness –and turn it back in his direction.
She could feel the warmth of his fingertips on her skin and the calm whispers of his breath over her face. It made her breath hitch in her throat knowing he was just mere inches from her completely nude. She hated herself for finding him attractive; for not having the will to move away from him. Though she would bet her right arm that if she tried he'd stop her as easily as he had earlier. The thought made her terrified in more ways than one; on one hand she felt the need to press herself against him and ravish his body until they were both spent of energy and on the other she hated him and wanted nothing more than to escape him and the trouble he had and will continue to cause her. It was a war in her head that she wasn't sure either side could win.
His hand traveled away from her chin and slowly traced down to the back of her neck and buried his fingers in her messy red hair, lighting a trail of fire in its wake. Then something soft and warm and wet was pressed to the right corner of her lips with such tenderness she was fooled for moment into thinking he was someone else. Someone who wasn't cruel or manipulative, but someone who was gentle and caring instead.
But when another kiss was pressed to her lips and the hand at the back of her neck prompted her forward so their lips were pressed together like melding metal she was startled back into reality.
This was Khan. This was a man who used any means necessary to get what he wanted. He wasn't tender, he wasn't gentle and he certainly wasn't caring. Not in this way anyway. He was a ruthless killer with a vendetta to destroy Earth and all its inhabitants. He didn't care for her, he was using her. Just as he used everyone else.
With that thought, her eyes snapped open and her hands that had previously been resting uselessly in her lap shot up to his chest and pushed him forcefully away from her. She must have caught him very off guard because he actually fell back onto the floor, his hand and lips leaving her. She barely paid attention to his shocked expression as she pulled herself to her feet and stumbled away from him towards the door of her bedroom. When she thought she was a safe distance away from him she turned to level him with a hard glare while he watched her curiously now propped up on his elbows and not even bothering to cover his manhood. The shock had left his features and now he just stared at her with a blank expression.
"Don't ever," she seethed, "EVER touch me again." Her hand rose to point a finger at him threateningly. She would be lying to herself if she said it was shaking mostly due to anger. "If you do I swear to god I will castrate you."
With those parting words she spun on her heel and stomped from the room with his low chuckle being cut off by the closing door.