Music In Our Hearts

Chapter 2: Demons

Buffy looked around the room and noticed Faith was gone. She saw the door to the basement open, so she went downstairs, closing the door behind her, unaware that everyone else had followed her and were now listening at the door to what was going on. Everyone but Giles, that is.

"Oh, come now, that is entirely childish." he said, scolding them.

"SHH!" Everyone hushed him, so he just went back to cleaning his glasses.

"Faith." Buffy said. Faith was wailing on a punching bag, but she was very aware of Buffy's presence. It only fueled her anger.

"Buffy." Faith growled.

"Okay, I'm sorry I'm not ready to tell them, but you're just going to have to accept that for now until I am ready."

"Right. Okay. Sure. But are you ever going to be ready?" Faith turned around and, for once, her eyes held no anger, only an unspoken plea.

For once, Buffy didn't have an answer. She wasn't used to that look.

Finally, Buffy spoke. "Faith... You know how the guys reacted when you came out. They didn't take it well at all, and they barely knew you then. Imagine how they'd react today if it was today you came out, not years ago."

"Yeah, well, if you'd have come out long time ago, you wouldn't have to worry about it now. They'd have adjusted to it by now, and we could even get married if you wanted to. Besides, Willow cameout, and they didn't react that bad to it."

"Yeah, because they were still reeling from your confession. It softened the blow."

"So, in other words, if someone else came out today, you'd confess?"

"I don't know!" Buffy didn't mean to yell, she just did, and it surprized both of them. She was trying to keep her voice down and work it out without shouting, but it just... happened.

"B... Just... let's calm down, please. I don't want to fight again. It hurts too much when we fight." Faith's eyes were glistening, and Buffy's heart fell when she saw the tears welling up, so she took a deep breath and nodded.

"Sorry... I just... I didn't mean to."

Faith nodded, and put her hands in her pockets, shrugging her shoulders.

"Look, B... I don't want to force you to do something you're not ready for. It's just... put yourself in my shoes, please. Admit it, you'd be feeling a bit rejected if you went this long dating someone, and that someone didn't want to tell anyone about your relationship."

"I thought we were going to do this without pointing fingers."

"Right. Sorry. Didn't mean it to come out that way. I just mean... I think honesty is what's best right now, I guess. I... I love ya, Buffy. I do... But sometimes, it feels like you don't love me back."

"How can you say that?!" Buffy asked, her tone more harsh than she meant it to be.

"B, let's not start with that. I'm just tellin' ya how I feel. I'm not sayin' I'm right, it's just how it feels to me."

"Right. Sorry. Look, I love you. I do. Fuck that, I'm in love with you. More than I ever was with Angel. I just... I'm scared."

Buffy felt the urge again. The urge she'd had earlier when she was singing, just before Faith joined in.

"When the days are cold, and the cards all fold, and the saints we see are all made of gold... When your dreams all fail and the ones we hail are the worst of all, and the blood's run stale... I wanna hide the truth, I wanna shelter you, but with the beast inside, there's nowhere we can hide.

"No matter what we breed, we are still made of greed. This is my kingdom come. This is my kingdome come.

"When you feel my heat, look into my eyes. It's where my demons hide. It's where my demons hide. Don't get too close, it's dark inside. It's where my demons hide. It's where my demons hide."

Faith joined in, pressing close against Buffy, as if begging her to come clean to the gang.

"At the curtain's call it's the last of all. When the lights fade out all the sinners crawl. So they dug your grave and the masquerade will come calling out at the mess you made... Don't wanna let you down but I am hell bound. Though this is all for you, don't wanna hide the truth.

"No matter what we breed, we are still made of greed. This is my kingdom come. This is my kingdom come.

"When you feel my heat, look into my eyes. It's where my demons hide. It's where my demons hide. Don't get too close, it's dark inside. It's where my demons hide. It's where my demons hide.

"They say it's what you make, I say it's up to fate. It's woven in my soul. I need to let you go."

They fell silent as Buffy's tears started falling freely at Faith's last line.

Is she... breaking up with me?

Buffy started singing again, begging Faith to stay.

"Your eyes, they shine so bright. I wanna save that light. I can't escape this now, unless you show me how."

Faith sang back, leaving Buffy in silence again. "When you feel my heat, look into my eyes. It's where my demons hide. It's where my demons hide. Don't get too close, it's dark inside. It's where my demons hide. It's where my demons hide." When Faith was finished singing, Buffy collapsed on the ground, and Faith walked away, up the stairs and nearly crashed into the others when she opened the door and walked out.

She looked around at them all, shook her head, then ran away.

No one moved but Willow, who ran down stairs to check on Buffy. She saw Buffy curled up on the floor, sobbing helplessly, and sat down beside her in comfort.

"Buffy?" Willow said softly.

Buffy didn't say anything, just continued to cry. Willow understood, and just started stroking Buffy's hair when the blonde sat up and leaned into Willow's hug.

The song used in this chapter is "Demons" by Imagine Dragons, an awesome rock group I've heard a lot from on the radio recently. Apparently,I've been hearing from them a lot, but never knew it was them I was listening to. I tend to zone out when the DJ starts talking after the song's over, so I can avoid the commercials and whatnot, so I never knew I was listening to Imagine Dragons, but now that I do, I'll definitely be keeping my ear out for them!