Kathy's Revenge

Chapter 17
Faiths POV
She looks at me for a little longer then I walk over to the small two-seater couch and sit down on the arm. Willow goes over to the bed and sits on the edge facing me. Nothing is said for a while and I begin to fidget. I hate silence. Have I already mentioned this? If I have I don't mean to repeat myself but I just hate silence. Silence can be taken even worse than if you'd actually said something and it came out wrong.

She takes a deep breath and just for a second I think she's going to start off the whole. ‘I just needed someone' speech. I know it's coming. For fuck sake I can't even count how man times I've used it... okay so not that many. Generally just kick them out in their underwear but it's more or less the same. My way is just easier, less words, less hassle. I'm rambling now. I'm rambling to people in my head. What stage of insanity is that?

Right need to start the ball rolling. "So...?" I say sliding down the arm onto the seat. That's a great conversation starter right there.

"Last night..." she replies, I wait a second to see if she has anything to add. Why is it that nether of us can actually get a sentence out?

I pluck up the courage and finally start to speak. "Okay, we did it last night and I don't know what's happening between us and I kinda just wanna..."

She jumps in before I finish. "Forget about it?" she looks at me for the first time. She wants to what? Okay let me just run you down on a few things. Like how much I changed in prison. Being in a place like that puts some perspective on how far you can actually get if you keep pushing people away like that. So in no way shape or form do I want to forget about this.

"I... Erm..." the next few words come out as a whisper. "I didn't say that." What ever happened to Want. Take. Have? Now I just feel like this mouse in the corner of a room trying not to be noticed.

"Well what are you saying? I know you Faith you're the ‘get some, get gone' girl. To you it was just a lay... and that's okay. It really is because I didn't expect anymore than that. But with this silent treatment and avoiding stuff you're pulling I just don't know what to think..." she stops for a second as if to put her thoughts in order. "...I want to be your friend..." she stops waiting for me to speak but I can't seem to get around the huge dry lump that has appeared in my throat. She looks at me for a second or two longer and then asks me so quietly that I doubt if it wasn't for my slayer hearing I would have heard her. "Was I not good?"

My eyes open wide as I try to contemplate this utterly ridiculous question. "Red..." I stop, really shouldn't be using nicknames when I'm trying to be serious. I lean far forward on the couch knitting my fingers together so I can't fidget and look right into her eyes. "...Willow, you were amazing, really... all of it. I left this morning because I was hungry and I was gonna come back as soon as I had finished but then you turned up and sat with Bethany. I thought you were the one trying to avoid or ignore me."

After this explanation it all comes together. We've been avoiding each others avoidy-ness. Why are these things always so simple but seam so complex when you're in the middle of it?

I go on trying to guess what she has been thinking about me all day. I can't screw this up. I know what your thinking. You're in my head so I have total right to be in yours. You're thinking ‘you've changed so much... right what about Wood?' That my friends is what staring certain death in the face does to a person... I just needed to get one more man in before I crocked okay. This is different. This is Willow. "When I came to the room to get my stuff this morning Jen just followed me, I didn't ask her to, she just wanted to know about some of my slayer stuff... battles and stuff so she can try some moves out." I look down at the floor losing my nerve. "I don't want to just get some this time. I..." Grow a pair and get on with it. "I like you Red. Always kinda liked ya."

Willow manages a small smile and I return it. Yay me! Dug myself right outa that one! Hold the rope it is no longer needed. "Even though you had sex with Xander?" About that rope. I was a bit hasty. Before any chance you could actually throw that down.

"Come on Red. You had Oz, always jealous about how much time I was spending with B. And there was the fact that I was fighting this wicked strong demon and didn't manage to get my slay on." She raises her eyebrow at me. "Straight up. he had to pop my shoulder back in and everything."

Her face scrunches up. "Gross."

I shrug. I'm kinda used to it popping out by now. "Yeah well it's been weak ever since..." So don't want to go there. Not even in my mind. Abrupt subject change is called for. "Kinda putting myself out there you know Red. If you just want to forget about last night that's okay." Why am I saying these things? It's so not okay. "It would just be nice to... I actually have no idea where I'm going with that sentence."

She manages a slightly bigger smile at my admission and stands from the bed. She's walking over to me. How do I take that? Am I going to be getting a slap on the face? She stands before me and leans down cupping my face. Distinct lack of slapping. So I'm going to go ahead and take that as a good sign. She leans in and kisses me. I'm more than shocked. So shocked in fact that I don't actually return it for a while. That's until my brain shuts the fuck up and my body has a free pass.

My fingers thread through that rich red hair and I pull her closer to me. I let her push against my shoulders so my back hits the back of the couch and she sits with one knee either side of my hip. This is exactly how this night should have ended.

My fingers leave her hair and find the buttons on her blouse and begin the task of removing the item, which if you ask me shouldn't have even been there in the first place. When my task is complete I push the garment off her shoulders to land... well that's not really when my attention is at right now. I'm thinking the floor.

I'm just preparing myself to unbutton her jeans when as if the gods themselves wish to be amused for just that one moment by sending me a buzz kill there is a loud knock at the door.

"Hey guys, can I come in?" Xander shouts through the door.

I answer because Red seems to think this is all highly amusing and is giggling above me. "Not right now!" I shout to the door.

I hear Andrew ask Xander what's up and they start talking about mine and Willows foul moods all day and Andrew speculates that I am in the process of slaying the witch. I aint slaying her but I guess death by sex is a good way to go... with a nice big smile on your face... unless you have a weird orgasm face, then it would just be very disturbing.

"Xander, we will be out in a few minutes, we will meet you in the lobby then we can all go and eat." Willow shouts at the door like I had done. Xander shouts a quick okay and I hear him walk off.

"Excuse me? A few minutes? I aint that quick and may I add that I have all I need to eat right here..." I say playing with the waistband on Willows jeans.

"We better go before they get all suspicious and think you really have slayed me." Willow says getting up and retrieving her clothes from all over the room.

Great, I hate fucking buzz kill; Xander is so getting it for this!