Talk Dirty To Me
by Angel’s Delia

Rating: R
Spoilers: None
Summary: Angel sees a new side of Cordelia

Disclaimers: None of these characters belong to me. The songs belong to Poison.

Notes: This is what comes from Sara being unable to sleep in 102 degree temperatures and ending up watching VH-1’s top ‘hair bands’ of the 80’s until 3am. (What’s even scarier is that I found myself able to sing EVERY song and name every band’s lead singer) I actually wrote this for another of my ‘ships, for Logan and Rogue from X-Men, but figured it would suit A/C as well. Enjoy!

************

Cordelia sighed as she sipped her beer and waited for Chris to finish adjusting the lights.

“Just a few more seconds Cordy, I promise, then we can get this show on the road,” the dark-haired man called as he ran a hand through his hair and fiddled with yet another of the numerous lights surrounding them.

“Come on, let’s get this over with before I catch cold from sitting around in this outfit,” Cordelia called, unable to hide her smile as he pretended to leer at her.

“But you look great in it, and trust me Cordy, this video is gonna get me an “A” plus that job and I promise, when I make it big, I won’t forget you,” Chris called back, smiling and clapping his hands together as he deemed the entire set up ready to go.

“Damn well right you better not forget me, I’m wasting good time sitting here watching you fiddling with those lights that all look the same to me,” she muttered, smiling as Chris finally motioned to her that they were ready to go.

Shaking herself from her stupor, she slipped up on the stage wincing at the brightness of the lights surrounding her.

“Hello, you think those lights are bright enough?” she asked sarcastically as Chris made several more adjustments.

“Just making sure you’re not too shadowed, hey Paul, she look okay to you?” he called to the man standing behind one of the camera’s set up nearby. Cordelia smiled as she received a wolf whistle from Paul and a thumbs up sign.

“Can we get this show on the road guys? I mean, I do have another job I kinda have to get to today,” she called as she tugged at the flimsy strap holding up her ridiculously revealing outfit.

And she’d thought the bikini commercial was disastrous enough.

This had nothing on it.

Of course, she’d been doing that commercial for a real hell of a director, where as now, she was doing it for one of her friends she’d met in acting class.

Yes, Cordelia Chase had managed to find time to enroll in acting classes.

The residue of that horrid encounter with Angelus lingered with her until she’d finally put her pride aside and enrolled in a mid-morning class. Most importantly, it was a class she could take without alerting the rest of her ‘family’ that she was doing it. She didn’t want them to know they’d been right about her initial acting abilities.

She had none.

Now, over the past year, she liked to think she’d gained some. Not to mention some very good friends who were on their way to making it big in the entertainment world, even if it was behind the camera.

Cordelia wasn’t going to complain.

“Cordy, you with me here?”

She perked back up as she heard Chris’s voice and turned her attention back to the scene she was just about to enact. She tugged again on the strap of the very thin teddy covering her body, hoping it would stay in place. She was all for being ‘free’ in this video, but that did NOT include giving everyone a free show. Not that Chris would let it get that far, but still, it was the principle of the matter.

And if she admitted it to herself, she was enjoying having such little clothing on.

Especially when the silkiness of the teddy felt so good against her skin.

It sort of negated the pain she felt at standing around in stiletto heels for an hour. She was used to wearing the shoes, but doing what she was doing in them, that took effort.

The pain faded as she suddenly heard a wolf whistle from one of the extras standing near the edge of the stage.

She sent the man a dazzling smile as she admitted to herself that she was enjoying the power she felt at knowing she had every eye in the room focused on her, watching her, as she showed off a side of her personality only these chosen few had ever been privileged to see.

A side she really, really wished someone else she knew and loved could see.

But that wasn’t going to happen.

Angel would probably destroy the cameras and Chris in the process if he ever saw this.

Heaven forbid someone see his ‘best friend’ dressed up and acting like this.

The ire she felt at knowing he’d only be seeing her as a ‘friend’ added fire to her determination to get this right and bring every man in the house to his knees. If she couldn’t do it for Angel, she could damn well do it for this video for her friend.

But she couldn’t deny the little part of her that thrilled to the images of what might happen if he ever saw her in this.

But he wouldn’t, since Chris had promised her this was strictly for his class and personal ‘resume’ tape.

“Okay Cordy, let’s do this. Just remember to go with the flow and you’ll be fine,” Chris called, standing back and motioning to the man sitting behind a large audio board off to the left of the stage.

“I never said I was worried Christopher,” Cordelia called out in a sexy voice as she heard the familiar strains begin to play. “You just watch and learn,” she finished as she sent the camera a smile, tuned out the wolf-whistles, catcalls and shocked expressions on the faces of her friends, and began to dance.
***********
Three weeks later Cordelia was relaxing with Anne and Virginia in her living room, enjoying their girls night of watching “Pride and Prejudice.” The three women had cemented their bonds of friendship when they’d discovered the others had a weakness for Colin Firth’s “Mr. Darcy.”

And Colin Firth’s ‘fine eyes’ and even finer chest, when clad in a wet white shirt.

The three women were drooling nicely as they watched Darcy dive into the lake, when the door to the apartment burst open to reveal a very irate looking Angel, followed by a stunned looking Wesley and Gunn.

“Guys, what’s wrong?” Cordelia asked immediately jumping up from her seat, wondering what had happened to bring her very upset looking best friend to interrupt ‘girls night.’

“Cordelia,” he growled in a low voice, his eyes so dark she couldn’t read anything in them.

Oh boy, something bad had happened, she just knew it.

“Angel, what’s wrong? Wes, Gunn?” she managed, fighting down the sense of foreboding she could feel creeping through her body.

“I think there’s something you need to see,” he growled, clenching his fists tightly as his face rippled.

Oh boy.

“Angel, calm down, don’t go all ‘grr face’ on me okay, just spit it out. What happened?” she managed, shivering at the look Angel sent her way.

She watched him stalk over to her TV, stopping their tape and ejecting it with a violence that shocked her.

“Hey, careful with the goods there Angel, that’s Colin Firth’s wet shirt scene you’re yanking out of there and I’ll be very, very unhappy with you if you destroy it,” she muttered, sensing he was oblivious to her words.

As she watched him literally throw the tape across the room, her foreboding reached new levels. Not to mention the way Gunn and Wesley were staring at her in almost rapt fascination.

“Gunn, Wes, what’s going on here, why are you looking at me like I’ve suddenly sprouted horns and a green face?” she managed, really beginning to worry now.

Both men remained silent as they quietly moved over to sit next their respective significant others.

“Guys, you’re scaring me, Wesley, tell me what’s going on,” Virginia said in a stern voice, amazed that Wesley seemed incapable of speech.

When no answer was forthcoming, Anne gave it her best shot.

“Gunn, this isn’t like you, what’s going on?”

Again, no reply.

Both men simply motioned towards a now glowering Angel.

“Would somebody please tell me what’s going on here?” Cordelia asked again, almost frantically, confused beyond measure at the looks from her friends and the tense stance Angel was in as he pushed a tape into the VCR and pressed play.

“Maybe you can tell me,” Angel growled, sending death looks at the other men in the room, who eagerly turned their attention to the TV, before settling his gaze directly on her.

“Tell you what?” she asked, watching as one of her favorite dj’s on the local music channel suddenly appeared on screen. What on earth was Angel taping music video’s for?

“Tell me why, when I’m switching channels between commercial breaks of a hockey game, I suddenly have my already unbeating heart come to a dead stop when I see this,” he growled, gesturing to the TV and hitting the volume.

As the familiar notes filtered over Cordelia’s ears, she closed her eyes in disbelief and breathed a silent oath.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and looked at the image of herself, dressed in very skimpy clothes, writing around on stage, with a pole, to the tune of an old Poison song.

She was going to kill Chris.

************
I never, I never seen you look so good,
You never act the way you should,
But I like it.
And I know you like it too,
The way that I want you,
I gotta have you, oh yes I do.
I never, I never ever stay out late,
You know that I can hardly wait,
Just to see you.
And I know you cannot wait,
Wait to see me too.
I gotta touch you, cause baby we’ll be,
At the drive-in, in the old man’s Ford,
Behind them bushes, until I’m screamin’ for more,
Down the basement, lock the cellar door,
And baby, talk dirty to me.
*********

Damn, she actually looked good!

Her shock and horror forgotten, she watched in surprised fascination as she realized that Chris must have known what he was doing with all those lights and camera angles.

She knew her friend had talent, it was why she’d agreed to star in his music video montage. He’d wanted to use it for a resume tape, and class project, she’d been only too glad to help. After all Chris was one of the few friends she’d made outside of Angel Investigations. He actually understood about her visions, and while he accepted the presence of demons and vampires, he wasn’t overtly fond of her reminding him what her real job was. But still, he’d helped her out of numerous situations, and he really did have talent, and he’d gotten her through the early acting classes when she’d been ready to bail, sure she couldn’t cut it with the rest of them.

But he’d kept her going, and they’d build a solid friendship. Considering he preferred men, there was never any romantic overtones to the relationship, and it was actually a relief in some ways. She considered Chris a good friend, and was glad to help him out when he’d asked her to play the ‘vixen’ in a remake of an old Poison song he was doing for his film class.

She’d actually enjoyed it, to tell the truth.

And damn, this video was really good.

She hated to sound vain, but SHE looked damn good.

Forgetting about the extremely high testosterone levels surrounding her, the amazed looks on Anne and Virginia’s faces and the low growls coming from the man seated next to her, she watched in fascination as the video continued.

*********
I call you, I call you on the telephone,
I’m only hopin’ that you’re home,
So I can hear you.
When you say those words to me,
And whisper so softly,
I gotta hear you, cause baby we’ll be,
At the drive-in, in the old man’s Ford,
Behind them bushes, until I’m screamin’ for more,
Down the basement, lock the cellar door,
And baby, talk dirty to me.
**********

Cordelia was smiling in amazement when the video finally ended.

If that didn’t win Chris his job, and an “A plus” she’d eat that G-string he’d insisted she wear.

It was the damn sexiest video she’d ever seen of the song, and she hadn’t even gotten completely naked for it.

Although, she hadn’t expected to see herself, in her sensual glory, on TV.

Being watched by most of the men and the women in her life.

People she considered brotherly and sisterly figures.

And one whom she still wasn’t sure what to consider.

Especially now, if the way he was growling, and the way the vampire kept phasing on and off of his face as he turned to stare at her were anything to go by.

“Care to explain?” he managed, oblivious to the fact that the entire population of the room was holding its collective breath while waiting for her response.

Cordelia swallowed hard and tried to diffuse the situation.

“Identical twin sister I never knew I had because we were separated at birth?” she offered with a weak smile, immediately knowing it was the wrong tactic to take as Angel vamped out.

“Cordy,” he managed, uncaring of the stares he was getting as his now yellow gaze bored into hers.

Cordelia swallowed hard, forcing herself to remain calm.

Maybe the truth was best after all.

“I was helping a friend make a music video, for a job he wanted. I don’t know how it ended up on TV, but I guarantee you I’m gonna find out,” she managed, able now to work up a bit of indignation. After all, Chris hadn’t said anything about the video being used for anything other than his film class and resume tape.

“You don’t have any clue how a video of you, writhing around in all your naked glory in front of a bunch of strange men, ended up on TV where every ‘fucking’ body in the world can see it?” Angel roared as the vampire’s eyes gleamed yellow.

Cordelia tried her calmest voice, wishing he’d calm down.

She was beginning to feel self-conscious with their fascinated audience.

“Angel, calm down. I wasn’t naked, God, you actually think I’d do a porn type video, as if! And I knew all the guys there. I was doing Chris a favor,” she tried, faltering as Angel jumped up and headed back towards the VCR, punching the eject button with a force that nearly broke it.

“Geesh Angel, I can’t believe you’re this upset. I mean, sure I don’t know how it got on air, I mean, he swore it was just for his class project and a resume tape. And its not like I’m naked or anything, and it’s not a porn video. It’s a music video, yes I’ll admit a suggestive one, but still, I’m not doing anything wrong, and I kind of like the fact I’m now ‘in rotation’ as they say in the music video business…”

Cordelia’s ramblings were cut off by Angel’s low growl as he stalked back over and yanked her to her feet, his face back to normal, but his eyes deadly as he spoke.

“I don’t care Cordy, you find this ‘friend’ and get him to get that damned video off the airwaves. It’s disgraceful! And God, the thought of men seeing you, like that, it just isn’t right,” he growled, again fighting the vampire.

Cordelia was beginning to get mad.

What right did he have to talk to her like this?

Disgraceful? He thought the video was disgraceful?

Damn the man!

“Angel, I hate to disappoint you, but what I do on my own time is my business. If I want to help a friend get a job, I sure as hell am gonna do it. And since there was nothing ‘wrong’ about me acting for his video, and it didn’t take away from what I do for you and Angel Investigations, and since it didn’t hurt anyone in the process, I don’t see what you’re getting so pissed off about. Besides, you’re not my keeper, or my father, so I don’t have to answer to you,” she managed, hoping to control her temper before completely flying off the handle.

“You don’t see what’s got me so pissed off?” he managed, a lethal undertone to his voice.

Oh boy.

Her body always reacted to that tone.

Not what she wanted at the moment, especially when her video had seemed to inspire a very different reaction than she’d expected in him.

She’d be damned if she’d apologize for doing something she’d wanted to and that had hurt no one in the process!

“It’s my life Angel, to quote Bon Jovi. I’ve got a right to do whatever I so chose. And you think I’d tell you after the way you reacted to that sun block commercial I did? Make another stupid career ending move, I don’t think so,” she managed, standing and sending a smile to the dumb struck men around her. “By the way, I happen to be proud of that video. I look damn fine in it, and it was damn fun to make,” she finished, turning on her heel and marching over to the door, throwing it open with a vengeance.

“Now if you don’t mind, I’d like you to leave. I’m tired of listening to you go all sanctimonious on me and my life. I work for you. I get these crippling visions that in the end, will hopefully help you become human, something I want more than anything in this world. But I won’t put my life on hold. Chris asked me for a favor, I helped him out. Enough said. And if you can’t say anything good about it, then I don’t want to hear anything at all from you. So go, NOW!” she nearly screamed, watching the stunned faces of her friends.

She tapped her foot as Anne and Virginia smiled as they grabbed their significant others and ushered them out the door, both men still only able to stare at Cordelia in fascination.

“I think you looked great,” Anne whispered as she pulled Gunn out the door.

“Better than great,” Virginia added as she winked at her friend and pulled a still staring Wes out the door behind her.

Angel was still standing in her living room when the other’s had left.

“Did you not hear me Brood Boy? I said leave, now,” she began again, refusing to let him intimidate her.

Angel simply stood there, unmoving, refusing to break her gaze.

Fine.

He wanted to be that way, let him.

She refused to put up with Angel’s antics and possessiveness anymore.

She’d long stopped trying to get him to think of her as more than a ‘sister’ or ‘best friend,’ knowing he was still immersed in “Buffyverse.”

But that didn’t mean she had to let him act like a big brother or best friend all the time.

God damn it!

She wanted him, as a woman wants a man!

Or a vampire to be exact.

She had probably from the first day they’d met in Sunnydale, thought she’d never admit that openly.

But he persisted in seeing her as a sister, clinging to the whole ‘love of my life is gone’ Buffy issues.

It hurt, but she put up with it, because he was truly her best friend, and she didn’t know how to survive without him, visions not withstanding.

So she’d suffered in silence, determined to get on with her life and be only a friend and seer to the vampire with a soul.

She’d even agreed to do Chris’s video on the off chance Angel might see it and suddenly realize she was a grown woman.

Well, obviously that had backfired.

She sighed as she grabbed her coat.

“If you won’t leave, I will. I’ve got someone to find,” she managed, slamming the door behind her as she headed down the stairs and flagged down a taxi.

She was determined to track down her friend and demand an explanation.

And her own copy of that video.

Growling in a very good impersonation of Angel, she gave the driver Chris’s address and settled back, determined to find some answers of her own.
************
Angel fought his baser instincts as he stalked her living room, waiting for Cordelia to return.

His first thought had been to rush after her when she’d stormed out, but Dennis was a force to be reckoned with and had prevented him from leaving.

So he’d vamped out as he paced her living room, trying to forget the images of a half-naked Cordelia writhing around a pole for a group of strange men.

It wasn’t working.

Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was her lithe body, her breasts nearly overflowing from the low cut teddy she wore, her long legs wrapped around a cold metal pole, writhing against it for all she was worth while the song wove itself around him, asking her to ‘talk dirty to him.’

With a curse he brought his mind back to the present, cursing his body for becoming aroused at the images.

She was Cordelia.

His best friend.

His seer.

It was wrong to be thinking of her in a sexual manner.

Because God knows what complications that could bring.

She was Cordelia.

She was supposed to be his innocent little Cordelia.

Right.

He could feel the vampire emerging as he remembered the looks on the faces of Wesley and Gunn as they watched the video, not to mention the men in the video themselves. And the thought that Cordelia had been parading around in nearly nothing in front of a group of men, who probably wanted nothing more than to grab her and run their hands all over her breasts, feel the softness of her skin as they kissed her neck and breasts, feeling her shudder with pleasure as they moved lower …

God damn it!

Growling some more, he continued to pace, wondering where the hell Cordelia had gone and when she’d be back.

Not that he knew what he was going to say to her, but he’d figure that out when the time came.

If he could stop himself from grabbing her and doing to her everything he’d just imagined in his mind.

He groaned as he felt his groin tighten.

One thing was for sure.

She wasn’t his ‘little’ Cordelia anymore.

And for the life of him, he didn’t know how to feel about that.

Or what he was going to do about it.

For so long, he’d been telling himself he was never going to love again, never fall for anyone again, because he’d wrecked things with Buffy. Oh, he knew it was fault on both their parts, not to mention the wrongness of a slayer and vampire being together, but she had been his first real, true love. He’d initially found it hard to let go of the memories, of that love, but surprisingly, in the past year, he’d realized he’d put that part of his life behind him.

He’d gotten over Buffy.

It had been a gradual process, but one he now realized he’d accomplished months ago.

Buffy’s image had been shifted to a corner of his heart that would always love her, but knew they weren’t meant to be.

The image of her blonde locks had gradually been replaced with brunette ones, and a smile he was finally beginning to realize he couldn’t go a day without seeing.

Despite all his protestations, despite his curse, despite everything, he’d fallen in love with Cordelia.

And what scared him the most was that he was seriously considering telling her.

Especially after the revelation from Lorne at Caritas the night before.

His soul was anchored.

By Cordelia.

It had taken a gut wrenching, stomach turning version of “Copacabana” to get Lorne to admit that much.

But when he had, a whole new world had opened for Angel.

He’d been determined to find the best way to tell her and show her how much he loved her, when he’d stumbled across that video while they were trying to find something on TV with their ‘women’ enjoyed a girls night.

God, if he’d been able to breathe, he would have stopped when he’d recognized the lithe form swaying and writing to a familiar song from the 80’s.

The words had drawn him in first, knowing that the others would laugh if he admitted his ‘hair band’ fascination to them. It was something he’d kept to himself. But he figured no one would suspect if he stopped on the music channel for just a moment.

It was then he heard Gunn’s gasp and Wesley’s shocked oath.

He’d turned to the TV and realized it was his seer, staring back at him, revealing more of her skin than he’d ever seen in his life.

He wondered only how he’d managed to stop from putting a fist through the TV screen.

Growling low under his breath, he suddenly came back to the present as he picked up the sound of Cordelia’s footsteps coming down the hallway.

She was back.

With another low growl he settled himself on the sofa and waited.
***********
Cordelia sighed as she pulled out her key and unlocked her door.

She’d finally tracked Chris down after several hours, and needless to say, their discussion had been illuminating to say the least.

Apparently after showing the film to his teacher, and getting an “A”, he’d sent the tape to the company he was hoping to work for, they’d been impressed enough to give him the job. Of course, they’d also made him sign an agreement that the video was theirs to do with what they wished. Figuring they’d use it for promotion or something, he’d said fine. He’d had no clue it would end up on TV. In fact, he was more shocked than she had been.

After a good hour of discussion, Cordelia had left, believing him sincere in his protestations that he’d had no clue they’d put it on air. Despite it all, she couldn’t help but be happy her friend had gotten his job. And really, she was flattered the company had thought enough of the video to release it to the local music channel.

Maybe an acting career wasn’t out of the question.

Part of her enjoyed the thought that someone had found her image appealing enough to trust a lot of others would too.

Now if only Angel would be one of those people.

Angel.

She sighed as she grabbed the tape Chris had presented her with, and entered her apartment, wondering what she was going to say to him.

Hopefully it would be tomorrow, so she’d have tonight to prepare.

She realized luck was truly not with her as she closed the door and turned, only to come up hard against his unyielding chest.

“Angel,” she began, only to be cut off by his gruff words.

“Where have you been Cordelia?” he asked in a voice so quiet it scared her.

She suspected that was his intention, and decided then and there not to play his game. She’d dealt with him in these moods enough to know how to handle him.

She hoped.

“It’s really none of your business, but if you must know, I tracked down my friend and he explained the whole video situation to me,” she managed, deciding truth was the best route right about now.

She wouldn’t think about how hard her heart was pounding as he moved closer to her.

“And did your ‘friend’ explain how he was going to get that video off the air,” he asked in the same deadly voice, staring directly into her eyes.

Cordelia swallowed hard as she forced her arousal down. Now was not the time to be thinking how attractive he looked in the realm between vampire and human.

What had he asked her again?

“It wasn’t his decision. It was the company he’s now working for, and since they say it’s getting a good response, they’re keeping it on air,” she finally managed, watching his eyes grow even darker, if that were possible.

“Unacceptable,” he growled, forcing himself to keep his human face on.

Cordelia was getting tired of his attitude, despite her arousal.

“Too bad Angel, it’s out of your hands now. And besides, you have no say over what I do or whom I do it with,” she sputtered, letting some of her anger override her desire.

Angel saw red as he heard her words and was suddenly hit with images of her and one of those ‘friends’ of hers doing what he’d imagined.

“Think again Cordy,” he managed, moving even closer to her, backing her up against the hard wood of the door.

“Angel, you’re acting like a child,” she managed, hoping her voice sounded stronger than she was feeling at the moment. Most of her bodily functions went on red alert as she felt him press her up against the cool wood of the door.

She caught her breath as he pressed her tightly between his body and the wood, his gaze never leaving hers as he growled his next words.

“Do you know what seeing you like that, dancing for all those strange men, do you know what that did to me?” he managed, feeling his body harden at the remembered images.

If she hadn’t known then, she sure as hell did now!

And he sure as hell wasn’t thinking about Buffy.

She fought to keep breathing as she felt his growing arousal pressing against her thigh.

Maybe he wasn’t thinking of her as a sister after all.

“It turned you on?” she asked in a breathless voice, deciding to risk it and play his game. If she played her cards right, she might end up getting exactly what she’d been wanting for months.

Him.

Angel growled deep in his throat as he pressed himself against her, marveling at the softness of her body, the fullness of her breasts pressed against his chest. He could barely think, but made a concerted effort to at least try to remember what point he’d been trying to make.

“Oh it did more than that,” he managed, unconsciously tangling his hands in her silky hair, noting offhandedly how her head seemed to lean into his hands. He struggled to complete his thought before getting totally lost in the scent and feel of her. “It made me start thinking things I definitely should not be thinking about you,” he managed, unconsciously leaning down to nuzzle her neck, the feel of her blood rushing through her jugular only increasing his desire.

Cordelia swallowed hard as her hands moved up to tangle in his hair as she tried to formulate a response. Her brain and body were on sensory overload by this point and she could barely remember what he’d said.

Thoughts of Angelus and the curse were far from her head at the moment.

What had he asked her?

Oh right.

“Why shouldn’t you be thinking those things about me?” she managed, leaning her head back so he had better access to the sensitive skin under her earlobe. The sensation of his lips on her bare skin was enough to make her lightheaded.

Angel barely heard her response, so lost in her scent and the taste of her skin was he.

But through his aroused haze, he heard.

“Because you’re my best friend, you’re like my sister,” he managed, pulling her tighter to him as he let his lips roam over her forehead and cheeks, just skirting her lips.

Cordelia had to force down the hysterical laughter she could feel rising in her chest.

“Angel, I’ve got news for you. The way you’re holding and touching me is about as far from brotherly as you can get,” she managed breathlessly, sinking deeper into him as his hands tightened on her shoulders and he pulled back to meet her gaze head on.

Angel looked at her flushed face, feeling her hardened nipples pressing against his chest through the thin shirt she wore. The dreamy look in her huge eyes, the soft expression on her face, the way her hands stroked the back of his neck, well, he certainly wasn’t feeling ‘brotherly’ towards her at the moment.

In fact, he was seeing a whole new side of Cordelia.

A side he’d known existed but had blinded himself to for far too long.

Well, all blinders, and all bets, were off.

“I’ve got news for you sweetheart,” he managed gruffly as he pulled her away from the door and flush against his tense body. He smiled ferally as he heard her gasp at the full body contact. “My feeling’s for you are about as far from brotherly as they can get,” he managed, amazed to find he spoke the truth.

He didn’t know when he’d allowed himself to admit to wanting her, although he’d known he loved her for a while now.

But now that he had admitted both those feelings, it felt right.

Surprisingly, utterly and completely right.

Cordelia felt her heart nearly pounding out of her chest as she read the truth in his eyes.

He was admitting he had feelings for her.

Angel was admitting he wanted her!

Maybe that he even loved her!

Would miracles never cease?

Suddenly, something occurred to her.

“Angel, what about, him,” she managed, watching as his eyes locked on hers.

“There’s no need to fear Angelus anymore, my soul is anchored, by you. Only you,” he whispered as he looked deep into her eyes, letting her see the truth of his words.

This had to be a dream.

“What?” she managed, only to be stopped by a finger across her lips.

“Lorne told me last night. I won’t go into it, except to say that you anchor my soul, there’s no need to fear a return of Angelus,” he finished softly, hoping she believed him.

Cordelia closed her eyes a moment.

This was too good to be true.

It had to be a dream, hadn’t it?

But his low growl as she arched her hips against his told her it was all too real.

The power that suddenly flowed through her body was too good to resist.

There was no danger of him going evil on the world. She could do whatever she wanted to him, and not fear unleashing Angelus on the world.

It was a very powerful feeling.

Feeling extremely daring, she pressed herself even closer to him, rubbing her hardened nipples against his chest as she leaned up to his ear and whispered “so you want me to really ‘talk dirty’ to you baby?”

With a low growl Angel pulled her head to his and crushed his lips to hers.

Cordelia’s last thought as he picked her up in his arms and carried her towards the bedroom was what he would think if he ever saw the other video she’d done for Chris several months earlier as another school project.

Somehow, she had a feeling she’d be holding off showing “Fallen Angel” to him until another day.

******

The End

Well? I originally did this as a Logan/Rogue piece, then adapted it to A/C. If you "X" fans are interested, email me and I'll send you the L/R one. I'm thinking of a series, based on the fact I can't get the 'top 10 hair bands' out of my head. Anyone want to see something like that?