Buffy's P.O.V
I panic for a moment when I can't find Faith in the kitchen, but then I see that the back door is open. She's outside sitting against the wall. I lean against the doorway, watching her for a moment. She looks so sad. Like someone just told her that she can't have sex for a month.
"What are you doing out here?" I smile when she jumps about a foot in the air.
"Thinking."
"'Bout what?" I don't really expect an answer and she doesn't disappoint, but I move to sit next to her anyway.
"Nothing much." She looks at the door, probably hoping to escape an interrogation. "So, listen. I'm gonna take off now."
"What? Why? We haven't even done anything yet!" My voice comes out a lot louder than it was supposed to and I force myself to calm down.
"Yeah, I know, but I'll see you tomorrow anyway." She looks at the door again.
"I was kinda thinking that maybe you should just stay here tonight. I promise much fun and laughter. We could talk about boys and paint each others toenails and a whole bunch of other cool stuff." I laugh at her horrified expression. "Not enough incentive? Okay, we can play dress up with my Mom's clothes and make pasta art."
"Oh, you were joking." She says, relieved. "I don't know, B."
"You have somewhere better to be?" I ask curiously.
"Actually... no." She was so going to lie for a minute there. It's a good thing she decided to tell the truth because she really sucks at lying. Maybe one day I'll tell her, but then she might figure out how to do it better.
"Great! Then you're staying." I punch her on the shoulder lightly.
"I don't... Fun?" She looks at me skeptically.
"Much fun." I correct.
"And does this 'fun' involve alcohol of any kind?"
"I guess, if you wanted. There could be alcoholic fun, yeah. But then you have to take care of me when I get sick."
"Sick, huh? That would be kind of funny." She smiles.
"Is that right?"
"Uh-huh."
"Does that mean you'll stay?"
"Do I have to clean up ejected stomach matter?"
"Oh no." I shake my head quickly. "You can have the alcoholic type fun. I'll stick with the sober kind, it's worked well for me so far."
"Then I guess I'm sober by association. Wouldn't want to have all the fun without you, B."
"You're just worried that there will be photographs."
"I don't want proof that I'm not perfect one hundred percent of the time. What will the children think?" She widens her eyes, melodramatically.
"Probably that it's a weekday." I smirk.
"What are you saying?" She feigns mock hurt, clutching her chest.
"At least you have the weekends." I try to console her, playing along.
"You think I'm perfect on the weekends, huh?" She grins, widely.
"No, I just forget my camera on the weekends. So, there's no proof of your imperfection."
"Imperfection? What are you talking about, B? I'm perfect all the time. Just like..." She breaks off abruptly, looking away. "...George Clooney."
"George Clooney?" I scrunch up my nose. "Faith, the amount of things I don't know about you could fill the Grand Canyon."
"Buffy, the amount of things you don't know could fill the Grand Canyon... and every other major hole in America, including ditches... and pot holes... and those tiny little cracks in the sidewalk that you see sometimes."
"Maybe, but at least now I know about George Clooney." I nod my head, knowingly. She stares at me blankly for a moment, but then bursts out laughing.
"Buffy, although nice looking, I don't have a hard on for George Clooney." She shakes her head, still chuckling at my expense.
"But you said..."
"I know what I said. That's what too much television time will do to you. It's the first name that came to mind. Sorry to take away the only piece of information that you actually know. Now, you're on empty again, Blondie."
"Okay, that's twice in the space of thirty seconds that you have insulted my intellect and now your wittiness levels have dropped to include hair color? If that was wit at all."
"What're you gonna do?" She smirks. "You know you can't take me. Unless you tried real hard and then I might let... you." She trails off, looking sad again. If I asked her about it she would probably bolt for the door. I decide to stick to the teasing which seems to get much better results.
"I could take you."
"Could not."
"Last time I checked I wasn't the Slayer with visible bruising."
"You only got me 'cause I got distracted!"
"Yeah, by George Clooney."
"Something like that." She looks away.
"Thinking about your next conquest?"
"I know what you're doing, you know. You're trying to get information out of me. An insight to the mind of Faith." She pulls her knees up to her chest, protectively, resting her arms on them and staring straight ahead.
"Is it working?"
"Maybe... Why though?"
"'Cause we're friends. Friends know stuff about each other. It's almost like they care or something. Crazy, I know, but it appears to be a custom. What can I say? I'm a slave to society."
"Friends? I guess I can live with that." She frowns, contemplating the thought. "But I'm not one of your damn Scoobies that sits and begs and rolls over when you say jump."
I stare at her for a moment, until I realize that she's completely serious. "Faith, did I ask for any of that stuff? Ever? It's not a dictatorship, we're a team and you're a part of said team. A crucial part. A partner part even."
"Yeah, I know... Sorry." She rests her chin on the back of her hands. I get the feeling that Faith doesn't apologize for much. Somewhere in there, behind all those smart-ass comments is the person that I want to get to know. If I can ever get her to lower her defences. The chances of that currently are slim-to-none, but give me time. I'll break her eventually. I'm actually getting there, I think this is the most serious conversation we've ever had.
"I know you know, but do you feel it?" I ask gently, turning my head to study her face.
"Yeah." She sighs, but then sits up straight, looking panicked. "What? Feel what?"
I smile a little. "You're kinda strange sometimes." She smirks again, but continues staring straight ahead. "Feel how much we all need you. How much I do. Who else is gonna watch my back all the time?"
"The other Slayer you have stashed in the basement?" She finally turns to look at me with a slight smile and I know that she appreciates what I said. Even if she won't ever say it.
"Besides, I really need to get myself a better trained Slayer if you're gonna roll over when I say 'jump'."
She starts to retort to my comment, but stops when we hear someone calling my name. Both of our heads turn toward the doorway.
Willow?
I almost forgot that she was even here.
"Out here, Will!" I call out. She emerges a moment later wearing a frown.
"What are you guys doing out here?"
"We were just talking." I turn my attention back to Faith. "You wanna go in, now?"
"Actually, I think I'm just going to go." She says still looking at Willow.
"No way! You promised to stay and you're staying. Willow's staying for a while too."
"I thought you said it would be fun." She mutters under her breath, loud enough for me to hear, but not Willow.
"I never said that." I stand up holding out my hand for her to take. I pull her to her feet and she seems torn between leaving and staying. I really do want her to stay, even if it means letting myself in for more sexually charged conversation. I'm running out of ways to deflect that type of discussion. Next time I think I'm just going to make a run for it.
"Yes, you did." She says, once she's standing. "You said fun and what do I get?"
"You get a Dawnless house filled with a Buffy and a Willow." I take her hand again.
"Yay... fun." She murmurs flatly as I pull her back inside the house with Willow trailing behind.
I push Faith onto the couch and run upstairs to shower, but only after extracting a promise from her that she will still be there when I get back. When I'm done I walk down the stairs with a couple of blankets and throw one to Willow. They're sitting on opposite sides of the room, staring directly at the television and not speaking. Come to think of it I don't think I've seen them speak at all lately unless it's absolutely necessary.
I pass the other blanket to Faith who takes it before picking up the remote and flicking through the channels. I sit next to her, pulling the blanket around both of us.
"Were you staying too, Will?" I look over at her, but she was already staring at me, tilting her head to the side.
Maybe she was expecting fun too, but I really only said that as an incentive for Faith to stay. I hope they don't expect me to entertain them or anything. Faith pauses in her vigorous channel surfing to hear the answer.
"Yeah, if that's okay?"
"Sure." I nod, adjusting my position so that my head is resting on Faith's shoulder. She begins flicking through the channels even faster than before. She's going to break the remote if she keeps that up.
I yawn sleepily and Faith's steady breathing and lack of patience in finding something to watch soon sends me to sleep.
********** "Faith?" I sit up straight, squinting into the darkness. I lie back down when I feel the comforting warmth of fingers running gently through my hair.
"Shh, B. Go back to sleep." She whispers, brushing some hair back from my face.
"'Kay." I mumble, closing my eyes and I can't help but smile just a little bit. She stands up, getting off the bed. Which is exactly when I realize where I am. In bed, in my room. Didn't I fall asleep on the couch?
"Faith?" She stops at the door, turning around to sit back on the bed. I sit up a bit, mostly awake now and rub at my eyes, trying to focus. "Did you carry me up the stairs?"
"Uh... yeah. You know, couch wasn't too comfortable. Figured you'd appreciate it in the morning when you have full limb usage." I can just make out her smile in the darkness.
"Thanks. I will appreciate it in the morning. I'll appreciate it now, even." I smile back, starting to climb out of bed. "I'll get you something to wear."
She pushes me back down. "I'll get it." I tell her where everything is and she heads toward the bathroom to get changed.
"Faith?"
"Yeah, B?" She stops once more, turning around.
"Come back when you're finished?" I ask and she pauses for a moment before answering.
"Yeah, sure." She says before leaving the room.
Faith's right. The couch isn't that comfortable and my bed is more than big enough for the two of us. So, it's purely for her comfort level that she should stay here with me tonight. I mean, she did carry me all the way up the stairs when she didn't have to. And Slayer-strength notwithstanding there's a whole bunch of stairs there. That was sweet. So, I'm just being a good friend by offering for her to stay here tonight. See I can be a good friend. Besides, this way Willow has the whole living room to herself. She doesn't have to sleep on that small couch anymore. Everyone wins.
I use the time to change clothes and have just climbed back into bed when I sense movement outside of my room. It sounds like Faith's pacing just in front of the door. What is she doing out there? I listen to it for a few minutes before becoming impatient.
"Faith, come in already." The door slowly opens. And by 'slowly' I mean snail-pace slowly or maybe turtle-pace slowly or even Cordy-pace when it's time to pull out the books for research type slowly. Whichever one is the slowest that's how long it takes for the door to open. Finally, she's inside and I can sense the nervousness even from across the room. Now, what could Faith, Miss Bad-ass-nothing-scares-me-'cause-I'm-invincible-and-I'm-wicked-cool-in-my-leathe\ rs-check-me-out-everyone-1999 possibly have to be nervous about? "What were you doing out there?"
She stops all movement. "Uh... there was... I mean... I..." She pauses, running a hand through her hair. Finally she looks up and all traces of nervousness are gone. If it was even there in the first place. But I don't think I've ever seen her lost for words before. Maybe quiet because she's thinking about sex or something. But never stumbling over words. "I was looking at the carpet."
"Carpet?" Did I miss something?
"Sure." She nods, closing the door so that it's dark again. She walks over to me to sit on the edge of the bed. "It's nice. Remind me to tell your mom later."
"Oh, thanks... I think." Faith notices carpet? Weird.
"Very clean. Good texture." She states in all seriousness with a slight nod of the head.
"Happy you approve." I smile, leaning back onto one elbow.
"I do. So..." She pauses again. "You wanted to talk... or something?"
"Actually, I'm kinda tired."
"Oh, yeah. That's cool." She stands up. "It's just that you said... and I... never mind. I'll see you in the morning, B."
"Wait. Where are you going?"
"Bed-slash-couch." She shrugs.
"Oh. Well, how about bed-slash-bed?" I try to explain when her confusion deepens. "I meant that I didn't want to talk 'cause I really am tired, but you don't have to leave. You can just, you know, stay here tonight." I pat the space next to me.
Faith's P.O.V
Here?
Here in her bed here?
Here in her bed here with her here?
Crap.
How do I get myself into these situations?
No, really.
The reason why I bought her up here in the first place was because I was very aware of our close proximity when she was using me for a pillow. I can't stay here I was meant to be getting over her. Remember the plan, Faith? The 'forget Buffy' plan that hasn't actually been implemented yet. Remember not being sucked in by the cute little faces she makes anymore? Remember the getting over her part? And the bunch of other stuff which definitely does not involve sleeping in her bed.
Oh, for fuck sake she just wants to sleep with you. Not with you.
With me?
Is it getting hot in here or is it just inside of my shorts?
Just me then? Okay good, 'cause for a minute there I thought that I was completely over Buffy Summers. Now, how the hell do I get out of this one?
Maybe you should tell her you want to look at the carpet some more, dumbass.
"Faith?" She's still watching me closely and I realize that I've been standing here like a... like more of a moron than I was before.
Damn.
"Uh, yeah B. Okay." I walk over to the bed and climb in. Taking excessive effort to make sure that no part of my body comes in contact with her. Even though every inch of me is screaming out 'Take her! Take her now!' Never let it be said that Faith has no self-control. In your face Mom! And my first Watcher... and Giles and Wes and Buffy and... You know what? Screw you all. I'm rolling in self-control. See, check me out.
I stare up at the ceiling for a good fifteen minutes, trying not to fall off the bed because I'm that close to the edge. I would have preferred sleeping on the couch near Rosenburg to this... torture. I start to think that Buffy's sleeping, but there's no way in hell I will be. Every muscle in my body is tensing, trying to force me to do it's bidding. I won't let it though because I'm Faith. My body can't rule my mind. Well, actually that's a big fat lie and if childhood nursery rhymes are anything to go by, my pants would be on fire right about now.
Wait a second... Okay just figuratively then. My body and mind are in complete agreement over this one anyway. Why aren't I doing anything again? Oh right, the severe ass whooping that I am so not in the mood for.
"Faith, you're so stiff." She murmurs, startling me.
No, but I would be if there was an increase in my testosterone levels.
"Just relax." She says, taking my hand and placing it on her stomach.
Oh, my God.
Self control. Self control. Self-
I squeeze my eyes shut tight and try not to think about the warmth of her very tight little stomach. When all I really want to do is lick every inch of her. How the fuck does Mr Gordo survive every night? Maybe he tries to get some action once she's asleep.
Maybe that's what I should do...
Nah, not even I'm that far gone. That's a sick little pig if you ask me.
"Faith, relax. You're making it hard for me to go to sleep."
Ditto.
"Sorry." I'll try to be quieter in my extreme lust for you. She squeezes my hand tight trying to get me to calm down from whatever problems she believes my world-weary self is so tense from. Hot stomach that has a noticeable lack of my tongue on it aside it's actually nice. In a friendly, comforting kind of way. I force myself to relax and eventually I fall asleep.With my hand still resting on her stomach.
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