Sorry! It was beyond evil of me to leave you guys on that cliff for so long. Well, back to where we left off last time…
It was less a kiss, and more a slow, gentle warmth spreading over her lips, serene, like soft morning light, and otherworldly. Faye dared not move, and Spike seemed frozen with indecision, quivering with control. His lips fluttered once, and he seemed about to pull away. Faye steeled herself for the cold pain of his withdrawal, but something within her cried out in denial and bubbled to her lips, parting them with a quiet gasp. Spike groaned aloud, abandoned his resolve, and plunged deeply into her mouth, hands leaving her wrists to push back her sleek hair. He trailed kisses down to her jawbone and throat, pushing against her urgently.
Faye let him wash over her like a wave, like a warm breeze, or an intoxicating scent. Her eyes were closed and her was head flung back; her hands twisted the silken material of his shirt. She knew it was wrong. They were going too fast and she was feeling too much. His need scared her, but her own need scared her even more. She should tell him to stop, to slow down. But if she let him go now, she knew she'd never be alive again.
Spike gripped Faye's shoulders, fingers digging into her like talons, then moved downwards and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled her away from the wall, cradling her against him, and lowered her to the floor. He draped himself over her like velvet, stroking her cheek.
"I need you now."
Faye shivered, looking up at him. His garnet eyes, usually so calm and cool, blazed with a ferocious passion. She reached up slowly and combed her fingers through his thick green hair, never looking away from those mismatched eyes. A distant memory swam before her, when she looked into blue eyes, and the scent of cherry blossoms wafted heavily through the air. A question hovered in her ears then, as it did now. Her inevitable response:
"Yes."
He sat with his back to her, legs drawn up and elbows resting on his knees. The end of his cigarette glowed orange in the dark and each time he exhaled, a cloud of smoke framed his head hazily. He had redressed in his blue slacks and yellow shirt, his jacket flung over one shoulder. Faye lay curled on the floor, naked. She breathed deeply and evenly to give the impression of easy slumber, but her eyes were open, never leaving his dim outline.
She could guess what he was thinking. 'What the hell did I do? This was the biggest mistake of my life… How the fuck am I going to get out of this one?' Spike crushed out his cigarette and began to climb to his feet. Faye snapped her eyes shut. She felt the floor vibrate as he moved closer, stopping right next to her face. She inhaled deeply, breathing in the dusty, cracked leather scent of his shoes, followed by the faint aroma of tobacco smoke. Old leather and cigarettes. Faye felt her chest begin to ache and her throat constrict. Why did he just stand there like that? It was growing hard to breath calmly. And then, suddenly, he was gone. Faye opened her eyes and found herself alone in the dark room.
She rolled onto her back and folded her arms over her chest, the cold metal of the floor stinging her bare skin. She didn't even reach for her clothes; she felt too numb to move. Staring up at the ceiling, the blackness seemed thick and suffocating. It rubbed against her sickeningly, flowing into her mouth and nostrils, filling her empty.
He left me.
Two salty tears rolled down her smooth cheeks to splash onto the hard metal floor. She turned onto her side with a slight sigh that somehow wrenched itself into a sob. She brought her knees to her chest, curling into the fetal position, tears sliding down her face more quickly. Her body shook with silent sobs, eyes squeezed shut and teeth bared in a grimace of pain. She took a deep breath and released it in a low, shaky howl, dragging her fingernails against the floor with a metallic scrape. Self-loathing wrapped itself around her like a noose.
Her cheek was wet with tears, gathered in a puddle on the floor. She lifted her head and wiped her face dry, staring down at her dim, shadowy reflection, trapped in that salty pool. Faye emitted a shaky, frightened sigh. Her tears glinted wetly, slick and threatening like the edge of a knife.
All of me,
Why not take all of me?
Can't you see,
I'm no good without you?
Take my lips,
I want to lose them
Take my arms,
I'll never use them
Your good-bye,
Left me with eyes that cry
How can I,
Go on dear without you
You took the part
That once was my heart
So why not take all of me?
Lyrics: "All of Me," preformed by Mildred Bailey (1932). Sorry it's such a short chapter, but hopefully the next one will be faster getting up. I've had a couple hellishly busy weeks, and I've got a couple hellishly busy weeks coming up again, so please forgive the long waits. Reviews were awesome! Keep 'em comin'!