Timeline: Post-Chosen (BtVS)/Home (AtS)
Beta: the awesome Xionin.
Author's Note: This is the first story I ever wrote, I'm re-editing it and decided to post it here, because the other archives I visit only allow Spuffy stories. Written for Brandil as her gift on the btvscupid LJ community.
Feedback: I'd love some, thanks!
Spoilers: I've onlyseen a few episodes of season 4 of AtS, so I had to improvise with that. And if you still haven't seen 'Chosen', well, really, what are you waiting for?
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Faith nursed a beer while she sat at a bar near the Wolfram & Hart LA Headquarters. She had a lot in her mind and needed to figure out exactly what she was going to do about her feelings towards a certain demon hunter named Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, who had crawled quite unexpectedly into her heart.
When she'd first met Wes, she had thought he was by far the dorkiest guy that had ever crossed her path. He'd been sent by the Council to be her watcher, but how could they expect her to respect and obey him with him looking like that? Hell, most of the time she didn't even acknowledge his existence, he was so dull. All he ever inspired in her back then was pity, but he had changed quite a lot in the last few years. Now he definitely wasn't a wimp anymore. He was a man that could hold his own against anything that threatened to harm him or the ones he held dear and she had learned to respect him. He was loyal, kind and, above all, he treated her like a lady. Never before had anyone treated her like that and that's what made him different. The only problem was that he treated every other woman that crossed his path the same way, so she was right back at square one.
They'd been working side by side for a while now. She'd joined the LA team almost immediately after the destruction of Sunnydale. When the gang decided to visit Angel in LA, before leaving for Europe, she'd decided to stay there; especially since her 'relationship' with Robin Wood had died almost at the same time Sunnydale had been destroyed. Robin had decided to go with Buffy, Giles and the rest of the Scoobies to restore what was left of the Watchers' Council. And as long as she was being truthful to herself, Faith had to admit that Wes had greatly influenced her decision to stay.
She'd begun noticing the changes Wesley had gone through when he'd helped her escape from jail and all throughout their Angelus' pursuit last year. But now that they'd been working together and she'd been given the chance to really get to know him, she just knew he could very well be the man that she'd love to spend her life with.
She had to find out somehow if he could ever see her as something more than a friend. Had he even noticed how much she'd changed ever since their first meeting in Sunnydale? He was always friendly towards her, but he'd never shown any interest or desire to take their relationship any further. And further was definitely what she wanted, and Faith had always gotten what she wanted when she wanted it. So why was she so hesitant about this now?
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Back at her apartment, Faith continued thinking about her little problem. The way she saw it, she had two options: she could find out if Wes liked her and if he did, act on it, or she could forget about the whole thing and move on. Since she had no idea how to find out about Wes' feelings, and in fact was scared to know, the second option was beginning to look better and better.
But she had never backed away from a challenge in her life and, after all that they've been through together, that's exactly what Wes was: a challenge. She was a pretty darn good looking woman, the kind almost no man could say no to. If she put her heart and soul into it, Wes probably wouldn't be able to resist her charms.
So now, step one, how could she find out what Wesley Wyndham-Pryce thought of her?
"Maybe I'll ask Fred tomorrow, see if she can tell me anything about him."
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"Umm, Fred? Hey…uhhhh…how you doin'?"
"Faith! Hi, I'm...fine and you?"
"Oh, you know… five by five. Umm, look...I know we haven't been real close in the time I've been here, but I was wondering...I mean...I heard through the grape vine that you and, uh, Wes were or are involved...you know...with each other?"
"Me and Wesley?" Fred smiled warmly. "No, not at all. We're just good friends."
"Do you know if he's...ummm...involved with anyone?"
"No, he isn't, not since Lilah..."
"Lilah? Evil, law babe Lilah? i That /i Lilah?"
"Yes. Why? Did you knew her?"
"Yeah, she hired me a while back to, um, kill Angel. Wait, what do you mean knew? What happened to her?"
Fred just looked at her, completely flabbergasted. "Wait just a minute, you tried to kill Angel?"
"Yeah, but that was a long time ago and sometime, when we have a little more time, maybe I'll tell you all about it if you like. Now please tell me what happened to her."
"She was...killed."
"Wow...how?"
"Um. Cordelia...kind of...well, she was possessed, and..."
"Cordelia? The cheerleader?" Fred nodded. "Well, I'll be damned."
"Wesley took it pretty hard, I think. Even though they didn't have...the best...of...relationships."
"And now he's is all alone? No girlfriend in the horizon or anything? Do you know if he has his eye on anyone?"
"Why are you asking me all of these questions, Faith? We've hardly ever spoken to one another before and now you keep asking about... Oh my God! You like him, don't you? That's why you want to know all these things about him. Does he like you? Are you dating? When did this happen?"
"Wait a minute there, Fred, breathe. Yeah, I like him. I like him a lot, in fact, I don't think I've ever dug anyone as much as I dig him, but I don't know if he likes me or if there's even a remote chance that he ever would. That's why I came looking for you. Look, I've never been one to ask favors, least of all from another girl, so can you help me?"
"Of course, I'll help you, what do you want to know?"
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After Fred filled her on all she knew about Wes, Faith felt a little better about the whole thing. At least she had one thing in her favor, he liked brunettes and she was one, so that gave her a little hope.
Now to the second part of her plan, the most difficult part: getting Wes to agree to go out on a date with her.
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"Hey, Wes, do you wanna go grab a beer? Wes, as long as we are near that restaurant would you like to grab a bite?" Faith muttered under her breath, trying to gather her courage to ask Wes out. "Hey cutie, would you like to ravage me?"
"Who are you talking to?" Someone asked from behind her. She slowly turned around only to find the object of her affections standing right there. Had he heard any of her ramblings?
"N-no one." 'Great going Faith!' she almost rolled her eyes at herself.
"I thought I heard you say my name."
"Umm, well, you know, umm..." 'Come on Faith, you can do this. Take the bull by the horns, this is a golden opportunity, seize the day and all that crap.' "Oh, it's just that… I was wondering if you'd like to...umm, you know..." 'Since when are you this tongue tied, Faith?' her inner self wondered.
"No, I most certainly don't know. What do you want to ask me? You're beginning to concern me."
"No, everything's cool. It's just that I kinda wanted to ask you togooutonadatewithme," she said.
"To go out on a...what?"
"On a date...with me", she repeated blushing. 'Oh my god to what has this man reduced me to? It's been years since I blushed, in fact, did I ever blush? And who does he think he is by not answering me faster, I need an answer now, dammit, at this rate I'll probably be dead by the time he finally decides.'
"What sort of, er, date? A date date or a friendly sort of date?" He asked, looking more than a little surprised.
"I was hoping for a date date, but if you're not interested..." she drawled.
"No! I mean… I-I'd love to go out on a date with you, er, Faith. Where would you...like to go?"
"Where?"
"Yes, where are we going?"
"Oh, uhhh, I hadn't really gotten that far in the...planning...thing."
"Right, well...do you want me to make reservations or something?"
"Reservations are cool, you can do that. When are we doing this? Tonight?" She tried to conceal the hopefulness she was feeling.
"Tonight suits me. I'll pick you up at your apartment at seven, dress nicely." He replied.
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Wes was completely stunned; he still couldn't believe a girl like Faith wanted to go on a date with him. What's more, that she had been the one who asked him out and did Faith blush?
He would have never imagined that Faith, the rogue slayer, could blush; least of all because of him.
Lately he'd been thinking a lot about her. He'd been noticing how much she had changed in the few months that they've been working together, but he had thought she was completely out of his league. Now he was beginning to realize that he might have a chance with her after all.
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Faith was so nervous about her 'date', that she'd changed about twenty times, only to finally settle on a long leather skirt, a sheer red blouse, with a black top underneath and a pair of knee-high black boots; and that was only after Fred had all but lost patience with her.
It was strange having a girl friend. She'd never cared much for those, but Fred was so different from any other girl she'd known. She was loving and trusted everyone implicitly; giving them the benefit of the doubt in every situation. Faith respected her for that and for being able to see past her reputation, but especially for the help she'd given her regarding Wes. Without Fred, she was sure she would have messed things up by now, as her track record showed. But now she had hope; if Fred could see some worth in her, despite her rocky past, maybe Wes could too. And if she was really lucky, maybe he'd even return the deeper feelings she was beginning to experience for him.
Love is really a funny thing. She couldn't remember a time when she'd felt like this. Had she ever? Maybe not. To love someone requires trust, and she'd never trusted anyone until Angel believed in her and helped her back onto the right path. It was amazing how a bit of kindness could change a person so drastically; even restoring their long lost faith in humanity.
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At seven sharp, Wes stood outside Faith's apartment knocking the door. He had made reservations at a cozy Guatemalan restaurant located in the outskirts of Los Angeles. He was sure she'd like the place, it was nice without being pretentious and the food was great.
When she opened the door, he was left completely speechless. She looked astonishingly beautiful. Her dark hair fell in cascades over her shoulders; the red of her shirt complementing her dark complexion. He'd always thought her to be a very pretty girl, but tonight she glowed. There was an inner light that shone in her eyes; one that seemed to be emanating directly from her soul.
Faith was a bit stunned herself. Wesley looked very handsome. He was wearing crisp beige pants, a blue shirt that brought out his eyes wonderfully and a brown suede jacket that looked as soft as cotton.
And he was looking at her as if he'd never seen her before. At first it made her uneasy, but then she realized she was having the same affect on him that he was having on her.
"Hey," she said, her usual brash tone softened by the moment. "Come on in. You look, um, nice."
That seemed to finally bring Wes out of his stupor.
"Ah, ummm, thank you, er, Faith," he stammered. "You, er, l-look rather...well...you look...lovely. Are you, um, all set?"
"Yeah, I'm ready." Faith stepped outside and closed the door behind her. "Where are we going?" Wesley led her in front of him as they made their way into the night.
"It's... a surprise, but I'm sure you'll like it."
"A surprise, huh? Alright, let's go. I love surprises." She grinned.
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During the forty minute ride to the restaurant, they talked about a lot of things. Faith was amazed at how easy it was for her to confide in Wes. She instinctively knew she could tell him anything and everything about her past, and that he wouldn't judge her. He seemed to trust her as well. He shared a few stories of his childhood; mostly about his father and how hard it had been for him to live up to his expectations.
Finally, they arrived at the restaurant. Wes, ever the gentleman, opened her door for her and helped her out of the car. When they were shown to their table, he held her chair so she could sit down. Faith felt like she was floating on Cloud Nine. Never before had anyone treated her that way. Things were certainly off to a great start.
When the waiter gave them the menus, however, Wes ordered a bottle of red wine with a name she didn't recognize. As Faith began trying to read the menu, she became uncomfortable. The entire thing was written in Spanish! She debated whether or not she should risk making a fool of herself by attempting to order something that she wouldn't like, or admit to her date that she didn't understand a word of Spanish and ask him to order for her.
"Have you decided?" Wes asked, peering over at her. He had noticed her discomfort and imagined it may have something to do with the menu.
"Umm, I was thinking… I've never heard of any of the foods listed here. See...I'm more of a cheeseburger and fries kinda gal. Not big on the sophisticated chow."
"Nonsense, you're very sophisticated, Faith; and adventurous. I think you'd surprise even yourself, if you opened your mind a bit."
"Me? Sophisticated? Hardly. Adventurous? Hell, yeah!" She smiled widely, "So...do you think you could order something for me? Take my taste buds for a spin?"
"Of course, do you have any preferences or would you like me to surprise you?"
"Surprise me, after all I'm adventurous gal tonight. And the closest I've come to this kind of stuff is Taco Bell." She laughed, completely forgetting all about her recent uneasiness. Wesley found her quite charming and laughed along with her.
"Do you like the restaurant?" Wes asked after placing their order.
Faith took a moment to look around. It was filled with various paintings depicting beautiful landscapes and Mayan natives. Authentic pottery and tropical plants complemented the setting, giving the establishment a warm ambience.
"Yeah, I do. It's very classy, but not too uptight." Wesley smiled, pleased with his choice of location. "Where are those pots and paintings from?"
"Oh, well, they are from Guatemala, actually. It's a little country just South of Mexico."
"Have you ever been there?"
"Yes, I went during the sabbatical year I took, just before joining the Council. It's a very beautiful country. The people are very friendly and the food is delicious."
"Well, I'll give it a try first and then I'll see if I agree with you!" she said looking at him coyly through her long lashes.
"Faith..." Wesley nervously toyed with the edge of his napkin. "I wanted to ask you something." He raised his eyes to hers. "I have been a bit curious over this sudden decision of asking me out... socially."
"Oh...umm, I just… oh, look here comes our food, it really looks great, doesn't it?" 'Saved by the bell Faithy, but what are you gonna do when he asks again?'
"Yes, it looks wonderful. Muchas gracias," he said to the waiter.
"You speak Spanish?"
"Yes, I do, but you never answered my question, Faith."
"What question?" She avoided his stare and picked at the stuffed pastry appetizers.
"Faith, please. All kidding aside, why did you ask me out?"
"Okay." She put down her fork and looked him directly in the eye. "You wanna know why?" He nodded. 'Breathe, Faith, you can do this.' "Because I like you, that's why." She waited for his response with baited breath, but he was silent. "Why...did you accept?" Wesley gazed at her for a few moments, but answered when she began to squirm.
"Because I like you, too." He smiled. "Why else?"
"You do? Really?" 'He likes me? He likes me. He likes me!'
"Do I look like the kind of man that would say something like that if I didn't mean it?"
"Umm, no?" Faith was between feeling mild shock and great relief.
"Good answer." And with that he pulled her from her chair into his lap and gave her the most amazing kiss of her life.
'God, I can't believe this is happening to me, am I dreaming? Man, his lips are so soft. Please, God, don't let me be dreaming!'
She had her arms around his neck and pinched one of them just to be sure.
'Ouch, that hurt! I'm not dreaming, this is really happening!'
He kept kissing her, until breathing became an issue. Afterwards they stayed there hugging and kissing within their own little world. Even the waiter, returning with their entrees, didn't break the spell.
They didn't know what the future would bring, but one thing was for sure: this was a new beginning from them, a fresh start from where they would face whatever the futuremightthrow their waytogether and for now that was enough.
The End