The Fallen Slayer {1}

Bleeding Heart

Walking out of the bathroom Buffy dragged a comb through her freshly dried ever-growing blonde locks.

Every morning was the same when it came to her hair.

It was like trying to brush out a bird's nest on her head.

Moving over to her clothes, Buffy just stared down at her jeans sadly. A small pout formed on her lips as she eyed the outfit in disgust. If only wearing panda pajamas was appropriate schoolwear, her life would be so much more comfortable.

Slowly a small smile grazed her lips as she felt a small breeze coming from behind her "You know you will never be able to sneak up on me right?" She teased as she turned to face Stefan who chuckled as he closed her bedroom window.

"One day." He promised.

Buffy giggled softly before quickly moving to shut her bedroom door and not a second later her arms were wrapped around Stefan's neck, pulling him down for a kiss.

This whole pretending to be arguing thing was definitely messing with her make-out time.

After a long moment, she finally pulled back smiling up at him, enjoying his dazed look "By the way, hi."

"I love the way you say hi." He breathed as he wrapped his arms around her waist while she merely arched an eyebrow teasingly.

"Really? Hm..." She hummed before pulling away slightly making sure the bathroom door was shut too. 

While Elena and Jeremy shared a bathroom Buffy had to share one with Jenna.

So ideally she didn't want to risk her Aunt overhearing them.

As he watched her Stefan sighed, dread filling him "You ready for today?" He asked knowing that the both of them had to keep their act up otherwise Katherine could reign down hell on this town.

She had been too quiet lately, so she had to be up to something.

At the thought of the performance they were going to put on today, Buffy pouted.

"Nope." She huffed as she flopped onto her bed and glanced up at Stefan "I have a new plan...which involves me sleeping through the day. We can do this plan another time." She threw herself backward, laying out like a starfish on her bed as a form of strike.

Stefan chuckled softly before moving to crouch beside her head, his hand stroking her hair softly.

"I know you don't want to fight, and neither do I. But if Katherine thinks that we're fighting, then she'll think she's winning. And hopefully won't get Mary involved cause that will end very badly. For all of us."

Buffy groaned before leaning up so that she was leaning against the headboard of the bed.

She hated this, she hated having to play Katherine's game.

This officially sucked!

She just couldn't wait to stake Katherine. And hopefully, go all Salem Witch Trails on Mary. Only this time killing an actual evil witch.

"I've never been one for doing what I'm told." She reminded him "Even pretending to do what I'm told doesn't sit well with me. Plus, the fact that Caroline is being threatened to become a spy wigs me out."

"Hey. Everything's gonna be ok."

At the certainty and reassurance in his voice, Buffy couldn't help but arch an eyebrow.

How he could always be so positive, she could never understand.

"You're oddly optimistic about all this."

"Because I know it will work." He assured her before taking her hand in his stroking her hand softly with his thumb as a small reassuring gesture "It's you and it's me, we can handle anything. Even Katherine's threats."

Buffy gulped slightly before looking up, her green eyes meeting his as he moved to sit beside her.

She wouldn't admit it out loud but she was worried. She was worried that Katherine was going to push them too far and then these fights wouldn't be fake anymore.

Their last public fight had brought up some of the underlying issues between them.

Mainly his need to play knight in shining armor constantly. Which would be fine...if she was anyone else!

"Make me a promise, that she won't get between us, 'cause then I'm gonna have a problem."

Stefan sighed at her request.

He wished he could do more for her right now, he could tell she was worried that was obvious enough from her tone. He just wished he could reassure her that no matter what, he wasn't going to let Katherine Pierce get between them.

"I have an idea. Today when we're fighting, if I say, 'I can't do this anymore, Buffy' What I'll really mean is that I love you."

Buffy couldn't help but snort at the cheesiness of his words, her boyfriend really was a strange one "You're really cheesy you know that?"