author: Lucinda
rating: pg 13
pairing: Faith/David (from Lost Boys)
Darkened Faith 11: Breathing in Darkness
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 had been quiet, mostly sleeping, occasionally waking up, having something to eat, and moving just a little. She'd had a shower, and changed into a pair of his old sweat pants and a tee shirt before going back to sleep. Honestly, he rather liked the way she looked in his bed.
She was healing, her arm almost healed enough to remove the bandages entirely now. The bruises were gone, and she was starting to look healthier, not so pale and waxy. Faith would live, she would survive.
But would she flourish? Would she embrace the changes that were even now happening, or would she reject them, reject herself and descend into madness? Would she let him help her? Ordinarily, he would have been confident that a new child would permit him to help them, but... Faith was very independent, and she had a stubborn streak. It was part of her charm.
David leaned against the wall, watching her as she tossed in her sleep. She was restless, as if she had too much energy, despite the fact that she was still healing. He'd almost lost her, and she was already...
When had Faith become more important than revenge? More important than gaining power and control of territory? He wasn't quite certain, and it unsettled him. He'd imagined her with him as he took revenge, with him as he controlled territory. But this... this was something different. It wasn't about gaining a useful childe to help with his plans anymore. Now, he just wanted to have her.
Moving closer, he traced her eyebrow, studying her face. "What have you done to me, Faith?"
She moved in her sleep, turning towards him as a sleepy noise emerged from her lips, showing a hint of pale teeth. She looked wonderful.
No sooner had he sat beside her on the bed, intent on watching her, but she opened her eyes. Blinking, she brushed her hair away from her face. "David... what time is it?"
"Just a little before sunset. Why?"
"I want to go patrol. I need to go patrol." She sat up, rolling her shoulders slightly, as if stiff from sleep.
David smiled, wondering if it was really patrol that she wanted, or hunting. "Faith, much as you hate taking orders, I'm going to pull just a little rank on you. I forbid you from going out to patrol in just one of my tee shirts and your underwear."
"You forbid...?" Faith looked as if she was about to be very angry, and then stopped. "in my underwear? ummm. I suppose that's fair enough. I think I'll have a shower first. And more clothing, maybe a few weapons."
David just chuckled as Faith stood up and made her slow, deliberate way to the shower. He had to bite back a groan when he heard the shirt hit the tiled floor, imagining what she would look like without it. Maybe he'd better have one of those bags of blood himself. Just to make certain that he didn't do anything that she might feel upset about.
The cold blood had a flat taste, bland and emotionless. There was no life, no passion in it. But it was right here, and Faith didn't object to that. Licking the last trace from his lips, he tried to imagine what she looked like with the water cascading down over her body. He imagined her in the shower, imagined dropping his own clothing to the floor, stalking towards the shower. He imagined sliding open the door, and reaching in to touch her warm body, to hold her in his arms.
"Anybody home in there?" Faith tapped his temple lightly. "I've only been trying to talk to you for a minute now."
David blinked, pushing the vivid fantasy downwards. Faith was standing there, dressed, with a single droplet of water sliding from a lock of hair down her cheek. "Sorry, I was distracted."
"Must have been quite the distraction to have you not notice a Slayer right on top of you." Faith's voice was teasing, but her eyes held worry.
"I think I would have noticed if you were right on top of me, Faith." He couldn't help it, her words brought so much of his fantasy roaring back. Then he stopped, considering the rest of what she'd said. "You don't… you don't feel so much like a Slayer. It's like it's fading. You feel more like a vampire now."
"But I'm NOT a vampire!" Faith's denial was more emotional than logical, and she wrapped her arms around herself, eyes closing. "I'm not. I'm not."
He moved, pulling her close to him, wrapping his arms around her in as soothing a manner as he could. "Faith… you're still you. You're Faith, and you always will be. Always. You can deal with this. I'll help you, if you let me."
She leaned against him, her whole body shaking. "But what do I do? I'm… I've been the Slayer. It's all that I've got… and now I don't have that anymore. Who is Faith if she's not the Slayer? Who am I?"
"You're mine. My… I don't know. Maybe my future. Hopefully my lover. You could be the world to me, Faith. And I could be… almost anything that you want." He whispered, running his hands over her back.
"Somehow, I'm not so sure of that." She sniffled a little, her arms moving to cling to him. "You'll help me with this?"
"Of course. I just wasn't certain that you'd let me." He kissed the top of her head, not wanting to let her go yet, not willing to loosen her grip. "You'd have to kill me to get rid of me, and I don't think that's what you want."
"No. What I want is for everything to make sense again. I want to make the emotional roller coaster stop. Look at me, I'm crying. I never cry." She wiped at the tears that were trickling over her cheeks.
"You've been through a lot lately." He kissed her lips softly, not wanting to push her too hard. Faith's emotions were all tangled and pulled tight, if he pushed too hard, anything could happen. "Do you still want to go on patrol? We can finish up with some of that ceremonial cider."
"I keep telling you, at that place, there's no ceremony." It was weak, but Faith had a little smile now. "Lets go out on patrol. I want to kick something's ass."
David smiled as they walked out into the night. As long as he could keep her from breaking down, she'd be alright. As long as he could help her learn who she was without being the Slayer, she would adjust.
Faith took a deep breath of the night air, the action causing her chest to move distractingly. "Everything's so much sharper now… This should be interesting. I bet I can take things down twice as fast."
"How do you feel?" He had one hand behind her shoulders, his thumb rubbing along the shoulder blade.
"Better. It's sort of like… like coming home sounds in all the books. Like I belong. But… where do I belong now?" Her voice was soft as she looked up at the sky, her eyes following the curve of the crescent moon.
"To the night. To the shadows on the edges of the city. We don't belong to the day, and we aren't… we don't have to be purely evil. We can belong to the shadows between."
"Do people ever get lost in the shadows?" Her question was soft, and she looked down from the stars to the street, swathed in shadows while the inert streetlamps hung darkly over them.
"All the time. That's why family is so important. How can you be lost if you aren't alone?" The words slipped out in reassurance, but David wasn't quite certain if he was trying to reassure Faith or himself.
End Breathing In Darkness.
rating: pg 13
pairing: Faith/David (from Lost Boys)
Darkened Faith 11: Breathing in Darkness
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 had been quiet, mostly sleeping, occasionally waking up, having something to eat, and moving just a little. She'd had a shower, and changed into a pair of his old sweat pants and a tee shirt before going back to sleep. Honestly, he rather liked the way she looked in his bed.
She was healing, her arm almost healed enough to remove the bandages entirely now. The bruises were gone, and she was starting to look healthier, not so pale and waxy. Faith would live, she would survive.
But would she flourish? Would she embrace the changes that were even now happening, or would she reject them, reject herself and descend into madness? Would she let him help her? Ordinarily, he would have been confident that a new child would permit him to help them, but... Faith was very independent, and she had a stubborn streak. It was part of her charm.
David leaned against the wall, watching her as she tossed in her sleep. She was restless, as if she had too much energy, despite the fact that she was still healing. He'd almost lost her, and she was already...
When had Faith become more important than revenge? More important than gaining power and control of territory? He wasn't quite certain, and it unsettled him. He'd imagined her with him as he took revenge, with him as he controlled territory. But this... this was something different. It wasn't about gaining a useful childe to help with his plans anymore. Now, he just wanted to have her.
Moving closer, he traced her eyebrow, studying her face. "What have you done to me, Faith?"
She moved in her sleep, turning towards him as a sleepy noise emerged from her lips, showing a hint of pale teeth. She looked wonderful.
No sooner had he sat beside her on the bed, intent on watching her, but she opened her eyes. Blinking, she brushed her hair away from her face. "David... what time is it?"
"Just a little before sunset. Why?"
"I want to go patrol. I need to go patrol." She sat up, rolling her shoulders slightly, as if stiff from sleep.
David smiled, wondering if it was really patrol that she wanted, or hunting. "Faith, much as you hate taking orders, I'm going to pull just a little rank on you. I forbid you from going out to patrol in just one of my tee shirts and your underwear."
"You forbid...?" Faith looked as if she was about to be very angry, and then stopped. "in my underwear? ummm. I suppose that's fair enough. I think I'll have a shower first. And more clothing, maybe a few weapons."
David just chuckled as Faith stood up and made her slow, deliberate way to the shower. He had to bite back a groan when he heard the shirt hit the tiled floor, imagining what she would look like without it. Maybe he'd better have one of those bags of blood himself. Just to make certain that he didn't do anything that she might feel upset about.
The cold blood had a flat taste, bland and emotionless. There was no life, no passion in it. But it was right here, and Faith didn't object to that. Licking the last trace from his lips, he tried to imagine what she looked like with the water cascading down over her body. He imagined her in the shower, imagined dropping his own clothing to the floor, stalking towards the shower. He imagined sliding open the door, and reaching in to touch her warm body, to hold her in his arms.
"Anybody home in there?" Faith tapped his temple lightly. "I've only been trying to talk to you for a minute now."
David blinked, pushing the vivid fantasy downwards. Faith was standing there, dressed, with a single droplet of water sliding from a lock of hair down her cheek. "Sorry, I was distracted."
"Must have been quite the distraction to have you not notice a Slayer right on top of you." Faith's voice was teasing, but her eyes held worry.
"I think I would have noticed if you were right on top of me, Faith." He couldn't help it, her words brought so much of his fantasy roaring back. Then he stopped, considering the rest of what she'd said. "You don't… you don't feel so much like a Slayer. It's like it's fading. You feel more like a vampire now."
"But I'm NOT a vampire!" Faith's denial was more emotional than logical, and she wrapped her arms around herself, eyes closing. "I'm not. I'm not."
He moved, pulling her close to him, wrapping his arms around her in as soothing a manner as he could. "Faith… you're still you. You're Faith, and you always will be. Always. You can deal with this. I'll help you, if you let me."
She leaned against him, her whole body shaking. "But what do I do? I'm… I've been the Slayer. It's all that I've got… and now I don't have that anymore. Who is Faith if she's not the Slayer? Who am I?"
"You're mine. My… I don't know. Maybe my future. Hopefully my lover. You could be the world to me, Faith. And I could be… almost anything that you want." He whispered, running his hands over her back.
"Somehow, I'm not so sure of that." She sniffled a little, her arms moving to cling to him. "You'll help me with this?"
"Of course. I just wasn't certain that you'd let me." He kissed the top of her head, not wanting to let her go yet, not willing to loosen her grip. "You'd have to kill me to get rid of me, and I don't think that's what you want."
"No. What I want is for everything to make sense again. I want to make the emotional roller coaster stop. Look at me, I'm crying. I never cry." She wiped at the tears that were trickling over her cheeks.
"You've been through a lot lately." He kissed her lips softly, not wanting to push her too hard. Faith's emotions were all tangled and pulled tight, if he pushed too hard, anything could happen. "Do you still want to go on patrol? We can finish up with some of that ceremonial cider."
"I keep telling you, at that place, there's no ceremony." It was weak, but Faith had a little smile now. "Lets go out on patrol. I want to kick something's ass."
David smiled as they walked out into the night. As long as he could keep her from breaking down, she'd be alright. As long as he could help her learn who she was without being the Slayer, she would adjust.
Faith took a deep breath of the night air, the action causing her chest to move distractingly. "Everything's so much sharper now… This should be interesting. I bet I can take things down twice as fast."
"How do you feel?" He had one hand behind her shoulders, his thumb rubbing along the shoulder blade.
"Better. It's sort of like… like coming home sounds in all the books. Like I belong. But… where do I belong now?" Her voice was soft as she looked up at the sky, her eyes following the curve of the crescent moon.
"To the night. To the shadows on the edges of the city. We don't belong to the day, and we aren't… we don't have to be purely evil. We can belong to the shadows between."
"Do people ever get lost in the shadows?" Her question was soft, and she looked down from the stars to the street, swathed in shadows while the inert streetlamps hung darkly over them.
"All the time. That's why family is so important. How can you be lost if you aren't alone?" The words slipped out in reassurance, but David wasn't quite certain if he was trying to reassure Faith or himself.
End Breathing In Darkness.