ABC's of Christmas, Slayer Style
L is for Lights
The two women stood at the edge of the tiny yard, arms around each other's waists, looking up at their handiwork with satisfied admiration. It had taken a couple of hours, but the small house was finally bedecked in the colored strings of Christmas lights that Faith, surprisingly, rather than Buffy, had insisted upon having. Now that the ordeal of putting them up was finished, they could just stand back and look at the way it flickered against the darkening night sky.
"Looks nice," Buffy said finally, her voice soft, almost dreamy. "Even if Xander almost electrocuted himself before we took over…"
Faith snorted, dimples popping at the memory. "That was hilarious, I gotta say. To be a construction worker, the man's still scary around ladders…"
Buffy smiled wryly, nodding in agreement. "It looks good though…cheery."
"Yeah…I always liked Christmas lights," Faith said, somewhat more softly than Buffy was used to hearing from her, enough for her to turn her head towards her slightly, listening closely. "The colored ones, not the boring whites, or the plain red or blues that look all Twilight Zoney."
"I thought you probably did," Buffy said just as quietly, giving her another gentle squeeze. "I remember back in Sunnydale, when you first came…you had some in your motel room around Christmas time."
Her words were gentle, trying for casual, because she knew that was how she would want it; even now, talking about that time was hard for them both. But Faith just sighed a little, nodding.
"Yeah…like I said, I like 'em."
Knowing that this would be the end of it, Buffy lay her head on Faith's shoulder, her arm still around her. A moment later she felt Faith lean her head into hers as well, and she knew it was okay. Things were better now…there would be no going back to that, the way it had been before.
"I love you," she said softly, her head still nestled into Faith's shoulder.
Faith did not reply, but Buffy felt her arm tighten around her even more securely, her head moving slightly, and she knew that she was repeating the words in her own way.