Settle for a Little (Challenge)
Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters belong to Joss Whedon.
Title: Settle for a Little
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Buffy, Faith, Angel
Emotion: Bitchy
Spoilers: Set during Season 3's 'Enemies'.
Summary: Faith muses before Buffy goes on her date with Angel.
"So, I'll meet you after the movie, then?"
Faith couldn't do anything but bite her tongue and force herself to nod. After all, she was still supposed to play the good-girl, the supportive friend. And that's what friend's did. They met up after dates and gossiped and killed vampires.
Christ.
Faith wasn't good at this. It was hard enough pretending to be Buffy's friend while she was plotting against her. But to pretend to be supportive of B's sham of a relationship with that undead beef-stick? It made her sick to do it. She wanted to shake the blonde and ask her what the fuck sort of future she thought she'd have with the guy. She'd grow old and die. He'd look do-able and live forever. Not only that, but he was a vampire and she was a vampire slayer. They were supposed to dust his kind, not go on stupid dates with them!
She knew Buffy and Angel had a history together, albeit a messy one. But come on. The brunette felt like waving her arms and shouting "I'm right here! Pick me, stupid!" But what good would that do? Buffy didn't swing that way, as far as she knew, and besides, Faith's boss was planning on killing her soon.
Her stomach clenched painfully at the thought, but she ignored it.
So, instead of telling her exactly what she thought, she had sat in Buffy's room (it was torture, being surrounded by the smell of her and having her so damn close) and watched as the blonde went through her closet trying to find something to wear (although watching her get changed was a treat). She watched as Buffy agonized over getting her appearance just-right and fretted about whether or not she was lagging. Faith found it painfully adorable, and also painfully familiar. She'd gone through the same routine before swinging by the blonde's house, although she'd had no one in her apartment to playfully mock her or help her out.
That's what friends were for, and she didn't really have any.
"Faith?"
The brunette blinked and shook the hurtful truth from her head and forced a smirk. "Sorry, zoned out a sec. What'd you say?" she asked. Buffy looked concerned for a moment, but only a moment, and reminded Faith again that they would meet up after she and Angel got out of the movies. Faith didn't need to be reminded. She was subconsciously counting down the minutes until she could steal the blonde away.
"Yeah, B, I heard ya. I'll meet ya around ten and we'll hit the cemetary. But, ah, you sure you don't want another hour to yourselves? Movie-dates tend to get a bit hot and heavy. And you and soul-boy kinda have that spark." She meant to say the last part in a friendly tone, but the bitterness slipped through. Buffy was too busy looking forlorne to notice. "No, so a non-issue. I mean, Angel and I can't... With the curse and all..." Buffy's face fell, and Faith hated the guilt she felt for it.
"Yeah, well, ain't the love worth it and all that good shit? Better a little than nothin' at all, right?"
Buffy offered a small smile and nodded. "In the long run, yeah. I guess you're right."
They looked at each other a beat, and Faith felt like she should say more, tell her that she wouldn't just have to settle for a little with her. She'd have it all.
But then Buffy looked at the clock, got wide-eyed, and grabbed her coat. "Crap. See you at ten!" she said, and dashed out the door.
Faith sat on Buffy's bed a beat, caught a glimpse of her reflection in Buffy's mirror, and faught the urge to destroy everything in the room around her.
Instead, she grabbed her own jacket and left, taking care to close the door behind her. Something told her she'd never see it again.
Title: Settle for a Little
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Buffy, Faith, Angel
Emotion: Bitchy
Spoilers: Set during Season 3's 'Enemies'.
Summary: Faith muses before Buffy goes on her date with Angel.
"So, I'll meet you after the movie, then?"
Faith couldn't do anything but bite her tongue and force herself to nod. After all, she was still supposed to play the good-girl, the supportive friend. And that's what friend's did. They met up after dates and gossiped and killed vampires.
Christ.
Faith wasn't good at this. It was hard enough pretending to be Buffy's friend while she was plotting against her. But to pretend to be supportive of B's sham of a relationship with that undead beef-stick? It made her sick to do it. She wanted to shake the blonde and ask her what the fuck sort of future she thought she'd have with the guy. She'd grow old and die. He'd look do-able and live forever. Not only that, but he was a vampire and she was a vampire slayer. They were supposed to dust his kind, not go on stupid dates with them!
She knew Buffy and Angel had a history together, albeit a messy one. But come on. The brunette felt like waving her arms and shouting "I'm right here! Pick me, stupid!" But what good would that do? Buffy didn't swing that way, as far as she knew, and besides, Faith's boss was planning on killing her soon.
Her stomach clenched painfully at the thought, but she ignored it.
So, instead of telling her exactly what she thought, she had sat in Buffy's room (it was torture, being surrounded by the smell of her and having her so damn close) and watched as the blonde went through her closet trying to find something to wear (although watching her get changed was a treat). She watched as Buffy agonized over getting her appearance just-right and fretted about whether or not she was lagging. Faith found it painfully adorable, and also painfully familiar. She'd gone through the same routine before swinging by the blonde's house, although she'd had no one in her apartment to playfully mock her or help her out.
That's what friends were for, and she didn't really have any.
"Faith?"
The brunette blinked and shook the hurtful truth from her head and forced a smirk. "Sorry, zoned out a sec. What'd you say?" she asked. Buffy looked concerned for a moment, but only a moment, and reminded Faith again that they would meet up after she and Angel got out of the movies. Faith didn't need to be reminded. She was subconsciously counting down the minutes until she could steal the blonde away.
"Yeah, B, I heard ya. I'll meet ya around ten and we'll hit the cemetary. But, ah, you sure you don't want another hour to yourselves? Movie-dates tend to get a bit hot and heavy. And you and soul-boy kinda have that spark." She meant to say the last part in a friendly tone, but the bitterness slipped through. Buffy was too busy looking forlorne to notice. "No, so a non-issue. I mean, Angel and I can't... With the curse and all..." Buffy's face fell, and Faith hated the guilt she felt for it.
"Yeah, well, ain't the love worth it and all that good shit? Better a little than nothin' at all, right?"
Buffy offered a small smile and nodded. "In the long run, yeah. I guess you're right."
They looked at each other a beat, and Faith felt like she should say more, tell her that she wouldn't just have to settle for a little with her. She'd have it all.
But then Buffy looked at the clock, got wide-eyed, and grabbed her coat. "Crap. See you at ten!" she said, and dashed out the door.
Faith sat on Buffy's bed a beat, caught a glimpse of her reflection in Buffy's mirror, and faught the urge to destroy everything in the room around her.
Instead, she grabbed her own jacket and left, taking care to close the door behind her. Something told her she'd never see it again.