Not Alone in the Dark
The next holiday ficlet, this one Christmas-y. Cross-posted at good__evil
Not Alone in the Dark
Author: enigmaticblue
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: They aren’t mine. I think that’s obvious.
Summary: Set in an alternate future where Wesley didn’t die, he and Faith end up spending Christmas together and find that they have more in common than they’d ever thought.
A/N: Written for my 2008 holiday request ficathon, and requested by alwaysjbj.
Faith had asked-well, begged would be closer to the truth-to be anywhere other than Cleveland for Christmas. The last holiday season had been good, just this side of “wonderful” in fact, but this one promised to be nothing short miserable.
She’d had time to get over Robin’s death, but not time enough to be comfortable with the idea of staying in the same house where they had been happy.
Maybe it wouldn’t always have been that way, maybe he would have let her down like everybody always did, but that didn’t change what it had been like, and it didn’t change how much she missed him now.
Giles had seemed to understand, and he’d agreed to give her a task over the holidays. Of course, he hadn’t told her that Wesley was going to be along for the ride.
“Bloody hell.”
She glanced up, seeing Wesley with his thumb in his mouth. “Cut yourself?”
“Yes. The knife slipped.” He’d been sharpening it on an oiled stone. “Do you want me to do yours?”
Faith’s eyebrows went up; there were a lot of directions she could take that. “I keep my knife sharp, thanks.”
A smile tilted the corners of his lips up. “Very well. I just thought I’d ask.”
“What made you sign up for this gig?” They hadn’t said much to one another since she’d arrived at the house Giles had rented. It was easy to avoid him, since they were supposed to be on a stakeout, and they had agreed to take different shifts. Even now, she kept one eye out the window and on the front door of the house across the street.
The mission was recon only, with no contact with the subject, who was only a means to an end. He was just a middle man, and they wanted the person commissioning the deaths of the more helpless demons.
But it never hurt to be prepared, which was why Wesley was sharpening his weapons.
“I hate Christmas.”
Faith didn’t usually hear someone admit to that so readily. “Yeah?”
“It’s a rotten holiday.”
Her eyebrows went up. “Someone sounds pissed off.”
Wesley looked uncomfortable. “Forgive me. I’ve been told that I shouldn’t be such a Grinch.”
“That sounds like B.”
“You would be correct.” His smile had little humor in it. “That would be why I’m here. I’d rather not ruin anyone else’s Christmas.”
Faith shrugged. “What’s to ruin? We’re on a stakeout, right? No holiday here.”
“Which is precisely why I’m here, rather than somewhere else.”
“I heard about what happened to Fred.” She’d caught bits and pieces of the story from various people over the last few months. Willow and Giles hadn’t been able to do anything to prevent Illyria from taking over Fred’s body, but they had been able to help the God-King make the transition.
Unfortunately, no one could change the fact that Fred was gone. Just a short time later, Wesley had dropped off the face of the planet for a while, before turning up at Council headquarters to offer his services to Giles.
Apparently they had both had the same idea for the holidays: get out of town and stay busy.
“Yes, well, that’s the least of my concerns, I’m afraid.”
“What’s the other concern?”
She saw the muscle along his jaw jump. “It’s a rotten holiday.”
“I’ve always hated Christmas, too,” she admitted. “Probably because it sucked when I was a kid.”
“I can understand that.”
From his tone of voice, she could tell that he did. She might not have said anything else, allowing the bond between them stay unspoken and ignored.
The phone rang, however, and she reached for the receiver automatically. “Yeah.”
“Faith. It’s Giles. I have good news.”
She had a feeling that his definition of good news and hers weren’t one and the same. “Oh?”
“We’ve caught the person who requested Okla blood, and it appears as though she was also behind some of the other more awful requests. You and Wesley are free to come back to Council headquarters for the holidays. I’ve already booked you a flight.”
Faith sighed. “Thanks, Giles. Who made the find?”
“Willow managed to hack into the computer and break the encryption. She didn’t think she was going to be able to, which is why I sent you.”
Faith didn’t believe that for a minute. Giles had sent her because she asked, and he hadn’t had anything more pressing. “I’ll let Wes know.”
Her partner in misery didn’t need to be told what had happened. “He’s calling us in.”
“Willow found out who was making the orders, and I guess he sent someone else to collar her.”
“Her?”
“That’s what Giles said.”
They stared at one another, both equally disappointed to be traveling back to the land of making merry. Wesley finally sighed. “I suppose I should pack.”
Faith suddenly had an idea. “Wait. Why should we go back?”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s the holidays, right? We should be able to take a vacation anywhere we want, and we’re in Spain. I’ve never been here before, and we’ve spent the last few days cooped up inside this house.”
Faith could tell that Wesley was still hesitant. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
“Why not? We can be Grinches together, right?”
He was very carefully not looking at her. “I’m sure you’d rather get back to your friends.”
“The same friends who told both of us that we’d misplaced our Christmas spirit?” Faith snorted. “Please. Not celebrating has got to be better than going back.”
Wesley finally met her eyes. “Then I very much doubt that you want to spend the holiday with me.”
Faith frowned. There was something in his face, in his eyes, that she’d never noticed before. She cocked her head, and it clicked. “You want me.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He turned to leave, clearly a little huffy. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go pack.”
Faith seized his arm. “Hell, Wes, I’m not talking a marriage proposal. I’m talking a week on a beach somewhere. We can tell Giles that it’s his Christmas gift to us.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
She studied his face for a long moment, trying to figure out what was going on. She knew he was attracted to her, and he knew that she was up for a good time; what was his deal? After a second, she got it. It was guilt, although she didn’t know what he had to be guilty about. Still, two could play at that game.
“What? You don’t think I’m attractive?” Faith peered around at her rear end. “Have I gotten fat or ugly or something?”
“No! No, you’re as beautiful as you’ve always been, I just…” He trailed off, and from his shocked expression, Faith knew that he hadn’t meant to say that much.
“So, you think I’m hot; I think you’re pretty hot, and we don’t want to spend Christmas with a bunch of people who are gonna be brought down by our Scrooge-like attitude. What’s the problem here, Wes?”
“I’m a Watcher.”
“And I’m a Slayer, and of age.”
“I don’t think we’re good for each other, Faith.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Is this about L.A.? About Angelus? We both did what we had to do, Wes. There aren’t any hard feelings on my part.”
“Nor on mine.”
“Then what’s the deal? Because like I said, this isn’t a marriage proposal.”
He shook his head. “Faith, I don’t-”
She had no idea what was causing his reluctance, but for the moment, she didn’t care. Whether it was misplaced guilt or some strange sense of duty, Faith decided that the only way she was going to get what she wanted was to take it.
And that took her back to Sunnydale.
Wanting Wes wasn’t illegal or wrong, and it wasn’t going to get her into trouble. If he decided that he didn’t want her, all he had to do was push her away.
He didn’t. In fact, after the first few seconds of her tongue teasing his lips, Wesley pulled her closer with the sort of passion that told Faith that it had been long-buried. It didn’t take long for them to stumble down the hall to the bedroom she’d been using, discarding items of clothing in their wake.
“Are you certain?” Wes muttered even as he ran his hands down her arms and up her bare sides.
“Do I look uncertain?” She pushed him back on the bed, then straddled his waist.
A smile tipped the corners of his mouth up. “No. You don’t.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
Wesley searched her face, his own expression serious. “Nothing.” He suddenly grinned. “Maybe Christmas isn’t such a rotten holiday.”
Faith just smirked. “Not when you get to open your gift early, anyway.”
Looked like she’d made the right decision about where to spend the holiday.
Not Alone in the Dark
Author: enigmaticblue
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: They aren’t mine. I think that’s obvious.
Summary: Set in an alternate future where Wesley didn’t die, he and Faith end up spending Christmas together and find that they have more in common than they’d ever thought.
A/N: Written for my 2008 holiday request ficathon, and requested by alwaysjbj.
Faith had asked-well, begged would be closer to the truth-to be anywhere other than Cleveland for Christmas. The last holiday season had been good, just this side of “wonderful” in fact, but this one promised to be nothing short miserable.
She’d had time to get over Robin’s death, but not time enough to be comfortable with the idea of staying in the same house where they had been happy.
Maybe it wouldn’t always have been that way, maybe he would have let her down like everybody always did, but that didn’t change what it had been like, and it didn’t change how much she missed him now.
Giles had seemed to understand, and he’d agreed to give her a task over the holidays. Of course, he hadn’t told her that Wesley was going to be along for the ride.
“Bloody hell.”
She glanced up, seeing Wesley with his thumb in his mouth. “Cut yourself?”
“Yes. The knife slipped.” He’d been sharpening it on an oiled stone. “Do you want me to do yours?”
Faith’s eyebrows went up; there were a lot of directions she could take that. “I keep my knife sharp, thanks.”
A smile tilted the corners of his lips up. “Very well. I just thought I’d ask.”
“What made you sign up for this gig?” They hadn’t said much to one another since she’d arrived at the house Giles had rented. It was easy to avoid him, since they were supposed to be on a stakeout, and they had agreed to take different shifts. Even now, she kept one eye out the window and on the front door of the house across the street.
The mission was recon only, with no contact with the subject, who was only a means to an end. He was just a middle man, and they wanted the person commissioning the deaths of the more helpless demons.
But it never hurt to be prepared, which was why Wesley was sharpening his weapons.
“I hate Christmas.”
Faith didn’t usually hear someone admit to that so readily. “Yeah?”
“It’s a rotten holiday.”
Her eyebrows went up. “Someone sounds pissed off.”
Wesley looked uncomfortable. “Forgive me. I’ve been told that I shouldn’t be such a Grinch.”
“That sounds like B.”
“You would be correct.” His smile had little humor in it. “That would be why I’m here. I’d rather not ruin anyone else’s Christmas.”
Faith shrugged. “What’s to ruin? We’re on a stakeout, right? No holiday here.”
“Which is precisely why I’m here, rather than somewhere else.”
“I heard about what happened to Fred.” She’d caught bits and pieces of the story from various people over the last few months. Willow and Giles hadn’t been able to do anything to prevent Illyria from taking over Fred’s body, but they had been able to help the God-King make the transition.
Unfortunately, no one could change the fact that Fred was gone. Just a short time later, Wesley had dropped off the face of the planet for a while, before turning up at Council headquarters to offer his services to Giles.
Apparently they had both had the same idea for the holidays: get out of town and stay busy.
“Yes, well, that’s the least of my concerns, I’m afraid.”
“What’s the other concern?”
She saw the muscle along his jaw jump. “It’s a rotten holiday.”
“I’ve always hated Christmas, too,” she admitted. “Probably because it sucked when I was a kid.”
“I can understand that.”
From his tone of voice, she could tell that he did. She might not have said anything else, allowing the bond between them stay unspoken and ignored.
The phone rang, however, and she reached for the receiver automatically. “Yeah.”
“Faith. It’s Giles. I have good news.”
She had a feeling that his definition of good news and hers weren’t one and the same. “Oh?”
“We’ve caught the person who requested Okla blood, and it appears as though she was also behind some of the other more awful requests. You and Wesley are free to come back to Council headquarters for the holidays. I’ve already booked you a flight.”
Faith sighed. “Thanks, Giles. Who made the find?”
“Willow managed to hack into the computer and break the encryption. She didn’t think she was going to be able to, which is why I sent you.”
Faith didn’t believe that for a minute. Giles had sent her because she asked, and he hadn’t had anything more pressing. “I’ll let Wes know.”
Her partner in misery didn’t need to be told what had happened. “He’s calling us in.”
“Willow found out who was making the orders, and I guess he sent someone else to collar her.”
“Her?”
“That’s what Giles said.”
They stared at one another, both equally disappointed to be traveling back to the land of making merry. Wesley finally sighed. “I suppose I should pack.”
Faith suddenly had an idea. “Wait. Why should we go back?”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s the holidays, right? We should be able to take a vacation anywhere we want, and we’re in Spain. I’ve never been here before, and we’ve spent the last few days cooped up inside this house.”
Faith could tell that Wesley was still hesitant. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
“Why not? We can be Grinches together, right?”
He was very carefully not looking at her. “I’m sure you’d rather get back to your friends.”
“The same friends who told both of us that we’d misplaced our Christmas spirit?” Faith snorted. “Please. Not celebrating has got to be better than going back.”
Wesley finally met her eyes. “Then I very much doubt that you want to spend the holiday with me.”
Faith frowned. There was something in his face, in his eyes, that she’d never noticed before. She cocked her head, and it clicked. “You want me.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He turned to leave, clearly a little huffy. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go pack.”
Faith seized his arm. “Hell, Wes, I’m not talking a marriage proposal. I’m talking a week on a beach somewhere. We can tell Giles that it’s his Christmas gift to us.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
She studied his face for a long moment, trying to figure out what was going on. She knew he was attracted to her, and he knew that she was up for a good time; what was his deal? After a second, she got it. It was guilt, although she didn’t know what he had to be guilty about. Still, two could play at that game.
“What? You don’t think I’m attractive?” Faith peered around at her rear end. “Have I gotten fat or ugly or something?”
“No! No, you’re as beautiful as you’ve always been, I just…” He trailed off, and from his shocked expression, Faith knew that he hadn’t meant to say that much.
“So, you think I’m hot; I think you’re pretty hot, and we don’t want to spend Christmas with a bunch of people who are gonna be brought down by our Scrooge-like attitude. What’s the problem here, Wes?”
“I’m a Watcher.”
“And I’m a Slayer, and of age.”
“I don’t think we’re good for each other, Faith.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Is this about L.A.? About Angelus? We both did what we had to do, Wes. There aren’t any hard feelings on my part.”
“Nor on mine.”
“Then what’s the deal? Because like I said, this isn’t a marriage proposal.”
He shook his head. “Faith, I don’t-”
She had no idea what was causing his reluctance, but for the moment, she didn’t care. Whether it was misplaced guilt or some strange sense of duty, Faith decided that the only way she was going to get what she wanted was to take it.
And that took her back to Sunnydale.
Wanting Wes wasn’t illegal or wrong, and it wasn’t going to get her into trouble. If he decided that he didn’t want her, all he had to do was push her away.
He didn’t. In fact, after the first few seconds of her tongue teasing his lips, Wesley pulled her closer with the sort of passion that told Faith that it had been long-buried. It didn’t take long for them to stumble down the hall to the bedroom she’d been using, discarding items of clothing in their wake.
“Are you certain?” Wes muttered even as he ran his hands down her arms and up her bare sides.
“Do I look uncertain?” She pushed him back on the bed, then straddled his waist.
A smile tipped the corners of his mouth up. “No. You don’t.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
Wesley searched her face, his own expression serious. “Nothing.” He suddenly grinned. “Maybe Christmas isn’t such a rotten holiday.”
Faith just smirked. “Not when you get to open your gift early, anyway.”
Looked like she’d made the right decision about where to spend the holiday.