Chapter Three - The Morning After The Wedding The Night Before
Dawn sat at the breakfast table, her eyes scanning the long foreign words in front of her but not absorbing them like she should have been. Her mind was on other things, despite knowing that she had to finish the assignment for school or Madame Jacques would go on one on another one of her infamous French rants.
Upstairs, she knew that Faith and Buffy were most likely laying in bed together, doing things that she shouldn't even have known about. It wasn't like she was upset, more surprised and annoyed that Buffy hadn't trusted her enough to tell her something life-changing like this. And it certainly seemed life-changing after the desperate proclamations of love that they'd uttered the night before at Xander and Anya's wedding. To Dawn's eyes, it seemed that Faith was going to up and leave, disappointed in Buffy for something, and then Buffy had announced that she was in love with the once evil Slayer; yeah, it was pretty big.
The taxi ride home had been…awkward. For the rest of the wedding, Faith and Buffy had disappeared, either talking or doing something more active….Dawn didn't really want to know. The rest of the Scoobies had avoided talking about it, uncomfortably talking about anything that didn't relate to what happened; the weather, the state of the economy, anything…
She waited for the pair to show their faces, whenever that might be. She'd need a ride to school with the incessant rain that was pouring down, making a soothing rhythm on the windows. It wasn't like she was grossed out or anything. Quite the opposite; she'd always considered herself pretty open minded and Willow's relationship with Tara and then Kennedy had made sure she kept that way. Maybe she just wished she could have seen what was going on between them….she was Buffy's sister after all.
Faith stood at the window, watching the rain pour down on the miserable day outside. She should have felt happy after everything that had happened last night. But she couldn't help thinking that Buffy was sacrificing too much for this relationship. Buffy had everything to lose, Faith had nothing apart from her.
She heard a creaking from the bed, and felt Buffy's presence behind, her warm hands rubbing her arm gently. Faith took Buffy's hand's placing them around her waist and they watched the street. "I feel like I shouldn't be here…" Faith mused. Everything seemed so normal, so perfect in that clichéd yet adorable way that Buffy did so well. "I don't deserve this. I don't deserve you." She felt Buffy stiffen at those words. But Faith was being honest, and maybe one day Buffy would see what she could see…
Buffy sighed, Faith had a streak of doubt about their relationship and probably always would; she thought that one day Buffy would find someone else and leave her. Buffy didn't know how to convince Faith that she wanted her around for a long time to come. Forever. "You've done things in the past…" Buffy said quietly, "But you've changed. I can see that, everyone can. You're a different person now Faith."
"I just feel like everything's going to come crashing down…" She said with a soft voice, watching a drop of rain slide its way down the window. Turning round to face Buffy, she looked deeply into those green eyes that she come to adore, "I can't live without you B. I just don't know why the hell you're with me….I don't know what you see when you look at me…"
Buffy pushed a strand of hair behind her lover's ear, Faith's face leaning into her hand, "I see everything." Faith smiled coyly, surprised but thrilled by the answer. "I see my life, my future. My everything." She said honestly; Faith wanted to know why she was with her, and so Buffy gave her answer.
Faith brought Buffy closer to her body, hugging her with an intensity that tried to convey her love; an intense passion that she couldn't articulate.
So instead of stumbling awkwardly over words that couldn't show Buffy what she meant, Faith let her actions do the talking.
Dawn heard an impatient knock on the door. She got up from her stool where she was reading her French textbook and trying to study, and walked towards the door opening it to see Anya Harris on her doorstep. Dawn leaned forward to give her friend a quick hug.
"Hey…" She said as she pulled away, "Thought you and the Xan-Man would be doing all sorts of gross stuff today…" Dawn said with a smile, leaning against the door to let Anya in.
"So did I." Anya replied, walking into the house and venturing towards the kitchen, Dawn following close behind, "But he got called into stupid work because of some stupid problems with the stupid plans for some stupid house…" She started ranting and Dawn put her hand on Anya's arm to control her.
"Woah…I get that it's stupid, OK?" She said, pouring Anya a glass of water. "What are you doing here though?" Anya frowned, "Not that I'm not glad you're here of course…" She added quickly.
"Xander was slightly preoccupied by the fact that Buffy and Faith were totally making out last night at our wedding…and all that fuss they caused after our first dance…." Anya mused and Dawn remained silent; sometimes it was just best to let Anya talk and talk….she'd probably do it even if no-one was around to listen, but Dawn needed a distraction.
"Do I feel my ears burning?" Buffy said, standing at the door and Dawn nodded a mediocre greeting. Buffy walked over to Anya who was sitting on the stool and gave her a brief hug, "What you doing here the morning after your big day?"
Anya was about to speak until Dawn interrupted, saving her sister Anya's rant "Something about plans!" Buffy quirked an eyebrow and Anya just nodded. "She came over here because she had nothing else to do…"
"Ditto." Buffy said, looking through the cupboards for some cereal. "The Principal said I could have the day off which I really-"
"So you and Faith are doing it, huh?" Anya interrupted.
Buffy smirked to herself and turned to face her sister and her friend, "Always count on Anya to totally bypass subtlety and go in for the kill." Anya shrugged with a small smile.
"You love her then?" Anya asked.
Buffy looked down at the ground; she was just about able to admit it to herself, and she wasn't sure if she could have a repeat performance of last night…"Yeah." She said impulsively, totally disregarding her earlier thought. "I do."
She saw Anya nod her head as though it was the most normal thing in the world and Buffy was pleased to see a small but definite smile on Dawn's face. Maybe her friends wouldn't be having the adverse reaction she'd expected, "I hope you didn't think we were stealing your thunder…"
Anya shook her head as she took an apple from the basket on the table, "Steal away. You took the attention away from Xander's spazz dancing. Definitely something I didn't want to see myself let alone anyone else…"
Faith heard laughs from the kitchen as she walked down the stairs of their rented house, pulling on a vest top. By the sounds of it, Anya was doing an impression of Xander's dancing that was hilarious from the volume of Dawn and Buffy's laughs. Faith bit her lip, wondering whether she should go in, most likely spoiling the moment when she heard Dawn's timid but almost hopeful voice;
"So that means Faith's your girlfriend?"
Buffy smiled brightly, pouring two glasses of orange juice, just recovering from Anya's impersonation. "Yeah…." Unbeknownst to them, Faith stood outside grinning from ear to ear at Buffy's answer. Inside the kitchen Dawn and Anya nodded in synchrony with dopey smiles on their faces. "What?"
"You are so the smitten kitten." Dawn said, making Faith more and more interested in the conversation progressing as she stood out in the hall.
"She's right…" Anya said making a break for the orange juice that Buffy held, and her hand then being slapped away with a mutter of "That's Faith's…" from Buffy. "You have that "I've just had sex with the person that I love" glow…" Anya said getting up from the table and pouring her own glass of juice. "Huh, you did just have sex with her didn't you?"
"An…" Dawn protested, "That's my sister…euch." She shivered and wrinkled her nose. "The stuff I know already will give me years of therapy and I don't need any more."
Buffy just smiled and then turned to Anya, trying to act unfazed and not worried about her answer, "So uh, Xander say anything to you about what happened yesterday?" Faith neared the door to listen easier, wanting to know whether the Scoobies were gonna try to kick her ass into next Wednesday. Not that they'd succeed of course.
Anya shrugged, "He didn't say much to me about it. Sorta fumed yesterday but I couldn't tell whether that was over you and Faith or whether it was 'cause his uncle was coming onto me." She took a sip of her drink, "Although he did get a call from Willow before he went to work."
Buffy straightened, eager to hear, unaware that her girlfriend, standing outside the door, was too. "And?"
"And he took the phone into the next room." She told Buffy, "But I don't think it was "Yeah, don't you think Faith and Buffy being in love is great?" if that's what you're wondering…." Anya added matter-of-factly, not noticing Buffy's face falling.
Faith chose that moment to walk into the kitchen, the room now equipped with a tense atmosphere that Faith wanted to dissipate but the main reason she entered was because she knew that Buffy must have been hurting with her friends reactions to their relationship...and she wanted to help her through it. If she could.
"Squirt. Anya." She greeted the other occupants. She moved subconsciously closer to Buffy who was standing at the fridge with a forlorn expression. "B? You OK?" She asked, wanting to reach out and touch her. Faith could tell that's what Buffy yearned to do, but held back her intentions.
Buffy nodded wordlessly, handing Faith her juice. She was just about out of the room when Faith turned round, stopping her. She placed her hands firmly on the side of Buffy's face, tilting her head upwards so she could look into those beautiful eyes. "It'll be OK." She whispered, knowing there was no need with Buff's sister and one of her closest friends in the room, but reverting to a gentle sound nonetheless. "I promise."
Buffy gained strength from Faith's words, nodding in her grip. Faith relinquished her hold, watching Buffy practically drag her body up the stairs, constantly looking at the ground.
Dawn looked over to Faith; she saw the desperate need to comfort Buffy in her eyes, the tender way she talked to her as though one word from her made everything alright in "Buffy land"…maybe it did.
Maybe Faith was what Buffy was looking for the whole time, not realising that she was looking at the wrong gender; someone who understood, someone who she could laugh and cry with…someone who loved her unconditionally and was devoted to her. And from the look on the face of her sister, it worked both ways.
Anya sighed, breaking the tense silence, "Have you got any cookies?"
Faith left Anya and Dawn discussing some movie they'd seen a few weeks ago and walked up the stairs. She stopped immediately on hearing faint, yet definite crying coming from her own bedroom…or theirs.
Pushing the door open lightly, willing to leave if that's what Buffy wanted, Faith knocked, "Fancy some company?" She said gently, not pushing to be able to join her.
Buffy sat on the edge of the bed and tried to wipe her tears before turning round to face the door, "I wouldn't mind…" She said tearfully, her eyes red and her cheeks blotchy.
Faith walked over, sliding onto the bed next to Buffy, instinctively reaching for her lover's hand. She stopped midway though, her hand almost hovering in mid-air as though not sure what to do. Buffy made the decisive move, grabbing it and placing them on her own thigh. Slowly she leant her head onto Faith's shoulder, sniffing. "It might not be as bad as you think…" She tried to console Buffy.
Buffy snorted, "It's hard not to take what Anya said as a bad thing…" Faith's arm moved round her lover's waist. "I knew something was up last night at the wedding…Willow didn't even talk to me. And she practically dragged Kennedy away from me."
Faith smiled, "It's just gonna take time for them to get used to it. But they will. They love you too much to hate you for being with me."
Buffy raised her head, turning to look at Faith, their faces only millimetres apart, "That's the thing. I don't think I can be the same around them if they hate you…" She sighed, the breath hitting Faith's mouth, sending tendrils of warmth down her body, "I don't think I could be their friend."
Faith maintained her position, not wanting to leave Buffy's embrace, but nevertheless shocked by her lover's words, "Buffy, I know how much you love them. They're you're family…"
Buffy leant a few millimetres forward, touching her own forehead to Faith's, "Yeah, but now you're it too."
Faith smiled before Buffy pressed her lips against hers, affirming the depth of their relationship and wiping away some of her worries. Regretfully though, she pulled away though still grinning from the embrace. "How about we invite them over? Giles, Red, Xander, Kennedy…All of them for dinner or something. Maybe then they can see I'm a changed gal....I could always wear an apron..."
Buffy quirked an eyebrow, "Now there's something I'd pay to see."
Comments welcome!
Dawn sat at the breakfast table, her eyes scanning the long foreign words in front of her but not absorbing them like she should have been. Her mind was on other things, despite knowing that she had to finish the assignment for school or Madame Jacques would go on one on another one of her infamous French rants.
Upstairs, she knew that Faith and Buffy were most likely laying in bed together, doing things that she shouldn't even have known about. It wasn't like she was upset, more surprised and annoyed that Buffy hadn't trusted her enough to tell her something life-changing like this. And it certainly seemed life-changing after the desperate proclamations of love that they'd uttered the night before at Xander and Anya's wedding. To Dawn's eyes, it seemed that Faith was going to up and leave, disappointed in Buffy for something, and then Buffy had announced that she was in love with the once evil Slayer; yeah, it was pretty big.
The taxi ride home had been…awkward. For the rest of the wedding, Faith and Buffy had disappeared, either talking or doing something more active….Dawn didn't really want to know. The rest of the Scoobies had avoided talking about it, uncomfortably talking about anything that didn't relate to what happened; the weather, the state of the economy, anything…
She waited for the pair to show their faces, whenever that might be. She'd need a ride to school with the incessant rain that was pouring down, making a soothing rhythm on the windows. It wasn't like she was grossed out or anything. Quite the opposite; she'd always considered herself pretty open minded and Willow's relationship with Tara and then Kennedy had made sure she kept that way. Maybe she just wished she could have seen what was going on between them….she was Buffy's sister after all.
Faith stood at the window, watching the rain pour down on the miserable day outside. She should have felt happy after everything that had happened last night. But she couldn't help thinking that Buffy was sacrificing too much for this relationship. Buffy had everything to lose, Faith had nothing apart from her.
She heard a creaking from the bed, and felt Buffy's presence behind, her warm hands rubbing her arm gently. Faith took Buffy's hand's placing them around her waist and they watched the street. "I feel like I shouldn't be here…" Faith mused. Everything seemed so normal, so perfect in that clichéd yet adorable way that Buffy did so well. "I don't deserve this. I don't deserve you." She felt Buffy stiffen at those words. But Faith was being honest, and maybe one day Buffy would see what she could see…
Buffy sighed, Faith had a streak of doubt about their relationship and probably always would; she thought that one day Buffy would find someone else and leave her. Buffy didn't know how to convince Faith that she wanted her around for a long time to come. Forever. "You've done things in the past…" Buffy said quietly, "But you've changed. I can see that, everyone can. You're a different person now Faith."
"I just feel like everything's going to come crashing down…" She said with a soft voice, watching a drop of rain slide its way down the window. Turning round to face Buffy, she looked deeply into those green eyes that she come to adore, "I can't live without you B. I just don't know why the hell you're with me….I don't know what you see when you look at me…"
Buffy pushed a strand of hair behind her lover's ear, Faith's face leaning into her hand, "I see everything." Faith smiled coyly, surprised but thrilled by the answer. "I see my life, my future. My everything." She said honestly; Faith wanted to know why she was with her, and so Buffy gave her answer.
Faith brought Buffy closer to her body, hugging her with an intensity that tried to convey her love; an intense passion that she couldn't articulate.
So instead of stumbling awkwardly over words that couldn't show Buffy what she meant, Faith let her actions do the talking.
Dawn heard an impatient knock on the door. She got up from her stool where she was reading her French textbook and trying to study, and walked towards the door opening it to see Anya Harris on her doorstep. Dawn leaned forward to give her friend a quick hug.
"Hey…" She said as she pulled away, "Thought you and the Xan-Man would be doing all sorts of gross stuff today…" Dawn said with a smile, leaning against the door to let Anya in.
"So did I." Anya replied, walking into the house and venturing towards the kitchen, Dawn following close behind, "But he got called into stupid work because of some stupid problems with the stupid plans for some stupid house…" She started ranting and Dawn put her hand on Anya's arm to control her.
"Woah…I get that it's stupid, OK?" She said, pouring Anya a glass of water. "What are you doing here though?" Anya frowned, "Not that I'm not glad you're here of course…" She added quickly.
"Xander was slightly preoccupied by the fact that Buffy and Faith were totally making out last night at our wedding…and all that fuss they caused after our first dance…." Anya mused and Dawn remained silent; sometimes it was just best to let Anya talk and talk….she'd probably do it even if no-one was around to listen, but Dawn needed a distraction.
"Do I feel my ears burning?" Buffy said, standing at the door and Dawn nodded a mediocre greeting. Buffy walked over to Anya who was sitting on the stool and gave her a brief hug, "What you doing here the morning after your big day?"
Anya was about to speak until Dawn interrupted, saving her sister Anya's rant "Something about plans!" Buffy quirked an eyebrow and Anya just nodded. "She came over here because she had nothing else to do…"
"Ditto." Buffy said, looking through the cupboards for some cereal. "The Principal said I could have the day off which I really-"
"So you and Faith are doing it, huh?" Anya interrupted.
Buffy smirked to herself and turned to face her sister and her friend, "Always count on Anya to totally bypass subtlety and go in for the kill." Anya shrugged with a small smile.
"You love her then?" Anya asked.
Buffy looked down at the ground; she was just about able to admit it to herself, and she wasn't sure if she could have a repeat performance of last night…"Yeah." She said impulsively, totally disregarding her earlier thought. "I do."
She saw Anya nod her head as though it was the most normal thing in the world and Buffy was pleased to see a small but definite smile on Dawn's face. Maybe her friends wouldn't be having the adverse reaction she'd expected, "I hope you didn't think we were stealing your thunder…"
Anya shook her head as she took an apple from the basket on the table, "Steal away. You took the attention away from Xander's spazz dancing. Definitely something I didn't want to see myself let alone anyone else…"
Faith heard laughs from the kitchen as she walked down the stairs of their rented house, pulling on a vest top. By the sounds of it, Anya was doing an impression of Xander's dancing that was hilarious from the volume of Dawn and Buffy's laughs. Faith bit her lip, wondering whether she should go in, most likely spoiling the moment when she heard Dawn's timid but almost hopeful voice;
"So that means Faith's your girlfriend?"
Buffy smiled brightly, pouring two glasses of orange juice, just recovering from Anya's impersonation. "Yeah…." Unbeknownst to them, Faith stood outside grinning from ear to ear at Buffy's answer. Inside the kitchen Dawn and Anya nodded in synchrony with dopey smiles on their faces. "What?"
"You are so the smitten kitten." Dawn said, making Faith more and more interested in the conversation progressing as she stood out in the hall.
"She's right…" Anya said making a break for the orange juice that Buffy held, and her hand then being slapped away with a mutter of "That's Faith's…" from Buffy. "You have that "I've just had sex with the person that I love" glow…" Anya said getting up from the table and pouring her own glass of juice. "Huh, you did just have sex with her didn't you?"
"An…" Dawn protested, "That's my sister…euch." She shivered and wrinkled her nose. "The stuff I know already will give me years of therapy and I don't need any more."
Buffy just smiled and then turned to Anya, trying to act unfazed and not worried about her answer, "So uh, Xander say anything to you about what happened yesterday?" Faith neared the door to listen easier, wanting to know whether the Scoobies were gonna try to kick her ass into next Wednesday. Not that they'd succeed of course.
Anya shrugged, "He didn't say much to me about it. Sorta fumed yesterday but I couldn't tell whether that was over you and Faith or whether it was 'cause his uncle was coming onto me." She took a sip of her drink, "Although he did get a call from Willow before he went to work."
Buffy straightened, eager to hear, unaware that her girlfriend, standing outside the door, was too. "And?"
"And he took the phone into the next room." She told Buffy, "But I don't think it was "Yeah, don't you think Faith and Buffy being in love is great?" if that's what you're wondering…." Anya added matter-of-factly, not noticing Buffy's face falling.
Faith chose that moment to walk into the kitchen, the room now equipped with a tense atmosphere that Faith wanted to dissipate but the main reason she entered was because she knew that Buffy must have been hurting with her friends reactions to their relationship...and she wanted to help her through it. If she could.
"Squirt. Anya." She greeted the other occupants. She moved subconsciously closer to Buffy who was standing at the fridge with a forlorn expression. "B? You OK?" She asked, wanting to reach out and touch her. Faith could tell that's what Buffy yearned to do, but held back her intentions.
Buffy nodded wordlessly, handing Faith her juice. She was just about out of the room when Faith turned round, stopping her. She placed her hands firmly on the side of Buffy's face, tilting her head upwards so she could look into those beautiful eyes. "It'll be OK." She whispered, knowing there was no need with Buff's sister and one of her closest friends in the room, but reverting to a gentle sound nonetheless. "I promise."
Buffy gained strength from Faith's words, nodding in her grip. Faith relinquished her hold, watching Buffy practically drag her body up the stairs, constantly looking at the ground.
Dawn looked over to Faith; she saw the desperate need to comfort Buffy in her eyes, the tender way she talked to her as though one word from her made everything alright in "Buffy land"…maybe it did.
Maybe Faith was what Buffy was looking for the whole time, not realising that she was looking at the wrong gender; someone who understood, someone who she could laugh and cry with…someone who loved her unconditionally and was devoted to her. And from the look on the face of her sister, it worked both ways.
Anya sighed, breaking the tense silence, "Have you got any cookies?"
Faith left Anya and Dawn discussing some movie they'd seen a few weeks ago and walked up the stairs. She stopped immediately on hearing faint, yet definite crying coming from her own bedroom…or theirs.
Pushing the door open lightly, willing to leave if that's what Buffy wanted, Faith knocked, "Fancy some company?" She said gently, not pushing to be able to join her.
Buffy sat on the edge of the bed and tried to wipe her tears before turning round to face the door, "I wouldn't mind…" She said tearfully, her eyes red and her cheeks blotchy.
Faith walked over, sliding onto the bed next to Buffy, instinctively reaching for her lover's hand. She stopped midway though, her hand almost hovering in mid-air as though not sure what to do. Buffy made the decisive move, grabbing it and placing them on her own thigh. Slowly she leant her head onto Faith's shoulder, sniffing. "It might not be as bad as you think…" She tried to console Buffy.
Buffy snorted, "It's hard not to take what Anya said as a bad thing…" Faith's arm moved round her lover's waist. "I knew something was up last night at the wedding…Willow didn't even talk to me. And she practically dragged Kennedy away from me."
Faith smiled, "It's just gonna take time for them to get used to it. But they will. They love you too much to hate you for being with me."
Buffy raised her head, turning to look at Faith, their faces only millimetres apart, "That's the thing. I don't think I can be the same around them if they hate you…" She sighed, the breath hitting Faith's mouth, sending tendrils of warmth down her body, "I don't think I could be their friend."
Faith maintained her position, not wanting to leave Buffy's embrace, but nevertheless shocked by her lover's words, "Buffy, I know how much you love them. They're you're family…"
Buffy leant a few millimetres forward, touching her own forehead to Faith's, "Yeah, but now you're it too."
Faith smiled before Buffy pressed her lips against hers, affirming the depth of their relationship and wiping away some of her worries. Regretfully though, she pulled away though still grinning from the embrace. "How about we invite them over? Giles, Red, Xander, Kennedy…All of them for dinner or something. Maybe then they can see I'm a changed gal....I could always wear an apron..."
Buffy quirked an eyebrow, "Now there's something I'd pay to see."
Comments welcome!