Damaged Part Two


The pub was an old traditional one, no mock Irishness or trendy drinks. Instead it was half full of locals, old and young alike, with a healthy smell of stale beer and strong flavoured crisps. It was warm, slightly shabby and very welcoming.

As they entered Orli was waved over by a table of about eight people, who all looked to be on their second or third drink of the evening. Approaching the table there was a chorus of catcalls and welcomes. Elijah couldn’t make out what most were saying over their combined noise but he did manage to catch the odd, ‘Who’s your mate?’ and ‘This the guy you’ve got staying?’

Orli nodded in Elijah’s direction with a quick, "This is Elijah," no explanation or anything else. He then rattled off a list of names that Elijah either failed to catch or couldn’t connect with the faces around the table.

"Who’s having what?" Orli said, reaching for his wallet. Again there was an explosion of noise but Orli seemed to understand it. He headed for the bar but stopped and asked, "Elijah?"

"Er, whatever," Elijah said. Orli raised an eyebrow. "A beer, I guess."

Elijah watched as Orli walked away and then turned and looked back at the people around the table. They were all talking again, words tripping over each other as conversations crossed the table with an awful lot of laughter and endless mickey taking. These people all knew each other really well, they were comfortable with each other, that much was obvious.

Elijah wanted to walk away.

"Sit," the soft command came from a round, dark haired girl wearing over large glasses. She pulled out a chair next to her and smiled up at Elijah. "I’m Rose and that’s… forget it," she laughed. "You’ll learn the names as you go along."

Only Elijah didn’t learn them. They all talked so fast about things and people he didn’t know and they constantly fell into the kind of shorthand that only develops over years of friendship. They tried to include him in the conversation, and he tried to take part, but it was hard. After a while he sat back and hid behind his beer bottle.

Orli watched Elijah not really understanding his behaviour. At the station he’d seemed so confident, the way he’d handled the guard was just one example. But now he seemed hesitant, nervous, even a little shy.

He also didn’t seem to notice the looks he was getting, not only from those around the table but also from the rest of the pub. Orli tried to work it out. The looks were assessing at first and then appreciative, often ending with downright yearning.

Why?

Elijah was certainly good looking; maybe not in a conventional matinee idol way, but good looking. He also had a slight surreal edge to him; his skin was just a bit too pale, his eyes just a bit too intense, the lines and planes of his face just a bit too perfect to be real.

But it was more than all that. He seemed to give off something, a floating scent that spread and smelled of… sex. It suddenly hit Orli; Elijah gave off sex, pure unadulterated sex. It was why, whether he was sipping his beer or picking at his nails, eyes from all over the room were drawn to him.

Elijah didn’t appear to notice it, but he sure knew how to use it. Orli reassessed the scene with the guard. Elijah had made the man the centre of his world for a short while and the guy didn’t know what had hit him. He’d harnessed all that…. sex – Orli couldn’t think of a better word – and played the guy till he was putty in Elijah’s hand.

Wow. Some talent and one Orli needed to watch out for.

As the evening wore on the laughter grew louder, the in-jokes more frequent and Elijah became more fidgety and less sure of himself. Somehow he became the ‘helper,’ always going to bar for whoever’s round it was. His trips seemed to take longer and longer until Orli realised he hadn’t come back from the last one. Their drinks were there but no Elijah. He went to check everything was all right.

Elijah was standing at the bar, bright eyed and glowing, talking to a man in his late fifties. Orli slid in next to them, resting a quick hand on Elijah’s shoulder.

"Hiya Orlando, this is Ronnie." The older man got the full Elijah treatment, a hand resting on his arm, a small, special smile, a slight giggle. "He works for London University, says he can help get me in."

"That’s good," Orli hesitated. "I didn’t know you wanted to go to university down here, didn’t know you were student at all to be honest."

"Yeah, I am. I’ve only got the last year to finish and I get my degree. I might as well study here," he turned away from the man and looked straight at Orli, challenging. "Then I can move into student digs, so you’ll be happy."

"I never said… oh fuck it," Elijah had done it to him again. He hadn’t meant that and now Orli felt defensive. He moved off in the direction of the table. "Your drink’s over here if you want it."

But Elijah didn’t come back for his drink. Half an hour later, when Orli was making a desperate journey to the toilet, Elijah caught his arm. "I’m off, going back to Ronnie’s place."

Orli looked at the man still at the bar. He was sweaty now; too much drink and an over eager excitement gave him a slightly grubby look. He pushed a few meagre strands of hair back over his bald head and Orli’s stomach twisted with revulsion. "You’re going with him?"

"Yeah. He’s gonna fix it so I definitely get in."

"But…" Orli tried to say. Only Elijah had already gone.


+


Orli was making toast the next morning when a key turned in the lock. He looked up but didn’t say anything as Elijah dropped into a chair.

"Can I have some of that? Any tea going?" He got up again and peered in the kettle.

"You stayed with that old bloke all night?"

"Uh ha," Elijah filled the kettle and started looking for tea bags.

"He fuck you?"

Elijah stopped and turned to look at Orli. "Yeah, he fucked me. I blew him this morning as well if you really want to know."

Orli didn’t have to say anything, his face was a perfect picture of disgust. "For god’s sake, why?"

"He’s going to get me into university, pull a few strings so I don’t have to re-take the whole year. What’s a bit of shagging compared to that?"

Orli shock his head in disbelief. "Do you actually want to go to that uni? Have you thought about any of this? And why don’t you just fucking apply if that’s what you want?" He could hear his voice rising and he knew he sounded like his dad or a maiden aunt or something, but this was just ridiculous.

"Why do you care what I do?" Elijah shot back. "Or do you want a bit of my arse for yourself, gayboy?"

Orli’s face closed and reddened as if he’d been slapped. He pushed the plate of toast away and made for the door. "No, I don’t want you arse, or any other part of you thanks very much."

"Hey, Orli," Elijah caught him by the arm. "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. I’m just not used to anyone taking any notice of what I do." He pulled Orli round till he could look at him. "Forgive me?"

Orli saw it. He saw as Elijah turned on whatever it was that he did. For a moment he was caught in the full glare of Elijah’s eyes, captivated by the gentle stoking of the hand on his arm.

Caught in the trap.

Orli pulled away. "Whatever. I’m going to work." He grabbed his jacket and didn’t stop moving till the front door was safely closed behind him. Then he blew out a long, low breath.


+

Thank god it was lunch time. Orli got a sandwich and a coffee from the deli along the road and took it back to work. He stuck his head round the staff room door but it was fogged by stale smoke from the over flowing ash tray belonging to the two elderly men playing backgammon. He went out to the back of the building where there were some old packing cases he could sit on, and get a bit of peace and quiet.

Rose was already there, salad and a large chocolate bar at her feet, leafing through at celebrity gossip magazine. Orli hesitated, then sat down next to her. "Anything good in that?" he nodded at the glossy pages.

"Not unless you want to know about the size of J-Lo’s bum or which celebrity is pregnant," she smiled.

He rested back against the wall, eyes closed, his sandwich forgotten. It was nice here, just enough sun to feel though his clothes, just enough brightness to flicker behind his eyelashes. No worries, no cares, no pressure.

"So, did Elijah come home last night?"

For a moment Orli thought about ignoring the question, saying he didn’t want to talk about it when Rose, as she inevitably would, pushed. Only perhaps he did want to talk about it.

"Nope, he stayed with that slime ball all night. Rolled in this morning for breakfast." Orli didn’t move or open his eyes, somehow it was easier to talk about it like this.

"Wow," Rose ate another mouthful of salad, chewing carefully. "Fast worker but really, really lousy taste."

"Tell me about it," Orli said. "Elijah said that bloke could help him get into university, he works in admissions or something like that."

"And he couldn’t just apply?"

"Exactly what I said," Orli shook his head.

"What is it with him?"

"I don’t know," Orli sighed, rubbing at his face with the back of his hand. "There’s something about him, he’s really aggravating and he has this way of… I don’t know."

"There’s certainly something about him," Rose agreed. "No one can keep their eyes off him."

Orli sat up, turning to face Rose. "You noticed that as well? How he gets everybody going, how he’s the focus of the room even when he’s not saying or doing anything."

"He’s a good looking guy," she conceded.
"Yeah he’s good looking but no one’s special enough to justify the attention he gets. And it’s more than that. He… does this thing. Christ knows what it is, but it sure as hell works, he can get anyone eating out of his hand."

"He’s really got to you, hasn’t he?" she laughed sympathetically.

"He gets to everybody!" Orli exclaimed, sitting up. "Can’t you see what he does? You were practically drooling over him."

Rose ducked her head as she turned a pretty shade of pink. "I wasn’t drooling. Well, not much," she smiled shyly up at Orli. "It’s just not often that a guy that good looking notices I exist let alone talks to me."

"But you can see what he does, can’t you? How he manipulates people, gets round them."

"I don’t know Orlando," Rose hedged. "I don’t think he does anything unusual, he just makes people feel good."

"He’s caught you as well," Orli shook his head, not really talking to Rose. "He gets everyone and no one seems to see it."

"Except you?" Rose’s eyebrow lifted just enough to ask the question. "What makes you immune?"

"I don’t know," Orli sighed, flopping back against the wall, closing his eyes again.

"You don’t like him, do you?" Rose asked.

"It’s not that I don’t like him, more that I don’t understand what’s going on." He opened his eyes. "He makes me act strange. I moan and get angry when I don’t mean to, I say stuff I don’t intend. I think he’s all right but…"

"But he makes you react?"

Orli grinned a little guiltily. "He’s a bit like an itch I can’t scratch, really aggravating."

"That’s not such a bad thing," Rose smiled, closing the lid and giving up on her salad.

"How’d you figure that? Since when has aggravating been good?"

"Since it made you react to anything," she reached for the enormous chocolate bar and started to open it carefully.

"Is this some kinda weird women’s intuition thing? ‘Don’t argue with me ‘cos I have a womb’ crap."

"No love, no big secret," she reached over suddenly and popped a square of chocolate into Orli’s mouth. "You haven’t reacted to anything since Shane, you’ve been sleepwalking through life. I thought when I told you to take the job here it might wake you up just a bit, but it hasn’t. If Elijah annoying the hell out of you makes you take notice of the world, then I’m all for him," she grinned. "And if it means he’s around for a while, so much the better. I could do with a bit more drooling."

Orli swallowed the chocolate and thought. "Am I really that bad? I thought I was doing better."

"Oh you are!" She exclaimed enthusiastically. "You’re so much better than at first but… You’ve turned into a bit of an onlooker. You watch what’s going on from the side lines, when before you’d have been joining in. Your head’s still full of Shane."

"Perhaps that’s why I’m immune to Elijah."

"I’m not sure there’s anything to be immune to but even if you really hate his guts, that’s a good thing. You haven’t felt strongly about anything for a long time."

Orli reached over and broke off another square of chocolate, chewing it slowly while he thought. "I feel a bit like one of those small town American nobodies you get in late night horror movies, you know, something like The Faculty. I’m the only one that can see the teachers have been taken over by aliens. I know Elijah does something and no one else can see it. But… maybe you’re right. Maybe I am still an onlooker, I feel as though I’m surrounded by cotton wool a lot of the time and… Elijah does seem to get through."

He grinned at Rose, all teeth and crinkled eyes. "What do you think? Is my wanting to smack him round the head a good thing?"

Rose grinned back. "If it means I get to kiss him better I’d say it was the best thing that’s happened for a long time."


+


Orli didn’t know what to expect when he got home that night. He hadn’t thought about it all day but now he wondered if things would be awkward again. He didn’t need that, all Orli wanted was an easy life. He could be friends with the guy, if he tried, and anyway, Elijah was old enough to make his own decision. Orli decided he didn’t care what the guy got up to, he wasn’t his mother. Then another thought hit him, would Elijah still be there?

That was answered as soon as he opened the door. The music system was blasting way too loud and Elijah’s slightly off key singing could be heard along with it. Orli stuck his head into the kitchen. No Elijah but a complete tip. Dirty plates and cups covered every surface along with opened food packets and their unused contents. The bathroom was as bad, towels on the floor, cold water left in the bath.

Where was the little shit?

There he was, in the living room, sprawled all over the sofa, eating biscuits, picking up cds off one pile, reading the back and then chucking them either to the end of the sofa or over the side.

"What are you doing?"

Elijah shot up in the air. "Shit, you scared me man. I didn’t hear you come in."

"No, but I bet all the neighbours heard you," Orli said turning the music down.

"It’s good stuff, I don’t suppose they’d mind," Elijah gave a lazy smile.

"This is my flat and they’re my neighbours. I’ll have to live with them long after you’ve left. It would be nice if they didn’t hate my guts."

"Sorry," Elijah smiled again and Orli could feel himself getting crosser.

"Just look at the bloody state of the place, couldn’t you have cleared up after yourself?"

"Keep your hair on, it’s only a bit of mess," Elijah yawned and sank back into the sofa.

"A bit of a mess? The whole flat’s a shit heap."

The shrill, aggrieved tone of Orli’s voice finally registered with Elijah. He gazed up, eyelashes fluttering, tongue licking at his bottom lip. "Orli mate, I’m sorry," his voice was soft, caressing, like liquid chocolate - warm and running over Orli’s naked flesh. "Sit down, let me rub some of the tension from your shoulders."

Orli felt himself move forward. Elijah’s hand came out and rested on Orli’s hip, his fingers drawing idle patterns against the fabric. Looking down Orli saw the pale face turned up to him, the faintly open red lips, the spot of colour high an each cheekbone… He almost sat; he very nearly, almost sat.

But Orli wasn’t going to fall for that. He could see what Elijah was doing, analyse it almost, and it wasn’t going to work on him.

"I’m going for a shower, I hope you’ve left me some hot water." Orli slammed the bathroom door, locking it tightly after him.


+


When he came out of the bathroom the music was still playing but at a much more reasonable level. He didn’t see Elijah, going directly to his bedroom. Again he shut the door firmly behind him as he rubbed his damp hair with a towel. Just as he was searching for a comb the phone rang.

"Hello darling," his mother said in her normal lazy burr.

"Hi mum, how’s it going?"

"Fine, your dad sends his love. How are things with you?"

"Good. Met the others at the pub last night. Rose says ‘hi.’"

"That’s nice dear…"

Orli heard her tone and waited. Something was coming.

"Did you meet Elijah from the train?"

"Yeah, I got him." That wasn’t it.

"Is he there with you now?"

"He’s here."

"What, with you as in sitting next to you?"

"Mum, what this all about?" Orli laughed. It wasn’t like his mum to go around the houses.

"Oh all right, where is he?"

"Playing with my cds, I’m in my bedroom. You’re safe, he can’t hear you."

His mother’s tone changed, she was less certain now, more circumspect. "What do you think of him Orli? What’s your impression?"

Orli thought for a moment. "He seems all right, a bit… I’m not sure what you’re asking."

Orli’s mother didn’t normally do the maternal thing. Oh she was a good mum, but even when Orli and his sisters had been young their relationship with their mother had been more like friends than parent and child. It was one of the reasons he loved her so much and why he was happy to listen to her. Now she became all mother.

"I just want you to be careful around him. I didn’t want you to have to take him on but there was no one else to ask and…" her voice fell. "Just take care, he’s… dangerous."

"Dangerous? Oh come on mum, he’s just a bloke. Nothing special."

"Listen to me, I don’t like to say it, but he’s trouble. He has this way about him, you probably haven’t seen it yet, but you have to be careful."

"I’ve seen it," Orli voice was matter of fact. "And I’m not letting him get to me."

"Promise me you won’t?"

"I promise," Orli laughed gently at his mother’s serious tone. Again so unlike her.

"Just don’t get involved darling."

This time Orli’s voice was just as serious, "Mum, you know I don’t do involved anymore."


+


When Orli left for work the next morning Elijah was still fast asleep. He had popped his head around the door but all he could see was the top of a mussed head and one bony foot sticking out from under the covers. He considered leaving a mug of tea by the bed but decided that Elijah had made it pretty clear he didn’t mind helping himself to anything in the flat so, he might as well make his own tea.

Coming home he wondered what state the place would be in this time. Another day to add another layer of mess. Orli shuddered at the thought.

He was pleasantly surprised when he got inside. The shoes had all been pushed into a reasonable pile in the corner by the front door, the towels were all on the rack in the bathroom – who cared about a little bit of scum around the bath? – And it looked like a vacuum had even been run over the living room carpet.

A long way from perfect but a hell of a lot better than last night.

"All right?" Orli asked going into the kitchen.

Elijah dumped a handful of cutlery on the table and looked up. "Yeah. You?"

"All right. The place looks tidier, thanks."

"Sorry about yesterday," Elijah reached into the fridge and then handed Orli a bottle. "I bought beer."

"Nice one, I’m starving." He began to open cupboards looking for something quick and easy. "There’s tinned… something. It’s left over from Christmas."

"Oh well," Elijah faltered. Orli realised the other man was genuinely nervous, bouncing on one foot and chewing at his lip. If Elijah had plans to go out or he couldn’t stand anymore of Orli’s cooking he only had to say. It was then that he noticed the plates already on the table.

"I bought fish and chips," Elijah went on. "Everybody likes fish and chips, don’t they?"

"Don’t know about everybody," Orli smiled. "But I do. Bring it on."

"I shoved them in the oven, didn’t want them to get cold," Elijah said, bending to open the door. "Shit!" he moaned as a wisp of black smoke wafted out.

He was just about to reach in when Orli threw a tea-towel at him. "You’ll burn your hands off as well as the building down if you’re not careful," he laughed.

Elijah pulled the food out, still wrapped in the paper. The damage wasn’t as bad as it could have been. On one package the paper had burnt away at the side revealing the odd scarred chip or two but that was about it. The other one appeared to only suffer from smoke stains.

"What do you think, edible?" Elijah looked at Orli.

"I think we’ll survive." Orli unwrapped the food and rolled it onto the plates.

They sat and ate, at first in periodic silence as Orli fumbled around for a non-confrontational subject. He wanted to ask about university, he’d had no idea that Elijah had almost finished a degree course; he seemed more like a street kid than a student. What subject was he studying? Did he really mean to try and get into one in London?

But that subject was too charged. He tried travel – students travelled a lot, right? - But Elijah hadn’t been anywhere. He tried football but Elijah didn’t seem to know much about any sport, much less care about it. And then he hit lucky. Music, Elijah did know about music and it was obvious from the flush on his face as he spoke that he cared passionately.

By the time they opened the can of peaches, found at the back of the cupboard, Elijah had admitted he’d organised Orli’s cd collection, settling on alphabetical order rather than musical category which had been his first instinct.

As they stacked the dirty crockery in the dishwasher they were getting on well enough that Orli casually mentioned he was meeting some more friends for a drink that night. Elijah turned his head and Orli saw a flash of emotion cross his face before it was quickly hidden away.

A hint of jealousy? A tiny bit of disapproval? Most certainly a desire to go with him. But Elijah remained silent.

"You want to come?" Orli wasn’t even sure he meant to say it but now it was out there and he didn’t really want to take it back.

"Do you mind?"

"Wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t want you to," Orli was almost sure that was true. "Be ready in half an hour." He went off to find a clean shirt.


+


Different pub, same sort of thing. Old men drinking in one corner, noisy jukebox in the other, couples on first dates, married woman giggling with their mates. The only differences Elijah could see were that this one had a dartboard and there weren’t as many people squashed around the table.

Rose was the only one he recognised from before and she smiled at him as she pulled out a chair. That seemed to be becoming her job. A prettier girl next to Rose and a tall thin man, who didn’t look at all well, made up the rest of the number. This Elijah could cope with better, not so many new faces, not quite so intimidating.

It turned out there weren’t so many in jokes and conversations as well. The pretty girl was a friend of Rose’s and had only met the others once before. Her eyes had widened as Elijah and Orli sat down and now they went from one to the other in a continuous sweep as her tongue started to almost hang out of her mouth.

When the others were occupied Elijah had enormous pleasure in leaning over to whisper that there was no point in hitching up her skirt for Orli. He leant back, draped an arm across the back of Orli’s chair and let her draw her own conclusions. He couldn’t have explained, even to himself, why it felt so good to do it.

Orli spent most of his time talking to the other guy but Elijah didn’t mind after Orli casually mentioned he was a cousin. Elijah even joined in the conversation when he heard the cousin used to roadie for a lot of bands. None of them were particularly famous, but just the names of some made his eyes light up.

He was really enjoying himself, nursing his second beer and sharing a packet of crisps with Rose, when a man came a stood just a bit too close behind them. The twist in his belly tightened just a little more when Orli jumped up and hugged the new arrival.

There was a general round of hallos and backslapping then Orli pointed to the empty chair at his side, and the man nodded before sitting down. Almost as an after thought he turned to Elijah. "This is Elijah, my mum’s brother’s… oh, you know," and Elijah didn’t know why it annoyed him so much that the man obviously did know who he was.

Orli turned back to the man and started talking animatedly. Elijah sat there saying nothing, when the man suddenly reached around Orli and stuck his hand out. "I’m Brian, Orlando and I were at school together. It’s nice to meet you."

Elijah shook the proffered hand and tried to smile.

They were at school together, so that meant he knew Orli before the boyfriend, Shane. Did that mean they weren’t together or maybe this one was an ex as well?

Elijah chewed his lip and thought about time scales.

From that point on Orli’s attention was focused solely on Brian and the two sat, heads together, talking quietly, laughing occasionally until two women appeared at the table. Again there was the round of noise and greetings and then came the introductions. The young blonde-haired woman was Gillian, Brian’s wife – Elijah felt his guts untwist, so not a boyfriend then. Ex or otherwise – and the older, expensively dressed woman was her mother.

Elijah smiled and tried to be friendly but he could feel his annoyance growing as Orli barely said a word to him. He didn’t like being the invisible man.

Rose’s friend tried to talk to him, Gillian had a go, even Brian tried when Orli was at the bar, but for some reason it wasn’t their attention he wanted. Orli was making him feel like a fool and, what was worse, someone with no control.

He’d show them what he could do when he tried.

Elijah turned his full attention on Gillian’s mother.

+

Orli became aware of what was going on when the rest of the conversation around the table stopped and Gillian started pulling at Brian’s sleeve. He looked over to see Elijah reach across Gillian’s mother to brush off a stray crumb from high on her thigh. His hand stayed there as he leant further into the woman’s body and whispered in her ear. She shivered and went still, staring at Elijah’s lips, her own slightly parted, her chest visibly heaving.

Elijah laughed, the sound nothing like his normal high-pitched giggle. This was low, breathy and dark. Sensual and pure seduction, and it was aimed at a woman older than his own mother.

"Elijah, fancy a kebab?" Orli’s voice cut across the table.

Elijah didn’t even glance over. "No, I’m okay." He smiled at the woman.

"Well get your coat anyway, I’m tired and need to get home."

That got his attention. He stared at Orli, his eyes hard. "I’m sure you’ll find your way, you don’t need me to hold your hand."

Orli stared back. "I said we’re going."

"You’re right, it is time to go," he twisted round hooking his jacket off the back of the chair. "You ready Diane?" Elijah reached out a hand towards the woman. She didn’t hesitate before she took it, and then they pushed their chairs back, heading for the door. He’d teach Orli that you couldn’t ignore him all night and then expect him to come running.

"Mum!" Gillian cried. "You can’t go with him."

The woman looked from Elijah to her daughter. "At my age I’ll never get an opportunity like this again, I’m not stupid enough to turn it down." She walked out of the pub with her hand tucked into Elijah’s waistband.



+


Orli was ready for battle the next morning. The bastard wasn’t going to sleep in after the way he acted last night, Orli was going to lay down the law right here and right now. If Elijah wanted to live in his flat then yes, he would bloody well have to follow Orli’s rules.

He gave a single bang on Elijah’s door and walked straight in.

Battle would have to wait. Elijah wasn’t there, nor had he been all night.

This was going to be one fucking long day.

+

A large drink after work seemed like a really good idea. Orli needed it to ease the anger gnawing at his insides. Alcohol always had a mellowing effect on him; he was known among his friends as a happy, laid-back drunk. Someone who loved more people the more he put away. A bit of tranquillity wouldn’t go amiss now.

He wasn’t sure just how much the booze would work today.

It didn’t take Orli long after getting home to realise that Elijah was doing what he always seemed to do if there was trouble; ignoring it. Did he really not want to face problems or did he not even realise they were there?

Elijah gave a good show of not knowing as he served up two platefuls of rice, his tongue licking round the corner of his mouth in concentration as he spooned out some sort of meat in a sauce on top.

"Hiya," he briefly glanced over at Orli as he took the plates to the table. "I’ve made…" he reached for an empty jar. "Chicken Tikka Marsala. You always seem to be starving when you get in."

Orli slid onto the nearest chair. He could wait. Elijah had to say something about last night.

Only he didn’t. Right through the meal he chatted about nothing very much; the news, what was on tv, his love of a decent curry. He didn’t seem to notice that Orli only managed an occasional, ‘yes, or ‘no’ and never once said anything important.

Orli waited while they ate ice cream, while they cleared the table, while they rinsed the plates and stacked them in the dishwasher.

Still nothing.

When Elijah announced he was going to watch something special on the television Orli seriously considered forgetting the whole thing. But the gnawing resentment just wouldn’t let him. He followed Elijah into the living room.

"So what is it with you, have you got a thing about fucking old people or do you slut around with any age?" No point pussy-footing around, he might as well go straight for the killer question.

Elijah froze as he bent to pick up the remote control. Slowly he straightened up and turned to face Orli. "What?"

"You did fuck her, didn’t you? She certainly didn’t go home last night, Brian said."

"We went to a hotel and, yes, of course I fucked her. More than once. Very grateful she was too," Elijah said, his voice stony and guarded.

"You nasty little bastard," Orli snarled, his voice full of contempt. "You don’t care, do you? You’d fuck a goat if there was something in it for you."

"You got a problem with what I do?"

"I don’t give a shit what you get up to as long as it isn’t in my home, but that was my best friend’s mother-in-law."

"And that makes a difference? Mother-in-laws aren’t allowed a great fuck? And I am a great fuck." Elijah’s voice was as cold as ice.

"I don’t care what you are but that wasn’t about her, it was about embarrassing me in front of my friends."

"Oh like any of them would possibly care. I can’t imagine Rose saying anything." Elijah stood stock still, every muscle in his body held rigid, every tendon held tight.

"Of course she fucking wouldn’t," Orli exploded; Elijah’s control unnerving him and somehow making his own anger hotter still. "You’ve got her wrapped round your little finger as well. That’s what you do, isn’t it? Bat your bloody eyes and lick your lips till everyone’s running damp after you. You’re just a fucking cock tease who puts out whenever there’s something in it for you. You’re just like your bloody mother. "

Elijah’s eyes narrowed, his voice dropped. "Don’t bring my mother into this."

"Why not? She’s the same, opens her legs to get what she wants, everyone knows that. But you’re not doing it here, not with my friends."

"Just who the hell do you think you are?" Elijah hissed out between clenched teeth. "Don’t you dare tell me what I can and can’t do. Nobody, but nobody, controls me."

"I can while you’re living in my home."

"Fuck you and fuck your flat and your piss-arsed friends," Elijah spat, low and dangerous.

Orli shook his head, running a hand through his hair, knowing he was close to losing things. He had to calm down. "I just hope to god you used a condom, if you’ve put her at any risk I’ll…" He felt his fist clench and his hand rise, but that wasn’t the answer.

"You’ll what?" Now there was contempt in Elijah’s voice. "Kick the shit out of me? You wouldn’t be the first and I’ll bet you’re not the last but you are not going to tell me what I can and can’t do."

Orli’s hand went to his mouth, trying to hold in the vitriol threatening to spew out. He needed a drink, a large one, to calm him down. In fact he needed the soothing effects of a whole bottle, and he needed it right now.

He took a deep breath and tried again. "When are you going home?" He really didn’t intend for it to come out as brutally as that. "I mean when’s the hospital appointment?"

"Tomorrow," Elijah spat the word out but then he visibly blanched as the realisation of what it really meant hit him. His face tightened and he seemed to shrink back in on himself. Then, with a huge sucked in breath and a conscious effort, he rallied a little. "But don’t worry I can go now. I’m sure I can find someone who’ll take me in."

"Oh I bet you could; in half an hour at the nearest pub knowing how you work," Orli said, but his anger had cooled as he watched Elijah try and control what looked very much like fear. For a brief moment he had seemed like a frightened little kid. "You don’t have to go right this second, see what they say tomorrow."

"You don’t have to do me any favours," Elijah’s petulant tone was still aggressive but now Orli had seen the crack in the armour.

"Oh believe me, with the trouble you’ve caused I won’t."

Elijah crossed his arms across his chest. "Fine."

"Fine," Orli shot back before stalking out of the room. What the hell was it about this guy? One minute Orli wanted to wring his neck, the next he almost felt sorry for him and then… Then there was Orli’s own reaction to him. He could never quite manage to say what he meant to Elijah, the tone always seemed to come out wrong. When he was angry he couldn’t seem to stay that way, when he was trying to be nice it seemed as though it were done begrudgingly. He needed to… fuck it, he needed a drink. Now.


+


Later that night, after a fair few glasses of whisky, Orli had mellowed to the state where he didn’t want to go to sleep with the world unhappy around him. The whole world he couldn’t do much about, he couldn’t even take on his part of South London, but he could make peace inside his flat.

He went in search of its only other occupant.

Knocking gently on the bedroom door he waited until he was invited in before he opened it. Elijah was lying on his side in bed, reading by the small side light. In his glasses, with his head held up on one palm, he looked more like the student he was supposed to be.

"What you reading?" Orli asked.

"Nothing special," Elijah took the glasses off, resting them on the table. "Just something I started for uni, I don’t want to get too far behind if I can help it."

Orli wanted to ask more about the course but this wasn’t the time, now he wanted to set things straight. "What time is your appointment tomorrow?"

Elijah’s face clouded again. "Two o’clock."

Orli shuddered; he hated hospitals with a passion. "Do you know how to get to there?"

"Yeah, I suppose so."

"So you’re sorted then," Orli turned, heading for the door. "Good luck, I hope it all goes well." Job done, olive branch offered and soon, with any luck, he’d be rid of Elijah.

He was almost out when he heard a quiet, uncertain, "Orlando". When he looked back Elijah had crawled along the bed and was now kneeling on the end, huge, appealing, seductive eyes staring intently up at him, mouth open and soft.

"You could always come with me," Elijah purred as he sat back on his elbows, his knees flopping out. "If you wanted to."

Orli felt his cock respond to the sexual chemistry that seemed to be pouring from the bed. No wonder other people didn’t stand a chance; there was something so physical, so erotic and charged as to take your breath away. Every move of Elijah’s body was carnal, every rise of his chest sensual, every lick of his lips seductive and provocative.

Orli’s body had no choice but to respond.

But it was a reaction he could ignore. With an awareness of the process came an immunity to it. Why he could see it where others couldn’t, he wasn’t sure. Maybe it had something to do with Shane, but right at this moment he didn’t care. He was just glad it worked that way.

Elijah noticed Orli backing slightly away. It wasn’t working and it always worked. He upped the stakes and slipped a finger into the waistband of his sweatpants. "I can make it worth your while if you come," he whispered.

"Don’t Elijah, don’t give me your treatment."

"Orli," the name was stretched and caressed as if it were the most beautiful and erotic sound ever made. "Please, I’m worth it, better than anything you’ve ever imagined."

"Don’t do that."

Elijah dropped his head back, hunching his shoulders, exposing a long pale neck and a strip of skin around his belly. When he looked back over at Orli his eyes were darker that ever before. He licked at his lips and played his last card. "No limits. You can do whatever you want."

They both knew exactly what he meant.

Orli reached behind him for the door handle, his voice hard. "If you want me to come with you, you have to ask. No games, just ask." Then he turned and fled to the refuge of his room. Maybe he could see what Elijah did, maybe he knew how it worked but, fuck, it was difficult to fight.

+

Next morning the flat was deathly quiet as Orli got ready for work. He had half expected Elijah to appear in his room during the night; his first realisation a warm hand or mouth on his cock waking him up when it would be too late to say no. But there had been nothing and now there was still no sign of him. He must have decided he could handle the hospital on his own.

Orli found his jacket, picked up his keys and headed for the door. Just as he was reaching for the latch the bedroom door opened. Elijah stood framed in the doorway, his hands hanging at his sides, bed-hair tousled and ruffled, his t shirt and sweatpants crumpled from a night twisting and turning, sleep filled face blank of any sexuality.

This was a completely different creature from the one Orli had turned down the night before.

"Orlando, will you come to the hospital with me? Please," Elijah added the last word as he looked up at Orli. No games, no hidden meaning in the words. Just asking.

"I’ll meet you back here at one," Orli headed out to work.

Part Three