Chapter Text
Buffy can’t get Faith out of her head even hours later, patrolling the grounds of UC Sunnydale in yet another fruitless search for vampires. Not what she’d said about Parker, surprisingly enough, but rather the memory of Faith smirking at her, asking, What are you going to do about it, B? in that husky undertone. Like before, the mental image brings a flush to her cheeks, and Buffy readjusts her grip on the stake. Now is not the time to get distracted, unless she wants to be taken unawares by her prey.
As if to prove her point, the quiet of the night is suddenly broken by a low, menacing snarl. To the untrained eye it might sound like a wolf or some other animal, but Buffy knows better. Only one creature snarls like that. She breaks into a run, following the sound of the snarling, and seconds later bursts through the trees into a small clearing.
“Hey, you fanged fucker!” she yells at the dark figure standing in the middle of the clearing. “Get a load of — Faith?"
“B?” Faith says with a grin, brushing dust off the sleeves of her shirt. “Fancy seeing you here. Out for a midnight stroll? Or maybe a clandestine booty call with what’s-his-name?” She waggles her eyebrows suggestively.
Buffy grits her teeth. “His name,” she says stiffly, “is Parker. And what are you doing here, anyw — ” She falls silent abruptly, irritation fading away into suspicion. What is Faith doing wandering the grounds in the middle of the night, somehow in the very spot where Buffy had heard a vampire growling? There’s no way Faith is the vampire, since she’s able to go out in the daytime, but then where did the vampire go? And why doesn’t Faith seem scared at all, like an ordinary college girl would be if they came face to face with a vampire out for blood?
Faith raises an eyebrow. “What, a girl can’t go on a run every now and then? You think I was just born with these bad boys?” She slaps her thighs, which admittedly are very shapely, but Buffy very firmly keeps herself from admiring them too obviously. Like before, now’s not the time.
“A run,” she repeats skeptically, eyeing Faith’s impractical combat boots and ubiquitous leather jacket. Not to mention that she doesn’t seem the least bit sweaty. Something’s not adding up here, but Buffy doesn’t have time to dither about it while the vampire’s escaping. She strains her ears for the sound of growling, but the only noise is the rustling of tree branches in the wind. Buffy looks at Faith again, torn between going in pursuit of the vampire and making sure her roommate gets back inside safely. But she can’t take the chance that the vampire might circle back around and attack Faith while Buffy’s still catching up, so, reluctantly, she grabs Faith by the elbow. “Don’t you think you should go to bed? I do. Like right now. Let’s go.”
To her surprise, Faith lets herself be towed in the direction of their building, albeit with the obligatory quip, “Getting a little handsy there, B. And what’s with the sudden concern for my welfare? I thought you were still pissy about me scaring away your little boyfriend.”
Of all the people for her to come across while on patrol, why did it have to be Faith? She replies shortly, “I am.”
“So have you just been missing my gorgeous face then?” Faith smirks. “I can’t blame you.”
“Sure, let’s go with that,” Buffy says sarcastically. Impatient, she puts her hand on the small of Faith’s back to herd her forward faster. For some reason Faith seems to tense up a little at the action, her gaze flickering from Buffy’s eyes to her lips. Buffy resolves to ignore this temporary weirdness, even as an embarrassed flush creeps up her neck.
Faith doesn’t say anything for another minute, and Buffy starts to think that she’s finally succeeded in shutting her up. But then Faith’s saying, “Fanged fucker, huh? Not a very sexy nickname if you ask me. But whatever works, I guess.”
“God, don’t you ever shut up?” Buffy snaps, coming to an abrupt stop and whirling to face Faith.
Faith grins. “Not with you, babe.” She twists her wrist, still in Buffy’s grip, and slips her hand into Buffy’s.
Buffy was expecting something like that, but the feel of Faith’s hand in hers still catches her off guard. She opens her mouth and then closes it, painfully aware of how red her face is, Faith’s thumb tracing little circles on her palm only making her blush harder.
Then Faith laughs, releasing her, and the spell is broken. “Come on, you walked right into that one,” she teases, with a careless smile that as good as douses Buffy in ice water.
She forces a laugh in return, and if it’s a little shaky, Faith doesn’t seem to notice. Buffy starts walking again, trying to regain her previous annoyance, but it’s dissipated like smoke and all that’s left is a simmering heat that she doesn’t think she’s felt in months. A heat that she’s trying desperately to ignore, because it can’t mean what she thinks it means, and besides she doesn’t have time for this. There’s a vampire on the loose and she does still have a job to do.
So she pretends not to feel Faith’s gaze on her and stays silent until they finally arrive at their dorm. Faith starts to go inside, but when Buffy doesn’t follow, glances over her shoulder. “You coming?”
“Oh, no,” Buffy says quickly. “I’ve got to… um… meet Parker for that booty call after all.” Inwardly she cringes at her own words, but what other excuse would Faith have bought?
Although it doesn’t seem like Faith buys this one, because she just looks amused, like she knows something Buffy doesn’t. Buffy glares, pleased to feel a resurgence of her irritation, and turns away.
“Buffy?”
The uncharacteristic use of her full name has Buffy turning around reluctantly. “What?”
“I shouldn’t have assumed I knew better about Parker,” Faith says, spitting the words out in a rush, like they’re distasteful to even say. But for once she sounds sincere, enough that Buffy stares at her for a moment.
“Uh, okay,” she says finally. “I guess I overreacted too.” Uncertain, she tries for a smile.
Then Faith ruins it by adding, “I still think he’s an asshole though. I’m not judging, it’s none of my business. But seriously, fuck that guy.”
Buffy surprises herself by letting out a laugh, which Faith looks weirdly satisfied by. “Good night, Faith.”
As she’s leaving, she almost misses the soft, “Night, B,” in response.