Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership to Cowboy Bebop or its characters.
"I like getting dressed up, but not to play so damn whore," Faye complained as she took Spike's hand to help her out of the Swordfish II. She was dressed in a floor length black gown with a slit up to her thigh. The spaghetti straps showed her creamy white shoulders and the low cut neck left little to the imagination. Her deep purple hair was up in a French twist with a red rose tucked in securely. Her high-heeled shoes clicked on the pavement.
"Oh, but it suits you so well, Faye," Spike retorted, himself dressed in a black suit, black vest, white shirt, and red tie.
"Shut up you asshole," Faye replied, taking his arm. The bounty they were after this evening liked to watch people dance. Very intimate dancing, that is. He got off on it. Usually they wouldn't have even touched on a bounty of such subject matter, but it was a huge one, being offered by a father whose daughter had been disgraced by the pervert.
The pair strolled up to the club and asked for a table next to the wall in a corner. Spike shook the host's hand and left 100 woolongs with him for his cooperation. They didn't want to risk being taken by surprise. It was dark inside, only lit by the lights on the stage, where a small band played slow jazz, and the candles on the tables. The darker the better; fewer people would be watching them. It wasn't too crowded tonight, anyway.
From where they were seated their bounty would be able to see them and they could easily keep an eye on him. They sat nonchalantly, but kept a close eye on his table. There were two bodyguards on either side of him, but they didn't seem to want to be there either. Not heavily armed.
Spike leaned close to Faye, his lips almost touching her ear. "Are you ready, Faye?" She almost shuddered at their proximity, but nodded in reply. Spike placed a hand on her shoulder and let his fingers trail down to where her hand lay on the table. Taking it in his own, he led her out onto the dance floor.
"Am I really ready for this? I won't really be acting." Faye thought to herself. She still didn't have the guts to tell Spike she was in love with him. And now she had to dance with him, if you could call what they were going to do dancing. How disgusting to do this in front of all these other people. But she would never admit, even to herself, that she was kind of turned on.
Spike suddenly yanked her to him and placed a hand on her lower back, holding her to him very tightly. She gasped loudly, hoping to get the bounty's attention. "Here we go," Spike's voice rasped in her ear. He let his hand slide down past her waist as they danced slowly. Soon he was tracing the slit up her thigh and slipping his hand inside. How could this not turn her on? Was he acting or was he enjoying this too? Faye wondered as she grasped his shoulder and moaned.
"Moan louder, he's not looking yet," Spike growled.
"You moan louder, jerk," she retorted. As a comeback, Spike gripped her butt. This elicited the desired response, and they had finally caught the bounty's eye.
"There, was that so hard?"
"Go to hell."
Spike's fingers lingered along the lining of Faye's silk underwear, then ran along her leg, bringing it off the ground and up around his waist. He pulled her against him forcefully again, never breaking eye contact with her. He dipped her, letting his nose trail down her neck, between her breasts. He even nuzzled at one. She gasped at the contact, and grabbed the back of his head. She softly called out his name and he brought her back up to him.
"We've got him, now let's sit down," Spike said, leading her off the floor. "He should be over soon. We just need to put on the finishing touches." With that Spike leaned in and kissed her. She was completely taken, and turned her body toward him. He cupped a breast in his hand and squeezed gently; she moaned into his mouth and arched her back into his touch. He broke the kiss and trailed them down her cheek to the nape of her neck. His hand fell to her thigh, and slipped under her dress again.
Faye didn't even see them come over to their table. Suddenly someone coughed to get their attention. She opened her eyes and saw the bounty standing in front of them, licking his lips, and rubbing his hands together. "Excuse me for interrupting, but I couldn't help but notice you two. You seem quite in love," he said to them. Faye blushed, but it was dark enough that no one saw.
"I was wondering if perhaps I could buy a drink for you, miss. After all, it is a rule of mine that I buy every beautiful woman at least on drink." Faye was so disgusted by him she could barely stand it. Spike wrapped a protective arm around her.
"Sorry buddy, she's my company, tonight," he said to the bounty. Faye took her cue and winked at him. The bounty caught it, and insisted, his bodyguard stepping closer to the table. "Well, if you're going to play it that way, I guess I can't say no," Spike gave in lifting his hand off her.
She walked over to the bounty's table and he ordered her a drink. He placed his hand lightly on her leg and she desperately fought the urge to yank out her gun. She smiled seductively and placed her hand on his, which was Spike's signal to get the hell over there. In a matter of moments he was out of his seat, across the room, and standing in front of their table.
"Sorry buddy, but I just can't stand to have my girl handled like that, plus there's a huge bounty out on your head. Guess that's just how it goes," he shrugged.
Faye slid over to get out of the booth and looked down at the seat to grab for her purse. Spike's gun was pointed at the bounty, whose hands were up in the air. Neither of them saw the third bodyguard who had been waiting at the bar. The gunshots rang out loudly in the small room. Everyone ducked or ran and the bounty took the opportunity to flee in the confusion.
At first, Faye didn't grasp what the hell had just happened. All she knew was the tables had been turned, and they had lost the bounty. She had ducked under the table, and lost sight of Spike. Had he run after them?
When the crowd cleared out, she got to her feet and looked around. She scooted out of the booth and stepped on someone. "Oh good God, I'm sor." she cut off when she realized whose bloody torso it was. "Spike!" She quickly knelt and scooped him into her arms. "Are you okay? Spike say something to me! Spike?!" Faye was screaming by this time. "Some one help me! Help! Someone call the police! Anyone! HELP!"
She jolted awake and let out a small cry. "Holy shit," she muttered. Before she had become fully conscious she started crying. She didn't quite comprehend why; probably because it had seemed so real. She had almost lost him. And she never had told him how she felt. Would it be long before she gathered her nerve to do so? Would there be time to spare? She didn't know. But for some reason, she didn't want to waste any more time.
Looking at the clock, it was only 1:00 am. He wouldn't be up yet. But did she want to chance sleep again? Not really. Not alone, anyway. She got up and walked out to the revolving hallway. The Bebop was quiet, dark, and cold. She was only wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and even though it was no more than she usually wore, she shivered. "I can't wait until morning. He won't get up until late anyway. I can't wait until then," Faye decided, and shuffled off to his room.
"Should I knock? He'll tell me to go away. Will he be mad if I just go in? Of course he will. But would he be more upset if I did or didn't knock before going in? Oh wait, since when do I care?" she concluded, but knocked anyway. There was no reply from within, so she slowly opened the door.
It was dark inside and it took her eyes a moment to adjust. There was a table with some books stacked on it. In a nook above his bed was a clock whose numbers were the only illumination in the room. The red numbers glowed 1:30. Clothes were strewn about in a pile in another corner at the end of his bed. He was sprawled under the covers.
Faye quietly shut the door and tip toed over to his side. She knelt on the floor and then plopped down, the noise disturbing him slightly. She reached up slowly and rested her hand on his head. Her fingers stroked through his soft green hair. He groaned and turned to face her.
"What the hell are you doing?" his voice raspy from sleep. He sounded annoyed, but he didn't stop her from combing through his hair.
"I had a nightmare," she whispered simply.
"And why do I give a damn? Do you want me to sing you back to sleep or something? Get the hell out, Faye. You're a big girl. Go back to bed." With that he turned over on his side, facing away from her.
"I dreamed that you died, and I didn't get to say goodbye to you," she continued on, having decided she was going to tell him whether he liked it or not.
"Yeah, well I thought you said you had a bad dream. That sounds like something you wish for on a daily basis to me," he said to the wall.
"We were chasing a bounty, and you got shot. I couldn't save you, and you died in my arms." she trailed off as tears came to her eyes again. Spike finally turned around. The red glow was just enough light to show the tears glistening on her cheek.
"What's wrong, Faye? Since when do you care?" he asked softly, wiping the tears away with his thumb. His hands were rough, but gentle.
"I've always cared. I just.I.That's what I wanted to say. I.I like you very much, and I don't want to lose you. I want to be around you as much as possible, and I don't want you to die. I.I love you," she finished, looking him in the face for the first time. "I just wanted to tell you as soon as possible, because this dream made me realize that what we do everyday could take you or me at any time. I just.didn't want that to happen without you knowing that someone loves you. I.I love you. So, that's all. I'm going back now, so.sorry to wake you up." She was getting to her feet when he grabbed her hand and pulled her to his bed. She was surprised by this, and even more so when she was pulled to his bare chest. He wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair. She placed a hand on his chest and the other around his back, holding him tightly.
"I wouldn't have known if you hadn't told me. We're always insulting each other, but I never really thought about us I guess. I don't want you to go anywhere either. You're my friend, and I don't want to lose you," Spike told her comfortingly.
She looked up at him. "But do you love me, too? I guess it doesn't really matter that much," she mumbled, looking back down again. " I'll keep loving you either way, but no one has ever really loved me before, at least not that I can remember." she trailed off. "It would just be nice, that's all. It would be really nice to be in love with someone who loves you too."
He suddenly thought of Julia. He loved her, right? But how long had it been since he had seen her? Years now. She was still alive; he just knew, somehow. But he didn't really know, did he? No. Yet here was Faye, professing this genuine love for him. He wanted to reciprocate it, but he wasn't sure. He didn't want to lie to her, but he didn't know the truth himself.
He looked down at the top of her head. She had always come through for him, even in the beginning. He never really thought about it, but she had always been looking out for him, hadn't she? Maybe there was a future for them.if he really loved her. Did he? She stirred in his arms.
"I don't want you to force yourself into a decision that you're not sure of. If we could just be friends, that will be enough. Can I still hug you sometimes?" she felt like such a child, asking him for something like that. He nodded a reply, and she settled onto his chest again.
He was warm, and his breathing comforted her. She was practically sitting in his lap now, but she didn't care. As long as she could be with him, it didn't matter. One-sided love happens all the time.
By the time he realized her breathing pattern had changed, she was fast asleep. He was still torn with his answer. She was very beautiful. That was always a plus, but he wasn't that shallow. She was considerate, despite her feigned selfishness. She was intelligent most of the time, and independent, until now. But he didn't mind her codependency on him. It was nice to be needed. And the biggest point of all: she was in love with him. That had nothing to do with him, and he couldn't change it. But did he even want to? No. He wanted her to love him. And he wanted to love her too. And that was that. "I'm in love with you, Faye," he stated as he kissed the top of her head.
She moved a bit at his touch. He rubbed her shoulder and wrapped his blanket around her. She was only in shorts and a t-shirt and her body wasn't generating a lot of heat. He pulled her to him more tightly. "What time is it? I should get back to my room." she said, rubbing her eyes and looking around for the clock. It was almost four. But Spike didn't give any indication of intending to let her go.
"Faye, I.I'm in love with you, too. I've been thinking about it since you fell asleep. You're very important to me, and I don't want to lose you, either. I love you, Faye."
"Can I kiss you?" she asked as she smiled up at him.
"Only if I'm allowed to kiss back."
"I like getting dressed up, but not to play so damn whore," Faye complained as she took Spike's hand to help her out of the Swordfish II. She was dressed in a floor length black gown with a slit up to her thigh. The spaghetti straps showed her creamy white shoulders and the low cut neck left little to the imagination. Her deep purple hair was up in a French twist with a red rose tucked in securely. Her high-heeled shoes clicked on the pavement.
"Oh, but it suits you so well, Faye," Spike retorted, himself dressed in a black suit, black vest, white shirt, and red tie.
"Shut up you asshole," Faye replied, taking his arm. The bounty they were after this evening liked to watch people dance. Very intimate dancing, that is. He got off on it. Usually they wouldn't have even touched on a bounty of such subject matter, but it was a huge one, being offered by a father whose daughter had been disgraced by the pervert.
The pair strolled up to the club and asked for a table next to the wall in a corner. Spike shook the host's hand and left 100 woolongs with him for his cooperation. They didn't want to risk being taken by surprise. It was dark inside, only lit by the lights on the stage, where a small band played slow jazz, and the candles on the tables. The darker the better; fewer people would be watching them. It wasn't too crowded tonight, anyway.
From where they were seated their bounty would be able to see them and they could easily keep an eye on him. They sat nonchalantly, but kept a close eye on his table. There were two bodyguards on either side of him, but they didn't seem to want to be there either. Not heavily armed.
Spike leaned close to Faye, his lips almost touching her ear. "Are you ready, Faye?" She almost shuddered at their proximity, but nodded in reply. Spike placed a hand on her shoulder and let his fingers trail down to where her hand lay on the table. Taking it in his own, he led her out onto the dance floor.
"Am I really ready for this? I won't really be acting." Faye thought to herself. She still didn't have the guts to tell Spike she was in love with him. And now she had to dance with him, if you could call what they were going to do dancing. How disgusting to do this in front of all these other people. But she would never admit, even to herself, that she was kind of turned on.
Spike suddenly yanked her to him and placed a hand on her lower back, holding her to him very tightly. She gasped loudly, hoping to get the bounty's attention. "Here we go," Spike's voice rasped in her ear. He let his hand slide down past her waist as they danced slowly. Soon he was tracing the slit up her thigh and slipping his hand inside. How could this not turn her on? Was he acting or was he enjoying this too? Faye wondered as she grasped his shoulder and moaned.
"Moan louder, he's not looking yet," Spike growled.
"You moan louder, jerk," she retorted. As a comeback, Spike gripped her butt. This elicited the desired response, and they had finally caught the bounty's eye.
"There, was that so hard?"
"Go to hell."
Spike's fingers lingered along the lining of Faye's silk underwear, then ran along her leg, bringing it off the ground and up around his waist. He pulled her against him forcefully again, never breaking eye contact with her. He dipped her, letting his nose trail down her neck, between her breasts. He even nuzzled at one. She gasped at the contact, and grabbed the back of his head. She softly called out his name and he brought her back up to him.
"We've got him, now let's sit down," Spike said, leading her off the floor. "He should be over soon. We just need to put on the finishing touches." With that Spike leaned in and kissed her. She was completely taken, and turned her body toward him. He cupped a breast in his hand and squeezed gently; she moaned into his mouth and arched her back into his touch. He broke the kiss and trailed them down her cheek to the nape of her neck. His hand fell to her thigh, and slipped under her dress again.
Faye didn't even see them come over to their table. Suddenly someone coughed to get their attention. She opened her eyes and saw the bounty standing in front of them, licking his lips, and rubbing his hands together. "Excuse me for interrupting, but I couldn't help but notice you two. You seem quite in love," he said to them. Faye blushed, but it was dark enough that no one saw.
"I was wondering if perhaps I could buy a drink for you, miss. After all, it is a rule of mine that I buy every beautiful woman at least on drink." Faye was so disgusted by him she could barely stand it. Spike wrapped a protective arm around her.
"Sorry buddy, she's my company, tonight," he said to the bounty. Faye took her cue and winked at him. The bounty caught it, and insisted, his bodyguard stepping closer to the table. "Well, if you're going to play it that way, I guess I can't say no," Spike gave in lifting his hand off her.
She walked over to the bounty's table and he ordered her a drink. He placed his hand lightly on her leg and she desperately fought the urge to yank out her gun. She smiled seductively and placed her hand on his, which was Spike's signal to get the hell over there. In a matter of moments he was out of his seat, across the room, and standing in front of their table.
"Sorry buddy, but I just can't stand to have my girl handled like that, plus there's a huge bounty out on your head. Guess that's just how it goes," he shrugged.
Faye slid over to get out of the booth and looked down at the seat to grab for her purse. Spike's gun was pointed at the bounty, whose hands were up in the air. Neither of them saw the third bodyguard who had been waiting at the bar. The gunshots rang out loudly in the small room. Everyone ducked or ran and the bounty took the opportunity to flee in the confusion.
At first, Faye didn't grasp what the hell had just happened. All she knew was the tables had been turned, and they had lost the bounty. She had ducked under the table, and lost sight of Spike. Had he run after them?
When the crowd cleared out, she got to her feet and looked around. She scooted out of the booth and stepped on someone. "Oh good God, I'm sor." she cut off when she realized whose bloody torso it was. "Spike!" She quickly knelt and scooped him into her arms. "Are you okay? Spike say something to me! Spike?!" Faye was screaming by this time. "Some one help me! Help! Someone call the police! Anyone! HELP!"
She jolted awake and let out a small cry. "Holy shit," she muttered. Before she had become fully conscious she started crying. She didn't quite comprehend why; probably because it had seemed so real. She had almost lost him. And she never had told him how she felt. Would it be long before she gathered her nerve to do so? Would there be time to spare? She didn't know. But for some reason, she didn't want to waste any more time.
Looking at the clock, it was only 1:00 am. He wouldn't be up yet. But did she want to chance sleep again? Not really. Not alone, anyway. She got up and walked out to the revolving hallway. The Bebop was quiet, dark, and cold. She was only wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and even though it was no more than she usually wore, she shivered. "I can't wait until morning. He won't get up until late anyway. I can't wait until then," Faye decided, and shuffled off to his room.
"Should I knock? He'll tell me to go away. Will he be mad if I just go in? Of course he will. But would he be more upset if I did or didn't knock before going in? Oh wait, since when do I care?" she concluded, but knocked anyway. There was no reply from within, so she slowly opened the door.
It was dark inside and it took her eyes a moment to adjust. There was a table with some books stacked on it. In a nook above his bed was a clock whose numbers were the only illumination in the room. The red numbers glowed 1:30. Clothes were strewn about in a pile in another corner at the end of his bed. He was sprawled under the covers.
Faye quietly shut the door and tip toed over to his side. She knelt on the floor and then plopped down, the noise disturbing him slightly. She reached up slowly and rested her hand on his head. Her fingers stroked through his soft green hair. He groaned and turned to face her.
"What the hell are you doing?" his voice raspy from sleep. He sounded annoyed, but he didn't stop her from combing through his hair.
"I had a nightmare," she whispered simply.
"And why do I give a damn? Do you want me to sing you back to sleep or something? Get the hell out, Faye. You're a big girl. Go back to bed." With that he turned over on his side, facing away from her.
"I dreamed that you died, and I didn't get to say goodbye to you," she continued on, having decided she was going to tell him whether he liked it or not.
"Yeah, well I thought you said you had a bad dream. That sounds like something you wish for on a daily basis to me," he said to the wall.
"We were chasing a bounty, and you got shot. I couldn't save you, and you died in my arms." she trailed off as tears came to her eyes again. Spike finally turned around. The red glow was just enough light to show the tears glistening on her cheek.
"What's wrong, Faye? Since when do you care?" he asked softly, wiping the tears away with his thumb. His hands were rough, but gentle.
"I've always cared. I just.I.That's what I wanted to say. I.I like you very much, and I don't want to lose you. I want to be around you as much as possible, and I don't want you to die. I.I love you," she finished, looking him in the face for the first time. "I just wanted to tell you as soon as possible, because this dream made me realize that what we do everyday could take you or me at any time. I just.didn't want that to happen without you knowing that someone loves you. I.I love you. So, that's all. I'm going back now, so.sorry to wake you up." She was getting to her feet when he grabbed her hand and pulled her to his bed. She was surprised by this, and even more so when she was pulled to his bare chest. He wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair. She placed a hand on his chest and the other around his back, holding him tightly.
"I wouldn't have known if you hadn't told me. We're always insulting each other, but I never really thought about us I guess. I don't want you to go anywhere either. You're my friend, and I don't want to lose you," Spike told her comfortingly.
She looked up at him. "But do you love me, too? I guess it doesn't really matter that much," she mumbled, looking back down again. " I'll keep loving you either way, but no one has ever really loved me before, at least not that I can remember." she trailed off. "It would just be nice, that's all. It would be really nice to be in love with someone who loves you too."
He suddenly thought of Julia. He loved her, right? But how long had it been since he had seen her? Years now. She was still alive; he just knew, somehow. But he didn't really know, did he? No. Yet here was Faye, professing this genuine love for him. He wanted to reciprocate it, but he wasn't sure. He didn't want to lie to her, but he didn't know the truth himself.
He looked down at the top of her head. She had always come through for him, even in the beginning. He never really thought about it, but she had always been looking out for him, hadn't she? Maybe there was a future for them.if he really loved her. Did he? She stirred in his arms.
"I don't want you to force yourself into a decision that you're not sure of. If we could just be friends, that will be enough. Can I still hug you sometimes?" she felt like such a child, asking him for something like that. He nodded a reply, and she settled onto his chest again.
He was warm, and his breathing comforted her. She was practically sitting in his lap now, but she didn't care. As long as she could be with him, it didn't matter. One-sided love happens all the time.
By the time he realized her breathing pattern had changed, she was fast asleep. He was still torn with his answer. She was very beautiful. That was always a plus, but he wasn't that shallow. She was considerate, despite her feigned selfishness. She was intelligent most of the time, and independent, until now. But he didn't mind her codependency on him. It was nice to be needed. And the biggest point of all: she was in love with him. That had nothing to do with him, and he couldn't change it. But did he even want to? No. He wanted her to love him. And he wanted to love her too. And that was that. "I'm in love with you, Faye," he stated as he kissed the top of her head.
She moved a bit at his touch. He rubbed her shoulder and wrapped his blanket around her. She was only in shorts and a t-shirt and her body wasn't generating a lot of heat. He pulled her to him more tightly. "What time is it? I should get back to my room." she said, rubbing her eyes and looking around for the clock. It was almost four. But Spike didn't give any indication of intending to let her go.
"Faye, I.I'm in love with you, too. I've been thinking about it since you fell asleep. You're very important to me, and I don't want to lose you, either. I love you, Faye."
"Can I kiss you?" she asked as she smiled up at him.
"Only if I'm allowed to kiss back."