Mistletoe Makeup
By DragonWriter17
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All of the materials borrowed from Buffy the Vampire Slayer belong to Joss Whedon and to the entities and companies associated with their creation. I have borrowed them for creative and entertainment purposes only. No compensation has been or ever shall be received for the writing below. No copyright infringement is intended.
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Feedback: Yes, but only if it's of the non-flamey variety: DragonWriter17
Distribution: (If you are interested in posting my story on your site, please contact me first for permission.)
Spoilers: BtVS Season 3, particularly "Revelations" and "Amends."
Pairings: Buffy/Faith
Author's Notes: (1) I've wanted to do a holiday-oriented story for some time now, and I finally got around to it. I know I should be working on "Follow Your Heart" (and I have been, I promise), but I just couldn't get this little one-shot story out of my mind. (2) This story makes some significant changes from canon BTVS. First of all, it assumes that Buffy and Faith began feeling attracted to each other very early on but never acted on it. At the homecoming dance, they had a very kiss-worthy moment but didn't actually kiss. During "Band Candy," both Faith and Buffy struggled individually and secretly with their attraction dilemma, wondering what to do about it. They seemed to be well on their way to bonding when Buffy's hiding of Angel, along with fake watcher Gwendolyn Post's emotional manipulation of Faith, tore the two slayers apart. After the events of "Revelations," Faith kept her distance until the events of this story, which are set in a revised "Amends." Secondly, and most importantly, this story completely removes the Haunting-of-Angel-by-the-First plot line of "Amends." In fact, Angel is not even in this story; he's just referenced for background. (3) Thanks, as always, to Lilly for the beta read and edit! I would also like to thank the BuffyWorld web site, where I obtained the "Amends" shooting script that was used in portions of the story.
Number of Chapters: 1 (it's a one-shot)
Complete: Yes
Story Summary: This story rewrites the Christmas Eve night at the Summers home from "Amends." Since the Haunting of Angel never happened, the two slayers get to enjoy the entire night uninterrupted as well as the miraculous snow day that follows.
Buffy, Willow, and Xander were sitting in the lounge area of Sunnydale High School, discussing the personal fallout that was still going on since the disastrous visit of the heartbroken Spike. At the moment, Buffy was relating an incident from the previous night when she'd crossed paths with Angel.
"Was that the first time you'd seen him since you broke up?" Willow asked gently.
"Yes, and it's just so aggravating," Buffy replied. "I'm trying to do the right thing, stay away from him, get over it, and then... boom. There he is."
"What happened?" Willow prompted.
"We just both went into super-awkward mode," Buffy explained. " 'Hey, how you doing? Good. You? Okay, bye.' Grrrr. I just want a nice quiet Christmas vacation."
"So, you doing anything special?" Xander asked.
Buffy shook her head. "Tree. Nog. Roast beast. Just me and Mom, and hopefully an excess of gifts." She turned to Willow. "What are you doing for Christmas?"
"Being Jewish," Willow reminded her friends. "Remember, people? Not everyone worshipping Santa here."
"Sorry," Buffy said with a smile. "For vacation, I mean."
"Nothing fun," Willow replied. "Oz and I had planned...but I guess that's off."
"Well, I'll be enjoying my annual Christmas Eve camp-out," Xander said. "I take my sleeping bag outside, go to sleep on the grass.
"That sounds fun," Buffy noted.
"Yeah, I like to look at the stars, feel the whole nature vibe," he explained. "Plus, I get to avoid my family's drunken fighting. It's a classic. Like Charlie Brown and his sad little Christmas tree."
Buffy sighed and tried to think positively. "Hopefully, Mom and I will have better luck than Charlie Brown when we hit the Christmas tree lot tonight."
Later that night, Joyce and Buffy strolled among artificial-snow-covered Christmas trees as the salesmen busily coated another.
"Oooo!" Joyce said, gesturing at one of the white-tipped trees. "Do you want to get one with snow on it? That'd be very Christmassy."
"I think those are just for display," Buffy replied.
"Oh," Joyce said, disappointed. Then she linked her arm with Buffy's as they continued to walk through the rows of trees. "You know, honey. I was thinking—maybe we should invite Faith to spend Christmas Eve with us."
"I don't know, Mom," Buffy said uneasily. "Faith and I don't really hang out, or talk, or make eye contact lately."
"Well, now, honey, you're both slayers, and she doesn't have any family here. Do you really want to let her spend Christmas Eve all by herself in that dingy little motel room?"
Buffy gave her mother a rueful grin. "You're still number one with a guilt trip, Mom."
Joyce grinned back, knowing she'd hit her target. "I try."
"I'll ask her," Buffy said. "Worst she can do is—well, the worst she can do is serious bodily harm, but she'll probably just say no."
Joyce patted her daughter's cheek. "You're a good girl."
"Hey, what about Giles?" Buffy suggested. "He doesn't have family here."
"No!" Joyce answered way too fast. "I'm sure he's fine."
"Well, I could ask—"
Joyce interrupted with a wave of dismissal. "He doesn't want to spend Christmas Eve with a bunch of girls," she said before quickly adding, "Let's split up."
Buffy grinned as she watched her mother scurry off. She didn't know exactly what had gone on with Giles and her mother during their recent 'band candy' incident, but she figured it was something fairly mortifying. "Gotcha, Mom," she whispered to herself. "I can dish the guilt, too."
Later that same night, Faith was in her motel room, trying to shake some life into her pathetic excuse for a TV.
"Come on...don't die on me now..." she growled as she heard a knock at her door. "Yeah?!" she called out in annoyance without getting up from her crouched position.
Buffy opened the door and came in tentatively.
"Hey, how's it going?" Faith greeted, giving Buffy only a cursory glance before returning to her TV banging. "Work, dammit!"
"Hey," Buffy said as she stepped further inside. She glanced around the dingy room, noting the lone string of lights above the door.
Faith gave up on the TV, turned off the set, and straightened up. She tried to act casual but was clearly being a bit cool toward Buffy. "What's going on?" she asked. "Scary monsters?"
"Nope. I just...well, we're having Christmas Eve dinner at my place, and if you didn't have plans..."
Faith gave Buffy a knowing grin. "Your mom sent you down, huh?"
"No!" Buffy instantly denied. "I just thought, if you were bored—not that it's gonna be wild fun at our house, but—"
"Well, thanks," Faith said, "but I got plans. There's a big party I been invited to, it should be a blast."
Faith was obviously lying, but Buffy politely played along. "Oh, good. Cool. You know, but, if you change your mind..."
"It's nice of you, thanks. But I got that big party that I been invited to."
Buffy nodded in acceptance before becoming silent for a long moment. Finally she said, "I like the lights."
Faith gave a light shrug. "Yeah, well, 'tis the season. Whatever that means."
It was Christmas Eve night at the Summers home. Buffy was decorating the tree as Joyce put another log on the fire.
"Oh, yes, nothing like a roaring fire to keep away the blistering heat," Buffy commented.
"Oh, come on, it's lovely," Joyce said. After second thoughts, she added, "Maybe I should turn on the air conditioning."
Buffy picked up another ornament but stopped mid-motion, becoming lost in her own thoughts.
"So, Angel's on top again?" said Joyce's voice behind her.
"What?" Buffy asked in a panic as she whipped around.
She found her mother holding up two ornaments meant for the top of the tree.
"Angel? Or star?" Joyce asked.
Relieved, Buffy said, "Oh. Star. Star."
"Are you okay, honey? You've got faraway face."
"I'm okay."
"Is it a slaying thing?"
Just then, the doorbell rang. Buffy and Joyce looked at each other, wondering who it could be. As Buffy went to answer the door, Joyce seemed to be rethinking the star and angel.
When Buffy opened the door, she found Faith outside, looking a bit nervous but smiling.
"Hey," Faith said in greeting.
"Hi," Buffy said in return.
"Looked like that whole party thing was gonna be kind of a drag," Faith said, fidgeting a bit. "And I didn't have anything...you know..."
"I'm glad you came," Buffy said, smiling warmly.
"Here," Faith said, handing over two small gifts, wrapped in newspaper. "That one's for your mom. They're pretty crappy."
Buffy took the gifts and waved Faith in. "Well, come in from the entire lack of cold."
As Faith came inside, Joyce joined the two slayers. "Faith, you made it!" Joyce said, genuinely pleased to see her. When Buffy handed over the presents, she gave Faith a grateful smile. "That is so thoughtful."
"They're crappy," Faith said, embarrassed at her meager offerings.
"Let me get mine, hold on," Buffy said before heading upstairs.
After ushering Faith into the living room, Joyce held up the ornaments in her hands. "Buffy prefers the star over the angel. What do you think, Faith?"
Smiling, Faith replied, "The star. Definitely. Here let me get that for you," she continued as she took the star from Joyce and placed it on the treetop.***
Hours later, long after Joyce had gone to bed, Buffy and Faith were still up, talking and watching a sappy TV movie, which Faith had been mercilessly mocking just to yank Buffy's chain. When the credits were finally rolling, Faith got to her feet and stretched.
"Thank God!" she teased. "If I'd known you were going to torture me with Christmas movies, I woulda stayed home."
"Oh, please," Buffy retorted. "You know you liked it. Don't think I didn't notice you wiping away a tear or two."
"That was ash in my eye, thank you very much," Faith replied, "from the bonfire your mother had going in the fireplace."
"Right. Ash in the eye."
Faith shot Buffy a fake scowl then headed into the dining room, where she'd laid the light jacket she'd worn on the way over. Inside the jacket were the two gifts she'd received that night: a set of throwing knives from Buffy and a bracelet from Joyce.
Once Faith had collected her jacket, Buffy met her near the French doors that led into the dining room. "Seriously, I'm really glad you came tonight."
Faith gave her a teasing grin. "I only came 'cause I knew it was your mom making you ask me."
"She didn't make me," Buffy protested. "I wanted to ask you, even before my mom mentioned it." She gave a small shrug. "I just didn't think you'd want to come. I figured you were still mad at me about the whole Angel thing."
"Oh, I was," Faith confirmed. "Still am a little." She looked down at the jacket in her hands. "It just...it hurt that you didn't trust me. I mean, we were totally clickin' before that, and then wham! Massive secret."
"I'm sorry," Buffy said sincerely. "I was in shock and scared. I mean, as freaky as life on the hellmouth can be, having my vampire ex—that I killed—come back from the dead...that pretty much takes the cake."
"I get it, I do. I just wish you'd told me. I could've helped." Faith started tugging her jacket on. "Plus, that fake watcher bitch wouldn't have been able to mess with my head. Well, not as much anyway."
Buffy gave Faith's arm a squeeze. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I wish I could make it up to you."
Faith's expression slid into a sly smirk. "Welllll," she drawled, "I think I might know of a way you could make it up to me."
Buffy's eyebrow went up in suspicion. "Oh, is that so?"
Faith grabbed Buffy's arms and guided her into a new position a few feet away, right in the center of the open French doors. Then she gazed up at the wooden frame above their heads, where a small cluster of mistletoe hung from a red ribbon.
Buffy's eyes widened. "Y-Y-You want me to kiss you?"
"Yeah, and not just a little cheek peck either. I want a real kiss."
"Faith..."
"Pucker up and pay up, B. Then I'll call us even."
Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed, resigned. "One kiss?" she said, asking for clarification.
"One kiss," Faith replied.
Buffy took a deep breath, then nervously leaned over. After a quick glance into Faith's eyes, she brought her lips against Faith's.
Instantly, they felt a surge of attraction explode between them. The 'one kiss' went deeper and longer than either of them expected. When they finally pulled apart, they stared at one another, flushed and panting.
When she'd regained her breath, Buffy asked, "So, are we even now?"
Faith reluctantly nodded. "Yeah, B. We're even."
"Good 'cause I want this one to be free and clear." Buffy drew Faith's face to hers and brought their mouths together for another searing kiss.
Faith eagerly returned it, running her hands over Buffy's bare shoulders and down her back, pulling her closer.
After the intense embrace, they once again pulled apart and breathlessly looked at one another.
Faith gave Buffy a big grin. "Damn, B, that was definitely worth the wait."
Buffy's forehead creased in curiosity. "The wait?"
"I been wantin' us to do that for a long time," Faith admitted.
"Really?" Buffy asked in surprise. "How long?"
"Probably since the day I met you."
"But...I thought you were all about the guys."
"I am," Faith confirmed. "Usually. You seem to be the exception." She gave Buffy a sexy wink.
Buffy ducked her head, blushing. When she looked back up, Faith tucked a stray strand of Buffy's hair back behind her ear and stroked her cheek.
"Seriously, B. Do you know how beautiful you are?"
As Buffy smiled, Faith leaned in and kissed her, this time slowly and thoroughly, savoring the taste and feel of her. Buffy responded in kind, letting her hands slip underneath Faith's jacket so that she'd be one layer closer to the slayer's skin. Faith cupped her left hand behind Buffy's head to deepen the kiss as she ran her right hand up and down Buffy's arm. When Buffy felt Faith brush her breast, she moaned into the kiss—and then suddenly stopped it.
"Whoa, whoa," she said, breathing hard. "Slow down...I need to...for just a minute..."
Buffy seemed nervous, so Faith asked, "Are you freakin' out?"
"A little, yeah," Buffy confessed.
Faith frowned and started to pull away, but Buffy stopped her.
"But not in a bad way," she reassured her, holding onto Faith's hands. "I think my brain is just finally catching up to what my body's been doing. I've never kissed another girl before."
"Me neither," Faith admitted.
Buffy shot her a disbelieving look. "No way!"
Faith nodded, affirming the truth of her admission.
"Well...you're like...really good at it."
Faith gave the blonde her own nod of approval. "You're pretty good yourself."
Buffy's expression lit up into a smile. "Really?"
"Definitely," Faith said, kissing Buffy again to prove it.
When the kiss ended, the two slayers smiled warmly at each other and moved into a lengthy, full-body hug, their hearts still beating madly.
"I could get used to this," Buffy whispered against Faith's shoulder.
"Me too."
Buffy sighed in contentment then pulled back to look into Faith's eyes. She touched Faith's cheek with her fingertips, smiling in wonder. Soon, though, her smile gave way to a look of worry, which Faith immediately noticed.
"What is it?" Faith asked softly, her stomach clenching in fear.
"I'm just wondering where this is going," Buffy replied. "I mean…what does it all mean?"
"Does it have to mean something?" Faith asked before putting on a playful smirk. "Can't it just be two hot chicks who happen to like making out with each other?"
"I guess," Buffy said uncertainly. But…I want it to mean something, she thought to herself as she looked deeply into Faith's eyes, willing her to understand.
It does mean something, B, Faith thought, almost as if she'd read Buffy's mind. I just can't tell you, she added while mentally kicking herself for her cowardice. She shot Buffy a big smile. "Let's just enjoy it, okay? Don't overthink it."
Buffy forced herself to smile back. "Okay."
Faith gave her a final kiss, then separated herself from Buffy's embrace and headed for the front door. When she opened it, a rush of cold air swept in. "Man, temp's really dropped. What's up with that?" She buttoned up her light jacket.
"Huh, that's weird," Buffy commented, rubbing her bare arms in the unexpected chill. She watched Faith move down the front steps. "See you tomorrow?" she asked with nervous hope in her voice.
Faith turned and met her eyes. "You bet," she promised.
The next morning while still on his camp-out, Xander awoke to find himself covered in snow due to a miraculous shift in the weather. As the snow continued to come down, he looked around in amazement at the layer of white blanketing everything. He immediately ran inside to call Willow, who in turn called Buffy, who in turn called Faith. Before long, the four Scoobies were at the park ready to play in the snow.
Buffy and Faith didn't embrace one another when they met up with Willow and Xander. Neither seemed ready to go public with what had happened between them. No matter how badly they wanted it, they both resisted the urge to hug and kiss. Faith dealt with the awkward moment by immediately announcing her intention to build a snowman. Buffy was just about to join her when Xander pelted her with a snowball.
She brushed the snow from her coat and gave Xander an incredulous look. "Really, Xander? Picking a snowball fight with a slayer? You must have a death wish."
Xander's laughing smile instantly fell away. "Uh oh," he said as Buffy started rolling a lethal snowball in her gloved hands. He took off with Buffy hot on his heels.
After pummeling Xander into snowy submission, Buffy headed back over to Faith. She heard Willow needle Xander about his loss in the snowball fight. Then she heard the redhead squeal as Xander starting chasing her so that he could pour snow down her back. Buffy laughed at her two friends and turned back to Faith.
"Your snowman's really shaping up," she commented. "I bet you got a lot of snow in Boston, huh?"
"Yeah, more than we wanted most of the time, but…I like the snow," Faith said, glancing wistfully at the landscape. "For a little while, everything just looks so…clean." She let out a heavy sigh and turned back to her snowman. "Never lasts, though. Just a matter of time before it turns black and slushy."
Picking up on the sadness in Faith's voice, Buffy wondered if there was more to her comment than just snow. She hoped it wasn't a sign of how Faith felt about what had happened between them.
Faith stopped what she was doing and came to stand beside Buffy as they looked out over the snow-covered park. They didn't speak for the longest time. Both were warring with themselves over what to say and how to say it. It was Faith who finally broke the silence.
"It meant something," she said without turning toward Buffy. "Last night. It meant something." She looked at the ground and shook her head. "I don't know why that's so damn hard to say."
Buffy turned to face her. "It meant something to me, too."
Faith lifted her head and met Buffy's eyes. They gazed longingly at each other for what seemed like minutes but must have been only seconds.
"We'll figure it out?" Faith said with a smile, posing the statement as a question.
Buffy smiled back and then reached out and took Faith's hand in hers. "Yeah, we'll figure it out."
Just then, Willow ran up and grabbed hold of Buffy, not even noticing that the two slayers had been holding hands or having an intense moment. "Buffy! Make Xander stop. He's cheating."
"No, I'm not," Xander said from a distance. "You're the one who went for the pants, Will!"
Faith gave Willow an evil grin. "Let me take care o' this for ya, Red." She whipped around to face Xander. "Time for Slayer Smackdown Part Two, Xan."
"Ohhhh noooo," Xander cried out in alarm before dashing away as fast as his feet could take him. He didn't get far before Faith caught him. Willow and Buffy looked on in amusement as Faith got sweet revenge on the redhead's behalf.
As Buffy watched Faith, she rested her hand over her heart, feeling it swell with warmth.
Then she turned to Willow. "You know how I've been struggling with the whole Getting-Over-Angel problem?" she asked her.
"Yeah," Willow answered.
"I think I may have found a solution."
"Oh really? What is it?" Willow inquired. Then she jokingly added, "Or who?"
At that, Buffy turned and cast a clearly lustful gaze directly at Faith, who was standing over a prone Xander, laughing and pointing at him.
Willow did a quadruple take in total disbelief. "What? When? Where? How?"
Buffy answered the questions in order. "A kiss. Last night. Under the mistletoe at my house. And very very well. Like, best mistletoe kiss EVER."
Faith looked over at Buffy talking to Willow. When she saw the redhead looking back and forth between the two slayers in complete shock, she laughed and shook her head. Things are about to get really interesting, she thought to herself.
Then she held her hand out to Xander and helped him to his feet. She linked her arm in his and started leading him back to where Buffy and Willow were. "Hey, Xan...wanna hear a news flash?"
As Faith started slowly walking toward Buffy, the two slayers met one another's gaze and smiled.
THE END.