A Christmas Story

It’s Christmas Eve, 2003.

Yep, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, which is good because it’s tomorrow.  It’s been about 8 months since Sunnydale collapsed, the gang and I have relocated to New York.  We’ve managed to track down the Council’s funds, which helped us to set up a new headquarters in a smallish four story building down in the Village.  The building used to be a health club, so it was just perfect for us.  The bottom floor has our training rooms and our hot tubs and an Olympic sized indoor pool.  The second floor contains our offices and Willows computer room, the third floor was broken up into 4 apartments, Xander’s, Willow’s and Kennedy’s, Giles, and Andrew’s.  Yep, we just can’t seem to lose him, we’ve driven him out in the middle of nowhere and left him, but he always finds his way home.  What?  I’m just kidding.  We haven’t done it yet, but I’d be lying if I said it’s never been discussed.

The fourth floor, the top floor, has been split into two apartments, one apartment shared by Dawn and myself, the other is all Faith’s.  Yep, she came with us too.  I will say there are no plans to drop her in the middle of nowhere, she’s been a great addition to our little group.  She and I run the new Council together, did that shock you?  Would it also shock you to know that Faith and I get along great now?  Would it even further shock you to know that I’ve grown quite fond of Ms. LeHane?  Well I have, we hang out together constantly, we go to movies, we watch TV, we go out slaying and dancing and we even grocery shop and do our laundry together.

Faith and I had a no holds barred discussion a few days after Sunnydale fell, we spoke of the past, we spoke of the reasons for the past.  We both agreed to try to become friends.  So here we are, 8 months later, the friendship has been a success, we’ve gotten as close as two friends possibly ever can, but the problem is I want more.

So the grown up thing to do, would be to start and open and frank discussion of our feelings which is a lot easier since we’re the bestest of best buds and come to some sort of mutual agreement.  Well, riddle me this batman…when have you ever known me to do the adult grown up thing?

“I just can’t believe she’d ditch me like that.”  I say as I hand Faith a cup of eggnog.

Faith starts, “Well…”  She takes a sip of her eggnog, the promptly almost chokes on it, “Jeez, B…how much rum did you put in here?”

I act like she’s just a lightweight, and that I haven’t put too much rum into it.  Of course it’s just an act, I’d say that eggnog is nearly 95% rum, 3% egg, and only 2% nog.

“I didn’t put that much in…maybe you’re just a lightweight…”

Faith gives me an incredulous look, “A lightweight?  ME?  Hey, I’m not the one who went all Cave Slayer because she drank a little beer…”

OK, her making fun of me has never really put in me in the mood, so I bring her back on topic, “Uh…Hello?  You’re supposed to be comforting me here…”

“Oh, right…sorry…my bad.  You were saying?”  Faith takes another long sip from her cup and tries to look interested.

That’s right Faithie, drink up.

“I was saying, I can’t believe she’d just ditch me like that.  She knows we always decorate on Christmas Eve…”

Faith sighs, “She’s a kid, B.”  Seeing that explanation wasn’t good enough, she continued, “’sides, I heard that party at Sublime is gonna be kickass.  And there’s nothing to worry about, she went with Willow and Xander.”

I frown and ask, “If that party’s so kick ass, how come you’re here with me?”

“I’m over the whole party thing…”  Off my look she continues, “And somebody had to make sure that the deranged Christmas elf that is you doesn’t get carried away…”

“Was that a crack at my height?”

“No…”  she grins and adds, “…maybe…”

“Un-huh…”

Faith looked around the apartment and said, “Fuck B, it looks like the Christmas store threw up in here…”

I pretend to pout at Faith’s teasing as I unwrapped a candy cane.  I seductively put it in my mouth and suck on it enticingly.  As I predicted, Faith is now watching me with avid interest.

Faith wondered to herself briefly just what ‘Lucy’ was up to this time.  She didn’t call attention to Buffy’s dirty little act with the candy cane, she just sat back and enjoyed the show.

I slowly move the candy cane around, trying really hard to make like I’m doing it absentmindedly, I look around the room and ask, “You don’t like what I’ve done here…”

“Huh?  Wha?  Oh, here…it’s…it’s nice…”

Heh!  Oh yeah, this is totally working, she’s totally buying this shit.  I continue with my dirty little show for a few more minutes before I excuse myself to get something from the other room.

I walk back through the archway towards the kitchen, I stop when Faith suddenly says, “You think I don’t know what you’re doing with that candy cane?”

I turn around, intent on acting all innocent like, but when I do Faith is standing right in front of me.  Wow, is it hot in here?  Faith points up at the archway, sly little smirk on her face, “Oh look, mistletoe, I wonder who put it there…”

‘Oh god, she’s giving me the sexy, coy smile…oh god, I’ve gotta get a grip, I’ve named her smiles.  Oh no, now she’s giving me the challenge smile.  I hadn’t anticipated this.  I really didn’t think she’d notice the mistletoe.  I didn’t think she’d call me at my game so soon.  I’m starting to panic, when I get an idea.

I give her the innocent look and say, “Oh…hmmm…good question…”  I grab her by the waist and pull her into me.  I kiss her slowly, really putting my all into it, and she returns the kiss with just as much enthusiasm.

We pull away and Faith looks at me in confusion, heh, I love the confused smile of hers most of all.

“You…you kissed me…”

I just nod and reply, “Oh…you noticed that…”

“Uh…yeah…”

I nod, “Good.  Glad we got that settled…So which side of the bed do you want?”

For a split second she seems thrown by that question, but this is Faith so she quickly recovers, “the only preference that I have is that bed in question is yours.”

“Indeed it is.”

“Let me make sure I understand, this is for all the marbles right?  The whole nine yards.  A…‘relationship‘.”

I nod, she smiles.  She grabs my wrist and pulls me into the bedroom.

The End