Obstacles
by Pic
Pairing: Krycek/Other (Xfiles/Angel crossover), breaking with XF storyline at the end of season 6 and Angel storyline early in the first season
Rated: Mild R for language and sexual situations
Spoilers: None, other than the status of Alex's left arm
Summary: Sequel to Fallen Angel set a couple of years later. Alex Krycek and Cordelia Chase of Angel have been in a relationship for some time following the elimination of the alien threat, but the past rears its ugly head.
Series: Story #2 0f the trilogy, after Fallen Angel, followed by Trust No One.
Disclaimer: Recognizable characters aren't mine
Author's Notes: This was for Susan and Missy -- Christmas 2000. And I am aware that this is hardly Christmas-type subject matter, but what the muse says go. Thanks to Sue for the beta, both the speed and the substance were most appreciated.
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The pub was too dark to be appropriately called intimate. Flickering candlelight barely illuminated the features of the couple seated at a small table near one end of the long, overly ornate bar. They both had dark hair, hers long, his short, each stylishly cut. Only very close inspection by someone with excellent vision would reveal that she had dark eyes while his were light. Holding hands, their heads were bent forward in conversation. A margarita rested near her free hand, a double scotch near the hand that held hers.
"This place sucks," she announced testily, aiming a moue of distaste at their dimly lit surroundings.
He chuckled and countered, "Spoken like a spoiled little rich girl."
"Alex ," Cordelia Chase warned.
"Delia ," he mimicked with a grin that she could see only as a vague flash of white because he'd tilted his head out of the very limited candlelight range to sip his drink.
Exasperated by the location and by her companion, she argued, "And whose fault is that? I'm not the one with Swiss bank accounts."
Krycek knew that the fight she was trying her best to pick was a distraction from their situation, something he wouldn't mind in the least, so he played along. "Cordelia Chase - the once and future brat."
"I'm going to tell Dennis you said that."
"Whistleblowing brat," he baited even as he tried not to smile at the thought of what the jealous poltergeist might do in defense of Delia's honor. Still, it was fortunate that his competition with Dennis for the young woman's affection was friendly for the most part. Dennis was strong. Alex had discovered that the hard way. A sharp tap on his prosthetic hand called his attention back to Cordelia.
"Hmm?"
"I asked where Angel was."
"Far end of the bar, next to the blonde with all the rhinestones."
She twisted slightly in her chair, squinting in an attempt to verify Alex' information while lifting her margarita to her lips. "Isn't that too far away for recon, even for Mr. I Can See in the Dark?"
Alex heard the uneasiness in her tone and had to admit that he felt the same. Trying to reassure them both, he said, "His line-of-sight isn't always clear, but he should be able to spot anyone observing us. And that's the point of this exercise."
Nodding absently, Cordelia pursed her lips and edgily asked, "Are you sure this is the right place?"
"Angel is."
"Are you?"
Leaning well forward and bringing her hand to his lips, Krycek stalled a bit before replying. "I don't get ninety percent of what we do. I thought warring alien races was bad, but the demon world is a whole lot more complicated. I follow where your boss leads and hope that he knows what the fuck he's doing."
To his chagrin, Delia left Alex alone with thoughts regarding the admission he'd just made. When he'd broken away from the Smoker, Krycek had sworn that he'd never follow blindly again and here he was, doing just that. The why of it escaped him, unless he blamed it on the unremitting desire he had for the young woman seated across the small table from him. Alex wanted to please Delia; she worked for Angel and cared for the vampire as she would an older brother. The rationalization was that simple yet the alarm bells in his gut were clanging almost absurdly loudly. Something wasn't right. Trouble was, he couldn't see it or much of anything else for that matter.
"This place creeps me out," Delia announced.
"I know what you mean. Believe me," he murmured. "But that may be a good sign."
"In a warped, sadistic, twisted sort of way. Remind me again - why is it that I keep you around?"
Krycek grinned, scanning the room surreptitiously to delude himself that he was focusing on the task at hand. "Other than for presents and sex?" he asked lightly.
Delia giggled and squeezed his hand before releasing it to signal their waitress for another margarita.
"C'mon, Delia. You know more about this stuff than I do. What do you think?"
Satisfied that's she'd gotten the excruciatingly slow waitress' attention, Cordelia smiled in appreciation of how Alex treated her. Unlike virtually everyone else, he rarely discounted her youth or her femininity. The reliance of someone as capable as she knew Alex Krycek to be on her opinions or insights made her feel wanted in an entirely different way than his blazing eyes often did. She liked to be wanted on all of those levels, so she responded with care. "I think Angel's too close to this one."
"Because of the lady cop?"
"Give the retired assassin a gold star."
Dubious, Alex ventured, "They weren't exactly close."
Cordelia shrugged. "Thank you, Understatement Guy. But that doesn't matter. They're us."
Her last statement was an example of what Angel called Cordelia-speak if Alex had ever heard one. "Huh?"
"You know," she prompted impatiently, "the good guys in us versus demons."
Her explanation called Marita to mind and Alex thought he understood. Being on the same side excused a lot of things. Sort of.
"Helloooooo. Attention span."
"Sorry," he muttered. Apologizing further with a quick kiss on her lips, he defended Angel to avoid describing his wandering thoughts. "Kate and her boyfriend did come here the night they died. She told a couple of people at the precinct."
"Can you believe she'd brag about this?"
Alex laughed at Delia's blatant disbelief, despite the strangely disturbing topic. "She was just letting them know where she'd be if one of her cases broke."
Cordelia aimed one of her "You don't know anything about women" looks at him and drawled, "Whatever."
"Ok, try this. Kate and friend were here. We found a matchbook from this place in the motel where a second set of victims was found. And there was a stick figure with a gun and a helmet drawn in the blood of the third couple on a dumpster in the alley where they died. Given all that, I'd say it's not unreasonable to wonder what's going down at The Infantryman these days."
Staring at him incredulously, she seemed to be having difficulty in formulating her response. Her voice was harsh when she managed, "I've done my time as bait, thank you very much."
Alex leered. "I bet you have, Delia."
"Demon not jail, gutter mind."
An unamused Delia was a dangerous Delia, so Krycek switched tactics. "I don't want to bleed to death from an overzealous castration while watching someone cut you beyond recognition, either. Ok? That's why Angel's got our back."
She wasn't convinced. "Why us? Why not just hang at the bar and see if anyone takes an unhealthy interest in some random couple that actually wants to be here? Hmm?"
Uncomfortable with this line of inquiry, Alex tentatively replied, "Because he knows where we're going after this."
"Where?" Delia hissed, mildly alarmed. "No one said anything about a dive tour."
"Your ah our place." Wincing, he waited for Delia to jump all over him for making that mistake again.
"How much more time do we have to put in at this dump?"
Alex sighed in relief and, for the first time, fully became aware of the extent of her dismay. He'd never expected to be let off the hook for his lapse but he wasn't about to give her time to change her mind. "Another drink should do it."
"Then we go home and wait for the slicing and dicing demons?"
Not knowing what else to say, Alex muttered, "Something like that, yeah."
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Alex!"
Eyes snapping open and heart beating fast as he awoke from a light doze, Krycek sat up straighter on their couch and asked, "What?"
Nervously, Delia nodded in the direction of the clock. "Where's Angel? If the two of you are playing me, I say game over."
Pulling her close, he kissed the top of her head. "He came out of The Infantryman before we caught our cab but he faded into the shadows like he does."
"Back to lurk mode?"
Hearing the negative emotions in her try at flippancy, Alex suggested, "Maybe he didn't see anyone following us, so he decided to call it a night. Or he could have gone back in and stalked a different couple."
"We were the only couple in that bar. Tell me this is a joke, Alex."
Getting concerned himself but more for Delia than for Angel, he softly said, "You know it isn't."
"Can't you just lie to me?"
Rocking her gently in his arms, he whispered, "I seem to recall a very strict prohibition against lying."
"Not if you're doing it to make me feel better," Delia stated a hitherto undisclosed loophole with a hint of whine.
"So I should say that every dress you try on during one of your infamous Rodeo Drive sprees makes me want to rip it off and take you where you stand?"
"You're impossible!"
"I'm just trying to understand--."
Cordelia sliced the air in front of his face with her hand. Alex dropped levity as a strategy and simply hugged his lover for a few minutes, running his hands soothingly along her body. Just after she relaxed fractionally, encouraging him to continue, she leapt off of the couch.
"I'm going to call him," she muttered, determinedly fishing her cell phone out of her purse and keying in the speed dial number for Angel. Tapping her foot impatiently, she waited and then gave voice to her exasperation, "He turned his phone off. Can you believe it?"
"Sensible precaution for surveillance," Alex observed, standing, stretching and yawning. "I'm done for tonight. Early warning system, Dennis."
The lights switched off for a few heartbeats and then re-illuminated. Satisfied, Krycek nodded, took a step toward the bedroom and asked, "You coming?"
"In a few, Alex. I want to try Angel a couple more times."
"Ok." Smiling slightly, he added, "Don't let her let any demons in, Dennis."
Delia's, "As if," resounded into the temporary darkness the poltergeist created.
When the lights came back up, Alex smiled at her indignant expression, crossed the room and tilted her chin up with his right hand. "I love it when you pout," he declared before kissing her soundly. "Goodnight, Delia."
"'Night, Alex."
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Cordelia Chase had fallen into a deep dreamless sleep. A low murmur reached her ears, but she couldn't make out any specific words. Subconsciously trying to determine what was happening, she rolled out of Alex' arms and toward the sound. Seconds later, she was forcibly taken from their bed. Before she could scream, a too large, too scaly hand with way too long fingernails clamped over her mouth. Instinctively, she bit down. The hand retreated only so far as was necessary to slap her face hard. Startled, scream forgotten, Cordelia panted and strained against the grip of the arm around her waist. She stopped when she couldn't get loose but wasn't truly frightened. Alex was an extremely light sleeper.
"That's better," hissed her captor.
"Let me go," Delia demanded firmly.
"Why would I do that?"
Can you say seriously bad breath, Chase? Yuck. Finally realizing that her mouth was once again free, she focused on the man on the bed and called, "Wake up, Alex!"
"He cannot hear you, my beauty. No one can while you are in my arms. Here, you are mine alone."
Fighting panic, Cordelia looked at Alex, still peacefully sleeping. "He'll miss me," she confidently asserted.
"I doubt that."
She barely stifled a shriek when she felt talons stroking her bare thigh. Her restraint was more pride than anything as all evidence suggested that no one other than her tormentor would hear. Including Dennis. What had happened to Dennis?
"Such a perfect form," the demon whispered as its - his, Delia felt sure of that, since a quite large and very interested part of him pressed against her ass - talons continued to explore her flesh.
Suspecting that she'd hate herself for doing it, Delia turned her head and gasped.
The demon was larger than a man and a whole lot uglier than the ugliest guy Cordelia had ever seen. The scales ran all along his body, transforming from the mottled green of the hands to the deep purple of the face. When he caught her looking, he smiled, a huge sharp-toothed smile.
"He'll miss me," she repeated softly, holding on to that thought along with her sanity.
"No, he will not, my beauty. Draia will see to that."
Cordelia's head swiveled. A woman was sitting beside Alex on the bed. Biting her lip, Delia stared. This woman was everything she wasn't - blonde, blue-eyed, older and completely confident in her approach to the sleeping man. They had at least one thing in common, however, she and the new woman -- they were both naked.
Distain evident, Cordelia asked, "Who's the hag? Your sister?"
Scale man made some noise that Delia thought might be a laugh. Then again, maybe the last human he'd eaten the skin off of had given him indigestion.
Her captor's voice freed her from those troubling thoughts. "My partner, Draia."
Glaring at the other woman, she muttered, "What's her deal?"
"Deal?"
"Game. Gig. Claim to fame. Modus operandi. Specialty. You know, her deal."
"Observe and learn."
Cordelia sighed expressively. Were males of all species the same? Staunchly resolving not to give in to her fear and to get free of the scaly monster somehow, she sought options. Doing as she was told rarely sat well with her. It certainly didn't now.
She forced herself to watch Draia slide the blanket aside to bare Alex' chest. Unable to help herself, Cordelia squirmed in the demon's grasp when the woman licked her lips, staring at Alex as if in anticipation of an excellent meal or the orgasm of a lifetime.
"Relax, my beauty," her captor instructed and Cordelia felt the strength seep out of her limbs. Her mind remained sharp, though, allowing her to retain some hope of extricating herself from this mess.
"You're doing so well, my beauty," the demon hissed in encouragement. "So very very well."
"Alex?" Cordelia whimpered softly.
"That one's name is Alex."
Both Draia and Delia shifted their attention to the male demon.
"Thank you, Manoi," Draia murmured, voice low and perfectly sensual. "Hello, Alex," was spoken in exactly the same tone.
To Delia's dismay, Krycek mumbled sleepily and shifted his head toward Draia. She smiled and gently ran the fingers of one hand through Alex' hair. Her other hand roamed, caressing his cheek, tracing his lips, stroking his throat and meandering along his collarbone. Minutes went by in that manner before Draia shifted her tactile tease along his breastbone to each of his nipples in turn, stroking them relentlessly.
Cordelia was transfixed by the tableau of what had to be a female demon exploring her lover's body. Alex' murmurs had changed -- at first they'd been sleepy half protests but now they sounded appreciative to Delia's ears. A surge of jealousy swept through her leaving heated anger in its wake.
"Are they not beautiful together?" Manoi asked in an insinuating tone.
No longer aware of his talons continuously moving over her, Cordelia gave in to her rage. "No. He's mine."
"Not anymore, my beauty. No human male has ever been satisfied with a mere human female once Draia has had them."
Manoi's mock regret only angered Delia further. "I'm less desirable than her? Dream on. You let me at him while he's sleeping and he's a goner." Cordelia smiled at some very pleasant, confidence-inspiring, ego-feeding memories from the months she and Alex had been together.
"So arrogant," Manoi hissed as he cut thin red lines along Delia's left inner thigh.
When she looked at the blood running from those cuts and at the other woman in bed with her Alex, Cordelia saw red. She'd never experienced anger like this and it made her feel both strong and helpless. The lazy smile that formed on Alex' face further infuriated her, yet his voice riveted her attention as it generally did.
"Delia, what're you doing? I I'm kind of tired, babe, and I thought you were too."
His use of her name sent a stream of affection flowing through her anger and gave Cordelia something positive to hold on to for dear life.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Do you want me to stop?" Draia asked, busy fingers never pausing.
Alex chuckled, whispering, "What do you think?"
"I think not."
"That's right," Krycek murmured, as he pulled her body to his and rolled her beneath him all in one motion.
Still half asleep but with his eyes finally open, Alex gazed down into those of his lover. Delia was smiling at him in a way that he couldn't recall seeing before - like she knew all sorts of secrets and was promising to tell them to him by grazing the backs of his thighs maddeningly with her fingernails.
"What's going on in that California girl mind?" he asked when she slid one hand along his ass and back to come to rest behind his neck.
She smiled mysteriously and insinuated her other hand between their bodies, drawing her fingertips slowly along his lengthening cock. Her gentle insistent strokes drove his heart and respiration rates upward.
"God, Delia," he groaned. "That that's really nice."
Urging him to kiss her, she continued her slow, erotic exploration of his erection. Following where she seemed to be leading, Alex plundered her mouth with his. Intent on taking no prisoners, he was captivated.
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"He keeps calling her by my name," Cordelia croaked, her throat sore from holding back screams of rage and fear.
"Seen through the eyes of lust, she has your appearance to him."
Indignant, Delia asserted, "That's damn convenient. He looks at me; he lusts."
This time, she was certain that the beast that held her laughed. When he sobered, his tone and his words twisted in her gut.
"Yet she is not you, my beauty. Are you not surprised that Alex cannot tell the difference between you and a handmaiden of The Seven?"
"That's not the word I'd use," she muttered, glaring at the two who were entwined upon the bed.
"The scent of your anger is intoxicating."
Eeeeeewww! Intoxication of Scale Man was definitely not on Cordelia's agenda and avoidance of that sorry state gave her excellent incentive to calm down. Unfortunately, if she let her anger go, she'd be left with the pain that Alex' low moans and nearly breathless sounds of pleasure caused. She wasn't sure she could deal.
The proverbial position was hers; Delia was firmly wedged between a rock and a hard place.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Alex Krycek was on fire, overwhelmed by the sex he was experiencing. Everything Delia was doing was exactly right, precisely what his body craved at the moment she did it. Damn, she was always fun in bed, but this this was something else again. Something that he never wanted to stop even though it had too soon, because the pressure she was building inside him was almost to his breaking point. He'd never gotten this crazy this fast. It was incredible.
"Slow down, babe," he groaned in a feeble effort to prolong matters.
"Is that what you really want?" she teased, twisting a hardened nipple just past the point of pain and moving a thigh slowly along the inside of one of his.
Head thrown back and eyes closed, Alex' arm trembled with the effort to hold himself above her. "Yeah. Yes."
"Roll over onto your back, Alex and let me take you."
Gratefully complying, Krycek smiled when she straddled his abdomen, leaned in and took possession of his mouth. All he could do was tangle his hand in her hair and surrender. Her tongue toyed with his and when she lifted her head, Alex couldn't help rising to follow, whimpering in denial of the lost contact.
"On your back," she ordered.
Releasing his abdominal muscles, he relaxed, mesmerized by the promises her eyes were making to him.
"Do you need me, Alex?"
Watching her sit up and reach behind her, Krycek wondered what had come over Delia. "What do you think?" he grunted, arching into the feather light touch as her fingertips found his cock, lifting her entire body in the process.
"Tell me or I'll stop."
The coldness in her expression made him frantic. She couldn't possibly leave him like this. Better safe than sorry, he reached for one of her breasts, caressed it and murmured, "I need you, Delia."
"Are you lying to me, Alex?"
Her question brought to mind their earlier discussion about lies and he smiled at her affectionately, flip retort at the ready. Suddenly, he felt a little dizzy and his vision swam. For an instant, the woman above him looked to have blue eyes, blonde hair and a face narrower than Delia's with a predatory, hawk-like look.
"Alex?" she prompted, clever fingers stroking his erection.
Blinking rapidly to clear his head, he managed, "Wha what?"
"Do you want me to take you in my mouth?"
Internally screaming, "Yes, Christ, yes," he closed his eyes. Her lips surrounded his cock and her tongue artfully caressed him until he gave himself over to her.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
A tear rolled down Delia's cheek as she watched Alex stroke the hair of the demon performing oral sex on him. Each mumbled endearment and half groaned word of encouragement upset her further. Alex was enchanted, Dennis was silent and Angel was nowhere to be found. Feeling helpless and thinking about the gruesome photographs of the previous victims that Angel had insisted she examine, Cordelia halfheartedly asked, "Did you see us in the bar? The The Infantryman, I mean."
"Yes, my beauty. The two of you looked almost as beautiful together as Draia and he do. We couldn't resist."
Unable to see the harm or any particular benefit in pursing the matter, Cordelia stated, "My boss knows demons. He followed us out of the bar."
"Ah, yes. We noticed the vampire's interest."
Mustering her courage, Delia glanced over her shoulder. "How did he miss you? No offense, but you don't exactly blend in with the in crowd."
Manoi cocked his head slightly to the right and smiled his big toothy grin. Cordelia swallowed hard, determined not to heave as the stench of his breath reached her nostrils. Seeming to enjoy her discomfort, the demon regarded her for a long moment, breathing heavily in her direction.
Finally, he spoke. "We have no form except in the presence of our lovers. When you drove away in the hired vehicle, we ceased to exist as far as the vampire was concerned."
Considering as thoughtfully as she could with Alex moaning her name in his throaty voice and after Manoi's use of the term lovers, she wondered, "So how did you get here? Light rail for spirits?"
"The same way all true hunters stalk their prey; we followed your scent."
"We've trained dogs to do that."
Manoi was unimpressed with her bravado. "A feral dog is more a hunter than man will ever be."
His flat statement had the ring of conviction and Delia decided that she didn't want to argue the point. "You drifted across town, smelling us."
"And manifested in this room, yes. You are a woman of intelligence as well as beauty, Delia; I will enjoy making a meal of you."
"Don't call me that!" She shouted before turning away, unable to face Manoi any longer.
He emitted that rumble that she thought was laughter once more. "Do you reserve that name for Alex, my beauty? Even now, when he begs my Draia for pleasure?"
Nothing but the truth entered her mind, so she whispered, "Yes."
Manoi growled his disappointment. This was not proceeding according to plan. Where were all those delicious negative emotions? Her earlier anger had barely amounted to an appetizer; he was ravenous.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Alex tossed his head from side to side on a pillow, eyes closed. It was too intense. Delia was making him insane. He thought he babbled more or less coherently when he tried to make her understand.
Laughter slowly permeated his awareness and he'd realized that she'd stopped touching him in any way. Eyes flying open, he panted, "Delia?"
She flashed him a superior smile and laughed derisively. Rolling her over he growled, "What's so funny?"
"You. I enjoyed breaking you, Alex."
"We'll see about that, babe," he declared, rolling over once again, so that the two of them landed on the floor. "Did you forget that I know how to make you scream for it?" After harshly claiming her lips, he nibbled along her jaw line to her neck.
"Enough playing, Alex," Draia stated firmly. "Fuck me."
"I thought you'd never ask."
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Cordelia trembled at the arrogant assurance in Alex' voice, even though he and Draia were on the floor at the far side of the bed and she could no longer see them. Whenever he took that tone with her, she ended up as exactly as he'd described - screaming for him to let her come.
"Shall we shift to the other chair, my beauty?"
"No," Delia whispered. She didn't want to see Alex driving into someone else. What would be the point of torturing herself? Manoi would do that soon enough.
"A little help would be nice, Dennis!"
Cordelia started. Alex' tone was that of an annoyed drill sergeant. Seconds later, the room brightened painfully and the largest perfume bottle from her bureau launched itself at Manoi's head.
The demon covered his eyes with one hand and batted the perfume aside with the other. Free, Delia dove for the bedroom door. Enraged, Manoi pursued her, but Alex was between them, wicked looking blade held out in front of him as Angel had instructed.
Cordelia recognized the weapon that she'd hidden underneath the bed after the last time a demon had invaded her apartment and noticed that it was dripping blood at the same time Manoi did. With a howl of pain and anger, the demon dove at Alex who sidestepped neatly, cutting Manoi as he passed. The demon's eyes darted briefly to Cordelia but Alex nimbly stepped back between the demon and his woman. Manoi smiled and approached Alex slowly.
"Delia, get behind me."
Eyes never leaving Manoi, she did as Krycek asked.
"So quick to obey, my beauty. What a disappointment."
"Stay there, Delia, please."
Alex risked a look behind him and Manoi charged. Cordelia shouted a warning as the chair she and the demon had been sitting in leapt into Manoi's path. The demon fell at Alex' feet and he wasted no time in kneeling on Manoi's back, stabbing him in the throat and determinedly hacking until the demon was beheaded.
"Dim the lights, Dennis?" Cordelia demanded. "This is too Helter Skelter."
Immediately, the light level lowered and silence fell. Alex looked up, met Cordelia's eyes and opened his mouth to speak. The front door tore off of its hinges with a loud snap. Krycek was on his feet in an instant; Cordelia was at his side.
"Cordelia? Alex?"
"In here, Angel," she called, sighing in relief.
Unnaturally fast, the vampire arrived at the threshold of their bedroom, eyes taking in the slaughtered demons. "I ah lost them."
"We noticed," Cordelia offered brightly. "No big, though. We're good. Except ," she began, her gaze turning toward Alex, "that someone needs a shower."
Angel nodded in agreement. Krycek was naked and covered in gore. He was also aroused, but the vampire pretended not to notice.
With a slight smile, Alex looked to Delia. "Care to join me?"
"Maybe after you get the worst of it off and if the bathroom doesn't smell like perfume by then. What possessed you to throw that bottle, Phantom Dennis?"
The lights flickered on and off in what seemed to be a sheepish manner.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Cordelia settled against Alex' chest as he leaned against the headboard of the hotel bed. Sipping the cognac she'd poured herself from the in room bar, she smiled, thinking back to the scene of a few hours ago.
Alex had showered alone. Cordelia's perfume had quickly wafted throughout the bedroom/bathroom area, threatening to give her a massive headache. Dennis had opened all of the windows, including the one in the bathroom to annoy Alex as much as in a thorough effort to dissipate the smell. Angel collected the demon body parts and cleaned up the mess as best as he could. Cordelia stayed and commiserated with Dennis over the stench and a carpet that desperately needed professional cleaning while Alex and Angel had gone somewhere to properly dispose of the demon corpses.
When Alex returned, he'd taken one whiff of their apartment, made a faux retching sound and reached for the telephone. Delia had giggled at his tale of returning home early in the morning to find that the people who had treated his hardwood floor had been overly optimistic about the curing of the Swedish finish they'd applied. All the posh hotel he'd called at 5:33 am had had available were suites. He'd taken one and here they were, tired and wired but at least able to breath without gagging.
Suddenly dissatisfied with the silence, she said, "Dennis needs work as an early warning system."
With a soft sigh, Alex asserted, "He did the best he could."
"He let me be hauled out of my bed and replaced by a demon bitch. I didn't like it."
Smiling at her vehemence, he kissed her on the forehead and whispered, "I didn't either, but I "
"Could've fooled me."
Gently grasping her chin, Alex tilted Cordelia's head toward his and stared into her eyes for several long moments before looking away. "There's nothing safe to say to that." When she didn't bail him out, he continued, "I'm sorry, Delia, but I thought she was you until she laughed at me and when I looked up, I saw someone who wasn't you staring down at me."
"I laugh at you."
Alex couldn't help but chuckle at her near defensiveness, "Not like that."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Knowing the danger signals, Alex quickly replied, "You may be direct to a fault, babe, but you don't hurt people like that. Not unless you're hurting yourself too and, when you are, I can tell."
Smiling tremulously, she shifted to kiss the hand that held her chin. "So why don't you back off more often."
Unsuccessfully biting back a grin, he admitted, "Because you like to argue almost as much as you like this."
Cordelia's response was lost as Alex' mouth descended upon hers and they celebrated being alive and sans demon companions. She smiled when she pulled back and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're wrong, Alex. This is much, much better."
When her playful tongue retreated once again, he chuckled and hugged her tight. "Yeah, but this," he illustrated with another lingering kiss, "can feel really great after a good fight."
"True," Cordelia allowed magnanimously, shifting to face him and straddle his thighs. "But we digress. Dennis needs a refresher course in demon spotting, alarm raising and who knows what else."
"Wouldn't do any good, Delia, because I won't change the rule."
Instantly suspicious, she inquired, "Rule? What rule?"
Alex looked her square in the eye and announced, "If we're in our bedroom, Dennis doesn't join us unless someone calls."
Cordelia giggled. "And I thought you were an exhibitionist."
"He sees enough when we're on the couch."
The defiance in his tone inspired more giggles. "On the floor. Against any number of walls. The kitchen counter."
"Well, yeah, but when we do that stuff, we're taking the edge off not making love."
After regarding him with a strange expression on her face, she asked, "What about last week -- after you and Angel found that nest of vamps in Van Nuys? You collapsed on the couch, too exhausted to move elsewhere or very fast, but I managed to interest you in me. And I remember being very glad that I went to the trouble."
"That was an exception to the rule. That's all. Give it some thought, little girl. You'll see that I'm right. I should know; I made the rule."
Unbuttoning his shirt, Delia considered his words. When she had his chest bare, she touched him everywhere he liked and asked, "Didn't some sports guy say that rules were meant to be broken."
"Um hmm. Leo Durocher. He also said that nice guys finish last."
She leaned forward and carefully applied lips and teeth to his throat. Sitting back to admire the livid mark she'd left on Alex' skin to perfect her claim on him, Delia smiled and whispered, "Good thing you aren't a nice guy."
Pulling her into his arms, Alex held her close enough to feel her heart beating against his chest. "You got that right, Delia. It's far better to be lucky than good."
"You think you're lucky?"
"I think I'm about to get lucky."
They were both laughing when Alex lowered her onto her back.
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