You Can't Go Home Again

[dark_wesley]

I'd made the rest of the phone calls during the cab ride to the airport and while waiting for the plane. One to my building superintendent that ensured my flat would remain mine and cleaned at least once a month for as long as I could keep my rent wired in on time. One to a service that would hold my mail and forward it to me whenever I requested

Comments

[dark_wesley]

Faith smiled, and I returned it. To be honest, there had been a part of me that wasn't sure she'd be here when I returned. It wouldn't be so very far removed from the skittishness I'd sensed in her the night before to turn and run before things got too complicated. It's far too late for that, Faith, I thought. And that wasn't even counting the fact we'd been intimate.

"Yeah, you made it. Barely. Next time, give a girl a call to say you're gonna be cutting it close."

"That assumes I'm going anywhere on my own again."

And it was true, as far as I could imagine. This wasn't Buffy with her social life and class and friends fitted in around Giles and her slaying. There would really be little but the two of us from now on, and the constant moving on.

I dropped down to the couch beside Faith and my usual scotch appeared in front of me before I'd even thought of ordering it. The waitress gave me a smile as she set it down, then left. I took a long sip, then relaxed back into the couch.

"Well, it's done," I said to Faith. "Goodbyes and such all said, business taken care of. We've a place to stay if we ever need to in Los Angeles, but that's about it. Now, all I have to my name is a case of clothes and weapons and my bike."

I paused, letting Faith wonder for a moment. "And the money, of course. Plenty of that, though if we're to keep under the radar, these rather extravagant displays are going to be very few and far between. But, we won't be going hungry, either."

Taking another long sip of my scotch, I turned to Faith.

"So, did you at least keep out of major trouble today?"

[wesleys_slayer]

"Well, it's done."

I just kept quiet and raised an eyebrow as I smoked my cigarette, figuring he'd tell me more. I wasn't gonna push.

"Goodbyes and such all said, business taken care of. We've a place to stay if we ever need to in Los Angeles, but that's about it. Now, all I have to my name is a case of clothes and weapons and my bike."

"What?" I think I even coughed a bit as I stared at him. The hell was he thinking? No money? what the fuck were we supposed to do? God, I'd been fucking joking when I'd said I'd strip for more cash...no fucking way we'd get by with that...

"Wes, you can't be fucking serious! What are we gonna do now? Shit, Wes, I'm gonna call up angel right now and tell him he'd better fucking help us out or else--"

But he gave me a smile and my words kinda caught in my throat.

"And the money, of course. Plenty of that, though if we're to keep under the radar, these rather extravagant displays are going to be very few and far between. But, we won't be going hungry, either."

"You asshole!" I laughed, shaking my head. Fucker. "Don't you ever pull that shit on me again, got it? Fuck, Wes..." I watched him and he just sat there, drinking, looking pretty smug. Wanted to just wipe that look off his face, and at the same time? There was something kinda sexy and fun about that look.

Reminded me of me, I guess.

"So, did you at least keep out of major trouble today?"

I looked away from him then, taking another drag as I watched the dancers on the floor. I thought back to the girl I'd fucked and wondered what Wes would think of me if he knew. Disappointed? Or just par for the course? "Guess I didn't get into major trouble. Dunno, Wes. What's your definition of trouble?"

[dark_wesley]

"You asshole! Don't you ever pull that shit on me again, got it? Fuck, Wes..."

I leaned back, relaxing even more. Times between us, I knew, would rarely be this easy and simple and carefree all at once, and so I was determined to make the very most out of each second. I sipped at my drink, looking over the rim of the glass at Faith, who seemed as amused as she was annoyed by my joke.

"Guess I didn't get into major trouble. Dunno, Wes. What's your definition of trouble?"

Glancing around the nightclub, I shrugged.

"Well, I don't see the local police crashing through the doors after us, so that's something... I don't see any visible bumps or bruises, so there hasn't been a fight. Hmm... your in the same clothes, so I'm guessing even if you looked at their boutiques you didn't realize you could charge it to the room..."

I was sure I caught a reaction with that one. Ticking off a mark under my column, I scratched my chin in thought. "What else," I mused.

In mid-thought, though, I was distracted by a minor commotion happening just beyond the cordon that separated the VIP section from the main. A young woman, wearing scandalously little-- which seemed to be the uniform here-- was gesticulating wildly in our direction. I couldn't place the blonde, so I looked at Faith and nodded my head in the girl's direction.

"Faith, I think that young woman is trying to get your attention."

[wesleys_slayer]

Wes looked like he was relaxing finally, which, thank-fucking-God. I passed him a cigarette, just to see what he'd do with it. Yeah, he'd said before it was a bad habit or something, but somehow? I was betting this Wesley was a tad bit different than the one from Sunnydale. Hell, for all I knew he had pot back in the hotel room hidden from me.

Nah. He would've shared some by now. Or, I would've found it.

"Well, I don't see the local police crashing through the doors after us, so that's something... I don't see any visible bumps or bruises, so there hasn't been a fight. Hmm... your in the same clothes, so I'm guessing even if you looked at their boutiques you didn't realize you could charge it to the room..."

Ok, what the fuck? I could've gone shopping and bought some nice shit? Why didn't he tell me? "Wes," I pouted, making his name into two syllables.

"What else..."

I rolled my eyes and took another drag. Fine, back to playing this little game? Fun. What the hell had I signed on for when I'd asked him to be my Watcher?

He was still thinking about my next possible sin, probably, and I was done with my cig when...fuck, what was her name again? Blondie from today came in making quite a little scene. Dunno why, it wasn't like she was some hooker I'd picked up and forgotten to pay. She was just a nice fuck, a nice distraction...

A nice rememberance of someone I couldn't have.

"Faith, I think that young woman is trying to get your attention."

"Yeah, I've got eyes too, Wes, I sorta noticed," I grumbled. "What, did she fucking follow me?" Great, now I had some stalker on my hands? No way was that gonna keep my profile low from the cops. Perfect.

"Guess it's your lucky day," I whispered to Wes as I grabbed his face and pulled it close to mine for a deep kiss, hoping she'd take the hint and leave or else not recognize me with someone else's tongue down my throat.

[dark_wesley]

"Yeah, I've got eyes too, Wes, I sorta noticed. What, did she fucking follow me?"

I frowned. Apparently, Faith had made herself a new 'friend' while I was away, and now didn't want to have anything to do with the girl. I wasn't entirely sure of what had happened, but I was starting to be able to guess. The girl didn't look dangerous in the least. Quite attractive, really, strongly suggesting someone familiar...

My mouth started to open as I finally recognized the girl, but before I could say a word, Faith's hands were on my face.

"Guess it's your lucky day."

Faith kissed me, hard and deep, and I returned it with only a heartbeat's hesitation. Somewhere in the very back of my brain, I knew that she was trying to dissuade the blonde from pursuing her further, but the rest of me was quick to respond to Faith enthusiastically.

My hands found Faith's waist and tugged her closer to me, devouring her mouth with my own. There was a breathless hunger to the kiss, tinged with something temptingly familiar.

When we finally broke for air, it took me two seconds to realize that our 'attendant', Trish, was standing beside the couch.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Pryce, but..." she said, nodding her head towards the blonde girl-- the dancer from Faith's club who'd reminded us both so of Buffy.

I nodded pleasantly and gestured towards the girl.

"Trish, send that young lady and her companions a bottle of Taittinger and our apologies that she must have mistaken my girlfriend here for someone else."

I left the 'and make sure she stays well away' silent, but implied. Trish smiled. "Right away, sir," she replied brightly, then walked off. The blonde left a few moments later, looking confused but not unhappy.

Turning to Faith, I raised an eyebrow. "New friend, Faith?"

[wesleys_slayer]

((thread hop to new thread))