Thorn in My Back
It was late. Many were preparing in the house for what might be their last fight the next morning. But something was wrong. Spike was nowhere to be found. "Ugh, where is he?" Buffy exclaimed. "I specifically remember telling him to wait until everything was done before wandering off." Faith sat on a chair in the living room. She looked stressed out, rubbing her hands repeatedly while peeking through the windows. "Look B, I need some air. Figure I might as well get your boy toy while I'm at it." Buffy didn't even stop what she was doing. She just kept packing and cleaning the weapons in the house.
Faith went outside. She didn't see Spike outside the house so she reached into her jacket pocket for a smoke. "This is gonna be a long night." Suddenly she heard something. She could tell it was coming from the roof of the house. She moved her hand to reach for her stake instead and she rushed for the roof. Once she got there she saw Spike. But something was wrong. He was just lying there, back on the roof tiles and face directly to the sky. His hands were behind his head and his boots were kicking away at the tiles.
"Blondie, B's been worried sick about you. I came out lookin' for you-" her words were cut short by Spike's scowl. "And now you've found me, jog on then." Faith wasn't surprised at his response, but for some reason she couldn't help but feel…sorry. "Alright, I'll bite, what's eatin' you?" Faith walked closer to him. "Nothing…just go away." Faith laid next to him, back flat on the ground and face up at the stars, hands on her stomach. "It's Buffy right?" Spike saw that she was next to him, roughly a meter apart. He turned away from her and muttered something under his breath. "You're just like the rest of them. You know for once I'd like to talk about something other than o'l big, blonde, and bossy." Faith smirked. "Alright then let's talk."
Spike said nothing and held his silence for 30 seconds. "You think I won't understand huh? Okay, I'll talk first." Faith put her hands behind her head. "Where do I begin? All the people I've killed? All the boys I've hit, literally and figuratively? My long history of Daddy issues? Hmm, choices." Spike turned back to face her. "Why are you doing this?" Faith turned her eyes to meet his "You know, that's exactly what I asked myself all those times. It's almost like you read my mind." Spike rolled his eyes. "No! I mean why are you talking to me. Like we're friends or something. Can you honestly say you give a bleeding minute about me?" Faith replied "The way I see it, you were the big bad in '98, I was the big bad in 99. We baddies gotta stick together, ya know?"
"Oh please." Spike said trying to hide his smirk "You were more of a speed bump. I was a bloody road block." Faith noticed him trying to conceal his face. She took the opportunity as it came. "Oh yeah? You think you could take me? I had Buffy on her knees when we were fighting." Spike finally stopped trying to hide his enjoyment. "Yeah, before she put you in a coma for a year. I would have killed her if it weren't for Drusilla and Angelus getting in my way." Faith stood up with her slasher smile plastered across her face. "You want to put that to the test, big guy?" Spike just looked up at her and laughed "Oh please. What makes you think me fighting you would prove anything?" Faith threw her jacket off the roof. "In case you forgot, I'm a slayer too. I'm just as strong as B in her prime. And the best part? I have no limits! I'll kill anything with a pulse if I have to." Faith stopped herself from continuing and frowned. She hated when others compared her to Buffy…so why was she doing it this time? Spike just kept looking up at the night sky. "The stars are beautiful aren't they?" Faith crossed her arms and tilted her head with a smirk. "Angel would do it." Spike jumped out of his position and leaped at her with his fist heading in her direction. "Why, you little-"
Faith dodged to the right. "Not bad. But your swing is way to wide." Spike smirked "Well luv, care to show me how you-" Faith immediately punched him in the face. Spike wiped his nose of the blood, looked at her, and sneered. Faith shaked her hand to relieve it of the pain. Maybe it was his vampire strength, maybe it was all those beatings he's taken from Buffy. But whatever it was, punching Spike's face was like punching a pile of bricks. "Don't tell me you've had it, big guy. I never thought of you as the type to pull out so soon." Spike stood up straight. "You really think you can handle all of this sweet pea?" He threw his jacket off the roof "I've bested 2 slayers in my time." Faith flipped her hair and replied "and I've dusted at least 24 vamps in my time."
"I'm not holding back, luv"
"Wasn't counting on it."
The sun crept on them slowly. Their bodies were bruised, beaten, and bloody. But they were both still standing.
"Had enough, pet?" Spike remarked breathing hard.
"I was gonna ask you the same thing." Faith groaned as she coughed out blood.
In the blink of an eye, they leaped at each other and threw their last punch knocking each other onto the ground of the roof. Their backs flat on the roof opposite each other. Their eyes looking up at the sky as the suns glow grew thicker. "Was it good for you too?" Faith muffled. Spike tried to get up but he couldn't. The pain was unbearable. "I've seen better days." He breathed heavily. Faith pushed her hands against the roof to get up, but fell back down. It was like she was immobilized "Speaking of days, about high time you get your peroxide-" Faith's words were cut off by Spikes.
"Thank you." Spike said under his breath. "I needed something to relieve this pain. This…thorn in my back" Spike closed his eyes.
"We both have thorns, big guy." Faith closed her eyes.