FaithPOV

I can't believe I'm gonna do this. Like, for real. Isn't B supposed to still be all weird and shit around me? So then why did she fly all the way out to Boston to see me for the holidays instead of stickin' with the fam? I swear I never know what she's thinkin'.

"Ready to go?" She asks, wearing nothin' over her clothes except for a tiny little pink jacket. No scarf, no hat, hell her boots even look like shoes they're so small.

"Uh... You plannin' to go out like that?" I ask, which does nothing but confuse her.

"What? Does this not look good?"

I laugh, and I think it's sorta pissin' her off but I just can't help it. She hasn't changed a fuck of a bit over the years.

"Nah, B. Ya look perfect." That makes her happy. "If you're dressed for California, which, as I should remind you, we ain't in anymore."

"I don't get it. Are you making fun on me in some sort of roundabout way?"

"Wouldn't dream of it." Then I winked. What the fuck? This chick has always made me such a softie. "Just sayin' if you go outside like that, you're gonna freeze your cute little ass off, and we don't want that, do we?"

Now she seems confused again. Has she been outside at all since she flew out here? It's like, 1 degree outside, and she doesn't get why I pointed out how scantily clad she is. Which, sure, normally I'd kick my own ass for tryin' to cover up a hot chick like B, but I don't want her gettin' all sick or nothin'.

"Well I didn't really pack anything else. I didn't think it would be cold or whatever... Kind of used to the California Christmases and all."

"No worries, B. I got ya covered."

I took her by the hand, chuckled at how she gripped it all tight, and led her over to the closet by the front door. I opened it up and started pawin' through the wide selection of coats to see if there was somethin' there that would suit her. Or maybe something that she'll hate... Mean, sure, but it would be a fuck of a good laugh.

"What is this..." I turned to look and found that she had snatched one of my hats from the little shelf near the top. Aw hell...! "Ear flaps? You have a hat with ear flaps?"

Please say I'm not actually blushing... Fuck!

"Hey, my ears are sensitive. Gotta cover 'em up some how, and earmuffs just piss me off 'cause it makes it hard to hear and I always like to know what's goin' on around me...."

She placed the hat on my head while I was talking, and now she's messin' with the flaps. Lifting them up then letting them drop. I'd pitch a shit fit for bein' mocked, but she seems to be enjoying herself so what the hell. I'll just get her back later.

"That's so cute! You're totally wearing it every time you go outside for any reason whatsoever."

"You kiddin' me?" She just shook her head and continued to mess with the flaps.

I don't know why in the fuck she's acting like this, but hey, I also don't know why she came all the way out here in the first place. Maybe she hit her head nice and hard or somethin' and this all makes sense in her newly delusional world.

"Why are you staring at my head?"

Oops.

"Um... Come on, let's find you a jacket." I turned back to the closet and continued to go through it, more intently than before.

"Fine, i'll wear one of your jackets. But there's no way I'm wearing your boots!"

"What's wrong with my boots?"

That got her. She froze, and it sorta looks like she's afraid to answer the question, so I'm feelin' a little protective over my footwear. I mean come on, they're wicked sexy for one thing!

"Nothing! I mean, we probably don't have to same shoe size, so they probably wouldn't fit, right?" I just rolled my eyes and handed her a coat - the biggest one I own. She gaped at me, clearly surprised that I chose it for her. "Um... Faith? I think this might be a little big for me."

No shit, it'll make you look like a walking ball of fuzz.

"Nahh it's gonna look great. Trust me!" I gave her my best grin, toyed with the flaps on my hat, and headed for the front door without givin' her a chance to say any more.

We made it to the tree lot with only a minimal amount of arguing - she wanted to drive, and since I'd never seen her do so I assumed it wasn't a big deal. 30 seconds on the road and I insisted she pull over, and she fought me on it. Once she ran over an innocent mailbox, she let me take over.

So now here we are, outside in the freezin' snow, looking for the perfect tree.

"That one's nice." Buffy shrugged, pointing it out.

"Nah it's crooked."

"I don't think it looks crooked."

"Well it is, B. It's wicked obvious, the thing is practically fallin' over." Oh hell, now she's pouting. She really hasn't changed, has she? "C'mon, I want us find the best tree in this place and that one is bent so far it looks about ready to take it up the ass."

"Take what up the what?"

I laughed at that, 'cause she looks pretty damn funny when reacting to the crap I say. Maybe that's why I love to say it around her.

"You really like this one?" She nods, and I'm fucked. "Aight, let's find the dude that owns the place."

"Really?" Oh shit, it looks like she's about ready to do the whole 'girly squealy' thing... Goddammit.

"If it's what you want." I flinched, waiting or the outburst I knew was about to happen. Sure enough, she threw her arms around me - or tried to, 'cause with the huge coat it was hard for her to move her arms. The sight made me laugh, but thankfully she doesn't seem pissed about that.

"Alright, I'm gonna take the front and you take the back, and we're gonna carry this thing in through the front door. Ready?"

"But it looks so heavy..."

I chuckled, and she just pouted in response. It looks so cute with her tiny little head pokin' outta that big fat jacket. Makes her look smaller than she really is.

"Um... Unless you've lost your slayer strength since the last time I saw ya, this thing ain't gonna be heavy."

"Well I don't want to get sap all over my hands."

"You're wearin' gloves."

She continued to pout, and I'm wondering how I forgot she's so damn stubborn. This is gonna take awhile.

"Can't you just drag it in yourself? I can go and open the door for you..."

"Quit bein' so difficult and just take the back already, dammit!" I laughed. This whole situation is just makin' me laugh, 'cause it's so fucken ridiculous.

So she lifted the back with one hand and started to drag it up to the house before I could even lift up my half. I had a hold on it of course, and I wasn't expecting her to go and do that, so I flew forward and landed on my face right in the snow. I felt her drop her half and then heard the laughter start up as I lifted my head, snow falling from my face.

"It isn't funny..."

"No... it totally is.... oh my God, the look on your face!" She giggled, leaning down to place her hands on her knees 'cause she's laughing so hard.

"You're gonna pay for this." I grumbled, getting up and brushing the snow offa my clothes while trying to keep my dignity intact. "Let's just get the tree in the house... and I'm carryin' the back this time!"

So we managed to get the tree inside without any more trouble - aside from the part where I stubbed my toe on the way up the front steps. B was cool about it, didn't laugh in my face or nothin'. I could tell she was holding it back though, and I appreciate it.

And now comes the real trouble...
Getting the tree all propped up.

"This should be easy, right?"

Okay... she gave me a break on the toe stubbing, so I might as well be nice about this.

"It... It depends."

"Oh. Depends on what?"

"On how crooked the trunk is."

She didn't seem too worried by that, so I'm thinkin' she really doesn't see how the thing is crooked as fuck. Guess she really did like it then, and didn't put up a stink just to piss me off.

"Okay, so this should be simple as pie."

"Let's go with that."

I pulled the stand out from the box (yeah so I bought the damn thing when I heard she was coming, I didn't plan on gettin' a tree at all until then) and set it down where I thought the best place for the tree would be. Right up near the wall next to the fireplace. Far enough away that it won't get caught on fire of course, 'cause as funny as that would be I'm not goin' to all this work for nothing.

I decided to give B a break by just lifting the tree up myself and propping it up in the stand. But now's the part I'm gonna need help with...

"Yo B, get over here and keep the tree up will ya? I gotta screw those little things in on the bottom."

"Can't you just hold it up yourself?" The look I gave her said enough, so she came right over and held on to the tree with one hand. "You so owe me for this. It's going to take forever to get the sap off my hands!"

"Shouldn'ta taken off your gloves when we came in then." I chuckled, leaning down to crawl under the tree so I could mess with the stand. I stopped when I heard giggles. "What? You takin' blackmail pictures of my ass or somethin'?"

"I don't see how pictures of your ass could be considered blackmail, but no, that's not what's funny."

"So what is it? And hold the tree steady, dammit..."

"There's a wet stain on your pants."

What the fuck??

I crawled over to her side of the tree and poked my head out to look up at her.

"Come again?"

"There's a, um... on your pants... you must have sat on something wet."

Oh fuck... I don't know how that even happened, I'm sure I would remember sittin' on something wet! Alright Faith, just ignore it. Put up the tree and give her the wicked awesome Christmas that you got planned out.

"Whatever. Quit starin' at my ass and hold the tree steady." I grumbled, scooting back so I could start gettin' those damn hooks in place.

"I wasn't... Why would you think I was staring at your ass??"

"Maybe 'cause of how you pointed out that it's wet."

"Oh."

"Alright... alright, almost got it... Okay let go." She let go of the tree as I started to crawl out from under it. It immediately started to tip over. "Fuck!! Grab it, grab it!"

"Faith, why did you make me let go if you weren't finished??"

"I was finished, goddammit! The fucken tree is crooked!"

"No it isn't, we already went over this. We agreed that it isn't crooked."

"No, you said it wasn't and I gave up arguing it."

I got up and stood beside her to look the damn thing over, 'cause there's gotta be an easy solution here...

"Um... Can I let go now?"

"If you want to be pinned to the floor."

"Are you coming on to me?"

Fuck, this chick just drives me crazy...