Faith had been called many things in her life, a good number of them uncomplimentary. She was starting to get the idea that sometimes it didn't matter what someone said, as long as she knew the truth. Of course, things were much better when a few more people knew the truth as well. Faith was many things, but she wasn't an idiot.
Adam wasn't his first name, though it was real enough for now. He was immortal, and that should perhaps get a capital I when she thought about it or looked in her books. The sort of immortality that Dick had been looking for, as well as countless people over the centuries. He'd been a 'not very nice' person. Once, he used a name that translated as Death, and had a comrade called War. He'd kept terrified minions. He swore in Sumerian the way people only swear in languages that they learned as living, speaking tongues.
Her self-appointed Watcher, live-in kinky lover and friend had once been Death of the Four Horsemen.
Adam stumbled into the room, muttering something that held the words 'coffee' and 'die' among bits that she couldn't understand. His hair stuck in strange directions, and he only wore a pair of boxer shorts.
Handing him a mug of coffee, Faith smiled, "If I have to deal with an apocalypse, I'm blaming you."
Drinking from the mug, Adam raised one eyebrow.
"You certainly gave me enough hints to work with, Adam. You even told me the name you went by, back when you rode with your pal War. So, not that the motorcycle isn't a nice step up," Faith held her own mug. "But I'm still blaming you if an apocalypse shows up."
Adam sputtered, coffee ending up all over the table. "Hwaaa?"
Faith smirked at him, sipping her coffee. "I'm not as dumb as some people would like to think. I put the pieces together, the picture isn't exactly pretty, but there it is. Adam's a much better name for today."
"Damn. I'm not used to people actually putting the clues together instead of insisting that can't be right," he wiped at his face, and sighed. "Towel?"
Handing him a couple paper towels, Faith smirked, "The coffee does more good inside than on the table."
"And the apocalypse thing?" Adam was mopping up the coffee spray.
Faith poured some more coffee into Adam's mug. "You know, the whole threatened end of the world? Supposed to be a nasty thing, lots of death, destruction, chaos... All that?"
"I am familiar with the term apocalypse," Adam grumbled. "But we never tried to end the world!"
"No?" Faith arched one eyebrow, grinning at him. Teasing Adam was fun, especially when he was still half asleep.
"Raze a settlement, yes. Destroy the world? Hell no!" Adam spat. "We lived in the world, where else would we go? And then things got bigger in the retelling, and of course some of us felt like we had to try to measure up to our reputations, but we never tried to end the world!"
"Alright, Adam," Faith moved closer, letting her hand fall onto his arm. "I didn't mean to get you that riled up."
"Hrrmmmph," Adam scowled as he sipped at his coffee. "Destroy the world, indeed."
"I was mostly teasing you about the apocalypse stuff," Faith whispered into his ear.
"Good," Adam pouted. "The centuries have given me a bad reputation."
Faith laughed, imagining his face if she called him on that pout. "Wholly undeserved and exaggerated, right?"
Adam coughed, "Well... mostly exaggerated. And all my things are in this world."
"And we all know how boys are about their toys, no matter how old they are," Faith teased again.
Adam twisted, pulling her onto his lap before Faith could do more than squeak in surprise. He kissed her, and murmured, "Once upon a time, some would have considered you to be one of my toys."
"I'm not a toy, and I won't be ever ag..." Faith shook her head. "I'm a Slayer, not a toy. Even though it is fun to play with you."
Adam held her, murmuring things into her ear in half a dozen languages. "Maybe we should just finish our coffee and let the distant past go for the morning?"
"Yeah," Faith agreed. "That would probably be the best. Coffee, some food, and swords."
"A good plan, my bright star," Adam whispered.
Faith looked at him, "Hmmm?"
"I want your sword work to get better. Neither one of us have forgotten those demons, and I have a suspicion of what they might have done to you," Adam sighed, running his hand along her jaw. "But I don't have proof."
"What if you're wrong?" Faith asked, not sure if she wanted his idea into words just yet.
"Even if I'm wrong about the side effects, you are still Faith, the Slayer. Improving your sword work could only be a good thing," Adam countered.
Faith nodded, knowing that he was right. "You just want to get me all hot and sweaty in spandex."
"That's just a bonus, my star." Adam smirked.
end BS7: Smart Star
