Part Two - Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
As soon as the first light of day peeked through the window, Wes was awake, and found himself faced with quite a dilemma. He was insanely thirsty, but he didn’t want to leave Faith. In the end, he decided a quick trip downstairs for some water would be necessary. Getting out of bed, he felt the cold air of the early morning take hold of him and he shivered as he reached for a sweater. After pulling it over his head, and royally rumpling up his hair in a very non-Wes way in the process, he gently opened and closed the door behind him, before making his way downstairs.
The lights were off, and for some odd reason, because of that, Wesley assumed that Angel was asleep. The term ‘creature of the night’ must have slipped his mind for a moment, due to early morning grogginess. Looking at the clock in the lobby, it read 5:12 am.
He rubbed his eyes as he walked into the kitchen. When he got to the fridge, his hand collided with another and he jumped back, startled. He was still a bit disoriented from sleep.
“Oh, sorry,” Angel muttered as he opened the fridge and took out a packet of blood. Wes quickly composed himself, feeling silly for being so jumpy. He nodded to the vampire and reached in after to get at a bottle of water. When Wes closed the door to the fridge and looked back, Angel was still standing there, looking at him. He suddenly realized how he must look right now, and inwardly cursed the vampire’s keen sense of sight in the dark.
“Wes, are you ok?”
In the dark of the early morning, Wes couldn’t tell if Angel looked genuinely worried, or slightly amused.
“Did something happen last night? With Faith?”
Wes absentmindedly reached up and touched the bump on his head. “Oh, um…well. Yes, actually. We had an…um… a disagreement I guess you could say. But it’s ok now,” he quickly added, not wanting Angel to worry.
The vampire was still standing there.
“Look, Angel. Everything is under control. You needn’t worry yourself about me. Or Faith, for that matter. Yesterday was hard, for both of us. And before you ask, yes, she is staying in my room. At least she did last night. But just slept…and…I am not sure where she should sleep from now on. I know it’s not safe for her to go back to her apartment,” Wesley rambled on a bit. “Perhaps we should set up a room for her?”
Angel smiled wryly.
“Look, Wes, I wasn’t trying to grill you or anything. I just wanted to make sure you were ok.”
“Oh…alright.”
“I’ll see you later on this morning.”
“Sounds good,” Wes said as he quickly made his way out of the kitchen and up to his room, water bottle in tow. He was glad to get out of that awkward conversation. When he opened the door to his room, he noticed that Faith had turned over and was sprawled across his pillow, the side of her face buried where his head had been. He couldn’t help at smile at the way she looked. So peaceful. So honest and real and sensual. Placing the bottle on the stand near the bed, he took off his sweater and climbed in on what had been her side of the bed earlier. He wrapped his arms around her gently. It was a relief to be back out of the cold morning air and next to her warmth again.
A part of him was terrified of her waking up. He was afraid that as soon as she saw the light of day, she would retreat into her former self, just as she had yesterday morning. Closed off. Defensive. He didn’t think he could bear it again. But he silently prepared for it, even as he unconsciously ran a finger down the smooth surface of her arm.
†
“You can’t hide from me. We’re connected in ways you couldn’t understand. I can sense you just as you can sense me. We’re two parts of a whole. That’s how this thing works.”
The girl stood with her back against the cold, damp wall as she held her stake tightly with both hands close to her chest. Her breathing was heavy and frantic. Her hair was wet with sweat and blood. Her face was swollen and bruised beyond recognition.
Get it together, this is what you do. Who you are. You can do this. The slayer closed her eyes and inhaled deeply as she listened intently for the demon to approach her. She was done running. This fight proved that, and now she was going to finish it. Finish it once and for all.
She yelped as she felt a hand grab at her mouth while the other dragged her by the hair across the alleyway, slamming her against the wall.
“Call yourself a slayer?!” shouted the vampire as he yanked her head back and tossed her broken body onto the ground.
“Wow, I guess after seven hours of kicking ass I’ve finally worn you down.” The vampire smiled down at her as he pulled his leg back.
“It’s been fun - it really has. Especially now that you’re all tender and ripe for the taking.” He swung his foot into her stomach, smirking as she screamed out in pain. The vampire knelt down beside her and pulled her limp and tortured body up towards him, holding her close as he whispered into her ear.
“What you slayers got to realize is that it doesn’t matter. No matter how many of us you kill, more will follow. You’re nothing to us. Really the only thing you're good for is for a feeding.”
The girl gasped as the vampire quickly scraped her hair away from her neck and growled hungrily in her ear, taking in the slayer’s insatiable scent.
“Bornac, what did we say about eating the sacrifices?” The slayer let out a sigh of relief as she watched the vampire’s features morphed back into human form and turn towards the woman leaning against a lamppost.
“I know I know. I was just softening her up a bit. So she’s good and ready for the master….” The vampire grabbed the girl’s cheeks with one hand and forced her to look over into a darkened alley.
The slayer’s eyes widened as she saw three figures appear as if from nowhere. Two were covered from head to toe in red cloth, moaning out an eerie chant as they moved towards her. And the third…
The slayer tried to scream as he approached her, but Bornac covered her mouth, muffling her audible terror. He called over a couple of his buds as the slayer’s strength threatened to overwhelm him. The three of them firmly secured her and watched with glee as the Master slid towards her.
The girl could feel the tears running down her cheeks. For the first time in her short life she was truly scared. Nothing she’d ever seen since she had been called could compare to the horrific sight that stood before her now. She felt her stomach lurch as his deformed hand reached out and ran his finger down her smooth surface of her arm.
“It’s been foretold. This is how it was always meant to be.”
†
Faith’s eyes shot wide open.
“It’s been foretold. This is how it was always meant to be.”
Faith shook the words from her head as she shifted her weight in the warm bed and felt Wesley’s thigh brush against her own. Her hand sleepily reached for his and she took his arm, which had become disentangled from her during their sleep, and brought it underneath the covers, wrapping it around her waist again.
Just a dream. It had just been one of her weird slayer nightmares. It had seemed like more to Faith. More real than all of the rest, but as she turned to face Wesley, all thoughts of her dream and of pretty much everything else left her mind.
Faith buried her face into his chest and inhaled his musky scent, allowing it to coax her out of her sleepy state. Faith couldn’t work out how she was feeling; normally she’d come out with a witty remark or an excuse to bolt, but now as she lay in Wesley’s arms, moving her leg over his, playfully pulling him further towards her, she knew one thing.
She wasn’t going anywhere.
Just this small act of waking up next to a man-and neither of them making their excuses to leave-was new and strange to her. But it didn’t scare her. She would have run a mile if she’d been in this situation only days earlier; but now, after everything they’d been through over such a small amount of time, she felt truly safe, and trusted Wesley completely. Faith’s hand moved up to Wesley’s face as she traced the outline of his now black eye with her finger. Their eyes met for the first time that morning and she allowed a tentative smile to cross her face.
A sly smile also spread across Wesley’s face as she buried her head in his chest to snuggle closer. The feel of her breath and her hair against his cool skin, along with the smoothness of her thigh grazing his own caused him to inhale sharply. He looked down, his blue gaze catching her deep brown one, and he saw a tenderness there that he hadn’t expected to see. After all, daylight was shining through the curtains. Wasn’t this the part where they became defensive and acted like whatever had passed between them in the safety of darkness was just a dream?
Two days ago, Faith had woken up in Wesley’s apartment alone, and had allowed herself to over-think the situation, leading her defensive instincts to take over as they always had before. She wasn’t going to allow that to happen again. She was going to leave any doubts or misgivings outside and simply enjoy this intimate moment between herself and Wesley. She was going to enjoy him.
Her eyes never left his as she slowly climbed on top of him and straddled his thighs. She peeled off her top, her hair falling gracefully over her pale shoulders as she pulled Wesley up towards her. Faith wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his bottom lip softly. She lowered her eyes to his mouth as her hand dropped from his neck and guided his face towards her. Their mouths met each other and easily fell into a rhythm as if they had never been apart.
Wesley let out a soft moan and wrapped his arms tightly around her, crushing her to his chest as they kissed, and getting more excited as their mouths hungrily devoured one another. Last night, he had been intent on the idea of making love to her in a tender fashion. But now she was exciting those feelings of passion in him again, passion that couldn’t be contained. The blood pounding in Wes’s head soon traveled in a different direction as Faith moved against him in an intoxicating rhythm.
Breaking the kiss, Wesley suddenly grabbed Faith by the shoulders and flipped them so that he was on top, staring down at her with a mischievous grin. However, at the sight of her laying there, her hair splayed across the pillow, lips gently parted in a sigh, he forgot for a moment all the wonderful and delicious things he had planned to do to her in this position.
Faith bit her lip in anticipation as Wesley looked down at her.
“You are so beautiful, Faith,” he whispered, running a finger from her lips down to her chest. His mouth soon followed suit, leaving a trail of burning kisses as he felt the urgency rising in him again. All the aches and pains he felt from the beating she gave him the night before seemed to slip away as he became increasingly intoxicated by the feel and smell of her. She was invading his senses, and he wanted her more than ever.
Somewhere in the midst of their passion, the rest of their clothes were discarded, and Wesley positioned himself above her, looking deep into her eyes as he pushed into her, gasping at the sensation as if it were the first time.
Faith let out a gasp of her own as Wesley grabbed her hands and held them above her head; his mouth explored every inch of her pale soft skin. Every kiss he laid on her sent tingles through her body, kicking her senses into overdrive.
Yesterday, the sex had been full of a desperate need just to feel something-anything. The adrenaline from the throw down had fired her passion. It had been frantic, raw and new. But today was different. Today it wasn’t about calming herself down, or releasing any pent-up aggression, it was about Wesley. Just her and Wesley, and they had all the time in the world to explore each other, to taste each other and to enjoy each other’s touch. It was intense and passionate, but more than anything it felt right to Faith. It felt right for her limbs to be intertwined with Wesley’s, to feel his skin pressing down against her own.
Wesley let go of her hands and gently pulled her head up from the pillow, losing one hand in her thick, dark hair, as he kissed her again, his other hand traveling down to her thigh.
He wished that they could stay like this forever.
Faith moaned as Wesley’s tongue traced the line of her neck, the sensation threatening to overwhelm her. Her legs wrapped themselves around his waist, pushing him deeper, and their lips met once again as he thrust forcefully inside of her. She wrapped her fingers around the bedpost and grasped it tightly as their bodies moved together as one, leading to the inevitable explosive climax.
Wesley breathed heavily against her neck, and Faith could feel his heart pounding maniacally in his chest as she wrapped her arms around him and tenderly kissed the top of his head.
“Well, Wes…that was one hell of a way to say good morning.” She said breathlessly as her hand ran through Wesley’s hair, tilting his head up slightly towards her and smiling down at him.
“Yes, it was wasn’t it? I’m afraid breakfast in bed will seem like a paltry offering from now on. You’ve quite spoiled me.”
Wesley smiled back at Faith. He gently wrapped a hand around the back of her neck, and kissed her again, still breathing heavily as the release he had just experienced washed over him in the most delightful waves of pleasure.
It had been wonderful…and not just for the obvious reasons.
He felt so close to her now. So much so that it was incredible to think that only a few days ago she hadn’t really been a part of his life. It seemed now as if they had been deeply connected for years. Perhaps in some ways they had.
Wesley let out a sigh as the kiss broke, and Faith’s head came to rest on his shoulder. He smoothed the sticky stands of hair from her forehead and kissed it gently. He looked at the clock next to the bed and let out a groan. It was almost 9:30 am, and he was sure that Angel was pacing around downstairs, wondering when the hell they were going to get down there.
If he could have his way, Wesley would stay in bed like this all day, leaving only to get some food every once and awhile. But it was a business day. There would no doubt be some urgent case to be addressed as soon as they went downstairs…and there was still the issue of the shaman that Angel had called upon to heal Wesley.
Wes had many questions about that incident…especially considering the fact that he had been brought back by a shaman the first time: A shaman wearing the emblem of the Wolf, the Ram, and the Hart. Wesley didn’t expect Angel to be forthcoming, however. He knew that if he wanted answers, he would be forced to carry out his own investigations.
Not realizing that he had gotten carried away with his own thoughts, Wesley realized that Faith was studying his face curiously.
“I’m sorry, I was just thinking that we should probably get dressed and go downstairs,” Wes said reluctantly. “It really isn’t my first choice as far as course of action goes. But I have a job to attend, and I’m afraid that Angel will be even more displeased with our situation if I am more than an hour late.”
Wesley quickly realized how that had sounded, and kissed Faith again before she could misinterpret it. “I didn’t mean to imply that it matters what anyone thinks, Faith. Because it doesn’t. It’s just that…well...this is all very new. It might take some time for Angel to adjust to the idea.”
Faith knew that Angel was going to be the subject of discussion at some point between her and Wes; she just hadn’t realized it was going to happen so soon. Faith propped herself up with one arm as her other hand lay on Wesley’s chest, which was still moist with sweat. She shook the hair off of her face as she looked across at him; a serious look came across her face.
“Angel isn’t gonna adjust Wes. He seemed to be totally wiggin’ out about it all last night, and I doubt that that’s gonna change any time soon, even if you arrive on time to work every day. So what’s another hour up here between colleagues…” Faith smiled as she leaned in and kissed him once again. Their lips playfully teased each other for a brief moment, before she felt Wesley pull away slightly. He gave her a mock-stern look.
“Alright, Alright… Have it your way then. Working day it is.” Faith smirked up at him before she sat up in bed and looked around the room, trying to ignore the broken furniture from her argument with Wesley the night before.
“I don’t see why he’s so weirded out by all of this. I mean, he still holds the crown for weirdest slayer relationship. I doubt an ex-watcher and a slayer would even come close to the many years of therapy B’s gonna need after getting jiggy with a vamp.” Faith got out of bed and stretched, sighing as she bought her arms back down.
“Getting jiggy?” Wesley drawled out the words teasingly. “Why, I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of hearing that little expression before, Faith. You must remind me to write it down. I’m determined to learn all your charming colloquialisms.” As Faith climbed languidly out of the bed and stretched in the middle of the room, Wesley couldn’t help but smirk. Despite her casual attitude, he couldn’t help but suspect that she was putting on a show for him. Not that he minded. Quite the contrary, actually. The sight of her naked before him sent delightful shivers down his spine, despite the fact that they’d just made love minutes ago. She was truly the sexiest creature he had ever beheld.
Faith shot Wes a warning look. She stood for a moment, not quite knowing what to do next. Wes had to go do the work thing, but what did she have to do? Should she hang round here or head on out?
“Mind if I take a shower?” She finally asked.
Wesley pointed towards the bathroom door and Faith headed through, eager to finally have a chance to clean up after the vamp throw down the night before. It took all the willpower Wesley could muster not to follow her in there and ravish her under the water.
†
The hot water revitalized her skin as she stood beneath the shower head, allowing it to wash away the dirt dried blood from days gone past. She ran her fingers through her hair, soothing it off of her face before scrubbing at her skin. She wasn’t in too bad a state, considering. Bar a few bruises and a spanking new bite mark taking up residence on her neck, the vamp hadn’t left much surface damage for her to deal with.
Faith stood under the hot water, deep in thought as it pummeled down on her skin. What was she supposed to do now? Only thing Faith knew for sure was that she didn’t want to be apart from Wesley… well not for long anyway; but she had no idea how things were gonna go down here. Were they dating now? Did Faith even know how to date?
†
As Faith showered, Wesley reluctantly climbed out of bed and grabbed some clothes from his closet, heading out to another room to shower and get dressed. As somber as it was, Wesley couldn’t help but be thankful that Cordelia’s old bathroom was still stocked with various soaps and shampoos. The last thing he wanted was Angel sniffing away at him today.
As he entered the bathroom, he caught sight of himself in the mirror. The swelling of his face had reduced considerably…a fact of which he was grateful. The less bruised he was, the less Angel would be worried. He knew that the vampire had goof intentions, but right now he really didn’t want to be given the third degree.
After a quick shower, Wes put on a blue button-down shirt and jeans, quickly ran a comb through his hair, and headed downstairs to the lobby. Glancing at his watch, he let out a sigh. It was already past ten; however, the lobby seemed quiet enough, much to Wesley’s relief. Apparently no customers had shown up yet. He walked into the office and picked up the phone to see if there were any voice mails, but there were none.
†
Faith rinsed the last of the conditioner out of her hair and stepped out of the shower wrapping herself in the warm towel Wesley must have left out for her and walked back through to the bedroom, leaving wet footprints as she went.
Faith scanned the room to find that Wes had gone downstairs, and the ache in her stomach told her that she should head down there too. She just hoped they kept the fridge stocked with more than blood. She grabbed her pants off of the floor and slipped them on over her pale thighs as she roughly dried her hair, allowing its natural wave to form.
Grabbing Wesley’s shirt from the bottom of the bed, Faith slipped it over her shoulders and headed to the door.
“Faith”
Faith jumped and looked up to see Angel standing in the corridor, quite clearly waiting for her as he shifted awkwardly from side to side, his arms crossed tightly across his chest. She hastily did up the last of the buttons on her shirt before she allowed her eyes to meet.
“Angel.” Faith went to move past him and head on downstairs, but the vampire blocked her way.
“May I just remind you Faith that I went to great lengths to heal Wesley last night? The shaman I brought in has owed me this one favor for a long while, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t beat up the patient only hours after he was healed.” Angel’s eyes bored into her own as he tried to hide the anger that was buried beneath them.
Faith squared up to him, raising her chin and holding eye contact with him as she tried to make out what he was thinking behind his furrowed brow. Clearly he’d seen Wesley this morning and wasn’t too pleased about the state Faith had left him in. Faith was ashamed of what she’d done last night, more ashamed than Angel or even Wesley would ever know, but as Angel stood there, the anger built up inside her. She realized that this wasn’t gonna be a group hug session. Angel was butting in on something that had nothing to do with him and she wasn’t gonna start explaining herself to him now.
“Duly noted.”
Faith and Angel stood there in the corridor their eyes locked on each other, neither one of them refusing to budge before the other. A determined silence fell around them until Faith’s impulsive behavior got the better of her and she barged past him, heading downstairs towards the office without so much as a look back at the vampire she left in the hallway.
Chapter Eight