Spaye - Tumblr Posts

Written in response to a request & also (almost as an afterthought but it just fell into place so nicely) as a writing challenge using as three word prompt of 1) Faye 2) dry martini 3) red ☺️

***

Her perfume smelled like roses.

He remembered that from their first meeting. In an overcrowded casino that reeked of spilt booze, sweat, air-conditioning, and money - cutting through all the standard human scents and manufactured ones, like a breath of fresh air. Roses.

He'd always been a sucker for that aroma. Julia had found it amusing. She'd been pleased enough with the bouquet when he presented it to her, but she'd later admitted that it wasn't her favorite scent. Marigolds. Lovely enough but the scent was acrid. Reminded him of fires. But she thought his affinity for roses was endearing. Truth be told, sometimes he felt like a child when he'd offer her a red bloom - like a little boy playing at big emotions and being condescendingly coddled as a way of keeping him happy.

It had been the meaning behind the flowers that he was trying to convey to her, something she had to understand. Love, passion, romance and desire. All things that she had ultimately been indifferent to.

Letting the last bouquet drop carelessly to the concrete, letting his heart wash away down the street with the petals that fell from the bud, he gave up on love. On the silliness of romance. On the instability of desire. On the pursuit of a passion that gave life meaning.

Then, unexpectedly, the sweet smell wafted softly back into his life.

She'd been coy and charming at first, saucy and sassy afterwards, and then she made off with the money and he felt his heart tug as if to chase after her. It had been exciting, amusing, and overall refreshing to have her grace his life with her exuberant presence.

And then suddenly she was back again - all the money gone, along with her fuel, and stranded in space until they'd decided to pick her up. Well, Jet had suggested bringing her in for the bounty she had on her head and Spike had gone along with that plan just for a chance to verbally spar with her again.

Then she'd gone and flipped their tentative plan on its head. She'd put her butt on the line, risked her own life - for the reward? Maybe. Spike didn't think so though. Whatever her motive, it swayed Jet enough to let her stay instead of collecting woolongs by turning her in.

Delightfully, disturbingly, his world was now awash in the soft, heady aroma of roses. Whether it was her shampoo, her conditioner, her lotion, her perfume… all were rose scented. It should have been cloying, overpowering, enough to gag a man.

He couldn't get enough.

So he let her take first showers. He took advantage of opportunities to sit next to her on the couch. He'd stand downwind of her when they were on the deck of the ship.

And then, after he'd laid all his ghosts to rest, he decided to take it all a step further.

It started with a yellow rose that he left in the cockpit of her zipcraft, along with a pack of her preferred brand of smokes. She came in wielding it like a sword and demanded to know why it had been left there.

"Figured by now we were friends," He'd replied honestly with a shrug. It was enough to placate her, and he watched as she buried her nose in the bloom to inhale deeply before wandering off to her room without another word on the matter.

Then, a few weeks later, he left an orange rose on the birthday gift he'd gotten her - one of the trashy paperback novels she secretly adored. This one garnered no verbal response, but she did blush deeply before sneaking off to her room with the book in hand and the rose held to her nose.

After that he couldn't wait any longer. He left a purple rose in front of her door the very next day and then he went to the bridge and bribed Jet to take Ed to the museums in town. Fortunately, they were in Alba City and there were plenty of those - history museums, aircraft museums, museums of science and space. With luck they'd be gone the better part of the day.

Working quickly, Spike set a trail of petals leading up the stairs to the bridge and then scattered more in a path to the windows at the front of the command room. He arranged a bouquet of seven roses in the middle of a square fold out table upon which he'd placed several take out containers, a pair of plates, and their drinks. A dry martini for her, garnished with a lemon twist, and a whiskey on the rocks for him.

Finally, to really set the mood, he fiddled with the Bebop's radio until he found a station playing jazz. The soothing notes of Ahmad Jamal's 'Soul Girl' filled the air just before the sound of Faye's heels rang out as she ascended the stairway.

"You know, a person could read a lot into all this," Faye called out as she sashayed into the bridge proper. She was wearing one of his button up shirts, the purple rose tucked into the button hole between her breasts, with one of his ties affixed around her trim waist like a belt, and her heeled white boots. Spike's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline as he regarded her.

Licking his lips, Spike gestured at the table laden with food and flowers.

"No need to strain," He managed after a moment, brain catching up to her words. "Everything is spelled out pretty clearly, I'd say."

"Mm," She murmured in reply, slinking her way closer. "You're a changed man these days. Coming back from the dead seems to agree with you."

He rolled his eyes skyward. "I went there to see if I was really alive, not to die at all." But then he fixed his mismatched eyes on her. "I don't see the past out of one eye anymore, Faye. I see you, right now, in this present moment."

"I remembered my past, Spike." She replied as she reached him and slipped past him to tuck herself into one of the seats and began opening the take out boxes. "Mmm, dumplings, rice balls, noodles, wontons, Peking duck, and moon cakes?!" Faye reached out for the martini glass and took a generous sip.

"Admittedly the Peking duck was mostly to appease my own appetite, but I know you love the rest." Spike confided.

Faye set down her drink and smirked at him, then moved closer to the roses to inhale deeply. "Ohhh, roses are my favorite. Their scent is just so rich, so sinful…" Her gaze lingered on the blossoms for a moment before lifting up to peer at him over the top of the red blooms. "As I was saying…my memories came back. Nothing useful really, nothing that changes where I belong at least. But I do recall something about flowers. Quite a bit about flowers in fact. Did you know there's a whole language of meaning in flowers?" She leaned back in the chair to toy with the purple rose still snugged in the button hole.

"I may be fairly well versed in that language as a matter of fact." Spike said as he slid into the seat across from her and began dishing up the food onto their plates.

"I suspected as much after the orange one. The yellow didn't have to mean a thing but by the time the purple one showed up… well…"

"You've got some thorns, Valentine. Didn't want to get myself pricked… but you're also impossible to resist I hope you know." Picking up her martini glass to hand to her, relishing the smoothness of her skin as she let her fingers shift along his before claiming the stem of the vessel within her own grasp, Spike nearly shivered with delicious anticipation. Taking his own tumbler in hand, he tilted it towards her with a sincere look on his face.

"A toast, my dear, to…exploring urges…and perhaps seeing what may come of this spark between us." He held his breath as she raised an eyebrow and considered him for a long minute.

At last she tipped her own glass to chime against his in salute.

"To pursuing the potential…as long as we remember to stop and smell the roses from time to time." Her smile at him then changed from seductive to something warmer, touched with a more meaningful type of promise.

Perhaps romance, desire, passion and yes even love were still destined to be a part of his life.

Day 13: flip flops / thongs

***

"How disturbing! This is not the place for that!" A voice exclaimed, catching Faye's attention as she walked past a parking lot while nursing Lupin.

Stopping in her tracks, she turned to glare at the offended couple.

"Excuse me?"

Spike sighed as he came to a stop beside Faye and Lupin's little mouth popped off his mother's nipple as the baby tried to roll over towards whatever - or in this whoever - had caught his mother's attention and ire.

"Having those out on display is entirely inappropriate!" The man went on, glaring at Faye's chest.

"Oh? And yet flip flops and a thong is fancy enough attire for a family friendly public beach?" Faye demanded, pointing at the man's companion - a woman a third his age with a teeny tiny set of triangles perched precariously on her breasts and with a thong bikini bottom that disappeared up her backside curves.

"You're someone's mother!" The young woman cried, scandalized.

Faye frowned at her. "Yeah? What of it? It's 40 degrees out with no breeze! And this is a nude beach to boot! In fact, you know what?" Grumbling, Faye passed Lupin over to Spike and aggressively untied her own top and then for good measure shimmied out of the bottoms too. "How do you like me now?! Fuck, being someone's mother makes the fresh air on these nipples even better than it was before I had a kid!" She stood proudly before the pair, took a deep breath in, and let it out peacefully. "Try it before you knock it or judge anyone else!"

With that, Faye turned on her heel and strode on down the beach, leaving Spike - grinning bemusedly and still holding Lupin - to follow.

"You know …it's not actually a nude beach, right Faye?" Spike chuckled as he caught up to her, shifting Lupin in his arms as the baby began to fall asleep. "Ed put up those signs to fuck with people."

Faye let out a sheepish laugh. "That girl I swear… Well, let's get further down the beach so I can put my suit back on. I don't want those prudes to see me climbing back into clothes as if I'm in the wrong."

"Baby, you make wrong look so right," Spike teased, waggling his brows at her lasciviously.

Day 16: Swimming

***

The sun was shining brightly on the Bebop crew as they sat moored at one of the cheapest docks on Ganymede. The smell of salt water competed with the robust fishy odor emanating from nearly every vessel that surrounded them.

"Ahh. This fresh air is making me hungry." Jet declared, setting up a fishing station at the edge of the boat. "Think I'll catch us our meals today, hehehe."

"Jet-person is in a good mood!" Edward exclaimed. She spun past the ex-cop in a cartwheel.

"You're right, I am." Jet replied. "Feels good saving money and it'll feel even better when our bellies are full."

Ein, following on Ed's heels but much more slowly, snuffled around Jet's location for a bit before realizing there were no fish yet present in the bucket next to the former cop. With a soft yip that could have been encouragement or farewell, the small dog went trotting along after Ed again.

"Faye-Faye! Let's go swimming!" Ed cried enthusiastically as she ran circles around the lounge chair Faye was setting up.

Sighing, Faye pushed her sunglasses up onto her forehead and, with a last yank, got the chair to deploy properly.

"Ed, this isn't a swimsuit." Faye said then, sweeping a hand down over her body to indicate the garment she wore.

"No?" Ed paused in her laps, frowning in puzzlement.

"No," Faye confirmed. "It is a sunbathing suit." She sat down on the leg section of the long chair and began to squeeze lotion out of the tube she had brought along.

"Oh, c'mon, Faye-Faye, swim with the kid." Spike cajoled as he ambled up. "You're all suited up and everything."

She rolled her eyes. "Did you not hear me explain that this is not a swimsuit?"

Spike moved past the girls to stand at the edge of the ship, looking down at the water lapping against the hull several feet below.

"No, I heard that. I just figured you might wanna wash that mayonnaise off." He turned to smirk at her. "Can't believe you didn't realize before you applied it so liberally to your skin!"

Faye's hands stopped mid motion and she stared aghast at her white-smeared legs for a moment before erupting into a flurry of motion as she shot off the lounge chair and lunged across the deck to forcefully shove Spike overboard.

"Wait! I can't swi-" His yell cut off abruptly as he went under.

"Ah shit!" Faye shouted before she dove off into the dark depths.

Jet glanced over at the commotion to see Ed on her hands and knees peering curiously over the side of the vessel with Ein at her side doing likewise. He sighed.

"There's a rope ladder a little way down if you wanna toss that over for them to climb back up, Ed." He informed the girl after a moment. "Take your time about it though, hey? Kinda peaceful the way it is now..."

Meanwhile, Faye had opened her eyes underwater to look around and try to find Spike's sinking figure. Anxiety made her chest tight as she moved in a circle and did not see him in the murky light that illuminated the upper layers of the deep waters of the dockyard.

Anxiety was about to turn into straight fear when she felt a tap on her shoulder and spun quickly to see Spike, hair bobbing in all directions off his scalp, grinning at her. He winked and then kicked to make his way to the surface as Faye, stupefaction morphing into indignation, swam to follow.

Sputtering once she reached air, Faye lashed out at the laughing bounty hunter treading water beside her. In between underwater kicks and splashes of her hands as she tried to hit him also, she screamed at him.

"What! The! Hell! You know how to swim?!"

Coughing as he caught a wave of water in his mouth and up his nose from her onslaught, he laughed again. "Sure, I was taught how to swim. Bloom, close, kick 'em in the head." He recited dutifully. Then, noticing the ladder Ed was lowering, he began to swim towards the ship.

Faye, glaring, swam after him. "Oh, I'll give you a kick in the head all right!"

Day 19: Summer Storm

***

Spike wandered onto the deck of the Bebop from the hangar, wiping his hands on a rag before stuffing it in the back pocket of his brown cargo pants. He glanced around the flight deck but saw no one save for Faye who stood at the bow of the ship like some kind of old timey nautical figurehead.

She was wearing one of his yellow button up shirts - buttons completely undone - over a thin white tank top and the comfy shorts she often chose as loungewear in the evenings. Though he made no secret of his approach, she didn't bother to so much as glance in his direction even when he came up alongside her to stand shoulder to shoulder.

Curious as to what had her so transfixed, Spike followed her line of sight out over the cerulean waters and onto the horizon.

The sky was roughly divided in the distance. Dark gray nimbostratus clouds with a ragged base on the port side of the ship were a stark contrast to the wispy clouds streaking the azure sky. It was oddly mesmerizing to watch as the storm clouds overtook the hazy clouds higher up in the atmosphere.

Faye's hair, fluttering in the breeze that was starting to pick up, distracted him from his study of the horizon. Her delicate facial features were just as captivating to him. The paleness of her skin rivaled the shade of the fleeing altostratus clouds, the jewel tone of her eyes more magnificent to him than actual gemstones, and the inviting curl of her cherry red lips…

"Robbing my closet again are you?" He asked her in a low teasing tone as he withdrew a pack of cigarettes from one of the pockets on his upper thigh.

Her lips twisted up further though her gaze remained on the approaching storm clouds.

"Don't be silly, I'm no thief." A warm chuckle infused with pride and self satisfaction. "However, I am quite the opportunist and someone left their clean laundry in the washroom…"

"You hope it's clean anyway," He muttered dryly, a grin pulling at his mouth despite his attempt to come off as both reproachful and inspiring doubt as to the state of cleanliness.

She shifted on her feet, which he belatedly noticed were bare, and nudged against him with her shoulder.

"I'd actually prefer if it smelled more of you and less of detergent," She divulged, a blush staining her cheeks a dusky pink.

A feeling of warmth expanded in his chest. He lit the cigarette, inhaled, then passed it over to her so his right arm was free to wrap loosely around her back and settle on her right hip. She leaned against him and they passed the cigarette back and forth until it was nearly at the filter at which point he dropped it to the deck and stepped on it to put it out. He left his boot atop the butt with the intent of picking it up and throwing it away when he went back inside.

This world had enough garbage in it - enough still raining down from space itself - for him to add anymore to it.

"Whatcha doing out here anyway?"

"Summer storm rolling in… wanted to watch it make land." She replied quietly.

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and then looked back at the view before them. "Sure, I get that. But you could watch it just as well from the bridge, ya know. Pretty sure Jet even washed the windows recently."

"Mm, he did, but it's not the same. I wanted to feel the air change. It's positively electric." The wind blew harder, pressing their clothing against their bodies, and she laughed with delight as the clouds swept above them and broke open. Rain splattered down and Faye finally looked up at him with a fierce grin. "Wanted to get drenched. I used to love dancing in the rain."

Whenever she shared a tidbit of her past - that precious time she only recovered in snatches - he felt incredibly honored. This time, he also felt inspired. He moved to take her in his arms in the opening position of a tango, heard her sharp intake of surprise and saw the pleasure dawning on her lovely face, and led her in a passionate series of dance steps as the rain poured down.

They were soaked, but they were smiling. The storm thundered in their ears, an unusual song to dance to and yet they moved as if it were the only possible response to the crack and clap and rolls of sound. Even as the lightning began, though by then they had started to make their way towards the open door of the hangar, dancing all the while.

Day 28: Sleepless Nights

* * *

Since being revived in this familiar yet bizarre future, where the people were the same despite thriving amongst the stars, where vehicles can zip from planet to planet with relative ease, where law had broken down and uncertainty reigned supreme, Faye had experienced the entire gamut of sleepless nights.

Escaping the hospital, her first few weeks were terrifying. Alone in a strange place, no home or friends or even food, trying to stay under the radar to avoid debt collectors… she’d spent countless nights wide awake just for her own protection. It was safer to steal sleep in snatches during daylight hours, when she could be someplace nondescript like a sandy beach where it was expected to see people napping at their ease.

Most folks without a job or a place to live could apply for benefits from their city or country or whatever the case may be. There were food pantries and food trucks and food lines and so on. But those things typically asked for her name or for proof of her identity and for someone trying to keep under cover this was not something she could boldly offer. So, begrudgingly, she gave up on those opportunities for sustenance and opted for the more dangerous routes of dumpster diving, living off the land (and hoping the plants she picked were edible and not going to give her a sour stomach) and of course conning people into treating her to meals with the expectation (always unmet) of something intimate in return. 

Eventually her life on the run had fallen into a semi-sustainable rhythm as she met and befriended a few cunning individuals who helped her shape the course of her own future. Card sharks and street walkers alike had plenty of advice for her and plenty of lessons to impart. Places she could eat or sleep that required no identification. Targets she could focus on to make her life easier when it came to begging for a meal or flaunting herself for a new outfit. Ways to stack the deck and rig the dice and otherwise turn fortune in her favor in small ways that wouldn’t be so obvious as to get her caught.

Her sleepless nights then were due to running the long game, as it were. The game of survival. All her best marks were on the casino floor late at night, or in bars after dark. The rubes she chose to help her make it from day to day - or week to week, if it was a particularly good night - were afterhours individuals and therefore that became her work shift so to speak.

And then came the Bebop where everything got turned on its head. Part of the issue, once she settled in on the converted fishing trawler, was the fact that it ventured all around the galaxy. Suddenly there was no established “day” or “night” because who knew where they’d be at any particular time. It might be morning on Mars but afternoon on Ganymede. Her sleep schedule was suddenly all out of whack. But for once she was in a place she considered safe enough to close her eyes anytime she was tired. She had a room she could lock herself in - and lock the world out. More than that, she knew she was in no danger of being accosted by the men on the ship with her. She could, if she wanted, pass out for hours on the couch like Spike tended to.

Not that she ever did. That was his place.

But a lounge chair in the sun on the deck of the ship? She could relax there and be assured that no one would disturb her peace.

Well, until Ed showed up anyway. But Ed wasn’t a burly thug trying to force Faye into anything. Ed wasn’t a gutter-minded man (or woman) seeking to come upon Faye while she was unaware. Ed was simply a wild child who lived life with no adherence to standard sleep hours either. She’d startled Faye any number of times by showing up unexpectedly in Faye’s room, or the shower, or beside her while she was sunbathing. But Ed meant no harm - typically her presence was due to curiosity or boredom or both.

Before Ed arrived, however, Faye stumbled on a new source of sleepless nights.

She went after a bounty - one that had the guys butting heads - and she got in too deep. Spike, supposedly for reasons of his own, came after her. In destructive fashion, he rescued her from the clutches of death while racing towards that violent end himself. Thankfully, for her own guilty conscience as much as for himself in general, he wasn’t actually killed. Lacerations, a severe gash to his left shoulder, terrible finger-shaped bruising on his face, a bullet wound to his midriff - somehow missing all vital organs, the lucky bastard - and of course the brunt force damage he took upon landing after being shoved out a stained glass window… all of that added up to a painful survival but a survival nonetheless.

Still, he was unconscious for days. Long days and even longer nights as she sat vigil at his side. Jet had tried to oust her once or twice but she felt so incredibly responsible for his injuries that she couldn’t stay away for long. A quick shower, a hurried bite to eat, maybe a catnap that she would wake from with a racing heart and fear choking her. It wasn’t until she made it back to the living room and could see that Spike’s chest was rising and falling on its own accord that the grip of terror on her very lungs would subside.

So many sleepless nights watching over that lunkhead. That was just the first time. A two-day sleeping spell after the Pierrot incident. Then, in the aftermath of his attempt at taking out Vincent, he’d been asleep for nearly four days. And of course the harrowing takedown of the Red Dragon Syndicate… once he was back on board the ship, after being so touch and go that they didn’t dare take him from the machines at the senior citizen nursing home… 

He’d been in rough shape and that was saying something considering how often Spike had gotten himself banged up in just the few years she’d known the man. Even after he was considered out of the woods enough to relocate him to the security of the Bebop… the fever he got at one point almost proved his undoing at last. She and Jet had both been pushed beyond exhaustion as they tried to keep his temperature down, his wounds clean, and his thrashing to a minimum.

Who would have thought that, months and months and months later, Spike would once again be the cause of her sleepless nights? Or…well, part of the cause anyway. She was naturally to blame as well. But she simply couldn’t blame the baby.

It had been only a short time since his arrival and they were delirious with lack of adequate rest.

As soon as her eyelids closed, as if sensing his mother flirting with slumber, little Lupin would wake with a wail. He was so incredibly small, so absurdly needy…and she couldn’t fault him for it one bit. DB had warned her that newborns required feeding almost constantly. Their tiny tummies could only hold so much at a time and they burned through energy quickly despite only being awake for such short windows. Besides that, the baby hadn’t even acclimated to the notion of hunger quite yet - he’d been supplied with as much nourishment as he’d ever needed while he was in the womb, so the concept of discomfort due to hunger was an alien one. The little dear didn’t even know that hunger was one of the issues he was facing - it was up to Faye and Spike to address the situation by putting food in his little suckling mouth. And, since Spike wasn’t the one breastfeeding the baby, that meant it was ultimately up to Faye.

Oh, she had intentions of pumping so Spike could feed the baby breastmilk from a bottle, but those good intentions had no chance of coming to fruition given how she had so far been unable to take even the smallest break from the baby.

He was just so demanding!

If it wasn’t a nipple he was after, then it was a diaper change he needed, and then he couldn’t stand being laid down. He settled down decently whether it was Faye or Spike holding him, but they had so far been unable to put him in the crib for an actual rest and neither dared doze off while holding the baby.

It would no doubt prove unsustainable, but currently they were hanging on by a fraying thread.

It helped that Lupin was so adorable. Mooning over the most beautiful face she’d ever seen was almost relaxing enough to count as sleep. And the hour-long nap she’d get when Spike would be holding the baby… when added up with the other hour-long breaks here and there… technically that was like getting a decent amount of sleep broken up into pieces. Spike was getting about the same amount of interrupted shut-eye since he tended to wake up at every little coo or cry Lupin made while Faye was snuggling the baby.

She was tempted to tell him to go crash for a few hours on the couch where he might be able to get several hours under his belt, but the idea of being on her own with such a precious responsibility in her arms… what if she accidentally nodded off? What if she needed help and couldn’t yell loud enough to rouse anyone in the other part of the ship? What if what if what if?

Even when the baby slept they weren’t comfortable closing their eyes themselves. He was so brand new, his little nasal passages and airways so unused to processing oxygen… and, while she meant well with her warnings, DB’s explanation of SIDS had been so thoroughly traumatizing that neither of them wanted to risk something happening while little Lupin slept.

So they were awake when he was awake and awake when he was asleep. Day in, day out.

But these sleepless nights wouldn’t last forever… Lupin wouldn’t remain so needy and so vulnerable. So Faye was trying to look on the bright side - easier said than done when her eyes were so tired and her body felt exhausted nearly beyond the ability to push through.

She wasn’t sleepless due to fear of assault. She wasn’t sleepless due to concern over Spike being virtually comatose. She was merely sleepless because of the most darling little boy she had never imagined would bring her life such a sense of fulfillment and love. She’d take that sleepy struggle over the other versions any day.

Day 31: Author's Choice ... Date Night

Written for @kiraannwrites who wanted some fluffy romantic Spike/Faye 😘

***

Faye sported a crooked grin as she meandered through the aisles of clothing at the thrift shop off one of the main roads in downtown Alba City. There were easily dozens of thrift shops within the city but this one, nestled so near the affluent portion of the city populace, promised to have the most high-end options out there.

Normally she didn’t care as much but she wanted to make tonight especially fun and for that she needed to get Spike decked out in something truly fabulous. He was somewhere else in this three-story store, though she hadn’t seen him since they’d split up on arrival. She was bouncing on her feet out of anticipation of what the day might hold for them.

It was Date Night and it was kind of a big deal. All too often, their date nights were half for themselves to enjoy and half set up as a cover for a bounty, but this one… this entire day in fact, was specifically theirs to savor without any sort of work hidden at all.

They’d decided to take turns over the course of the afternoon and Faye had won the coin toss which meant she got first pick. Initially she’d been in a panic because she had no idea what to do and it’s not like they were flush with cash, but now things were falling into place. To start with, she had found the perfect outfit for Spike to wear.

Go To Hell golf shorts - in her day, the company had made trousers but apparently now they had shorts available as well, which was perfect for making Spike show off his skinny ass legs. She’d found a pair of yellow with bright red lobsters and a pair of electric blue with neon green frogs and still hadn’t decided on which to go with. Eventually though she settled on the blue pair because it would go well with the beautiful soft leather laser print navy blue with cognac colored wingtip slip-on loafers - with matching cognac tassels, leather lining, and leather sole. She was being quite kind by opting for these as quite a few of the spectator shoes here were… well, obnoxious was putting it lightly.

Traditionally, most golfers would pair the eccentric pattern of the pants with a much simpler - often solid color - polo shirt but Faye was not trying to make Spike look sensible. She chose the purple and navy madras patterned long sleeve polo and over that an argyle patterned navy and purple and pale pink knitted v-neck vest. A navy tweed golf cap was the final touch, though she couldn’t imagine how it might sit on Spike’s poof of hair.

Chortling with delight, she gathered up all the pieces of her costume and brought them into the changing room so she could reassign the values on the price tags to something far more affordable. This was a thrift shop, after all, these items certainly shouldn’t have been put on the rack or shelves at the cost they’d been marked to be. In no time she was cutting in front of a bleach blonde lady pushing a cart in front of her and pulling another behind. Like hell was she about to wait for that lady to check out!

Scant minutes later, she was emerging onto the sidewalk and half-blinded by the sunshine of the day. Even so, she could hear the snort from Spike who had been lurking near the entrance apparently. No surprise he’d managed to be in and out quicker than her but in all fairness his costume had so many parts required in order to work!

“Off to the club, are we?” He teased as he reached over to grab the clear plastic bag of clothes from her hand. He swapped her bag for the one piece of fabric he’d been holding. “Your attire for the day, m’lady.”

Gleefully, Faye unfolded the garment to reveal a pink v-neck vintage day style tennis dress with a cute printed gathered skirt attached. She could already envision herself twirling in it and setting the skirt to flare up around her hips.

“Great minds, apparently,” She replied, standing on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips. “Clubs have tennis courts and golf courses after all. And we’re gonna go see if we can gain admission to the ritziest one we can find! Preferably one where we can find a schmuck whose account we can pin all of our drink and meal charges to.”

Spike chuckled. “I like the way you think, Faye.” He took the dress back from her hands to stuff into the bag of his clothes. “Don’t wave that around in front of the doors like that,” He admonished as he casually took her hand with his free one.

“You stole my outfit?” She hissed at him as they strolled away from the thrift store and towards the nearest bus stop.

He quirked a brow at her and grinned shamelessly. “My darling, fashion for one such as yourself? Simply priceless.”

Snickering at his audacity, she swayed into him with her shoulder. “All right, a penny saved is a penny saved so…” Swinging their joined hands into the air in front of them and then behind them, Faye sighed happily. “We gotta figure out a way to look like we belong and I don’t think hopping off at the bus stop is gonna present that image.”

Spike shook his head in agreement. “Nah, I was thinking we’d hit up a car dealership and take something appropriate for a test drive. Maybe call your ship over to unload our clothes after we change into this nonsense,” He shook the bag for emphasis as they reached the bus stop. “I’ll let you take the first change in the bathroom once the bus gets here.”

“Oh, you are a true gentleman,”

***

They were both breathless with laughter as they scaled the wall on the edge of the club house grounds and Faye found herself grateful for the hidden spandex shorts portion of her dress as the rest of the outfit scrunched around her waist so she could straddle the wall smoothly and then drop down onto the street on the other side.

“Dammit, I knew you’d get us kicked out of there!” She accused, pushing Spike ahead of her as they staggered, tipsy, down the sidewalk. “Come on! They’re gonna send guards after us if we don’t get further away!”

“Ohhhh what can they do? We’re off their property now,” Spike replied nonchalantly, continuing to move at a pace Faye deemed too slow. “And I got us kicked out? As I recall, you were the one who convinced that guy’s wife to use the pole on that carousel horse as a stripper pole!”

Laughing helplessly again at the memory, Faye tottered into Spike as he came to a complete halt.

“I didn’t think she’d actually do it!” Wiping tears from her eyes, Faye produced a woolong card and waved it arrogantly in front of Spike as he turned to face her. “But I did win the bet with that old biddy at the pool because of that! Who knew people were such lushes and gossips at a place like that? Oh, I could make a killing if I was able to sneak in there more often…”

Spike chuckled. “Yeah, betting on people’s behavior seems safer than the ponies. Here, it’s my turn to pick what we do next and I know just the thing.” He wrapped his arms around her and pressed a series of kisses along her exposed throat, letting his hands roam freely up and down her back and hips.

“Wait,” Faye interrupted breathlessly, “what are we gonna do about that car from the dealership? How are we gonna get it back from the club parking lot?” She hiccuped and her cheeks flushed. Champagne was not her normal drink.

Shrugging, Spike detached himself from her and took her hand to tug her over to the curb where he hailed a cab. “Not our problem. I gave fake names so we’re gold.”

They hopped into the cab and Spike gave the driver an address and then the woolong card that Faye had been waving around previously. She gaped at him when he winked at her. “What! I had that secreted away on my person!” She exclaimed.

“Yes, well, I had my hands all over your person…” He replied suavely. “And it was so nice I might just put them there again…” With a lecherous smirk, he made good on his words while Faye yelped and blushed and tried to avoid catching the cabbie’s eyes in the rearview mirror.

Shortly thereafter, the cab deposited a scandalized Faye and a smug Spike on a new street. He smiled at her and then rapped on a simple door on the backside of an enormous brick building. A few minutes passed by and then Spike shrugged and made his way, Faye following curiously, to another door. By the time they’d reached a fourth she was definitely perplexed but Spike seemed more confident than ever.

That time, something happened. The door opened a crack and a voice from inside whispered out. “What’s the password?”

“All that glitters is gold,” Spike replied, passing something through to the unseen individual inside.

“Whatever, works for me.” Came the response and the door swung open a little further to show a gangly youth in a theater uniform who was admiring a gold watch he’d just slipped onto his narrow wrist.

“Suits ya, kid.” Spike complimented as he led Faye into the darkened room.

“What is going on?” She asked quietly as they made their way along a dimly lit hallway.

“Treating you to a film, my dear.” He told her. “Back when I was a kid on Tharsis, there was always at least one theater attendant interested in making some extra money or open to whatever bribe might come along. Doesn’t cost as much to pay off a low level employee like that - theater tickets are outrageous these days! - and anyway that was a score from the thrift shop too, so…” His laugh was positively devious.

Faye grinned wickedly. “Oh if Jet knew the deviants he hosts on his ship…”

“Psh, petty crimes are beneath any proper cop’s radar.” Spike declared. “Now let’s see what there is playing, hey? No guarantee we’ll be able to catch a full flick because these are all probably already in progress but… at any rate, I’ve always wanted to neck with someone at the movies. Never had a chance before!”

“Oh and you think you’re getting one today, huh?” She leaned in close to wrap her arms around his waist, making their continued forward progress more difficult - exactly the way she knew Spike liked things.

“Oh I think you’ll be singing a different tune when I finagle some hot buttered popcorn from concessions!”

***

“Okay, now… shift your weight a little… see? That’s a much better stance. Inhale, exhale, and give it a nice smooth release…” Spike advised, using his hands to adjust Faye’s position on the mini golf course tee box.

They were on the sixth hole and using any excuse they could think of to get handsy with each other. Several groups of adults with children had hustled the kids past - skipping whichever hole Spike and Faye happened to be on at the time - with glaring expressions on the adults while the youngsters seemed either unaware and indifferent or else highly amused and jeering as their parents hurried them along the putt putt course.

Naturally, neither Spike nor Faye paid any of the onlookers any mind. It had been Faye's turn to pick their next destination and she'd opted for the adventure golf course to get the most use out of Spike's costume and because they'd been chased from the club's course before they'd had a chance to hit the links.

Even before their behavior began to venture out of PG-13 territory, they'd been getting odd looks from others just thanks to Spike's attire. Apparently people did not often wear golfing clothes to mini golf games. Not that he was wearing all the clothes anymore - the hat was long gone after their country club escape and the vest had been left behind in the aftermath of the frisky business at the movie theater.

"Next hole has a windmill obstacle," Faye noted.

"That's a helicopter, Faye."

She rolled her eyes. "It's obviously meant to be a windmill-type obstacle, you ass. It's a helicopter crashed onto its side…sorta… I mean, the propellers are intact and in motion so… maybe it's just demonstrating a stunt? Whatever."

"Hmm." Spike ran his hands up her side, his golf club laying forgotten on the ground. "It looks like we could go inside the body of the helicopter."

She shivered with delight at his touch. "Hmm…mmm… whatcha thinking, cowboy?"

"Well… you ever join the mile high club?"

A snort. "You wanna go there and play pretend? Use our imagination?"

He draped himself over her even more fully. "Baby, you lift my spirits so high, I won't need to pretend. Give me half a chance here and I'll make you soar above the clouds."

She gave a throaty laugh and let her club fall to the ground as well. The location of their neon colored golf balls had been long forgotten.

"You're so damn corny," She turned her head so she could nip at his earlobe. "I fucking love it. Take me there, Spike."

"Fasten your seatbelt, baby, it's gonna be a wild ride…"

***

The sun was setting in a brilliant blaze of colors smearing across the horizon with the silhouette of skyscrapers starting to sparkle with the pinprick of lights turning on here and there.

"Not a bad view," Spike murmured to his date, taking a sip of the wine he'd been offered when they arrived.

"You're telling me," Faye purred appreciatively, making eyes at him when he glanced from the floor-to-ceiling windows of the twentieth story of the building they were in.

"Gruyere and crab palmiers?" A clear voice piped up from behind them.

Sharing a tender look, they turned with hungry eyes to regard the chipper waiter who was holding a tray of pastries.

"Why thank you," Faye told the waiter with a smile.

"Don't mind if I do," Spike said as he scooped up half a dozen.

The waiter stared, aghast. Faye thanked him again and gently turned him around to leave them and mingle with the other guests.

By the time she'd turned back to Spike, all of the pastries were out of sight - presumably stuffed in his pockets or mouth - save for a pair which he was offering her.

"Well, this is a good way to end date night," Faye said approvingly. She stepped next to Spike and snuggled into his side as he wrapped his left arm around her.

"It was Ed's idea, this part." Spike informed her. "She had the idea of finding out if any big corporations were having parties and stumbled on this bank anniversary. I figured since we look like we've got money stashed somewhere… anyway, all she asked for in return was some of the grub being thrown around. Easy peasy."

"Mm, gonna have to file that idea away for future use. Smart kid." She sighed happily. "Gotta admit, Spike. It's been a pretty great day. And it hardly cost us a thing!"

He squeezed her to his side a little tighter. "Hell, you made money at the club. But…someday when we're a little richer… I do wanna take you out properly."

She smiled. "I'd take this type over the traditional type a thousand times over, just so you know. But by all means, you're welcome to wine and dine me anytime, love."

Spike grinned down at her. "All right then, baby. It's a date."

It had been a long day. She and Spike were standing on the deck now, smoking, watching headlights trail by on the road that ran alongside the harbor.

Her stomach fluttered with anticipation but she played it cool.

For the past week he'd come to her, long after dusk. Sharing a smoke and companionable silence, and then kissing her at midnight.

The first time, finishing his cigarette before she had finished hers, he had caught her other hand in his as he walked back towards the hangar door. Flashing her a crooked smile, he had brought her fingertips to his lips and pressed a kiss there before releasing her. While she'd been left stunned, he strolled away casual as ever.

He hadn't mentioned the flirtatious maneuver the next day. Their interactions had all been as normal as ever. Chalking it up to Spike being whimsical or just trying to throw her off balance with a tease, she had summarily dismissed the incident from mind.

But that night, after he butted out his cigarette, he snuck a kiss to her bare shoulder as he moved behind her to head back inside. Gasping, she had brought the hand holding the last of her cigarette to press against the still-tingling flesh where his lips had just been. Her eyes followed him as he went whistling through the hangar door.

Another day of the same-old same-old ensued. They bagged a few bounties and ate like kings and then retired to the flight deck for the now routine leisurely puff under the stars. The nicotine and tobacco that usually brought her some calm now made her a bit jittery instead, the way it did way back when she first began smoking.

It was the third night and he paused behind her this time. Trailed both hands up and down her naked arms and stepped in close, threading his fingers with hers at her side. She trembled, almost imperceptibly, and he nuzzled the nape of her neck before pressing an open mouth kiss to the left side of her throat.

Her fingers had automatically clenched around his when he shifted to untangle their handhold and walk away. His chuckle had set off alarm bells for her and she'd reacted instinctively by wrenching her hands free and crouching down in the same moment. Moving before he had a chance to truly understand her strategy, she pushed through his legs, shot to her feet, and shoved him bodily into the dark water of the Martian harbor.

The next day she steered clear of Spike in case of retaliation and also because she was still pissed at him for his antics. To be so unexpectedly tender, so curiously charming, and then to play it off afterwards as if nothing had occurred at all... That was one thing - something she could even view as exciting - but that laugh which had seemed to her to be at her expense...

If he was just toying with her out of boredom or because he derived some sick amusement out of it...

She was no one's plaything.

She was the one who did the teasing, in fact.

But that fourth night still found her on the deck. And Spike ambled out to join her with a twinkle in his eye. He offered her his pack of cigarettes and she made sure to help herself to a couple. His sharp eyes followed the movement of her hands as she put one in between her lips and then tucked the other two away in her top. They'd be safe there for now as it was a cool night and she wasn't perspiring.

"Relax, Valentine." He said to her in a soothing tone as he lit a cigarette of his own. "I'm not fucking with you." He leaned towards her and used the ember of his cigarette to spark the one held between her tightly clenched lips as she inhaled sharply at his words and the intimacy of his action.

She leaned away and puffed furiously on her cigarette for a moment. "No? Sure seems like it." She eyed him distrustfully as the night grew darker around them.

He exhaled slowly. "Wouldn't dream of it." His eyes locked onto her. "These days I save my dreams for wishes I want to come true." His voice held no tone of jest, no hint of deception. For months as he healed from his altercation with the syndicate he had been withdrawn and morose.

It had only been a few weeks since he was back to catching bounties with her and Jet - and even Jet had been on a self-imposed medical leave for a bit as his leg healed up. She'd been on her own for the actual takedown of bounties, though Jet had occasionally brought his Hammerhead around to pitch in or save her ass.

Not that she'd needed rescue really. But backup was nice in a pinch.

Like flipping a light switch, one day Spike had just been sitting up on the couch. He bitched about the ramen cup diet they'd been on. He mentioned some rumors he'd heard over the police scanner. And then he'd gotten up and tagged along with her to get the job done.

She wasn't sure what this new evolution of Spike entailed. Certainly she hadn't expected him to start courting her or whatever this was. If not a cruel ruse... Then what? The possibilities made her heart thump painfully in her chest. Feelings were dangerous things. She mistrusted her own more than anyone else's. Other people - Spike aside - were easy to read. As for herself, sure she knew her own deepest darkest fears, but she'd been made a fool of before and despaired of ever playing that part again.

Far better to keep oneself at arm's length or further. Emotional entanglement was a recipe for disaster.

And yet...

She couldn't lie to herself. She'd been intrigued by Spike almost from the beginning. Attracted to him as well. And while his recent behavior filled her with nervousness and misgivings, she was quite aware of his character. A lazy man with a tragic backstory and a habit of getting himself into challenging situations. A man who would leap into the pit of Hell to save someone else. He used to project an air of apathy and nonchalance.

Now he seemed emboldened. Inspired. Ready to give living a damn good shot.

Her cigarette had burned down to the filter while she stood lost in thought. His eyes hadn't strayed from her form. Slowly, as if afraid she might bolt, he closed the distance between them.

"May I?"

Faye let the ashy cigarette drop to the flight deck and chose to be daring. She gave a cautious nod.

His eyes gleamed with arousal as he reached into her top and pulled out one of the cigarettes she'd hidden there. Taking his lighter out of his pants pocket, he shielded the flame from the light breeze and brought the fire to the tip of the cigarette. Inhaling to draw the cigarette to burning life, she could still feel the ghost of his long fingers tracing between her breasts as he pocketed the lighter again and tilted his head to press a kiss to the right side of her throat.

"Should never rush a good thing," He remarked as he pulled back and made his way inside.

The next night he'd had a cigarette lit for her by the time she arrived and they smoked them down together. Butterflies had been dancing in her stomach as he moved to stand before her. Her mouth had been parted in expectation. He gave her a half smirk and kissed her left cheek sweetly, like a gentleman bidding a respectful goodnight to his date.

The sixth night he'd kissed her right cheek, at the corner of her mouth, and there was no way he'd missed the gasp she couldn't keep to herself. That had been no gentlemanly kiss... That had been a scoundrel sneaking as close to a full kiss as possible.

The seventh night he had surprised her by cradling her face in his warm palms and kissing her forehead gently.

And now it had been a week of peppering her with affection. Of back-to-back gun fights as they tackled bounties. Of bantering over ship radios as they flew about the galaxy on this mission or that. Jet acted like a parent watching a child fumble their way through wooing their first crush. He seemed amused at their arguments and she'd caught him giving Spike a look with eyebrows raised in silent query just the other day, to which Spike had grinned and shrugged and then looked over to her with such blatant adoration that she fled the room blushing.

And now the stars were hidden by clouds that kept the heat of the day trapped, making the night air mild and enjoyable. The apprehension she still feels over the notion of getting involved with Spike is tempered by the thrill of what may lay ahead. Sure, this is the only place that had begun to feel like home since she woke up in 2068 but that didn't mean she had any true ties to the ship. If it came to it, she would bail in a heartbeat. At least this time no one would be shackling her to any more debt. What could a broken heart cost her? It seemed worth the risk just to see what skills this lanky cowboy possessed behind closed doors. To investigate how his appreciation of her might turn her world upside down.

Life was all about taking chances - what was the point otherwise?

Spike reached out for her right hand and pulled it to his lips. Eyes on her face, studying her reaction intently, he kissed all the way up her arm and then, as she shivered with delight, he finally found her lips with his. He kissed her like a drowning man who had just broken the surface of a raging ocean and found the air. He kissed her like a starving man at last given a feast. He kissed her like she was everything he'd ever desired and he was possessed by a need to let her know.

And because she was who she was, Faye met him passion for passion. Dueling tongues like this was far better than exchanging witty barbs and playful insults. Competing for dominance had never been so full of bliss and carnal yearning.

Those light pecks all week long... The desire that had been building between them all this time...

It was a tsunami crashing over them now.

And Faye was more than ready to be swept away. In fact she'd take a page straight out of Spike's book and jump into the wave, surfing it into a sea of uncertainty without hesitation, right at his side.

safety net / swooning / how many fingers am I holding up (but now the room is spinning while I’m just trying to fill in all the gaps)

***

The room was spinning around her, far worse than the nights where the hangover kicked in before she could pass out. She tried to sit up, stand up, get back on her feet but the attempt left her retching. Gunshots rang out all around her, echoing painfully in her ears and making her flinch.

She never flinched. She'd been in plenty of shootouts and held her cool every time no matter how ill prepared she was or how little cover existed or how many opponents she was up against.

But the tilting visuals left her unable to focus on anything around her and that made her vulnerable and fear shot through her at the prospect of catching one of those bullets. Lethal or not, it wouldn't make her day improve that's for damn sure.

"Close your eyes!" Spike's voice shouted at her from somewhere beyond the vortex of her view. "Lay down and stay down!"

Without hesitation she complied. If anyone could get her out of this situation - could keep her alive while she couldn't defend herself - it would be Spike Spiegel. Vaulting into certain danger was her M.O. but she didn't do it recklessly. Spike was her safety net. He'd pulled her bacon out of the fire countless times and while she endeavored to return the favor, the scales were tipped pretty heavily in his direction as the hero.

Time stretched endlessly while she took shallow breaths and tried to ignore the sickening pounding of her skull. She was probably lucky to still be conscious after the blow that had laid her out and turned her world upside down and round and round.

That asshole was obviously incapacitated or dead given the fact that she hadn't been touched since the bottle struck her. Nausea roiled in her belly at the recollection and she had to change her breathing to a staggered pant to keep from dry heaving again.

And then the commotion seemed to die down. A muffled sort of quiet descended in the absence of whizzing bullets exploding shrapnel from the brick walls and wood beams of the basement. Footsteps pounded in her direction and she became cognizant of motion at her side. Warm hands against her head, fingertips dancing gingerly along her skull where all the agony originated. Despite knowing it must be Spike, she couldn't control her body's reaction to the gentle touch as she tried to pull away, tried to curl in on herself, with a whimper that she hated emitting.

"Faye, open your eyes. I need you to look at me now." His voice was calm, the command in his words impossible to ignore.

Cautiously, Faye opened her eyes, immediately relieved when she realized Spike was kneeling beside her and thankfully stationary and the room around him stable as well. Opening her eyes increased the headache and she knew she was wincing but she couldn't force herself to open her eyes further than a crack.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

She could feel both his hands cradling her skull still and frowned.

"None." She rasped. "Or… all of them? What kind of a trick question is this?"

The worry in his dark gaze flickered to amusement at her response and a corner of his mouth ticked up into a half smirk.

"You've probably got a concussion. There's some blood matted in your hair here from the bottle breaking on your thick skull. No slurred speech though so that's a good sign. We'll take it easy here for a bit while you recover - I'm not keen on having you vomit on me if I move you too soon."

"Gee, make a girl swoon why don't you," She muttered, pissed off more at the likelihood of that happening than about him teasing her about barfing.

He chuckled. "No, see, that's what we're trying to avoid. Stop being a smartass and just relax, would ya? But don't fall asleep!"

She let her tense neck muscles loosen as she allowed his hands to take the full weight of her aching head and closed her eyes as well.

"Not my first rodeo, cowboy…"

At his exasperated sigh she found herself wanting to smile for the first time since their ambush of the bounty began to fail. Well, they couldn't always win but at least this was another time where they both survived.

Daybreak

A time of promise. All the possible potential for an amazing day stretching out as far as the sun's rays could reach. A cloudless sky, no halo of moon debris looming above, merely rainbow hues heralding the stately rise of the sun.

Fresh air, a cool breeze, and birdsong. What more could a person desire?

"Faye… hey, Faye… FAYE! Wake up!" An irritating voice cut through the lilting tunes of the birds. The enticing aroma of a burning cigarette filtered through the fresh air.

And suddenly she was taken from the idyllic moment of peace and transported to an uncomfortable couch with no sun creeping to hang overhead but rather the dull gray walls and the slowly spinning ceiling fan making its regular rotations overhead.

Rubbing her eyes, she turned her head slightly to see Spike's long lean legs at eye level. Her gaze traveled further, over his stringbean body bent in half at the waist to his face not far from her own and the smoking cigarette clamped in between his lips.

"You're hogging the couch." He muttered.

Scowling, she pushed up on her elbows and then, in a move too fast for him to anticipate given her groggy state, she snatched the cigarette from him as she propelled herself into a fully seated state.

He rolled his eyes at her antics but didn't battle her to reclaim his property. Instead he slumped down beside her on the couch and kicked his feet up on the table before them.

"Daytime already?" She asked then, yawning hugely as she held his cigarette in the hand opposite the side he was sitting on.

"Does it matter? We're nowhere right now."

Ugh. That meant hours of loafing around the ship trying to avoid Jet and any chores he might try to assign. Hours of boredom before they got anywhere that might have work for them to do. Hours of… why the fuck had Spike woken her up for nothing?

"You jackass," she uttered then. "I was having the best dream. Watching a sunrise as the world slowly woke up all around me."

Spike snorted. "That's not much of a best dream."

She took a few angry puffs of his cigarette. "Oh yeah? What's yours then if you're such a good judge of such matters?"

He blinked at her. Silence reigned for several moments and then, as she stubbed out the cigarette when she finally thought he wasn't going to say anything at all, he spoke again.

"All right. Maybe that is a pretty good dream." He let his head rest on the back of the couch to stare at the spinning fan. "Wanna share it with me?"

Yawning again, Faye shifted to be sitting nearer and leaned over so her temple brushed against the wild poof of his hair.

"You're just lucky I'm such a nice girl." She murmured, already drowsing. "For waking me up you deserve for me to dream you into some uncomfortable situations."

Spike chuckled. "It's dawn of your day, yeah? Sounds like we've got plenty of time for that to happen still.'

Afterglow

She was startled when he reached out to clasp her hand as she regretfully climbed out of bed, leaving the comfort of the tangled sheets to stand in the chilly air of the room. He held it loosely, giving her the ability to pull free if she so desired and, despite countless misgivings conjured by her heart and mind… she did not desire to do so. Her eyes flickered down to their joined hands before seeking out his mismatched gaze in the dim lighting of his spartan bedroom.

“Leaving so soon? What’s your hurry?” He asked quietly, eyes searching hers.

How to explain her thoughts? Her assumptions? …would he understand? Would he care? Did she even want to bare herself to him like that?

Perhaps a silly thought to have while standing literally naked after working up quite a sweat with this no longer haunted man. How curious that he somehow managed to be less jaded than she was… that he was so much more open since closing the book on his past, whereas her own newly awakened memories had somehow made her more guarded and more hesitant.

“I… figured you’d want me out of your space once all was said and done,” she replied at last. True enough. Blame it on him, don’t admit your own need to escape. The passion of their tryst had been far too tender, far too intimate. The concept of basking in the afterglow at his side was frankly terrifying given how very badly she wanted to do just that. She had been desperate to get him naked and on top of her not so long ago and now she was desperate to flee… to use distance as a protection against the threat posed to her heart by what they’d just done together.

“Ah… so, you’re under the impression that all is said and done?” He smiled at her roguishly. “I suppose you can cut and run if you must. Myself, I haven’t nearly had my fill of you.” He kept staring at her, making her flush under the intensity of his gaze.

She chuckled nervously. “If you think I’ve got the energy for another round after that… well, I hate to let you down but…” Trailing off, she shrugged apologetically before fixing her gaze on the floor to avoid his eyes.

He threaded his fingers through hers and gave a gentle tug to coax her back to the mattress and the warmth radiating from his nude body. Biting her lower lip, she let herself be pulled to the edge of the bed where he sat. Spike released her so he could instead settle his left hand familiarly on her hip and brought his right hand up to cradle her face, encouraging her to bring her eyes back to his.

“You misunderstand my intent,” he uttered solemnly. “While I could summon the energy to take you again right now if you were willing and able,” and here he flashed her a wicked grin before softening it into a genuine smile, “I was actually… hoping to get some rest and then waking you up slowly… kissing up and down every inch of your skin… teasing you back to consciousness with teeth and tongue and questing fingers…”

Her breath caught. She broke their gaze to turn her head, nuzzling against his palm as she moved to put one knee on the mattress and then follow with the rest of her body. Forcing herself to push past her own anxiety over what she was doing, she draped herself over him like a blanket and marveled briefly at the power of his abdominal muscles as he eased them both into a full recline.

“You know…” She murmured against his chest, pressing her lips to his skin as she spoke, “if you wanted to cuddle, you just had to say so.” A brief tug at his nipple to make him gasp before she rearranged herself to lay with her back to him so he could spoon up behind her.

“Faye, I want to cuddle.” He stated plainly and without a hint of shame. She could hear the smile in his voice and privately delighted in his playful mood. He nipped at the nape of her neck before continuing to speak. “But I also want to wake you up screaming my name.”

His words provoked a shiver she couldn’t hide. “Mmm… looking forward to it. Been a while since I’ve had a chance to wake up in a good mood.”

“Oh trust me, Valentine, I can put you in a good mood for days.”

Trust was not something she was able to extend readily… trusting him to have her back on a bounty mission was entirely different from entrusting him with something as precious as her heart. But it seemed like he was interested in more than just a casual fling or occasional hookup… wanting to lay together in the aftermath, heartbeats returning to normal and heaving chests changing into the soft rise and fall breathing of sleep, sharing a narrow sleeping space despite being done with the lust-filled task they’d toppled onto the bed to attend to in the first place… it spoke of a man who was not afraid to get caught up in something serious.

She had been attracted to him since their first meeting… had flirted with him with impunity for months afterward… had given his heart up for lost after learning about Julia, deciding then and there to keep her own heart out of the picture. But he had come back to the ship, come back to her… had lured her to this tipping point from which there was no turning back…

“I suppose… I can give you the chance to earn that trust.” She whispered at length. If he could keep her alive in a firefight then the odds of him not breaking her heart seemed decent. The bruising it had suffered before hadn’t been due to anything intentional or controllable on his part, it had been her own foolishness. If anything though, the tenacity with which he had pursued the angelic devil of his past was reassuring, though it had galled at the time. It convinced her that his affection towards her now meant that he not only cared but that that caring went deep.

The way he wrapped around her, arms hugging her to himself… the way he buried his face into her hair… the involuntary twitch of his manhood against her ass as she shifted to press more firmly against him… it all soothed her unvoiced concerns.

She brought her hands up to cover his where they lay over her bare skin, tangling her fingers with his and wordlessly anchoring her heart to his as well.

excerpt from Chapter 10 of Further On Down the Road (now posted to AO3!)

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask... Pureed stuff is best for his age right now, I get that, but... well, are you sure you're feeding him the right stuff?"

Spike glanced over his shoulder at the guacamole on the table. "I mean, we made that ourselves here on the ship. Can't get much healthier than that, right?"

"No, that's not quite..."

"Nutrient-rich foodstuffs and things with protein. That's what DB's list said to strive for. Keep an eye on labels for words like 'preservative free' and 'low sodium' and 'no sugar' because apparently kids aren't supposed to have salt until they're one and should avoid sugar until they're two. What a restrictive diet, sheesh." Faye muttered, heaping some guacamole onto a chip for herself.

"Yeah, I get that," Jet interrupted. "It's just... I know you guys are excited to give him real food and you were doing separate ingredients of things day by day to make sure he doesn't have allergies... that's all great. I just... it seems odd to me to give him guacamole, smoothies, and soup."

"We don't want him to choke on little bites, Jet!" Faye reasoned. "All those things you described are either purees or a step beyond... straight liquid!" She looked over at Spike. "I think we're doing just fine. Look, he's loving it!" She pointed at Lupin's rapturous expression.

"Besides Jet, you saw the cost of baby food at the store." Spike added.

Jet looked to the ceiling thoughtfully. "True enough." He brought his gaze over to Faye. "For that matter, you ought to just keep him on the tit as long as possible."

"Why are you like this?" Faye muttered, absently weaving her left hand through the sweat-dampened tangle of hair atop Spike's head as she sat sidesaddle on the couch beside him.

She watched his eyes dance beneath the lids for a moment before he finally deigned to open them and look at her.

He cleared his throat and gave a bit of a shrug, probably the most movement he could manage at the moment given how bandaged up he was.

"You gamble with your money, I gamble with my life."

She huffed. "That's stupid. Money comes and money goes, meanwhile you've only got the one life."

His mismatched eyes sparkled with boyish mischief. "Don't be silly, Faye. This is at least my third or fourth life now." He closed his eyes as he leaned into her touch, turning his head slightly to adjust where her hand was threading through his hair. "Did you ever think... I do this on purpose?"

She rolled her eyes. "I know you do this on purpose. The question is why."

He blinked his eyes open again and tilted his head backward abruptly, exposing the entire length of his throat as he managed to position his mouth against the hand that had only seconds ago been in his hair. He kissed her palm and then ducked his head back down, tucking his chin briefly against his chest, so her fingers became lost in the tendrils of his hair again.

"Maybe I just like waking up to you taking care of me like this..." He suggested, winking at her before closing his eyes again.

Faye had frozen at his initial sudden moment. She came back to herself after his saucy little wink though. Her hand automatically began to drag through his curls once more, tugging perhaps a tad more brutally than necessary. Spike only grinned at the pain.

"You are such a lunkhead." Faye said then, shaking her head. "So getting the shit kicked out of yourself is your equivalent to the schoolyard flirting of tugging a girl's pigtails, huh? Well, knock it the fuck off."

"But Faye," Spike began, opening his eyes to argue.

She leaned down over him and shut him up with a kiss.

Eventually, she pulled back to smirk down at the pleasantly surprised expression on his face.

"Be a big boy next time and use your words. Having you all beat up doesn't do anything for me except make me mad and sad."

"Point taken." Spike acknowledged. "So, Faye... what's a busted up bounty hunter got to do to get a kiss like that again?"

Her answering grin was wicked. "Oh I've got some ideas... but for now, since you asked so nicely..."

"You ever think about how wild it is that we even met?" Spike mused, kicking his heels lightly against the hull of the ship as he sat on the edge. His cigarette remained perched in his mouth despite the movement of his lips as he spoke.

"In a universe so colonized, so vast..." Faye trailed off as he shook his head.

"That's all small potatoes. People are crossing each other's paths constantly even if they're from opposite sides of the galaxy. The Gates ensure we're all connected as if each planet were simply another country of one big happy world." He took the cigarette from his mouth to ash it into the dark waters lapping against the metal of the ship below them.

Faye inhaled deeply on her own cigarette - liberally laced with cannabis to the point you probably couldn't call either of their cigarettes anything other than joints - and made a noise of agreement. She had been standing, hip cocked and arms folded over her chest, but now she settled on the flight deck beside him.

The metal was cold now that night had fallen and the sun was gone. She shivered and it seemed to her as if Spike moved to lean a little further in her direction.

"What I mean is..." He took another drag as he gazed out over the darkness of the harbor, the city lights were all behind them. "You were born in another century entirely. And me... I shouldn't be alive. Part of my job when I was in the syndicate was going after people who left it. Once you're in, you're in for life. There's not supposed to be a way out. So, when you look at it that way... It's crazy enough that I'm here. And you..."

She exhaled a series of smoke rings. "And me," she murmured. "The girl from yesteryear, plucked from the icy clutches of death in space, revitalized and thrown to the wolves with impossible debt. No home, no friends, no family, just a nobody with the entire world against me."

He nodded absently. "The odds were pretty stacked against either of us even surviving to see this day. Meeting you, the prettiest dealer on the floor, that could have been all there was to our story together. Two lonely souls gambling their lives away. Instead you got me wrapped up in some shady casino business and then took off with all the loot."

She let a devilish smile slip across her face. "That could've been the end too. I mean, what're the chances that you guys would be the ones to pick me up when I ran outta fuel a few weeks later? I must've hailed a dozen other ships that were passing by and nobody lifted a finger to help, hell, hardly any of them even bothered to acknowledge I existed. But then... before my situation got too dire... there you were."

There was no mistaking it this time when Spike scooched a little closer. "Yeah... there you were." He repeated, turning from the harbor to face her fully. "Still full of attitude, still smokin' hot... what if we were just gonna turn you in for your bounty?"

She tilted her head in thought as she twisted slightly to face him and tossed her cigarette butt aside. "If the choice was drifting through the cosmos until I ran out of oxygen to breathe... yeah, jail doesn't sound so bad in comparison. I could've finagled my way out of a cell, maybe. Or plead my case to some attorney in the hope of at least getting probation and an opportunity to pay down what I owe. Being alive means there's still potential for life to play out any number of ways. Being dead... well, that's the end. Game over. And me? I'm not about to quit while there's still a shot at winning."

His eyes dipped from hers briefly to touch upon her lips and she felt a rush of answering attraction to the hint of interest he was showing.

"Besides," she added before he could say something to ruin the moment, "I know my presence is worth far more than my bounty. Admit it, Spike. I add a certain... pizzazz that your life was sadly lacking before I came around."

"Is that so?" He queried in a teasing tone, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Mmhmm. You're just lucky I've been content to stick around. How dull your lives would be without me..." She batted her eyes at him.

Tossing the remains of his own cigarette into the inky depths of the water, Spike shifted to put his left hand on the deck of the ship as a brace and brought his right hand up to cradle her cheek.

"You seem to think an awful lot of yourself, Miss Valentine." He practically purred at her.

"From what I can tell... you think an awful lot of me, too." Faye flashed a mischievous smile.

Tentatively, giving her ample time to resist or pull away, Spike tilted her face upwards as he brought his own down to meet her for a chaste kiss. It was just lips against lips, tender and thoughtful, with an undeniable passion being patiently held back. It was gentlemanly yet also ignited an irresistible hunger within her. She felt seen, heard, desired. Uncertainty plagued her as well though. This was a bold step, the type of progress that could undo everything she'd managed to scrape together for herself. It was not enough, she wanted to push him onto the deck and straddle him, to kiss him breathless and make him beg for more. But it was also too much, too sudden. She wasn't prepared for the changes this would necessitate.

The answer came to her then. A playful response that would cool both their ardors and give her the space she required to process exactly what was happening and how she ought to proceed.

Faye opened her mouth to his and enticed his tongue to dance. Distracting him by upping the ante with her deepening of the kiss, she suddenly shoved her body at his to press against him fully, chest to heaving chest. And then, fluidly continuing the momentum of her abrupt movement, she wound her arms around him to latch on tightly as she tumbled them both from the deck into the waters below.

"What made you feel safe enough to stay here?" Spike asked, running a hand through Faye's hair. She was curled up in his lap, head resting against his chest.

Drowsily, she blinked herself back to a more conscious state.

"What?"

She could practically sense the little half smile that was no doubt playing on his lips.

"You could have siphoned our gas, cleaned out the safe, and taken off for greener pastures after that terrorism incident with the sea rat people. But something made you stick around instead. I was just kinda curious why." He explained.

Faye chuckled. "I did check the safe after getting back on board once the crisis was averted. Fucking cobwebs and crumbs. Kinda felt like you guys needed me around. I mean, my presence brought cash into your life the first time we met after all."

It was Spike's turn to chuckle. "You mean the cash that you made off with?"

She made a hmm of agreement and then pushed back slightly to scoot her butt off his lap and onto the couch so she could look up at him. His left hand, previously occupied with carding through her hair, fell easily to rest on her legs where they remained atop his thighs.

"It was Ein, actually." Faye told him. "I figured any losers who had a dog probably weren't too bad of people. Animals usually have a good sense for if someone is an asshole or not. He was here, he was decently fed, he was happy." She shrugged. "If he felt safe here... and, well, you guys had pretty much ignored my hotness so I wasn't too worried about... anyway, yeah. Ein cinched the deal for me."

Spike smiled. "Well hell... sounds like I owe that mutt a thank you."

Faye gave a nod of agreement as she shifted around again to cuddle up on his lap. "I'm glad I took my cue from him too. We should probably treat him to a chew toy or something."

"Nahhh... he's earned a hunk of meat for this good deed."

They hold my heart in their gun-totin' lil' hands

clever caption about regular outfits or sleepytime outfits idk man 

@febuwhump prompt: "bite down on this"

***

"This fucking hurts!"

Spike scrambled through the tool kit in the workshop and finally seized upon a tool that had a rubber sheath on it. In his haste to get back to Faye he nearly tripped over his own two feet before reaching her side.

"Here! Bite down on this!" He encouraged, offering her the tool.

Faye's mouth opened in disbelief and she had to quickly smack the proffered item from his hand before he could stick it between her upper and lower teeth himself. Despite herself and the excruciating agony tearing through her, Faye began to laugh until tears were spilling down her cheeks.

"What the fuck are you thinking, you goof?" She demanded through giggles once she was able to speak again. "You're not setting a fucking bone here, Spike!" She snorted, her chin dropping to her chest for a moment.

Spike sat back on his heels, expression crestfallen.

"I don't know what you want from me, Faye. I don't know what you need from me. I'm way over my head here..." He took in a deep breath and tried to let it out slowly though his heart was still racing wildly. "I just... you... what do I do?" His voice was plaintive and warbled slightly as if he was fighting to keep from breaking down.

Eyeing the distraught cowboy, seeing fear prominently displayed on his features for one of the first times in her life, Faye took pity on him.

"Just... hold me, you dolt. I'll take care of the rest for now. Don't worry, Jet will get back here with Doc in no time." She winced as another contraction took her breath away. Spike looked physically pained by her discomfort and she tried to suck it up and play it off as he tentatively settled in behind her so she could lean back against him.

"This is ridiculous, Faye. You should be in a hospital." Spike muttered quietly.

"I don't trust hospitals." She replied when she could focus on something other than the pressure. "I trust you. I trust Jet. And given how many times he's put you back together again, I trust Doc too."

She felt Spike shudder behind her as he exhaled. "I just... what if... I mean... if something goes wrong..."

"Shh, shh, shh..." Faye reached down to grab his hands in her own, squeezing his fingers between hers partially for his comfort and partially to deflect the discomfort she was feeling somewhere else. "Don't go borrowing trouble. Fuck the future. There's only now. There's only this. The present is where we are and what we have control over. I've got this. Do you believe in me?"

He sighed shakily, burying his face in her hair so he could lean his face down to press a kiss against the side of her neck.

"You're one of the only things in this world I have any faith in." He replied eventually.

"Damn straight." She breathed. Another contraction was beginning to crash over her. It was awful but it was endurable. And, since she'd familiarized herself with all the available text and videos on childbirth, she knew that they still had some time before their baby entered the world. She wasn't sure if her water had broken or not, but she wasn't yet feeling the urge to bear down.

"You sure you're okay? I can't do anything else?" Spike murmured, flexing his fingers against hers as her hands relaxed as the contraction faded away.

"You're doing everything I need right now. You are everything I need right now." She replied in a soft voice.

Their world was about to change for better or for worse... hopefully for better even if it took a lot of work to keep it on a good course. She understood his fears, his concerns, his helplessness. She could welcome those emotions, address them, and ideally soothe him a bit. Perhaps it was the mother already in her that was so patiently dealing with his anxiety in a time when she herself ought to be comforted, but she felt remarkably calm. She felt nearly invincible, truth be told.

Spike so rarely fell apart. He did not often display any sort of true uncertainty or worry. It made him all the more human to her, his panic, and it made her love him even more deeply. He would likely put on a brave front when the others arrived, but for now he was clinging to her like she was the only secure thing in a world of upheaval.

And realistically, she was.

The woman who had cracked open his heart after Julia left it weakened and exposed... Faye had reset it like a broken bone and nurtured it until it was no longer paining him. She had become his guiding light, his north star, the safe port where he could moor his soul and rest easy enjoying the days at her side.

But neither of them were truly capable of relaxing into a life of easy sailing. They needed challenges to thrive... and what better challenge than raising a child?

My Funny Valentine

The music played on loop over the speakers of the RedTail as Faye sat in the pod of her vessel, parked in the Bebop's hangar, and took generous pulls off the bottle of a cheap blush wine.

The lyrics went in one ear and out the other but it didn't matter because she'd already memorized the words. She'd used her share of the paltry sum from Whitney's bounty to purchase the music chip and the wine. The music was a waste - it was a ridiculous song for anyone to claim as their favorite. The wine was a better investment if only for the way it was slowly improving her mood.

For years now she'd had the guilt of Whitney's death hanging over her. Being stuck with his debt, infuriating as it was in the moment of discovery, had seemed like the only gift she could offer his memory. It was such a small thing to offer as consolation for his tragic demise thanks to the insurmountable debt she herself had incurred for simply surviving to this uncaring day and age. Not that Whitney had had any family that Faye could apologize to, at least that was what the Doctor had told her at the time. The "doctor". His uncle? Clearly lying ran deep in the family.

It was something of a relief to not be responsible for his death. Faye had taken a number of lives since being revived and being forced to make her own way in the universe. That first one had been the worst because it had been entirely her fault. If Whitney hadn't taken an interest in her... if he hadn't been trying to help her... if he hadn't convinced her to flee...

Of course, it was all staged. Just a giant ruse to trap her with his financial fuck ups and clear his own slate to start anew. What a fucking ass. How rotten does a person have to be to take someone with no memory and take advantage of them so completely? To pretend at caring about her... to make her feel desired and welcome in this era where she had no one at all except this one individual...

It made her flush with shame. It was embarrassing that she'd been hustled so hard. And she hadn't even realized 'til now! She'd carried the weight of Whitney's dying, shouldered the responsibility of his debt - not that she had done anything about paying back his or her own for that matter. But the way he had burdened her... emotionally, financially... offering her guidance and then cruelly skipping out on her before she really had her footing.

"I was wrong."

Faye startled at the unexpected voice, nearly fumbling the wine. Bringing the bottle to her lips to try and pretend like she'd always been in control of it, she looked out at the silhouette of Spike Spiegel framed in the doorway between the hangar and the rest of the ship.

"You're not a horrible woman, Faye. Even if he had died because people were gunning for you. The choices another individual makes are their own responsibility. Saddling you with his debt, whether he lived or died, that was a dick move."

Flabbergasted, Faye simply stared at the lanky cowboy.

"But I stand by the other stuff I said. About your past being inconsequential. We can't go back and fix things. There's no redoing any of it. So... fuck it. Forget about it. Leave it in the dust where it belongs." He was wandering closer, hands stuffed in his pockets.

Faye swallowed hard. He was right, of course. She hadn't learned anything helpful - well, aside from being innocent of getting Whitney murdered. And Doctor Baccus had been a rude son of a bitch. If any of the shit they'd told her had been true, she'd basically been in the midst of puberty still when whatever had happened had happened. So fuck him if she had questions about who she was and where she was from and what lay ahead.

Besides, that last bit was the same shit anyone had on their mind at any given time. You didn't have to be young to wonder about your future. In life there was only uncertainty... uncertainty surrounding everything no matter your age, no matter the job security or familial connections or commitment to your dreams.

She pressed a button on the console and took the music chip as it was ejected. Tossing the bottle of wine out to Spike who hastily pulled his hands from his pockets to catch it, Faye held the chip in both hands and snapped it in half. Dropping the broken pieces carelessly into the messy floor of her zipcraft pod, she hopped out.

"Song was shit." She muttered as she walked past Spike, pickpocketing his cigarettes as she went. Before she got out of reach though she turned around and snagged the bottle back from him.

There was a grin pulling at his lips. He reached into his pocket and withdrew his lighter to waggle it at her.

"Not gonna burn through those without this, Romani." He murmured.

Faye smirked. "Thy vacant brow and thy tousled hair conceal thy good intent." She tilted her head towards the interior of the ship. "Light me up on the bridge and maybe I'll give you a sip or two."

Chuckling, Spike moved up next to her and they fell into step side by side as they went to watch the stars slide by.

Spike/Faye for Relationship Week @bebopcrew

***

He liked to watch her hands. Partially to keep an eye on those mischievous fingers, set out to win whether it was cards or dice or knocking someone the fuck out in a fight, but he also liked to watch her hands because he had a very vivid imagination.

There was little doubt in his mind that she would willingly demonstrate the nimble capabilities of those warm palms and crafty fingers. All he had to do was ask. Or maybe arouse her temper. One thing tended to lead to another between them when it came to arguing... or making up.

He had learned over the course of the past few weeks that Faye was a very indulgent kisser. She liked to take her time and really work out his tongue. Sometimes he thought he could waste away an entire day just making out with her.

It was like she hadn't had the chance to leisurely explore someone else's mouth as a teen. Much like Spike himself. His own inexperience came not just of being preoccupied with survival as a youth but also of never having the time to devote to such foreplay when he finally did get involved with anyone else. With Julia it had always been straight to business and then afterwards they would just lie together quietly dreading the dawn of a new day where they would have to go their own separate ways. It was hard to find the impulse to kiss someone when you were both spiraling down into depression and clinging to the memory of shared intimacy as hard as they clung to one another in the cooling sheets.

For Faye... well, if she had an adolescence filled with admirers and a date every weekend... it's not like she could recall it. So whatever might have taught her how to tease and torment was lost to this version of Faye that Spike knew intimately well.

All the better for him, really. It had let them meet on a level playing field. Learning together how to climb to unparalleled heights of passion, teaching each other how to encourage the best responses from their bodies. Languidly kissing for hours under the stars, or under the ceiling fan, or anywhere they could find to escape to for a while.

Jet didn't care about their hookups except to gruffly demand that they stay the fuck out of the Hammerhead (jeez, get caught one time and it's the end of the damn world) and that they keep the PDA to a minimum when others were around. "No one likes to be stuck hearing you two suck face." Jet had complained. Faye had lost it laughing at the way he phrased it.

Ed either ignored it because she was too preoccupied doing her own thing on the computer or else she made it awkward by making up annoying little songs about sitting in trees or making kissy faces and kissy noises. If her goal was to embarrass them, it worked.

So they kept their shenanigans out of sight and therefore out of mind, mostly out of respect for their companions but also because it made it more hot to pretend like no one knew what they were up to if they kept it secret and hidden from prying eyes.

And that led to the casual way they'd tempt one another throughout the day. Like Spike working out and then parading past Faye on the couch to get a drink from the kitchen - a drink he could have easily had ready for himself on the bridge. Like Faye purposefully choosing to rub lotion up her smooth calves on the couch instead of in the bathroom after her showers, letting her hands trail up over her shins or else massaging the back of her ankles with such a firm yet tender grip that Spike could think of nothing aside from where he wanted to put those masterful hands to work...

Inhaling sharply, he set aside the container of ramen he'd been eating - still more than half full - and got to his feet to march swiftly out of the room after putting a calloused hand onto Faye's shoulder and squeezing gently to remind her what his own powerful hands could do to and for her.

Ed's knowing cackle as Spike made his way briskly towards the sleeping quarters was easily dismissible when Spike could also hear Faye scrambling to her feet to follow him down the hall.

He had intentions for his hands and her own... but first he wanted to spend a good long while keeping that talented mouth occupied.

Yes, I know I haven't updated my longfic in weeks. Yes, I know I fell off posting prompts. Life is... a lot sometimes, you see. Stress and depression are hard to push away in order to be productive. There are times when it just can't happen. In light of that, and in the spirit of "spring forward" (for the record I am not a fan of participating in daylight savings time) ...I've decided to cheer myself up by posting a snippet of something that's been written for ages but which I am far from ready to post simply because we're nowhere near this point in the timeline of my longfic. Most of the scenes are patiently awaiting their turn but this one wanted to be shared ahead of time 😘

So, let's spring forward many months! Hope y'all enjoy this sneak peek at the not-too-distant-future of Spike and Faye's "Music Keeps Us Together" family!

***

"Baby, baby, sweet baby," Spike murmured softly, cradling his infant daughter to his chest. She was so tiny that his palm could press against just about her entire back. Somehow she seemed tinier than Lupin had been at her age and that had already seemed ludicrously small. It blew his mind that human beings grew up from such itty bitty beings.

He tried stroking. He tried patting. The baby was having none of it. Her piercing cries literally made Spike's ears ring. He winced at her effortless volume and glanced worriedly at the forms on the bed but neither stirred.

Faye was sprawled out on her back with a sheet partially wrapped around her head to cover her eyes from the dim light in the room. She was out cold. Little Lupin, with a pale and sweaty face, lay pressed against her right side with his head pillowed on her flung out right arm. The toddler looked miserable in his sleep.

Well that made it unanimous.

At least Spike knew the baby's cries weren't going to wake anyone else on the ship. Jet had gone ahead and added some soundproofing when he'd fixed up the hull sections of the ship. If Spike were to open the door then the sound could travel to the rest of the ship but as long as he kept his squalling daughter in the bedroom it should be fine.

Spike had been around loud noises countless times. Firing guns, exploding buildings, being around ship engine's roaring to life, Faye's piercing shrieks… he'd never worried that he might lose his hearing until now. If he didn't have tinnitus after this baby, he'd be surprised.

At this point though it was fairly obvious what her needs were. The fruitless rooting at his chest was indication enough that his little girl was hungry. Well how about that, she took after him after all. Her eyes were that baby blue that would probably change with age. The mess of dark hair could go either way but that vocal range was 100% inherited from Faye. This appetite though… that had Spiegel all over it.

He moved to the left side of the bed and sat on the edge next to Faye. He tried to gauge her ability to cooperate with his next move but she seemed deeply unconscious which would probably be helpful at this point. With painstaking care he nestled their daughter against her left side, right against her left breast. For the billionth time he found himself feeling grateful for Faye's preference of sleeping topless - if not entirely nude whenever possible.

Her position was somewhat awkward but only for Spike trying to assist the baby in nursing. Alora latched on immediately but Spike couldn't just let her go because she was too tiny to truly support herself to any degree and while Faye could provide sustenance while unconscious she obviously couldn't hold the baby properly in place.

All was peace and quiet for what must have been a stretch of actual minutes. Spike nearly dozed off in the quiet that enveloped the room as Alora ate. But Faye twitched in her sleep suddenly and Spike found himself blinking in that confused state that happens when jerking awake just before falling asleep.

He had approximately two seconds to realize Faye was shifting before her voice reached him. Man, maybe Baby Alora had damaged his ears a bit.

"Spike! Take the baby!" Faye commanded urgently.

He instinctively yanked Alora off Faye's nipple and back towards himself, nearly falling off the bed as he cradled Alora and scrambled away. Faye had pulled her arm free of Lupin's sleeping form and twisted her body enough to hang her head off the bed so she could be noisily sick onto the floor.

Baby Alora, completely unprepared for the sudden loss of tit, and probably confused by Spike's stumble as well, began to wail again with all her tiny might. Whether it was her cries or Faye's vomiting, little Lupin was soon conscious also and in no time joined his mom in throwing up. Unfortunately the little boy wasn't as adept at throwing up over the side of the bed - or rather, no effort had been made at all. He couldn't exactly blame the boy, he was young and hadn't been sick often.

Clutching his bawling baby girl to his chest, Spike backed away from the other half of his family. Fuck, he wished he could plug his nose.

"No more contact with other kids," Spike called over to Faye as she regained control of her stomach and sprawled weakly back onto the mattress. "Those snotty little germ factories got Lupin sick and he passed it on to you."

Faye moaned piteously. "He has to get to know others his age." Eyes clenched shut, she gagged a few times as her stomach tried to purge the nothing that was left.

Spike scoffed. "Baby, he's a toddler. He doesn't need any milk dates."

It was rewarding to hear her chuckle even if it came at the end of a round of dry heaving. Lupin, done puking for the moment, groaned and tried to bury his face under the blankets. Alora remained unmoved by anything going on, the plight of her mother and brother not registering on her radar in the least, and kept on howling.

"Fuck she better not get sick," Faye muttered. "Her poor little throat is already raw from screaming."

Spike, who had been about to approach, paused in thought. Alora was basically still a newborn - could she handle being as sick as her mom and brother? Spike didn't think so. But on the other hand they'd all been in this room for hours now, since Lupin had first started feeling clammy and ill. Was it already too late to quarantine? Most likely. And anyway Spike needed Faye to feed Alora - there wasn't much milk stored yet and no formula whatsoever because neither of the kids seemed able to stomach it.

He sighed. Nope, this was just going to be life for the foreseeable future and that's all there was to it. At least he could contact Ed and have her leave a dead drop outside the door. And, well, Alora couldn't cry forever after all.

Right?

Love this for them

a rare sentimental moment between my two favorite losers