PART 2
Angel pushed through a group of laughing couples by the door and quickly scanned those nearest him, no Cordelia Chase. Where the hell was she? Rage bubbled inside him and he didn’t really know what he was going to do with her when he found her again. Although several possibilities came to mind, including her not being able to sit down for a month at least.
As a form of revenge it would be sweet at the time but sour shortly after, luckily for both of them, she saw him before he saw her. The club wasn’t too busy but people where milling around and the strong perfume of the women masked her scent as she went around and coming from behind – wrapped her bare sunkissed arms around his waist.
Her chin rested on his shoulder beside his neck and she whispered “I love you Angel, forgive me”.
She’d meant for hurting him but he didn’t care, he froze for the second time in only a few minutes. His mind reeling at those whispered words that somehow managed to soothe his rage; all of it draining away before he’d even finished turning around to face her.
She kept him within the circle of her arms and rested her chin on his chest, tipsy sparkling hazel eyes look up at him with amused affection. For Angel, the whole club faded around them until even the sounds of music, laughter and conversation were reduced to – nothing, just garbled noise.
She blushed when he stayed silent and for moment clarity returned, uncertain she looked at him through the screen of her lashes, her head tilted to one side a fraction as she asked him in a questioning but subdued voice “Do you love me too”?
“You know I do” he answered her hoarsely, fighting the urge to wrap his arms around her body and head to hold her still while he slid his tongue deeply into her parted mouth and kissed her senseless.
The urge was so strong that he couldn’t stop himself from leaning down, hands kept firmly at his sides, to brush his lips against hers in a tender kiss the like of which he’d dreamt of giving her – but had never had the nerve to before.
His lips clung for a second – long enough for her to gently sigh into his mouth and brush hers back in an identical caress. A deep a purring sound came from inside her and she grasped his sides inside his coat and pressed even closer.
He pulled back to look at her, hardly believing that she was willingly letting him kiss her; he swallowed hard and shuddered with the effort it took to move back but it was necessary. It would be too easy to get greedy and then he truly would be lost because if he ever made her his, he would never be able to let her go; and the vampire felt she deserved so much more than him.
“I need a drink” he told her, lifting a hand to rub gently the back of her neck under the silky locks of dark brunette hair. More than one –make it a barrel , he thought; still reeling from his seesawing emotions.
“OK” she said with a bright smile, the misty affects of the sweetest kiss she’d ever been given making her feel even more intoxicated.
She took his hand and led him deeper inside and he let her – loving the feel of her hand in his. He checked out the interior of the club and instinctively took the lead to get them over to a table in a corner with a good vantage point of the whole place.
In a sweet and courtly gesture he led her to a seat and stayed beside her while she took it, she smiled up at him and held up the brown ‘goodie’ bag; he grimaced and shook his head, nodding towards the bar and hunkering down so they were level.
“Want anything”? He asked with a quirked brow, smiling a lopsided smile into her slightly bemused face, God she made an adorable drunk.
“Oh no, trust me; I’m fine with this” there was no way she risking losing her good mood by switching drinks.
She watched him walk over to the bar as she fished another bottle from the bag and unscrewed the top and smiled to herself at the number of glances he was getting from the women, feeling smug as hell that he was with her.
He came back quickly, a full tumbler of amber liquid sloshing gently as he placed it on the table and sat on the seat next to her. Cordy grinned cheekily over his shoulder at a girl who’d had the audacity to try and follow him before she’d spotted Cordelia and; pouting in disappointment, decided to go after easier prey.
Angel oblivious to the effect he was having lifted the glass to his lips and drank deeply only to wince a little at the burning sensation as it flowed down.
“Take your coat off”, Cordy told him her chin resting on her palm, eyes sparkling with glee at his willingness to join her in the land of obliviousness. Who’d a ‘thunk’ a few years ago I’d end up someday watching Angel get drunk and not being terrified of the idea.
She smiled when he complied and slid his heavy black leather coat off to put it on the last chair. “Happy now” he asked her and she nodded, mouthing “for now” at him.
He was wearing a form fitting knit shirt she’d brought for him, the v-neck lovingly following his neck and throat and highlighting the width of his shoulders, muscular torso and arms. For some strange reason a slow burning grew in her belly and her mouth suddenly went dry, so she took another swig from her bottle hmmm it’s so hot in here – that must be why.
Some while and several drinks later, she was holding her sides with laughter; it had all started out innocently enough with her asking him questions about stuff, trying to draw him out and he’d actually answered her, so Cordy being Cordy decided to dig a little deeper.
Gradually the tales had gotten wilder and funnier and tears where running down her face now. He was so deadpan about things that would make other men cringe that she was almost on her ass half the time, trying to breathe between hysterics.
“Oh my God, did she ever find out you were a vampire before she erm….stripped down to skin and hubbie arriving”? Asked Cordy thinking of that woman long ago who had taken a fancy to Angel and tried to ‘compromise’ him – too funny!
Mind you, thinking back to good ole High School she’d had a serious crush on him when she’d first met him – so who was she to cast stones?
“No, things didn’t get that far- but when her husband arrived I didn’t have time to get away before the alarm was raised”.
“You were naked”? Asked Cordy, grinning from ear to ear.
“Yeah so I had to steal some clothes, problem was the only ones I could find were off a maids washing line”. He watched the realization dawn on her expressive face when she clicked. Cordy gaped at him, her mind desperately struggling to form a picture of what he was telling her, naked Angel stealing women’s clothes, “Mob cap and all”?
“Well yeah – I had to look the part” he gave her a hurt and totally innocent look as he said it. “You should try running for your unlife in a big ugly ass skirt; across parklands with villagers and dogs after you” he finished sounding disgusted even after all this time.
“You didn’t, Angel tell me you didn’t” She gasped, unable to imagine him; as big and male as he was dressing up as a Victorian maid; she was half embarrassed for him. His lips twitched when she tried to hold back the giggles by putting her hand over her mouth.
I mean OK, Angel’s a hottie and all, not that she would ever admit that normally – what with him being a no-bone; but even so – any guy dressed like that!
“That is just so wrong on so many levels” she told him between belly clutching chortles of manic glee. Made worse when he defended himself, “Hey, I got a few wolf whistles” he told her indignantly and had to bite his lip to stop the smile that threatened to give him away.
He waited for her to wind down and then said “OK, I didn’t – I’m making it up”, then he smirked at her when she gasped and narrowed her eyes. He’d told her stories of his past before; but she was a girl thoroughly grounded in the ‘here and now’ and had been bored to tears – and told him so!
She was interested now though especially as it was smutty and embarrassing stuff– typical Cordy who didn’t even try to hide her love of gossip. But he was finding this new ability to make her laugh far too intoxicating to stop; easily making up for any embarrassment.
Despite this – a big part of him knew he was damn well going to regret it later, Ms Discreet she was not, which was why he was covering his ass – just in case.
“Which part? – Dammit, are you”? She asked disappointed, she’d seriously been planning to hold this conversation over his head for the next time she wanted something he didn’t agree with.
“Maybe just a little” he admitted and she reached over to poke him in the ribs, hard, he dodged that sharp finger and raised his almost empty glass to swallow the last dregs.
“Right that is it, you have to be punished for telling me fibs” she said, her expression mock serious with both brows raised and trying to look stern, but it was the sly look in her eye that intrigued him enough to ask.
“Oh yeah, like what”? Hmm she had his full attention now – he knew that ‘gotcha’ look from old.
She leaned forward to rest her elbows on the tabletop and he did the same, she tucked a stray lock of her behind her ear and tilted her head in a way that suggested she was plucking up the nerve to say something he wasn’t going to like.
“I get to ask you any question I want and – you have to tell the truth”, she dared him to refuse with remarkably astute eyes, he narrowed his own at her, had she been faking the being drunk part? No she couldn’t be – not with the amount she’d had to drink.
He hesitated, hating to think what she was going to ask him but he was really enjoying this time with her and hated to spoil the mood. Talk about a subtle punishment. “OK” he winced when she laughed in glee.
“Do you hate being celibate”? Why waste time trying to be subtle, she thought and this had been teasing her mind for months, years if she wanted to be honest.
OUCH, he sat back in his chair and rubbed both hands over his face and Cordy knowing he was trying to figure a way out of answering, grabbed a hand and pulled it away.
“UH uh, no way are you wriggling outta this one Angel”. He gave her a dark look out of one brown eye and then dropped both hands, disgusted at having got himself into this.
He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her, “Yes and no” he answered baldly.
Her mouth dropped open then “That’s no answer; why that’s ….. cheating” she wailed, none too pleased.
He grinned at her, relieved to be able to say, “It’s also totally true”.
Cordy rapped her fingernails against the tabletop; annoyed by how easily he’d wriggled out of it after all and disgusted with herself for not seeing the huge hole she’d left him. “Wanna dance”? No one could ever accuse Cordelia Chase of being slow at getting revenge.
“You’d have to stake me first” was the very prompt and definite answer. The rapid and loud beat of the music was just about tolerable, but dancing to it – uck no way.
“I want to dance so… unless you have something more entertaining in mind…” she left the rest unsaid.
He sat back and pursed his lips, watching her with unreadable eyes, got you she thought. “No”, he said clearly and gave her a challenging look, knowing simple and straightforward was the way to deal with Cordelia when she had the bit between her teeth.
Anyway he was fairly sure he could scare off any competition – if it came to that. He smirked at her shocked and outraged expression.
Again with the gaping Cor she snapped her mouth shut “Angel, if I want to dance – I will”. She had another mental picture of him now; only this time he was chasing off her wannabe dance partners. He wouldn’t dare – would he?
He clasped his fingers over his stomach and moved down on the chair a bit more; the pose relaxed and yet – vigilant too. “OK here’s a truth for you – sure you wanna hear it”?
Cordy relaxed and let out a pent up breath, “Erm YEAH” she rolled her eyes for extra emphasis and moved closer to him, she didn’t know why but she had a feeling this one was going to be a doozy.
“Have another drink first” he advised her a wicked smile on his handsome face, giving him a ‘no more nonsense’ look she fished the last one out and swigged some back “Satisfied”?
“Hardly” he drawled and then said matter of factly, “I don’t have to be celibate, Cor – Willow didn’t put the curse back in place, just the soul”.
After a few seconds of stunned silence she managed to think again He’s kidding right, “Right and I’m the next Bond Girl” She said sarcastically, angry that he’d try and trick her like that, weren’t they supposed to be friends?
What really bothered her was she wanted to believe him, it was something that she constantly worried about – how to deal if it ever happened and he lost his soul; could she dust him like she’d promised? She was no longer so sure!
Angel said nothing, already regretting having said that much and cursing himself for letting the whiskey loosen his tongue. But Cordy wasn’t willing to let it go now.
“OK dumbass tell me one more thing – how come that little gem has never come to light before”? A sharp splinter of annoyance showed in her tone like the rumble of thunder before a storm broke.
Angel decided to let the dumbass bit slide and shrugged trying to appear casual, “I only found out myself when Lorne told me after I had my epiphany – right then it didn’t seem the right time to bring it up and it hasn’t really been an issue since”.
“So, what? your all permanent soul guy now”? Was she really willing to start believing this? Would he lie about something this big – maybe she just didn’t know.
He sighed and sat forward with his elbows on his knees, “There is no such as a permanent soul for me, Cordelia. I’m a vampire, I don’t need a soul to survive like you – magic gave it me back and can be used to remove it again, it just means that the happiness clause isn’t an issue anymore”.
Besides and this was something he didn’t intend to dwell on – Angelus was him, they were one and the same, the only difference being a conscience and the ability to feel emotions alien to the demon inside him.
She was still glaring at him but he could tell she was simmering down. “So why haven’t you gone back to SunnyD to stage a big reunion between slayage girl and her Buffypuppy Angel Bot”?
“Hey” he snapped and glared hotly at her, smarting from the undeniable fact that it was at least partially accurate. Calming down but still frowning darkly he answered her, “Because I didn’t want to, I like where I am and who I’m with – most of the time” he added warningly.
She grinned, slightly mollified by that, “Sorryyyy”, he was still snarling a little, so she’d obviously hit a nerve, Oops. She stood up and placed a hand on each of his spread legs, glad when he didn’t try and avoid her touch or back away.
“Wait here for me, I’ll be back in a minute” she told him and walked away before he could ask where she was going.
Now it was Angels turn to watch the men’s reaction to the beautiful girl crossing the floor on her way to the bar, only he didn’t find it funny in the least and stood up to follow. Tonight she was acting far too unpredictably for him to trust her out of his sight.
He saw her talking to the barman, laughing along with him; they both looked young, healthy and sunkissed and he didn’t like it. So he walked towards the pair, ready to reclaim her when the barman looked up and gave him a once over, he was all set to respond with a glare when he saw the guys eyes light up with – appreciation!
His rampant jealousy trip was halted before it had really begun and relieved he even smiled as he came up to them. Cordy turned around beaming and leaning heavily on the bar; obviously starting to feel the effects of the recent round of drinks now she wasn’t sitting down.
“I know exactly where we’re going next” She told him as if expecting him to be pleased, Angel checked his watch and gave her a sideways look which she ignored and handed him another half full glass of whiskey.
“One for the road” She said and waited for him to toss it back before she did the same. Finished she took his glass off him, placed them both on the bar and hooked an arm through his, “ready”?
OUT AND ABOUT
“So where are we going”? Angel asked her, having to concentrate to walk straight and wishing he’d not drank that last whiskey, he needed to talk to distract himself from his woozy head.
“I like that dress – did I mention that?” He knew he hadn’t but he tended to trip over his own tongue when he tried to compliment her, but she was too quiet so he gave it his best shot.
“No, Angel you didn’t”, she amazed him by dropping his arm and doing a pretty good twirl without falling on her face, he grabbed her arm back ASAP though – why tempt fate with such a pretty face.
The dress was a knockout, but only because of the woman wearing it – being bronze it suited her coloring perfectly and with a body hugging bodice and slightly flared skirt ending at the knees it highlighted those incredible legs of hers.
“I was the envy of the club” he told her teasingly but serious at the same time. Strangely enough though, Cordelia wasn’t concentrating on his compliments and she suddenly stopped dead and pulled him to face her.
“You’re totally sure about this curse thingy”? She asked him a thoughtful frown on her face, her hazel eyes dark and questioning.
“Yeah” he told her, wondering what was going around in that fertile brain of hers.
“Really, absolutely, totally certain”?
“Cordelia” He said warningly, wishing she’d just drop it.
“Don’t get all snappy with me Angel, cos HELLO this is big news OK” She was still facing him and wearing her best Queen C expression.
He crossed his arms and sighed deeply, wishing he’d not brought it up, “Yes, Cordelia I do know that – but what’s with the disbelief? Not exactly a nice reaction from my best friend”. Explain that one then, he thought getting a little annoyed himself.
“OK, Angel here’s my problem – If you’re so free of the curse and all and have been since Sunnydale; how come you want all Angelusey on us after that ‘dumb as a post’ actress spiked your drink”?
“Oh” He said trying to hide a sheepish smile. Crap!
“Yeah OH”. She should have felt happy to have put her finger on the problem, the thing was she wasn’t happy – not at all. She was going to kill Lorne for bringing his hopes up and now hers too. I mean what if he’d gone and slept with someone and had a ‘happy’ thinking it was OK.
Angel walk on, forcing her to follow suit and he shrugged his shoulders, refusing to look at her, “Well according to Lorne that wasn’t so much a ‘losing your soul’ moment as me acting out under the influence”.
She grabbed him again to make him stop and look at her again, “Er do you wanna run that by me again, cos … there’s no way that wasn’t Angelus”.
He just looked at her and said a single, simple sentence, “You both survived didn’t you”? He gave her a sardonic look to stop her from jumping right in with another denial.
“Fine, whatever” She snapped unable to think straight and frustrated with both him and the topic, she started to walk on without him, sulking now.
He caught up with her and walked beside her all the while rummaging around inside his inner coat pocket. “What are doing now”? She asked exasperated.
“Never mind” He told her as he punched in a number and held the phone to his ear, still walking. “It’s Angel, I need to speak to Lorne, tell him Cordy has a question to ask him”.
“Angel, stop it, hey gimme that phone”, she went to grab it off him but he turned away and shook his head at her, raising an arm to ward off her seeking hands.
“I mean it Angel”. Crap, this is so embarrassing – what’s Lorne gonna think
“Shush – you want to know for sure so I’m going to convince you”, he was totally serious about this, she closed her eyes and only just managed not to stamp a foot in temper.
“I’m convinced OK”. She gave in, anything to stop Lorne from finding out and telling everyone that she’d been curious about Angel being able to have sex now and wishing she’d never brought up his celibacy.
“You’re sure?” he raised his brow and smirked at her, enjoying her discomfort and the way her struggles to get the phone meant she brushed against him intimately, she froze when she felt him hard and erect against her midriff.
Her breathing deepened and that heat came back into her belly, followed by tingles directly on the spot where she was brushing against his obvious arousal. Her eyes, large in her face were caught by his knowing ones; Angel had a hard on for her, Cordelia Chase and the woman who only a year or so ago he could barely tolerate for more than five minutes at a time.
“Scared”? He asked her, she was so close she felt that single word vibrate in his chest and silently shook her head, she licked her lips and saw his dark gaze catch that telling gesture, her mouth was dry again – but she knew she wasn’t thirsty this time.
Why had he asked her that?, he shook his head to clear away the fog of desire and moved away from her. “I was only teasing about Lorne I didn’t really call him” he told her his voice husky.
“OK” She didn’t really hear what he said and didn’t much care either. Too busy wondering about what it would be like if he really kissed her; as if he wanted her more than anything.
There was a heady feeling of recklessness running through her body and just this once she decided to give into it. Angel moved off to resume walking and she stopped him by grasping the front of his shirt and pulling him back to her.
She saw the start of surprise on his face but ignored it and curving her other hand around his neck, pulled his lips to meet hers. He didn’t resist but neither did he respond, at least not at first – for just a second it was as if he were fighting an inner battle.
She pressed harder and the tip of her tongue came out to trace the crease of his lips, she felt him groan in defeat and the next instant she was being crushed to him; her breasts flattened to his hard chest and legs stretched along the length of his.
Her heart started to hammer in her chest, God he was literally devouring her mouth. Both of his hands cupped her head with his fingers threaded through her hair to hold her still as he took over control of the kiss. She didn’t complain as he thrust strongly inside her mouth with his tongue, angling his lips to widen hers to his sensual invasion.
She felt him slide along her tongue, the roof of her mouth and then along her teeth; sucking and biting, tasting and drawing her in to drown her in sensation. Dizzily she turned away to breathe. He let her but almost immediately captured her lips again in another kiss, nipping her lower lip with just enough of a bite to make her knees give way – half in excitement and half in fear.
He wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her up; refusing to think of breaking away – lost in the taste of her; intoxicated more by the kiss than anything else. He’d wanted to do this for so long and when she’d pulled him back and kissed him it had only taken a second for all of his good intentions to fly straight out of his head.
She would think later that it was only that steely arm that held her up because every single nerve cell in her body seemed to desert their post and head straight for her head, breasts and between her thighs. Making her want to squirm with the need to feel him there; she desperately needed him to touch more of her but couldn’t find a way to ask.
So she simply held onto him convulsively her hands kneading his chest and abdomen before pulling up his shirt to touch him without the barrier of cloth. The feel of him was incredible – cool silk over hard muscle and then, emboldened by passion and still feeling a reckless high – she reached down to stroke the hard bulging length of his arousal through the barrier of his pants.
Her stroking hand felt like fire and then she cupped him, helplessly he shuddered as pleasure streaked out like a sunburst and unable to stop it – his hips thrust into her caressing hand. He lifted his head and searched the street with his dark eyes burning with lust; seeking somewhere to take her – private and secure.
Automatically he analyzed and discarded locations, feverishly desperate to get her naked and bury his aching flesh into her warmth.
The sudden burst of noise, when the door of the building next to them burst open, was electrifying – they jumped apart. Angel was fiercely glad of the shadows that hid his face when he vamped out, his demonic side coming out – enraged at the interruption.
The young couple that had almost stumbled onto them where embracing on the stone steps. Their entwined bodies highlighted by the bold red and yellow of the neon lights blinking over their love-struck heads.
The signs proclaimed it as some kind of all night chapel; the giggling pair skipped down the steps and grinned happily at Cordy as they walked away arm in arm.
With her heart in her throat and legs that felt like limp noodles Cordy faced him again. She was panting and could still feel the hot heavy pulse between her thighs beating in a rapid tattoo. They stood several feet apart – staring at one another as if in silent combat.
“Are you OK”? Angel asked her, his voice even raspier than before, causing goosebumps to erupt along her skin.
Cordy could hardly bear to look at him and yet was utterly unable to look away as the hot lights in his eyes seemed to trap her gaze. “I’m fine” she answered and licked her swollen lips to moisten them.
“I can’t go back to the motel like this” he warned her harshly, she nodded in agreement – that would be such a bad idea right now.
The tension was suddenly too much and she felt like crying; why had she grabbed him like that? They’d been laughing and joking together and OK arguing too but that was normal, not like this.
She knew she couldn’t change what had happened or forget what it had felt like but surely if they went their separate ways now – it would be forever before she felt comfortable with him again. That thought was unbearable and she wouldn’t let it happen if she could help it.
“Angel, wait don’t go” Cordy called after him, he’d only gone a short distance and turned back, his face strained too.