Disclaimer: Buffy and all of its characters never have and never will belong to me (sigh). Title belongs to Fall Out Boy.
Timeline: Season 4, while Faith is still in the coma.
The (After) Life of the Party
Buffy could feel the crushed white and red petals under her feet as she padded across them in the ancient theater. She gazed at the burning candelabras, with the shredded pink banners hanging underneath. The half-eaten, candy-hearts with cheap messages of love. Sparkles and dust alike on the ripped, blood-colored stage curtains. The ground littered with broken glass and dying flowers and empty boxes of chocolate.
Tattered, decadent and tragically beautiful.
"Kinda looks like Valentine's Day threw up, huh?"
Faith was sitting on the chipped and dusty grand piano, champagne in hand, with her pretty dimples and pretty white dress, and pretty lips painted the same blood red as the curtains behind her.
Buffy knows this is a dream, so she doesn't bother to question the fluttering in her chest.
The record player in the corner starts playing of its own accord, and Faith smiles softly, cocking her head to one side before setting down the crystal glass, and moving toward Buffy.
"Dance with me, B?" She asks quietly, smile fading and stretching out her hand with its shiny, black nail polish. Buffy wordlessly slips her hand into Faith's because it's always easier in their dreams. They somehow manage to avoid all the shattered glass, and make it to the center of the dimly lit dance floor.
Faith slips her hands around Buffy's waist, and Buffy places her hands on Faith's shoulders. They begin to sway in time to the scratched record, never breaking away from each other's gaze.
"What is this Faith?"
"This is me saying I'm sorry."
It's something in Faith's eyes. Something in her tone. It makes Buffy's heart clench.
"Why?"
Faith smiles sadly and pulls Buffy closer.
"Because I loved you. Because I love you. But it was just so much easier to hate you."
Buffy opens her mouth in shock and shakes her head in disbelief. But Faith looks so damn sincere. It's the dimples and sad eyes. It's the complete lack of sexual come-ons and leather. It's Faith, vulnerable and stripped of her defenses.
"It…it would have been different...if I had known – "
"No, it wouldn't have. I wasn't ready…you weren't ready. I wasn't our time. We were never supposed to happen."
Buffy is not sure what Faith is referring to anymore and the dread in the pit of her stomach is growing.
"Do you forgive me, B?" Faith's smile is gone and she looks so sad, dark brown eyes shimmering with tears like the glittery glass beneath their feet. Buffy clutches tighter to Faith's shoulders.
"Maybe when you wake up we can try to…we can start over, okay? When you wake up, we can start over."
Faith doesn't say anything, she just gazes far behind Buffy at the bloody, velvet curtains.
"…Faith? When you wake up, okay?" Buffy's voice sounds desperate even to herself. Her heart pounds a little faster, and Faith refuses to look at her.
"Faith?"
Faith finally glances at her again, grinning slightly before pressing her lips against Buffy's.
Her eyes flutter shut and she wraps her arms around Faith's neck, pulling her closer. She allows Faith to guide her across the dance floor to push her against the wall, and she whimpers when Faith sucks on her tongue and nibbles her bottom lip.
It's only later when they break for air, foreheads resting together with their eyes locked and lips swollen that Buffy knows.
She knows that there will be no 'when Faith wakes up.' She knows that Faith is not going to wake up. Faith's hair feels soft between her fingers and her throat begins constrict with all the what-ifs and what-could-have-beens she is losing.
Faith's sad, brown eyes begin to blur in her vision.
"Please don't cry, B."
"I forgive you, Faith."
"I forgive you, Buffy."
Buffy pushes her lips against Faith's again, and when the music fades and she opens her eyes, she is in her dorm room with hot tears stinging her cheeks.
She doesn't need Giles' phone call to know a new slayer has been called.