Title: Three Nights In

Author: Pulpgeek

E-mail: pulpgeek@hotmail.com

Rating: Say PG-14 same as the show

Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to me. They belong to Joss Whedon and some suits. If they belonged to me someone might actually get a happy ending once and a while.

Category: F/X.

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Buffy's mom must never have let her have a Ken doll. That was the only possible explanation Xander could come up with for the glee that Buffy was taking in getting him all dressed up. He hadn't worn a tux since the high school prom and hadn't exactly been dying to put one on again. These monkey suits were not designed for comfort.

"Can I re-iterated my objection to this whole evening?"

"Objection noted and ignored. You're going out, like it or not."

"This smacks of culture Buff, I think me attending something deep is against the law."

"Only quasi-cultural. A rock-opera version of the ring cycle should be just right for you."

"I still think Willow and Tara would get more out of these tickets."

"Tara hates Wagner."

"Then why don't you go, take your Mom or Dawn along."

"Mom wouldn't have given the tickets to me if she was at all interested. Besides, going to the theatre is a couple type thing."

"Not to hurt my understanding friend status Buffy but I kind of get the feeling you have ulterior motives beyond just giving me a night out."

"Maybe a little, freshly dumped girl is never fun but the two of you living in denial is not helping. If I can't have any snuggling I at least want my friends to get some."

"I deny the denial. Faith and I"

"Say just friends' and prepare for pain."

"Would you believe good buddies?"

"Xander you two are going to go have a nice time together. End of discussion."

"Buffy"

"Don't make me do the puppy dog eye thing Xander. You know you can't resist me."

"You don't play at all fair Buffy."

"Yep, and I'm a no good heartbreaker to boot. Now go get Faith will you? The show starts in less then an hour."

"Lucky for you I'm totally Slayer-whipped."

"Get."

"It's my place Buffy, you first."

Xander locked up behind them and saw Buffy off, he loved the girl but since Riley had left her Buffy had become quite couple fixated. Willow and Tara were safe but as the single members of the group he and Faith had become targets. Not that he minded spending more social time with Faith but for them greasy spoons or the movies were normal hang-outs. Getting dressed up and going to the theatre just felt a little off. This was sounding very date like, no doubt Buffy's intention.

Putting those thoughts aside Xander banged on his friend's door.

"Time's a wasting Faith, you ready to go?"

"Just a sec. Let yourself in."

Faith was sitting on her couch looking far too tense and dressed in her normal outfit of curve hugging gear. At Xander's entrance she gave him an appreciative look.

"Not bad Xan, break out the old prom suit?"

"I thought we were getting dressed up for this Faith. What's with the jeans?"

"Bad enough Buffy has us set up for an evening of musical pain I have to be uncomfortable as well?"

"Not going to work Faith."

"Damn. This is what I get for opening up isn't it?"

"Yep."

"Sorry Xan, it's just that I'm looking at myself in the mirror and it hits me that I've seen this movie before and didn't like it the first time. One of those lame flicks where some girl puts on a nice dress and suddenly the idiot guy figures out she's hot and we're actually supposed to have sympathy for this numb brain who couldn't see what was in front of himwhat's with the pained look Xan?"

"."

"Xander?"

"Hit a bit close to home. Me at our senior Homecoming dance. Don't see what this has to do with us though. I've seen you at your fashion best and worst already, everything from tight leather to wet rags. Unless that dress is see-through I won't look at you any differently. It's not see-through is it?"

"You wish. It's just that Buffy is trying to push us into some stupid teen movie set up and it bugs the hell out of me. Is B that far out if it that she actually thinks this is a good idea?"

"Yes, and she's the most socially normal one of us. Scary isn't it?"

"Are you calling me abnormal?"

"You're favorite shirt reads Hot Psycho Chick'. What is that supposed to tell me?"

"It goes well with my eyes. I mean it Xan, does Buffy think that little of us? That all it takes is some crappy formal date and we'll suddenly be a happy couple or something? Like me putting on a fancy dress will fix everything."

Xander dropped down next to her and put an arm around his friend.

"Whatever else she may claim Buffy is a hopeless romantic. She still believes in fairy tale ending even after all she's been through. Maybe this is silly but she's worth humoring. Besides a rock and roll version of Gotterdammerung sounds kind of cool and there is no one else I'd rather spend this evening with."

"Yea, well it would be nice if everything were as simple as they are in B's empty blonde little head. A change of clothing and suddenly all the crap that is holding up back just disappears. I want to kiss you so bad."

The shift in direction was so swift Xander could do nothing but stare.

"I want to do the boyfriend-girlfriend thing with you Xander but we both know it would never work. An ugly meltdown would just be a matter of time. We keep to being pals and no one gets hurt."

"Nobody gets hurt but neither of us get what we want. That sucks Faith."

"I know it does Xan, but what else we going to do?"

"Why don't we pretend then? Put on the dress, we'll go to the show and make like being normal kids for an evening. Couldn't hurt to try right?"

"Only to humor B. For that I'll do it."

Faith flipped off the couch and headed for her bedroom. Almost as an afterthought she came back and mussed up Xander's hair. Not stopping to explain she just grinned at him and went to get dressed.

Resolving not to sound like the stereotypical guy Xander said nothing when twenty minutes had passed without Faith emerging. Tux's are not designed for sitting around in, he was beginning to itch. Thirty minutes until curtain and the theatre was a twenty minute drive. Now he was sounding like his father, kill me now.

When Faith did present herself she took his breath away. No simple change of outfit could have made Faith more beautiful to him but he was still taken aback. It was a very conservative dress, more like a gown actually, with a high neckline and loose folds. Simple blue satin combined with minimal make-up and pulled back hair. She looked more the virginal beauty waiting for her first date then the hellcat Xander had come to love. Just when you think you know a girl.

"Gawk latter. You can tell me how stunning I look on the way, right now we have to more or we'll miss the opening. Hike up that jaw and more your ass Xan."

Now that was more like it.

The opera didn't suck. That was more then Xander had expected so by the halfway point he was feeling pretty good. Faith looked to be enjoying herself, she'd stopped squirming in her seat within the first ten minutes. Final battles and the end of the gods made for good theatre. Replace the fat guys with a good looking and scantily clad cast plus put the whole thing to a pounding beat the result is highly enjoyabel. Xander kind of doubted that Wagner's original Nibelungen ended with a chorus line of half-naked Valkyries high kicking to what sounded like The Sex Pistols but it still made for a damn good evening's entertainment.

After the show they stopped by Miki's for some of that joint's unique Italian-Japanese hybrid grub. Faith had once claimed that food this weird could only exist on the Hellmouth, normal towns could not produce such blatantly bizarre creations. The katsudon alfredo was great though and since the place was open until three in the morning it had become one of their favorite eateries. The circumstances of this visit were a bit different but no awkwardness arose to spoil the meal. The easy banter and humor that characterized their relationship was still in place.

Everything had been going so smoothly that by the time they reached home Xander had completely forgot to be worried about something going wrong.

"Not bad for a first date wouldn't you say Faith?"

"This was a date?"

"Theatre and dinner. Sounds like a date to me, I even paid for the food."

"That's because I paid last time."

"Granted but it should still count."

"First date hmmnow that is weird."
"I thought it went rather well."

"Not tonight, well sort of. It just hit me that this was my first date. Ever."

"After some of the stories you've told me that sounds a little odd."

"I've done groping and banging but for actual get dressed up and going somewhere this is a first. Weird. Not half as lame as I would have thought."

Faith leaned against the wall next to her apartment lost in thought, a half smile on her face. Without warning she grabbed hold of Xander and pulled him close enough to feel her breath.

"I hate this."

"Sorry. What did I do this time?"

"Don't humor me Xander. I'm sick of living my life in a permanent holding pattern. When I first met you I couldn't have cared less, then I got to like you but couldn't go any further. Nownow I think I could go all the way if I let myself."

"Your making me nervous here Faith, why is that a bad thing?"

"You could hurt me Xander. I may be tough babe but I still have a heart and keeping it closed off is a lot safer for me. What I have with you is not something I want to risk."

"Ok, the list of stupid things I've done would fill volumes but you know I'd rip out my own lungs before I'd hurt you Faith."

"Great romantic imagery there Xan. It's not just me I'm worried about. I break things, it's what I do. The idea that I'll end up screwing over the one guy I care about is something I can't get past. I will hurt you Xander, it's just part of who I am."

"I'm tough. I'll take the hit and come back for more."

"Hell.."

Faith lightly pounded her head against his chest in mock rage.

"That's it. I give up. Take me now."

Xander pulled her head back and looked deep into those eyes. A little bit of fear, some longing and the determination that made her what she was. God but he wanted to kiss her. Instead he stroked her hair and waited for a sign. With a whisper she gave him one.

"Break my heart."

It was perhaps not the most passionate kiss on record, warm and safe over hot and wild. It was however probably the longest first kiss in history. Xander and Faith held on to each other for dear life, as if breaking the kiss would mean the end of everything. Neither wanted the feeling to end, that something missing was finally there.

When they at last did let go nothing was said for many a long minute. Just standing in the hallway, eyes locked on each other. In the end it was Faith who turned away first.

"You don't disappoint Xan."

"No so bad yourself Faith."

"Just so you know I'm going inside now. Alone. Don't give me that look, I'm willing to try being close but not that close. Not yet."

"You're more than worth waiting for Faith. I'm not going anywhere."

Faith looked back and gave him one of her more evil smiles.

"It's been almost three years since I did more then dance with a guy. I'm practically a born-again virgin. So when the time comes"

She moved in close, pressing every inch of her gorgeous body against him as Faith's hot breath whispered into his ear.

"you can pop my cherry."

Faith licked his earlobe and without another word was gone. It was a long time before Xander was able to move again but when he could it was with a light heart and a smile on his face.