***
Every day for the rest of the month Angelus surprised Cordelia with his ability to be kind to her. For a soulless demon, that was a shocker. He interspersed his poetic cards with the flowers and candy she had demanded of him, but it was the other little things he did that made the most impact.
Holding the door or her chair were only two of the small efforts he made to pay attention to her. All without being too obvious or making a point in front of the rest of the gang.
“So what did you do?” she asked him one night. “Take lessons from Miss Manners?”
Angelus had been true to his word regarding his Good Fight efforts. Joining them every night, he fought fiercely alongside the Slayer, his vampire double Angel and the Scooby Gang. He came in with reconnaissance. He pressured one of the demon gangs into getting out of town.
Hell, he was even out-heroing Angel with his tactics and sudden do-gooder activities. Cordelia wouldn’t have been surprised to see him escorting the Girl Scouts on their next door-to-door cookie sale event.
The only thing that side-tracked Angelus from his perfect record was the revenge scheme he had set up with Angel against the two teenagers who tried to rape her. Cordelia was at the Bronze on Friday night along with the rest of the Scooby Gang. The two vampires were supposed to meet them there to celebrate their latest victory, but neither vamp had shown.
When the lights went out suddenly, the music died down and the crowd let out a collective scream. Historically, it was a sign of trouble rather than lighting problems. Noises from above and the sound of creaking metal alerted them to activity on the upper level.
“I’ll check it out,” Buffy told the gang and then headed for the stairs.
Before the Slayer could get further than a couple of steps, the lights came on again and a spotlight revealed that the metal dancing cage used during a few guest band appearances had been lowered into place. Cordelia let out a strangled gasp as she realized that her two assailants were standing in the cage stark naked. The skinny tall one and the blond pudgy one were both handcuffed to the bars of the cage in a way that even prevented them from covering themselves.
A roar of laughter followed the shocked gasps of the crowd as everyone stared upward. It took the fire department and a blowtorch to get the boys out of the cage. When the police asked them to identify the thugs who put them there, both refused. They looked like they had been scared within an inch of their measly little lives.
After the excitement died down, Angel appeared on the scene. Cordelia looked through the crowd trying to spot Angelus, but Angel informed her that he had asked the vampire to leave.
“Why?” Cordelia was visibly disappointed.
“Because of that,” Angel reached out and tugged at her lower lip. “You’re pouting.”
She touched her hand to her mouth. “I thought—”
“Shh!” Angel shushed her. He didn’t want the gang to know about Cordelia’s developing feelings for Angelus any more than she did although after tonight that might be a moot point.
Buffy’s eyes were wide and questioning as she looked at him. With a sigh, Angel pulled her close answering her silent ‘which one are you’ query. He kissed her forehead and watched the smile come over her features. “You just missed the excitement, Angel. Two guys from the band were locked naked into the dance cage.”
“I caught the end of it,” Angel told her.
Patience was never Cordelia’s strength. By the time Oz and Willow hit the dance floor, she was practically squirming in her chair. She stared hard at Xander, mentally willing him to ask Buffy to dance. That would leave her alone with Angel so he could say whatever it was he wanted to say to her about Angelus. Unfortunately, it only made the big lunkhead think that she wanted to dance with him.
“Do you want to dance, Cor?” Xander asked hesitantly. She hadn’t been much for anything that might involve accidental touching with him since the big break up.
Cordelia put on a fake smile. What was she supposed to say? “Forget it. I want to spend time with Buffy’s boyfriend.”
That wouldn’t go over well. “Okay.”
Buffy noticed the way that Cordelia’s eyes shifted over to Angel as she got up from her chair. As soon as they were alone at the table, Buffy inquired, “How about you, Angel? Wanna dance?”
“You know I don’t dance.”
“Sure you do,” Buffy urged him to dance with her. “Just to slower music. We could make a request.”
“Not tonight.”
“What’s wrong with tonight?”
Angel practically snapped at her, “Everything.”
He couldn’t tell her that the cage incident was partly his doing. That it had done next to nothing to quell his thirst for vengeance. The bastards deserved a good maiming at the least. Cordelia wouldn’t stand for it and even Angelus was in his nicey-nice vampire mode.
“I need to kill something,” Angel grumbled.
Buffy got up out of her chair, “Then let’s go on patrol.”
“I can’t.”
Confused, Buffy asked him for a reason. “Why not?”
“Because I need to talk to Cordy first,” he blurted.
“To Cordelia?”
Now he’d done it. His foot was definitely lodged deep in his mouth this time. There was no getting out of some kind of explanation. What was he supposed to say to Buffy? Not the truth. It would betray a confidence and piss her off at the same time because he had not told her to begin with.
Angel had never outright lied to Buffy, but he wouldn’t feel right about revealing the attempted rape and his part in getting back at the culprits tonight. That was Cordelia’s business. It would be different if he thought Cordy wasn’t coping and needed to speak to another female, but she seemed to be handling the situation better than him. Of course, this was just the minor of the two topics he needed to clear up.
Discussing the other with Buffy would definitely result in ass-kickage. Only Angel was hoping that it wouldn’t be his own, which Buffy could definitely accomplish if she was really ticked off. He knew on some level that she was still angry about him making the deal with the Fates without her final consent. Giving Angelus his own existence was not a choice the Slayer would have made and Angel fully realized that now in hindsight.
Despite the fact that Buffy remained wary of Angelus and Giles eagle-eye watchful in his observations, neither of them nor the rest of the Scooby Gang seemed to have picked up on his twin’s flirtation with Cordelia. He was amazed that they seemed to wear blinders and only saw what they wanted. They saw Angelus as sucking up to them or following the Slayer’s orders. They were unrealistically pleased with the fact that Angelus made a positive turn in his behavior.
What was Angel supposed to say to Buffy? “He wants to fuck Cordelia and since he’s been a good little demon, I’m going to let him.”
The crude thought made him cringe visibly, which only drew another strange look from Buffy, but that was essentially what he would be doing. Worse, it was more than just sex Angelus wanted from Cordelia. The fact that he had come to Angel with his intentions made the matter serious, formal and required him to respond. If Angel did not put a stop to this by rejecting Angelus’ declaration that he was going to make Cordelia his lover, it would be the same as giving his consent.
That was why he needed to talk to Cordelia tonight. To find out what she wanted. Was it just Angelus’ depraved idea or did she also want the vampire? He needed to know if he had to tell Angelus to lay off— even if that was what Angel really wanted to say no matter what Cordelia answered. Angel’s initial reaction was to tell Angelus to keep his hands off, but his twin insisted that Cordelia was aware of what she was getting into. That she wanted Angelus just as much as he wanted her.
Angel couldn’t say why that pissed him off. It just did. Buffy was still waiting for some kind of response from him. He was going to have to answer soon, because the seconds were ticking away.
Damn, he almost forgot the question. Why did he need to talk to Cordelia? He told Buffy the only thing he could say, “I can’t tell you, Buffy. There is something that involves her and I need to make sure it’s okay. You’ll have to trust me.”
Why wouldn’t she trust him? Buffy wondered, “Is Cor in trouble?”
“No questions,” Angel pleaded despite the genuine concern in her voice. “Understand I can’t have this conversation here in the Bronze. I have to leave and take Cordelia with me.”
Buffy thought it sounded serious. She could only think of two possibilities as to why he wouldn’t clue her in on the subject. The first was that Cordelia had tried to make another play for Angel and he was letting her down easy. Then there was Angelus. She figured it had to do with his evil twin. The evil twin who was not so evil lately. Just sweetly heroic in a highly suspicious way.
“I’ll get Xander to dance with me,” Buffy strategized. “You talk to Cordelia.”
Standing, Angel pulled Buffy into his arms for a hug. “Thank you for understanding.”
He kissed the top of her head and then told her, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Xander was perfectly content to dance with Buffy if Vamp Boy didn’t want to brave the modern music. He returned Cordelia to the table and immediately followed Buffy back onto the dance floor.
“We’re leaving,” Angel informed Cordelia as he picked up her leather jacket from the chair.
“What about them?” She nodded toward Buffy and the Scoobies.
“I told Buffy I needed to talk to you.”
Cordelia looked panicky for a moment. “You didn’t tell her why, did you?” Even she did not know the reason, but she could guess and that was something she didn’t want Buffy nosing into.
“No.” Angel held open the supple brown leather jacket so Cordelia could slip into it.
As his hands came up to curl around her shoulders, Cordy looked back at him. “Are you taking lessons from Angelus, now? Helping girls with their jackets?”
She thought she heard a growl, but Cordelia couldn’t be certain. The noise of the crowd and the music was such that it made conversation difficult. Angel leaned down and told her, “Let’s go. I need to get out of here.”
Angel led her to the Plymouth which had Cordy asking, “What about my car?”
“Either we’ll be back for it or I’ll take care of it myself later on.”
Puzzled, Cordelia shrugged at his response and sat down in the passenger seat. He closed the door for her and stood staring down at her for a moment. She asked him curiously, “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere we can talk about what the fuck you think you’re doing with Angelus.”
While Cordelia had guessed right on the subject matter, the way Angel talked suddenly made her feel like she didn’t want any part of the conversation. She grabbed the handle and gave the door a push. Angel was still there and thrust the door closed again.
“We’re going to have this conversation, Cordelia.”
“You’re scaring me.”
Angel’s mouth curled into a grim sneer. “It’s not me you need to be frightened of, Cordy.”
“Then get your ass in the car, Angel. Take me to wherever it is we’re going and let’s have this out once and for all.” Cordelia turned to face the windshield and sat unmoving in her seat.
Once the car was in motion, the silence between them thickened. Neither one was willing or able to talk. Cordelia figured that screaming at Angel like a banshee would not come across as very mature. She’d hold off until she heard what he had to say first.
Then she would scream at him. The silence was a cloak of protection to Angel saving him from talking for these few minutes. He didn’t want to talk in the Plymouth, not about this. It would almost be like sullying his car with a distasteful subject.
Pulling up next to a wooded area with a small clearing, Angel turned off the ignition and walked around to let Cordelia out of the car. Before he opened the door, Cordy smoothed her wind-blown hair and asked, “Where are we?”
Glancing over his shoulder for an instant, Angel turned back to hold out a hand for her as she got out. Her high heels were more suited to the dance club than the pebbled side of the road or the turf they would be crossing. “It’s just the small park behind the mansion. I find it a quiet place to think. Usually no interruptions except for the occasional animal.”
Angel had brought her to the mansion. That confused her considering what she figured was coming. Why bring her here, even to the back yard of the mansion, if that was the last place Angel wanted her to be? Cordelia knew he was going to bellow at her about Angelus and the thought that he might want her with him at the mansion.
“Can we—,” Cordelia started only to twist her ankle as her heel caught in the heavy turf. “Ouch!”
Saving her from a nasty fall, Angel caught her, holding her until she regained her balance. Then stepping back, he pointed out the thick grass below their feet. “Take off your shoes. It’s like this all the way to the house.”
Bending down, Cordelia yanked her shoes off her feet and held them in her left hand. She hadn’t forgotten what she was going to say and this little delay only made her defensive. Now she was barefoot for the debate she knew was coming and the loss of three inches of height left her at a disadvantage.
“You know this is an argument waiting to happen. Can we stop dancing around the subject, Angel?”
“That’s the only kind of dancing you don’t enjoy,” Angel smiled trying to put her at ease.
Cordelia smiled back. Her lips twisted wryly. “I’m not sure I like the bunny hop, either.”
Angel cringed at the thought. “Too bad. That sounds like something I could handle.”
Then Cordy pointed out, “You’re still dancing, Angel.”
His silent scowl gave her a little thrill as she tacked on one point for Team Cordy. An eyebrow arched high as she started the ball rolling, “So we’re here to talk about Angelus,” giving him the task of answering instead of questioning her. “What does that have to do with you and me and our starlit conversation?”
Cordelia had a way of making Angel feel tongue-tied. He managed to say, “I know about the two of you.”
“What’s to know?” she shrugged as though he was imagining things.
“That Angelus wants you in his bed and you’re not that far from diving into it.”
She stared back despite his accusatory look, unblinking during her clipped response, “Says who?”
“C’mon, Cordy. It’s obvious.” Then Angel corrected himself, “To me, anyway. I’m not blinded by Angelus’ attempts to be everyone’s new best friend. That goes double for his seduction game with you.”
Her expression softened, a smile curling her lips. “Maybe it’s not a game. Or maybe I just like playing it.”
Shocked, he’d expected her to be surprised or at least a little wary of the suggestion. Not lapping it up like a cat in a puddle of cream. He knew Angelus’ desires as he’d laid out everything to him earlier in the day, but Angel hadn’t been certain about Cordelia’s feelings. Now, it appeared that his worst fears were confirmed.
“You want him.”
“Mmm,” Cordelia’s only answer was a hum that accompanied a secretive little smirk.
Taking her by the arms, he stepped close, trying to reason with her. “This is Angelus. Not some boy with his heart on a string.”
She lifted a hand to cover his as it trailed down to her elbow. “I don’t want a boy. I want Angelus.”
Her frankness made him wince. “You can’t, Cordy.”
“Yes, I can and I will if I want too.” Cordelia’s stubborn streak often led to sticking out her tongue, but she avoided that here. “I guess I’m supposed to be grateful for the concern. You’re my friend. Angelus wants me and you’re worried about it.”
“With good reason.”
“Doesn’t matter. I want him right back. Get over it, Angel. It’s not like you can do anything about it, anyway.”
“Oh, I can,” he told her with more confidence than he had at that moment. Having already heard Angelus’ side of things, stopping this would be as easy as trying to stop a runaway train. Still, he promised her, “I can stop this here and now.”
“Nothing you say is going to change my feelings for Angelus.”
She’d hate him if he actually pulled rank on his brother and disallowed it. “Cordy, do you really know what you’re doing?”
Sucking in a deep breath, Cordelia had to admit, “No. Not really, but I don’t want to stop it. He’s been trying so hard to be good. To prove that he can be like you— even without a soul.”
“Angelus is not me,” Angel wasn’t certain if she was hinting at something or if his own imagination was kicking in. “He’s still more demon than human.”
“I know that, but Angelus is making an effort to prove himself to me. Do you think it’s all an act?”
Shaking his head, Angel confirmed truthfully, “No, it’s not an act. He legitimately wants you badly enough to do just about anything to have you.”
Angel sensed the escalating rhythm of her heartbeat as he told her the news. There was that expression again, pure satisfaction evoked by the thought alone. Despite the proof of her smile, Angel had to ask, “What do you want, Cordy?”
Hesitating, Cordelia met Angel’s gaze. The moonlight only intensified his look. There had been a time when she would have given a lot to hear Angel ask her that same question and hearing it startled her into silence.
“Angel, I—,” the words were lost on her lips.
He pushed her for a response, not realizing that her thoughts had turned to a more personal angle. “Tell me,” he demanded. “Is Angelus forcing you into this? Seducing you into giving him what he wants? I know how capable he can be when it comes to seducing women.”
Because you have the same skills, Cordelia realized. She confessed, “I think we’re seducing each other. Angelus is—”
She was going to say something along the lines of the vampire being handsome, or hot, but since his double was the one demanding her answers that seemed like the wrong strategy.
“Angelus is what?”
“The one I want,” Cordelia told him with unblinking honesty. “Are you gonna be okay with that?”
“No,” Angel barked out the work causing her to jump. “You shouldn’t be anywhere near the bastard. The Fates may have him on a leash, Cordelia, but who knows if the pain will stop him from going for something he really wants.”
“Such as?”
“Using his fangs,” Angel’s words had a bite of their own. “Sinking them into your skin would be at the top of his long list. Starting with your neck.”
Cordelia rubbed at her throat. Flustered with the lecture, she couldn’t think why he would say that. “Where else?”
Angel took a step forward, looming close. He snatched her hand away from her neck and ran his thumb across her wrist. “Do you know how many places humans pulse, Cordy? Where your blood flow reaches the surface. Those are just for starters. Then there are more intimate places.”
His fangs itched along the roof of his mouth, extending just enough to scrape Angel’s tongue as he swept it against their fleshy housing. It was enough to get his attention where it needed to be: on the lecture and not on her breasts. Though right now the two seemed to coincide.
“Don’t accuse Angelus of trying his vamp tricks on me until he tries them. How do you know what he’d do?”
“Because—,” Angel’s voice drifted off into the thought that it was what he wanted to do, “—that’s what vampires do, especially when they have no soul to curtail their instincts.”
“You said it yourself that the Fates’ powers keep him in line. He can’t bite me. Good. Then there’s no need for the big worry. I’ll be safe.”
Angel still had his doubts. “Angelus can’t kill you, but he does want you, Cordy. He’ll wipe out any lasting shred of innocence in those beautiful eyes. Understand what you’re letting yourself in for. He’ll want you everyway there is to have you.”
The vampire’s voice was thick as he sounded out his concerns. Cordelia appeared excited rather than scared at the prospect. Joking, she told him, “Then maybe it will be our turn to make the chandelier swing.”
Groaning, Angel ran a hand over his face, “Buffy can be— enthusiastic.”
“Eew!” Cordelia complained, holding up her hands to ward off further explanation. “No details.”
No problem since Angel wasn’t about to share them. Although some nights he thought he might need to discuss with someone Buffy’s overbearing need to be in control. Since the only one remotely qualified was Rupert Giles, Angel hadn’t reached the point where he was letting it bother him. Not quite.
“Angelus asked me for consent,” he told Cordelia whose eyes widened in response.
“Consent for what?”
“To bed you. To make you his lover. To keep you in the mansion when he wanted.”
Cordelia stuttered a bit in response, her cheeks flushing hotly. “He asked you that?”
“Yes.”
“Why would he need to ask you?” Cordelia didn’t understand. “He didn’t ask for your permission when he came onto me at the Bronze and ended up with Harmony after I turned him down.”
Asking consent was for old-fashioned families and boyfriends asking fathers to take their daughters on dates or fiancés asking fathers for permission to marry. Since none of those situations applied, it came as a shock that Angelus would even bring up the subject to Angel, much less ask permission. Cordelia certainly didn’t think of Angel as a father-figure and she was sure he felt the same way.
“That was when he just wanted a one night stand. This is about a relationship. About claiming you as his own.”
“Claiming me?” Cordelia wasn’t certain that she understood what that meant. “I still don’t get how you’re involved in any of this.”
Then Angel dropped a bombshell. “Because you belong to me.”
“Nuh-ungh! No way! What fantasy are you acting out?” Cordelia gasped at his words.
“It’s just a vampire custom, Cordy.” Angel tried to calm her down. “Technically, it places the entire Scooby Gang under my protection. You’re all mine.”
“Even Xander?” Cordelia’s eyebrows curved upward.
“Sadly, yes.” Angel admitted sardonically. “Though there are many times when he uses those irritating nicknames that I disavow him.”
“So being yours,” Cordelia began, “it’s just a possessive vampire thing.”
Angel lifted his hand to curl a finger around a loose strand of her hair. Wanting to touch her even in this small way while he had the technical right to do so. “You’re mine, Cordy. My responsibility. I claimed you all as my friends and colleagues before Angelus came into his own existence. That is why he has to ask for permission.”
“So you’re agreeing, right?” Concern showed in her eyes. She obviously wanted him to give consent. Angel looked contemplative as though he might choose to say no. “What if you don’t agree and I seduce Angelus anyway?”
Releasing her hair, Angel gave her a smile. “Then you both get punished.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
Angel didn’t answer.
“Right?”
“I’m giving my permission, Cordy,” Angel told her reluctantly. “Only if that’s what you really want.”
Cordelia beamed that megawatt smile in his direction and Angel felt certain he was going to burn up under its light. She was happy for the moment, so he was content to let this happen. For now. Angelus had just better stay in good-behavior mode. He was buried in his thoughts when he felt Cordelia fling her arms around his neck hugging him close.
She pressed several warm kisses against his cheek before saying, “I love you for giving Angelus a chance. You won’t regret it.”
As Cordelia slipped from his arms and her warmth faded, Angel found he already did