Sooo…I've decided that I would like physics a lot more if it didn't involve so much homework. At least I did it all before goofing off this time. Anyway, lets get back to the story, shall we?
*****
Don't Leave Me Now
Part 8
*****
It was a gradual process, coming back from a state of deep sleep into the world of conscious thought. It was always accompanied with the gradual awareness of sensations as the brain began to convey messages that had been put on standby for the night and were only now of any use to the body. Sometimes the sensations were pleasing, some were painful, but they always came to be more strong than they would have been had the person never fallen asleep. The refreshed mind intensified the signals the body sent it, telling the person in no uncertain terms how they should feel.
For Faye Valentine on this particular morning, the feelings that washed over her as her mind became more and more aware were almost all enjoyable, save for one. She loved the feel of the soft sheets wrapped around her, keeping her in a cocoon of warmth. She loved the smell of her cocoon, a mixture of herself and Spike, but as it was Spike's bed, there was more of him to the smell, and that suited her just fine. She loved the soft feeling of the mattress below her, warmed by the heat from her body. She loved the satiated feeling that came from inside, the feeling that she could only seem to get from one man. She loved the pair of arms wrapped around her, one bent under her waist with the hand resting just on the curve of her hip, the other slung carelessly over her chest to rest across her back. She loved the soft noise of his breathing, coming somewhere between silence and snoring. She loved the hot little puffs of his air as he exhaled into her hair over and over again. She loved the scent of his skin, the semi-smooth texture of it as she rested with her face pressed into his throat. She loved the heat that radiated lazily from his body and from her own. She loved the sound of indiscernible muttering as he dreamed, and the way he'd occasionally shift, usually to draw her closer.
However, she did not enjoy the feeling of the sole of her left foot being licked repeatedly. She had woken up to all those feelings, and though the rest of them would have made her extremely happy all together, the only one she could focus on was that last one. The wet tongue slopping over her foot over and over again. She feared that moving would break the rest of the spell. She'd shift her legs to pull the exposed foot under the sheets and the man sleeping next to her would turn out to not be solid, only a figment of her imagination. Maybe if she could wait long enough, the tongue would go away. If she could only ignore that stupid dog for a little while longer...
And then, it was gone. Like a miracle, the tongue stopped its onslaught, and the dog moved away from her foot. But then she heard a grunt from the man next to her and she suddenly realized that the dog was not done with them yet. It had simply found someone else to torture.
"Ein, dammit..." Spike's voice, annoyed and full of sleep, broke the relative silence of the room. Faye felt him moving beside her, his arms shifting in their embrace, his upper body lifting slightly as he obviously moved to make sure he had correctly identified the creature who had been foolish enough to wake him in such a way. "How the hell'd you get in here? It's too early! Go...play with Ed or something." One of his arms moved from her, and she heard the noise of something being thrown and then a dog whining before padding down the hall. "Damn dog..." Spike grumbled, and then, to Faye's disappointment, she felt him standing up entirely, leaving her feeling a bit cold lying naked and alone as he moved across the room. She sighed sadly as she finally moved her body a bit, trying to find where he had retreated to and finding nothing. It seemed as though she had imagined it all until she heard the click of a door closing and the soft noise of bare feet padding across the room before there was a shift of weight on the bed and he was there again, sliding his naked body back against her, his skin chilled from leaving the bed, but warming soon as he yawned and drew her close to him, kissing the top of her head before remaining still for so long she was certain he'd gone back to sleep. But when she opened her emerald eyes for the first time that morning, she was met with his answering gaze, complete with his uniquely separate eye coloring.
"Morning." Faye ventured, surprised to feel a blush creep over her cheeks. She shifted her position, burying her face in the crook of his neck so that he might not see the coloring.
"Morning." He answered, running his fingers through her hair lazily.
"What time is it?" she looked up again when she was sure her face was back to its normal color. He craned his neck around backwards to get a look at the digital clock on his bedside table.
"Too early for me." he told her as he turned back, grinning slightly. "Almost half past nine."
"Damn! That is early." Faye groaned, burrowing deeper into the warmth of Spike's body in an attempt to hide from the early hour. After a few moments of wriggling, however, she felt a warm pressure against her stomach and she gasped, looking up at Spike in surprise. "Doesn't take much for you, does it?"
"Are you kidding?" his voice was a bit strained as his hands began to move over her back. "Wriggling around like that...dammit." Spike lowered his lips to her neck, sucking at the skin there greedily.
"Well I'm sorry I didn't think about it." Faye smiled at the attention she was receiving. "But it isn't like I don't know what I'm doing here, and I wasn't even thinking about that."
"That's not the point..." Spike worked at her collarbone, knowing how sensitive the skin there was. "I bet you're thinking it now."
"Think you're so great?" Faye fought to keep a level tone, moving so that Spike couldn't reach her neck and shoulders so easily. "I bet you've only ever had two women in your bed."
"One." he answered, surprising Faye with his serious tone. "Julia...we were always in her bed...so you know."
"And then after she hogged all your attention, I was the only one who caught your eye?" Faye asked. "I was only kidding, Spike. I know you've had other women."
"Why would I be with someone I didn't want to be with?" Spike asked in reply. "Well...okay, there was one other woman. Before Julia. She was older than me, but I guess she decided that she needed to make me a man."
"How much older?" Faye asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Too much older." Spike grinned maliciously. "I was thirteen and she was over twice that old."
"Disgusting...why would you sleep with someone old enough to be your mom?" Faye curled her lip in disgust.
"She got me drunk. Plus, she had huge boobs. I was a teenager, how could I say no to that?" Spike chuckled at the memory.
"Ew, she took advantage of a kid." Faye seemed upset by this, but Spike just laughed at her.
"Yeah, but I kept coming back for more. Then I decided it was too dangerous so I stopped." he told her, his fingers in her hair again.
"Too dangerous? What, was she one of the boss's wives or something?" Faye joked. But the smile disappeared when Spike shrugged, his eyes confirming the answer. "That's pretty stupid. Why would you put yourself at risk like that?"
"For fun." Spike answered. "I don't know if she was really all that attractive, or if it was the idea of getting caught that made it so damn exciting."
"It's still a damn stupid thing to do." Faye told him.
"So? I'm sure you've done some stupid shit." he turned the subject on her. "How many guys have you been with, then?"
"Why should I tell you that?" Faye glared at him. "It's none of your business."
"I told you." Spike argued. "You should tell me."
"It doesn't matter, does it?" Faye's smile returned slowly. "I'm here with you now. That's all that should matter."
"I don't see why you won't tell me." Spike looked a bit put out. "That's not fair, after I told you all that."
"Well, you were the one stupid enough to tell me whatever I wanted to know." Faye answered, sticking out her tongue at him. Spike looked absolutely furious for a moment before he turned from her pulling the blanket up from the foot of the bed over him.
"Whatever." he sighed, refusing to face her as he remained still, pretending to fall asleep.
"Spike, don't get like that." Faye rolled her eyes, scooting up behind him. "I'll tell you, if you really want to know."
"Whatever." he answered, but he didn't pull away when she wrapped an arm over his chest.
"I just...don't want you to get upset or jealous or anything. None of them...really had any feelings for me. It was only...I needed to pay my debts, you see." Faye began.
"You mean...the collectors?" Spike sounded a bit angry, and Faye wondered if that anger was directed at her for being so careless with her body.
"I didn't always have this ship and you guys to protect me. And I can't always run away." Faye buried her face in his back, desperately needing him to understand her situation, now and then.
"So how many?" Spike's voice still carried anger, and Faye was sure that her answer would ignite that flame. He'd kick her out of the room and every time he looked at her, he'd know just how many men had seen all of her, how many had their way with her.
"If I tell you...will you hate me?" Faye asked, her voice full of worry. There was a long silence, but then Spike turned toward her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her forehead.
"No." he answered, his voice soft and sincere.
"I think...um...about thirty-five." Faye answered pathetically. "Some of them...sometimes it was the same guy."
"Thirty-five?" Spike was obviously struggling with the idea.
"I guess...you make thirty-six, but I don't count you with them." Faye admitted. "You're the first one I ever wanted to be with. You...aren't mad, are you?"
"Gods, Faye..." Spike hugged her so tight she had trouble breathing. "Those bastards...took you and just...dammit. If I could have been there..."
"You can't always protect me, Spike." Faye told him, relieved that he didn't seem to hate her.
"I can now." he told her, kissing the top of her head. And somehow, that kiss was more reassuring than the arms wrapped around her, the body pressed against her, or even the heartbeat beating with hers.
"Thanks." she answered him, kissing him on the lips, letting her hands wander. Enough talk for one morning...
*****
The End (Of Part Eight, That Is)
