Somewhere In Between - Chapter 2 [AtS]
Title: Somewhere In Between
Author: Nora [simply_shiny/remember_nomore]
Chapter: 2 of ?
Word Count: 1,916
Characters: Lilah, Lindsey, Tara, Wesley
Rating: R [Eventually]
Warning: It’s out of my brain… C’mon, what do you expect? Mild slash warning as well.
Beta: The unbreakable FG and everyone else that was kind enough to listen to my headbanging frustration.
Fic Notes: AU. AU is an authors best friend. Things will become clear as the story goes on. Then again it's not that far off canon...
Authors Notes: This is all FG’s fault. I blame her. No, really, I do. It’s her fault. She feed my mind and kept it going. I’ve got nothing left ‘cause the bunnies ate it all.
Previously...
Lindsey leaned wearily against the doorframe, knocking softly and resting his head against the cool door. Faint footsteps could be heard from the other side, as they got closer, the knob turning a moment before a muted squeak echoes in the hall. “Hey, I know I should have called but…” I had to get out and see you…
Without a word Wesley handed Lindsey the rest of his whiskey and pulled the other man inside.
The moment the door closed Lindsey swallowed down the what was left in the glass, dropped it to the carpet floor with a muted thud and grabbed the other man by the back of the neck, pulling him in for a hard, bruising kiss.
Wesley responded and fisted his hands in Lindsey's shirt, roughly pulling at the buttons until it hung limply from the edge of his suit pants. “You just missed Lilah,” he murmured against the lawyers’ lips.
“Yeah, what’d she want?” Lindsey's fingers roughly ran down the other mans arms, half listening to his response.
“Manipulation.” Simple, right to the point and only half the truth…
“It’s what… she does best,” the younger man muttered between kisses, both of their hands almost franticly pulling at each other’s clothes only inches from the door. Lindsey’s eyes opened with surprise as he felt himself being pressed hard against the door, the knob to the door pressing almost painfully into Lindsey’s spine. “She always has something up her sleeve.”
“Unlike Tara.” Wesley’s eyes darkened as Lindsey's fingers started pulling the buttons to his jeans open. “How’s she holding up with Lilah around?”
Lindsey laughed, dipping his head down to run his tongue over the nearly faded scar on Wesley's neck. “Better than expected.” His heartbeat picked up even more as he felt his body pressed hard between the door and the ex-watcher. “Promised her a weekend away. She needs it.”
“So do you. Any news on An-”
Stopping mid-kiss, Lindsey pulled back and his eyes met Wesley’s. “No,” his tone was sharp and final; both of them knowing it was almost painful to talk about the missing vampire.
“Alright then.” Wesley dipped down and grasped Lindsey lip between his teeth, pulling sharply. “Bedroom?”
Laughing, Lindsey shoved Wesley back towards the couch, kicking off his shoes as he walked. “Who can last that long?”
*~*~*
Lilah finished her second - maybe even third - glass of scotch before she looked up at the clock and decided she would grace Lindsey with her presence. He only asked for her nearly three hours ago.
Setting her glass down on her blotter next to the stacks of untouched paperwork, she slipped back on her heels before standing and making her way out of her office. There were a few perks to her reputation, one being people were afraid of you and stayed out of your way, if they wanted to or not.
“Times like this I start to wonder why the fuck I shoved him so far into the abyss of this office.” She muttered to herself, remembering quickly why she had her heels off in the first place. Sometimes fashion over comfort was highly overrated. Without bothering to knock on the door, she walked into his too lush office and stared at the empty desk. “Lindsey.” No answer. “You’ve got to be joking…” Sauntering over to his desk she sat down in his seat as if she owned it and looked around, spotting the note on the desk and rolling her eyes without giving it a second thought. She noticed that his jacket was gone and picked up the phone to call Parking; his car left the building an hour ago. “This isn’t going to make me happy…”
Crossing her legs she looked over the contents of his desk, seeing the file he was most likely going to show her; either for approval or to get fresh eyes on it. There were so many notes on it that it made Lilah dizzy. “We don’t employ children to work at this firm; there’s no reason our files should look like we do.” With a cruel smirk she stood up, papers in hand, and headed over to the shredder. The buzzing sound was almost music to her ears and she smiled as his file came out of the other side in ribbons of confetti. “Maybe this time he’ll learn a lesson.” Without another moments pause she spun on her heel and headed out of his office and planned on leaving early herself. She had a much needed and deserved date with a spa.
Tara turned and watched as Lilah breezed past her without a second look and headed for the elevators. Shaking her head she headed back down past Lilah’s tracks and into Lindsey’s office. “Mr. Mc…” her voice faded as she noticed that the office was empty and there wasn’t even a light on.
A buzzing sound made Tara turn to look at the shredder, setting her files down she walked over and turned it off, noticing a tab from a folder had gotten stuck and the name of Lindsey’s big case was written in her hand writing in dark blue ink. The urge to swear was on her lips, but she suppressed it and headed over to Lindsey's desk and opened up his laptop, hoping that he remembered to back up whatever files he had in the now shredded case file.
Her eyes caught sight of a note and she found a small smile curving her lips as she read it. She pulled his chair out and sat down, picking up the pen to scribble her own note under it.
Lilah destroyed the S. Noyes case file. New one’s printing in the printer. I’ll try to help you fix the notes this week.
Ditto.
Turning back to the laptop she pulled up the needed documents and set the printer to print the files again. It’s times like this that make her wonder why she’s working in a place like this, it’s exactly what she stood against in Sunnydale as a Scoobie.
Once the laptop was turned off, Tara stood back up from Lindsey’s oversized leather chair and walked over to the other side of the office, quietly making herself a cup of tea before curling up on the couch by the office window.
Even with the special glass the sun beat down on her, warming her skin as the leather felt cool to her touch. Gazing out she couldn’t help but feel swept away as her mind started to wonder about her life again and how she really ended up here. Not just at Wolfram and Hart but in this new and potentially dangerous relationship.
”Lindsey…”
“Yeah?”
“What is this? This…us?”
“Huh? Nothing….Why?”
"What am I to you? A-am I your escape? Your f-friend. Or am I just your project? Someone you feel like you have to protect?"
“You’re my peace, the only bit of light I have some days and I can’t risk…"
"You're worth that risk to me. Everything, every little thing we do is a risk and... Why can't we have some on our own terms?"
“It’s not that I don’t want to. Because, god, I’d give anything… but if I get you killed, I don’t think I’d be able to live with myself.”
“Li..”
“We can’t…There’s just no way…”
But they found one. She kissed him - she never dared to be that bold before - and after they both realized that they had to do something about what was going on between them. Either Tara was going to leave - transfer to another branch - or they were going to take the bull by the horns and take that chance and find our their own terms. It was tough, just as everything in LA was.
But they did.
Tara blinked and looked around, realizing that the sun had started to set and there was still no sign of Lindsey. She rubbed her eye and slowly stood, feeling her muscles stretch from being seated for so long and gazed around the room and she decided that there was nothing left for her here today.
The empty teacup found its way onto the corner table before she walked out to head to the elevator, as she walked she remembered Lindsey said he’d be working late again and leaving her to worry about dinner for her alone. “T.V. dinner it is.”
*~*~*
Sun streamed through the window and onto Wesley’s face, pulling him from his sleep. He groaned and rolled over, popping one eye open his sight fell onto the disheveled and sleeping lawyer next to him; a small smile across his lips. The way Lindsey was lying tangled in the sheets; his head half buried under the pillows, Wesley knew there wasn’t anything that could wake him.
Deciding to let him sleep, he slipped from the bed, searching for a pair of shorts before padding into the kitchen for tea. Glancing at the clock he grumbled, knowing that he had less than two hours to call Lilah and make his choice about her offer.
”It’s a chance of a lifetime, Wes. You can do things that you could never do as a Watcher.”
“Said the spider to the fly…”
Wesley roughly ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated and torn at the situation. He had to be crazy, Justine must have cut his logical thinking when she slit his throat because he was actually thinking that working for Wolfram and Hart was a good thing. “This is ludicrous,” he muttered, pulling out things for his tea before pouring the hot water to set on the kitchen table.
His mind was spinning as he weighed his options. The actual thought of joining the one place him and his - former? - friends have fought against for the past several years…it was something he’d never think about before.
Then again sleeping with the enemy was something he never thought he’d do either, yet here he is sleeping with Lilah and their strange - somewhat caring - relationship. He still doesn’t know what to make of the sleeping southern lawyer sleeping in his bed currently.
Another sigh left his lips as he stood, pushing his chair in and heading towards his bedroom. Never a picky man himself about clothes he couldn’t help but wonder what a man wears to a place such as Wolfram and Hart on a day like this. Sadly he didn’t own a suit of armor so a red button down shirt and a pair of casual dress pants would have to do.
After leaving a brief - and vague - note on the table, Wesley headed to the door, grabbing his jacket and keys to drive over to Wolfram and Hart.
Lilah’s office was quiet and deserted when he entered, looking around at all of the things money could buy. That wasn’t the Lilah he knew - not privately anyhow - he knew there was more to her then what she showed at the firm. Then again there were many layers to her that he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to get through; maybe this was a chance to try…
When the door opened, Lilah entered - Tara following quietly behind her - her eyes scanned the room and quickly fell on Wesley, who was showing no fear as he sat in her chair.
“Wesley.” A smile curved her lips when she realized why he was here. “What do I owe this pleasure?” She played clueless for a moment, remembering she had company.
“I too have my own conditions,” his tone was flat and unyielding. A tingle ran up Lilah’s spine as he stared her down; she was always up for a challenge. Wesley was always good for one.
Lilah turned and glared at Tara. “Leave now.” Without giving her a chance she shut the door behind her, leaving Tara on the other side.
Author: Nora [simply_shiny/remember_nomore]
Chapter: 2 of ?
Word Count: 1,916
Characters: Lilah, Lindsey, Tara, Wesley
Rating: R [Eventually]
Warning: It’s out of my brain… C’mon, what do you expect? Mild slash warning as well.
Beta: The unbreakable FG and everyone else that was kind enough to listen to my headbanging frustration.
Fic Notes: AU. AU is an authors best friend. Things will become clear as the story goes on. Then again it's not that far off canon...
Authors Notes: This is all FG’s fault. I blame her. No, really, I do. It’s her fault. She feed my mind and kept it going. I’ve got nothing left ‘cause the bunnies ate it all.
Previously...
Lindsey leaned wearily against the doorframe, knocking softly and resting his head against the cool door. Faint footsteps could be heard from the other side, as they got closer, the knob turning a moment before a muted squeak echoes in the hall. “Hey, I know I should have called but…” I had to get out and see you…
Without a word Wesley handed Lindsey the rest of his whiskey and pulled the other man inside.
The moment the door closed Lindsey swallowed down the what was left in the glass, dropped it to the carpet floor with a muted thud and grabbed the other man by the back of the neck, pulling him in for a hard, bruising kiss.
Wesley responded and fisted his hands in Lindsey's shirt, roughly pulling at the buttons until it hung limply from the edge of his suit pants. “You just missed Lilah,” he murmured against the lawyers’ lips.
“Yeah, what’d she want?” Lindsey's fingers roughly ran down the other mans arms, half listening to his response.
“Manipulation.” Simple, right to the point and only half the truth…
“It’s what… she does best,” the younger man muttered between kisses, both of their hands almost franticly pulling at each other’s clothes only inches from the door. Lindsey’s eyes opened with surprise as he felt himself being pressed hard against the door, the knob to the door pressing almost painfully into Lindsey’s spine. “She always has something up her sleeve.”
“Unlike Tara.” Wesley’s eyes darkened as Lindsey's fingers started pulling the buttons to his jeans open. “How’s she holding up with Lilah around?”
Lindsey laughed, dipping his head down to run his tongue over the nearly faded scar on Wesley's neck. “Better than expected.” His heartbeat picked up even more as he felt his body pressed hard between the door and the ex-watcher. “Promised her a weekend away. She needs it.”
“So do you. Any news on An-”
Stopping mid-kiss, Lindsey pulled back and his eyes met Wesley’s. “No,” his tone was sharp and final; both of them knowing it was almost painful to talk about the missing vampire.
“Alright then.” Wesley dipped down and grasped Lindsey lip between his teeth, pulling sharply. “Bedroom?”
Laughing, Lindsey shoved Wesley back towards the couch, kicking off his shoes as he walked. “Who can last that long?”
*~*~*
Lilah finished her second - maybe even third - glass of scotch before she looked up at the clock and decided she would grace Lindsey with her presence. He only asked for her nearly three hours ago.
Setting her glass down on her blotter next to the stacks of untouched paperwork, she slipped back on her heels before standing and making her way out of her office. There were a few perks to her reputation, one being people were afraid of you and stayed out of your way, if they wanted to or not.
“Times like this I start to wonder why the fuck I shoved him so far into the abyss of this office.” She muttered to herself, remembering quickly why she had her heels off in the first place. Sometimes fashion over comfort was highly overrated. Without bothering to knock on the door, she walked into his too lush office and stared at the empty desk. “Lindsey.” No answer. “You’ve got to be joking…” Sauntering over to his desk she sat down in his seat as if she owned it and looked around, spotting the note on the desk and rolling her eyes without giving it a second thought. She noticed that his jacket was gone and picked up the phone to call Parking; his car left the building an hour ago. “This isn’t going to make me happy…”
Crossing her legs she looked over the contents of his desk, seeing the file he was most likely going to show her; either for approval or to get fresh eyes on it. There were so many notes on it that it made Lilah dizzy. “We don’t employ children to work at this firm; there’s no reason our files should look like we do.” With a cruel smirk she stood up, papers in hand, and headed over to the shredder. The buzzing sound was almost music to her ears and she smiled as his file came out of the other side in ribbons of confetti. “Maybe this time he’ll learn a lesson.” Without another moments pause she spun on her heel and headed out of his office and planned on leaving early herself. She had a much needed and deserved date with a spa.
Tara turned and watched as Lilah breezed past her without a second look and headed for the elevators. Shaking her head she headed back down past Lilah’s tracks and into Lindsey’s office. “Mr. Mc…” her voice faded as she noticed that the office was empty and there wasn’t even a light on.
A buzzing sound made Tara turn to look at the shredder, setting her files down she walked over and turned it off, noticing a tab from a folder had gotten stuck and the name of Lindsey’s big case was written in her hand writing in dark blue ink. The urge to swear was on her lips, but she suppressed it and headed over to Lindsey's desk and opened up his laptop, hoping that he remembered to back up whatever files he had in the now shredded case file.
Her eyes caught sight of a note and she found a small smile curving her lips as she read it. She pulled his chair out and sat down, picking up the pen to scribble her own note under it.
Lilah destroyed the S. Noyes case file. New one’s printing in the printer. I’ll try to help you fix the notes this week.
Ditto.
Turning back to the laptop she pulled up the needed documents and set the printer to print the files again. It’s times like this that make her wonder why she’s working in a place like this, it’s exactly what she stood against in Sunnydale as a Scoobie.
Once the laptop was turned off, Tara stood back up from Lindsey’s oversized leather chair and walked over to the other side of the office, quietly making herself a cup of tea before curling up on the couch by the office window.
Even with the special glass the sun beat down on her, warming her skin as the leather felt cool to her touch. Gazing out she couldn’t help but feel swept away as her mind started to wonder about her life again and how she really ended up here. Not just at Wolfram and Hart but in this new and potentially dangerous relationship.
”Lindsey…”
“Yeah?”
“What is this? This…us?”
“Huh? Nothing….Why?”
"What am I to you? A-am I your escape? Your f-friend. Or am I just your project? Someone you feel like you have to protect?"
“You’re my peace, the only bit of light I have some days and I can’t risk…"
"You're worth that risk to me. Everything, every little thing we do is a risk and... Why can't we have some on our own terms?"
“It’s not that I don’t want to. Because, god, I’d give anything… but if I get you killed, I don’t think I’d be able to live with myself.”
“Li..”
“We can’t…There’s just no way…”
But they found one. She kissed him - she never dared to be that bold before - and after they both realized that they had to do something about what was going on between them. Either Tara was going to leave - transfer to another branch - or they were going to take the bull by the horns and take that chance and find our their own terms. It was tough, just as everything in LA was.
But they did.
Tara blinked and looked around, realizing that the sun had started to set and there was still no sign of Lindsey. She rubbed her eye and slowly stood, feeling her muscles stretch from being seated for so long and gazed around the room and she decided that there was nothing left for her here today.
The empty teacup found its way onto the corner table before she walked out to head to the elevator, as she walked she remembered Lindsey said he’d be working late again and leaving her to worry about dinner for her alone. “T.V. dinner it is.”
*~*~*
Sun streamed through the window and onto Wesley’s face, pulling him from his sleep. He groaned and rolled over, popping one eye open his sight fell onto the disheveled and sleeping lawyer next to him; a small smile across his lips. The way Lindsey was lying tangled in the sheets; his head half buried under the pillows, Wesley knew there wasn’t anything that could wake him.
Deciding to let him sleep, he slipped from the bed, searching for a pair of shorts before padding into the kitchen for tea. Glancing at the clock he grumbled, knowing that he had less than two hours to call Lilah and make his choice about her offer.
”It’s a chance of a lifetime, Wes. You can do things that you could never do as a Watcher.”
“Said the spider to the fly…”
Wesley roughly ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated and torn at the situation. He had to be crazy, Justine must have cut his logical thinking when she slit his throat because he was actually thinking that working for Wolfram and Hart was a good thing. “This is ludicrous,” he muttered, pulling out things for his tea before pouring the hot water to set on the kitchen table.
His mind was spinning as he weighed his options. The actual thought of joining the one place him and his - former? - friends have fought against for the past several years…it was something he’d never think about before.
Then again sleeping with the enemy was something he never thought he’d do either, yet here he is sleeping with Lilah and their strange - somewhat caring - relationship. He still doesn’t know what to make of the sleeping southern lawyer sleeping in his bed currently.
Another sigh left his lips as he stood, pushing his chair in and heading towards his bedroom. Never a picky man himself about clothes he couldn’t help but wonder what a man wears to a place such as Wolfram and Hart on a day like this. Sadly he didn’t own a suit of armor so a red button down shirt and a pair of casual dress pants would have to do.
After leaving a brief - and vague - note on the table, Wesley headed to the door, grabbing his jacket and keys to drive over to Wolfram and Hart.
Lilah’s office was quiet and deserted when he entered, looking around at all of the things money could buy. That wasn’t the Lilah he knew - not privately anyhow - he knew there was more to her then what she showed at the firm. Then again there were many layers to her that he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to get through; maybe this was a chance to try…
When the door opened, Lilah entered - Tara following quietly behind her - her eyes scanned the room and quickly fell on Wesley, who was showing no fear as he sat in her chair.
“Wesley.” A smile curved her lips when she realized why he was here. “What do I owe this pleasure?” She played clueless for a moment, remembering she had company.
“I too have my own conditions,” his tone was flat and unyielding. A tingle ran up Lilah’s spine as he stared her down; she was always up for a challenge. Wesley was always good for one.
Lilah turned and glared at Tara. “Leave now.” Without giving her a chance she shut the door behind her, leaving Tara on the other side.