Aubrey stormed back into the kitchen, her face flushed red in embarrassment and anger as she mumbled curses and insults under her breath. She clenched her fists at her sides, her elbows straight and locked into place with tension and her lips twisted into a snarl as she glared at the floor as if it was the man himself. In the darkness, her bare foot slipped slightly on the linoleum of the kitchen floor as she entered.

How could he possibly have the audacity to do that?! Cuddling up to her while she slept so she wouldn't escape was somewhat plausible –she could understand that in his twisted mind it made sense –but doing it naked was not going to fly at all. She was grateful that she had the sense to wear pyjamas to bed; normally on hotter nights she'd either be in her underwear or in the nude. Thankfully it had been a little chillier lately and clothing was required. In a weird way she had also been a bit grateful for Khan's body heat –which was strangely high –and she shivered at the thought.

And then he kissed her afterwards. She was angry enough for letting herself allow him to violate her personal space, let alone her intimate space. She had let that monster hold her and touch her in ways that made her skin crawl in so many ways she wasn't sure which ones were good and which ones were bad.

She shivered again just thinking about it and decided to set that issue aside for now by busying herself with making a pot of coffee. She roughly punched in the codes on the black device for a nice medium roast with milk and sugar then rested her hands on the edge of the counter with a sigh of frustration. Closing her eyes, she attempted to calm her breathing and relax her body.

"Somewhat early for coffee, is it not?"

His deep timbre caused the tension to return to her muscles to the point of aching and her breathing stopped entirely. Anger twisted her features once more as her eyes flashed open to burn a hole into the side of the coffee pot. Even through her annoyance she couldn't stop herself from glancing at the clock to find a happy green light displaying 0316. 3am. It was pretty early, but there was no way she was going back to sleep now. Not after what had just happened.

The machine gave a soft beep as the coffee finished brewing and a smiley face with a 'HAVE A GREAT DAY' lit up on the display screen. Aubrey almost snorted a humourless laugh.

Yeah, I doubt that, she thought bitterly.

As she went about pouring a cup of coffee she didn't turn around when she finally replied.

"It's never too early for coffee," she mumbled. She heard Khan give a low chuckle then the scraping of a kitchen chair as he took a seat. Sipping the hot liquid from her mug she let curiosity get the best of her and turned to glance at him quickly before averting her eyes again. He wasn't nude; he at least had the decency to put on his black Starfleet regulation trousers, choosing to leave his pale yet toned chest bare. In an attempt to avoid him she skittered past him to the living room without a word and had a seat on the couch, her forearm propped up on the armrest on her right side with her mug in hand.

Several beats of silence passed, then, "May I have a mug as well?"

Aubrey blinked; startled that he would even bother to ask in such a polite manner. And judging by his tone it didn't sound as if it was his way of telling her to come back to the kitchen and pour it for him herself. In fact, she even heard the soft padding of his bare feet on the floor as he made his way over to the counter and retrieve his own mug from the cupboard.

"Uh, sure. Knock yourself out," she replied unsurely.

"Thank you," he said in return.

"You're welcome," she responded dumbly with eyes narrowed in confusion.

What game is he playing at? she wondered suspiciously.

Was this some new tactic to manipulate her? Or was he being genuine? It was hard to tell with a man like Khan, especially when his moods tended to fluctuate so rapidly and drastically.

Where was the rude Khan? The cynical bastard? The arrogance? The abusive slandering?

Then she heard him pour his coffee and silently make his way out of the kitchen to join her in the living room. In her peripheral vision, she watched as he leisurely made his way around the back of the couch to sit directly next to her. Nervously, she shifted a bit farther away from him, forcing herself up against the armrest. Khan didn't seem to notice as he raised his mug to his lips.

Maybe yesterday was just a really bad day for him. After all, he was awoken from Cryosleep, found out his crew was alive, was able to touch their pods but then had to leave them for a second time to save himself, had to sneak around an underground facility with an angry redhead, had to steal a car and suffer through an hour or so of heavy traffic with said redhead, had to deal with the redhead when she got on his case about murder then again when she refused to hurt an innocent woman, got attacked by several men, and had a gun pointed at him by the aforementioned redhead. Any one of those situations would drive anyone crazy. What if the files on him were wrong and he was really a good man that had bad things happen to him? Bad things tended to happen to good people, right? And eventually those people will fight back.

The idea began to plant itself in Aubrey's mind more securely and she briefly forgot about the incident that had just occurred a few minutes ago. She began to think that maybe he was just misunderstood. Especially now that she saw him in a much more civil light.

She decided to put her theories –which were more like hopes –to the test. "How's your coffee?" she asked tentatively.

"Dreadful," he replied immediately. Aubrey's heart sank. "I prefer black tea or coffee, but this will have to do. Think better of that next time."

Aubrey frowned. So much for her theory.

Deciding that all future attempts at being civil with Khan would probably result in one of them ripping the head off the other's shoulders, conversation ceased. They both sipped at their coffee in the darkness of her living room in complete silence causing the air to become thick with a tension that Aubrey was sure she was the only one who felt it. It was one of those rare occasions that Aubrey cursed herself for not having a television just so she could have something to stare at. Of course she could read something off one of her many PADDs, but for some reason she felt that if she moved from her spot Khan would snap again. As much as she hated the man, she didn't want to anger him either. She probably pissed him off already with her refusal of his body in the bedroom; he may seem calm now, but any moment he was bound to turn from lamb to lion.

She raised her mug to her lips again then pulled it back immediately after with a frown. It was empty. Sighing, she chanced a glance at Khan who still sat as stiff as a board on her left side before gathering her courage and stood from the couch.

As soon as she was upright, something seemed to shift in the air and she had a feeling it had to do with Khan. She was proven right when she moved to go around the couch and caught him staring directly at her with such intensity it made her halt. They stayed like that for several seconds, Aubrey growing increasingly more uncomfortable and annoyed the longer he stared at her with that blank expression of his.

Finally annoyance won out and she narrowed her eyes in a glare. "Stop that," she snapped.

Slowly one of his dark eyebrows rose. "Stop what?"

"You know what," she replied petulantly, pouting slightly. When he didn't reply she tried again. "You know… Staring at me." She waved her hands about in front of her as if it would somehow help him understand. His face was still blank.

"It creeps me out, ok?" she tried again.

No reaction.

Sighing in frustration, she rolled her eyes and turned again to stomp back into the kitchen. "Forget it," she mumbled irritably with a shake of her head. Upon reaching the counter, she slammed her mug down, roughly took up the pot and began pouring another much needed cup of caffeine.

"My staring discomforts you?" he suddenly asked. Aubrey paused, listened for the sound of him coming closer to her, but there was none. Replacing the coffee pot, she took the first sip before replying.

"You're damn right it does."

He didn't reply right away, so she took this chance to wander over to her bookshelf, clutching her mug between her hands while avoiding his intense gaze.

"Why?" he suddenly asked.

She scoffed and turned to look at him with a 'you're kidding me, right?' look. From the couch only a few feet away, he still stared at her. "You know exactly why."

"My apologies if my attraction to you makes you uncomfortable," he said.

"Oh ho ho!" she laughed humourlessly. She was fully aware that he wasn't actually sorry about anything. Ever. They're 'escape' from the base was proof enough of that. "That is so bullshit! You are not attracted to me. You want to manipulate me into doing what you want. Well, newsflash, buddy; I'm already helping you. You don't need to lay the charm on me."

And again there was that spurt of confidence she didn't think was wise to use around him. It didn't matter that he seemed to have a reason to want to keep her around for a little while longer; he would kill her if she took his so far forgiving nature too far. And yet, she did it anyway. She really did have a death wish.

Slowly he stood from the couch while placing his half empty mug on the coffee table in front of him and Aubrey's spurt of confidence disappeared. Then he slowly started making his way towards her, his steps slow and purposeful. Her heart started to hammer in her chest. The way he was staring at her… She didn't know if she should be scared or aroused.

He looked like a predator; ready to pounce on her at any moment and devour her. At the same time there was that evil glint to his eyes that made her shiver with fear. She stood frozen to her spot in front of the book shelf, helpless to do anything but watch him as he came closer. When he was standing in front of her, his body so close she could feel the heat radiating off of his bare chest, she was sure her heart was about to burst from behind her ribcage.

He was so tall he had to bow his head to look down at her, but it didn't seem to bother him as he never broke eye contact as he reached out to gently pry her mug from her hands. She let him, her fingers feeling numb. It was the same helpless feeling that had come over her in the bedroom when he kissed her; a part of her wanted this, but her rational side stood helpless to stop it.

Without a word he placed her mug on a shelf behind her then used the same hand to cup the side of her face. His touch was again surprisingly gentle just like before in the bedroom and she was well aware the amount of control it must have taken to hold back as much as he was. "Is it really so hard to believe, Aubrey?" His tone was so low and gentle it sounded like a purr and it made her swallow the lump that was growing in her throat. She couldn't pry her eyes from his glistening blue ones, watching as they sparkled in the darkness.

"Yes," she whispered back, unable to make her voice sound more confident. This man was messing with her head. Why couldn't he just leave her alone? Why couldn't he stay the ruthless asshole that he was? What had she ever done to deserve this torture?

Just like before, his hand traveled to burry itself in her hair and pulled at the sensitive little hairs that had Aubrey's skin tingling. Slowly he was coming closer, closing the little amount of distance that there was between them.

"It has been some time since I have felt a woman," he said lowly, lust now clear in his gaze and his tone. Aubrey felt paralyzed as his breath ghosted over her face. She wanted to maul him; him and his perfect… um… physique. And she hated herself for it.

"You…" he growled hungrily, his other hand coming to grasp at her hip, the action causing her pelvis to gently brush against his which in turn caused a knot to form in her stomach and her breathing to stop completely. "I find myself with much pent up sexual energy. It has been three hundred years since my last woman and I feel the need as I have never felt it before."

She could feel his breathing become heavier the closer he became, and his grip on her tightened ever so slightly. She wanted nothing more than to give in, let him take her. No doubt he'd give her the time of her life, but something he said had her refraining.

Just before his lips touched hers, she spoke. "Wait."

And wait he did, though he didn't look at all happy about it. Briefly she wondered why he would wait; she had no power over him. "Are you saying you only want me because… because you haven't had sex in a while?"

He didn't reply, nor did his hold change in the slightest. He was like a statue as he bore his gaze into hers. She could see it in his eyes; the want, the need. But she could tell that there was nothing else in there for her to see besides that.

Aubrey could only take that as a confirmation to her suspicions and immediately she grew angry again. Narrowing her eyes at him, she shoved him away, but this time he was prepared for it. Though he could have stayed where he was, he allowed a bit of space to be made between them and his hands left her, the skin they had previously been caressing feeling cold in his absence.

"You… You asshole!" she seethed, shoving him again. Again he took barely a step back. "Oh my god, I can't believe I almost fell for that." She laughed humorlessly. Of course there wouldn't be any real feelings behind this, she thought bitterly. For one, they had only just met yesterday and he was a ruthless man who only cared about himself and his crew. Of course she wouldn't mean anything to him. How could she have let herself even begin to think such a thing?

She felt like such a fool. After the countless amounts of evidence she'd seen of this man's savagery, she somehow still believed that there was good inside of him. Even now. But she suspected he didn't even know it himself and therefore acted as the savage others claimed him to be. Until he realized it, she was afraid he'd remain the gloating prick he'd been since their meeting in Hangar 16.

"The unintelligent do seem to be easier to persuade." His voice cut into her thoughts and she threw him another glare to which he unsurprisingly didn't react to.

Although it was meant as a compliment –in a strange sort of way –she still hated him with a passion.

She moved away from the bookcase after blindly fumbling for the coffee mug Khan had taken from her and placed on one of the shelves, her eyes never leaving him as she did so. He watched her just as carefully, his eyes never straying from hers as if it were a challenge he knew could win. Once she had a firm grasp on the mug, she plucked it from the shelf and stepped away, their intense stare never breaking even as she shuffled to create more distance between them.

The air was so tense it was almost suffocating. Although that might have had something to do with the awkwardness Aubrey felt as noticing Khan once again had an erection. Thankfully he had pants on this time, but the bulge was still sticking out like a sore thumb.

She cringed as her poor mental choice of words.

Their staring contest was ended when a soft mewl sounded from somewhere on the floor and they broke eye contact to search out the source of the sound. There was something small and fuzzy at Khan's feet and in the darkness a pair of glowing eyes flashed. Aubrey's heart clenched when she realized it was her Birman cat, Truffle, rubbing his fat fluffy body up against Khan's right leg. She instantly forgot about what had just happened, forgot all about her anger and frustration. She was only worried about her beloved cat who, for some reason, chose Khan as the person he wanted to cuddle up against.

Truffle was a fluffy little thing with tones of brown, black and white that reminded Aubrey of chocolate –hence his name –but he was not the friendliest of pets. It seemed like Aubrey was the only person he liked since he hissed and growled and even scratched at anyone else he made contact with, which was thankfully not often as guests in her house were rare. He was also fat and his hair hid it well, but it tended to slow him down somewhat. She didn't overfeed him, in fact she was worried at first that her busy work schedule would leave him malnourished, but somehow he managed to get into the cat food no matter where she hid it.

Khan looked down at the animal with a blank expression even as Truffle wound his way around his foot, between his legs and around the other ankle, completing a full figure eight as a purr emitted from his throat and he looked up at the Augment with absolute adoration. Aubrey was shocked speechless at his behavior; not only was he cuddling up to him, he was purring! He only ever did that for her!

But that didn't stop her for worrying for her temperamental feline friend. The lump reformed in her throat when she expected Khan to kick him away or stomp on him. She was tempted to race over and snatch the little fur ball away from him, but by the time she thought about it, it was already too late.

Without a word, Khan bent at the waist and wrapped one powerful hand under the cat's belly while the other supported his rear as he lifted him from the ground. Truffle meowed happily and once he was cradled against Khan's chest he immediately rubbed his head under his chin, his glowing eyes falling shut. Aubrey couldn't stop the look of complete and utter shock that crossed her face as she watched the display, not sure whether to be worried that her cat chose Khan of all people to like or offended that he hadn't come to her first.

A deep rumble sounded from the Augment's throat as he chuckled and gently stroked Truffle's thick fur as he held him to his bare chest. The cat let out another mewl of happiness as his tail twitched and he continued to purr. Still, Aubrey stood rooted to the spot in horror.

"And who might this be?" Khan asked, his fingers deftly scratching the underside of Truffle's chin.

"Truffle," Aubrey replied dumbly. Khan gave her a look that practically screamed 'that's the dumbest name I've ever heard', but didn't stop his clearly wonderful scratches.

"That is a ridiculous name," he told her bluntly. She sighed and rolled her eyes at him unsurprised, but he didn't seem to notice as he looked back at the cat. "It is not a name befitting such a strong animal."

Aubrey snorted. "The only thing that's strong is his appetite."

Khan gave another chuckle and scratched Truffle's chin a few more times before bending to place him back gently on the floor. Aubrey was shocked again to see him so gentle with her beloved cat. Truffle, who almost seemed drunk off the affection, stumbled somewhat as he was placed on all fours and looked up at Khan with a disappointed meow. Then his tail lifted and he happily trotted over to Aubrey as she bent down to pick him up as if she needed to protect him from the scary Augment even though he had shown him nothing but care. She had to set her coffee mug down on the floor though, knowing that she would not be able to lift him comfortably with one hand and once he was secured against her shoulder with his behind cradled in her left hand, she took her mug back up and straightened once again.

He purred against her chest as she looked back over to Khan who watched her with a small smirk at her cautious actions. Curling her lip at him, she decided not to say anything before she turned and made her way back into the living room and making sure to take the long way around the back of the couch to get to the armchair to avoid Khan. When she was seated, Truffle took advantage of her open lap and curled into a ball against her stomach for a nap.

Deftly she buried her free hand into his fur and pet him as she sipped at her coffee, watching from the corner of her eye as Khan returned to his seat on the couch and took up his own mug of coffee without a word.

They sat in silence for what seemed like forever with no sound besides Truffle's soft purring until Khan finished the contents of his mug and placed it back on the coffee table. He then turned to her, his expression just as cold and blank as it usually was.

"Now, I'd like to speak to you about the weekend security at your facility…"