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sweetandshortTitle: Maybe
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Author: Apache Firecat
Characters: Faith, Giles
Rating: PG/K+
Summary: In which Giles reaches out, and Faith actually accepts.
Word Count: 500
Written For: Sweet and Short January 2024 Mini-Bingo
Warnings: N/A
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
She didn't need pity. She hadn't come out here to one-horse town in southern Cali just to get snubbed. She'd heard this was where the other Slayer hung and thought they could help each other. Clearly, Faith thought, grinding her teeth in the back of her black-lipped mouth, she'd been wrong! Let B hang with her little, non-Slayer friends and fuck a dead guy. They'd never understand what she already knew about being a Slayer. They'd never understand her like she did!
They were supposed to be two of a kind! She wasn't supposed to be like all the rest of the kids from where Faith had come. She wasn't supposed to think she was better than her! Faith's fingers had already curled into fists, her fingernails biting the palms of her hands. She needed something to hit, and fast!
"Perhaps..." She was startled by the voice of the geeky librarian who passed for a Watcher. "Perhaps we could train, Faith?"
She looked at him in surprise. "You must have some stones, G-man, if you think you can take me on."
"I was thinking rather we could work on your balance."
He seemed unconcerned by her snarl dissing his courage, but Faith had noticed. B had ducked them both today, and Giles was actually... What was it the counselors had always said at her other schools? Reaching out? Her dark eyes raked him over. He had likely be a good fuck back in his day, maybe even a decent, little fighter, but that had been then. "You can't take me."
"I am not trying to 'take' you, Faith. I was simply thinking it might be helpful to expel some... excess energy before you patrol."
"So you're talkin' actual action, not some stupid book learning?"
She could tell that question had indeed hit a nerve, but to his credit, Giles managed to refrain from retorting back to her. Instead, he simply gestured toward the back of the library with his graying head. "There is the balance beam. It can be a nice way to work out some... pent up energy. I'm here to spar with you, if you like."
"I'm not tryin' to kill you." The words escaped her before she could stop them. She tried to shrug off the momentary doubt with a disdainful sniff. "One hit from me would probably put you in the hospital. I'm not like B. I'm not good pullin' my punches."
Giles smiled at her, actually smiled. "You may find me more capable than you believe, if you're willing to give it, and me, a try."
"Hell, why not?" She barely caught the boxing gloves he tossed without warning to her. She shrugged. "Your funeral," she said, but his smile didn't move. In fact, if she didn't know damned better, she might mistake the gleam behind his spectacles as a glimmer of hope. She did need to move on soon from Sunnydale, she decided -- she didn't want to see this one get killed too.
The End
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Author: Apache Firecat
Characters: Faith, Giles
Rating: PG/K+
Summary: In which Giles reaches out, and Faith actually accepts.
Word Count: 500
Written For: Sweet and Short January 2024 Mini-Bingo
Warnings: N/A
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
| balance | hope |
| courage | faith |
She didn't need pity. She hadn't come out here to one-horse town in southern Cali just to get snubbed. She'd heard this was where the other Slayer hung and thought they could help each other. Clearly, Faith thought, grinding her teeth in the back of her black-lipped mouth, she'd been wrong! Let B hang with her little, non-Slayer friends and fuck a dead guy. They'd never understand what she already knew about being a Slayer. They'd never understand her like she did!
They were supposed to be two of a kind! She wasn't supposed to be like all the rest of the kids from where Faith had come. She wasn't supposed to think she was better than her! Faith's fingers had already curled into fists, her fingernails biting the palms of her hands. She needed something to hit, and fast!
"Perhaps..." She was startled by the voice of the geeky librarian who passed for a Watcher. "Perhaps we could train, Faith?"
She looked at him in surprise. "You must have some stones, G-man, if you think you can take me on."
"I was thinking rather we could work on your balance."
He seemed unconcerned by her snarl dissing his courage, but Faith had noticed. B had ducked them both today, and Giles was actually... What was it the counselors had always said at her other schools? Reaching out? Her dark eyes raked him over. He had likely be a good fuck back in his day, maybe even a decent, little fighter, but that had been then. "You can't take me."
"I am not trying to 'take' you, Faith. I was simply thinking it might be helpful to expel some... excess energy before you patrol."
"So you're talkin' actual action, not some stupid book learning?"
She could tell that question had indeed hit a nerve, but to his credit, Giles managed to refrain from retorting back to her. Instead, he simply gestured toward the back of the library with his graying head. "There is the balance beam. It can be a nice way to work out some... pent up energy. I'm here to spar with you, if you like."
"I'm not tryin' to kill you." The words escaped her before she could stop them. She tried to shrug off the momentary doubt with a disdainful sniff. "One hit from me would probably put you in the hospital. I'm not like B. I'm not good pullin' my punches."
Giles smiled at her, actually smiled. "You may find me more capable than you believe, if you're willing to give it, and me, a try."
"Hell, why not?" She barely caught the boxing gloves he tossed without warning to her. She shrugged. "Your funeral," she said, but his smile didn't move. In fact, if she didn't know damned better, she might mistake the gleam behind his spectacles as a glimmer of hope. She did need to move on soon from Sunnydale, she decided -- she didn't want to see this one get killed too.
The End
no subject
Date: 2024-02-01 12:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-02-01 11:49 pm (UTC)