TITLE: Whispers in the Dark
AUTHOR: Charlie
EMAIL: Charlie
FANDOM: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
RATING: G
PAIRING: Buffy/Faith
CATEGORY: Reflective
SUMMARY: Buffy thinks.
DISCLAIMER: They're not mine. Nope, not a one. But I
do have a really great Buffy tee from Fox Studios.
THANKS: to Sel, for the speedy beta *hugs*

"Come on, B. It'll be fun."
   
Buffy wasn't so sure. But Faith could be very
persistant when she wanted to be. And when she wanted
something.
   
// I suppose, // Buffy reflected later, lying awake,
staring at the ceiling, warm body curled beside her,
that if she'd known that Faith was single mindedly
pursuing *her*, she might have done things
differently.

    But if she knew then what she knows now, she'd do
a lot of things differently.
   
So, it had been a date. With Faith. Buffy could be
cool with that, she could be down, she could be open
minded and accepting and all that...
   
// Stop, // she commanded her brain. That was the
problem, no, she couldn't be open and accepting, and
the only reason she'd said yes to Faith's invitation
in the first place was overcompensation, and a great
dollop of fear. And yes, a dash of excitement mixed
in, bubbling underneath all that other stuff.    
   
She was scared now, more scared than she thought she'd
ever been. Well, probably not, when she thought about
it, but it was a different kind of scared. This wasn't
Spike about to tear her head off, or some goopy demon
trying to eat her. That was the kind of fear that only
had two responses - fight back, or get dead.
   
This was something different all together.

    Did Buffy want Faith? Want her in the same way she
wanted Angel, all hot and sweaty?
   
She wasn't sure how long it was, but it felt like a
long time, lying there in the dark, before she could
admit to herself that she did.
   
And only for a few fleeting moments, when Faith's
soft, painted lips lightly touched hers, in a dark
corner of the Bronze, did she think of pushing her
away.
   
One thing, of course, had led to another, and now here
she was, here they both were, and while Faith curled
up to her, seeking comfort and acceptance, Buffy lay
ramrod straight for hours, filled to the brim with
fear and confusion.
   
When she cried, Faith woke up and wiped her tears away
and spoke softly, but Buffy wouldn't tell her what was
wrong.
   
Faith thought she knew. It was what was always wrong.

    Because in months to come, when the positions
where reversed and Buffy lay asleep, with Faith wide
awake and silent tears in the corner of her eyes, it
was always Angel's name that was whispered in the
dark.

An End.