Music In Our Hearts
AN: Okay, so I know Buffy the musical has been done before, so this isn't exactly an original idea, but I wanted to do a Musical of Buffy without the cheesy songs from "Once More... With Feeling". All songs used in this story will be accredited to the artist or group who does the song in a note at the end of the chapter they're located in. I'll be using music from groups like Maroon 5, Train, and others. If you have any requests for a song or any song from a particular group or artist, tell me the song or artist, or both in a review. If I don't know the song, I'll just look it up online. Please note that not all song submissions will be accepted. I'd prefer not to use songs with too much vulgarity in them unless such vulgarity serves an actual purpose, such as in an Eminem rap. I prefer to use songs with actual meaning behind them, though a few "party songs" will more than likely be used.
Summary: Buffy and Faith have been dating for a while now, but keeping it to themselves. Now they're going through a bit of a hard time in their relationship, and what's more, they have a demon to kill. Not Sweet, he's not involved, people.
Chapter 1: Used To
Buffy looked into Faith's eyes, hurt. Both of them were in tears. They'd been constantly fighting for weeks now, and had no idea why they just couldn't stop. They fought over stupid things, things that should never have bothered them nearly as much as they did. Things like Buffy's refusal to wear leather and Faith's obsession with it. Some things were somewhat natural, things that pretty much every couple at least argues about a little, like how to spice up their sex life. Faith kept wanting to take it public, in more ways than one. Not only did she want to try having sex somewhere public, where the fear of getting caught would heat things up, but she also wanted to tell everyone they were together. As in, together together. Faith was out of the closet. Everyone knew she was gay. It was actually her coming out that gave Willow the courage to give the same announcement, only as it related to Willow herself.
Buffy, however, still wasn't ready to be known as a lesbian yet. Faith didn't think Buffy would ever be ready. They'd been dating ever since Faith almost staked Deputy Mayor Finch, and Buffy managed to stop her by tackling her to the ground just before the stake penetrated him. Well, they started dating the next day, anyway, after a night of heated passionate love-making during which they finally confessed their feelings to each other. It was almost half a decade later, and Faith had even proposed, but Buffy had refused thus far to accept, though she hadn't rejected Faith, either. But accepting would mean that she'd half to tell everyone she was gay, and dating Faith, and now engaged to Faith. Way too many bombshells to drop, and Buffy wasn't even ready to drop the first one yet.
It was actually these bombshells that had prompted this particular fight.
Two hours earlier...
"My god, Faith... That had to have been the best yet..." Buffy gasped as she turned over to look into Faith's eyes.
"Yeah, I have to agree." Faith said, short of breath. "I don't think we've ever made up that well before."
Buffy smiled and kissed Faith. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. But I really think we should take it easy for a while."
"What?" Faith asked, somewhat worried. "Are you... breaking up with me? Right after-"
"No! Oh, god no! I just mean that with us spending nearly every waking hour together, the gang is starting to get a little suspicious. That's all."
"Oh. I see." Faith said. And again, Faith was angry. It seemed like that's all hey had between them now. When they weren't "making up" from a fight, they were fighting again. And not just so they could "make up". They actually fought. That's all they had for each other anymore, anger. That's not to say they weren't still in love, but it was no longer clear which emotion was stronger in their relationship.
"What?" Buffy asked, sighing.
"I didn't say anything."
"Yes you did. You said 'Oh. I see.' You sounded angry."
"Did I? And what, am I not allowed to say that anymore?"
"Okay, what is with you? These past couple of weeks, you do nothing but get mad at me. Granted, the make-up sex is... fucking amazing, but... Are you fighting with me just so we can make up? Because if so, I'd kind of like to be filled in on your evil, yet very sexy plan."
"No. I'm not arguing just to make up, B. In fact, I'm not arguing at all."
Buffy sat up, covering her breasts with the blanket. If she didn't cover up, Faith would end up staring at her chest, and they'd end up having sex again, and the conversation would be forgotten.
"Faith. For God's sake, what the Hell is wrong now?"
Faith sat up as well, not bothering to cover up. "Now?! It's the same damn thing that's been wrong for damn near five years now!" Faith was yelling now.
"What might that be?" Buffy asked through gritted teeth, trying not to yell.
"Un-fucking-believeable. You don't even know. You're ashamed of us!"
"What?! I am not!" Now Buffy was yelling back.
"You are too! You still won't tell the 'gang' that we're together! You can't even admit to your family and friends that you're gay, and that you're in love with me! I'm the only one making any effort!"
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"I'm doing my best to keep us a secret, even though I'm all for telling the whole world! I have to lie to everyone when they ask why I'm not seeing anyone, or even just out fucking around! I have to avoid questions like you wouldn't believe! I do my best to make this thing work between us, I try to meet you halfway on everything, and I go all the way when you refuse! I finally got you to loosen up a bit in public, but having a little sex now and then in that filthy bathroom at the Bronze isn't exactly what I was hoping for, but I compromised! I went back and finished High School for you, went to every class, got my diploma and got into U.C. Sunnydale so we could be together there! College was your dream, not mine, but I went anyway! I gave up my fake IDs and drinking until I turned 21, and I proposed to you!"
"Okay, how was you proposing my idea?!"
"Marriage, just like college, was YOUR dream! I never once, even before I realized I was gay, wanted to get married to anyone! But I proposed because I thought you wanted it."
The fight continued for an hour and a half, during which, both women got dressed while continuing to argue, and ended up in the front room of the apartment they were renting together.
They had just spent the last half an hour sitting on the counch in dead silence, unable to look at each other.
"Buffy-" Faith began to apologize, but it was too late for apologies, Buffy held up her hand to silence Faith.
Then, Buffy felt a familiar urge. She couldn't place it. It wasn't the urge to slay, or to have sex. It was something else entirely. She opened her mouth tosay something, but whatever it was supposed to be was lost as she burst into song, surprizing her and Faith.
"You used to talk to me like I was the only one around. You used to lean on me... The only other choice was falling down. You used to walk with me like we had nowhere we needed to go. Nice and slow, to no place in particular.
"We used to have this figured out. We used to breathe without a doubt. When nights were clear, you were the first star that I'd see. We used to have this under control. We never thought... we used to know. At least there's you and at least there's me. Can we get this back? Can we get this back... to how it used to be?"
Faith joined in and Buffy went silent as the raven-haired Slayer sang. "I used to reach for you when I got lost along the way. I used to listen... you always had the 'just right' thing to say. I used to follow you. Never really cared where we would go. Fast or slow, to anywhere at all.
"We used to have this figured out. We used to breathe without a doubt. When nights were clear, you were the first star that I'd see. We used to have this under control. We never thought... we used to know. At least there's you and at least there's me. Can we get this back? Can we get this back... to how it used to be?"
Buffy stood, too, and the two of them sang together.
"I look around me and I want you to be there. 'Cause I miss the things that we shared. Look around you. It's empty and you're sad. 'Cause you miss the love that we had."
Buffy backed off again and Faith sang on her own.
"You used to talk to me like I was the only one around... We used to have this figured out. We used to breathe without a doubt. When nights were clear, you were the first star that I'd see. We used to have this under control. We never thought... we used to know. At least there's you and at least there's me. Can we get this back? Can we get this back... to how it used to be?"
Both of them were breathless now, unable to figure out what just happened. They thought back to the last time it happened and came to the same conclusion. They forgot all about the anger they had been feeling only moments ago in order to focus on their job, something they'd become quite good at recently.
Three hours later, the gang had all gathered at Buffy's request.
"What's up, Buffy?" Tara asked.
"I sang."
"We." Faith coughed, earning a glare from Buffy.
"Um... Okay? So, the Bronze is installing a Karaoke Night?" Willow asked.
"No! I... That is, we, meaning Faith and I... we sang a song together. It wasn't planned or anything... It just happened. In our apartment. We were arguing, then we just... started singing."
"Intriguing." Giles said. "Does this mean that the Lord of the Dance is back?"
"Oh boy." Anya sighed. "Because he was just a treat last time."
"You know, I don't think we've ever faced the same threat twice." Buffy said, and everyone else agreed. Suddenly, they all turned to Xander.
"What?" He asked, and they all crossed their arms and looked at him accusingly. "Oh, so I make the mistake of summoning a demon that burns people by making them dance to death ONCE, and suddenly it's my fault he's back?"
"Yes." Buffy said bluntly, and they all, even Anya, agreed.
"Okay, fair enough. But it wasn't me!" Xander pleaded. Willow looked him in the eye, making him very uncomfortable, but he still didn't flinch.
"He's telling the truth." Willow sighed.
"Which means it was someone else." Giles conluded.
"I blame Faith." Buffy said.
"What? That's ridiculous!" Faith said.
"Why would Faith do it?" Xander asked, confused. "I mean it. Why? I'm not just asking to put you down, I really wanna know."
"It's just... something personal." Buffy said, avoiding the question.
Faith turned away in anger, then walked away, humming the tune of the song they sang together involuntarily.
"Buffy, whatever it is, you can tell us." Giles said. "If you told us, and it was Faith, and I'm not saying it is." He added loud enough for Faith to hear. "But if it was Faith, and she did the ritual of summoning to accomplish a goal, such as getting you to tell us something she thinks we should know, then the spell might be broken, and things can go back to normal before we all burst into song."
"Look, it wasn't me, okay. B, I'm not gonna force you to tell them through a spell. Yeah, I wish you'd tell them, and soon, but I'm not going to make you tell through some spell." Faith said, turning back to Buffy.
Buffy looked Faith in the eye and nodded, seeing the truth in her eyes.
"Well, then that's two off the list." Giles sighed.
"Well, it sure wasn't me." Tara said. "I'm happy the way things are. I don't need anything to change."
Buffy looked at Faith as if to say "There's another reason we shouldn't tell." Faith understood the look, and threw her hands up in surrender.
"Yeah, I agree." Anya said. "I've got my man. I get multiple orgasms every night. I'm perfectly happy." Anya smiled at Xander, as if offering a huge compliment, though he just blushed.
"Yeah, I don't think they want to know."
"I didn't summon him, either. Mainly because, well, hello, spontaneous combustion. Not a big fan of it." Willow said, and Giles nodded.
"Well, that clears everyone but myself and Buffy." The Watcher said, cleaning his glasses.
"And Dawn." Buffy said, and her eyes grew wide. "Oh my god. Dawn would totally do it if she thought a boy liked her, and she wanted to find out if she was right!"
"Buffy, need I remind you that the last time this demon was summoned, Dawn was nearly taken to Hell to marry this demon? I doubt that would make her eager to summon him again." Giles said, and Buffy nodded.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. So I guess that leaves you and me, Giles. Can I just be the first to call not it?"
"Well... I doubt any of us would have much of anything to gain by summoning him. I also was not the one to summon him. Which means it was someone outside this small circle." Giles sighed, continuing the cleaning on his glasses.
"Wait!" Anya said. "I should have the amulet locked up! It may not be the Lord of the Dance!" The ex-demonness hurried off and checked for the amulet, returning with it. "Right where I put it. It's not him."
"Then who is it?" Tara asked, reflecting the question on everyone else's mind.
The song used in this chapter is "Used To" by Daughtry, one of my all-time favorite groups.