Past Hostilities, Future Happiness Ch. 2

Not beta'd until I get it finished. Feedback will be most appreciated and well loved. Flames will be used by my muses to support their marshmallow habit.

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Eliot's mind keep going over every encounter he ever had with the master vampire. All the times he had let Angel manhandle him in what the vampire thought of as righteous anger. God, he had wanted to kick the vampire's ass. Sure he could have had fought back more. Showed his true self but it had been more important to keep the Senior Partners happy than worrying about his pride. He just thought Angel was a hot head and someone that never climbed off his soap box. It was his crew that keep him from getting killed on more than one occasion. He was sorry to hear that Angel's friends were killed and he did wonder who was still left. And why was Angel here instead of with Buffy? Angel couldn't have Buffy without losing his soul and he had already proven that having sex with Lindsey wouldn't cause that. So, maybe the true happiness thing made him the lesser of two evil, so to speak. He couldn't figure out why the vampire would say he loved him.

Why him? Why now? Why did Angel show up when he finally, finally found something worth fighting for? A home. Eliot tucked into his jacket further trying to get warmer. Sure it had only been a little over six months but the team had grown closer. They trusted each other. Not easy an thing to do in their business. It was a start to something bigger and better. Well, he wasn't going to let Angel get in the way of what he found. He still had enough spells and enough connections to cause enough problems for the vampire if he needed to. He had to protect his family.

He turned around ready to head back to his apartment only to find himself semi surrounded by a few of the gang members that belong with the ass he kicked earlier this evening.

"What seems to be the problem boys?" He was trying very hard not laugh at their attempts to look tough. He really was.

"We're going to teach you not to mess us. What're grinning at holms?"

Eliot let out deep laugh. "You can *not* be for real. I've seen choir boys scarier than you." Giving the gang members a once over he noticed that they all had guns. Why do people always have to use guns? He started to walk close to the one in charge of the little group. It wasn't until he was almost nose to nose the leader that rest of the gang pulled out their weapons, pointing them at his head. He never looked away from the leader as he spoke. "I hope el jefe knows you're here because you're breaching the agreement he and I made. From the expressions on your buddies faces here, I say he doesn't. So, you have choice to make either shoot me and die for it or take the beatin' I'm going to give you like the men you're trying to be." Eliot's knife slipped into his palm ready for them to make the first move.

Angel had keep a discreet distance between them wanting to give his boy some space. He heard Eliot talking to the gang. If he had a beating heart still it would have stopped at the ultimatum that Eliot gave the gang . The sudden click of a hammer pulling back had the vampire speeding up. He never should have let Lindsey get so far ahead of him. It only took him a few seconds to catch up. Angel stopped a few feet back from the scene before him. There was his Lindsey, no, that wasn't his Lindsey. What he was seeing was Eliot. In his mind he could see the difference now. The man before him was coming out of a fighting pose as the last gang member fell. Not seeing any of the fallen gang moving Eliot moved to remove their weapons.

Eliot looked up and saw Angel. With an exasperated sigh. "If you're going to stand there and gape could you at least be useful?" Eliot walked over handing the vampire a gun. "The safeties off so watch where you point that thing."

Angel watched Eliot walk back to the gang members and finished frisking them as he held his cell phone to his ear.

"Hey Carlos what's with sending your goons twice today to kill me. Yeah they're still alive and breathing." Eliot listened a minute. Wiping the back of his hand underneath his nose. He shrugged to himself as he noticed the amount of blood. Not that much, hell, he'd had much worse. Then testing it to see if his nose was broken. "They come after me or mine again our deals off." With that Eliot turned the phone off and tucked back into his pocket all the while looking at Angel with a wary gaze as he walked closer to the vampire. "So, following me? Really?"

Angel noticed the gash on above Elliot's left eyebrow and a few bruises on his checks and chin. The blood was slowly trickling down the side of his face. Angel took a handkerchief out of his pocket handing it to Elliot, making sure to keep an eye on the groaning boys still on the ground. "Couldn't let you disappear again." He shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't going to apologize for it.

Elliot stopped dabbing at his cut and stared at the vampire. "Why?"

Angel looked into those beautiful blue eyes and saw the pain there. The pain he had put there. "Because I've missed you more than I ever thought was possible. That one night we spent together was just a taste and I found I couldn't live without it. I almost lost all of my family and it made me realize how important it was to find you. I looked everywhere for you.."

Elliot interrupted. "You looked everywhere for Lindsey. I told you he doesn't exist anymore."

"You're right I did look everywhere for Lindsey only because I didn't know about this side of you. What it comes down to is I fell in love with *you*. Stop shaking your head at me." Eliot just gave him a mulish look. Angel looked back at the boys starting to get up. "Can we talk about this afterwards, please? I can hear someone ones car coming."

"Fine, after this we talk. Now, just remember to make sure you watch where you point that thing. Also stay here." Eliot didn't even look at the vampire as he spoke. He blocked his emotions and getting into the headspace of dealing with a local warlord. Didn't matter what part of the world you were in there was always a warlord and if not handled right it would backfire on him. Eliot walked over stand in front of the gang members as their boss pulled up.

Angel stood in the background as Elliot talked with gang leader. He hadn't smelled fear or anger coming from his boy. Elliot's heartbeat had never increased. Even now there was nothing but calm coming from Eliot. He listened as the gang leader, Carlos, apologized and said he'd take care of his delinquents. He found it interesting that Eliot refused to give Carlos the guns he had taken off the boys. Told Carlos it was only part of the cost for the breach of their contract. Carlos nodded his agreement as his men gathered up his the problem members. Angel watched Eliot watching the gang until they were out of sight.

Eliot pulled his phone out calling one of his police contacts. "Hey Vinny, I got stuff for you to pick up. No, I didn't break any laws. Just come by and pick the stuff up please." Eliot ended the call. He turned around and noticed Angel's intense look, feeling a little bit of unease he snapped at the vampire. "What?"

Angel shrugged. "I'm finding this side of you kinda hot." Angel grinned when he saw the blush on the tanned face. Angel could sense his boys embarrassment but underneath it all was fear and arousal. He really didn't like the scent of fear on his future mate. The master vampire drew closer to his boy. He laid a hand on the warm neck, feeling the blood rush thru the blood vessels, squeezed it, trying to convey comfort thru the touch. "We really need to talk. Shall we go back to your apartment?"

Eliot's chest felt tight at the feel of Angel's hand on his neck. Clearing his throat as he pulled away from Angel. "Yeah, just let me double check the safeties and get these secure for travel." Eliot held his hand out for the gun Angel still had. He felt slightly better seeing that the vampire did know something about firearms since the safety was on. Angel probably did know quite a bit about guns as old as he is but still better to safe than sorry. He handed the gun over to Angel. "How many pockets do you have?"

"Two outside and four inside." Angel answered as he put the gun in a pocket.

Eliot started handing over guns as he checked each safety. Giving Angel all the guns, he started putting the knives away in his own coat. "Okay, I'm ready. By the way, I didn't run. You wanted me gone and there wasn't anything left for me at the law firm. Or , rather, nothing I wanted to be associated with anymore. I don't understand why you looked for me. After all you were the one that wanted me to leave. I realize we had a one night stand but saying you love me is a little much, especially after you threatened me with what would happen if you ever saw me again." Eliot refused to look at the master vampire. Those memories were still painful no matter how he had tried to bury them. He hadn't wanted to leave the vampire at all but Angel gave him no choice. His jaw ticked with suppressed emotion.

Angel sighed at the drooped shoulders. The scent of anger, hurt and that damnable fear was driving him nuts. He really needed to get thru to Eliot. This might be his only chance. "I know how it might've looked to you, Linds, but I needed you out of the way." Angel didn't flinch at the venom in Eliot's gaze but he wanted to. He hadn't meant to slip. It was just going to take some getting use to. "If the Senior Partners ever had inkling of my feelings for you they would have used to you to get to me." Angel held up his as Eliot about to say something. "Let me finish." At Eliot's nod he continued. "You had made such an impression on me and it just keep getting stronger. I had to get you to safety. No matter what it took. I had to know you were safe." Angel stop at Eliot's snort. "What?"

Eliot really wanted to laugh. "You think getting me away from you and the Senior Partners was the safest thing for me?" Eliot couldn't help the laugh that started and only got stronger at the look of anger building on the vampire's face. Catching his breath while still chuckling Eliot explained. "Angel I realize this news to you but Wolfram and Hart was the safest job I ever had. I know you don't know about my past and you don't know the real me but trust me when I say that I was never more safe than when I was working at that law firm." They were getting closer to his apartment. "Look why don't we just get to my apartment and then finish this conversation. I still have a lot of enemies around and I really don't want to anything personal getting around to the wrong people."

Angel nodded. He wondered if he should tell Eliot about the file Nathan gave him? Probably not. Maybe Linds… no maybe he could get Eliot tell him what the files said He started going over everything he wanted to say to Eliot in his head. He could still smell the fear. He understood that Eliot was more afraid of his feelings and what might happen but he was here for the long haul. His boy would just have to get use to it and to him. He stopped when Eliot put his hand on the vampire's arm.

"Are they still up there?" Eliot had looked for the cars of his family but just because he didn't see them didn't mean they weren't still here. He watched Angel cock his head to a listening pose. The vampire grinned. "I'll take that as a yes. Look they don't know about the supernatural stuff much less vampires, so, please don't let anything like that slip."

Eliot pulled his hand away like he had been burnt when Angel's had closed over his. Angel's grin got bigger as he followed Eliot into apartment building. He'd win his boy over somehow. Eliot seemed to want to avoid his touch so, maybe that was his way in. Angel watched as Eliot tried to keep as much distance between them and trying to keep it casual looking. Yep, get the boy use to his touch and build on that.

Angel felt better now that he a little more detailed plan. On the way up to Eliot's apartment Angel took every chance to touch his boy. Though he was enjoying the reactions and the smell of arousal from Eliot he was a little worried about the upcoming confrontations with Eliot's team They were very protective of each other. Though Nathan and Sophie seemed to be in favor of giving him a chance as long as he was willing to back off if it was really what Eliot wanted. Not that he would since he knew his boy wanted with him. The rest were unknown variables. He'd just have to win them over and there was no time like the present . He thought since they had just reached Elliot's apartment.