Rating: R
Pairing: A/F
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Angel slowly walked up to Faith as she mindlessly flipped through the dozens of channels on television. With a sigh, she stopped at a random station and tossed the remote.
“You left this in the kitchen.” Angel said as he set a large bowl of popcorn on the table.
Faith didn’t even glance at it. “Thanks.” She said tonelessly.
Angel just stood there for a few moments, unsure of what to say or do. His idea to rehabilitate Faith had gotten off to a bumpy start. A vampire trying to sponsor an ex-slayer wasn’t something in the rulebook to look up. He could still see the look of sheer desperation in her eyes as he held her in the rain. Her want to die had finally dawned on him as they fought. Though the bumps and bruises all over his body would say differently, he still felt strongly that Faith could be helped. It didn’t make matters any better that both his partners had reacted very strongly to his decision. Cordelia, sporting a fresh black eye, went off on a very long vacation. Wesley, having nowhere else to go, stayed, but kept a definite distance between he and Faith. Every time he found himself in a room with the ex-slayer, Angel could see the tightening of his throat as well as the race of his heartbeat. Being beaten to a pulp and tortured with a glass shard did that to people.
And now she wanted to change. She had hoped to force Angel to defend himself and end up killing her so that her suffering could end permanently, but he refused. Exhausted both emotionally and physically, she broke down in his arms, pleading with him to kill her. He held the sobbing ex-slayer there, in the rain, as he glanced up, and saw Wesley there, bleeding, with a confused look in his eye.
Since then, he kept Faith in his room, while Wesley and Cordelia both, understandably, refused to be even in the same building as the rogue slayer.
Angel sighed. Redemption was a very hard thing to achieve for both vampires and ex-slayers. He had at least a 100-year head start. Faith just started.
“You okay?” he asked as he walked slowly up. Faith glanced up at him and then stared at the ground.
“It’s like you said,” she started, “You get through that first minute, then that hour, and so on.” Swallowing, she leaned forward, her elbows on her knees.
“But, it’s hard, you know?”
“Yeah…” he answered.
“And sometimes…sometimes I wish I had something, anything, to take my mind off things. Even if for a few moments.” She glanced back at the television, snorting.
“Unfortunately, Dawson’s Creek just ain’t doing it for me.”
Angel chuckled softly, “ I know what you mean.”
They stood that way for a few more moments, both quiet. Finally Angel stirred and headed back towards his room. He glanced over at Faith before disappearing around the corner.
“Listen, I’m going to take a quick shower. If there’s something you need, let me know, ok?” Faith just nodded. Angel turned and headed back into his room, closing the door slightly.
Sighing, Faith grabbed the popcorn and started munching away. A few moments later, the sound of running water came drifted in. She glanced up at the sound, stopping in mid-chew. Slowly, she put down the bowl and got up. Hugging herself, she walked up to the door leading to Angel’s room, placed a hand on his door and pushed. Inside, the shower was clearly visible, as was the misty form of Angel inside.
She stood there for several moments, just staring at him.
I just wish I had something to take my mind off things, you know?
Slowly, her hand came up and started to unbutton her shirt.
***
Angel leaned over and let the hot spray wash the shampoo off his hair. Closing his eyes, he started to lose himself in the sensation of the hot water running down his body, when a small current of cold air came up from behind. Frowning, he turned slightly to check if he’d left the shower screen partially open, when he came face to face with Faith. Before he could say anything, a leg slipped in from the outside and into the tub.
A very naked leg.
“Faith!…what…what’re you doing?”
“What does it look like?” She said softly, “Getting in the shower with you.” She finished getting in and turned to close the door from the cold draft. Angel quickly turned around, painfully aware of the proximity of her body.
“Faith, this isn’t such a good idea.”
“What? Taking a shower with you is a bad thing? Or are you nervous that it might lead to something else?” she asked, teasing.
“No!…it’s just…”
{FLASH!!}
“What’s my name?”
“Huh?”
“Say my name, bitch!!”
“Faith, Faith!!”
(slap!) (crash!) (smash!)
“Oh God!!”
{FLASH!!}
Angel shook his head. “It’s not that I’m nervous…it’s just…”
“C’mon Angel! It’s not like I’m the first Slayer you’ve seen naked.” She chided.
Frowning a bit, he simply said: “Faith, I can’t”
Incredulous, she shook her head. “Angel, don’t tell me that after all that’s happened, especially with B having someone new, you’re still carrying the torch?”
Angel sighed, his back still turned to her. “It’s not about carrying the torch, it’s just that…” he paused at that. Faith frowned slightly, then brought her hand up, fingertips slowly gliding over the tattoo on his back. His muscles tensed and rippled at the touch.
“What, Angel?”
He opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it. With a muttered curse, he opened the shower door, grabbed a towel, and without a backward glance, walked towards his bedroom.
Thoroughly confused, Faith shut off the shower, wrapped a towel around her waist, and headed after Angel. She found him sitting on the side of his bed, still dripping wet. Walking up to him, she was about to place her hand on his shoulder when he spoke:
“It’s my curse.” Those three simple words caused Faith to stiffen. Not from the words themselves, but from the sheer frustration she could feel underneath them. She sat down next to him, waiting for him to speak more.
“You see,” he began wearily, “the gypsies who gave me back my soul wanted, and still want, me to suffer for years to come for the killing of their favored daughter. They knew that, with my soul restored, my conscience would never allow me to kill as I did when I was Angelus. To further keep me from ever forgetting, even for a moment, who I am or what I’ve done, they added a nice little clause to the curse.” He turned to Faith and looked her straight in the eye. “Basically, I’m not allowed a moments’ sheer bliss or happiness. In layman’s terms: I get a happy, I lose the soul. Simple.” With that he turned his back to her again.
Faith, not knowing what to say, slowly placed her hand on his back.
“So much pain.” She said softly, her voice cracking. Angel just shrugged. “It’s no more than I deserve.” He then snorted humorlessly. “Actually, I deserve so much more.”
“Angel…” Faith started.
“You know,” he interrupted, “Every time I go to sleep, just before, I see a face of someone I killed. Screaming, Begging, Dying.” He looked back at her and she opened her mouth in dismay as she noticed a single bloody tear running down his cheek.
“And do you know what the hard part is?” he asked. Numbly, she shook her head.
“It’s a different face every single night. It’s never the same person. THAT’S how many people I’ve killed.”
Unashamedly, she silently cried with him. He gently reached up and brushed away a tear. She did so as well, leaving a bloody smear on his cheek. Both left their hands where they were. Holding her breath, as well as his gaze, she slowly, very slowly, began to bring her face up to his. Their lips barely touching, he abruptly pulled back and sat up from his bed.
“ ‘Scuse me.” He said quietly. Biting her lip, she shook her head and angrily walked up to Angel, blocking his path.
“Angel,” she said, “Did you love Buffy?” Caught by surprise at the question, Angel just stared at the ex-slayer.
“What?”
“Did you love Buffy?” She repeated.
“Yes…” he answered after a moment’s thought. Faith just nodded.
“Then did it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, you lost your soul because you made love with B? And not because you had sex with her?”
Confused, Angel’s gaze turned inward. Slowly, he shook his head.
“Do you love me?” She asked.
“No.” he said with a slight frown.
Faith gave a short laugh. “Then what’s the problem?” she continued, “Angel, people can have just sex and not feel happy, or content, or whatever! But it helps lighten the stress just a little, even if for a little bit.”
Uncertain, Angel shook his head. “I don’t know if I can take that chance…” Faith reached up and grabbed him by the shoulders. She leaned in, gazing hard into his eyes.
“Angel,” she whispered huskily, “You need this…I…we need this.” Bringing her face up she gently kissed him. She pulled away slightly, looking up at him, her eyes pleading.
Please
Maybe it was the silent plea. Maybe it was the wet, tangled look that reminded him of someone else so long ago. Whatever the cause, he seemed to move in slow motion as he enveloped Faith in his arms and pushed her to the wall, his mouth capturing hers.
Both whined throatily at the taste of the other. Faith wrapped her arms around Angel’s neck while also wrapping her legs around his waist. Moaning, she rained small kisses from his face all the way down his neck. Stopping at the base of the neck, she started to nip and bite around the area. Nuzzling her ear, he groaned.
You’re not the only one who can give hickeys, she thought as she suddenly bit down on Angel’s neck.
Hard.
“Uh!!…Faith!…What’re you doing?!” he grunted. Faith pulled back and he noticed a small trickle of blood running down her chin.
“What we need.” She whispered, capturing his mouth again. Angel’s demon began to stir not just from the taste of blood (even if his own), but more so from the relentless teasing from the rogue slayer. While he could keep his demon at bay, other, more primal reactions were harder to control. Faith smiled in mid-kiss at feeling his obvious arousal.
Ripping away both their towels, Angel carried her to his bed. He began to lie on top of her, but before he could, he caught a glint in her eye and a smirk as she grabbed his shoulders, pushed him off, and then flipped over and straddled him.
“This is my show.” She said with a grin, as she slowly started grinding her hips against his, never taking her eyes off him. Angel grit his teeth at the pressure building up. He gasped as he could feel her wetness so close to his manhood, teasing its tip, but not allowing it to enter.
Faith enjoyed herself watching Angel writhe in agony. Unbidden, several thoughts came to her as she gazed at him.
I could ride you at a gallop until your legs buckled and your eyes rolled up…
Desperate to do something, Angel ran his hands up Faith’s chest, his fingers squeezing her nipples. She closed her eyes and arched her back at the waves of pleasure tingling her skin. After a second, she snapped back forward, grabbed both his hands, and pinned him to the bed.
I’ve got muscles you’ve never even dreamed of…
Still pinning her down, she leaned down and kissed him hungrily, her tongue playing with his.
I could squeeze you…
Still kissing him hotly, she shoved her hips back, and a dual scream broke through their kiss as he entered deep into her.
…Until you popped like warm champagne, and you’d beg me to hurt you just a little bit more…
“Oh God!...Don’t stop!” He moaned. Faith, her hips still grinding away, merely smiled and shook her head.
“There’s no God here, Angel.” She said, “Just me. Just me.”
As the pressure began to build up, she entwined her fingers with his, both squeezing hard, neither feeling the pain. Feeling she had only a few moments left, she looked down at Angel.
“Do it.” She hissed. Angel, his face taut with pleasure and pain, opened his eyes and looked up at her. She pulled back her hair and tilted her head.
“Do it!” she moaned, biting her lip. The taste of blood made her dizzy. Angel looked up at her, and clenching his teeth, shook his head
“DO IT!!” she screamed and kissed him again. The taste of blood, especially Slayer blood, proved too much and put to shreds any sense of control. With a guttural, hungry snarl, he vamped out, grabbed Faith’s neck and sank his teeth into her neck, just as both came at the same time.
“Ahh!!…Yes!!” she gasped as she shuddered from the combined pleasures of Angel’s cold seed exploding inside her and his drinking of her blood. Angel’s demon crowed in delight at the taste of Chosen blood. He nearly fainted from the heady rush he got from such powerful fluid. He could feel both their hearts beating at the same time, and moaned how long it’s been since he had the taste of true blood, or the pleasures of a woman. Faith and Angel clung to each other, both trying to make the moment last a little bit longer. Slowly, breathing heavily, Faith relaxed her hold on the vampire. She gasped as she felt his fangs retract and she lay on top of him, both spent. Slowly, she brought herself up and looked down at him. She stopped suddenly when a pair of amber eyes gazed back up at her. A chill ran down her spine as she thought, for a moment, at the possibility that she might’ve been wrong, and this wasn’t Angel anymore.
Oh…shit.
The demon underneath her brought a hand up, wiped his chin of blood, and licked his fingers. He looked back up at her and sneered.
“Bitch.” He said.
“Asshole.” She countered.
He snorted, and then looking very tired, closed his eyes. His features returned to normal and Faith’s slayer sense told her that he was dozing. Slowly, she got off him, pulled the sheets over them both, and snuggled up close to him. After a few minutes, he stirred. His eyes opened, and he looked down at her.
“Angel?” she asked hesitantly.
“Yeah?”
She silently breathed a sigh of relief, and said nothing for a few moments, merely content to just lay there and just trace circles on his chest.
“Feel happy?” she asked.
“No..”
“Good.”
“Feel a little better?” she asked after moment.
“Little.”
“Good.”
They lay there for a few minutes until Angel’s cell phone rang. Muttering a curse, he reached over and opened it.
“Hello?”
“Angel, it’s Wesley.” Upon hearing the voice of her ex-watcher, Faith reddened a bit in shame.
“Yeah, Wes, what’s up?”
“We have to talk, I’ll be over in a few minutes. It involves Faith and some people looking for her. Is she there with you?” If possible, Angel would’ve blushed as well.
“Yeah...she’s…close by.”
“Angel?” asked Wesley, detecting a tone on the vampire’s voice, “Is everything all right?”
Angel looked down at Faith, who quirked an eyebrow. “Yeah…five by five.” His eyes widened at the slip.
On the other side, Wes frowned at the receiver of his phone and swore
that he heard a snort and the distinct sound of hysterical female laughter.