"I wonder . . . " Elliot spoke as he circled around Skoll, "I wonder why you come back time and time again if you do nothing but fight me the whole way." 

Skoll leaned his head back to look at him, smirking a devilish smile. He wondered the same thing himself. He wanted Elliot, but he also wanted a lot of things. Elliot made it clear the first time they crossed paths that having him wasn't part of the deal. Elliot had many that wanted him. They wanted him for what he could do for them. What he could be for them. It would be selfish of himself if he put all his free time into just one when he could help many. 

"That was a question, Skoll." Spoke Elliot as he walked over to the built in bookshelf behind him. 

Ice clanked in the high ball glass as he dropped in a few cubes before pouring himself two fingers of bourbon. 

"Why do you keep seeking me out after I told you to go away." 

For a long while Elliot truly meant what he said that night. That he wanted Skoll gone forever. Things had gotten out of hand. Elliot had felt himself slipping for a while before that night Skoll walked out. Slipping into a place he said he would never allow himself to be. His heart was on the line and it was threatened to get crushed if he kept down the path he was going. Fighting for a man he said he would never want. Elliot was a man who needed his heart. Skoll as far as he was aware didn't have one so . . . 

Skoll's jaw clenched then relaxed as Elliot's hand cupped the side of his face meeting his gaze as he leaned down sipping his drink. 

"At first I thought it was stubbornness." They both knew he was as hard headed as they come. Elliot rubbed his thumb over his cheek, right before he backhanded him, sharp and sudden. Skoll's flesh stung and quickly turned a slight hue of pink, seen even in the dimly lit room. "Then I figured it out." 

"You did, huh." Spoke Skoll out of place as he licked the blood now coming from his bottom lip. Elliot was a smart man. A scholar really but Skoll smirked he didn't know why he left. Sure he told him to get out but they both knew Skoll wasn't the type to give up that easily. It took a hell of a lot more than just Elliot yelling at him to go. 

Elliot rubbed his cheek. "I did." He smiled this time as he hit Skoll across the face again. 

"But . . . " Sighed Elliot, sipping his drink again. "I want you to say it." 

Skoll's jaw tightened. Elliot returned to his seat, legs spread. He watched as Skoll's eyes dropped to his crotch. Maybe he had been a bit mean when he chose the slim fitting slacks he picked out for today. 

"I said I wanted you to say it, Skoll." He sat his glass down on the small round table next to his chair. 

"I . . ." Started Skoll but the words got caught in the back of his throat. 

"You can say it." Encouraged Elliot, "This is a judgement free zone. I've told you that before. Things haven't changed." 

"I . . I . . " He started again. The words still caught. 

Elliot jumped up from his chair, this time punching Skoll in the face with a closed fist. He hit Skoll so hard he nearly knocked him over. Skoll taking a moment to center himself again. This time wiping the blood that ran down his chin with the back of his hand. 

"Tell me." Demanded Elliot, hitting him again. Years of pent up rage he thought he had under control bubbling up to the surface. His hurt younger self lashing out.

This time, Skoll fell fully back, landing hard. He propped himself up on his elbows, arousal unmistakable. Violence turned him on more than anything else, and Elliot knew it. He loved it when Elliot hit him.

Elliot looked down at him with disgust on his face. "Just leave. I was right the first time when I told you to leave and never come back." He was stupid to have invited Skoll back into his life even for one night. It was clear to him now that he hadn't moved on like he thought. 

Elliot knew there was no getting through to Skoll. He really had to want it if they were going to get anywhere with him and right now just like all the times before he was playing around. 

He picked up his drink from the table, downing the rest. "You know how to see yourself out." 

Elliot made it to the doorway before Skoll spoke up, "Wait." 

"No." He turned to face him. His dark brown eyes flickering with an emotion Skoll didn't know how to read. 

Skoll gritted his teeth, punching the floor out of anger. Elliot let out a small sigh before quickly turning away. He said no before, however this time it felt final as it settled on Skoll. 

* * * * * 

Skoll had really tried to say what Elliot wanted to hear but the words clammed up in his throat. His pride held him back from saying what he needed to. If he couldn't even admit it to himself how was he supposed to admit it to someone else. To say it out loud was too much of an ask for him. 

"Elliot." Called Skoll not moving from his place on the floor, kneeling again. He'd call his name again if he knew it would do any good. It was pitiful enough that he called it once. 

Skoll had only ever been in the one room at Elliot's house and despite him being human he walked so quietly that it was hard for Skoll to pick up where he had gone. He slowly started to pull his clothes back on when he heard the squeak of a chair being turned. Then he tilted his head to the side, letting his wolf hearing take over, listening for a heartbeat that he could follow. 

He had already pissed Elliot off and now he was breaking more rules by not leaving and going into his home. Elliot lived in an old Victorian house. From the outside Skoll could already tell it had too many rooms for just a single man. That thought became even more valid as he passed a few doors before he came to the one he could hear the heartbeat behind. 

Skoll thought of knocking but that would just get an even more angry 'get out' from him. So he turned the handle and opened the door. Elliot was sitting behind his desk. The same book he had at the diner the other day in his hands. His reading glasses were low on his nose. Skoll had only seen the glasses for the first time at the diner. They were something new since the last time he saw Elliot. For a man that was already very distinguished in his looks, looked even hotter with them on. 

"I never thought I'd have to physically kick you out of my home." He commented, not looking up from his book. "Then again I know you'd like that too much. So, maybe I'll settle with calling the cops." His voice was even, serious. He wanted Skoll gone before he really lost his control. 

The book Skoll could now see wasn't even in english. He didn't know Elliot knew more than one language. Then again he didn't know that much about him. That was another rule of his. No personal questions. That hadn’t stopped Skoll from doing his own digging. How else would he know Elliot ate lunch at the same diner every day?

 Add “stalker” to his list of sins.