CSI: Sunnydale
by Rin
Have a Bloody Christmas
[reviews]
A/N: Just a quick holiday update...cute and sweet, my present to you!
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Buffy decided to take a break from the Boston juvenile research. Her eyes were starting to hurt, and it was time for her shift to be over. Willow had been acting strange lately, like all the progress they'd made towards friends was automatically gone. No warning, no reasons given. Just poof...like it disintegrated into ash before her eyes. Deciding coffee was a good idea before facing Dawn this morning, she stopped in at the Espresso Pump. She was on her third cup when the waitress decided to take a seat.
"Where's your friend been lately?" Tina filled the cup, as she took a seat across from Buffy. "Seems like a pretty girl alone on a morning like this would have company."
"I don't know where she's at..." Buffy sighed into her coffee. "Thanks for the fill."
"Not a problem." Tina smiled, and before standing, changed her mind. "Look, some friends are having a holiday party, and I've found myself going alone. I was wondering if you'd like to have some company?"
"I'm not so sure..." Buffy thought about it, as she looked up at the waitress. She was pretty, taller than the women she dated but long legs never hurt anybody. "When is it?"
"Tomorrow night. I know...short notice but I hate to see a pretty girl alone for Christmas." Tina gave her best flirty smile.
"Do you wanna meet here?" Was Buffy really making a date with this girl? It's not like Willow was acting interested anymore.
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Willow hated every second of it, acting like she was only a coworker to Buffy. She missed the camaraderie, the friendship they shared, the closeness, the almost kisses. When she resolved to stop acting superior, Willow overheard people talking about Buffy's hot date over the weekend. Hot date? Buffy had gone on a date? It wasn't like they were dating but it still stung.
The rest of the week before the Christmas holiday, Willow tried not to act jealous that Buffy was apparently dating the waitress that used to serve them at the coffee shop. It was growing increasingly difficult to hide her jealousy.
"Hey, I think I found something." Buffy popped up in her doorway, holding a sheet of paper. "Got a minute?"
"Um...yeah. Come on in, Buff." Willow leaned forward in her chair, and tried not to notice the happy glow on the blonde's face.
"You didn't call me Summers. That's a first in like...two weeks now." Buffy was taken aback, and a sparkle came to her eyes. "Are we done acting like we're not friends now?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Willow steeled her jaw, and tried to act nonchalant.
"You know what I'm talking about. No need to play like you don't. Whatever it was, I'm just glad you're over it. I missed you...the old you." Buffy smiled, as she saw the frown on Willow's face. "Something wrong?"
"No...nothing. Just thinking about something." She wouldn't admit she was thinking about Buffy with another girl. It made her too mad to think it herself, no need to voice it.
"Anyways, I found something interesting. Seems our little mystery girl has a past." Buffy handed Willow the papers, and waited for the redhead to scan them. "Juvenile record indeed. I'm glad I thought to look there. Three counts of larcony, four counts of petty theft, seven counts of alcohol-related incidents, and that's just the frosting."
"Faith Lehane. We have a name to the face. Now, how is she related to our investigation?" Willow had that cute look on her face, the one that shows she's thinking hard. Buffy loved that face. She loved all of Willow's faces and mannerisms.
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Doyle walked into the locker room, and found Buffy sitting on the bench with her head in her hands.
"What's the matter, princess?? Miss me that much?" Doyle smirked, as he took a seat next to her. "I have just the thing to cheer you up."
"I doubt that." Buffy was torn. Willow had done another 180, back to her old self, the one Buffy adored. Truth of it was...she didn't dislike the other Willow, either. The working Willow, the one that treated her like only a colleague. She didn't know where it came from but was glad that friendly Willow had made a comeback.
"Oh contraire. I think this is just what you need." Doyle pulled out a sprig of mistletoe, and dangled it in front of her face.
"If you're fishing for free kisses, you won't find them here." Buffy smirked, and almost let out a giggle but her emotions were still too frazzled. She was using Tina to get over Willow, and she didn't like how that made her feel, especially since her feelings for Willow had only grown.
"Well, it's not me that's fishing for free kisses. It's you, Princess." Doyle had an idea, if he could get it to work.
"Oh, and pray tell how that is?"
"Buffy, it's time to get this ball rolling. We all know you're just biding your time until Willow makes a move." Doyle coughed, and had the decency to blink at her hardened look. "Look, it's like this. Willow isn't going to make a move on you. She can't. It'd make her feel like she's taking advantage of you, like she's somehow not doing her job right, and her job is important to her. You know that, I know that. We all know that. You're afraid of being another Kate to her. Well, I'm telling you right now that you're not. She didn't wait, she didn't question her job, she just jumped into bed with Kate when they were still in college. They stayed together because it was the easy thing to do. Neither of them were happy, especially that last year when Willow was promoted to supervisor. She was exceptionally young to get the position. You're both only 26, after all."
"Is there a point to this story, and a reason the mistletoe is still dangling in my face?" Buffy steeled her jaw, and took a deep breath. She didn't want to listen to him but it was hard not to...they were friends.
"My point is this. You have to make the first move. She respects you too much, and enjoys her job too much. If you want it to happen, and we all know you do, even clueless Andrew in Ballistics finally caught on, then YOU have to make it happen. Buffy, your my friend. I want to see you happy, and that redhead in there makes you happy." Doyle laid his hands on her upper arms, and squeezed gently. "Take this mistletoe, and MAKE it a merry Christmas, for both of you."
Buffy just stared at the tiny sprig, and warred within herself. Doyle was right but she didn't have to like it. It was true; she'd have to make the first move. It would be a first for Buffy, and that's what scared her.
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"Got a minute?" Buffy took a deep breath. She finally managed to get enough courage to at least attempt it. Walking into the room, she held the sprig in her hands behind her back.
"For you? Of course..." Willow had that flirty look again. Gods, how Buffy had missed that look. She grew too accustomed to it. "Something on your mind? Not sure what to get Dawn for Christmas? I don't know how much help I'll be but..."
"Actually, I was wondering what you were doing for, um...for the holidays. I know you're Jewish but you're surely doing something." Buffy swallowed the lump in her throat but it wouldn't go away.
"I had planned on enjoying a nice bottle of Shiraz, and having a bad movie marathon. Why? What's up?" Willow looked at the perspiration forming on Buffy's brow, and wondered if something was wrong. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, yeah...I mean, nothing's wrong...but it could be better. That is...well, I have something for you." Buffy couldn't believe she was actually doing this but what the hell?? She was dying to see Willow naked, feel her beneath her, kiss those pouty lips. She'd been extra nice this year, surely Santa would give her this one gift.
"Ohh...presents?" Willow smiled, and clapped her hands like a little girl.
"It's not much...but I thought you might like it." Buffy opened her fist, and pulled out the squashed mistletoe, dangling it in front of Willow. "It was a lot nicer earlier."
"Is that..." Before Willow had a chance to ask her question, Buffy bent over, holding the mistletoe above Willow's head, and pressed her lips gently against the redhead's. It was just a brief kiss but Willow's entire body tingled at the contact. It was everything and more than she dreamed about...Buffy's soft lips.
"Merry Christmas." Buffy whispered into Willow's ear, as she left the redhead with her eyes closed. She'd made the first move. It was up to Willow now. The ball was now in her court.