Sequel to My Left Eye
Rating: PG 13
Disclaimer: The character in this fic all belong to almighty genius Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy
Beta and sound board: Keith
Time frame: Post S7 BtVS
Summery: Faith finds Xander in a bar in LA
Xander strolled through several dark alleys in LA until he arrived at a demon-bar. He didn't care how dangerous this was. It didn't matter. He had to grin. Two vampires had wanted him for the blood in his alcohol. One of them had recognized him, made their excuses and ran away. It wasn't for his fighting skills, he knew that. He was Alexander Harris and most nasties knew about him. He was still surprised when he heard he was like a celebrity among the demons.
"The vampires with the soul would kill us if we hurt him."
He didn't know if it was better or worse than he's Buffy's boy or he's Anyanka's lover or the witch's best friend
When he was sober it was worse. Drunk he could laugh about it. He remembered how Harmony had told about him being Dracula's bitch. At least the mockery had changed into fear. One demon had politely informed him of a demon bar he'd heard about.
He saw a vamped out guy singing his heart out for an old flame he'd lost. The guy was the only one who hadn't noticed him. Two female vampires quickly looked away as they notice him staring at them. Xander knew they were gossiping about him. Probably about his non-existent love life.
"A beer," he ordered the bartender.
The bartender was a green-skinned demon with two horns, dressed in colorful clothes and sporting a big grin. "If it isn't Alexander Lovable Harris."
"Xander will do fine, please."
"Lorne. It's an honor to meet you."
Xander rolled his eye. Great. Just what he needed. As if what he had to ask wasn't hard enough. Lorne handed him his beer and was polite enough to leave him alone. At least for five minutes.
"I heard rumors that you can read someone's destiny," Xander asked the bartender.
"You heard right, sweetie. I can read your soul when you sing for me."
Lorne pointed at the stage where a demon screeched about her life.
"No way," Xander shook his head as he realized what Lorne meant.
"It's up to you."
"I know," Xander said hastily. "I'm sorry. I don't like people noticing me."
"Oh," Lorne drawled grinning, "You weren't so shy in Oxnord, were you?"
Xander's eye-patch twisted. How did the demon know about his adventure in the male strip bar?
"How?"
"It was covered in Demonesses' Monthly."
"Hunh?"
"With pictures." Xander was dumbfounded. Lorne showed him a magazine. It had a distorted picture of a man standing in a shower's cabin. It had the title 'Xander and Anyanka, together?' in bold letters. "This one was from Sunnydale."
Xander grabbed the magazine and flipped through the pages until he found the article. "Your gentle author, Andrew?" he read.
"He has an eye for detail," Lorne praised the geek. "You're a real demon magnet."
"Don't I know it," Xander muttered and took a big gulp of his beer.
"Look, honey," Lorne eyed him sympathetically. "I don't have to look at your soul to see your pain. Anya loved you, but it's time for you to move on." Something in Lorne made Xander trust him. "Angel-cakes has called," this made Xander frown. "I work for him. He told me you are escaping your friends and family. They are worried."
"Yeah, well, maybe Angel should worry more about his people than about me. Maybe Cordy would have lived."
His short anger outburst didn't provoke the reaction he had thought as Lorne remained understanding. "Angel-cakes called Faith. She's on her way."
"Faith?"
"She's been looking for you for a while." The demon waggled an admonishing finger at him. "You've escaped her three times."
Xander felt his heart beat in his throat as he grabbed his jacket and stood up. He placed a bill on the counter. "Keep the change."
"Sweetie," Lorne said, trying to stop him, "You need a friend."
"No. I don't."
He rushed to the door, knowing everyone was watching him. Suddenly Faith stepped through the entrance. "Too late," she said as she grabbed him.
Xander shivered, a sudden shot of fear paralyzing him. It was her eyes, it was himself, it was the whole damned situation. That the whole demon world knew about him. That he had abandoned his friends. That he had scared the shit out of them by being alone and drunk. He couldn't talk about them. Or Anya. He felt Faith's arm around him, calming him and guiding him to the kitchen. She eased him into a seat.
He scrambled all his courage together to break through his panic and to look at her face. He tried to speak, but his lips refused to move. They didn't move enough, he corrected, because Faith must have seen it as she placed a finger on his lips. She placed his head on her chest and embraced him for several minutes.
Xander was calmer when she pulled away. She gave him some water and he drunk it gratefully. She tapped a cigarette out of her pack and put it in her mouth. "Remember you said that I was your left eye?"
Her words were soft and friendly – free of all accusation. But they still hurt him. He nodded.
"I am your friend, Xander." This time it wasn't free of accusation. She blew a cloud of smoke. "You of all people should know how much it hurts when you aren't allowed to help a friend."
Xander didn't know what to say. The intensity of her words cut through him. He had avoided his friends and out of guilt he had continued to avoid them.
"I know how hard it is to ask for help." Faith was still calm as she blew another smoke. "I know you know." She'd rather strangled him than to accept his help all those years ago.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.
She pressed the remains of her cigarette in the astray. "Let me help you."
"I don't know how."
"Look, you have friends who love you as much as I do. Girls who are worried 'bout you. Hell, even Ken is worried. If you continue this way your gonna end up dead very soon. Believe me."
Xander had no intention to face this again with his friends. Not now.
"See, the thing is. I don't know how it works. Angel told me something 'bout it. We all want to have things of our own. Something you don't have to share. Your own house. Pants that other girls won't steal from you. Your own shower. Stuff like that. You understand?"
'Yeah."
"Also your own special friend. Angel is like that to me. I mean, like I said, you're a special friend too. But, I have to share you with the others."
Xander knew that. Anya always had a problem with him and his other girl friends.
"With all the friends you have, you miss something unique in your life. Something that is yours alone. Anya was this person for you. Angel said that everyone needs this."
She paused. Insecurity shimmered through her tough exterior. Xander waited patiently for her to continue.
"I want you to be this person for me."
"You want to be my girlfriend?" Xander asked, more astounded than meant to be.
"Yeah. I guess I do."
He smiled and it made her smile too. It was weird. Faith was so much in the real world, seen so much, but at the same time stuff like dating was as inhuman to her as it was to Anya. Xander knew Faith had problems trusting guys. Especially those she has had sex with.
Faith grabbed another smoke and lit it. Faith tried to be indifferent, but he could tell she was terrified to show her feelings like this. To be so vulnerable towards a guy.
"You trust me this much?" he asked, looking in her eyes.
"I wanna trust you that much. I wanna try."
"You are really astonishing," he said grinning.
"You're up for it?" she asked with her usual confidence.
He kissed her on her lips and she returned it. It was soft and gentle. "Does that answer your question?" he asked as he grabbed her closer and she sat on his lap.
She smirked. "Oh, you're up for it."
