How very...domestic.

[nooniensingh]

When; Wednesday the 4th
Rating; N/A
Characters; Khan and Lara Croft
Summary; The flirting has come to fruition, and Khan and Lara are shacking up. Her canon taste in men bites her in the arse again. This is their move in day.

Log; Khan was no stranger to physical work. He preferred to assign tasks to others while he did the cerebral stuff. But it was no great strain to carry their boxes up into their new two-bedroom flat. In fact, he could carry three or four at a time without effort.

What was difficult was pretending to be struggling against the refrigerator's weight as he maneuvered it into place. When he could probably have bench-pressed the thing. Heh.

"Lara? Come be my eyes for me? Where's the plug?" he called out from behind the fridge's white bulk.

Comments

[nooniensingh]

"Lara...if I were to confess something to you, would you promise to hear me out? At least until the very end?"

He had to admit to himself, this was a masterful manipulation, and he'd done it so easily, it was like breathing. Get her to move in first, lay the foundations of mutual attraction, and then the big confession. The problem was, he hadn't intended to do it. It just...happened. It was how his brain operated, to protect himself and his interests.

So now he had to come clean. He'd be lucky if Lara simply shot him. He'd heal, of course, but it would be incredibly inconvenient. And he'd mourn losing her.

[ladycroft]

Ah. Here it is...

Lara set her fork down and leaned back in her chair, one hand reaching for her glass of wine, the other resting on her thigh, with easy access to the knife in her boot if she needed it. She hoped she wouldn't, of course, but some of the undercurrent she'd been sensing was possibly about to be revealed. It never hurt to be prepared.

A part of her, edging on disappointment at the turn of conversation, was sighing inside and thinking 'Oh, not again...'

"I promise that I will listen, John."

And the salmon and beans were so delicious, too...

[nooniensingh]

Ah, yes. That was the posture of a lady going for a weapon. Sigh. It would have been marvelous, too.

"John Harrison is not my real name," he says without any further preamble, leaning back in his chair as well. And there's a genuine look of regret on his face. "It's a pseudonym, chosen for me by another, but one I adopted as my own. When I introduced myself to you as such, it was out of an abundance of caution. I deeply regret not telling you sooner. I hope you can forgive me."

[ladycroft]

That was it? Likely not, but it hardly ominous in itself. Lara had a sip of her wine, her eyes on John -- or whatever other name he used. She relaxed -- a very, little bit.

"Caution is understandable, given the circumstances. I have no real problem with not using the name you wre given by your parents, though I doubt I'd recognize it of I knew it."

The likelihood of him recognizing the name 'Lara Croft' was extremely small.

[nooniensingh]

Nil, as a matter of fact. Their worlds were wholly separate, after all. Or were they?

"I appreciate your understanding," he murmurs, nodding to her respectfully. "I promise you, this was not a revelation I intended on having to make with you. If I had known at the time...the pseudonym would never had been used, I swear it."

He temples his fingers under his chin, and holds her look.

"My name is Khan. Khan Noonien Singh. And my history is...complex. Very complex. Needless to say, there are several people from my world here in the City. And none of them are very happy to see me for...various reasons."

[ladycroft]

"Ah, I see." And she did, fairly clearly, in fact. She was also fairly certain that she probably didn't want to know why he wished to stay hidden, but that was possibly just her pessimistic side when it came to discovering something about a man to whom she was attracted.

Lara seemed to have better luck with hunting for rare artifacts than she did with relationships.

"Khan Noonien Singh," she said, trying out the name. He still looked like a 'John Harrison' to her, but then, that was the name she was used to. She pursed her lips slightly, her perfectly arched brows frowning slightly as her blue eyes remained fixed on his. "Khan", she tried again.

[nooniensingh]

His name on her lips is sweet, and he smiles again, relieved and relaxing. Although, yes, he does rather look like a John Harrison, doesn't he? Heh.

"Hello, my dear. Again, my sincerest and most profuse apologies. The charade is over, and it won't happen again."

[ladycroft]

Now, that was a truly lovely smile. Some of the tension left his shoulders. Was the charade over? She didn't know, for certain, but was willing to let it go, for now. Unless he felt compelled to tell her more, she would rather finish her meal and have things remain amicable than deal with any other surprises.

Perhaps that was selfish of her, but one less thing to contend with would be nice.

"Hello." Lara smiled winningly. "Should I call you 'Khan' or continue to use 'John'?"

[nooniensingh]

"In person? Khan is my name, and I would be honoured to hear it from you. Over the network is where it gets a bit trickier."

He wants to shield her from that conflict, the conflict he was embroiled in, started by Admiral Marcus and Starfleet. One that he was wholly innocent of wrong-doing, until they forced his hand. And then he acted swiftly, decisively, and brutally. She should have no place in that conflict; it is not hers.

"As I said, John was a name chosen for me. Or perhaps I should say, forced upon me. But it serves my purpose, and so I continue to use it. On the network alone."

[ladycroft]

"I understand and I'll try to use your real name, Khan." It was something to get used to, but she was certain she would only use 'John' on the network. Completely unaware of the circumstances that led to his current status in his world, Lara remained cautious, but didn't judge.

"May I have someone more wine, please?"

[nooniensingh]

"Of course."

He pours her another glass, same helping as before. It's clear he's not attempting to get her inebriated, either. He's just pouring her wine to go with dinner.

"Lara...ask me anything. Any question you may have, and I'll answer it. Truthfully. Openly. Although I will warn you, I have not had the...easiest life. I am not fishing for sympathy, but I do warn you, it is not pleasant."

[ladycroft]

It was a generous offer, though someone else might feel they were owed more information after learning the deception of his name. Lara felt more curious than anything else. It wasn't as if she'd hidden information from John -- Khan -- about herself, but she hadn't volunteered much, either. He seemed quite intent on talking about himself, whether through a true desire to compensate somehow for lying about his name or because he just needed to share with someone.

"I appreciate the offer, Khan, though I'm not sure where to start." She had a sip from her refreshed glass. The chances of him getting her drunk were slim, even if he'd been trying, but that wasn't important at the moment. "You're organized, resourceful, intelligent and like your privacy. Why am I here, Khan?" Lara might ask more questions about his past, but she wanted the answer to this one, first.

[nooniensingh]

She manages to surprise him with that question, and he tilts his head at her, a small smile transforming his face.

"Because, my dear Lara, you are extraordinary. In so many ways."

His racism is subtle, really. It wasn't about skin-color, or race, or creed. It was about genetics. He considers Lara extraordinary because of her outward beauty. She is clearly superior stock, and if he didn't know any better, he'd wonder if she was an Augment as well. And because of her outward beauty, he was drawn to her, like a moth to a flame. A particularly brutal moth to a particularly dangerous flame.

"From the moment I first saw you on the network, I was enchanted. You say you dabble, but you move with too much purpose, you speak with too much intelligence. You're more than what you say you are...as am I. You are here because I sense in you a kindred spirit."

[ladycroft]

A kindred spirit. Hmmm.

Lara believed that most people were more than they appeared to be and the old adage of not judging a book by its cover was usually the case. Not everyone was sufficiently perceptive to look beyond the surface of the Croft heiress to see much beyond an attractive woman with money. That or they didn't want to know anything else. Both were likely.

Khan, though, saw more. She didn't know that they were 'kindred spirits', per say, but perhaps they were educated in similar environments or something. Was he being an intellectual snob, hoping, perhaps, that he'd found someone on hos 'level'? Not that it mattered. She'd encountered worse approaches to life.

Lara didn't blush, but she smiled a little. She was 'enchanting'? Khan was quite charming, the essence of the British gentlemen. But there was more. She knew it, in her mind and in her gut.

"I see. Not that I thought your intentions were nefarious, or I wouldn't be sitting here." That and she couldn't resist the mystery he presented.

[nooniensingh]

"They might be slightly nefarious," he jokes, grinning at her again. "But I'm too much of a gentleman to force the matter."

There's the opening, the honest admission of his attraction to her. The slow boil is simmering nicely now.

[ladycroft]

Her smile widened. It probably wasn't a secret that the attraction was mutual, but he'd voiced it now. It was out in the open and deserved a reply. An honest one.

"Khan," she said, her voice a little lower than before. "I can't imagine you having to force anything of the kind."

[nooniensingh]

Ah. Good.

He leans into her again, taking one of her hands in his, and he lifts it to his lips, kissing her inner palm in a surprisingly intimate gesture.

"Lara...I want this to go somewhere. We can explore this City together, discover its secrets. And...perhaps we can explore each other."

[ladycroft]

The kiss was tender, his hands were strong and there was something about the quiet intensity of his expression and his voice when he spoke that might have scared the hell out of her if she wasn't Lara Croft. She wasn't scared in the least, but doing her best not to get lost in the mystery that was Khan.

If Bryce had been present, he'd have been making gagging sounds, like a nine year old reacting to adult conversation. Hillary would likely have been frowning. Ah, Lara had to admit, she missed her 'boys'.

"Perhaps," she said, not removing her hand just yet.

[nooniensingh]

He looks up into her eyes, letting the moment linger. There's no need for words right now. They're both on the same page. Tonight might not be the night for sexual escapades, not directly on the heels of his revelation. But soon. It would clearly be soon.

"And you don't mind living with me now? Knowing I feel this way about you?"

[ladycroft]

Oh, they're on the same page, all right. They're even reading the same edition of the same book. The translation, though, might be slightly different.

"As long as you don't mind my living with you and having my own room." That had been the agreement, after all. It didn't mean she wouldn't be tempted to share a bed with I'm -- and not sleep -- but certainly, nothing like that would happen tonight. She was a sensual woman, yes, and could be impulsive, yes, but she wasn't easy.

Or blind.

And she was only human, after all.

[nooniensingh]

"I insist upon your own room. A lady should have her secrets, after all."

He finally sits back again, and pours himself another glass of wine. The meal was delicious, and he's relaxing now. Relaxing like a cat, all boneless grace.

"Tomorrow, we'll go for that walk around the City's perimeter. Are you up for a long hike, my dear?"

[ladycroft]

Secrets. Indeed.

"I'm always up for some invigorating exercise," Lara replied, admiring the man across from her. Intelligence, grace, strength, charm. Would she like what she found when she decided to ask more questions?

[nooniensingh]

He loves the way she puts things. So many delicious double entendres. The admiration is one hundred percent mutual. Beauty, intelligence, passion, strength...

What a woman.

"Tomorrow, then. I look forward to it."

[ladycroft]

"As do I," she said, wondering if they would be touring the island tomorrow or aiming for a specific zone to focus upon. Or would they be too distracted to focus on anything but each other?

As Fate would have it, Lara had excellent self-control.

Most of the time.

She stood. "You cooked, so I should do the dishes..."

[nooniensingh]

He waves a hand at her graciously, a little smirk on his face again.

"I was going to offer, but if you insist..."

That was how it would be, he figured. Always attempting to one-up each other in some way or another. But he wouldn't have been attracted to her if she were some ordinary simpering helpless female.

God, if she'd been at his side during the height of his power, he wouldn't have lost the world.