It’s getting to that time of year when Buffy can see her breath when she exhales while on patrol. The leaves are turning colors and beginning to fall off the trees and soon enough they’ll be crunching under her feet as she walks. Fall always used to be kind of a sad season for her; the physical degradation of her favorite time of year: summer.

That’s all changing though. She can ignore the way the tip of her nose is all cold and the way it looks like she’s smoking every time she exhales if it means she gets to see Faith all smiley and happy. Heck, she can even learn to like the scarf wrapped around her neck if Faith is the one tying it on her before they leave for patrol.

And if she’s being completely honest with herself, she always has liked the sound of crisp leaves under her shoes.

She finds herself smiling as the normally quiet girl blabs away while they walk, the smile never leaving Faith’s lips while she talks animatedly. According to Faith, they’re going to decorate the house for Halloween this year, and they’re going all out. Cornstalks around all of the porch posts. Orange spotlights in the bushes, fake spider webs and pumpkins everywhere else. She’s even going to ask Willow to hop on a broomstick and fly around the house every now and again, just for some authenticity.

God protect any neighborhood kids who come along with intentions of having smashy fun; Faith is gonna hide out in the bushes and catch them mid-act. Buffy laughs to herself as Faith goes on and on, excitement beaming from the girl.

“. . . so then I’ll just pop outta the bushes and give’em a healthy does of fear. Tell’em that if they come back, I’m gonna use their skeletons in the decorations next year.”

“Well that’d scare me,” Buffy says with a grin.

“Holy shit, wouldn’t it be great if we could get Andy to dress up like a scarecrow?” Faith says, her mind obviously racing from thought to thought.

Buffy thinks about it and shrugs a little as she wraps her arms around herself to warm herself up. “I guess we could do it whether he likes it or not. Hang him up by the back of his shirt from the porch post; he won’t be able to get down until we let him.”

Faith laughs out loud and pulls Buffy against her side, wrapping her arm over her shoulders. Buffy happily accepts the gesture and sneaks her arm under the back of Faith’s jacket, reveling in the warmth she finds. She practically curls up against Faith until they have to slow down so that they don’t trip over each other’s feet.

“See, B? Fall ain’t all that bad. Some decorations, some pranks, some candy. Just cos summer’s over doesn’t mean it’s all bad.”

Buffy takes in a deep breath, smelling the cool night air and the leaves but most importantly, Faith and her warmth. She wraps her arms around Faith a little bit tighter and presses her cold nose against her shirt, then smiles contently.