author: Lucinda
rating: pg 13
pairing: Faith/David (from Lost Boys)
Darkened Faith 6: Warming You Up
disclaimer: I hold no legal rights to any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the movie Lost Boys.
distribution: Twisting the Hellmouth, TNL. anyone else ask.
note: rather AU-ish for Faith. No big needed in Sunnydale Crisis, no big needed in LA crisis. Post Lost Boys the Movie.
Faith sighed as she walked along the street. Tonight felt cold, and she wished that she could zipp her jacket up and be warmer. Or even just stay inside... but no. Evil didn't take the night off just because it was cold out. And she'd learned from the previous winter that the absolute best way to get attacked by something was to zip up your jacket, obstructing the access to weapons. She had gloves on, and sort of a beret style hat, but still... she couldn't feel her toes anymore. "I hate cold."
She sensed something, a prickling warning, and there they were, a pair of vampires. From their lack of strategy and the feel of them, she'd place them as young minions. They were just dropping from the fire escape, snarling as they attacked. Pitiful.
She kicked the first one into one of the alley walls, grabbing for a stake as she blocked the second's punch. Apparently, they felt that teamwork could make up for a lack of talent. Make that teamwork and enthusiasm.
By the time they were both dust that was now inextricably blended into the alley coverings, her hair was a bit less neat, and one had scuffed the back of her jacket, which would have been upsetting if it had been new. As it was, it was just another scuff to go with the dozens already there. She hadn't even had to use enough effort to get warm.
"That was... well, good on your part." A now familiar voice commented from above. "Those two... Didn't they even watch any decent fighting movies before tonight?"
Faith looked up, spotting his pale hair. "David. Yeah, those two were pretty bad. Of course, I shouldn't be complaining about that, but... you know, if I'm going to get attacked, can it at least involve enough effort that I'm warm at the end?"
He chuckled, dropping to the alley near her. "Well... I suppose cold's more of a problem for you. How about I take you back to that coffee place, and I can ply you with hot drinks and flirt shamelessly with you?"
"I shouldn't." She looked at him, standing there with his hands in his pockets, and that little smile on his face. "I really shouldn't... but I can't feel my feet anymore, so it would probably do me good."
He grinned, offering his hand, as if playing the gallant escort. "Come on, hot coffee... or cocoa or tea or whatever they've got. I used to go for spiced cider."
She took his hand, watching her breath form wisps in the air that curled around him, as if in an embrace. "Sounds good. Maybe I can try that cider if they've got any."
As he led her off along the alley, he leaned closer, his cool breath sending chills over her body. "Promise not to bite... unless you want me to."
Faith offered a little smile, sliding her arm through his in able to still be close and at the same time put her poor cold hands into her pockets. Was the shivery feeling from the cold, or from David? And if it was from David, was it because he was a vampire, or because he was a sexy guy? Yeah, going for cider with him was a bad idea for sure... and she was much too cold to say no. "Let's just leave the biting out of it for now. How close is this place, anyhow?"
"Only a couple blocks, Faith." He sounded amused.
It turned out that David's assurance was good. Just two and a half blocks, and they were standing in a line inside the building, the air hazy with cigarette smoke, but warm. Faith could feel her toes and ears prickling in that sort of painful way of bits just warming up. Soon, she would be able to wrap her hands around something warm... "Thanks. I probably wouldn't have noticed this place on my own."
Faith looked around to figure out what sort of menus this place had. Eventually, she found them, deliberately angular bits of slate that had been tied to the wall with coarse looking twist of hemp. The writing on them was in blue, pink and yellow chalk, and at first reminded her of Sumerian or pictographs, until she realized that it was just somebody's idea of being trendy by using letters with extra lines, dots, and a couple curls. Maybe she was just feeling a bit out of it... But didn't they realize that it made things hard to read?
"Any ideas what you'd like to drink?" David's words were soft in her ear.
"Well, I think that one says spiced cider. Either that or they're using the Sumerian for umm... ceremonial invocation? Pretty sure that it's cider." Faith looked at him, something tightening as she looked into those beautiful blue eyes.
His lips twitched as if he was trying not to laugh. "Ceremonial invocation? Sounds good, I'll get us two."
"Hey, that's one of the key phrases in my studies. I know ceremonial invocation, even if it's been chipped and blurred. One of those things you learn to look for." Faith put her hands on her hips, looking at him with a teasing tone and an expression of exaggerated dismay.
David leaned it, his cool lips brushing over hers in a gentle kiss. "I know. But considering where we are, it's probably 'spiced cider', not 'ceremonial invocation'. Did you know..." his hand skimmed up the outside of her jacket sleeve, brushing over her cheek. "Your eyes are gorgeous, Faith."
Faith's mouth opened, and she wanted to say something, anything. But the only thing coming to mind was a sort of stunned and giddy 'really?' that would sound far too... well, too girly. She could feel herself blushing. David was flirting with her, David had kissed her... Part of her wanted to grab him and kiss back until she had to stop and gasp for air, a little corner almost wanted to swat him for having the nerve to do that, and part of her wanted to bolt back out into the cold, away from the turmoil that he raised in her. Instead, she blushed, staring at her toes.
He ordered the ciders, paying the six dollars for them and gently tugging at Faith's arm to pull her from her thoughts enough to move along the dark stone counter to the far end, where they would be given the drinks. Smirking just a little, he looked at her. "I'm pretty sure they didn't cost quite as much when I was young."
There was no way that she could keep herself from laughing at that. She wasn't even certain how long ago David had been young, but just the way it had sounded... "Well, old man, why don't we get the ceremonial cider and go sit down?"
They ended up along one wall, not quite in a corner. They had an excellent view of a support column, which had been almost covered over with papers advertising all sorts of things. Bands, newspapers, a lost dog, a jacket and electric guitar for sale... Faith slid into the booth, her hands wrapped around the mug, spicy scented steam rising towards her. It smelled wonderful. "So... umm..."
David smiled at her, inhaling the steam from his own cup. "Relax, Faith. I'm not… I didn't bring you here for anything dreadful. You just looked half frozen, and I rather like you in one piece."
"So, you're not planning anything that I'd have to object to?" Faith looked at him, not quite ready to take a drink of the cider. Part of her wanted things to work, wanted David's motivation to be nothing more than to spend time with her. But the other night, he'd had a bit of a list. It echoed in her memory: 'I want revenge on the people who took my family from me, I want to be able to sleep without feeling them die, to wake up and know that I'm not alone. To have you with me.'
"Faith… I'd say that I'm hurt, but we both know you weren't being too serious about that." He shook his head, raising the mug towards his lips as if to drink. He paused, and lowered it again. "On second thought, I think I'll let that cool down a bit. I was only planning to have the ceremonial cider, not the clerks at the register."
"They don't look very ceremonial either." She offered, a part of her demanding to know why she was even considering making a joke about someone being vampire food, even if the vampire in question looked like David.
"No ceremony to them at all. Probably not much flavor either…" David's eyes had glanced over to the clerk at the register, and they'd taken on a somewhat colder, more calculating expression. He didn't even look like he'd realized it. "Three things factor into how a person tastes. Their general health, their current emotions, and their experiences. You can tell their health from looking at them, to a degree. And if you can look into their eyes… that clerk's led a pretty dull and petty life."
Something inside of her felt chilled again, a reaction to the reminder that David was a vampire. A predator who looked at humans as his natural prey. "Let's hope the cider's better."
David looked back at her, and one eyebrow raised a bit. The mug raised again, and he took a cautious sip. "Hot. Very hot… I think it tastes good."
Chuckling, Faith looked at him again, noting the way he'd put the mug back down, and seemed to be trying to feel the inside of his mouth with his tongue. "It's so hot that you scalded the inside of your mouth, isn't it?"
"Well… yes." David sort of shrugged, looking almost as if he'd be blushing if alive. "It smells good at least."
Faith sighed, shaking her head as she tried not to laugh. "You need to have a little patience. There's no need to rush back out. We can take our time with the cider."
"Yeah, we can take all the time we need." His soft words almost seemed to have another meaning, a deeper meaning.
Faith decided not to ask, and simply held her mug, waiting for the cider to cool.
End Warming You Up.
rating: pg 13
pairing: Faith/David (from Lost Boys)
Darkened Faith 6: Warming You Up
disclaimer: I hold no legal rights to any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the movie Lost Boys.
distribution: Twisting the Hellmouth, TNL. anyone else ask.
note: rather AU-ish for Faith. No big needed in Sunnydale Crisis, no big needed in LA crisis. Post Lost Boys the Movie.
Faith sighed as she walked along the street. Tonight felt cold, and she wished that she could zipp her jacket up and be warmer. Or even just stay inside... but no. Evil didn't take the night off just because it was cold out. And she'd learned from the previous winter that the absolute best way to get attacked by something was to zip up your jacket, obstructing the access to weapons. She had gloves on, and sort of a beret style hat, but still... she couldn't feel her toes anymore. "I hate cold."
She sensed something, a prickling warning, and there they were, a pair of vampires. From their lack of strategy and the feel of them, she'd place them as young minions. They were just dropping from the fire escape, snarling as they attacked. Pitiful.
She kicked the first one into one of the alley walls, grabbing for a stake as she blocked the second's punch. Apparently, they felt that teamwork could make up for a lack of talent. Make that teamwork and enthusiasm.
By the time they were both dust that was now inextricably blended into the alley coverings, her hair was a bit less neat, and one had scuffed the back of her jacket, which would have been upsetting if it had been new. As it was, it was just another scuff to go with the dozens already there. She hadn't even had to use enough effort to get warm.
"That was... well, good on your part." A now familiar voice commented from above. "Those two... Didn't they even watch any decent fighting movies before tonight?"
Faith looked up, spotting his pale hair. "David. Yeah, those two were pretty bad. Of course, I shouldn't be complaining about that, but... you know, if I'm going to get attacked, can it at least involve enough effort that I'm warm at the end?"
He chuckled, dropping to the alley near her. "Well... I suppose cold's more of a problem for you. How about I take you back to that coffee place, and I can ply you with hot drinks and flirt shamelessly with you?"
"I shouldn't." She looked at him, standing there with his hands in his pockets, and that little smile on his face. "I really shouldn't... but I can't feel my feet anymore, so it would probably do me good."
He grinned, offering his hand, as if playing the gallant escort. "Come on, hot coffee... or cocoa or tea or whatever they've got. I used to go for spiced cider."
She took his hand, watching her breath form wisps in the air that curled around him, as if in an embrace. "Sounds good. Maybe I can try that cider if they've got any."
As he led her off along the alley, he leaned closer, his cool breath sending chills over her body. "Promise not to bite... unless you want me to."
Faith offered a little smile, sliding her arm through his in able to still be close and at the same time put her poor cold hands into her pockets. Was the shivery feeling from the cold, or from David? And if it was from David, was it because he was a vampire, or because he was a sexy guy? Yeah, going for cider with him was a bad idea for sure... and she was much too cold to say no. "Let's just leave the biting out of it for now. How close is this place, anyhow?"
"Only a couple blocks, Faith." He sounded amused.
It turned out that David's assurance was good. Just two and a half blocks, and they were standing in a line inside the building, the air hazy with cigarette smoke, but warm. Faith could feel her toes and ears prickling in that sort of painful way of bits just warming up. Soon, she would be able to wrap her hands around something warm... "Thanks. I probably wouldn't have noticed this place on my own."
Faith looked around to figure out what sort of menus this place had. Eventually, she found them, deliberately angular bits of slate that had been tied to the wall with coarse looking twist of hemp. The writing on them was in blue, pink and yellow chalk, and at first reminded her of Sumerian or pictographs, until she realized that it was just somebody's idea of being trendy by using letters with extra lines, dots, and a couple curls. Maybe she was just feeling a bit out of it... But didn't they realize that it made things hard to read?
"Any ideas what you'd like to drink?" David's words were soft in her ear.
"Well, I think that one says spiced cider. Either that or they're using the Sumerian for umm... ceremonial invocation? Pretty sure that it's cider." Faith looked at him, something tightening as she looked into those beautiful blue eyes.
His lips twitched as if he was trying not to laugh. "Ceremonial invocation? Sounds good, I'll get us two."
"Hey, that's one of the key phrases in my studies. I know ceremonial invocation, even if it's been chipped and blurred. One of those things you learn to look for." Faith put her hands on her hips, looking at him with a teasing tone and an expression of exaggerated dismay.
David leaned it, his cool lips brushing over hers in a gentle kiss. "I know. But considering where we are, it's probably 'spiced cider', not 'ceremonial invocation'. Did you know..." his hand skimmed up the outside of her jacket sleeve, brushing over her cheek. "Your eyes are gorgeous, Faith."
Faith's mouth opened, and she wanted to say something, anything. But the only thing coming to mind was a sort of stunned and giddy 'really?' that would sound far too... well, too girly. She could feel herself blushing. David was flirting with her, David had kissed her... Part of her wanted to grab him and kiss back until she had to stop and gasp for air, a little corner almost wanted to swat him for having the nerve to do that, and part of her wanted to bolt back out into the cold, away from the turmoil that he raised in her. Instead, she blushed, staring at her toes.
He ordered the ciders, paying the six dollars for them and gently tugging at Faith's arm to pull her from her thoughts enough to move along the dark stone counter to the far end, where they would be given the drinks. Smirking just a little, he looked at her. "I'm pretty sure they didn't cost quite as much when I was young."
There was no way that she could keep herself from laughing at that. She wasn't even certain how long ago David had been young, but just the way it had sounded... "Well, old man, why don't we get the ceremonial cider and go sit down?"
They ended up along one wall, not quite in a corner. They had an excellent view of a support column, which had been almost covered over with papers advertising all sorts of things. Bands, newspapers, a lost dog, a jacket and electric guitar for sale... Faith slid into the booth, her hands wrapped around the mug, spicy scented steam rising towards her. It smelled wonderful. "So... umm..."
David smiled at her, inhaling the steam from his own cup. "Relax, Faith. I'm not… I didn't bring you here for anything dreadful. You just looked half frozen, and I rather like you in one piece."
"So, you're not planning anything that I'd have to object to?" Faith looked at him, not quite ready to take a drink of the cider. Part of her wanted things to work, wanted David's motivation to be nothing more than to spend time with her. But the other night, he'd had a bit of a list. It echoed in her memory: 'I want revenge on the people who took my family from me, I want to be able to sleep without feeling them die, to wake up and know that I'm not alone. To have you with me.'
"Faith… I'd say that I'm hurt, but we both know you weren't being too serious about that." He shook his head, raising the mug towards his lips as if to drink. He paused, and lowered it again. "On second thought, I think I'll let that cool down a bit. I was only planning to have the ceremonial cider, not the clerks at the register."
"They don't look very ceremonial either." She offered, a part of her demanding to know why she was even considering making a joke about someone being vampire food, even if the vampire in question looked like David.
"No ceremony to them at all. Probably not much flavor either…" David's eyes had glanced over to the clerk at the register, and they'd taken on a somewhat colder, more calculating expression. He didn't even look like he'd realized it. "Three things factor into how a person tastes. Their general health, their current emotions, and their experiences. You can tell their health from looking at them, to a degree. And if you can look into their eyes… that clerk's led a pretty dull and petty life."
Something inside of her felt chilled again, a reaction to the reminder that David was a vampire. A predator who looked at humans as his natural prey. "Let's hope the cider's better."
David looked back at her, and one eyebrow raised a bit. The mug raised again, and he took a cautious sip. "Hot. Very hot… I think it tastes good."
Chuckling, Faith looked at him again, noting the way he'd put the mug back down, and seemed to be trying to feel the inside of his mouth with his tongue. "It's so hot that you scalded the inside of your mouth, isn't it?"
"Well… yes." David sort of shrugged, looking almost as if he'd be blushing if alive. "It smells good at least."
Faith sighed, shaking her head as she tried not to laugh. "You need to have a little patience. There's no need to rush back out. We can take our time with the cider."
"Yeah, we can take all the time we need." His soft words almost seemed to have another meaning, a deeper meaning.
Faith decided not to ask, and simply held her mug, waiting for the cider to cool.
End Warming You Up.