Title: Shining In The Dark
Author: Jessamyn
Pairing: Fred/Faith
Rating: M
Summary: Sweet dreams are made of these.
Spoiler-ish for Buffy season 7 and Angel season 5.
A/N: I seriously resent the fact that I can't use anything but the ruler line to separate my sections. It's fine for the division between header and story but I like something that doesn't scream 'Halt!' within the story itself. When did this change?
The sounds of the bar remained loud even after the door had swung shut behind her. The game had gone into overtime and some of the more rabid fans were getting rowdy. The undercurrent of violence coming from the crowd hummed across Faith's skin like a live electric wire, making her feel uncomfortable and aroused.
Lighting up, she leaned against the rough stone wall and inhaled the mentholated smoke and cool night air deep into her lungs. If this had been just a few years earlier, Faith had no doubt she'd be reveling in the coming fight. Perhaps even instigating the whole things just for kicks. She liked to think she was different now, however. One of the good guys.
It wasn't long ago that Faith had helped to save the world after all. Ultimate evil had come knocking and she and the others had kicked its ass, leveling good old Sunny D in the process. Unfortunately, Faith wasn't much good in the down time. So here she was, working in a bar just a few miles out from LA, still trying to work out the balance between having a life and making things right again.
The soft white glow of her dress was the first thing Faith noticed, changing color ever so slightly as she got closer to the neon light of the bar, one of the prettiest sights she'd laid eyes on in quite a while. It took her a full minute to realize that she recognized the woman. Which probably had more to do with the fact that she'd been staring at the long, lean legs the swishing skirt revealed rather than any real difference in her face.
Fred.
"You don't wanna go in there," Faith said on an exhalation of breath and smoke. The high sound of breaking glass was audible to her ears even over the chaotic roaring of the crowd inside. Lou was hollering her name too. But it was Fred's confused, blind look that prompted Faith to thrust herself forward from the wall with her shoulders, peeling herself from the building's shadow. As she became visible, Fred smiled, her suspicion clearing instantly.
"Faith! Hey... what're you doing here? Thought you were off in Europe or somethin'? And, why is it exactly that you don't want me in there? Is it demons? Cause I could probably help..." Fred babbled, her accent more pronounced in her nervous excitement. Faith just smiled and shook her head.
"Work here. And nah, no demons, just a bunch of townies with a little to much to drink. Here, hold this for me would'ja?" Faith said, holding out her cigarette for Fred to take. "Be right back."
No more than a few moments later, Faith threw the garbage out onto the sidewalk. Groans and various other hurting sounds rose up from the bunch as they sorted themselves out. Getting to their feet if they could. Several limping off only by the aid of their buddies. A few unfortunates remained, clutching injuries and moaning in pain. Nothing permanent, Faith had made sure of that.
"You boys better learn to play nice. Next time, I might just haveta break a sweat," she called after them, unable to resist the urge. Straightening her jacket with a little shimmy, Faith turned to find Fred taking a drag off her cigarette. "Hey, didn't know you smoked," she said by way of greeting.
"I don't. Well, I did but then I kinda quit. They don't have cigarettes in hell," Fred said with a touch of bitterness, handing what remained of the smoke back to Faith. Off Faith's look, Fred amended "Pylea. Although they did have this one plant ... well, that doesn't matter. So, you've been here the entire time and didn't think to stop on by for a visit? Angel'd be really glad to see ya, I think."
Faith took the last drag as she shook her head. "Haven't been here that long. Thought I should keep to myself for a bit. See if I can make it work on my own," she said. "The question is, what're you doing out here? Isn't there enough bars in LA for you?" she asked.
A blush bloomed on Fred's cheeks, a delicate pink that looked good on her. "Some of the people I work with are kinda razzing me about things. Knox suggested that it would be good if I got out once in a while... I think he was hoping with him but... well, I'm not exactly comfortable going out with someone who works for me, ya'know? So, I picked a direction and drove. Figured if I didn't go to the usual places I wouldn't run the risk of meeting him. He's kinda persistent."
"Sounds like a good plan," Faith said in agreement, suddenly wondering about her intense need to pop this guy Knox upside his head. She decided not to look at it to closely and instead said "Next time you try it bring a friend. Safety in numbers and all that."
"Yeah, maybe. I'm not sure I'm up for it tonight though," Fred said, glancing at one of the remaining guys around them who'd passed out and was drooling on the sidewalk. Her face brightened as she looked back at Faith again "Hey, you just gotta come by the office! I could show you around. I mean if you're not still busy."
Despite knowing the reaction she'd get, and as much as she hated to say no, Faith said it anyway. "Not quite ready to do that yet." The look of disappointment was expected but still packed a punch. Fred was looking everywhere except at Faith, hands shoved into her jacket pockets, and Faith had a sudden flash of a young, awkward teen in overalls and pigtails.
Cutting off whatever Fred had opened her mouth to say, Faith offered "You could come see my place instead. Not much more for me to do here tonight anyway."
"Yeah?" Fred asked, her warm brown eyes zero'd in on Faith's, and her smile transformed her. "I'd like that."
Faith slapped open the door to yell, "Lou, I'm leaving! Stash my take in the usual place, okay?" Louise was a great boss. She was real upright and honest when it came to running her bar but she let Faith come and go as she liked as long as the work got done.
"Come on," Faith said as she slipped her keys out of her pocket. "It's not far."
"You live above the bar?" Fred asked as she carefully climbed the creaky wooden stairs that were around the corner from the main entrance. "How... convenient."
"Yeah. Hey, sorry about the mess but I don't usually do company," Faith said just before opening the door. Tossing her keys on the coffee table she turned with a smirk to Fred. "Least not the kind that sees much more than the ceiling."
She'd tried to make the place seem more than the temporary living situation it was but it wasn't much of an upgrade to the motels she'd stayed in during most of her travels. A small kitchenette and living area added some welcome space, and the framed posters and wall mounted weapons made the white expanse of the walls a little less bare, but it still lacked something. Some quality that said home.
"Is that a Val'karabairian ceremonial dagger?" Fred asked with a touch of surprise and envy in her voice as she crossed the room to stand beside the bed, her eyes locked on one of the intricately curved daggers hanging there. "Didn't think they parted with these for anything!"
"Well, if you mean those short purple guys with the oozing spines in their heads, yeah. Caught a couple of them trying to put the shish-kabob on some of my regulars last week," Faith said with a shrug. "Looked kinda cool so I kept it. The ooze was wicked hard to get out though..."
Startled, Fred turned to look at Faith. "You didn't touch any of..."
Faith held up her right hand to show the back of it. A small patch of scar tissue was all the remained of the severe burn. Even that would fade in time. Let's hear it for the Slayer powers. "Learned my lesson the hard way," she said with a grimace. Shrugging out of her jacket, Faith asked "You want something to drink? I've got all the basics. JD, rum, vodka... think I have some O.J. left. Oh, and there's beer in the fridge."
"You sure you're not tryin' to start your own bar up here," Fred teased as she removed her own jacket and placed it over the back of the couch.
"Yeah, real exclusive. Only for the cool people," Faith said with a smile, pulling out a couple of glasses with one hand and spinning the vodka bottle like a thick baton with the other.
Fred giggled and said "Okay, now you're just showin' off. Pour some of that before you break it, please."
Faith's smile widened as she turned and made the drinks.
They'd been exchanging tales for a few hours, laughing and having a pretty good time, when Faith started to notice that Fred was staring at her lips as she talked. Her eyes held that hazy, unfocused look of someone who was either really drunk or really... distracted, and Faith didn't think Fred had had that much to drink. The small buzz she'd gotten cleared in an instant as anticipatory adrenaline coursed through her system. Was she wrong in thinking something about that look? She didn't think so but...
The silence had grown up around them as Faith was thinking. Setting her glass down, Fred said "Think I should be getting home. One more drink and I don't think I'll be well enough to drive." Smoothing her skirt down she started to rise, only to be stopped by Faith's lips on her own. She reacted with a startled squeak but melted almost instantly into that kiss. Her hand was in Faith's hair, her fingers burrowing through its thickness, when they parted for air almost a full minute later.
Her chest rising and falling in harsh pants, Fred whispered "What... wow." Faith smiled at that. Reaching up she slid a hand over Fred's shoulder, brushing fingertips over the exposed skin of her collarbone, before coming to rest in the curve where neck met shoulder. Fred's hand clutched Faith's hair in little spasms, her gaze heavy on Faith as she pulled her to meet waiting lips.
The kiss was softer with Fred guiding it, almost teasing, but just as hot. Breath played as much a role as lips and tongue. Faith played for a while, silently laughing against Fred's lips at times, but finally she grew impatient. Sliding her fingers down from where they'd been tracing circles on the sensitive skin behind Fred's ear, she slipped under the line of Fred's top to caress the swell of her breast with her knuckles. Resisting the urge to grab and squeeze, she worked her hand down quickly until she was bumping her fingertips over the peak of Fred's nipple through the sheer cotton of her bra.
Fred reacted like she'd been shot. Her hand yanked itself from the tangle she'd made of Faith's hair, taking some of it with her by accident, as she jumped from the couch. "I'm sorry... I just, I can't," Fred said grabbing her jacket up as she headed for the door. "It's not that I don't like you. Or want you. I just, can't. I'm sorry."
"You want me," Faith said, making the statement both an utterance of truth and a doubt-filled question all at the same time. Rising from the couch, Faith approached Fred Slayer-quick, capturing her hand before it could turn the knob. "Why?"
"Why?" Fred echoed, turning her head to find Faith so close that their breaths mingled in the small space between them. She stared at Faith in confusion for a second, wondering what Faith was really asking, before deciding to say instead "I'm not that girl, Faith. I didn't go around kissin' other girls. Not even in college when it was the 'cool' thing to do. I just didn't think to. And I don't know why... I don't know why, with you, it's different. Why I want to. And I haveta think about this, Faith. Let me sleep on it, okay?"
Faith was silent for a moment, just looking at Fred, her hand unconsciously stroking the other woman's. She thought about tonight. All they'd shared together. How comfortable it had felt doing so. It had been fun even before the kissing. If Fred decided not to pursue that, would they still be able to be friends, she wondered. Finally Faith nodded and let go. "Sure, I can do that."
She even opened the door, and for that Fred managed a weak smile. "Thanks."
"Fred?" Faith said, before the other woman had gotten more than a step away. Fred turned and looked askance at her. Leaning in quick, Faith kissed Fred with a smile, merely a press of the lips but firm and hot, before letting go. "Sweet dreams," she said with a smile.
Her smile remained as she closed the door and turned to seek her own bed. She didn't know what the future held. If they would be friends or lovers, both, or neither. But she did know one thing.
Tonight, she would be having some sweet dreams indeed