Title: Freak Like Me
Author: Angelina
Email: angelina2006@hotmail.com

Hunger consumed the slight body, ravaging every nerve, clawing its way to every extremity. She had never felt such an overpowering need for sustenance. Raw, animal, need for food. Something to make her warm. She needed to be warm. She was cold. So cold.

Sweat dripped down Cordelia’s neck, drenching the thin material of her top, making it cling to her breasts. The heat was cruel and relentless, the air heavy with moisture and arousal, and still she danced. She danced alone, unaware of the eyes on her, appreciating her curves, coveting her lips, wanting her body. Smoke hung in the atmosphere, further distancing her from the faceless masses.

Her face burned and her head pounded in time with the beat of the music. One too many shots of whatever had loosened her inhibitions and lightened her soul. She took full advantage of the temporary and false alleviation. She danced.

Arms in the air, eyes closed, face turned upwards. Her hips swayed sensually from side to side, her hands came down to rake through sweat dampened hair and continued down, mapping out the contours of that body. Over the collar-bone, pausing slightly on the swell of full breasts, down the flat stomach, then stilled by another pair of hands on top of them, cold hands. Such cold hands.

She didn’t know where she was, all she understood was the hunger. The night called out to her, beckoning her into the darkness like a lover. She wanted to go into that darkness, let it envelope her, surround her, caress her. Love her.

A hard body was against her back, pressing into her. The hands still covered her own, resting on her hips. Then the right hand moved again, guiding her lower, lower, until it rested at the juncture of her thighs. She didn’t resist when the pressure increased pushing firmly against her pulsing need. A faint whimper escaped her throat as anticipation flowed through her veins.

She reached behind her and ran her fingernails over a toned stomach, revelling in the excitement of the unknown. She briefly traced the belt-buckle before moving down and revelling in the hardness she was met with there. A shudder went through her mysterious companion as she stroked the length of his arousal, straining through the expensive material of his pants. He thrust against her hand and she grasped him firmly, enjoying the guttural moan that echoed in her ear. It was filled with need, passion, just for her.

“Cordelia…”

Her eyes finally opened. Blurry outlines slowly became shapes as she looked around. The world came into sharp focus in an instant. The hunger burned deep in her belly, so painful. She felt the ground pulse beneath her, vibrating like the beat of a heart, telling her there was food near. Her eyes came to rest on two figures in the shadows. These two would not provide her with food, nothing pulsed in them, they were cold, like her. They stood and approached the prone body slowly.

Cordelia gasped at the mention of her name. The gasp became a moan as a hand cupped her breast and squeezed, almost to the point of pain, but not quite. Gentle lips found her neck and kissed the damp skin just behind her ear. Her eyes closed briefly. She was turned roughly and kissed hard on the mouth. When she was released she pulled back and found herself looking into familiar brown eyes.

“Angel?”

“In the flesh baby.”

A frisson of fear ran through her body. He felt it too, it made him harder against her stomach.

“But…but…you’re…”

“What? I’m bad? I’m not bad Cordelia. I’m just myself again, just fulfilling my purpose in life, and having fun. You like having fun don’t you?”

Angel’s arms were around her waist, holding her close. She couldn’t help but feel a little bit safe in the strong circle of his arms. She knew she shouldn’t, but he was Angel, he would protect her. Her body swayed in time with his, their hips moving against each other in time with the music. Or was it in time with her heart, she couldn’t be sure. She nodded in response to his question. He smiled, he looked just like her Angel.

From nowhere another body was suddenly against her back. This one was softer, definitely feminine. A hand swept her hair aside and again lips descended on her exposed neck. This one wasn’t shy, as one hand kneaded Cordelia’s breast another slipped under the waistband of her skirt and went straight to her need. Despite herself, Cordelia whimpered as the cool fingers made contact with hot flesh. Her breathing increased as her body was worshipped from both sides. Her desire was building, slowly, deliciously helped by the skilled fingers touching her, like they knew her, knew her body. Had touched her before.

Realisation dawned.

“Faith?”

Cordelia’s voice was no more than a breath, filled with hope and fear. Hope that it was Faith, fear that it was Faith. Fear that it wasn’t Faith, hope that it wasn’t Faith. Faith was dead.

“We’ve been waiting for you.”

The voice touched her, comforted her. The speaker was important to her, so very important, vital. The girl bent down near to her and reached out to stroke her face. The contact was electric. A visceral connection swept over Cordelia. She brought a hand up to cover the one on her cheek and looked into eyes full of darkness and something more powerful than love. Cordelia spoke.

“Hungry.”

Cordelia kept her eyes closed, terrified to confirm visually what she knew in her heart to be true. Gentle hands on her hips turned her around. Familiar lips found her own, moving softly, lovingly. Cordelia could not resist, as tears made their way down her cheeks she opened her mouth and returned the kiss deeply. This was the kiss she had wished for, this kiss she thought she’d never feel again. Too soon the kiss was broken. Arms pulled her into a tight embrace, rocking her as she cried pitifully into a strong shoulder.

“Shhhhh, shhh babe, I got you, I’m never letting you go.”

The words whispered in her ear brought Cordelia back to some semblance of reality. Slowly she pulled back until she was gazing into the deep brown eyes of her lover. She reached up to brush a lock of hair aside and allowed her hand to trace the contours of the face she saw every night in her dreams.

“But you’re…you’re dead, we found you…you were…”

Faith was shaking her head.

“I’m not dead, well, technically yeah, I am…but Cor, I’ve never felt more alive…”

Cordelia felt Angel move in against her back again. She saw Faith look up at him and smile. A surge of jealousy coursed through her at the simple glance. Faith seemed to sense this and looked back at her.

“You still want me, don’t you Cor?”

Cordelia nodded, caught in the hypnotic eyes of her lover, helpless.

“We can be together forever, immortal, me and you…you’d like that wouldn’t you?”

Again Cordelia found herself nodding, unable to do anything else, unable to lie.

Angel stooped down and pressed a kiss to Cordelia’s neck as she continued to stare at Faith. She jumped as she felt a sharp pain in her neck, followed by a lingering ache as he sucked on her skin. Cordelia blinked and the spell was broken, she realised what was happening and panic swelled in her chest. She started to struggle but it merely increased the pain in her neck.

“No…no…let me…mmph…”

Faith placed a firm hand over her mouth, preventing her from screaming. The three bodies continued to move in synch, seemingly lost in the music. No-one spared them a passing glance.

“No C, don’t fight it, it’s easier if you don’t fight it, just let it happen.”

Faith whispered, the words cool against Cordelia’s cheek. Cordelia already felt faint, she knew she was too weak to fight anything, and somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she didn’t want to. She didn’t want to go on in this world without Faith, without Angel, without hope. It would be easier this way. She could feel her heart beginning to slow, the dull thudding of blood in her ears slowing down. Then she felt him withdraw, he moved away from her, letting Faith take over.

Faith’s head dipped down, sharp teeth tempered by soft lips. The pain was less this time, she was becoming numb, her vision blurring. Faith brought her head back up. Cordelia looked at the glinting yellow eyes, the ridged forehead, the elongated teeth and knew she welcomed what was to come. Faith brought her own wrist up to her mouth and bit into it, never removing her eyes from Cordelia’s face. When she removed her wrist her lips glistened red in the dim light. She moved in and pressed her lips to Cordelia’s mouth. The metallic tang of blood invaded Cordelia’s dulled senses as she opened her mouth for Faith. Lips were replaced by the wounded wrist and Cordelia drank in the thick, rich blood that flowed from the cut.

Cordelia’s breathing was shallow as the elixir was taken from her mouth. The last image she would see in her lifetime was Faith’s face changing back to human form and smiling at her.

“Forever.”