DREAM DATE By Eos PAIRING: F/K RATING: PG-13 DISCLAIMERS: Faith & Kate are not owned by me. But I'm going to make sure they have a happy Valentine's Day. SPOILERS: None SUMMARY: A Valentine's Day dream comes true. NOTES: Just a quick Valentine's Day story for the list. Wrote it in a day and haven't spent much time on it, so I don't think it's up to my usual standard. *********** Faith looked around the apartment, waiting for the blonde to find the information Angel had sent her over for. Her eyes swept over to the coffee table where a pad and pen were sitting. Making sure Kate wasn't in sight, she strolled over and inconspicuously looked down. Poetry, Faith blinked in surprise. This tough-as-nails woman wrote poetry. Well Valentine's Day was only a couple of days away. Leaning down she started reading: 'You crashed into my life Sparking something inside of me Opened up a part of my soul' Faith lifted her head as she heard footsteps coming. "Got it," Kate said entering the room with some papers clipped together. "I have a copy, so don't bother bringing it back." Faith nodded and took the papers offered, but her eyes were on Kate. "So," she tried to be casual, "got a hot date for Valentine's?" Kate's face paled a little and she crossed her arms. "What's it to you?" "Hey, I'm just asking. You know, doing the social thing." Kate uncrossed her arms but studied Faith for a few moments before answering. "Things are not really going well with that side of my life," she snorted. "Always hoping though. How about you?" "I was thinking about going out on the town, if I don't find my dream date I still might get a good lay." Faith shrugged, noticing the guarded way Kate was looking at her. "We could go together, if you want." "Together?" Kate searched Faith's face hoping to find a clue about what the Slayer was thinking. "That's what I said," Faith said. "Unless you thought I meant something else?" "No," Kate replied too quickly. "Um…sure I'd love to go." "So, I was thinking about this club downtown. Maybe not your type though…" Faith deliberately trailed off. "Why do you say that?" Kate asked defensively. Faith smiled when the blonde took the bait. "You seem the romantic type. All flowers and chocolates. Won't find any of that down there. What you will find though is sweaty gyrating bodies." "I can sweat with the best of them," Kate challenged. "Oh, I bet you can," Faith smirked as she lazily raked her eyes over Kate's body making sure to resume eye contact when she'd finished. "But I bet that you still enjoy a bunch of flowers." "Wouldn't say no," Kate answered feeling a tingling in her body after Faith's perusal of her. "And what would you say no to, Kate?" Faith asked putting the papers on the coffee table and taking a step towards her. "Why do you want to know? You planning on making me your good lay?" "No," Faith shook her head and smiled to herself when Kate's disappointment slipped through her carefully constructed mask of disinterest. "If anything, you are closer to a dream date." There was silence in the room for long moments, before Kate cleared her throat. "What are you trying to say, Faith?" "Whatever you want me to." Kate shook her head at her thoughts and her eyes travelled back to Faith. "What makes you think you know anything about me? You can play your games, but I don't want to be a part of it." "Who said I was playing?" Faith asked stung by Kate's words and feeling a smidgen of guilt over her flirting. "How about we just go out and what happens, happens." "Fine. Might be nice to meet some new people." Faith nodded and picked up the papers, knocking the pad on the floor at the same time. Glancing at it, her eyes then moved to Kate who was rushing around to pick it up. She let Kate do it without comment, hurt at the thought Kate was pining after someone else. She exited the apartment and hurried away. Kate leaned against the closed door and shut her eyes. **************** The next day Faith sat down in her room and slit open the red envelope addressed to her. Inside was a scented pale yellow page. She opened it and started reading. 'To my Valentine, You crashed into my gloomy life, Sparking a fire within me, Opened up a part of my soul, I'd never been able to see. You've changed everything forever, With a look and a smile you came. And now I am obsessed by you, Every night I call out your name. But I've seen you play fast and loose, No doubt breaking hearts on the way. So I come to my dilemma: My heart is safely tucked away But, no matter what I do, Like a thief you invade my dreams, Stealing all my rational thoughts, And now you are my only theme. Do you even think about me? Your vivid dark eyes hide so much. Am I crazy to think of you, Fantasizing about your touch. It's now or never, time to find out So I'm placing it on the line, I can't get you out of my head, so Would you please be my Valentine? Anonymous' Faith smiled and reached for the phone. Anonymous? Yeah right. A nervous anticipation settled in her stomach as she listened to the ringing. As the phone picked up she almost hung up, but she held on the line impatiently. "Hello?" A woman's voice answered. "Hi, I know this is cutting it fine, but would you still have some roses I could send?" "Cutting it fine," the florist laughed. "Tomorrow's the big day. They're going to cost." "That's okay," Faith said mentally calculating how much money she could afford. She asked for half a dozen red roses to be delivered to Kate's address and hoped she had done the right thing. **************** The morning dawned and Kate felt her stomach turn. She would see Faith today, and half of her wanted to run, the other wanted to grab her and kiss those lips. As she finished breakfast the doorbell rang. Wiping her hands she opened answered the ring. Kate looked at the delivery man in the hall holding a bunch of red roses. She signed for them nervously and took them inside. Taking the card from the paper she opened it up. 'Fantasizing about your touch. Your Valentine' A grin appeared on her lips as she read the card again. She quickly found Faith's number and dialled it. "Hey Valentine," Faith greeted. "Do you say that to everyone who calls?" Kate asked feeling irrationally irritated. "Caller ID," Faith explained. "Want to come over tonight?" Kate was taken by surprise, "And fuck?" Faith laughed deeply, "Only if you want to. No, if you bring a bottle of wine, I'll supply the food." "You can cook?" Kate asked sceptically. "I didn't say anything about cooking." Faith paused. "So how about it?" "How did you know it was me?" "Um…I peeked the other day," Faith answered sheepishly. "Oh," Kate said feeling embarrassed. "Just the first couple of lines, I never thought it was about me." "Right," Kate said relieved. "Faith, if I ask you a question, promise you won't be offended." "About the quality of the food?" "No," Kate let out a brief laugh. "I just want to know that I'm not some conquest." "Hey, you're the one who sent me the Valentine," Faith laughed. "I may not be all that experienced with the 'flowers and chocolates' type, but I do know how to treat them. It takes effort and I only do that for a select few. So if you're worried about me expecting more than dinner, don't be. If I only wanted you for a screw, I wouldn't go to all this effort. I spent good money on those roses." "Thank you for being honest," Kate said, "I guess the poem said how I feel for you." "Sure did. Not bad." "Well it wasn't award winning either." "Doesn't matter, you went to that effort. No one's ever been inspired to write poetry about me before," Faith said her heart beating faster. "Well, I was just trying to pour my heart out, I had to find some way to get out what I was feeling." "Wicked cool," Faith chuckled. "I'll see you tonight then, about seven?" "Tonight then." Kate said before she heard a click at the other end. As she pulled the phone away from her ear, she did a little celebration. **************** The doorbell rang and Faith checked her clothes and make-up. The black jeans and a dark purple top looked good she thought. She opened the door and let her Valentine's date in. The blonde was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved top. She held up the bottle of wine, which Faith took and they headed to the kitchen. "So," Kate said standing there awkwardly while Faith found a corkscrew and opened the bottle of Pinot Noir. "Let's not get all serious here, Kate," Faith smiled gently. "I invited you here so we could relax without all those sweating bodies around us." "Okay," Kate answered taking the offered glass of wine. "Want to make a toast?" Faith asked holding her glass up. "Sure," Kate said before trying to think of something to say. "How about I go first," Faith bailed her out. "To my first Valentine in about ten years, thank you for telling me. Hope I live up to your dreams." "Believe me, the live version has already done that," Kate chuckled. She raised her glass and continued, "To finding out if this isn't just Valentine's Day fever." They clinked their glasses together and took a sip. "Well about the only thing I can cook is breakfast, so I hope you don't mind but I ordered a couple of pizzas from this wicked tasty place. Should be here in a few minutes." Faith walked into the living room and they sat down on the couch. "Sounds good," Kate said not quite believing she was here having dinner with the woman she knew she was falling in love with. "So how's work?" Their evening flew by. Over pizza and wine, they talked about their lives, their friends and their dreams. After the awkward start to the evening they quickly relaxed and let their guard down. Kate found herself telling Faith things she hadn't thought about in years. "I should go," Kate said reluctantly putting down her empty glass later that evening. "I'd ask you to stay, but that's not really the direction you want to take this, is it?" Faith asked watching Kate carefully. "I appreciate you understanding." "Hey, just because I'm not experienced with you romantic types doesn't mean I don't understand someone not wanting to risk being hurt. Why do you think I play the field?" "So this is more than not wanting to spend Valentine's Day alone?" Kate asked with a hopeful expression. "I would have already issued an invitation to my bed if it was only that. I'd like to find out more about my not-so-secret admirer." Faith smirked and leaned in. "You see, she has this wicked obsession about me." Kate gave her a wounded look. "Hey, there's nothing wrong with that. Not at all," Faith quickly reassured her. "I'd like to find out where we can go, too," Kate said. "And although you have me pegged as this fan of romance, I only want something everyone else wants to." "Some good loving?" Faith winked. "To be respected. Can you do that?" Kate asked bluntly. "I've been doing that since the minute you walked into my life. Got to give respect to someone who threatens Angel with a dose of sun." "Then I think we have a future." Faith leaned in close and took Kate by the arm. "Happy Valentine's Day." She wrapped her hand loosely around Kate's neck and pulled her in for a gentle kiss. Their lips brushed lightly. Kate pressed harder and caressed her lips against the ones she had been dreaming about for weeks. Faith drew away for a moment, causing a slight whimper from Kate, but it was only seconds before their lips touched again. The first kiss had been exploration, but this kiss was about feeling. Faith felt warm arms come around her back and pull her closer. She eagerly obliged. "Happy Valentine's Day," Kate whispered as they came up for air. "Did I mention that this has just become the best V Day ever," Faith grinned. "Did I mention you're the best Valentine a girl could have?" Kate leaned into the grinning Slayer and gave her another long kiss. "Will you be my Valentine next year?" "Buy me a dozen roses and I'm yours." END