Title: Lovely Way to Burn
Author: hold_that_thought
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers/Setting: Through the Angel Season 1 episode "Five By Five."
Disclaimer: The characters used within are the property of Mutant Enemy, Twentieth Century Fox, and of course Joss Whedon. It's their sandbox, I'm just playing in it.
Pairing(s): Lilah/Faith
Summary: Faith has energy to burn and issues to work through. (Prequel to Not An Addict.)
Notes: little_bit is a goddess among betas. (Completed 10/14/03)
Archive: More than likely okay, but please ask first
Feedback: Greatly appreciated (APostModernSleaz@aol.com)

Lovely Way to Burn

"Absolutely not."

"C'mon...."

"No! Why can't you take her?"

Lindsey glanced over his shoulder towards the restaurant's ladies room and lowered his voice. "I got a pile of paperwork waiting back at the office. Doubt I'll be getting home before sunrise, and I don't think she'd be comfortable sleeping on my office floor. Besides, it would be highly inappropriate for me to take such a young, vulnerable girl home with me."

"Uh huh. And you wouldn't be able to control yourself."

"Vice versa, actually. I mean, look at me." Lindsey flashed a wolfish grin, then pursed his lips and tossed his hair dramatically. "How could I fend off the advances of a horny Slayer?"

Lilah rolled her eyes. "Oh, I don't know. Play your guitar for her? Always puts me out of the mood." She pushed her half-eaten plate of fettuccini alfredo away and leaned back. "And a hotel is out because...?"

"Because Holland wants someone to keep an eye on her."

"I still don't get why I win the Deranged Slayer raffle."

"Well, as amusing as it'd be to send her over to Lee's hospital room...."

This elicited a grin from Lilah. "That was pretty funny, huh?" She frowned. "Wait -- reminding me of her psychotically violent tendencies isn't the way to convince me that bringing Faith home is a good idea."

"You'll be fine. Just don't piss her off." Lindsey sipped his wine. "With your winning personality, I don't foresee a problem."

Before Lilah could respond, the chair next to her scraped back and Faith flopped down with a grunt. "So, I get to order dessert?"

***

"Sweet place you got here."

"Thank you. Here, let me." Lilah grabbed Faith's backpack and led her to the guest room. Something about the Slayer made her nervous, and Lilah didn't spook easily. So she did her best to keep moving, all the while mentally aiming every curse word she knew at Lindsey McDonald and his 'paperwork.'

When she opened the guest room door, Lilah couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. It was as beautiful as every other room in her apartment. White walls, art deco, plush maroon carpeting.

With any luck, Faith wouldn't completely trash the place before morning.

Lilah almost did a double-take when she turned around to see her houseguest biting her lip and tugging on a stray lock of hair. For the first time, Faith didn't look like a dance club sex bomb or barely-tethered predator. She just looked like a scared little girl. But the instant she realized Lilah was watching her, the walls snapped up again. Faith stuck her chin out and crossed her arms. "Got a bathroom?"

***

Oh, fuck.

Of course. Anyone as fancy as Lilah would have to have a bathroom that was wall-to-motherfucking-wall mirrors, huh?

Whatever. So what if she hadn't gotten a good look at her body since she was on top of it, beating the shit out of her...Buffy. Beating the shit out of Buffy. The little bitch who stuck her with a knife and stole her life, her everything.

Not that beating up her own body was Faith's best idea ever. Her fucking jaw still hurt, for one thing. But it was satisfying as hell to knock B down a peg, no denying that.

Anyway, mirrors. It wasn't like Faith had anything to be ashamed of. Most girls'd kill to have her tits, hips, and ass. The Mayor had always said so -- in more Family Circus-type words, of course -- and he was mad honest. Which was weird, considering the whole evil thing. Faith had a slamming body, and who the hell wanted to be some blonde twig anyway?

Nothing to be ashamed of.

Still, Faith found it easier to relax once the tub filled and the mirrors fogged up.

The water was a little too hot, but she hadn't had a bath in a year. Not in her own body, at least. She dragged her fingertips across the mirror next to her, making streaks on the glass and watching them fog back over. Then she folded her hands over her stomach and closed her eyes, just listening to the faint plinking of the occasional drop from the faucet. Faith didn't move until the water had started to cool and her fingertips had pruned. Grabbing a bar of soap off the little ledge, she lathered it up and started to wash herself.

Oh, hello forest. This is what happens when a girl goes into a coma and doesn't get to shave or wax for a few months. Faith wondered if she could borrow Lilah's razor. Or would that be skanky? Assuming she even had one. Probably waxed. Of course she waxed. Buffy waxed. Faith had always figured as much, in the days when she'd lay on her motel bed and dream about Buffy letting her into her perfect little life....

It had never happened, but Faith got to find out first-hand that Buffy waxed anyway. She'd made Little Miss Perfect's body twitch and jerk and shake, and it was Buffy's fucking loss that she wasn't in her body to enjoy it.

Faith leaned out of the tub and pulled open the cabinet under the sink. There, a bag full of disposable razors. She pulled one out and popped the plastic cap off. Blade was dull. Disposable blades always were. But sharp enough to cut through skin. She brought it up to her arm, tacky pink against white. Then she shook her head, drew a knee up to her chest, and did what any normal girl would do in a bathtub.

***

"Jesus, how the hell long is she gonna stay in there?"

Lilah swirled the glass of scotch around and glanced at the bathroom door again. Lindsey would rub it in her face for years if she let anything happen to Faith. She held her breath and listened for any sound. When she finally heard some water splashing, Lilah relaxed into the couch and took another sip of her drink.

After three glasses of good scotch, Lilah was feeling pretty boneless. She didn't even feel the need to raise her head off the arm of the couch when Faith finally emerged from the bathroom.

"I borrowed your robe," Faith said, cinching the belt of the crimson silk dressing gown closed. She sauntered over to the couch and tapped Lilah on the head. "Scoot."

Lilah pushed herself into a sitting position with a groan. "Make yourself comfortable."

"I always do," she smirked, plopping down next to her. "Whatcha watching?"

"Deadly Is The Female."

Faith snorted. "Truth in advertising."

"Speaking of, you ready for tomorrow?" Lilah asked, stretching.

"Kill a vamp. That's what I do." Faith shrugged.

"Among other things."

"Yeah, well." She crossed her arms and glared at Lilah. "What's it to you anyway? Why do you want Angel dead?"

"Politics. Among other things." Another sip of scotch. Lilah felt bolder than she logically knew she should have, considering the way Faith had trashed one of her co-workers just a few hours before. But logic had no place in Wolfram and Hart, and logic had no place after three glasses of scotch. She watched a bead of water fall from Faith's hair and hit her collarbone, trickling down her between her breasts.

Lindsey's file on the Slayer had included an interesting, spanking-new piece of intel. Something about another Slayer and body-swapping. Katras were rare. Strictly black-market, and even then, you had to be hooked into a lot of power to get your hands on one. Which made no sense, because the girl she'd picked up in the club earlier that night had no power that wasn't physical, and no hope whatsoever. Lilah could smell desperation and regret a mile away -- a useful skill in her line of work. And this girl had been ready to break. Lilah wondered what kept her going. Kept Faith from breaking.

It sure as hell wasn't love. Or hope. Or any of that useful crap. Had to be....

"Revenge."

Faith furrowed her eyebrows. "Huh?"

"That's why you were so eager to take the job." Another sip of scotch. "You want Angel gone as much as we do."

"What are you, my therapist?" Rolling her eyes, Faith sighed. "I knew I shoulda crashed with that other lawyer guy."

Lilah cocked her head, studying the Slayer. She loved seeing what made people tick. Especially people who were kicked puppies pretending to be badasses. "What did Angel do to you?"

"Doesn't matter."

Faith's jaw clenched and unclenched. Fascinated, Lilah pushed a little further. "Did he fuck with you? Or straight out fuck you? Did you scream?"

Lilah went to take another sip of her scotch, but Faith was on top of her, lightning-quick, fingers wrapped around Lilah's throat. The glass crashed to the floor.

"Look, lady, I don't know why you're trying to piss me off, but it's working." Her fingers were cold against Lilah's skin as she gave a little squeeze. "And it's a really. Bad. Idea. 'Cause I can't blow off steam the way I normally would."

"Why not?" Lilah choked out.

Faith let her go and flopped back against the couch. "Play naive. Whatever."

"No, really. I mean...why not?" Lilah gave Faith a heavy-lidded stare, feeling every inch the tiger stalking an antelope. But hell, she was worked up, too. And she'd shivered with pleasure when Faith's fingers were wrapped around her throat. Which was more messed up than she wanted to think about.

Faith just raised an eyebrow. "You're one fucked up chick, you know that?"

"You don't know the half of it."

Lilah pushed Faith back onto the couch and climbed atop her, crushing her lips against the Slayer's. Faith responded by threading her fingers through Lilah's hair and biting down on her lower lip. Hard.

"Ow," Lilah murmured, pulling back.

Faith drew her lips back, more a baring of teeth than smile.

A challenge. Lilah got that. Faith wanted to see if she'd get slapped, threatened, yelled at, or if Lilah would simply slink away with her tail between her legs. Always going for the unexpected move, Lilah simply brushed some damp hair off Faith's face and cupped her cheek, smiling softly.

Something in Faith broke. Her eyes softened, the defensiveness dropped slightly. She looked like a normal girl again. Not a tough girl, not psychotic. Just someone who'd been kicked around and forgot what life was like when it still had some softness.

Lilah knew the feeling.

"You're looking at me," Faith said softly.

Maybe a little psychotic.... "Well, yeah," Lilah said. "You're not invisible. Not that I'd have a problem with that. There was this one assassin my firm used last month.... Hey, you okay?"

For a second, Faith looked like she was going to say something. But then she just smiled and wriggled her hips. "Five by five."

Faith leaned back as Lilah tugged the robe open, letting the material settle around the Slayer's curves. Her eyes were already half-closed by the time Lilah'd glided her tongue down the Slayer's body, stopping just below her naval. When Lilah gently brushed her lips against her hip, Faith moaned and, just for a second, Lilah swore she saw that awkward, younger Faith again. Like all the baggage could drop away for a moment. But once again, Faith snapped out of it, wrapped her ankles around Lilah's neck, and pushed her head down.

Normally, Lilah would shred someone with her strategically sharpened nails if they tried that shit. More than one college boy had received four pretty scratches on his cheek for confusing her ears for handlebars. But Lilah was feeling generous.

Plus, there was that thing where Faith could probably snap Lilah's neck in a second.

So instead, she unhooked the Slayer's legs and brought them down to the couch. Her hips twitched when Lilah gently blew across Faith's soft curls. Faith was already on the brink, and Lilah's barely done anything yet.

That's no fun. Bending over, Lilah went for Faith's inner thigh, giving her a few quick, sharp bites before kneading the skin with her mouth, tasting the salt mixed with peach body lotion.

"Christ, you're killing me here," Faith said, breath hitching

Lilah chuckled. "Killing comes later."

She pushed Faith's thighs further apart and teased her soft outer flesh. Faith squirmed, trying to shimmy herself down to Lilah's mouth. But every time she moved closer, Lilah pulled back, blowing small puffs of cool air on her instead.

When Faith started softly keening, Lilah finally darted her tongue inside and was rewarded with a "Fuck, yes!" from Faith.

Running the tips of her fingertips across Faith's hips, Lilah pushed farther inside, scraping the blunt of her teeth across her clit.

"Oh, oh please...."

As Faith started trembling, she grabbed Lilah's shoulders and squeezed. By the time her hips had stopped bucking, Lilah's world had exploded into vibrant shocks of red and black. Wooziness from her air supply being cut off, flesh aching everywhere the Slayer had dug her fingers in.

Lilah wasn't surprised to find herself growing even wetter as a result. Since she wasn't about to ask the vaguely psychopathic hired assassin to reciprocate, she was just thankful for her five-speed shower massager. After one final, leisurely skim across Faith's heated skin, she pushed herself into a sitting position and smiled.

"How's that for blowing off steam?" She lazily ran her fingernails across Faith's stomach.

Faith grinned. "Didn't suck. Or, I guess you did suck, technically. But yeah, it worked. You know what's gonna work a lot better though?"

"What?"

"Killing Angel tomorrow. Now that will get me all hot and bothered."

Lilah tossed her hair and smirked. "You're twisted."

"You just figuring that out?"

A second later, Faith was off the couch and halfway across the room, robe trailing behind her on the floor. She paused at the doorway to the guestroom and muttered something that sounded like, "Thanks."

Lilah stretched out on the couch and turned the volume on the television up. She had to give Lee credit; bringing Faith in to kill Angel was turning out to be a great idea after all.