In All Honesty
In All Honesty...
Who: Daatu and Faith get some necessary truths out in the open.
When: Early December...after the laptop's scarpered, but before the student populace at large knows it's animated and evil.
Where: Town
What: A confrontation, finally.
Warnings: Some profanity, and angst ahoy!
Breath misting in the cold November air, Faith walked down the snowy sidewalk, back hunched in her thin denim jacket. Though her Slayer constitution meant she wasn't in any serious danger of freezing to death, she was damn chilly...but as she fingered the twenty in her pocket, she knew it would already be enough of a stretch to buy presents for everyone. Not to mention this whole Daatu situation...well, if worst comes to worst, that's one less person on my list, right? she thought bitterly, peering into a cheerily decorated window.
Daatu was out too, but she had only two or three people on a list of this 'Christmas' thing. The Lonehills had always spoiled her at Christmas but she had no idea what to get anyone. She was going to get Faith a good coat, Naava... something pretty... Arachne was going to get a couple of blown glass spiders.
Faith didn't see her girlfriend also out making the shopping rounds, or she would have certainly attempted to avoid her until she had Naava to back her up. As it was, she was too wrapped up in her own gloomy thoughts, and was more intent on the displays than her surroundings anyways.
Daatu was lost in thought as she walked and in all seriousness ran literally into Faith, seeing as her face was downcast; she had not seen her till it was too late. "Oh crap... I am- Faith?"
Hands balled into fists, Faith looked up sharply, until she saw the body which had felt so familiar in its brief contact. Her hands unclenched, but her innards tensed even more at the sight of the source of much of her confusion. "Daatu...hey." Years of subterfuge came to her rescue, as her mouth found its casual smile of its own accord.
Daatu knew that Faith was faking it. She'd seen that smile often enough to know what was real and what wasn’t. "Sorry to have bothered you..." She stepped aside to let Faith pass, if she so chose. She’d barely seen her ‘girlfriend’ outside of class, and then the girl had tended to duck away with some excuse about homework. Frankly, she was getting sick of it…and what was with that post on the journals? Why would a psychotic twist like Vanya be offering to help Faith?
Faith stepped to the same side as Daatu, so anyone else on the sidewalk was not blocked. While she had a good deal of ambivalence regarding Daatu's secret-keeping, as far as she knew she'd done nothing to deserve that cold brush-off. Unless she found out about Vanya kissin' me that one time...but how could she have? And jeez, I even did the right thing for once... Her desire to blow up was tempered by her confusion, and she glared as she cautiously asked, "And what'd I do to deserve a greeting like that, Princess?"
"You seem awfully friendly with Vanya lately, are you sure you don’t know? Didn’t she tell you, how much she admires my father? And gee, you're the one who’s barely said two words to me in the last few weeks, have I deserved that?” she hissed, her eyes glinting dangerously.
Three months forging a friendship had not fully undone years of having no one to trust, and with Daatu's harsh response Faith was quickly lost to her own magnified feelings of betrayal. "Oh hey, as a matter of fact you didn't seem to find it necessary to tell me about that...I had to find out from your sister, who, wouldn't you know it, you also conveniently forgot to mention!"
"How COULD I have told you about my sister, Faith!" Daatu retorted. "You’ve been avoiding me like the plague!" Her pain from the disconnects from Yuuki, from Faith, from Naava, were all coming to a head, and though some part of her knew they weren’t all Faith’s fault, it felt good to shout out some of her frustration.
"What??" Faith was more stunned than angry for the moment. "What are you talking about me avoiding you, we just had class together last week..."
"And since when does having class together mean you spend time with me!? Is this what you meant what you said you’d show me what it’s like to be a real girlfriend? Or have you just been too busy messing around with Vanya and your laptop?" She was striking blindly now, but the viciousness appealed to her feral, fight-or-flight instincts.
Angry again, Faith retorted, "No, I haven't really been able to mess around on my laptop since some jerk stole it, and just for the record, SHE kissed ME!" The words seemed to echo accusingly around them, as Faith glared helplessly. This wasn't at all how the intervention was supposed to have gone...
Daatu jerked back as if she'd been slapped. Her eyes widened at the news that Vanya had kissed Faith. "I see... So you already found yourself a sweeter piece of ass... is that it? She wants to meet my father... thinks he sounds like a cheerful guy... Hope you have fun with that psycho…" Daatu's words were choked out as she moved to leave, the holiday having gotten even more depressing now that she discovered that Faith was banging Vanya…when all Daatu had done was try to reconnect with her sister.
Faith grabbed Daatu by an arm, sputtering, "But I...you never...goddammit I did the right thing for once!" She was almost crying with frustration, wishing she could go back to the beginning of the conversation, of the relationship, of her whole stupid life.
"You still let her kiss you...didn’t you? Did you like it? You won’t let me close but you'll let a girl like that close... Guess you just like it that way huh?" Daatu said, choking on her tears.
"Won't let you close?? Daatu, I never let anyone as close to me as you...why the hell didn't you ever tell me about her, if she upset you that bad? Why'd I have to find out from your sister...the sister I guess you also didn't think I was important enough to tell about?" Her voice broke, robbed of her bravado. "I thought...I thought you were my friend..."
"My sister has been here maybe two weeks! I have not had the chance to talk to you about her! And of course you would not find out from Vanya! Why would she tell you what an evil maladjust she is?" Daatu turned her face away and sobbed into her hands. "Not like you were doing too much talking anyways, from the sounds of it… Tell me, Faith, how long has this been going on? Or have you been too busy fucking her to keep track?"
Eyes narrowed at the accusation, Faith replied in a low, intense voice, "You didn't even tell me you HAD a sister, and we've been friends since September! You didn't tell me Vanya said any of that shit, so how was I to know? So yeah, I made friends with her...It probably won't surprise you to hear Vanya doesn't have a whole lot of friends, but she still told me how she felt about you, even knowing I might never want to talk to her again. So yeah, she kissed me, and yeah, I liked it, and you know what else?" She glared, waiting for a response before she continued.
"I thought Naava was dead, Faith..." Daatu said softly, dropping to her knees in the snow and crying like a child. "Of course she does not have friends. SHE WANTS TO MEET A RAPIST AND COMPARE NOTES!" Daatu shrieked, only to curl up and cry in the snow. "So you go have fun with your rapist-lover, maybe she'll force you, too. You are just like Varian..."
Faith crouched to take Daatu's chin in her hand, forcing her to look her in the eyes. "I didn't fuck her, and she didn't try to force me. I told her no, because I'm your girl, and I could never hurt you like that. I told you from the beginning I was going to show you what it's like to be a real girlfriend...remember? How could you think I'd ever do what that sleazebag did to you?"
"How was I supposed to know? Not like you were very forthcoming with details now were you? Were you even going to tell me? I bet not..." She said quietly, rising to her knees in the snow. She pulled her chin from Faith's hand gently. "I honestly thought that Naava had died... or been...taken by another sicko... There was no reason to tear open that wound..."
"Tell you what? That I turned down some girl for you? C'mon Princess, can't have you gettin' a swelled head," she joked awkwardly, a hand light on Daatu's shoulder. She offered her other hand to help the girl up, eyes hopeful. "We've neither of us been too forthcoming, these last couple weeks, but no harm done, yeah?"
Daatu was shivering from adrenaline and cold and when the stranger came up to ask if all was well, he got a deathglare like none that Faith had ever seen on Daatu's face before...
Faith's smile faltered, but her hand remained offered. "...Daatu?"
Daatu took Faith's hand as she quirked a brow at the man. "Nothing to see here...move along now." Her voice was dangerously low and her lip twitched in a wolf-like manner as she watched the man turn tail and flee.
The sight and sound of Daatu's newest facet filled Faith with a nervous excitement, and she also watched the man flee, partly out of amusement and partly to avoid looking in those eyes, and turning to putty. She completely forgot her intent to help her girlfriend stand, instead nearly wobbling on knees that were a word or glance away from becoming jelly.
Daatu turned and glanced at Faith, a slow, lazy smile coming to her face. "You little minx.... You loved that just now...didn’t you?"
Eyes widening at being addressed, Faith's knees suddenly gave out, leaving her sitting on her ass in the snow, shaking off a slightly dazed expression. "Who, me? What'd give you that idea?" She blushed as she realized her ungraceful reaction, and smiled sheepishly.
Daatu chuckled darkly as she crouched down, leaning close, small hands pressed into the snow. "You DID! Oh good lord, girl..." She rose slowly and reached down for Faith with a red, frozen hand.
Just as Faith was seriously contemplating showing her girlfriend just how much she'd enjoyed that, Daatu had already stood up. Faith took the proffered hand and followed, still a little sheepish. Her good-natured smile vanished as she noticed the state of her girlfriend’s hands, and took them between her own, rubbing them gently and breathing on them as warmly as she could. "Gonna get frostbite or somethin', jeezus..." she muttered.
"No...Frostbite is for humans wusses." Datu purred, but she was grateful for the massaging of circulation back into the slender digits.
Satisfied, at least that her Princess was safe from frostbite for the moment, Faith glanced into Daatu's eyes almost shyly before beginning to cover her hands with warm kisses.
"How about we go somewhere warm to discuss this properly?" She said softly, feeling the chill in Faith's own hands, and realizing that she COULD get hurt by frostbite. "You're so cold baby...Come on."
Faith nodded, and led Daatu to a nearby coffee-shop, a cozy place with tables, as well as a roaring fireplace surrounded by squashy armchairs and loveseats. The establishment was nearly empty at this time of day, most people either home or at a restaurant for dinner, so Faith led the way to an unoccupied loveseat near the fire, warming her hands with the focus of a prehistoric Slayer, home from a cold winter hunt. "Mmmm..." she murmured, entranced by the flames and the heat spreading through her muscles.
"Why are you in that thin excuse for a coat?" Daatu asked softly, eyeing it with just a bit of distaste. It was NOT okay for Faith to be freezing her ass off.
Shrugging, Faith replied, "I dunno...must've left my last one in Boston..." She'd had a pretty nice one actually, from one of the men she'd gone home with in her clubbing days, but it had been ruined in a fight when she'd broken someone's nose. Blood and suede were not the best companions, in retrospect, and she intended to get a more easily washable leather when she had the money. Like that'll happen any time soon...
Daatu frowned hard and bit her lip. "We need to remedy that..." She said softly, "But after we've cleared the air."
Faith glanced at Daatu worriedly, the soothing influence of the fire forgotten. "Wait, what'd I miss? I thought we were cool again..."
"I want to make SURE." She said softly, patting Faith's knee gently.
Nodding, slightly reassured, Faith placed her hand over Daatu's and gave her all of her attention. "Alright. What needs to be said?"
"I did not tell you about Naava before... because I thought she was dead, or worse yet...traded off to..." Daatu gestured once, rudely before continuing. "And then she got here and things got so crazy I could not find a quiet few minutes to tell you she had come. So… I wasn’t hiding anything from you." She added softly, staring into the fire.
Faith nodded. "Okay, that's fair…but why didn't you tell me Vanya'd upset you so much? I don't mean lately, I mean back when it happened. I would have kicked her ass for ya a long time ago if I'd known she'd said that to you..."
"Because she wasn’t worth it." Daatu stated softly. "I told Naava the same thing. People like that wanna get a rise out of others. This is why she has no friends."
"Well...she does now." Faith said slowly, not wanting to upset Daatu again but needing to get this out. "You're right about that, y'know. She only says those things because she wants to get a rise out of people, because it's easier for her to act like a bitch than to be nice, and then have people reject her anyways...it's something I know a bit about, y'know?" She smiled sheepishly, acknowledging the mask of 'toughness' she'd spent so long wearing. "So if she really wasn't worth it to you...then she needs a friend more than you need some sorta revenge."
"I will not be friends with someone who condones my father's actions!" Daatu said, eyes betraying her hurt that Faith would.
Taking Daatu's hand in hers, Faith kissed a knuckle before replying, her eyes pleading for understanding. "She doesn't ‘condone’ them, don't you see? She said it to get a rise out of you, and it worked. I'm not asking you to be friends with her, Princess, just please don't ask me not to."
"She touches you again and I WILL skin her little necro-fetish hide." Daatu hissed, staking a claim on Faith with a seething kiss.
'Fair enough' was Faith's reply, but it was reduced to a muffled moan as she gladly returned her girlfriend's territorial kiss, enjoying this aggressive side of her. Those lips...suddenly she drew back, almost expecting to be bitten. While the physical marks of her encounter with Naava had healed, the memory had returned with a kick.
Daatu blinked hard as the kiss was suddenly broken... "W-what is it?" Daatu asked, eyeing Faith suspiciously.
"Uhm...I just remembered. Clearing the air, right? Well when I saw your sister for the first time, she was sitting down, and I was behind her, and I thought she was you, so I kinda...kissed her," Faith admitted, wincing in expectation of their newfound accord being shattered again by this revelation.
"And... you are not lipless or dead? You are extremely lucky..." Daatu could completely understand the mix up. They DID have nearly the same length and style of hair... She herself had been mistaken for Naava by a couple of teachers and students.
"Heh. Well, don't think she didn't try..." Faith smiled sheepishly, a hand straying to the healed spot where her lip had been bloodied. "You're not mad?"
"Not really, no, more worried now how badly you frightened her..." Then Daatu took a deep breath and tried to explain to Faith how fragile Naava was when it came to ...physical interaction.
"Yeah, I caught some of that at the time...heh, might not have helped much when I offered to set her up with some 'touch therapy'," Faith snickered in spite of herself, at the remembered reaction. "Still, I think overall I made a good impression."
Daatu's eyes went wide. "You DIDN’T joke about that...did you?" She bit her lip and suddenly felt the urge to call Naava.
With a wry smile, Faith replied, "Well, I wasn't jokin', at least."
"Faith...She barely can stand ME touching her... You...would not even be allowed to see her bedroom, much less touch her intimately..." Daatu said, that look coming to her face... that 'what are you doing touching what's mine' look…
Her honor affronted, Faith responded, "Who said I was volunteering myself? I know I ain't a saint, but...I'm not freakin' Varian!"
"Do not get offended. It is simply the way she is... It takes a lot...to get her to trust." Daatu said, sighing. But she could not hide her hurt look at the thought of Naava letting Faith touch her but not herself.
"It ain't your sister's trust I was talking about...I can't believe you think I would hurt you like that!" Faith said reproachfully. Why should she trust you, anyways? Don't even try to say you wouldn't have 'therapied' Naava if she'd asked...
"I am not a fool Faith... I-I know that...My sister is prettier then me. It is mere fact. But...I-I would ask that you...not get involved with her. Even if... we don't... work out for whatever reason. She's all I've got when it comes down to it..." Daatu hung her head and looked away.
Ignoring the twinge from her 'conscience', Faith reached out to caress Daatu's far cheek, and bring her back face-to-face. "Daatu...I never thought you were a fool until you said that. She's not all you've got, not anymore..."
"That's not what I meant..." She said softly, staring at Faith quietly. Naava was the only one who would ever fully understand everything! Faith could try all she wanted, as could anyone else not related to her, but they would never have...actually been there...
Faith pressed her lips together, brows knit. She had more in common with the other girl than she knew, but she had barely come to terms with any of it herself, let alone shared the details of her history with anyone. Perhaps one day…but not here, and not now. "Okay."
Daatu hung her head and heaved a soft sigh before she looked back up again. "I only meant that...she's the only one...Who will never leave me...I mean...She'll always be my sister... you know?"
"Yeah..." Faith's face and mind closed off as she ignored yet another memory that she'd hoped she wouldn't have to face. A pain she'd almost forgotten, so deeply was it buried. ((OOC: I know this is a bit overwrought, and a tease, but there’s not a whole lot of canon backstory for Faith, so I’m flying kinda blind here. I think I’ve almost got my version of events nailed down though XD;;))
"I...didn't mean anything mean by it... Honest." Daatu felt wretched now....
"What?" Faith was left with the unadmirable task of juggling her selective memories of the past and present, and occasionally dropped one. She searched vainly for the last part of the conversation that didn't lead to...nothing. "Daatu, look...my point was, I ain't gonna do anything to hurt you if I can help it. I'm your girl, and nobody else's...got it?" She smiled reassuringly, hoping she hadn’t lost anything too important.
"Just...Naava is... she's not like anyone else, Faith..." She said softly, looking down at her hands.
Faith nodded, and covered her girlfriend's hands with her own. "I understand, hon...I don't wanna be the only person that matters all of a sudden or somethin', I just wanted to make sure you know that I...care about you, y'know? More than anyone..." A slight blush darkened her cheeks, as she tried not to make too much of the confession, which felt almost as momentous as a proposal. For years she’d been as independent as possible, so that now to put any amount of importance or trust in another person was a huge move for her.
Daatu went still and bit her lip. Love? It was still a foreign word to the smaller girl, having only experienced platonic love from the Lonehills. What Varian had professed was love had indeed just been empty words, so when Faith admitted bigger feelings... Daatu didn't know what to say. As for Naava, Daatu wasn't sure what to call that. It was intense and all consuming, nothing like anything she'd ever experienced. Maybe she was just being stupid... Faith had not actually professed love, just tender feelings...
Fearing the rejection that might follow, Faith quickly shrugged off her own words, adding, "I guess that'd probably be more meaningful if there were more people in my life worth caring about..."
Daatu understood THAT feeling totally. But the admission of softer feelings...while they were something foreign to Daatu, it was still a sweet gesture. "I, um... you mean quite a bit to me too Faith..."
Way to go, fucktard. Now she's weirded out, and trying to be polite. Faith inwardly groaned, and attempted to salvage her pride if possible. She stood and shoved her hands in her pockets, speaking gruffly. "Aright, jus' so long as we're clear. I ain't gonna go runnin' off with Vanya, or yer sister, or anyone else, and I'm here for ya if you need me f'r anything. K?" She turned away to glance out the window, as much for the opportunity to not have to see the politeness she expected was in Daatu's eyes as the weather update.
Who: Daatu and Faith get some necessary truths out in the open.
When: Early December...after the laptop's scarpered, but before the student populace at large knows it's animated and evil.
Where: Town
What: A confrontation, finally.
Warnings: Some profanity, and angst ahoy!
Breath misting in the cold November air, Faith walked down the snowy sidewalk, back hunched in her thin denim jacket. Though her Slayer constitution meant she wasn't in any serious danger of freezing to death, she was damn chilly...but as she fingered the twenty in her pocket, she knew it would already be enough of a stretch to buy presents for everyone. Not to mention this whole Daatu situation...well, if worst comes to worst, that's one less person on my list, right? she thought bitterly, peering into a cheerily decorated window.
Daatu was out too, but she had only two or three people on a list of this 'Christmas' thing. The Lonehills had always spoiled her at Christmas but she had no idea what to get anyone. She was going to get Faith a good coat, Naava... something pretty... Arachne was going to get a couple of blown glass spiders.
Faith didn't see her girlfriend also out making the shopping rounds, or she would have certainly attempted to avoid her until she had Naava to back her up. As it was, she was too wrapped up in her own gloomy thoughts, and was more intent on the displays than her surroundings anyways.
Daatu was lost in thought as she walked and in all seriousness ran literally into Faith, seeing as her face was downcast; she had not seen her till it was too late. "Oh crap... I am- Faith?"
Hands balled into fists, Faith looked up sharply, until she saw the body which had felt so familiar in its brief contact. Her hands unclenched, but her innards tensed even more at the sight of the source of much of her confusion. "Daatu...hey." Years of subterfuge came to her rescue, as her mouth found its casual smile of its own accord.
Daatu knew that Faith was faking it. She'd seen that smile often enough to know what was real and what wasn’t. "Sorry to have bothered you..." She stepped aside to let Faith pass, if she so chose. She’d barely seen her ‘girlfriend’ outside of class, and then the girl had tended to duck away with some excuse about homework. Frankly, she was getting sick of it…and what was with that post on the journals? Why would a psychotic twist like Vanya be offering to help Faith?
Faith stepped to the same side as Daatu, so anyone else on the sidewalk was not blocked. While she had a good deal of ambivalence regarding Daatu's secret-keeping, as far as she knew she'd done nothing to deserve that cold brush-off. Unless she found out about Vanya kissin' me that one time...but how could she have? And jeez, I even did the right thing for once... Her desire to blow up was tempered by her confusion, and she glared as she cautiously asked, "And what'd I do to deserve a greeting like that, Princess?"
"You seem awfully friendly with Vanya lately, are you sure you don’t know? Didn’t she tell you, how much she admires my father? And gee, you're the one who’s barely said two words to me in the last few weeks, have I deserved that?” she hissed, her eyes glinting dangerously.
Three months forging a friendship had not fully undone years of having no one to trust, and with Daatu's harsh response Faith was quickly lost to her own magnified feelings of betrayal. "Oh hey, as a matter of fact you didn't seem to find it necessary to tell me about that...I had to find out from your sister, who, wouldn't you know it, you also conveniently forgot to mention!"
"How COULD I have told you about my sister, Faith!" Daatu retorted. "You’ve been avoiding me like the plague!" Her pain from the disconnects from Yuuki, from Faith, from Naava, were all coming to a head, and though some part of her knew they weren’t all Faith’s fault, it felt good to shout out some of her frustration.
"What??" Faith was more stunned than angry for the moment. "What are you talking about me avoiding you, we just had class together last week..."
"And since when does having class together mean you spend time with me!? Is this what you meant what you said you’d show me what it’s like to be a real girlfriend? Or have you just been too busy messing around with Vanya and your laptop?" She was striking blindly now, but the viciousness appealed to her feral, fight-or-flight instincts.
Angry again, Faith retorted, "No, I haven't really been able to mess around on my laptop since some jerk stole it, and just for the record, SHE kissed ME!" The words seemed to echo accusingly around them, as Faith glared helplessly. This wasn't at all how the intervention was supposed to have gone...
Daatu jerked back as if she'd been slapped. Her eyes widened at the news that Vanya had kissed Faith. "I see... So you already found yourself a sweeter piece of ass... is that it? She wants to meet my father... thinks he sounds like a cheerful guy... Hope you have fun with that psycho…" Daatu's words were choked out as she moved to leave, the holiday having gotten even more depressing now that she discovered that Faith was banging Vanya…when all Daatu had done was try to reconnect with her sister.
Faith grabbed Daatu by an arm, sputtering, "But I...you never...goddammit I did the right thing for once!" She was almost crying with frustration, wishing she could go back to the beginning of the conversation, of the relationship, of her whole stupid life.
"You still let her kiss you...didn’t you? Did you like it? You won’t let me close but you'll let a girl like that close... Guess you just like it that way huh?" Daatu said, choking on her tears.
"Won't let you close?? Daatu, I never let anyone as close to me as you...why the hell didn't you ever tell me about her, if she upset you that bad? Why'd I have to find out from your sister...the sister I guess you also didn't think I was important enough to tell about?" Her voice broke, robbed of her bravado. "I thought...I thought you were my friend..."
"My sister has been here maybe two weeks! I have not had the chance to talk to you about her! And of course you would not find out from Vanya! Why would she tell you what an evil maladjust she is?" Daatu turned her face away and sobbed into her hands. "Not like you were doing too much talking anyways, from the sounds of it… Tell me, Faith, how long has this been going on? Or have you been too busy fucking her to keep track?"
Eyes narrowed at the accusation, Faith replied in a low, intense voice, "You didn't even tell me you HAD a sister, and we've been friends since September! You didn't tell me Vanya said any of that shit, so how was I to know? So yeah, I made friends with her...It probably won't surprise you to hear Vanya doesn't have a whole lot of friends, but she still told me how she felt about you, even knowing I might never want to talk to her again. So yeah, she kissed me, and yeah, I liked it, and you know what else?" She glared, waiting for a response before she continued.
"I thought Naava was dead, Faith..." Daatu said softly, dropping to her knees in the snow and crying like a child. "Of course she does not have friends. SHE WANTS TO MEET A RAPIST AND COMPARE NOTES!" Daatu shrieked, only to curl up and cry in the snow. "So you go have fun with your rapist-lover, maybe she'll force you, too. You are just like Varian..."
Faith crouched to take Daatu's chin in her hand, forcing her to look her in the eyes. "I didn't fuck her, and she didn't try to force me. I told her no, because I'm your girl, and I could never hurt you like that. I told you from the beginning I was going to show you what it's like to be a real girlfriend...remember? How could you think I'd ever do what that sleazebag did to you?"
"How was I supposed to know? Not like you were very forthcoming with details now were you? Were you even going to tell me? I bet not..." She said quietly, rising to her knees in the snow. She pulled her chin from Faith's hand gently. "I honestly thought that Naava had died... or been...taken by another sicko... There was no reason to tear open that wound..."
"Tell you what? That I turned down some girl for you? C'mon Princess, can't have you gettin' a swelled head," she joked awkwardly, a hand light on Daatu's shoulder. She offered her other hand to help the girl up, eyes hopeful. "We've neither of us been too forthcoming, these last couple weeks, but no harm done, yeah?"
Daatu was shivering from adrenaline and cold and when the stranger came up to ask if all was well, he got a deathglare like none that Faith had ever seen on Daatu's face before...
Faith's smile faltered, but her hand remained offered. "...Daatu?"
Daatu took Faith's hand as she quirked a brow at the man. "Nothing to see here...move along now." Her voice was dangerously low and her lip twitched in a wolf-like manner as she watched the man turn tail and flee.
The sight and sound of Daatu's newest facet filled Faith with a nervous excitement, and she also watched the man flee, partly out of amusement and partly to avoid looking in those eyes, and turning to putty. She completely forgot her intent to help her girlfriend stand, instead nearly wobbling on knees that were a word or glance away from becoming jelly.
Daatu turned and glanced at Faith, a slow, lazy smile coming to her face. "You little minx.... You loved that just now...didn’t you?"
Eyes widening at being addressed, Faith's knees suddenly gave out, leaving her sitting on her ass in the snow, shaking off a slightly dazed expression. "Who, me? What'd give you that idea?" She blushed as she realized her ungraceful reaction, and smiled sheepishly.
Daatu chuckled darkly as she crouched down, leaning close, small hands pressed into the snow. "You DID! Oh good lord, girl..." She rose slowly and reached down for Faith with a red, frozen hand.
Just as Faith was seriously contemplating showing her girlfriend just how much she'd enjoyed that, Daatu had already stood up. Faith took the proffered hand and followed, still a little sheepish. Her good-natured smile vanished as she noticed the state of her girlfriend’s hands, and took them between her own, rubbing them gently and breathing on them as warmly as she could. "Gonna get frostbite or somethin', jeezus..." she muttered.
"No...Frostbite is for humans wusses." Datu purred, but she was grateful for the massaging of circulation back into the slender digits.
Satisfied, at least that her Princess was safe from frostbite for the moment, Faith glanced into Daatu's eyes almost shyly before beginning to cover her hands with warm kisses.
"How about we go somewhere warm to discuss this properly?" She said softly, feeling the chill in Faith's own hands, and realizing that she COULD get hurt by frostbite. "You're so cold baby...Come on."
Faith nodded, and led Daatu to a nearby coffee-shop, a cozy place with tables, as well as a roaring fireplace surrounded by squashy armchairs and loveseats. The establishment was nearly empty at this time of day, most people either home or at a restaurant for dinner, so Faith led the way to an unoccupied loveseat near the fire, warming her hands with the focus of a prehistoric Slayer, home from a cold winter hunt. "Mmmm..." she murmured, entranced by the flames and the heat spreading through her muscles.
"Why are you in that thin excuse for a coat?" Daatu asked softly, eyeing it with just a bit of distaste. It was NOT okay for Faith to be freezing her ass off.
Shrugging, Faith replied, "I dunno...must've left my last one in Boston..." She'd had a pretty nice one actually, from one of the men she'd gone home with in her clubbing days, but it had been ruined in a fight when she'd broken someone's nose. Blood and suede were not the best companions, in retrospect, and she intended to get a more easily washable leather when she had the money. Like that'll happen any time soon...
Daatu frowned hard and bit her lip. "We need to remedy that..." She said softly, "But after we've cleared the air."
Faith glanced at Daatu worriedly, the soothing influence of the fire forgotten. "Wait, what'd I miss? I thought we were cool again..."
"I want to make SURE." She said softly, patting Faith's knee gently.
Nodding, slightly reassured, Faith placed her hand over Daatu's and gave her all of her attention. "Alright. What needs to be said?"
"I did not tell you about Naava before... because I thought she was dead, or worse yet...traded off to..." Daatu gestured once, rudely before continuing. "And then she got here and things got so crazy I could not find a quiet few minutes to tell you she had come. So… I wasn’t hiding anything from you." She added softly, staring into the fire.
Faith nodded. "Okay, that's fair…but why didn't you tell me Vanya'd upset you so much? I don't mean lately, I mean back when it happened. I would have kicked her ass for ya a long time ago if I'd known she'd said that to you..."
"Because she wasn’t worth it." Daatu stated softly. "I told Naava the same thing. People like that wanna get a rise out of others. This is why she has no friends."
"Well...she does now." Faith said slowly, not wanting to upset Daatu again but needing to get this out. "You're right about that, y'know. She only says those things because she wants to get a rise out of people, because it's easier for her to act like a bitch than to be nice, and then have people reject her anyways...it's something I know a bit about, y'know?" She smiled sheepishly, acknowledging the mask of 'toughness' she'd spent so long wearing. "So if she really wasn't worth it to you...then she needs a friend more than you need some sorta revenge."
"I will not be friends with someone who condones my father's actions!" Daatu said, eyes betraying her hurt that Faith would.
Taking Daatu's hand in hers, Faith kissed a knuckle before replying, her eyes pleading for understanding. "She doesn't ‘condone’ them, don't you see? She said it to get a rise out of you, and it worked. I'm not asking you to be friends with her, Princess, just please don't ask me not to."
"She touches you again and I WILL skin her little necro-fetish hide." Daatu hissed, staking a claim on Faith with a seething kiss.
'Fair enough' was Faith's reply, but it was reduced to a muffled moan as she gladly returned her girlfriend's territorial kiss, enjoying this aggressive side of her. Those lips...suddenly she drew back, almost expecting to be bitten. While the physical marks of her encounter with Naava had healed, the memory had returned with a kick.
Daatu blinked hard as the kiss was suddenly broken... "W-what is it?" Daatu asked, eyeing Faith suspiciously.
"Uhm...I just remembered. Clearing the air, right? Well when I saw your sister for the first time, she was sitting down, and I was behind her, and I thought she was you, so I kinda...kissed her," Faith admitted, wincing in expectation of their newfound accord being shattered again by this revelation.
"And... you are not lipless or dead? You are extremely lucky..." Daatu could completely understand the mix up. They DID have nearly the same length and style of hair... She herself had been mistaken for Naava by a couple of teachers and students.
"Heh. Well, don't think she didn't try..." Faith smiled sheepishly, a hand straying to the healed spot where her lip had been bloodied. "You're not mad?"
"Not really, no, more worried now how badly you frightened her..." Then Daatu took a deep breath and tried to explain to Faith how fragile Naava was when it came to ...physical interaction.
"Yeah, I caught some of that at the time...heh, might not have helped much when I offered to set her up with some 'touch therapy'," Faith snickered in spite of herself, at the remembered reaction. "Still, I think overall I made a good impression."
Daatu's eyes went wide. "You DIDN’T joke about that...did you?" She bit her lip and suddenly felt the urge to call Naava.
With a wry smile, Faith replied, "Well, I wasn't jokin', at least."
"Faith...She barely can stand ME touching her... You...would not even be allowed to see her bedroom, much less touch her intimately..." Daatu said, that look coming to her face... that 'what are you doing touching what's mine' look…
Her honor affronted, Faith responded, "Who said I was volunteering myself? I know I ain't a saint, but...I'm not freakin' Varian!"
"Do not get offended. It is simply the way she is... It takes a lot...to get her to trust." Daatu said, sighing. But she could not hide her hurt look at the thought of Naava letting Faith touch her but not herself.
"It ain't your sister's trust I was talking about...I can't believe you think I would hurt you like that!" Faith said reproachfully. Why should she trust you, anyways? Don't even try to say you wouldn't have 'therapied' Naava if she'd asked...
"I am not a fool Faith... I-I know that...My sister is prettier then me. It is mere fact. But...I-I would ask that you...not get involved with her. Even if... we don't... work out for whatever reason. She's all I've got when it comes down to it..." Daatu hung her head and looked away.
Ignoring the twinge from her 'conscience', Faith reached out to caress Daatu's far cheek, and bring her back face-to-face. "Daatu...I never thought you were a fool until you said that. She's not all you've got, not anymore..."
"That's not what I meant..." She said softly, staring at Faith quietly. Naava was the only one who would ever fully understand everything! Faith could try all she wanted, as could anyone else not related to her, but they would never have...actually been there...
Faith pressed her lips together, brows knit. She had more in common with the other girl than she knew, but she had barely come to terms with any of it herself, let alone shared the details of her history with anyone. Perhaps one day…but not here, and not now. "Okay."
Daatu hung her head and heaved a soft sigh before she looked back up again. "I only meant that...she's the only one...Who will never leave me...I mean...She'll always be my sister... you know?"
"Yeah..." Faith's face and mind closed off as she ignored yet another memory that she'd hoped she wouldn't have to face. A pain she'd almost forgotten, so deeply was it buried. ((OOC: I know this is a bit overwrought, and a tease, but there’s not a whole lot of canon backstory for Faith, so I’m flying kinda blind here. I think I’ve almost got my version of events nailed down though XD;;))
"I...didn't mean anything mean by it... Honest." Daatu felt wretched now....
"What?" Faith was left with the unadmirable task of juggling her selective memories of the past and present, and occasionally dropped one. She searched vainly for the last part of the conversation that didn't lead to...nothing. "Daatu, look...my point was, I ain't gonna do anything to hurt you if I can help it. I'm your girl, and nobody else's...got it?" She smiled reassuringly, hoping she hadn’t lost anything too important.
"Just...Naava is... she's not like anyone else, Faith..." She said softly, looking down at her hands.
Faith nodded, and covered her girlfriend's hands with her own. "I understand, hon...I don't wanna be the only person that matters all of a sudden or somethin', I just wanted to make sure you know that I...care about you, y'know? More than anyone..." A slight blush darkened her cheeks, as she tried not to make too much of the confession, which felt almost as momentous as a proposal. For years she’d been as independent as possible, so that now to put any amount of importance or trust in another person was a huge move for her.
Daatu went still and bit her lip. Love? It was still a foreign word to the smaller girl, having only experienced platonic love from the Lonehills. What Varian had professed was love had indeed just been empty words, so when Faith admitted bigger feelings... Daatu didn't know what to say. As for Naava, Daatu wasn't sure what to call that. It was intense and all consuming, nothing like anything she'd ever experienced. Maybe she was just being stupid... Faith had not actually professed love, just tender feelings...
Fearing the rejection that might follow, Faith quickly shrugged off her own words, adding, "I guess that'd probably be more meaningful if there were more people in my life worth caring about..."
Daatu understood THAT feeling totally. But the admission of softer feelings...while they were something foreign to Daatu, it was still a sweet gesture. "I, um... you mean quite a bit to me too Faith..."
Way to go, fucktard. Now she's weirded out, and trying to be polite. Faith inwardly groaned, and attempted to salvage her pride if possible. She stood and shoved her hands in her pockets, speaking gruffly. "Aright, jus' so long as we're clear. I ain't gonna go runnin' off with Vanya, or yer sister, or anyone else, and I'm here for ya if you need me f'r anything. K?" She turned away to glance out the window, as much for the opportunity to not have to see the politeness she expected was in Daatu's eyes as the weather update.