Title: Lessons In Life 2: Inhibitions

Author/pseudonym: Lyric

Fandom: Angel

Paring: Angel/Doyle

Rating: PG-13

Status: New

Archive: WWOMB All others, please ask.

Series/Sequel: This is the next part in the 'Lessons in Life' series.

Disclaimers: Angel and Doyle still don't belong to me, but I can dream... =)

Notes: I couldn't stop thinking about these two, so here they are again!

Summary: Doyle gets drunk, and Angel is there to help him home.

Warnings: M/M implications.

LESSONS IN LIFE 2: INHABITATION

BY Lyric

Angel looked around the bar hoping to spot his companions among the thinning, yet still abundant crowd. The three of them had arrived earlier in the evening at the request of the bartender, April, who had hired them to protect her from her husband.

The couple had been married less then a year, and had separated on account of Jason's growing physical abuse. After April had left him, he had kept after her to win her back. Although he had not yet turned violent during their post-separation meetings, April had begun to fear that his patience with her continued refusals was wearing down.

April had gone so far as filing a restraining order against him, but it appeared her soon-to-be ex had many legal connections stemming from his powerful family, so he had managed to avoid any real prosecution from his continuous violations of the order.

He persued her at home, and sometimes met up with her in the street. He had even taken to hanging out at the bar where she had gotten a job. April had called the police to report his continued harassment, but that merely led to having him escorted from the building. The few times she pressed charges and had him arrested, he was out practically before the ink was dry on the arresting report.

Not only that, but her new bosses were not too happy with the frequent visits by the police. It was proving bad for business, which led April to fear for her job. She would be broke with out it, since she refused to ask for any money from Jason. She had hoped to make a clean break from the disastrous marriage.

She had become discouraged and desperate, and that had caused her to contact Angel Investigations for help. Angel, Doyle, and Cordelia had worked the case with relative ease, since they were well familiar with the circumstances.

It seemed that stalking and harassment was a popular and wide-spread trend in Los Angeles.

Angel had agreed to hang around the bar where April worked, in order to keep an eye out in case her husband showed up. Doyle and Cordelia had insisted on coming with him as 'back-up', but Angel suspected they were in it more for the opportunity of getting out of the office for a night. Since the case was far less dangerous than some others that they had been involved with, Angel had agreed.

For once, things were resolved quickly and without any surprise demons getting in the way. April's husband had shown up as expected. She pointed him out to Angel as soon as he arrived. Seeing the rather tall man his wife was pointing him out to, Jason became agitated and more then a little nervous. He had left the bar, and Angel had followed him. They proceeded to have a little talk about Jason's behavior towards April, and Jason had agreed to back off.

He was actually quite an agreeable person while Angel spoke to him. Being suspended by your left ankle over the ledge of a twenty-two story building, tended to have that effect on people.

Now, a few hours later, Angel had had more then his fill of the Los Angeles social scene, and was quite ready to return to his quiet home.

That was his intention, anyway.

After things had finally settled down, April had pulled him into the back to show him her appreciation. When she had started to become a little too 'appreciative', Angel had politely pushed her away and made his escape.

In the process, he had lost track of his two friends. He didn't want to just leave without telling them he was going, so he pushed his way through the bar crowd hoping to spot them.

"There you are!"

He turned towards the direction of Cordelia's voice, and saw her making her way towards him.

"I've been looking for you everywhere! Where did you disappear to?" she asked with her signature tone of annoyance.

"April took me in the back to, uh, thank me." Angel responded as his voice trailed off into a mumble.

"Yeah, I bet she did. I would absolutely love to be spared any and all details. Did you at least remember to get the check?"

Angel grimaced. Trust Cordelia to remember the money.

"Uh, no. That kind of slipped my mind when she was, um ..."

Cordelia held up her hands.

"Details, remember? Forget about it. I am so ready to go home. Listen, I'll get our money and you concentrate on getting Doyle out of here."

Angel perked up at the mention of the half-demon's name.

"Doyle? Where is he, anyway?"

She pointed to the left side of the bar.

"He's sitting back behind the pool tables. I left him there to find you after the fifth time he asked me if I wanted to see his 'lucky charms'. I think it's about time for him to be flagged, which would be your job tonight." she said while jabbing his chest with her finger. She continued with a smirk, "I've done it enough times. I'll get our payment, and you concentrate on getting him home and tucked into bed."

Angel was hoping that vampires didn't blush. Cordelia merely patted his shoulder lightly as she headed off to find April, and said over her shoulder, "Good luck. You're going to need it..."

It wasn't long before Angel spotted Doyle sitting at a small table, leaning heavily on one arm next to a mostly empty bottle of whiskey.

"You're looking pretty wasted." Angel casually remarked.

Doyle gave a slight start and looked up. When his glassy eyes more or less focused on the vampire, he gave him a drunken, but nonetheless brilliant smile.

Angel felt his insides tighten just a little.

"Hey there, Angel. We were wonderin' where you had gone off to. And I'm not wasted, jus' relaxed. Celebratin' a job well done."

Angel merely cocked an eyebrow as he took an empty seat beside him. Doyle looked around for a second, and then asked,

"Where's 'delia?"

"She went home, which is where we should be going."

Doyle's forehead furrowed slightly. He looked really confused. And pretty adorable.

"We're going to Cordelia's place? Not that I'm complaining, mind you, but three's kinda a crowd, if you know what I mean."

Angel sighed and shook his head.

"We're not going to Cordelia's place. We're going home. I mean, you're going to your home, and I'm going to mine. We're all going to our separate homes."

Angel shut his mouth and idly wondered if he always sounded like a babbling idiot.

"But it's early! The night is still young! There are drinks to be had, and women to be, well, you know."

Doyle made a valiant attempt at a drunken leer.

At that moment, the lights came on in a clear hint that the bar was closing down for the night.

"See that, Doyle? It's time to go."

Doyle looked disappointed for a few seconds, before his face lit up once again.

"Why don't we hang out at your place for a bit, then? You know, do a little male bonding?"

Thinkcleanthoughtsthinkcleanthoughtsthinkcleanthoughts--

Damn.

Doyle, completely oblivious to the little 'male bonding' picture show currently flashing through Angel's mind, continued on.

"It'll be fun! You can join me in some of that beer that I stashed there. That is,--"

Don't say it. PLEASE.

"--unless you don't drink ... beer."

Doyle erupted into hysterical laughter that had two immediate effects: 1) The few remaining occupants in the bar turned and looked at the pair of them rather curiously, and 2)he began to fall right off his stool.

Luckily, Angel moved quickly enough to keep him from hitting the floor. Unfortunately, the combination of too much whiskey and a really terrible sense of humor kept Doyle from regaining his balance. This gave Angel the job of keeping his friend upright by supporting the smaller man by his arms until Doyle pulled himself together.

The close proximity, by the way, was not helping Angel in the least.

"/gasp/ I have wanted to say /gasp/ that to you since the day we met!"

"Lucky me." Angel dryly responded.

Finally, the hysterics died down. Angel had expected Doyle to step away and stand on his own. He hadn't expected him to continue laying in his arms. He also hadn't expected to feel two warm arms snake underneath his long coat and warp around his waist as the smaller body pressed even closer. And he REALLY hadn't expected to feel Doyle smile against his broad chest and say, "Then again, that bed thing sounds kind of nice, too."

Oh. Boy.

All words in all the languages that Angel had learned over the last two-hundred-and-some years of his existence completely abandoned him.

He was certain his heart would have been beating out of control, if it still did that kind of thing.

The moment was broken when a deep male voice called out,

"We're closed. You two love birds over there need to take it some place else."

Angel felt the wet heat from Doyle's mouth through the thin black cotton of his t-shirt as the half-demon released a soft husky laugh. Finally managing to grasp enough of his wits back to actually move, Angel untangled himself from Doyle, and pointed them towards the exit. He almost managed to miss the sigh of disappointed when he pulled Doyle from him.

Almost.

Still not trusting his voice, he quietly ushered Doyle onto the street and into his car. After driving only a short distance, Angel looked over at his companion who was now peacefully passed out in the passenger seat.

It was just as well. He still had no response to give.

He turned onto Doyle's street still lost deep in thought. Despite the hour, there were still many people out in front of Doyle's building. Not wanting to draw unwanted attention by carrying around an unconscious man, Angel continued on.

He pulled into the parking garage in his own building, and shut off his car. He walked around, opened the passenger door, and carefully picked up the smaller man. He entered his home, and lay the sleeping Doyle gently on his couch. Angel paused for a moment before bending down and removing Doyle's shoes. Walking to his bed, he removed a sheet and covered his friend.

Doyle stirred a bit and mumbled incoherently. Angel placed a gentle hand against his face, and Doyle settled down almost instantly. He once again seemed at peace.

The same could not be said for Angel as he lay in his bed, knowing that sleep was a long time coming.

End