Date Night (13 page)

“Dude. Grow a pair, will ya?”

Faith sat up straighter on the couch. “What did you just say to me?” she growled into the phone.

“Did I stutter?” the younger brunette challenged. “Fuck it, Faith,” she grumbled with an exasperated sigh. “I know how you feel about her. And hell if I know why you like her that much - she certainly doesn't deserve someone kick ass like yourself.”

“I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, Kennedy,” the Boston girl steamed, “but I don't like what I think you're implying.”

“Jesus Christ, Lehane,” the boarding-school slayer huffed. “How long are you gonna keep up this lie? Is it working for you? Do you have yourself convinced yet that you're not in love with Buffy?”

Kennedy's bold words made the other brunette slayer choke on a hasty response. Hearing someone else say the words, someone other than herself, was sobering.

“I-I…”

“Get on the next plane, or train, or automobile…hell…get on a flying carpet and come fight for your chick,” Kennedy commanded.

“Even if you
were
right about me and Buffy, which I'm not saying you are,” Faith quickly added the caveat, “I'm not about to reenact some scene from
The Graduate
and storm the church,” she muttered bitterly. “Those kind of dramatics ain't my style.”

“But that's what Buffy
needs
you to do,” Kennedy countered with emotion. “You know how she works…she needs a big show of emotions - a…a grand gesture of sorts.”

Faith took a pull straight from the bottle of Jack and made a face as the liquid burned the back of her throat.

“Ain't gonna happen, Ken,” she said, swallowing her emotions along with the fiery alcohol. “B knows how I feel, and she knows how to find me,” she continued. “It's not my job to beg her not to marry that douche bag.”

“You don't have to beg, Faith,” Kennedy tried to reason. “Just… just show up.”

Faith sat in silence, clutching the phone. Could it really be that easy? Could she just show up and everything would be all right again? Would Buffy cancel the wedding for her? No, she shook her head. Nothing between she and Buffy had ever been easy, and this was no different.

“I'm putting you down as a `Maybe'.” Kennedy chuckled when Faith didn't respond.

Faith failed to see the humor in the younger slayer's words. “Yeah…maybe,” she sighed glumly.

Maybe.

Her favorite word lately -
maybe
. That last clinging to hope.

"What is
she
doing here?" the blonde hissed when she recognized the smoldering silhouette approaching their table.

Willow glanced up from her drink and then quickly back to Buffy when she too noticed the newcomer. "Ah, I don't know," she answered honestly. The redheaded witch flashed a warning look in the direction of her brunette girlfriend who had suddenly gone quiet. "Kennedy," she asked, "do you know anything about this?"

The young slayer smiled innocently and took a sip of her mixed drink through a plastic straw. "Why shouldn't she get an invite?"

"I don't remember putting her on the guest list for this," Buffy glared at her best friend's partner.

The last time Buffy had seen Faith, she had rejected the advances of the dark-haired slayer just outside of her Cleveland home. And they hadn't spoken since. Things had been going well with Preston without the complicated distraction of the Boston-born slayer. The last thing she needed was the dangerous brunette showing up unexpectedly tonight, so close to the wedding.

If she had known Faith was going to show up at her party, she could have at least mentally prepared for her presence. She could have assembled a list of comebacks, or something. It was hard enough ignoring the urge to call or at least IM her sister-Slayer after how things had ended between them at her engagement party. Being face-to-face with Faith once again wasn't going to make her decision to go through with the wedding any easier.

Kennedy shrugged nonchalantly. "Then I guess you shouldn't have put me in charge of anything wedding related if you're gonna be so picky about who comes to your Bachelorette party."

The threesome's conversation stopped abruptly when Faith walked closer. The Boston slayer flashed the three friends an easy smile. "Hey kids," she breathed. "How's tricks?"

Kennedy gave the leather-clad slayer a wide smile. "Hey, Faith. Glad you could make it. I wasn't sure you'd gotten my message about the party."

The Boston slayer grinned wider, pulling out her deep dimples. "Well, I had to make the trip," she asserted. "Can't let Buffy go down the aisle without one last blow-out, right?"

Buffy flushed and averted her eyes. She hoped the dim lighting of the club would camouflage her embarrassment.

The brunette slid into the corner booth with the three women, bumping into the blonde slayer as she settled in. Both Buffy and Willow looked uncomfortable while Kennedy continued to smile like the cat who'd eaten the canary.

Faith scanned the dance club, her face looking almost bored. She recognized a few of the girls out on the dance floor - newbie slayers who'd been at the battle with the First. The assembled crowd was mixed, but most looked to be in their early twenties. Nothing about the non-descript club, however, suggested that this was a special night, let alone a bachelorette party.

Despite the stoicism her face belied, on the inside, Faith's stomach twisted and churned with anxiety. She wasn't exactly sure what she was going to do or say to the blonde. All she did know, however, is that she couldn't allow Buffy to marry a man she didn't truly love.

"Pretty tame for a bachelorette party if you ask me," the Boston girl mused aloud.

"Well nobody asked you," Buffy curtly retorted. She stared miserably at the beverage cupped between her hands.

"Buffy didn't want us to make a big deal," Willow explained from her seat next to the Bride-to-Be. "You know what happens when we try to throw her a party...demons show up...people can't leave...the usual."

"Shoulda at least gotten a couple of strippers or something," Faith noted with a mischievous grin.

"That's what I said, too!" Kennedy complained. Her voice burst out louder than she had intended and a few people in the vicinity stared at the four women. The young slayer glanced quickly at her Wicca girlfriend. "Not that I'm into that, or anything," she rushed in a mumbled tone.

An awkward silence fell over the foursome and Buffy, Willow, and Kennedy all fiddled anxiously with their drinks. Only Faith looked comfortable as she lounged in the corner booth. A new song blared over the club sound system, and Kennedy abruptly stood up from the table when she recognized the first notes.

"I love this song," she beamed. She captured her girlfriend's hand in her own. "C'mon, Red," she urged, pulling on the Wicca's hand. "Let's go show those other girls how it's done."

Willow cast a quick look in the direction of the blonde slayer.

Buffy sensed her best friend's hesitance to leave her behind with the dark-haired slayer. "It's okay, Will," she smiled bravely. "Go have fun. I'll be fine."

Faith wrapped her arm around Buffy's shoulder. "Yeah, Red. I'll keep Buffy comfy while you're gone," she leered.

"Well," Willow stated slowly as she began to stand up, "if you're sure."

The blonde girl nodded. "Go," she implored. "At least one of us should have fun tonight."

Buffy shrugged away from Faith's touch as the same-sex couple made their way to the dance floor. "Why do you always have to do that?" she complained, scooting away from the other slayer.

The brunette slayer smirked. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she stated with faux innocent.

The Californian made a disgruntled noise and slumped her shoulders forward. "Some Bachelorette party," she grumbled to herself. She played with the plastic straw in her fruity beverage. The ice in her drink had melted, watering down her drink.

"We could make our own fun," the brunette said under her breath.

Buffy's figure tensed when she felt strong fingers curl around her bare kneecap. "Faith," she growled in warning. Since her engagement, the blonde had only faltered once - when Faith touched and kissed her on the back porch at her engagement party. She knew she couldn't keep allowing things like that to happen, however good it felt. It wasn't fair to anyone.

Faith raised an eyebrow and her generous lips curved upwards. "Yes, Buffy?" she said with mock sincerity. She made no move to remove her hand from the elder slayer's leg, however. Instead, her fingers only crept higher up the blonde's bare thigh.

Buffy sucked in a deep, sharp breath when she felt the Boston girl's fingers brush along the inside of her upper thigh. The lighting was dark enough in the club that she knew no one would be able to see Faith's wandering hand, but that wasn't the point.

"Stop," the Californian insisted again. Her voice seemed to shake on the monosyllabic word.

Faith's short nails raked against the soft inner flesh of Buffy's thighs, all hidden beneath the table. She smiled when she felt the blonde woman shudder next to her.

"If you'd open up a littler wider," the brunette purred, "we could make our own fun right here." Her fingertips curled and brushed against the elastic band of Buffy's underwear. The material scratched against the Chosen One's sex, alerting her to just how bold the younger slayer was becoming.

"I said stop it, Faith!" the blonde snapped, pulling her leg away from the Boston woman's dangerous exploration. Buffy stood up abruptly and stomped away in the direction of the bar's nearest exit.

Kennedy and Willow appeared at the tableside, both looking a little sweaty and disheveled from their dancing. "What was that about?" Willow challenged the Boston girl.

Faith shrugged and looked unperturbed. "I dunno," she grunted. "Doesn't take much to get B's panties in a twist."

Kennedy snickered until she felt the sharp stab of her girlfriend's elbow in her ribs.

Willow glanced in the direction of the blonde's hasty exit. "Should we follow her?"

Kennedy slid her hand into her girlfriend's and entwined their fingers. "Aw, c'mon, baby," she cajoled. "We never get to go dancing like this anymore. I'm sure Buffy's fine. She's just throwing a fit about something. As usual," she added unhelpfully.

Faith hopped up from her seat at the small booth. "Yeah, you two go have fun," she echoed. "Go dance the night away. I'll, ah, go check on B and make sure she's okay. I'm sure it's just....pre-wedding jitters or something," she smiled.

Willow looked unconvinced.

Kennedy tugged on her girlfriend's arm. "C'mon, babe. Maybe I can even get the DJ to play that Katy Perry song you like so much."

The redhead blushed. "I...I do not like Katy Perry," she insisted.

Kennedy kissed her girlfriend's temple. "It's okay, babe. Nobody's gonna take your Lesbo Card away for listening to something that's not the Indigo Girls."

++++++++++++++++++++++

Suggested Listening: Florence and the Machine - ‘Girl with One Eye'

"You certainly know how to make an exit," Faith stated, walking closer to the grumpy slayer. Her boots echoed in the dimly lit alley.

The Boston slayer was mildly surprised to find Buffy in the immediate vicinity of the club. She had half-expected her to have fled back to her suburban home, not linger near the service entrance of the popular bar.

"And you certainly know how to ruin a party," the blonde grumbled from her seat on a wooden crate.

The brunette girl chuckled. "Oh, c'mon, B. It's not like you were actually having fun in there before I showed up."

Buffy's bottom lip popped out of her mouth in a well-practiced pout. "I was having fun," she insisted in a whiney voice.

Faith took a seat next to the pouting slayer on an adjacent crate. "If I didn't know any better," she quipped, playfully knocking shoulders with the smaller woman, "I'd say you weren't happy to see me."

Buffy opened her mouth for a quick retort, but snapped her mouth closed when she thought better of it. There was no use in the two of them fighting. Not anymore, at least.
Finally, she sighed. "It's just...I wish I had gotten some kind of warning."

The Boston girl raised an eyebrow. "What'd you need a warning about?"

Buffy pointed at the brunette. "You. You coming here tonight." Her carefully manicured eyebrows furrowed together, and she looked confused. "It's...it's hard to be around you right now."

"If it's so hard, then why keep fighting this?" Faith leaned forward and slowly licked her full, bottom lip.

Buffy felt herself getting pulled into Faith's dark, smoldering gaze. It was as if those deep, chocolate eyes contained magnets. She knew Faith wanted to kiss her. And she wanted to be kissed.

The blonde stood up on shaky legs, breaking the spell. Buffy took a few steps away from the leaning brunette, leaving the Boston girl hanging at an awkward position. "You need to stop," she said in a quiet voice with her back facing the younger slayer.

Faith slowly stood as well. She wiped her sweaty palms on the tops of her jeans. "Why, Buffy?" she asked lightly. "Why is ‘Stop' the word of the day?"

Buffy dropped her eyes to the asphalt, her back still turned on the dark slayer. "Because I'm not that strong."

Faith's hands slid around the blonde's slender waist from behind and rested on her hips. "You don't have to be strong with me around, B," she breathed into her ear. "I can be strong for the both of us."

The Californian closed her eyes tightly. "It's not that easy, Fai." She sighed deeply, but allowed herself to be held from behind by the taller girl.

"You look really good tonight, B," Faith murmured, kissing the side of Buffy's neck. She ignored the elder woman's reticence. She nuzzled her nose against the smaller slayer's flesh. "Smell good, too."

Buffy sighed again, but it was not one of despair or exhaustion. "Why'd you come here tonight, Faith?"

The brunette bumped the tip of her nose lovingly against Buffy's right ear and her jaw line. "Just wanted to see you," she whispered into the elder slayer's fragrant skin. "I missed you."