Music In Our Hearts
Chapter 7: If It's Love (Part 1)
"Willow, it's not healthy staying cooped up inside all the time like this." Buffy said as Willow scrolled through whatever webpage was occupying her day today.
"Well, what do you want me to do? Got to the Bronze and try to get laid?"
"Well, there's an idea." Buffy said.
"No! That was sarcasm! I was being sarcastic in a joking and... derisive manner." Willow sighed. "I can't do that... I can't go out and try to meet women. I'm... Tara might still come back. I'm... I'm doing better. Look, three weeks and not a single spell cast!"
That wasn't true. She had still been using magic, but it was only small stuff, to keep her occupied. Things like levitation and making things glow.
"Yes, and that's good... But in the meantime..." Buffy trailed off as Willow glared. "Look, I'm not saying you need to find a girlfriend and get yourself into a serious relationship. Just... I don't know... Have a one-night-stand or something. Just go out, have some fun, and let loose a bit."
"No. Get some, get gone is Faith's..." It was Buffy's turn to glare. "Was Faith's thing. As in, she used to do it, but not anymore, since she's obviously in a serious and committed relationship with you, and there I go, babbling as always."
"Look, she's not like that anymore."
"I know. It just slipped out, that's all. I'm sorry, Buff. Speaking of, when's the lucky lady getting home?"
"I don't know. She called in, said she had to work late. Her MMA students got in late, so they didn't start until an hour after they were supposed to start. Then she said she wanted to stop by the Bronze and get a drink or two before coming home, work off some frustration at her boss."
"Oh. Well, why don't you meet her there, at her job? Surprise her?"
"Because..." Buffy didn't want to tell Willow that the gang all had a deal that Willow wouldn't be left alone for any period of time, lest she return to using magic. "Because I thought maybe you and I could go out. As friends, like we used to. Just us, go have some fun together."
"What, with Xander?"
"Nope, just the two of us." Buffy grinned. "No strings attached, just you and me hanging out. No girls or anything."
"No trying to hook me up with someone?"
"Guaranteed." Buffy promised. "Though I won't object if you do hook up with someone, anyway."
"Not gonna happen. Though... maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing to go out and have some fun with you. But what about Dawn?"
"What about Dawn? She's sixteen. She can take care of herself for one night. She'll order pizza, invite some friends over, even though I'm gonna tell her no friends, I'll come home and catch her, have some fun getting revenge on all the times she got me in trouble growing up by grounding her, we'll argue, she'll go to her room and slam her door, screaming she hates me, then Faith'll come home, and we'll vent to each other the frustrations of the day and get it all out through some hot and aggressive sex." Buffy smiled and nodded, as if confirming it all.
"Well, as long as you have a plan." Willow rolled her eyes as she replied sarcastically.
"It's always good to have a plan." Buffy agreed. "Now come on, get your ass up and get ready! We're going partying!" Buffy practically screamed at Willow, causing the redhead to grin and scamper up to her room.
Buffy trudged up the steps after her and burst into Dawn's room, hoping to scare her, and then instantly wished she hadn't.
She heard Dawn's ear-shattering scream as she slammed the door shut, putting the barrier back between herself and her younger sister's naked body. Dawn had been... doing... that.
"Buffy! What happened?" Willow asked.
"Okay, that!" Buffy pointed to Dawn's bedroom. "That was NOT in the plan!"
"What wasn't?" Willow asked as Dawn opened her door and yelled at Buffy.
"God, Buffy! Don't you ever knock?! Why the hell would you just burst into my room like that?!"
"Why? What's going on?" Willow asked.
"Buffy walked in on me masturbating!" Dawn yelled.
"Oh my god!" Willow said.
"Believe me, it was not walk in the park for me, either!" Buffy yelled back. "How about a sign or something, like a sock over your doorknob?!"
"If I'd done that, you'd have thought I'd snuck my boyfriend into my room, and we were having sex!"
"Better that than... seeing... that! And no I wouldn't have! I would have assumed you were just deperate for privacy and would have resp- Wait, you have a boyfriend?"
"Oh... my... god... Don't you ever listen when I talk to you?! I told you months ago about him!"
"What? I must have been busy, but I'm not shocked that you're in a relationship, that was bound to happen..."
"What, then?" Dawn asked, mildly curious.
"I... I don't know, I just thought... Well, you were made from me... The monks, like, used a part of me to make you... human... So... I thought..."
"Oh. You thought I'd turn out to be gay because you are?"
"Well... kinda..." Buffy confessed.
"I don't believe this." Dawn scoffed. "Most people get ridiculed by their friends and family because they're gay. I get ridiculed by mine because I'm not." Dawn started to walk away, but Buffy stopped her.
"Dawnie, I'm not going to ridicule you. I'm just... surprised. That's all. Not disappointed, just surprised."
"Oh yeah? You sure looked disappointed. Your shoulders sagged when you found out."
"Actually, I'm a bit relieved."
"What?" Dawn and Willow both looked at her in surprise.
"Okay, I think that came out the wrong way. I don't have any problems with being gay, obviously, I mean, I'm not a hypocrite. But I would hate to have to see you going through the struggle of being gay. I mean, yeah, people are opening up to it, but being gay still doesn't exactly earn you many brownie points in today's society. You should see how many glares of disgust Faith and I get when we're acting all couple-y in public. I even dance too close to her, and everyone starts holding up crosses and trying to excorsize the demons from us."
"Harsh." Dawn agreed.
"Well, I guess I agree with Buffy, then. Besides, it would be a relief to Xander to have at least one straight member of the gang besides him. Giles not withstanding, of course." Willow said.
"There's that, too." Buffy agreed. "Anyway, Dawn, sorry for bursting in on you like that. I was just going to tell you that Willow and I are going to go out and have some fun. Have us a girl's night. Don't stay up past nine, no junk food and don't invite any friends over."
"What?!" Dawn screeched. "Come on!"
Dawn hesitated, then decided to try and reason.
"Ten o' clock, one bowl of vanilla ice cream, and one friend." She argued.
"Nine thirty, two scoops, and one female friend." Buffy countered, and Dawn sighed.
Well, at least she gave a little bit. "Fine." Dawn sighed.
"And I want you to get a shower before bed." Buffy added. "And do your homework before inviting your friend over."
"It's the weekend. No homework."
"Okay, then forget about that. But I still want you to get a shower. And please, if you're going to play music, please don't blare it. The neighbors weren't happy last time, and I don't feel like having to settle any more complaints."
"Okay. Deal." Dawn smiled. She already knew exactly who she was going to invite. Cassie.
Two hours later, Buffy and Willow were gone, and Cassie was at the door.
"Hey, Cass!" Dawn squealed as her friend walked inside, and they hugged tightly, the very stereotype of teenage girls.
"What's up, Dawn?" Cassie asked. "Your call sounded desperate."
"I am, Cass. This is the first time in, like, forever that Buffy's let me have a friend over at all. I needed you, bad."
"Oh really?" Cassie wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"Oh yes." Dawn moaned.
"Well, you have me. So what do you wanna do?" Cassie asked, though she already knew the answer. It was the same answer Dawn gave her every time they were alone.
"You. I wanna do you."
"Does your sister know?" Cassie asked, serious.
"Hell no. You know I can't tell her."
"Why not? For crying out loud, Dawn, it's been almost a year since we first..."
"Yeah, I know. But if I tell her, there's no way she'll let me be alone with you!" Dawn protested.
"You don't know that."
"Yeah, I do! She won't ever let me do anything fun, ever! Not like that, anyway."
"Well, she knows how you feel. I mean, she's gay, too, right?"
"Well, yeah, but-"
"And she had to keep her relationship with what's-her-face a secret for so long because she was afraid of how everyone would react. You already know how at least Willow, Buffy and Buffy's girlfriend will react. They'll be supportive. She'll understand. I think she'll be understanding, and let us get in some alone time."
"No, she'll insist on chaperoning everything we do together, or make sure someone else she trusts does."
Cassie looked down and pouted.
"Oh, come on, Cass, please don't do that."
Cassie looked Dawn in the eyes, but continued her pouting.
"Oh, that's not fair!" Dawn whined.
Cassie pouted even harder.
"Come on! I just finally won an argument with her earlier, and made her feel guilty about making me mad, and it was about me not being gay! Don't make me prove her right! Not yet!"
Cassie melted into Dawn's arms and moaned. Dawn whimpered at the sound, knowing resistance was futile.
"FIne, I'll tell her." Cassie perked up again. "But it'll be tomorrow, and you have to be there."
"Will she let me stay the night?"
"She will if you're already asleep when she gets home."
"Dawnie, you are sooooo getting lucky tonight." Cassie said as she kissed Dawn sweetly, on the lips.
This was the last thing Buffy expected to see. She was furious. She and Willow just walked into the Bronze, looking to spend some quality hangout time together, and the first thing Buffy sees is Faith making out with another girl.
"Faith!" Buffy screamed as she pulled the brunette skank off of the raven-haired Slayer. "What the hell are you doing?!"
"B! I can explain! She ambushed me!"
"Oh yeah? Bull shit!" Buffy screamed at Faith, then slapped her, hard. Faith felt her cheek stinging as he straightened her head again, and cupped her cheek. But what hurt the most was the look of betrayal Buffy was giving her.
"You didn't mention you had a girlfriend." The brunette said sweetly.
"You didn't give me a fuckin' chance! You just walked up and shoved your fuckin' tongue down my throat!" Faith yelled at her.
"Don't make this her fault, Faith!" Buffy said, slapping Faith again.
"Yeah!" The brunette agreed and slapped Faith, as well.
"Hey, don't you fucking touch her." Buffy growled. "Get away from me before I do damage to you."
The brunette whimpered as she ran away like a frightened chihuahua, her tail tucked between her legs.
"Buffy, seriously, I didn't know what happened! She ambushed me! She just walked right up, shoved her tongue down my throat, and I'm about to knock her ass out, when you yank her away from me and start bitchin' at me!" Faith didn't want to fight with Buffy. Things were finally going well between them. "Buffy, we're finally together for real, no secrets or anythin'. Why the hell would I ruin that?!"
"Maybe you realized it was more fun to be together when it was a secret. Hell if I know. But this is it, Faith. This thing between us... it's over." It broke Buffy's heart to say it, but she was so furious.
Faith was stunned. She couldn't reply, not a word managed to come from her mouth.
Buffy just turned around and walked away, forgetting all about Willow, the tears streaming forth as she stormed out of the club, nearly blind with tears.
Faith was in the same condition, blinded by tears as she sat on the bar stool, watching her soul mate walk away.
"Buffy!" Willow shouted as she chased after the blonde.
"Wills, I'm sorry, but I'm really not in the mood for a girl's night right now!" Buffy accidentally shouted.
"Buffy, wait!"
"Not now, Will! I need to get home, lock myself in my room and cry myself to sleep tonight."
"Buffy, just stop and listen to me!" Willow screamed at her in frustration.
Buffy stopped and turned to look at the redhead.
"Okay. You got me. What?" Buffy's words sounded like an attack, though Willow knew she didn't mean them to.
"I think you should give her the benefit of the doubt this time." Willow said.
"What?!"
"Just hear me out! Look, she really looked angry when that... that... that bitch kissed her. I mean, I've seen things like this happen before! This might be a misunderstanding!"
"Wait, you're taking her side?!"
"Damn right I am!" Buffy was shocked at Willow's words, and her tone. "Buffy, Tara broke up with me! I still haven't gotten over it, and the only thing that's keeping me from breaking down and sobbing myself to sleep every night, and locking myself in my room all day out of depression is seeing you two together! I need you two to be happy together! How would you feel if Faith caught you being ambushed by another girl, and she dumped you because of a misunderstanding?"
Buffy was speechless. She couldn't respond, not even to wipe the tears from her eyes.
"Look, Buffy," Willow managed to calm down, "I get it. I wouldn't like to go in there and see Tara kissing another girl, either. It would hurt like hell. Even though we are broken up, it would hurt. But there's a chance that Faith is the victim! I see the look in her eyes when she looks at you! She's in love with you! She's more in love with you than you ever were with Angel. There's no way Faith would cheat on you!"
"Faith..." Buffy whispered, and somehow, she just knew Willow was right. "Oh my god. I have to fix this!" Buffy ran back inside before Willow could say another word.
When Buffy got back inside, it was as if Faith was frozen. She was still staring at the door, tears flowing freely, but the grief turned to rage when she saw Buffy come back inside.
"What? Didn't get enough before? Came back to hit me one last time? Or would you like to spit in my face?" Faith said, obviously wounded.
"Faith, I am so sorry. I-I-I over-reacted. I didn't think before I acted, and I fucked up. Please, forgive me." Buffy begged.
Faith wouldn't meet her eyes.
"Faith, if it'll help at all, I'll give you four free shots. Hit me, harder than I hit you." Buffy pleaded, even getting down on her knees.
Faith tried desperately not to smile. It was funny, seeing Buffy down on her knees, begging forgiveness. But Buffy had really screwed up.
"B, there's no fuckin' way I'd cheat on you." Faith said, managing to continue looking, and sounding angry.
"I know, and I'm so sorry for thinking that you would. Please forgive me!" Buffy started tearing up again.
Faith couldn't stop herself from smirking slightly, and Buffy didn't fail to notice it."
"You bitch." Buffy said.
"Sorry, B. Just consider that payback for the slaps. I ain't gonna hit you, okay?"
Buffy nodded.
"Look, B, I forgive ya. Just... If it ever happens again, just don't jump to conclusions, okay? And I'll do the same if it ever happens to you, deal?"
Buffy nodded again and embraced Faith.
"We just gotta trust each other, okay?" Faith asked, and heard Buffy mutter her agreement as they rested their heads on each other's shoulders.
Faith pulled back and kissed Buffy, easily sliding her tongue into the blonde's mouth. After a moment, their kiss became heated, and they moaned against each other's lips.
Finally, Faith pulled back, breathing hard.
"So... What were you and Red doin' here?" she asked.
"Thought we were going to trust each other?" Buffy teased.
"I do, just curious, that's all."
"I know. Will was feeling down, has been for a while, as you know, so I thought I'd bring her here and we'd just hang out tonight. We haven't just hung out in a long time, so I thought it might help."
"That's a good idea, though I'd have just gotten her laid."
"I tried that, but she refused to even try. She's not over Tara yet."
"Ah. Man, that sucks."
"Yeah. It's too bad. I think it would really help her."
"Yeah, me too. Too bad we can't just find a girl and get her to jump into bed with her."
"We probably could, but Will would never agree to it."
"Yeah, probably right. Maybe if we surprised her, though."
"Wait, we? As in, we?"
"What?"
"Are... You're not... like... suggesting that... we..."
"Oh!" Faith exclaimed as she caught Buffy's meaning. "No! Oh, god no!"
Faith burst into laughter as Buffy's pale face regained color in relief.
"Okay." Buffy said, relieved.
"But then again..." Faith said as she put on her "thinking face".
"Faith!" Buffy yelled, and smacked Faith's shoulder a litle harder than she intended.
Faith laughed again.
"Faith... Do... do you think... maybe... it would actually... help... help her?" Buffy asked, suddenly serious.
"What? Gettin' her laid? Yeah."
"No. Well, yes, but... no... I mean... you know..."
"What? Havin' a threesome with her?" Faith asked, looking at Buffy, asking if she was serious.
Buffy nodded.
"Oh. I... um... I don't know... It... it's possible, I... I guess. But... god, do... do you, ya know... actually... want to?"
"Well, I want to help her anyway I can, and I don't know how much good a girl's night will do."
"So... what, do... do we, ya know... offer...?"
"Well, would... would you feel comfortable... you know, actually... doing it?"
"Well, I mean, if... if you do... and, of course she'll need to be comfortable..."
"Obviously... But then, she'll never do it, anyway. Not if she thinks we're doing it to help her..."
"Well, we could tell her we're wantin' to... ya know... spice things up a bit... Like we're into some... ya know, kink... And we're not ready to go BDSM with it, so... naturally... threesome is the... I don't know, logical choice, I guess."
"Well, maybe if she thought she was doing it for us..."
"Yeah."
"Yeah."
Both of them fell silent. Were they really planning on asking Willow to have a threesome with them?
Willow decided to let Buffy and Faith have some time to patch things up, so she went back home early, leaving the two Slayers alone at the Bronze.
And she was left absolutely paralyzed in surprise as she walked in to see Dawn and her friend Cassie scrambling to put their clothes back on in the living room.
"Oh my god, Dawn!" Willow screamed.
"Willow!" Dawn screamed back.
"Dawn!"
"Willow!"
"Dawn!"
"Willow!"
"Cassie." Cassie said with a smirk.
So? Waddya think? This chapter didn't have a song in it, but it's mainly due to size constraints. I normally don't make chapters much longer than this, and I didn't want to rush this just to get to the song, so the next chapter will be "If It's Love (Part 2)" and will contain the song intended for this chapter. So, it's up to you to figure out who sings it! BWAH-HA-HA-HA! ALso, I'd like to take a vote. Who wants to see the Buffy/Faith/Willow threesome? I'm leaving that part up to you guys, so either send me your vote via PM (Private Message) or in a review. Remember, even guests can review, so don't you be skimping on the votes, people!