"I can't believe you sleep in here, Faye. Climbing down into this storage space has gotta be a pain when you're drunk. Hell, it was awkward as shit trying to get that beta box in here. Ed damn near dropped the thing on my head." Spike complained as he disregarded the half ladder and simply hopped down from the overhead access hatch to the storage compartment Faye had claimed as her room.
Lounging on the thin mattress pad she'd managed to wrangle into the cramped space, she glared at him but shrugged as if to indicate her lack of care about the entire matter. "Well it's not like you guys gave me a tour and showed me a proper room to use," She complained with a wave of her hand. A frown formed on her forehead as she glanced at the television monitor and beta player at the foot of her bed. "You helped Ed put that in here? I just thought she'd done it herself one night out of the goodness of her heart."
"If she'd thought of it herself yeah she probably would have, she's that type of kind for sure." Spike glanced around the room but found nothing compelling enough to change the subject with. "Well, it was your shit anyway. I figured you should have it." He shrugged uncomfortably, feeling awkward for his spur of the moment impulse weeks ago. "Not like Jet would have tossed it after all the work we went through for the thing but... Well... Anyway Ed says you watch it all the time so, for the best, yeah?"
Faye blinked rapidly, looking away for a moment before swallowing and meeting his eyes again. "Thanks, Spike. I…uh, it does mean a lot. Especially now that I remember. I… I just wish it wasn't so short, I guess. Or that my past self had thought to include a photo album. But," She sighed and waved both hands in the air as if to dismiss her own emotions and regrets, "it's not like there's any answers there anyway. I have pictures in my head now of my family and memories of things we did together and that's all most people have anyway. Besides, what's done and gone is done and gone. The future is what's important, right?"
She sat up on her bed then, giving him a wicked grin. It took all his self control to stay standing in the small space that constituted a floor, hands firmly lodged in his pockets to keep from winding them into her hair and bringing her face to his for a kiss. She'd been incredibly fickle since his latest brush with death. If a person didn't know her better, it would seem as if she was toying with him… goading him on, teasing him along… but Spike knew her better than probably anyone else. She was still nervous, hesitant, afraid. She didn't want to give him her heart only to have him crumple it up and toss it aside. She needed to know he could put up with her antics, that he would chase her if she bolted - something he hadn't done when she'd confiscated his jacket so many months before. She wanted to be a hassle just to see if he would give up.
Really she ought to know him better by now. He was a very dedicated man when he had his heart set on something - or someone. But because he loved her, he was willing to jump through whatever hoops she needed him to. He'd be respectful and gentle and let her set the pace of their relationship.
She was difficult, sure, but he appreciated difficult things. Gave life more zest and flavor!
Lately he'd even felt confident enough to flirt with her again. Casual, easygoing, nothing that required a follow up… unless she wanted to take it further. Just, whatever comfortable reminder he could give her that he saw her as an attractive and worthwhile pursuit of his time. That he was still drawn to her physically even as she put him through an emotional wringer.
"The future is all we've got to look forward to," Spike replied, giving her a warm smile. "Well, that and the present…" With a flourish, he took his hands out of his pockets to reveal… closed fists.
Faye frowned prettily again. "What's this?"
He let his smile turn positively goofy, knowing that she preferred that side of him to the coolly nonchalant version he often wore as a public persona. "Presents, Faye."
Seeing her expression brighten made something bloom in his chest.
"But it isn't my birthday…"
"No, but apparently it is Valentine's Day, which… I'll admit I don't exactly understand, but I figured something with your name ought to be a celebration of you."
Reaching out tentatively she tapped his right fist first and he turned his hand over and opened it up to reveal a casino chip.
"Thought you might enjoy a night out with a chance to win big," He explained with a wink.
Lifting an eyebrow in amusement, she tapped his left hand next.
Still smiling at her, he opened that hand to show her a thin strap of black fabric - a cloth headband folded neatly and adorned with a simple yellow and purple orchid cast in resin. He'd seen it and envisioned it standing out against the violet hue of her hair and had to make that into a reality. As a bonus, the orchid charm could be removed from the headband and used as a pendant on a necklace, or fashioned into a pin, or any number of jewelry functions.
"Dunno what flowers you might actually like but… this is a rare one. Something from your home back on Earth. Elegant and lovely. An orchid means… thoughtfulness, beauty, charm, and love. Which, my dear, are all characteristics of you. And I figured it's pale enough to be bold against your hair so it'll be as vibrant as you are."
He'd discovered the flower had some other meanings as well, but in the interest of not overwhelming her he'd decided to leave that portion of the explanation for another day. Virility, fertility, and sexuality were heady concepts and not what she was prepared to consider just yet.
But seeing her eyes light up, glimmering wetly with unshed tears, and the tremulous smile that stretched across her face even as a blush dawned rosily on her cheeks… that all assured him that he'd chosen just the right gifts to present her with today.
"Oh, Spike…" Faye stood from the bed, taking the items from his hands. With efficient ease she tugged her usual headband from her hair and had situated the new one in no time. As he'd suspected, it looked amazing within her silky tresses. But she gave him hardly any time to savor the effect.
Grinning at him mischievously, she tucked the casino chip into her top, meeting his eyes the whole time. Then, hesitantly, she put her hands on his chest. It was a maneuver he knew she enjoyed because it gave her proof of his life as his heartbeat reached her palm and fingertips. She paused for a moment, letting the emotions between them build and steady, and then leaned in to press a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth.
It was a precious gesture. Delicate and tentative, ready to be rescinded at a moment's notice. He wanted nothing more than to turn into it, to deepen it until she understood how strong his feelings for her ran. But he merely reached out to brush his hands against her shoulders in a loose embrace, letting a closed mouth smile show on his features as she nervously tilted back.
It was a small forward step, but Spike was pleased at the progress they were making. Faye was not some trophy or prize, she was no bone to fight other men over - or women for that matter. She was the sum total of what he yearned for. She was the endgame for his heart. She was worth all the hard effort that she was making him put into his pursuit of her affection. And he would continue to prove it to her, day by day and action by action. Words were something she distrusted more often than not, though he longed to fill her ears with the sentiments she'd so desperately craved. He would wear her down over time, with kindness and caring, with truth behind his words that he would back up with everything he did and showed her.
She made him want to be a better man. She made him feel alive and filled him with the need to live his life as fully as possible. And so he could be that rock-steady support for her. The promise of someone to have her back, to look past her fits of indignation and insecurity, to treasure her as completely as she ought to be. She'd laid her life on the line for him time and again, had continually shown that his own peace of mind mattered more to her than having her love requited - though she'd been wrong about that as he'd been falling further and further in love with her since they met at the casino so long ago. She'd given so much of her time and energy and heart to making sure he survived perilous situations and had a chance at whatever he needed for happiness. Now was his chance to demonstrate to her, again and again and again, that she was the source of his joy.
For now, that meant spontaneous adventures like the casino trip. Friendly ways to ease her into the reality of the future he wished for. And hopefully she would decide that it was what she wanted after all as well.
But at the same time, he couldn't stop himself from taking a little risk here and there. She was a gambler - she'd understand. So he bent towards her before she could back away entirely and kissed her cheek earnestly and then hauled himself up the ladder to give her space. Glancing down as he reached the opening in the ceiling, he winked at her again.
"Whenever you're ready, Valentine, let's hit the tables. Word is there's a pretty fancy restaurant at this casino... if you play your cards right, I might just buy you dinner tonight."
Her face was flushed and her mouth agape, one hand pressed to her face where his lips had so recently been. But he could see the delight shining in her gaze and watched as her spine stiffened in response to his offer. Naturally he'd posed it as a challenge, knowing that she found it much easier to respond to such.
"Oh you better bet on that, cowboy!" She replied with a grin. "Dinner and dessert too!"
Laughing, he pulled himself the rest of the way from her room. "We'll see, sweetheart! We'll see..."
