Claim Innocence
Walking through the Bronze, Faith was shocked at how much it had changed since she had last been there nearly two years before. She had worn Buffys body then, strutting around in it and enjoying the power it gave her.
She never thought she would make her way back; she had vowed to herself, once in LA, never to return to Sunnydale, never to come back to the place where she never felt anything but second best.
But, walking past the throngs of dancing teenagers and overly caffeinated college students, Faith didn't feel the old inferiority that she had found so disgusting. There was no sign of Buffy and her Scoobies, no sign of Wesley and his merry band of hapless watchers looking to tie her down and shoot her up.
The Bronze was hers for the taking, yet, as she walked towards the bar, trying to decide which would be the first drink in over a year to touch her lips, she was disappointed to find she didn't really care. Possession was something she had lost her appreciation for, and that pissed her off more than she wanted to admit.
She had gone to prison to change, sure, but she never wanted this.
Faith groaned as she stepped up to the bar, eyeing the different types of liquor before her. She thought that maybe she'd start with a classic: beer.
"Faith," she heard a voice call out, and she stood there for a moment, her back turned to whomever it was that had spoken. The voice didn't sound exactly familiar, but she was sure she had heard it somewhere before.
She turned around and faced the girl who called her. "You are Faith, aren't you?"
"Yeah," Faith said, her hands on her hips.
"I know what you're thinking," Faith said, her tone bored. "I'm evil, I'm gonna kill you, right? Run for your lives!" Faith called out mockingly. "Doesn't work that way anymore."
"I'm not worried," the girl answered. "I can see that for myself."
"Can you now?" Faith asked, the corners of her lips turning up in a smile. "You psychic or something?"
"Not psychic," she said, shaking her head. "I can just tell. Your aura- it tells the whole story."
Faith was taken aback for a moment; she hadn't expected that reaction. After a moment, she smirked. "Handy trick." She looked the girl over, trying to place her. "Wait a second," Faith said. "I remember you. You're Tara, right? Red's girl?"
"Red?" Tara asked, her face adorned in confusion. Suddenly, the lights went on. "Oh, you mean Willow," she said, smiling.
"That's the one." Faith shrugged. "You got a lot of girlfriends?"
Tara shook her head, smiling shyly. "No, not at all. Not even Willow anymore."
"Wow," Faith said, leaning against the doorframe. "Shocker. Thought you two would work the secret lesbian love affair forever."
"We weren't a secret for long," Tara defended. "It takes some time to be comfortable with coming out in a relationship. I gave Willow the time that she needed."
"Is that right?" Faith said, waving to the bartender and throwing a twenty down. "2 beers for me and my girl," Faith said, turning back to Tara and winking. The bartender smiled and shook his head as he handed her the two bottles and her change.
"See?" Faith said. "Not so hard now, is it?"
"Everyone is different," Tara reminded her. "With Willow, it was the first time for everything. And you?"
Faith grinned. "Not quite."
Tara nodded. "So, what are you doing here?"
"Flirting with you," Faith said, winking as she took a sip of her beer.
Tara blushed and looked away for a moment. "I meant- why are you here? And how? Willow said you were in prison."
"I was," Faith said, shrugging. "Did the whole behind bars thing for a while and got tired of it. Decided I'd actually make a good impression on my parole board, and they got me out. So now I'm free as a bird." She looked to Tara. "You gonna drink?"
"Oh," Tara said, looking at the beer she held in her hands. "I don't really drink." She handed the beer to Faith.
"Thanks," Faith said, drinking the rest of hers and pushing it to the side. "So anyway, they made me see a shrink in prison," Faith said, moving away from the bar and over to a couch. She threw her feet up on the coffee table in front of her. "The shrink was real big on starting over. Told me I had to go back to the beginning."
"So you came here?" Tara asked, moving to sit next to her.
"Yeah well, I tried curling up in the fetal position with the phone cord wrapped around me, but it didn't do anything for me," Faith said, smirking.
Tara laughed and leaned back, looking the Slayer over. "I think it's good that you came back. There are a lot of issues that I think you need to work out with Buffy."
"I'm not seein' her," Faith said, her face deadest. "B and I- I don't even want to go there. Not yet, anyway. I'm doing this my way, my speed, and that's not a bridge I exactly want to cross just yet."
"I understand," Tara said. "But eventually?
"Yeah, whatever," Faith said, shrugging the question off. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. She looked at Tara, her eyes moving up and down the girl's body.
"You look good," Faith commented, eager to change the subject. "Last time I saw you, you had the whole frumpy look going on."
"I guess," Tara admitted. "I've changed a lot since then."
"Yeah, so have I," Faith said, gesturing down to her fitting blue jeans and black v-neck sweater. "Kinda miss the leather sometimes, but I gotta say it's much more comfortable this way. I was missing out."
"But leather-" Tara said, smiling. "Exciting. And you know, you looked good in it." She blushed. "I mean, I'm just saying."
"Yeah, you don't have to tell me. With the leather, I could get any guy I want just by bendin' over, ya know. Although, come to think about it, that might not have had to do much with the leather, and more the cleavage."
Tara laughed. "Sounds like," she admitted. "But there is something about leather. I've never worn it." She shrugged. "I don't think I have the body for it."
"Shit yeah you do," Faith said, smirking. "I bet you'd look hot in it. Could get any girl here," she said, waving her hand at the crowd.
"Oh, I don't think so," Tara said. "Besides, that's not exactly what I want to be my selling point, if you know what I mean."
"I say work with what you got, but it's up to you." Faith shrugged.
"T-thanks," Tara said, biting her lip.
"You're nervous," Faith commented, smiling at her. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"
"No. It's not that," Tara said, shaking her head. "I just- I'm not very good at this."
"At what?" Faith asked, crossing her legs and grinning. She was going to make her say it; maybe Faith still did enjoy the power after all.
Tara opened her mouth to answer, but found it difficult to phrase it correctly. "This dance," she said finally, and sighed. That didn't come out right. "This leading up to something," she said. "You are, aren't you?"
Faith shook her head. "Not quite. I'm not leading up to anything," she said, smiling. "We are. Come on Tara, you may play the shy girl, but I can read you too." She leaned in closer. "I can tell you're attracted to me. Slayer's got a sense for other things besides vampires, ya know? Now do you really want to play coy or should we go someplace?"
Tara blushed, looking down nervously. "I-I don't usually do t-this," she said, stammering.
"Shit, maybe that's your problem!" Faith said, laughing as she leaned back. "I gotta feeling Red isn't great in the bottle uncorking department."
"Oh, she was," Tara said, grinning. "She was very good."
"Really?" Faith said, genuinely surprised. "Well, fuck if that doesn't beat everything. Maybe I was chasing after the wrong tail last time I was here. Shoulda known I was wasting my time on B."
"Are you sure?" Tara asked.
"Yeah well, B's about as gay as Richard Simmons is straight," Faith said, laughing.
"No," Tara said. " I mean, about us. Do you really want to go somewhere?"
"Hell yeah," Faith said. She moved her hand to Tara's leg and started to move her palm in circles. "If I remember, this place has a nice darkened corner in the back. Good spot for vamps to take their prey, or girls to take their girlfriends for a quick screw."
"H-here?" Tara asked, looking around. "But anyone can just walk in on us."
"That's half the fun," Faith said, moving her hand to Tara's and standing up, taking the girl with her. "Come on, live on the edge. I promise it'll be worth it."
Tara's heart was beating frantically in her chest. She had never in her life done something quite like this before, and the thought excited her. She had always been the wilder one in her relationship with Willow, despite how it may have appeared to others.
"O-OK," Tara said, following Faith as they curved through the groups of dancers towards the back of the club. Every step was another shock of excitement that seemed shot directly between her legs.
"Almost there," Faith said, making a right. They passed the men's bathroom and past boxes of pretzels that were stacked on metal shelves on their left. "Here we go," Faith said, turning to Tara and walking backwards. "See, nice and private," she said, pulling Tara closer.
"Y-yeah," Tara said, leaning in so that their faces were mere inches away. She still could hardly believe she was doing this, but she didn't want to run away.
"Don't be nervous," Faith said, leaning in and kissing Tara, her lips opening and her tongue sneaking out slowly. She pulled back. "You're in good hands."
"Mmm hmm," Tara said, nodding as she returned to the kiss. It had been months since she had been with Willow, and she suspected it had been longer since Faith had been with anyone at all.
Faith relaxed into the kiss, letting her hands move down Tara's body until they rested against the hem of her skirt. "This has to go," she said quickly before kissing her again, and her hands pushed down the skirt until it fell into a heap at her feet.
Tara shivered and looked around nervously, but there was no one to be seen. The spot Faith had taken her too was dark and provided the privacy that they certainly needed. "W-wait," she said, moving to pull off Faith's shirt and smiling as she realized the Slayer wasn't wearing a bra. "Naughty," Tara said, laughing as her hands made their way to Faith's nipples, twisting them gently.
"Yeah, well," Faith said, her hands sneaking inside Tara's panties and feeling the moisture beneath, "feels like you're pretty naughty too. Did I do that to you?" Faith laughed. "I haven't even done anything yet."
"Then do it already," Tara beckoned, arching her pelvis into Faith's hand.
"Ooh," Faith said, grinning as she slid her finger up and down Tara's lips, "We gonna play that way? I don't usually go sub, but I'm feeling like it tonight."
"God, I don't care how we play, just don't stop," Tara said, biting her lip as Faith slid a finger inside her.
"I knew you weren't all prim and proper," Faith said, smiling as she started to lower herself down to her knees. "I knew once I made my way inside you, you'd be as dirty as a drunken sailor."
Faith slid another finger inside Tara and grinned as she heard the girl groan from above her. She wasn't being very quiet, and Faith loved that. She could care less if there was a group watching from around the shadows; she loved putting on a good show. "I bet you taste like honey," Faith said, drawing closer and smiling when she felt Tara's hands weave through her hair.
"Why don't you find out?" she heard Tara say, and she laughed.
"Ya know," Faith said, her fingers continuing to move in and out, "I think I'll do just that." She slid her fingers out and heard Tara automatically start to complain. "Hold on," she said, laughing as she pulled Tara's cotton panties down, letting them fall on top of her skirt on the ground. "Just giving myself more room," Faith said, moving in quickly until her mouth was on top of Tara's sex, her tongue slipping inside.
She felt Tara's body twist, and Faith grabbed on to her hips to keep her steady. She had been wrong; Tara didn't taste like honey. She tasted like something much sweeter, and far more intoxicating.
She moved her lips to Tara's clit, sucking on it gently as her hands caressed the soft flesh of Tara's backside. "God," she murmured, unwilling to move her lips from Tara. "You're amazing."
Tara moaned above her, her hands gripping onto the ledges of the wood shelf behind her and felt it press into the middle of her back. "W-wait," she said, her fingers moving to the sides of Faith's face as she raised it to look at her. "I want to taste you."
Faith almost didn't want to move from between Tara's legs, but she could feel her own sex dripping with lust. "You sure?" she asked, her eyes dancing as they connected with Tara's and saw the answer there.
She nodded, slipping her fingers out reluctantly and getting to her feet. She looked around and smiled. "This'll do," she said, jumping up to sit on the wooden shelf and slowly spreading her legs wide.
Tara smiled as she watched Faith fumble with her shoes, and she quickly helped her disrobe, her mind swimming with thoughts and ideas of what she could do. As she slipped Faith's jeans off, she snickered. "No panties either? I guess you really still are a bad girl."
"Well, not like I could change completely," Faith said, smiling. "Gotta keep my edge. Now are we gonna chit chat or do you have better things to be doing with your mouth?" Faith asked, smirking.
Tara smiled as she drew in closer, letting her hand drift from Faith's foot all the way up to her thighs, her fingers dancing closer to her folds until they were tracing the edges, not yet letting them move inside.
Faith squirmed beneath Tara's touch, waiting for the girl to finally make her move. After another minute of near touches, Faith was growing antsy. "Fuck, don't tease me," she said, biting her lip as she looked down to Tara.
Tara's eyes danced wildly as she watched the desperate look on Faith's face intensify, and she moved her head between Faith's legs and let her tongue push its way inside.
"Fuck," she heard Faith say, and Tara moved her mouth to Faith's clit, her tongue circling it for a moment before drawing it into her mouth gently. She paid special attention to the slayer's trigger as she moved her fingers to rub between Faith's folds.
She could feel the Slayer's hips moving around and she stood up, moving her fingers inside of Faith as her lips affixed themselves to her nipples. She sucked on them softly while increasing the speed of her thrusts, letting another finger move inside and in sync with the other.
"Tara," Faith cried out, impressed by the girl's efficiency; she had hardly ever come this quickly. She threw her head back, gripping onto the shelf as her orgasm flooded over her and grinning as she felt Tara breathing heavily against her shoulder as well. She looked ahead of her, her eyes growing wide.
"Tara," she said again, wrapping her legs around the girl and breaking a piece of the shelf free. She threw it past the both of them and watched as a vampire quickly turned to dust upon impact.
Faith caught her breath and loosened her grip on Tara as the girl turned around. "What was that?" she asked.
"Killer orgasm," Faith said, laughing as she jumped down off the shelf. "Vamp trying to get a sneak peek while sneaking up on us. Told ya this was a hot spot," she said, bending down to collect her clothes along with Tara.
"Oh," Tara said, stepping into her skirt and pulling it up over her hips.
They dressed in silence, neither one sure of what to say or what would happen next. Once fully clothed, they stared at each other quietly before Faith brought her hand to Tara's cheek. "That was fucking amazing," she said, smiling.
Tara nodded. "Yeah. I think it was just what I needed."
"Yeah," Faith agreed. "Been a while."
"Yeah."
Faith leaned back against what was left of the shelf and smiled. "We kinda skipped past the cuddling, huh?"
"I-it's OK. I know it doesn't mean anything," Tara said, moving next to Faith. "I mean- it was just something we did."
"You sure that's OK with you?" Faith asked, looking at the girl and trying to detect signs of insincerity. "I mean- I know the kind of girl you are."
"No you don't," Tara said, looking to her. "Listen Faith. I told you I could read your aura, right?"
Faith nodded. "Yeah."
"Well, I can tell that you have to go," she said, sighing. "You're not supposed to be here. It's not what you want."
"No," Faith admitted. "It sure as hell isn't."
"And I can also tell that this," she said, gesturing to the two of them, "wasn't about power, or possession, right?"
"No," Faith said. "It used to be, but-"
"It's not now," Tara finished. "It was just about two people needing something- needing someone," she said, sighing. "Something easy."
"You calling me easy?" Faith said, laughing. "Well, it's a nice way to put it."
Tara smiled. "You know what I mean."
"Yeah, I do," Faith said, nodding. "So, we're cool?"
"Yeah," Tara said. "You're going to go now, huh?"
"Might as well," Faith said. "I stay, and things aren't so easy anymore, ya know?"
Tara nodded. "Things are never easy here. Especially for you."
Faith laughed. "Tell me about it." She moved past Tara, standing at the edge of the shadows and looking out at the Bronze. "I'll be back sometime, I guess. Eventually."
"I know," Tara said. "And I'll see you then."
"Yeah." Faith put her hand up in an awkward wave. "See ya then."
Tara watched as Faith walked out into the light and into the club, blending in with the crowd and disappearing. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
What Faith hadn't been able to read was that things were never easy for her here either. As she stood up to make her way out the back exit, she realized that they rarely were for anyone.
It wasn't an easy town in which to be alone, and it wasn't an easy town to forget someone who took that away, however briefly they had made it disappear for.