CH 2: Desperation
He couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten this drunk. It must have been before his second "death". Tonight, he was reliving a torturous experience. Even though it wasn't all that clear in his mind anymore, he remembered when Julia had abandoned him in a similar fashion. What had he done about it? Gotten drunk as often as possible. It had helped, if only a little.
Tonight, his alcohol offered him no solace, though. He was on his seventh whisky sour and still miserable, though quite buzzed. After leaving the Bebop in a silent rage, he had wandered the streets of Rome looking for the cheapest bar he could find. This was not an easy task seeing Rome was geared towards tourists and usually fairly pricey no matter where you went. But, he had obtained his goal, finding a seedy little bar named "The Caesar" not far from the docks where the Bebop currently resided.
Whether he wanted to admit it to himself or not, he knew the main reason he decided to go sightseeing was to look for Faye. That is, if the woman he saw earlier was even Faye to begin with. He wasn't really too sure of anything right now, and this highly irritated him.
Out of the corner of his ridiculously accurate mechanical eye, he saw a woman approach the bar. The cramped building was very poorly lit and full of smoke, but he could see her long, thin legs and full breasts beneath her red sundress. She also wore a straw hat, which was common for the tourists in this city, and strappy red heels. Apparently, she was over dressed for the occasion because she immediately started to attract attention. Before she could even order a drink, Spike watched incognito as two large and rough looking men began to hit on the woman. One of them blocked his view and he discreetly stood up to aid the damsel in distress. Unfortunately, he had not realized how drunk he was until he was on his feet. He braced himself against the bar for several seconds before he regained his equilibrium and cautiously approached the woman and her admirers.
"Fucking creep! Back off!" screeched the woman.
Suddenly, one of the men flew back colliding with the unprepared Spike and sent them both tumbling to the floor. Spike nearly lost consciousness as he was crushed between the hulking mass of the man and the filthy floor. He quickly shoved the man aside and sat up just in time to see the other crumple to the floor minus a few teeth. His drunken gaze traveled up the woman's legs to her face in awe.
Her eyes suddenly locked with his from beneath the large brim of her hat. Then her mouth fell open and the color drained from her face.
"Spike?" she asked in a whisper, but he still heard her.
He couldn't even respond. He remained sitting on the floor soundlessly moving his mouth unable to form words. When she bolted out of the building suddenly, he quickly snapped back into reality and scrambled to chase her. His voice, when he found it, was like thunder.
"Faye!"
She grasped the railing of the docks panting for breath, her hat now gone. She wondered if she had lost him in her mad dash. She wasn't sure why she had run. He had been the person she was looking for. Her erratic behavior knew no bounds, apparently.
"Faye!"
A gasp escaped her as she heard her name being called. It sounded like some god had called out to her, it was so loud. As she panicked trying to contemplate a plan of action, he zeroed in on her at lightening speed. Then came the impact, far sooner than she had anticipated. His body tackled hers to the wooden dock below and pinned it there. She lay there perfectly still and rigid with fear as he caught his breath, forehead pressed to the dock beside her head. Would he try to kill her?
"Why?" She heard his whisper next to her ear. "Why did you leave?"
"I…I had to," she choked out trying to calm her racing heart.
Spike finally lifted his head and nailed her with a serious stare. "Are you going to run again?"
She shook her head and he climbed to his feet, helping her up also. He asked her if she was hurt and she shook her head again. This wasn't at all how he had imagined their reunion would be. He stared at her. She stared at the water.
"Faye," he said grabbing her shoulders and turning her to face him.
She stared back at him, wide eyed and overwhelmed. Never had he said her name with such a pleading tone. He was begging her to say something…anything.
"I was…looking for you," she offered with a weak, forced smile.
It was enough. He suddenly pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. He had missed the way her hair smelled, the way her skin felt, the way her body molded to his own when he held her. He even missed her screaming at him. He felt so euphoric, so gratified at that moment, that he sighed.
"Spike…you reek of alcohol," said Faye wrinkling her nose. She didn't mention he was also sweaty. Rome was hot this time of year.
He released her and looked down at her with a growing smirk. "At least I didn't get into a bar fight this time."
"At least," she said with a smile of her own. Ah, the memories of Spike's bar brawls.
"That's the way I like to see you…just like that," he said with a soft look to his normally stern eyes.
This look always bothered Faye, for some odd reason. Maybe it was because she didn't trust him all that well. Maybe it was because she thought he didn't possess such tender emotions. Okay, maybe there were a lot of reasons. On an impulse, she grabbed his arm and started pulling him behind her.
"Where are we going?" he asked stumbling slightly.
"To my room for a little privacy," she answered.
Of course, Faye had to stop and pick up a bottle of Jack Daniels on the way to the motel. This was definitely a get drunk occasion and she had some catching up to do. She unlocked the door to the small, quaint, yet clean room and yanked the dazed Spike in after her.
"God, are you always this retarded when you're drunk?" she asked as he flopped down onto the bed.
He didn't respond, so she grabbed a plastic cup from the vanity and poured herself some J.D. The first sip was bitter, but the next was smooth. Spike sat up, as if the aroma of the liquor raised him from the dead. She silently set to pouring him a cup and handed it to him not really caring if he'd already had enough. The man should know his own limits. Sitting on the opposite side of the bed, she continued to sip at her drink and stare at the wall. Silence ruled the room for several minutes.
"Did you look for me?" asked Faye, her low tone barely audible.
"Yeah," said Spike downing his drink far too quickly. "Where were you?" He was too drunk at this point to care about his pride and apathy.
"Here and there," she said still not looking at him. "Mostly Venus…I'm almost out of money. There were no bounties."
He nodded absently, and then stood up to refresh his alcoholic beverage. "Why did you leave?" he asked again, vaguely recalling she had not truly answered this question.
"Because…because you're going to hurt me," she stated growing louder. "They all do in the end."
"What? Why would I do that?" asked Spike confusion evident in his expression.
"Because you don't love me, you asshole!" she screamed slamming her cup down on the nightstand. "Love is too much of a risk for the almighty Spike fucking Spiegel!" She stood up to add emphasis to her statement.
"Don't tell me how I feel," demanded Spike bitterly. "You have no idea how I feel about you."
"You're right! I don't! And that is a problem." She was in his face now, hardly one to back down from a good argument.
Stupidly enough, all Spike could think about as she gave him the death stare was how incredibly beautiful she looked. Her dark hair was slightly tousled, her emerald eyes sparked with anger, her thin limbs trembled with the surge of adrenaline rushing through them. Did he really love this wild woman? He couldn't think straight in his present stupor. He opted for no comment as he took another gulp of Jack.
"That's what I thought," she spat turning her back on him and returning to her own drink. She fished a cigarette out of the nightstand drawer and lit it. He sat near her setting his drink on the floor. Rolling her eyes, she offered him her cigarette and got another one out.
"Faye…I've missed you," he said deciding it was better to confess this than hide it. "More than I thought I would."
"Me too," she responded quietly.
The sudden urge to touch her overwhelmed him. His unsteady hand reached out and he ran his fingers through her hair. The hand came to a rest on the back of her neck and he pulled her into a willing kiss. The moment seemed to last forever and Faye swore she was getting drunk off of the alcoholic fumes emanating from his mouth. Hands continued to grope at her and she couldn't find the strength of will to tell him to stop. It felt good. It felt natural. Damn carnal sins of the flesh, they always got the best of her.
On instinct, she reached down and pulled her red dress off over her head. He fumbled haphazardly with the buttons of his yellow shirt before rashly tearing it open and tossing it aside, where it rest beside his jacket. Looking down, with the astonishment that only a drunk could possess, he realized Faye had already undone his pants. She's a quick little devil, he mused before ungracefully pulling off the remainder of his clothing. He had no idea where their cigarettes had gone and hoped she had taken care of them.
She felt his weight crush her into the mattress and reveled in the comfortability of it. He made love to her slowly, trying to draw out each minute and remember it. It felt more like a dream than reality and his head was spinning by the time he finished. Next thing he knew, he was on his back and she was straddling his waist. She liked to work this way, in turns. Gave her the opportunity to show off her "skills". She brought him into ecstasy twice more before he begged her to stop, which she found highly amusing.
"Awww…can't handle your alcohol, Spike?" she teased while looking down at his sweaty and exhausted body. Of all things, Faye did believe she missed pestering him the most.
"No, I can't handle you," he said in a sleepy tone while wearing a smirk. He paused and his face relaxed. "If I pass out…will you be here in the morning?"
"Yes. Go to sleep, Spike."
He didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Within seconds, he lost consciousness sinking into a world of dreams.
To Be Continued…
Author's Note:
Hope this one wasn't too disappointing. Lately, I have had little inspiration to write. Or, I'll write some of a chapter and not type it for a month. What can I say? Summer down here is a time to be lazy. It's too damn hot. I believe it was kind of rushed to get Spike and Faye back together so quickly, but…I really can't stand to write them apart that long, honestly. I am currently brainstorming some new ideas for the next chappie, but it may take a little time. I don't want to have to sacrifice quality for speed. But, it won't take that long, I'm sure. Thanks for reading, hope it wasn't too short, and Thank You so much to my reviewers! I deeply appreciate your input!