Introductions

(A/N: warning: there’s a song in this part. Sorry, it just seemed appropriate. Besides, it’s one of my favorites. #snerk# LOL Still, this is NOT a song fic. It's merely a momentary aberation on my part.)

* * * * * * * * *
Part 3


"Hey, what are you doing, baby?"

Elliot jumped a bit guiltily and shoved the small piece of paper into his pocket before turning around to smile at his lover. "Nothing, Trev. I was just… looking for something but it’s okay. Not something I really need or anything… so are you ready? You look like you’re ready…"

Trevor’s brow furrowed. Elliot had been acting oddly for months but the other man wouldn’t talk about it. Hell, Elliot hadn’t been talking about much of anything since he’d finished the transfer to the New York office of Hamsterville Publishing. Maybe it was just because of the new city or that their apartment was still clearly Trevor’s. He didn’t know but it was starting to worry him.

He sighed and looked down at his black slacks and soft red shirt. "Yeah… I’m ready when you are, El. Did you… that is, what about the present?"

Elliot smiled, kissing Trevor’s cheek lightly as he stepped past him and grabbed the small box from the coffee table. "Right here… so we’re going, right?"

The brunette sighed silently. Of course they were going. It wasn’t like their friends would forgive them for not showing up. Unless it was because they’d been making love and lost track of time, and who was he kidding? Elliot hadn’t let himself be distracted like that for weeks. "Lead on, baby," he finally said, trying to ignore the fact that there was a problem. He’d been doing it for ages now, so he figured he was pretty good with the denial.

* * * * *

Elliot sighed softly as the cab driver cursed fluently at the other cars around them, the soft exhalation covered by the creative phrases. He knew Trevor was unhappy. He could see it in those soft brown eyes every time he looked at him. He just didn’t know what to do about it.

It was his fault. He knew it was. He’d pulled away from his lover, afraid to tell him, to admit what he’d done.

It wasn’t even that it was such a bad thing. No, the bad part was in not being honest with Trev but… Elliot hadn’t expected it to bother him so much and now it did and it was too late. How could he suddenly tell Trevor after all this time and expect him to believe that it hadn’t meant anything; especially when he was pretty sure that would be a lie.

So he was stuck, he admitted to himself. He loved Trevor more than he’d ever thought possible, but… he couldn’t tell him so. Not when he didn’t know how to tell him what had happened.

Elliot forced himself to smile as they pulled up in front of Spike and Harris’s building. At least his best friend was in a relationship that was working. He was happy for him, and a bit envious, even while he wondered what the hell was wrong with HIM. Why couldn’t he just let it go and be happy with what he had?

It was a good question, but sadly Elliot didn’t have a good answer to it.

* * * * *

Harris was laughing as he heard the knock at the door. "Spike… the frosting is supposed to go on the CAKE!"

The vampire grinned, still spreading the thick chocolate. "An’ most of it is, luv… wouldn’t mind if you wanted ta help me clean up, though…" One brow waggled suggestively and he nodded down at the liberal dollops of brown on his bare chest.

"I’d love to, babe, but…" the knock came again, louder this time. "Save some for later," he suggested hopefully, finally leaving the appealing sight of his love’s skin adorned with creamy chocolate and silver nipple rings.

Spike smirked. "Like you needed ta tell me that," he muttered, "Got a whole other tin, don’t I?"

* * * * *

As parties went, Harris frowned to himself, this one was an abysmal failure. The tension between his best friend and Trevor was almost visible in the air, just as it had been the last time he’d been to their place, although it was worse now. He looked pleadingly at Spike, hoping the vampire could think of something to lighten the mood.

"Well… how about some music, mates? ‘s not much of a party without it, yah?" Lame, yes, but at least then there’d be something filling the silence other than his beloved’s limping attempts at dragging conversation from the two men.

He turned on the radio and frowned. His Xan had been fiddling with the settings again.
"Wait! I love this song!" Harris smiled playfully. "And since I’m the birthday boy, you have to leave it on."

He stuck his tongue out teasingly at his Claimed, then rolled his eyes. "Joan bloody Armatradin’. Kill me now."

It wasn’t until the words began that Elliot gasped, staring wide-eyed at Trevor as he recognized the song. "Damn it…" he whispered, blushing red before going pale, pale white. "Fuck…"

// I’m not the sort of person who falls in and quickly out of love
But to you I gave my affection, right from the start.
I have a lover who loves me, how could I break such a heart
But still you get my attention.
Why do you come here when you know I’ve got troubles enough
Why do you call me when you I can’t answer the phone
Make me love when I don’t want to
And make someone else some kind of an unknowing fool
You make me stay when I should not
Are you so strong or is all the weakness in me…
Why do you come here… and pretend to be just passing by
When I need to see you… I need to hold you…
Tightly .//

It wasn’t until he saw the look on Elliot’s face that Trevor finally got it. If crashed over him, through him, leaving him speechless with fury and… disappointment. He tried to speak, to move, but neither voice nor body were cooperating, leaving him staring pained venom at the man he truly did love.

// Feeling guilty, worried, waking from tormented sleep…
This old love has me bound but the new love cuts deep.
If I choose now, I’ll lose out… one of you has to fall
And I need you… and you…
Why do you come here when you know I’ve got troubles enough
Why do you call me when you I can’t answer the phone
Make me love when I don’t want to
And make someone else some kind of an unknowing fool
You make me stay when I should not
Are you so strong or is all the weakness in me…
Why do you come here… and pretend to be just passing by
When I need to see you… I need to hold you…
Tightly…//

Harris’s mouth was hanging open. That… they… ELLIOT…? No. He couldn’t believe it. Not Elliot. Elliot would NEVER… except his friend looked incredibly guilty and he wouldn’t if he hadn’t… but he couldn’t have… could he?

And that explained a lot, Spike thought. Especially the stench of uncertainty that had been hanging around the young couple of late. He’d taken to airing the place out every time the blokes stopped by, the smell tended to linger so much.

"Right, then," he said, turning the stereo off, "Music’s vastly overrated. We could play cards. Poker, mates?"

"You… bastard…" Trevor finally managed, his voice barely a whisper though it somehow echoed in the otherwise silent room. "You Gods. Damned. Bastard. I… I knew there was… there was something… wrong but I never… you… FUCK!" he ended on a scream. His clenched fists itched to pummel his lover but… he screamed again, wordless sounds filling the air as he nearly exploded from his seat, one hand grabbing his jacket as he stormed out of the apartment and headed down the stairs at dead run.

He didn’t know where he was going but he couldn’t bear to even LOOK at Elliot right then. Not without bashing his cheating, lying face in anyway, and… as much as the other man had hurt him, Trevor suspected that hurting him back would just be more painful still.

* * * * *

"I… I didn’t…"

"Didn’t what, you git? Just get caught out? Because I can guarantee you did. Think Trevor gets what’s goin’ on just fine," Spike growled, disgusted with the man. "Could smell you blokes all off balance but I didn’t think you were stupid enough ta be spreadin’ yourself for whomever without at least tellin’ your Trev you were movin’ on!"

"I didn’t!" Elliot’s voice was stronger now, though he was still that deathly shade of white. "I… I swear, guys. I didn’t… haven’t been with… anyone. Not since I met Trev, and…"

The vampire snorted. "Yah? Then you missed your callin’ in life. Should have been a soddin’ actor. That performance would have gotten you a bleedin’ Oscar!"

Harris frowned even though he agreed with his love. "You, uh… you did look WAY guilty, buddy," he said softly as he moved to the plush chair Elliot was sitting in and perched on the wide, padded arm, letting his friend lean hard against him. "Okay," he said after a moment, "If you’ve been… not doing that… then what…?"

Elliot frowned, the first of many tears starting in his eyes. "I… shit, Harris. It’s complicated."

" ‘s not. You either shagged some other bloke or ten or you didn’t. Nothin’ complicated about that."

"Spike," Harris said softly, looking at the door.

The vampire frowned. "Soon enough, luv. He’s not goin’ far. Besides, it’s goin’ ta take him a good five minutes ta get ta th’ lobby usin’ th’ stairs like that. Need ta know what ta tell th’ wanker when I catch up ta him. So you’d better start talkin’, git," he added, giving Elliot’s arm a hard poke.

"Hey!" he rubbed his arm, his eyes leaking more slow tears. "Shit. I… kissed someone, okay? When I was in DC to sign those papers. And I… I didn’t think it would matter so much but it does because I can’t… shit, I didn’t tell Trev and now it’s like…"

"Bloody fuckin’ hell," Spike growled, frustrated and annoyed, "Alla this SHIT is because you snogged some bloke months ago? I was right. You ARE a git." Then he sniffed the air and frowned. "An’ you’re not tellin’ us somethin’." He glared.

"Come on, El. Cuz so far? Not so bad." Harris tried for cheeky but ended up sounding worried.

"I… shit. It… it was Robert, okay? And the… kiss… kind of lasted a really long time and I… well, we both… and then I left to change because… hello, not flying back here with a wet spot on my pants, so…"

The vampire and his Claimed exchanged one long look then Spike turned away and grabbed his coat. "Look after Elliot, luv. I’m off ta find th’ OTHER git. See you soon, ‘ey?"

Harris nodded, even as he rubbed his hand comfortingly up and down his friend’s back. "Yeah… love you, babe."

"Same here, pet…" And with that, Spike was gone, taking the stairs as well.

* * * * *

(A/N 2: Thanks to TheShadowCat for the review. :) More soon, I bloody well hope.)