Xander looked around the club his eyes not really looking for anything but seeing everything. It was the only thing he seemed to beat the others at, his powers of observation. He had come to the club hoping for a little cheer up and friend time. He'd just broken up with Cordelia, for good this time. She'd decided that it was time for their 'thing' to end. So it had, Xander couldn't truthfully say he was that sad. In fact he was glad in a way. Sure he'd miss the fun times, namely the janitors closet or those rare moments they had together just them and no one else. It was those times that she opened up and was a joy to be around, now they wouldn't be like that. Friends, maybe, he sure hoped so she was a hell of a woman. The terrible thing was that there was someone else who had caught his eye.
There she was, the one who'd turned his life upside down and made sure he had no sleep. The woman who had ousted Buffy as his fantasy woman. Two weeks she'd been in Sunnydale and already he could not imagine life without her in it. Not in a soppy of romantic way. She just had the knack for making things more interesting, she was wild untamed she was frankly a stone cold fox. It was her attitude that had captured his thoughts so badly, that wildness and sheer joy of living that was lacking in his friends.
There was of course more to her than that. Xander could see it, intelligence and wit to easily rival his own quip addled mind. She was funny in a saucy fashion and she was jealous of Buffy, of all people to be jealous of she chose Buffy. Xander could see why, perhaps she might be. Buffy had the whole package, she had a loving family, well her mom anyway and she had friends. Buffy also still had her watcher; Faith had lost hers in a terrible death. No Xander was not blind to those details, but Faith had so much that Buffy didn't. Faith was fire and passion. Buffy was all mope and depression. Buffy had lost that love of life that Faith so obviously jealously guarded. Faith was just as good a fighter as Buffy, well ok, perhaps not quite as good but Buffy had been the slayer for close to four years already. Faith had only been a slayer for a year, so she had a lot of learning to do yet. Still for a yearling as it were she was amazing. Her passion carried over to her fighting style and she was a machine when it came to slaying vampires.
In a year or two Xander could see that Faith would be a far better slayer. The trouble was that Giles was basically ignoring her. Xander had found out quite by accident that she was staying in a motel, a motel. She had to be his age, maybe younger and Giles let her stay in a motel. Xander thought that was just wrong, then there was his attitude towards her. He seemed to expect her to be a Buffy clone; there was no way that Faith was ever going to be that. Xander saw how that effected her, sure he may be the normal one, but he had a mind and eyes to see.
He saw that she was quickly shrinking back into herself, just as he thought he would too if they carried on their tirade of getting him out of the fight. He hated to see that being done to such a vivacious woman as her.
Out there on the dance floor she was the very picture of passion, sexy dancing with some unnamed guy working her curves with expert precision. Xander wished it was him, but then he didn't. A strange thought but he knew that Faith was basically just using that guy for his body. A faceless and unknown dance partner to use and discard. Xander wasn't sure he liked the idea of being discarded by Faith.
He was much more interested in being able to spend some serious time with her, just getting to know the woman beyond that mask. He knew she wore a mask, the mask of a slutty girl with more promiscuity than brains. He knew that was a lie a ruse to hide the much more fragile creature beneath. He knew because he used his humour and acerbic tongue to the same end.
She tossed her hair and her eyes opened and bored into Xander's. Xander caught a flash of something else; the person behind the mask as they looked at each other and his feet started moving of their own accord.
It wasn't long before he was across the club to the dance floor and they still hadn't let go of each others eyes.
"Hey" said the no-named hunk.
Xander tore his gaze from Faith and glared at the guy. He had been fighting vampires for nearly two years himself and he knew that humans were not really a challenge anymore. He had that confidence in his eyes and the much larger and muscled man suddenly found himself backing away. Backing away from the guy he'd always thought of as a geek.
Once the hunk had gone Xander turned his attention back to Faith and smiled his lopsided smile at her, "Hiya Faith"
"What's up X?"
"Nothing, I was just wondering if you'd like to dance?"
"I dunno, I've seen you dance," she said with a sexy smirk.
Xander's smile changed becoming sexy and secretive, "No you haven't" he corrected her and stepped into her personal space.
Faiths grin took on a challenging quality and she stepped closer to Xander. She was expecting him to be the usual goof that he had already proven himself to be. You would think that someone who wore masks would tell a fellow mask wearier. What Xander hid with his goofiness was a man, a thoughtful and kind man with a core of titanium and a heart of gold. When he wasn't messing around, which was rarely he was also capable of some serious intensity. It was that intensity that Faith was starting to feel right at that moment as Xander's body started to sway moving against hers in time to a beat set by their hearts.
He was moving like she had never seen him move in the two weeks since she'd arrived. He was moving sexy and slow causing her breath to hitch in her throat as she was treated to a little of her own medicine.
"Hey there lover boy. Won't the cheerleader get mad?" she said fighting to cover her momentary weakness.
"I doubt it. She's over there with your ex-dance partner" Xander said his voice low and throaty.
"Oh, you guys break up?" Faith asked, not analysing why she was happy at that thought.
"By Mutual Agreement, sort of" Xander said his smile sexy and his eyes laughing.
Faith for the first time in her life found herself anxious to talk, "Mutual Agreement, Sort Of?"
"Well we decided we weren't really made for each other"
"Oh"
"Oh?"
"Yeah Oh" Faith said giving him a strange look, he was acting weird. Very not normal Xander. In fact he was making her damn right horny.
They danced in silence for a few minutes enjoying the feel of each others bodies grinding against each other. It was quickly becoming a contest of wills, to see who would break first. Xander to Faith utter shock, showed no sign of breaking. She expected him to blush mumble an apology and disappear. As her eyes left his face for a moment she happened to notice Buffy and Willow standing near the entrance both agog.
"Blondie and Red are here"
"So"
"So?"
"I'm dancing with a beautiful woman right now, they can wait. This is more important"
Faith looked him in the eye in shock. "What?"
"What, what?"
"More important"
"Yes"
"Nah Buffy's the queen round here and you know it lover boy."
"Not mine"
"Your what?"
"Queen"
"Then who is?"
"The post is currently vacant but I have someone in mind"
"Oh yeah who?" Faith said feigning ignorance.
"I think you know the answer to that Faith"
They sunk back into silence Xander was happy to wait and see what happened next whilst Faith had been stunned insensate, "Damn boy you are intense aren't ya" Faith finally said with a slight chuckle.
Xander just continued looking deep into her eyes.
"There not much there" Faith finally said.
"Where?"
"In my eyes, window to the soul and all that"
"That's not true Faith"
"No?"
"No, I see you Faith and you are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. You keep me up at night thinking about you. I can't concentrate on anything without seeing your face in my minds eye. Every time I turn around there you are in the corner of my eye. Faith, I can't get enough of you"
Faith audibly gulped her mouth worked for several seconds before she was able to form a sentence, "Look X, I appreciate the thought but you don't want me. I'm a bad girl and bad girls hurt ya"
"No your not"
"Not what?"
"A bad girl"
Faith smirked, "Oh I am lover boy"
"No, I told you. I see YOU Faith"
She wasn't able to answer that one for several moments so she changed tack, "I thought you were head over for princess Buffy"
Xander shrugged, "Once maybe but that was a crush"
"This isn't?"
"Nope"
"Damn, you are going to be the death of me. Tell me why I should trust you when all the other guys in my life and proven that men can't be trusted"
"I'm not them, I would do anything not to hurt you." Xander paused thoughtfully, "Then did you ever really let them in Faith? I don't think you did. Because that's what I want. I want to be with the real you? The one I can see looking out from those amazing eyes of yours right now. The sexy as hell and loving woman that I know is there. That mask you wear doesn't work on me"
Faith looked at the man, whose arms she suddenly realised she was encased. He seemed to be able to see straight through her right to the core of her very being. Their sexy dance had stopped and Xander was just swaying her from side to side and around in time to the softer music that had started.
He was looking down at her and Faith felt more loved and safer than she'd ever done before. She hoped that perhaps she could entrust her heart to this man, he'd certainly gone all out with her. He'd risked some serious embarrassment and rejection. If she had been in a mind to she could have broken him and publicly too. That was one hell of a risk he'd taken could she do any less. That was certainly the question of the moment. Just then Buffy decided it was time to interrupt them.
"Hey Faith come on let's patrol. Xander, Cordelia is going to be so mad at you"
Xander turned to her and smiled, "Buffy could you give us a minute please" he said as politely as possible, "We're kinda in the middle of something here"
"Xander I won't let you hurt my friend"
"Huh?" Xander said honestly confused.
"Duh, Cordelia, you know your girlfriend"
"Oh, not anymore" Xander nodded to where Cordy was dancing with a hunky guy. "See she's happy, now Can I Please Have A Minute!" the last part of the sentence was said in exasperation. Faith almost laughed, he was trying to be so polite and nice and Buffy was being a little dumb and looking at him stupidly.
"B, I'll catch you up, 'K" Faith said finally gaining control of her amusement.
"OK" Buffy said uncertainly and moved off.
"Man thank god" Xander said smiling and shaking his head ruefully, "Well?" he asked turning back to Faith, "Will you give me a chance?"
Faith smiled, not her usual deadly and sexy half smirk, a large true smile that lit up her face and the surrounding area, "OK"
"Thank you" Xander said honestly and pulled Faith in for the most loving and lasting kiss she had ever had in her life. The dark slayer felt her knees start to knock together and suddenly she realised why the cheerleader had stayed with Xander for so long. He was a fantastic kisser.
They finally broke apart to a round of applause from the other dancers who had turned and were looking at the pair with varying states of amusement.
Faith blushed; she actually blushed as Xander led her by the hand off of the dance floor and out of the club. In memory she decided that was the first time she'd blushed since she was a kid.
She looked sideways at what could only be considered her boyfriend and smiled genuinely again.
Things were definitely looking up as far as she was concerned. A thought shared by her boyfriend, Xander smiled back at her and they walked away trying to catch up with Buffy hand in hand.