Short-fic. Props and kudos go to Joss & Co.
Post-Chosen, not following Season 8 comics.
Written while writing my final chapter to Vacancy.
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Faith lay sprawled out on the grass, the crickets chirping incessantly off in the woods beyond. Her hands were behind her head, cushioning it as she stared up at the cloudy night sky, the sounds of Dawn smacking Andrew upside the head for stating that there is but one special way to create a s'more.
"You can be such an idiot sometimes, now give me back my stick!" Dawn grumbled to him.
"But you're burning it!" Andrew whined back, his voice conveying his distress at the disaster occurring before his very eyes.
"Ah, that is what you think! But what I'm really doing is..." Dawn's voice stopped suddenly and Faith heard her mumbled 'shit.'
"Ha! It fell into the fire! I told you!" Andrew exclaimed triumphantly.
Seriously, did he not know he was gay? Has he met himself?
"Hey there stranger, penny for your thoughts?" Faith felt a smile appear at the familiar voice.
"Gonna cost a lot more'an that, B." Faith replied with her gravelly voice.
They had come so far in the years since Sunnydale's implosion. Nights of beer pong, foosball, and dunking Andrew in the pool did that to them. For once, they finally were able to relax from the constant horrors they had always been fighting, and could be, well, normal. Faith had stayed with the group after they moved on from L.A. Not really knowing why, considering her past history of getting gone. Something made her stay, and it was almost seven years after the First was destroyed that Faith finally realized she had -somewhere along the line- fallen in love with the one woman she had once sworn to hate.
"How about if I make Andrew quiet for the rest of the night?" Buffy challenged, crouching next to Faith.
Faith considered that option for a moment, "Yunno the only way that'll happen is if you get Xander to prance out here in his bathing trunks. And he sure as hell ain't gonna do that for Meriwether over there."
Buffy chuckled softly, "Yeah I know. C'mon, I wanna show you something."
Faith groaned, she had finally gotten comfortable and sicced Dawn on Andrew over by the bonfire with the rest of the crew, stating that he would probably light everyone on fire if left unattended, just so she could get some time alone with herself -and to think about Buffy- when the glorious blonde herself makes her way over, requesting her presence for some reason or another. Faith knew by now that the older slayer could never understand why Faith danced so close to her, always teamed up to spar and patrol with her, and surprisingly stayed with her through every boyfriend and drunken night. The other woman was just so fucking...oblivious.
A hand grasping her own and tugging her upwards tore her from her thoughts, and Faith grumbled as she stumbled into a standing position, making a mental note to never drink Andrew's concoction of alcohol ever again.
Following Buffy's silhouette to the edge of the lake, Faith tripped slightly as her boot caught in a sunken section of the grass.
"Fuck, cant see shit out here..." Faith grumbled.
Seeing Buffy stop, Faith stopped, and quickly lifted her hands when the other woman turned and tossed something at her. Holding the oblong object, Faith felt the plastic casing. Smiling softly, remembering childhood memories of running through Boston in the summer, using this same object to guide her at night, Faith gripped the object and snapped it in the middle, shaking it slightly as the green glow appeared, lighting up her face.
"Shit, B, I haven't seen a glow stick in ages, whered ya get it?" Faith asked, entranced by the bright light, barely noticing the sound of Buffy snapping her own glow stick, making it light up.
"Found a case of them in some boxes Will shipped back to us a few months back."
It was then that Faith realized Buffy had come close, very close, actually. Lowering the stick to her side, Faith allowed more darkness to envelope them.
"B?" Faith asked, her face less than a foot from the blonde's. The close proximity was overpowering suddenly, and Faith didn't know what to do.
"Faith, I..." Buffy began, her hand lifting towards Faith's face.
"Glow sticks? Jealous!" Andrew hollered in their direction, and Faith watched as Buffy pulled away, a safe two feet suddenly put between them.
Turning towards Andrew and the group, Faith yelled, "Go find your own, Boba Fett!"
Looking back at Buffy, Faith knew the moment was broken. Over. But meeting her eyes, Faith got the feeling that something new had passed between them. She wasn't young, rebellious, and out of control anymore. Prison, and the rough years had changed her into a more methodical, reclusive, person. She blamed Angel and Giles, mostly. Their personalities, controlled darkness, rubbed off on her.
But still, she would always be Faith.
Feeling the cockiness unfurl within her, Faith allowed a grin to break out slowly on her face, Buffy had been about to do something that could have changed everything about their friendship. Maybe she wasn't so oblivious. Faith watched Buffy's fearful face, fear of what, exactly? Rejection? Who could? Not the original Chosen One. Embarrassment? Faith was too into her for that. Lifting the forgotten glow stick up, Faith tossed it back to Buffy.
Winking, Faith saw Buffy's expression relax and a flirty smile appeared on the blondes face. Oh, this will be fun to navigate.