(Authors notes- Woo-hoo, time for my annual update :) In case anyone is still reading this fic, I dumped the original chapter four as it was complete crap. So I wrote this one instead ages ago back when I was still writing stuff, I just forgot all about it. Hope it doesn't suck too badly)
"Ow…what the fuck T…..ow…..jesus!", Faith spat out as I hit her again and again with her heavy chemistry book covered in peeling band stickers. Quite why the school issued her with such a thick book is beyond me as, knowing her the way I do, the amount of actual chemistry knowledge she'd ever retain could be written in a pamphlet.
"Fai, t-there's a…..there it is!", I squealed as I brought the book down hard over the back of her head and shoulders until she rolled over and blocked it with her hands as a scowl blemished her perfect features.
"Dammit Tara, what's wrong with you? What the hell are you doing?", she yelped as she stared at me with those doe eyes which could entice me into doing anything, which would explain why I'm currently dressed this way.
"A-a-a rat just ran along your back and under your hair!", I explained with wide eyes trying to wrench the book back away from her so I could clobber the little beast. Running your paws up and down Faith's back is my job! There's no way I'm going to let this rat take over from me, not to mention the skin flaking diseases that vermin carry.
"Oh for fuck's sake", Faith sighed as she pulled her freshly painted fingertips away from the weighty tome and slid them under her hair to her shoulders where she rummaged around for a second before smiling, "It was only Zoe"
"Z-Zoe? You have a rodent infestation….and you're naming them?", I coughed out readying the book as if I was about to swing a homerun.
"What? No wait… see?", she said as her cocky smirk returned to her face letting her dimples flash…oh my, every time I saw them I fell in love with her all over again and thought about naughty things…..focus Tara, she's being attacked by a rat…..think about naughty things later when you're in the shower.
She held out her palm where sat a small white mouse with pink ears squeaking and squirming across her fingers.
"P-put it down…throw it out the window or something…", I squealed as she just let out that raspy chuckle which made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
"T, you dumbass. Zoe is my pet mouse. I wanted a puppy but building regulations wouldn't let me have one so Angel got me a mouse instead. S'not quite the same but she's pretty damn cool…..and rabies free which is always a bonus".
"Oh…I….sorry….I-I thought….", I blurted out as a blush scoured my face and I tossed the heavy book down on her bed, mesmerised about how soft and gentle she was being with this little mouse.
"Aww baby, don't worry, Mommy's here", Faith said with a babyish voice as she stroked it with feather-light touches, and yes, I felt ridiculous for being jealous of a mouse. "Did the big crazy hippie scare you?"
"Crazy? Fai, for the last time, liking Coldplay is not a registered mental illness", I said with the faint flicker of a smile.
"Should be", she replied as she rolled off the bed and across to the small cage sitting by her stack of skateboard parts and half used tins of paint, "She gets out the cage sometimes, we got it second hand so some of the bars are missing and the door is held on with bits of wire. Like I said, we don't have much money"
She shrugged nonchalantly but I know how much she hated being so poor, most of her clothes were from the Salvation Army and places like that, and their apartment was pretty Spartan with their few possessions coming from yard sales and the like. And not a single pen in their place wasn't emblazoned with the name of a bank or real estate developer, you know how those places like to hand them out.
I felt so bad for her and Angel having to live like this but they've always lived at this level, and man do I admire Faith for never letting it dampen her joie de vivre. I toyed awkwardly with the fraying thread on this top which was way too tight even on me, how the hell Faith ever managed to crowbar her boobs into it I'll never know. It was weird being at her place in the middle of the day but after the incident this morning at school Principal Woods sent us both home, it was probably for the best otherwise Cordelia would've spent the day in the Emergency Room and Faith would've been in handcuffs…mmm, Faith in cuffs …dammit Tara, focus here!
"I'm sorry Fai", I said coming up behind her as she twisted the fuse wire trying to keep the cage door shut and the mouse contained, "Did I hurt you?"
"You cracked me in the damn head and neck with a heavy ass book", she said with an adorable pout, and in her current attire, it made me just want to eat her up. Ooops, lucky I just thought that as if I said it out loud she would've been punning for the next hour.
"I'm sorry Fai….can I do anything?", I said softly as I ran my fingertips along her jawline until her eyes slowly raised to meet mine.
"You can kiss it and make it better". Ah, there's my Faith. The quirk of the eyebrow and the smirk on the lips which I, and I alone, would get to have blessed on them. God, every time I head that nicotine rich purr it always stirred me in ways I wasn't ready to share with her….not just yet anyway. But whenever I heard those deliciously gritty tones coupled with that smile…..oh god, she totally owned my heart, and it felt so right to let her.
"Ok sweetie, where's your boo-boo's?", I asked as Faith looked on at me with unguarded eyes, the free eyes which only I and Angel ever got to see.
"Here", she said pointing a finger to the top of her crown where I leaned forward and pressed my lips to the growing lump, ooh, that's got to hurt.
"Here", Faith said trying not to laugh as she pointed to her forehead, nowhere near where I hit her, but I still lay a delicate little kiss to her as I could play along too as I knew where she was going with this. Yeah, we watched Raiders Of The Lost Ark recently.
"And…..here?"
Oh now she was milking it as her index finger ran across her full and succulent lips which glimmered with its glossy peach coating. I breathed deeply before my lips met hers, my pulse beginning to grow as I pushed in fuller, my hands coming up to cup her cheeks as I felt my whole body tingle. As we pushed our bodies together I could feel my lady parts warming up a little more, oh god, the things this girl does to me.
"This stings a bit", she grinned as her hand began to trail down her neck and towards her breasts.
"Nice try Fai", I smirked hooking my hands behind her neck.
"Oh come on T, don't you want a booby snack?"
She chuckled as her arms came round, her fingers interlocking in the small of my back as my hands ran through her flawless hair, I really should ask her what conditioner she uses as my hair always seems so brittle.
As we just stood in silence, breathing in the moment and hoping it would last forever, our heads twisted to the cracked full length mirror which held our images. We both sniggered at the reflection, but even now I could feel my tongue drying out and my eyes bulge to cartoonish qualities as I trailed my gaze along her seldom seen legs.
"I'm not sure if this shirt is really…..me", I said with a hooked grin wondering just how much cleavage I could show without being arrested for indecent exposure.
"I said you could wear my Red Sox jersey instead", she said nodding to the oversized baggy top covered in grease and paint which probably hadn't been washed since Faith hit puberty.
"No way are you ever going to see me in that", I coughed back derisively. It stunk like ass.
"T…..you know the number one rule when dealin' with me?"
"Never feed you after midnight?", I smirked and chewed on my bottom lip cutely.
"Very funny", she snorted in faux petulant child routine, "The number one rule is never rag on the Sox"
"I wasn't…I promise ….I was ragging on your inability to use a clothes hamper". Hah, there I said it. Honestly, her floor looked like a third world relief effort.
"Oh you are full of it today, baby", she grinned mischievously as she pressed her boobs against mine, god her nips were as hard as mine…..oh my.
"Oh, i-is that Angel? He's back from the school already?", I said in a sudden panic as I heard a rattle of keys and a kick of the foot as he tried to get the door to open, Faith had explained there was an art to get the rusty old lock to work properly. And I really didn't want him to find us doing…..erm …..things.
"Dammit, I'm never gonna get to third base", she whined jokingly as she flicked her battered old cd player off, thank god for that for as much as I loved her I couldn't take another tune by these noiseniks. I mean, Lard. What kind of name is that for a band anyway? As my eardrums soothed Faith took my hand in hers and stepped into the small area that somehow passed as the living room.
"Oh….sorry", Angel said apologetically as he came through the door and saw us only to back out and stare at the number on the door curiously, "Hang on, this is my place"
"Very funny jackass", Faith snorted as I could feel a slight film of sweat building on her palm, which was really out of character for her, but I gave her hand a little squeeze as I knew she felt as out of place as I did. But I told her I would only wear these clothes if she wore what I picked out too.
"Oh my god…..just where is my sister and her girlfriend?", Angel said with alarmingly high eyebrows as he threw his jacket over the back of the sofa they rescued from a sidewalk, sure it had quite a few cigarette burns and quite a bit of duct tape holding it together but it was soooo comfy.
"Any other lame gags you got kicking around in that gel of yours?", Faith said as she rolled her eyes but I could see the faint hint of a blush rosying her cheeks, this was a big step for her and I know she felt like a complete tool, but the opinion of her big brother meant so much to her, even though she would never admit it.
"So, did you lose a bet or something?", Angel said looking us both up and down, I thought after being called into the school earlier he would be more pissed at us.
"I-it was me", I said with my customary stutter poking it's ugly head back into my words, but it was lessening the more time I spent around Angel, which was a lot these days now Grandma and her beau were officially an item, "Faith w-wanted me to dress like her b-but I said I would only do it if she wore what I picked out for her too"
He looked me up and down like I was a prize pony in some kind of delinquent parade, as I shuffled awkwardly from foot to foot in these uber tight leather pants which creaked embarrassingly every time I moved, my lips smeared with a deep scarlet shade of gloss with dark and menacing eyeshadow. The tight cropped band t-shirt also did nothing for my confidence, I mean, I don't even like metal let alone extreme metal so wearing a Jesus Anal Penetration top just made me cringe.
But then again, it was nothing to how my beautiful girlfriend cringed when I pulled a dress from my bag, one which I bought her just last week after saving all my money from working in Grandma's shop. Yeah, it meant I was now penniless but looking at her now…..god, it was worth every cent.
It was a simple summer dress which hung to just above her knees, its pale yellow accentuating her soft make up and straightened hair, as the sun flickered through the crumbling blinds she looked like an angelic vision.
"So…..what do you think?", Faith said biting her lip and the tip of her brown wedge heels attempted to screw into the carpet before she gave a little twirl, the dress flaring out a little before sitting back comfortably on her body with not an inch of cleavage to be seen like she was fresh from church or performing a 'sweet and innocent' routine for Juvenile Court. So looked so enchanting, so young, chaste even. Though I know that could never be seeing as she lost her virginity in a confessional booth on her fifteenth birthday.
"Wow", said Angel, his words mangling in his throat, but his smile said more than a thousand well- chosen words.
"I know I look like a total…."
"You look lovely. Honestly, it's really nice to see you wearing something a bit more girly for once. You're a good influence on her Tara", Angel said smiling warmly at me.
"Hey….. lil' sis standing right here", Faith said waving her hand as if we going to decide her wardrobe from now on. I can just imagine the arguments, pouting and the bill for all the flowers of apology I'd have to buy her, best not push these things.
Come on now Tara, tell Faith how gorgeous she looks, she wouldn't do this for anyone, not even Angel, but she did it for you. Trying to impress you by being brave enough to show you her softer side, so say something. Use your damn words!
"Y-you look pretty", I blurted out. Oh brilliant Tara, that's the best you can come up with? Oh I suck sometimes, but as Faith turned to me I could see in her eyes and the twitching of her lips into a glorious smile, just how much such a simple sentiment meant to her.
"Thanks babe", she muttered gently as our fingers entwined.
"How come you don't wear dresses more often?", I asked as her thumb rubbed gently over the back of my hand.
"'Cos I only have one, this horrible pink thing with little flowers all over it that Angel bought me when I first moved in which I swore never to wear", she said giving a dramatic shiver before aiming a wink at her brother who relaxed on the sofa. "But I only have two skirts and three pairs of jeans. It's not like we have the cash to go splurging on shit like this", Faith said flaring out the skirt a little.
"Oh…"
"But thanks T, I really mean it", Faith said softly. Wow, I can really tell how much this means to her, being comfortable enough with someone, namely me, to let out her femme side. And man, it's a side the world needs to see as she is just so droolworthy.
"It's ok….it works on you"
"You know I love you Tara", Faith said as I snuggled into her arms. I don't think 'yummy' is a yummy enough word for how she looked right now, though she looked like she was ready for a Sunday School bake sale or something.
"More than your ED-209 collectible?"
"Yeah…..but it's a close thing", she joked as I gave her a playful swat on the arm making her chuckle.
"Laugh all you want my lil' hell kitten"
"Hell kitten?"
Oh crap, I really said that out loud. I always wanted to give her a nickname, just between the two of us, but 'hell kitten'? Where did that spring from? Oh subconscious, you crazy realm of …something.
"You know Faith, I don't appreciate getting a call at work asking me to come into school to haul your ass out the fire…..again", said Angel as he broached the conversation we really didn't want to start on.
"So Gel-Boy", Faith said turning to her brother, "How much trouble are we in?"
"You know that Principal Woods of yours isn't such an asshole after all. I explained it all to him and he said you're not in trouble Faith, nor you Tara, he was pretty understanding actually"
Phew, my academic record remains unblemished. College here I come.
"Makes a change", huffed Faith but I could sense the relief in her, nothing compared to mine though. For I thought we'd be in deep trouble after Faith wanted beat Cordelia to death before first period. The day started off fine enough as we were hanging with Xander and Kennedy, I even made a more concerted effort to talk to them, though they were Faith's friends she really wanted me to like them on my own terms. I still shudder when I think of what life was like just a month ago when I was simply a wallflower trudging the hallways of school in a haze of shadows of pain. But that's High School for you, all bubblegum and razorblades.
But as soon as we stepped through the school doors it all went to hell in a second. We could see the walls plastered with neon yellow flyers which read 'For a good time call Faith's mother, Caroline Lehane, with over twenty arrests for prostitution and drugs she is the one to use for your pleasure.', in big lettering above a mugshot of a woman with a black eye and two missing teeth, 'So call Faith's mom, a proud junkie whore. It runs in the family!'
"Faith, you think I like telling people that our Mom is a hooker with a drug problem?", Angel said with a touch of venom making me flinch a little, as Faith's head hung I could feel her heartache.
"No", she replied like a chastised child, "But that bitch Cordelia…."
"I know Faith, but can't you see why she did it? Cordelia wanted you to fly off the handle and hit her in front of your Principal so you'd be expelled, then Tara would be an open target for her again. I know Xander and Kennedy would be there but it's not the same", he said sagely like a wise man with too much product in his hair.
"Well d'uh", Faith mocked, "We figured that out already"
"When?", he said with brows that furrowed in surprise.
"When Tara had me on the floor in a front face lock. Where did you learn that shit anyways?", she asked turning to me and my simmering blush.
"You make me watch Smackdown every week, something was bound to rub off", I shrugged as it was such a blur, all I remember is seeing the veins in Faith's neck throbbing before she ran at Cordelia. Then something about me snatching a handful of her hair before grabbing her round the neck and dropping to the floor as Principal Woods dismissed the quickly gathered crowd as I held Faith down whilst she screamed all manner of profanities at me, some of which I'm sure she made up.
Once the crowd parted Principal Woods sent us both home, but as soon as I let Faith up I could see the rage and humiliation burning in her eyes. She stormed out the building and I followed, I couldn't let her wounds be exposed like that. Though I feared it would ruin my perfect attendance record I wasn't going to let my Faith suffer alone, after six blocks we wandered through the park where she calmed down enough to let me hold her which is when she slumped into my arms and began to cry. Like really cry.
"I just didn't want your anger make you do something stupid", I said to my girlfriend.
"I wasn't flying off the handle….", she protested.
"Faith, you promised to…..oh what was that beautifully poetic phrase you used about Cordelia? Oh yes, you said you'd 'nail her motherfuckin' face to the motherfuckin' floor'. For someone who keeps a thesaurus by their toilet you really need to read it sometime", I said playfully hoping to take the edge of the siblings words.
"Faith, you know if the cops got involved then they could take you away", Angel said softly but firmly as he stood to stare her in the eye trying to press on her just how close she'd come, "I'm only your guardian and if you get in trouble then the court will see me as unfit and you'd be right back in the foster system"
"I….oh….I didn't think of that", she said embarrassed as her gaze dropped to the floor.
"Of course you didn't, you never do. Anyway, once I explained it all to Principal Woods he decided to let it fly. You too Tara, he said this was your one 'get-out-of-jail-free' card", he smiled as he caressed her shoulder, "Just one thing, he showed me your report card….yours too Tara"
"M-mine?", I coughed as he handed it to me.
"He asked me to pass it on to you, I couldn't resist a sneak peek. Sorry, but I wanted to make sure my lil' sis wasn't screwing up your schoolwork too much. You've done really well, you should be proud of yourself", Angel said warmly as my eyes skimmed over the glowing report.
"However Faith…..yours is…..well….", he said holding up her report card trying to act like the stern parental figure.
"What?", she said as she looked at it.
"Your report card simply says 'the girl is chaos' in scrawling red typography. I'm not sure how to take that"
"'The girl is chaos?'….I like that…..I'm gonna paint it on my 'board", she grinned back.
"Faith, seriously. You really need to start working harder in school….I don't want to have to ground you"
A sharp blast of laughter exploded from Faith as she brought her hands up to her deeply dimpled face, she hasn't laughed like that since we watched The Grudge 2 when that blonde girl got thrown off that building at the start. We were in the movie theatre at the time and while I and everyone else was wincing, Faith sat there pissing herself laughing, tears down her face and everything. I have the strangest girlfriend ever.
"G-ground me?", she finally forced out wiping away her tears, "Oh that is priceless…hahahahaha"
"Fine", huffed Angel, "Maybe I'll use the same copy place as Cordelia and plaster the school of pictures of you in your first communion dress? All cutesy in your ribbons and lace"
"Hey….that's not funny", Faith replied snapping out of her laughter with a hint of worry etching her voice, "You wouldn't?"
"You know I certainly would", Angel sing-songed knowing her Achilles heel better than anyone.
"You're a jackass", she snorted as she crossed her arms over her chest, I tried not to laugh as she looked so adorable, like an overgrown petulant child. That same pouty face she has when she tries to do those magic eye things, she still hasn't got the knack of it.
"I know. But you love me", he grinned back nudging her shoulder, I could see her trying not to let a smile flood out but Angel really was the only person on this rotten old planet she loved and trusted without hesitation. Though admittedly I was certainly the front runner to be let into their little club of two.
"Speaking of Cordelia", I interrupted trying to sway the conversation away, "What should we do? Revenge wise I mean"
"I have a plan", offered Faith as she slumped down on the beaten old sofa.
"I have a better plan", I countered as I slipped onto her lap, a position more comfortable than any. I tried not to purr as her arms slid around Faith waist as she pulled me close into her. Though these leather pants were making me sweat and creak horribly.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean your plan will probably involve getting Cordelia tarred and feathered, or slashing her tires or setting fire to her shoes or something", I said with a wry wink.
"Well…..not in that specific order", she replied a little disappointed that I could know her so well, "Ok then, what does the queen of tie dye and hemp pants suggest?"
"We need subtlety…and you my love are about as subtle as a cinder block to the face"
"True. So what's the plan then, smart ass?", Faith chuckled giving my waist a little squeeze.
"Fiberglass", I said with a firm nod, oh she was clearly not impressed thus far.
"Fiberglass? Don't they make tent poles and fishing rods out of that?"
"No dummy", I giggled nudging my Faith, "The fiberglass you insulate a roof with, you know that really itchy wool stuff. Just a tiny pinch rubbed into her panties whilst Cordelia's in the shower after gym class, it'll get under her skin and she'll be scratching herself down there for weeks. And you know what school is like for rumors, within days her reputation will be ruined once the word of mouth gets around about her sleeping with hobo's and dirty old men"
"Damn T", said Faith with her mouth hanging open, "Remind me never to fuck you off"
"Duly noted baby", I smiled back as I slithered in close and pressed my lips to hers.
God, how I loved this girl.
And I knew, with every little sparkle in her eyes, she loved me too.
My lil' hell kitten.
Mine!
