BUFFY'S P.O.V
"What did he give her?" I ask curiously.
"Comic books," Willow replies with a shrug. "Apparently Faith likes the pretty pictures."
I stare ahead thoughtfully, even though I can no longer see them.
I knew that Faith liked comic books, too. So what? Why is Xander giving Faith things? His girlfriend would not be too happy by these revelations.
"Why?" I fold my arms across my chest. Willow watches me with great curiousity, and I quickly unfold them from what could potentially be seen as a defensive position. They come to rest by my sides.
"Buffy, are you jealous?" Willow asks with a raised eyebrow.
"No! I don't even like comics." I keep my face forward and walk a bit faster because I know exactly what she meant. And I can only pray that we're not going down this road again.
"You know what I mean." I knew she was gonna say that. "'Cause you're so used to the undivded attention. It's gone for, like, two seconds and now you're all grumpy Buffy."
"I'm not grumpy... and I don't know what you're even talking about."
"Sure ya do." She nods her head knowingly. Then she starts making crazy gestures with her hands. I don't do that when I talk! "'Faith, look at me! Pay attention to me. Love me, love me! No, don't run off with Xander 'cause I'm right here!'" "This whole slayer fixation really isn't funny anymore." I stop walking and rub at my forehead. Willow Rosenburg: Bringer of headaches, pain and bad dreams that... uh... make me need cold showers afterward. "And I don't need everyone to always be paying attention to me."
"Didn't say everyone." She shrugs.
Stay calm. Count to ten. Stop, drop and roll... or something.
I take a deep breath. "Look, Willow-"
"Aw, don't get mad, Buffy. I was teasing you. 'Cause it was fun... with the teasing. But I'm done now, really. All finished. No more words will be passing my mouth on the subject. No sir." She shakes her head vigorously.
"Finished?" I ask suspiciously.
"All finished, done, stopping, no more. Quiet Willow, that's me." She tilts her head to the side. "Do you think Faith likes it on top?"
Ugh! When did Willow develop an obsessive type personality? I stare at her for a moment; she's standing there, all innocence, but I know the truth. This is usually the part where I storm off.
So I do.
"Hey, what about class?" she calls out after me.
She is joking, right? "Goodbye, Willow."
"Buffy, come on! It was a joke. Funny with the ha-ha's. Double your daily intake of ha's. You do remember jokes, don't you?"
Apparently not.
**********
Slowly, I walk into the library. Faith and Xander are already huddled in the corner, discussing their picture books. I honestly don't see what the big deal is. Cartoons of guys in spandex flipping all over the place? Strange thing to get all excited about. I walk further into the room, but neither of them look up. So I wait...
And wait...
Then I get mad.
Of course no one notices my presence! I mean, it's not like I've saved the world time and time again or anything. It's not like I've saved both of their asses at one point or another. Well, maybe kicked Faith's a little more than saved. Still... I'm not asking for a ticker tape parade here, but a little "Hey, Buffy, how's it going? Pull up a chair and enjoy our Spandex Men," wouldn't go astray. It's only polite. It's etiquette! Forget about the fact that less than five minutes ago I was looking to ditch Faith. My sudden anger knows no logic. They are rude, rude people.
I lift the bag that I'm holding a little higher up, and drop it onto the floor. It makes a loud thumping sound as it hits the ground. Xander turns around, but Faith doesn't move. I guess she already knew that I was there. That makes me even madder for some reason.
"Hey B," she says without looking up. "Thought you had a class now."
Oh no! No, she doesn't get to do that! This is my library! I mean, Giles' library... This is the school people's library that I use for my slayer stuff, and I'm not leaving this room!
Unless I get tired of being in here, then I'll probably go. But until then, I'm staying right here.
"So what? So does Xander." I point out.
"Who needs an education?" He shrugs. "I've got my health."
"You said it, buddy," Faith chuckles.
This tag-team, comic-loving, gang-up-against Buffy crap is really starting to pis-
"Ah, Buffy, there you are." Giles walks in from the office. He stops walking suddenly and frowns. "Don't you have a class now?"
Can't. Hit. Giles.
He's all old and stuff.
Faith's not though. I walk over and slap the back of her head so that she stops laughing.
"Hey!"
"Yes, yes, we've all felt like doing that at one time or another, but this is important, Buffy." Giles really looks serious, and even Faith stops preparing her attack to hear what he has to say. "Listen, there are-"
"Demons." Wesley interrupts, entering the room with his usual drama-queen flair. Giles rolls his eyes, but sits down to let Wes have his fifteen minutes of people actually paying attention to him. "Specifically of the Krakslar variety; they kill for the sake of killing and anything with a heart beat will do. Luring their victims to the nest by any means necessary, their main habitat would be-"
"Somewhere really gross, and they enjoy bowling, but it's just so hard to find the right shoe size nowadays," Faith cuts in. "Get to the part where I care."
"Crawford Street, close to the mansion. Three of them," Giles says.
"Thank you, Giles." I look at Wesley. "See what he did there? Sometimes less is more, Wes."
"Try it sometime, ya big pansy." Faith smiles at me, but I'm still mad at her. Not really sure why... Oh yeah, the... uh...
She...
She's just so damn annoying.
"Yes, well," Wesley continues to pretend that we aren't already finished with this conversation. "You shall go tonight and -"
"Giles?" I give him a look. Sometimes he can get Wes to shut up. Not always, but I like to be optimistic about these types of things.
"Tonight would be best," Giles concedes.
"Fine," I sigh. "I'll go tonight and I'll..."
"*We'll* go tonight." Faith frowns.
"I got it. You went yesterday." I pick up my bag from the ground.
"Uh, yeah." She nods once, slowly. "And I met two lousy vamps. Had to play with 'em some to get any type of fun outta the whole sitch."
"Buffy?" Giles waits for me to turn back to him. "All the texts that we have say that these demons are impossible to kill. I don't want the two of you trying to kill them until we know more. Just observe, and if it looks like you're in the slightest bit danger - run. But Faith goes, too."
"Yes." Wesley nods with all of his 'worldy experience'. "Do not, I repeat do not, try to engage-"
Faith rolls her eyes. "We already said we'd go, so keep your pants on, Wes."
"You know, a modicum of respect wouldn't go astray." He pulls himself up to his full height, all self-importance.
"Respect this." Faith flips him off with an innocent smile.
"I am your watcher, and like me or not, you will do as I say." Gee, thanks Faith. It's the speech again. She smirks, but I have to actually listen to this crap when he gets into these pompous moods. Most of the time it's her fault, too. "You will go out tonight and slay these three demons. When you are done, you will report back to me for a full outline of the evening's events. Tomorrow morning - we begin a new training regime. You will be here promptly at six am; tardiness is unacceptable and it is compulsory. Any questions? Good." He spins on his heels and walks out of the library.
Faith raises an eyebrow at me and I shrug.
"That guy needs a girfriend," Xander turns back around in his chair. "Can't have mine though. Don't think I didn't see him staring at her. He can just keep his peeping peepers to himself."
"Uh-huh." I don't think anyone but Xander actually wants Cordelia. Plus, I always thought that Wesley was kinda gay. I start walking toward the doors. "Coming?"
"Nah." He holds up one of his stupid comic thingies. "Gonna stay and enjoy super hero goodness."
Whatever.
He better not be talking about Faith though.
Just... because.
I look at her one last time before walking out of the room. I can feel her eyes on me all the way to the door. Guess I got tired of being in there after all.
I'm halfway down the hall when it happens. I can't say that I wasn't expecting it.
"Hey, B! Wait up."
I can't help but smiling a little before turning around. Willow's wrong, though. I don't need everyone to always be paying attention to me. Just as long as they're not focusing on anyone else.
"Faith, I really gotta..." get to a class that I missed half of anyway.
"Yeah, I know." She catches up to me, but then just stands there. "So... tonight, huh?"
"If you want." I shrug. "Don't bother if it's going to cut into your sex life or something."
"Oh, yeah." She grins and leans against the wall. "Since when were you interested in my sex life?"
Since last night.
"Since you never shut up about it. Look, I have to go," and figure out something to do until the next class starts... and just not be here. "If you want you can come over at seven. Mom wanted to know why you weren't at dinner last night, anyway."
There. That was a nice, normal addition to the conversation.
"Hey, I'm not there that often. But sounds good; I'll even wear my best dress." I roll my eyes at her. "And maybe we could do something after?" she asks casually.
After? After what? After Slaying? When it's all late at night, and there's beds?
"No, I don't think... and Wes wanted us to do that thing." That sounded desperate even to my ears.
"You're not gonna actually listen to the guy, are you?" she asks increduously. "I thought that we talked about this."
I wasn't planning on listening, but now she's left me no choice. "We should humor him, you know... He's got low self-esteem, and... there's other reasons that I can't think of right now."
"But they'll be dead in, like, two seconds. Chosen two, packin' heat and unstoppable." She's a moment away from doing that grunting, hip-thrust thing that makes me... uncomfortable.
I shake my head. "Faith, these guys sound bad. Even Giles twitched. I'm pretty sure that I saw a twitch there somewhere. We have to be completely focused when we do this and if that means listening to Wesley," I trail off. Mostly because I can't believe half of the crap that comes out of my mouth sometimes.
"Yeah, I get it. They're bad, whatever. I know I was scared," she says sarcastically.
"Yeah," I sigh. Why does she always have to be so difficult?
We need to take this seriously.
Impossible to kill? How the hell are we going to manage that?
FAITH'S P.O.V
"One, two, three dead demons." Hell yeah! I flop down on the ground next to the dead... dude. "And you said I should get an education."
"At least you've upgraded to pre-school level." She kneels down next to me, breathing heavily. "Okay, so we check in with Wes and-"
"Buffy, don't make me say it." I know exactly what she's feeling. A little bit tired, a little bit turned on - One hundred percent fired up and ready to do some damage. Self-control? Can't ever say that Buffy Summers doesn't possess it, and I should know. "We did it! We won! We kicked some major ass and we're now surrounded by carcasses. Rejoice and be merry." She takes a second to look at the bodies. "You've got all this extra energy just flowin' and you wanna waste it on tea and crumpets? I don't get you."
"'B, you're so uptight and boring.'" She mimics me. "'Blah, blah, blah. Doing the right thing is bad. Yadda, yadda, yadda.'"
"B, come on." She is in so much denial right now, I can't even believe it. When everything feels this good, you don't start thinking about responsibility. That's stupid. "The guy bores you as much as he does me."
"True." She finally smiles.
"They also said that we shouldn't do anything without their 'permission'. So..." I prompt.
"So... we don't go?" She tilts her head to the side slightly.
Yeah, I can corrupt with the best of them.
"And instead we..." I motion for her to finish the rest of that sentence.
"Get coffee?" she asks.
What the hell?
"Coffee? Oh, fine." The entire world at our feet and she wants a caffine fix. There's something wrong with this girl. Sucks that I don't really care. "Coffee. Babysteps, B, but you're on your way."
"And you're on your way to counting to five," she retorts, standing up and pulling me to my feet.
"Well, look at that. We both made progress."
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