Before the Dawn
by Xavier
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and its characters didn't belong to me, they belonged to Joss Whedon, just borrowed them for a bit of fun. Before The Dawn lyric belonged to Evanescence.
Note: This is my first Buffy: TVS fanfic, so I might get some details wrong, sorry about that.
A dark, female figure leaned against the gate to the largest cemetery in Sunnydale, waiting. In her hand she twirled the stake absentmindedly, she was looking up at the moon calculating the time in her head. She didn't really need to look at the watch -not that she ever wore one-to know that it was way past the time that the other slayer was suppose to meet her for a quick patrol.
The moon was almost at the highest point in the sky. That was how she can tell the time, and she was accurate, fairly to the minute, it was a skill she acquired once she almost became the creature of the night -not the undead kind just spent most of her waking hour in the night more than she had in the day. It was just normal for her now, being a slayer, she hunt the evil, and most of the time evil roamed the night and not the day, so it was necessary for her to be awake at the time the evil was at the height of their activity.
Unlike Buffy, who had other life than slaying.
Buffy Anne Summers.
The other slayer.
Who was still a no show. Faith gave a small sigh, this wasn't the first time the older slayer was late, but she was never this late, and the brunette was getting annoyed and restless. She hadn't really seen Buffy at all this week, except when they train, which the blonde had cut short with excuse of having to study. Faith would never admit this to anyone, but she missed her.
She missed hearing the other girl babbled, the way she pouted and even the way she rolled her eyes when Faith said something overly sexual in nature to her, or cracked crude joke. The brunette wondered if the other girl ever realized what was behind those jokes, or the double meaning of 'girlfriend' when Faith said it to her.
Probably not, Faith decided, B can be so dense sometimes.
Looking up at the moon again, it was nearly eleven thirty.
Faith had noticed that lately, Willow had been giving her dirty look everytime she showed up at the library for training with Buffy. And she didn't need to be a genius to know that the redhead was jealous. And everytime Buffy explained their activity as a slayer-thing, she could almost see steam coming out of her ears. It was actually pretty funny, and Faith had to suppress her laughter that bubbled up whenever she saw that particular expression on the redhead.
Other than the dirty look, Red -nickname that Faith gave her, only to piss her off - also seemed to be trying to pull the blonde away with the excuse of study. Faith knew Buffy didn't get it, but she did, the redhead saw her as a rival, someone who tried to steal her bestfriend away from her.
But Faith didn't really want Buffy to be just friend.
She wanted so much more.
It was a strange feeling; she had always been the 'get some get gone' type of girl. She would take what she wanted from whoever that happened to be convenient at the time, they took what they wanted and then they part way, no string attached, no promises. Hell, most of the time the dark slayer didn't even know their names. She never wanted to be with anyone, at least not beyond second performance, if they were good enough for that.
But with Buffy, she wanted the whole thing, whatever that was.
She wanted to tell her, to let her know exactly how she felt, but with all their banters and jokes, Faith knew one thing, she had no chance in hell with the blonde slayer.
Buffy was as straight as they come.
So Faith told herself to keep quiet and savor what time she spent with the older slayer. However little that was. And lately it had been fewer and fewer. The only time she got to see the blonde anymore was either short training session, or short patrol. They had arranged the scheduled, so that they both could cover more ground in shorter amount of time. The younger didn't really like the idea, but if she protested it would've look strange. So she didn't.
Just as she was about to enter the cemetery by herself, deciding that the older slayer was probably not going to show up tonight; and she would rather get the patrol over with, since there was no one to keep her company, she heard footsteps.
Turning back to look, a small figure was walking down the street heading her way and Faith straightened up, waiting.
'Meet me after dark again and I'll hold you I am nothing more than to see you there'
"Hey B," she crossed her arms over her chest, feet apart.
Faith was more than just annoyed, and just a little pissed at having to wait, yet again. But she didn't let it show in her voice. She didn't want the other slayer to know how much it bothered her.
"Waiting long?" Buffy Summers walked up to her sister slayer.
Faith shrugged, "ready to go?"
"Yeah."
They entered the cemetery, stakes in hands, walking side by side in silent.
Under the pretense of looking for vampires, Faith was watching the older slayer. Even with the annoyance she felt for having to wait for almost half a night and didn't even get apology or explanation for it, she was still happy to see the blonde.
It was quiet tonight, no undead to be found and Faith was getting bored. If they couldn't find any action soon, they would have to part way, and she didn't want that. Both had been quiet, the dark slayer didn't feel like breaking the silence, she wasn't in a moon to crack any joke tonight, sexual or otherwise. And the older slayer seemed to be thinking hard about something.
The expression on her face was rather adorable and Faith couldn't help but stealing glances her way. She wished more than anything to be able to put her arms around the smaller girl, holding her tight, and she would've done that except she knew that all she would get for her trouble was a punch in the face.
'And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away We'll be lost before the dawn'
"You ok there, B?" Faith broke the silence, stake twirling in her hand, acting as if she didn't really care of the answer.
"Huh, what?"
"You, playing mute girl, is everything ok?" Faith repeated the question, rolling her eyes for effect. "You hadn't said a word since you got here, you're almost an hour late and didn't even give me the explanation for it." The last part was laced with a touch of bitterness that she just couldn't control. "If you don't want to patrol, could've let me know so I go by myself."
"It's.. nothing."
"No," Faith turned to face her. "No, it's not nothing. You've been late meeting me; you didn't really wanna train with me."
Buffy stopped dead at acidity in the brunette's voice. "It really is nothing, Faith. I'm just a little preoccupied, school and all that."
"Yeah, whatever."
'If only night can hold you where I can see you, my love Then let me never ever wake again'
They had been great together, when Faith first got to Sunnydale, she knew that the older slayer was wary of her, thinking that she was trying to take over her life. Then there was Kakistos, and she helped her. After that they got along so well, even though they were as different as any two people could be.
And now she seemed to be threatening Willow for her bestfriend status, and that was probably why they hadn't really been spending any kind of time together. Faith could barely suppress a sigh, knowing it would come to this. Buffy was choosing, and it was easy to see who she was going to choose. And it wouldn't be Faith.
Faith just didn't fit in with them. She was bad girl through and through, leather pants, tight clothing and attitude to boot. They were like a couple of misfit, Buffy was all light and pastel, Faith was dark and dangerous. Though she hoped that they could at least be friends.
Not happening now that she thought about it.
If Buffy wasn't such a straight, goody two shoes..
"You know what, B." She finally said. "Since you don't seem to be into this anyway, why don't you go home. I'm sure you need to study for some test or something with Red."
Buffy didn't say a word, she stared at the brunette, watching as her sister slayer turned and walked away in rapid pace.
'And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away We'll be lost before the dawn'
The brunette was disappointed, she had hope that maybe Buffy would give her some sort of explanation, however lame it would be, it would've been better than nothing. Because lame excuse meant she cared, somewhat, about what Faith would think, but she didn't even bother with that, meant she didn't really care either way. Whatever Faith would think of her being late or not even there at all.
Like she didn't deserve to know.
The nighttime that she was looking forward to, ruined. A few jokes, and maybe a few laughs that she was so looking forward to having with the older girl, a little bit of happiness in her otherwise empty and lonely existence.
'Somehow I know that we can't wake again from this dream it's not real, but it's ours'
At last she found a group of vamps emerging from some warehouse, she didn't really care of where she was exactly, she just dove in and started the action. Seeing how it didn't seem like it was going to start anytime soon and she needed to work off her frustration among other things.
Pointy end to the chest, first one turned to dust in no time. She didn't think he even realize what was happening. Spinning around with spinning heel kick, she got the second one, sending him into the other two that were standing just behind him. They were newbies, she could tell. The way they just seemed to stand there in confusion; and after the first one turned to dust, fear.
Faith made a quick work of the rest, spending a bit more time on the last, beating him to the bloody pulp before staked him in the chest while sitting on his stomach, after he was long dusted, she sat there, wanting to scream, or cry, anything to let what she felt inside out. But she didn't.
Taking a deep breath, the brunette got up, dusting herself off and headed toward the poor side of the town, time to go home.
Or whatever the shitty hotel room she had to live in could be called.
She was told once, a long time ago. Home was the place you can run to, a place where you feel safe and welcomed, if the description was true, then the damn place couldn't be called home. She didn't feel welcome there, but it was the only place she had.
It didn't take her long to get there. Dragging her feet, she walked up the stairs, stopping in front of her room, fishing out the key from her pocket and pushed it into the hole, turning it, she felt nothing.
It wasn't locked.
Frowning, Faith pushed the door open, wondering if she was that eager to see Buffy that she forgot to lock the door, not that she had anything worth stealing in this shitty place and her shitty existence, but still.
Walking inside, she suddenly felt a tingle down her spine, the good kind, the one that always let her know that the other slayer was near by.
There sitting on her bed, a small figure of Buffy Summers sat, waiting.
"Hey, B."
"Faith."
"Whatcha doing here in the dark?"
Faith turned on the light in the room, her eyes focused on the small blonde in front of her even before the light illuminated the room, drinking in the sight of her.
"Have something to tell you."
"Yeah?" Her heart hammered in her chest, Faith faltered slightly as she made her way over to her bed where the blonde sat. She felt like her heart was about to make its way up her throat, and she was going to throw up any minute now. The silence in the room was thick, and she thought that she knew what it was about.
Buffy was going to tell her off. God, can't she just simply ignore me and hint at it? Why did she have to come here and wait to tell me?
After a few heart beats, the older slayer finally open her mouth.
"I think.. I think I'm in love with you." Buffy bit her lower lip as she spoke softly, so soft that had Faith been normal human she wouldn't have heard it. But she wasn't and the blonde knew that.
Faith thought she was going to pass out, and she breathe out a relieve sigh.
"You know something, Buffy?"
"What?" It didn't seem to register to the blonde that the other slayer was using her full name. She was scared of what Faith would say to her, if she was going to laugh and sent her on her way, telling her that it wasn't going to happen.
"I feel the same way." It finally came and Buffy turned to face the smiling Faith, her green eyes wide, then she felt an arm came up to envelop her. "I'm in love with you."
'Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away We'll be lost before the dawn Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away We'll be lost before the dawn'