Title: Animal Inside

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Faith takes in a night at the Bronze. Set Btvs S3 between Lover’s Walk and Amends. Written for the Back to High school ficathon. Requests at the end.

 

 

 

Music pounded out of the Bronze. Faith grinned at the sound of it, just what she needed to get her mind off Saint Buffy and it beat sitting in her crappy motel room watching anime. The bouncer at the door was being way vigilant about charging cover. Faith stood across the street and watched with sly eyes, waiting for the chance to slip by. There was a line of Sunnydale High students out the door, filing in one by one.

 

            A grin spread across her face when a group of guys she recognized from her occasional forays into the hallowed halls piled out of a car. Faith sauntered up to them, an idea forming. She knew she was smoking hot in a pair of second skin black leather pants and a black lace tank that showed the red bra she wore underneath. She draped her arm around one of the guys. She was pretty sure his name was Percy, some big football or basketball star at SunnyD.

 

            She pressed her lips to his and kissed him hard, slipping her tongue into his mouth. She ground her body up against his. When she pulled away old Percy was breathing in harsh, ragged pants. She tiptoed and pressed her lips next to his ear, licking his ear lobe just once, just enough that he held his breath for the space of a second.

 

            “Pay for me to get in and I promise you’ll have a good time,” she whispered with enough grrr in her voice to veil a thousand promises.

 

            Percy grinned and wrapped his arm possessively around Faith’s waist. “No problem, Sweetheart. I’ve got you covered.”

 

            Faith stuck close to Percy as he paid their way past the bouncer. She let her hands roam over his body as he led her to a dark corner. She ran her fingers over his jeans, counting the teeth of his zipper. Percy grinned even bigger and guided her to one of the couches hidden in shadow. They sat down, Faith twined her leg with his kissed him and then looked up with a bad girl pout.

 

            “You got some money? I’m dying of thirst here,” she said.

 

            Percy handed her a twenty. “Get me a coke,” he said.

 

            “No problem,” Faith stood up and pocketed the twenty. She gave him a little grin and a wink as she walked toward the bar.

 

            Forty five minutes later, Percy finally caught up to Faith on the dance floor. She was surrounded by four different guys and had them all drooling at her feet. He grabbed her by the upper arm. She shot him a look to kill and jerked away.

 

            “What happened? You trying to split on me?” He shouted above the music.

 

            “Not trying, Perc. Sorry I don’t really go for the jocks” Faith said.

 

            “You promised me a good time if I paid for you to get in here,” Percy said.

 

            “Yeah and the band is kickin. The place is hoppin. I’m sure you’ll have fun. Gotta go,” Faith said.

 

            Percy grabbed her wrist. Faith whirled and twisted his hand back so fast he didn’t even have a chance to cry out.

 

            “Lay another hand on me and I’ll break it into so many pieces you’ll never play ball again,” Faith said.

 

            Percy nodded and whimpered a little. Faith shoved him into the crowd in the middle of the dance floor. She turned back around to the drooling guys and resumed her dancing. She let the music take over her body, pour over her skin and worship at her feet. Her blood pounded with the beat, her breath whooshed in time. She closed her eyes and let the music fill her completely up.

 

            Several songs later Faith bought a bottle of water with Percy’s twenty. She slicked her sweat dampened hair off her forehead and began looking for a place to sit. Her eyes lit on a table at the back and the sometimes red head sitting there. His hair was a dark reddish brown tonight.

 

            “Hey, Oz,” Faith said sliding onto the chair next to him.

 

            Oz responded with his typical nod and the raising of his eyebrows. His eyes flicked over her and then back to the band. He sipped at his drink.

 

            Faith watched him watch the band. Oz was a mystery, a challenge.  He didn’t talk much not even about himself.  At first glance, Faith would have called him geeky but Oz had an indefinable coolness about him. Faith grinned, maybe it was the wolf inside.

 

            “Haven’t seen you around since you know the whole deal with Xander and Willow. What’s up?” Faith asked.

 

            Oz took a moment to respond. Faith noticed the brief look of pain that crossed his face at the mention of Willow. He slipped that nonchalant mask on quickly.

 

            “Battle of the bands next week, checking out the competition,” he said with a nod to the band on stage.

 

            “They’re good,” Faith said.

 

            “Yeah,” Oz said.

 

            “You worried?” She asked.

 

            “Nah, there’s this thing, worrying requires effort, something I try and avoid,” Oz said.

 

            Faith grinned. “You know, I woulda figured you for being more hyper, high strung with the wolf and all,” she said.

 

            Oz just shrugged and turned his attention back to the band. Faith stood up and situated herself between the table and Oz’s chair. She straddled his legs and sat down, sliding her body against his as she did.

 

            “I know what it’s like Oz, to have an animal inside, to have it screaming for release, to need and want so much that it nearly drives you insane,” Faith whispered. Her voice made it very clear what the animal inside of her wanted.

 

            Oz cocked an eyebrow at her and glanced around the table.

 

            “You realize there are three other chairs here,” he said calmly.

 

            Faith paused, confusion flitting through her eyes and over her face. She swallowed hard and shoved herself off Oz.  He stood up and started to walk away then stopped and turned back to her.

 

            “And I’m not animal, Faith. I’m a person and so are you,” he said.

 

            “Yeah, that’s why you lock yourself in a cage three nights a month,” she said.

 

            Oz shook his head and walked off. Faith watched and she swallowed back the tears in her throat.

 

            “I’m getting the fuck out of here,” she muttered to herself. Maybe she had been wrong. Maybe watching anime in her crappy motel room was better.

 

Written for Voleuse

Char request: Faith/Oz

Requests: At the Bronze, UST, dancing