Seeking a Path

Goliath grit his teeth, forcing his voice to be smooth and calm to Lexington. Yes, he appreciated the call letting him know the strange gargoyle had been found, and wasn't dangerous, but couldn't spare the time to ask for more details. He cut off the young gargoyle mid-sentence and told him he would get the report later.

Normally he shut the ear bud off during a stake out, but his nerves were frayed to nothing.

He stood guard, or more hung guard, for Elisa tonight. He hated it when she went undercover. Hated that as one of the more confident and, well, beautiful members of her force, she usually ended up in those ridiculous high heels and short skirts. The kind that distracted any man. Or gargoyle.

Tonight she courted a drug ring. Something about the new drug being trafficked in worried the chief of police. Elisa needed a sample for the forensics to take apart, and start making connections with the dealers. If she could work her way up, she might find out how they got into the city.

She'd traveled from one street corner to another, talking with dealers and users along the way. She could stop every one along the way and arrest them, but she needed a certain drug. Absinthe Ice was the only name they had. The descriptions she'd received so far were strangely individual, bringing out the fears of the user, terrifying them, yet giving them such an adrenaline and euphoric high they had to come back for more.

Goliath shook his head. Well, they all lived such sedate lives in this iron and stone city, no wonder they needed a thrill.

Elisa cocked her hip for another potential dealer. Her fingers toyed with the dangerously low cut top she wore, pulling it farther to display the frilly red lace underneath. Goliath growled.

They talked for a little while, Elisa's body language eventually closing up again before she stalked off. He could see the huff of disappointment, even from fifteen stories up.

She turned down an alleyway. Her climbed around the edge of the building to see if there was anyone there for her to meet.

No.

Good.

He glided down, back winging to settle in his shadow. Elisa shivered in front of him. Couldn't quite meet his eyes. Sometimes she didn't look too comfortable wearing the types of clothes that got her attention.

With a quiet growl, Goliath enveloped her in his arms, wrapping his wings around her tightly. He tried to ignore the feel of her exposed midriff, the soft skin of her bare thighs between his. Carefully tilted his hips away so he wouldn't embarrass himself.

"I hate not making any headway," she admitted with a small sniff. Goliath leaned back, surprised by the single tear glistening on her cheek. He wiped it gently with his thumb and took it into his mouth.

"Time to take a break," he said with finality. "Come."

He picked her up without giving her much of a chance to object, not that she needed to. He cradled her in his arms for a moment, savoring the smell of her hair, before transferring her to one arm so he could climb the side of the building. Her arms around his neck took the majority of her weight. Years of practice.

On the roof of the building, he got her back in both arms and took off to find a more private roof top. The flight itself helped to cool his blood. His fingers idly traced the edge of her brief blouse. She snuggled deeper into her arms. He felt her beginning to shiver in his arms. He mentally cursed himself and headed for the closest spot he knew of: a roof ledge tall enough with enough of a ledge to hide him comfortably.

He set Elisa back on her feet. She stayed pressed against him for a few moments more. He kept his wings tucked protectively around her.

"Sorry about that, I forget how cold you can get in clothing like that."

"Its okay. I forget what this getup feels like. Seems like my memory of it is always more comfortable than the actuality."

Goliath made an obvious show of looking up an down her body. The women of his clan used to wear far less, but Elisa normally kept her skin nearly completely covered. Elisa smiled and shoved his chest playfully. She leaned against a low wall and worked at removing the shoes.

"Here, allow me." He crouched in his "funky gargoyle way" and worked at the straps gently, careful not to destroy the delicate buckles.

Not that he would admit it to the detective, but he kind of liked how they made her legs look. Like if she had tall enough ones, her legs might look like a gargoyles. He shook his head and sighed.

She did as well, as he removed the second one. He kept the foot in his hand, gently pressing into her instep. Another experience he had practice with.

Elisa rocked back, her head tossed back, hair in loose artificial curls, her throat exposed, breasts swelling through that damn top. His eyes traveled lower, down her smooth stomach and the short skirt, her thighs pressed hard together.

He sighed and put his forehead against her knee.

They both froze for several long, agonizing minutes. Finally, her hand came to rest on top of his head.

"Goliath, what's wrong?"

He felt his heart breaking a little, like every other time she got close to him. He looked up into her dark eyes.

"Can you honestly not tell, Elisa?"

Her hand trailed through his hair, passing several times before finally stroking one of his eyebrow ridges. So soft, so tender. He didn't whimper.

"Goliath."

They both knew kissing, and eyebrow rubbing, how they equated to pretty much the same between them. She had to know how that teased him, right?

"I care for you." His entire body shook with the admission.

Her eyebrows went up, her expression worried. "I care for you too, Big Guy." She cupped her hands on either side of his jaw. Her face inches from his.

She'd never pressured him. He'd never pressured her, either. Bluestone, her detective partner, had once talked to him about "rebounding." That Elisa was respecting his boundaries, until he healed enough to be in a positive relationship again. Gargoyles didn't have that concept, not truly, but he felt that this new world idea might have a string of truth to it. He had lived with Demona all of their lives. They had grown up rookery siblings, dealt with the same trials, she'd been his second when he took command, and she had betrayed him. Betrayed his entire clan. Sentenced them to death and ran away to save only herself. How could he ever trust a woman again after that?

He sighed into Elisa's hands. He wanted to trust her. Did trust her. Trusted her with his life so many times he couldn't count. But he'd trusted Demona the same way. And that nightmare on wings would hound him until the night he perished.

Every time he wanted to open up to her, tell her how he felt, how he wanted her to remain in his arms forever, he felt that icy stab at his heart that expected to be hurt, that wanted to lash out before she could wound him. He never did. Never would. Just closed down.

Elisa took a turn at wiping a tear from his cheek. The worried expression didn't leave her eyes, though she tried to smile when she licked the tear from her fingertips.

She slipped her arms around his neck, pulling her against him. He nuzzled his face against her midriff, wrapping his arms and wings around her again. Her chin rested on top of his head. He have a shaky sigh over to her soft skin.

"We're both pretty messed up, huh?"

"No, you're not messed up, Elisa, never."

Her fingers traced through his hair again. Her touch so soothing.

What am I going to do? He nuzzled deeper. His mind couldn't even work its way into whether or not anything would be physically possible. First, he had to be emotionally present, as Bluestone put it.

Her fingers tugged at the small hairs at the nape of his neck. He sighed, pressing harder against her. Her fingers strayed lower. He shuddered against her and her delicate fingertips explored the soft wrinkled skin between his wings.

"Elisa," he growled a quiet warning. She didn't know the beast she bated.

"Just want to remind you that there's stuff to look forward to." She stroked him again, more solid this time. He groaned.

He pushed Elisa away. Flashes of memories of his time with Demona plagued him, nauseated him. How could he do things with the woman he... how could he do that with Elisa, after his past with Demona?

"I can't, Elisa. I just-"

"Shh, Big Guy. Come here."

She took his jaw in her hands again. She put her forehead against his, looking deep into his eyes. After a long moment, she tipped her head forward and placed her lips against his, firmly but gently. He tried not to freeze. He kept his eyes open, concentrating on the dark sweep of lashes on her skin. Elisa didn't kiss passively, nor did she have the violent tendencies of... no. Just Elisa. No one else existed right now.

His talons ran up her forearms and buried into her hair. He felt Elisa smile against his lips. Tentative little flicks of her tongue against his lips. Hot and damp. He groaned and sucked on her tongue. She explored his fangs. He nibbled gently on her lips. She gasped and swayed into his arms.

He chuckled as he had to lean back to support her weight. His hands traveled down her back, rubbed the bare skin there. She grabbed one and cupped it against her rump.

"We've known each other long enough, Goliath, I think we can take a few liberties at this point."

He laughed. She shivered in his arms. "Oooh I love it when you laugh. I feel it right down in my ribcage."

"Luckily, you make me laugh more than any other."

Elisa smiled her warm smile. He wished he could bask in its glow all night long. He traced a line on her cheek.

"We should get back to work."

Elisa frowned. "Goliath...."

He stood and pulled her to her feet. He could see her fighting for control of her emotions. He looked away, not quite sure he could bare it.

He heard her sigh heavily. He looked at her out of the corner of her eye. She bent at the waist to retrieve her shoes, offering him a very, erm, graphic view of her undergarments. He felt heat raise in his face. And on other parts. He looked away.

He felt her hand, her extremely hot hand, on his upper arm.

"Goliath, I just want you to know, I'm ready when you are."

He put his large taloned hand over hers, unsure how to respond. He knew she was ready. He sighed and pulled her into his embrace.

"Thank you for waiting for me, Elisa. I want to be ready for you, it'll just take time."

Her hands slipped around under his wings again, finding a new sensitive spot underneath, between his shoulder and wing. He groaned. "I know, Big Guy. You're just going to have to put up with me pushing you on occasion."

He smiled against her cheek. "Maybe if you keep pushing me, I'll give in."

"Promises, promises," she whispered against his temple before kissing it. "Now take me back to the ground. We've got to find out what this Absinthe Ice is."