A/N: Written for the femficexchange and bisexualcordelia's prompt: Faith/Buffy and good ol' fashioned bed sharing.
This got way longer than I expected, and I could have continued it so much further. But I think I'll end it here. At least, for now.
This one's for Ruby. Because you're awesome, girl.
Disclaimer: Anything you recognise is not mine. But dear god, I do love Faith Lehane.
Faith was sure they'd been driving for a week straight. Even though it was probably only a grand total of five or six hours, grouped in with a bunch of injured junior slayers, a teary blonde and just overall a whole lotta people? Not exactly her idea of a good time.
The sun was barely touching the horizon, the last warm rays of colour sending a soft glow across the barren ground. Faith wasn't entirely sure where they were heading, but she knew Giles wanted to get them to a proper town, and he and Buffy had been in deep discussion about what to do with a busload of injured people and a bunch of newly called Slayers. Overall, the general consensus was at least to start making their way to Cleveland, to find the other Hellmouth there. And considering the fact that all of their possessions were currently at the bottom of a crater - or turned to ash, Faith hadn't decided exactly what had happened there - it meant a long-ass bus trip. And fuel was cheaper than a plane ticket for everyone. Faith didn't really have an opinion on the issue, because she wasn't sure of her actions no matter what the other chose. She might travel. Slay some foreign vamps - that could be fun. Or she could go back and actually see London. Hey, if you'd already dealt with Sunnydale, you could deal with anything.
Faith repositioned her legs under her, and Buffy glanced her way. Honestly, Faith wasn't entirely sure what the blonde had said, but she gave her usual response, which was just a shrug of her shoulders and a well-directed thoughtful look.
"I'm thinking a feed break is in order," the brunette stretched her legs, determining there was no real comfortable position for her. She'd kept part of her hearing directed back at the junior Slayers, who had been quietly grumbling about being cramped, hungry, and unable to sleep on a bus.
Other than stopping for lunch, they'd been pretty much on the move since they'd waved what was left of Sunnydale goodbye.
It had been weird for Faith, leaving again. Last time, she'd thought there was nothing left there for her. That she was better off somewhere else. How wrong she'd been. This time, though, it wasn't like there was anything to go back to, let alone anything left for her. Everything, everyone, she needed was on this bus. Wait, no, scratch that. She needed a drink, but it wasn't looking like she was going to get one anytime soon.
"That's actually a good idea," Buffy agreed with the other girl, and Faith blinked at her for a microsecond in surprise. It wasn't like Buffy to readily agree to anything Faith said, and she was still a little unsure of the blonde's feelings towards her ever since she'd kind of accidentally staged a mutiny. They'd formed a tentative co-leadership, which Faith appreciated immensely, and she just hoped that they could continue once they'd all had a good night's sleep and some time to wind down.
"We should probably settle in for the night," Giles mused just loud enough for both girls to hear, and they nodded in unison. Sure, Faith wanted to get out there and celebrate, preferably with dancing and drinking, but that could wait. But for now? Well, she wasn't kidding when she'd said she wanted to sleep for a week straight. In fact, a week was starting to seem a bit too short a time frame.
"I'll pull over the next time we see somewhere that can both provide food and give us somewhere to sleep," Giles didn't take his eyes off the road as he spoke.
"Great," Faith felt a smile spreading across her face. Slaying always did make her hungry and horny, and being crammed on a bus with no way to fix that was not exactly the most pleasant of situations. At least finding a motel and settling in would help alleviate one of her issues.
"I'll announce it to the troops," Buffy's smile was similar to Faith's in exhausted satiation, but it was also tinged with something the brunette Slayer couldn't quite make out. Sadness, perhaps? Not everyone had made it out alive, and Buffy was far more attached to those who hadn't than Faith was.
Faith twisted in her seat to watch Buffy gather the attention of the bus's awake occupants. A couple had fallen asleep, though from injuries, shock or sheer exhaustion, Faith couldn't tell. Personally, she was waiting until they were all safe and sound before choosing to pass out, preferably on a half-decent mattress instead of this old contraption.
Once their small group was paying attention, Buffy informed them all of the newest plan - to find the next place that they could eat and sleep, and then eat and sleep. They'd deal with tomorrow when it came.
It wasn't long before they came across a small town - not unlike the seventeen they'd already passed, Faith reminded them - which had a motel that looked like it could house the busload of people. Thankfully, they'd found a gas station bathroom along the way, which had meant they could at least wash off whatever blood or dust they'd managed to collect, so they weren't too crazy a sight as they pulled up and started to pile out of the bus.
"Wait," Giles squeezed his way to the front, turning to face the small crowd. "We can't all go in there and bombard whoever happens to have the unfortunate task of being a receptionist in this place."
Faith supposed he was right. They weren't exactly subtle, what with their bruises and bodily wounds and all. Thanks to Slayer healing powers, all the junior Slayers, along with Buffy and herself, would be mostly healed come morning light. But right now, they kind of looked like a mess. Faith shot a glance at Robin, and another particularly injured girl. Well, some more than others.
"The severely wounded should stay here until I can get room keys," Giles didn't gesture to those he meant, but everyone understood. "A few of you will need to stay with them to assist in moving once we have a bed for them to rest in, but the rest of you are welcome to go feed yourself," he indicated a diner that was about a hundred and fifty feet from where he'd parked, in the opposite direction to the reception where he was headed.
"I want to stay," Xander was the first to speak, looking over at one of the wounded who would clearly not be following them to the diner anytime soon.
"Me too," Dawn was quick to chime in.
Soon enough, basically all those who could speak had volunteered to stay, except for Andrew, who was loudly complaining about his grumbling stomach, and asking if the rooms had hot showers. Faith shook her head.
"Don't be idiots about this. We only need like two or three people to help with this, the rest of you need food. Like, now. Buffy, you take everyone but Kennedy, Willow and Vi," Faith deliberately picked two strongest and least injured of the junior slayers, and Willow, who was clearly not going anywhere without her girlfriend. Buffy met Faith's gaze with a furrowed brow, but the brunette wasn't having any of it. She simply levelled the other girl with a stubborn glare, clearly saying she was not backing down from this.
"Okay," Buffy conceded after a moment. "Guys, come eat."
"How will we pay for food, Buffy?" Dawn asked quietly, and even over the chattering of everyone else, Faith heard the question clear as day. Shit. They hadn't thought about that. Not that they hadn't been expecting to win, because they had, but the issue of actually living after stopping the apocalypse wasn't even considered. Shit. How could she have let these girls down again, when she'd hardly been their leader for any time at all?
"Here," Giles handed Buffy a wad of cash, and his Slayer knew to ask better than where it came from. "Feed your troops, Buffy. You've earned it."
Faith watched her blonde counterpart go, the rest of their exhausted little group trailing after her. Most of them were quietly talking among themselves, with the exception of Andrew, who seemed to be still complaining. Faith was glad she hadn't asked him to stay with her. Though, she did almost feel bad for sticking Buffy with him. Giles remained with them for a few moments, before disappearing to book them as many rooms as they possibly could. It was an unspoken understanding that not everyone was going to get their own room, probably not even their own bed, but that was something they'd have to accept. Faith was tempted to say something to Willow, to thank her for her work today, to congratulate her on being so powerful, to applaud the fact that she didn't seem all vein-y and likely to destroy the world. Sure, Faith wasn't around last time that happened, but she'd heard about it. And she really wanted to avoid that, where possible. But, instead of saying it, she just watched silently as Willow and Kennedy rested against each other, unsure of who exactly was propping up whom. Vi was quiet, mostly just checking on the injured and ensuring they'd survive being moved. The junior Slayers would be fine - most of their awful wounds were already a thousand times better - but it was the civilians she was worried about. Granted, the only seriously injured one was Robin, whom she didn't really care for any more than sex, but still. She didn't want to lose any more of their gang than they already had. Their tiny army had won, no more casualties needed to fall.
"Okay," Giles returned with the faintest hint of a smile, clearly feeling better now that they had a place to sleep. "There are two rooms with two single beds each, they can be for the severely wounded to rest and recuperate without the hindrance of sharing a bed with someone."
"Sounds great," Faith sprung to her feet, even surprising herself with the energy she still possessed. Man, when she crashed, she had no doubts that she really would be asleep for a week. "Let's get moving."
Once those who needed beds immediately were settled, those that remained made a beeline straight for the diner. Upon arrival, they found that the rest of the group had already begun to eat. Giles offered to order for everyone who'd just arrived, and there was a chorus of grateful thanks as they moved to sit down. Faith surveyed the area, seeing where the spare chairs were, then dropped into an empty seat next to Buffy. There was no rhyme or reason to why she'd chosen that chair, mostly just because Buffy was the one out of everyone that she could stand to be around the most right now. She'd officially reached her socialising quota for the day, and was ready to be alone, thank you very much. Buffy gave her a warm smile as she ate, and Faith reached over to snatch a fry.
"Hey," Buffy swatted half-heartedly at her hand, but there was no real fight to the action or her tone.
"We did it, B," Faith looked over with a grin, finding a strange warmth spreading through her chest when Buffy met her eyes and matched her expression.
"What's another apocalypse in the life of a Slayer?" Buffy laughed a little, and Faith nudged her shoulder lightly. Being around Buffy was usually a weird experience. Sure, she sometimes hated the blonde's guts, but at other times, she was pretty tolerable. Hell, even more than tolerable. And Faith had always been a touch-y person, so this uncomfortable heat she'd always felt near the other Slayer had been expressed through physicality. The nudge was familiar and friendly. It was home.
After everyone had eaten their meals at lightning speed, and decided they were no longer hungry, they seemed to hit a collective wall. One moment, the Slayers and Scoobies were laughing and joking - with Xander mocking Andrew, and Dawn saying how much she wanted to go to the mall tomorrow - and the next, their eyelids drooped and their muscles sagged.
"Okay," Giles stood, a small stack of room keys in his hand. "Now, these rooms are slightly smaller than one might like, and there were only enough single beds for those who were injured to recover in." He looked around with a bit of an apologetic smile. Faith saw a couple of people shrug. Hey, they'd all fit in Buffy's house before, and that had way less space than here did.
After the arrangements were sorted, Faith was relieved to end up in a room with Buffy, Willow and Kennedy. It was tiny, the majority of the space taken up by two double beds that jutted out from against one wall. There were two small nightstands that held lamps, and a table against the opposite wall. Faith headed straight for the nearest bed, dropping down onto the edge and pulling at her shoes.
It was then that it hit her. She'd have to share a bed with Buffy. There was nowhere else to sleep but the floor, given that Willow and Kennedy would undoubtedly share one bed, and in Giles's exact words, "we all helped save the world, so we all deserve a proper bed to sleep in." In all the time she'd known Buffy - which was, admittedly, not that long when you put together the time they'd actually spent together instead of apart - they'd never shared a bed. Which Faith figured was fair. They'd never been in that position, and it wasn't like they were the sort of friends who invited each other over for sleepovers and stayed up all night braiding each other's hair. That was more a Buffy and Willow kind of deal. In any case, she was happy enough to be sharing a bed with the original Slayer. A long as the blonde didn't talk in her sleep, or kick around violently, she'd be more decent than some of Faith's other bedfellows. And plus, Buffy was preferable over, say, Andrew. Or worse, that other, smaller junior who'd always seemed to have a bit of a crush on Faith. It wasn't like the brunette didn't see it, and it wasn't as though she was totally turned off by the fact it was a girl, the problem lay mostly in the fact that she was the other girl's leader, and superior, and just plain didn't have feelings for her at all. Yeah, Buffy was a way better choice than her.
"I'm totally calling the shower first," Kennedy strode through the room and aimed straight for the door at the other end of the room, the one Faith supposed led to the bathroom. "I feel like I haven't been clean in a year."
"Want some company?" Willow smirked coyly at her girlfriend, then apparently remembered that they weren't alone. While the redhead blushed profusely, Buffy looked embarrassed, and Faith just laughed loudly.
"I think I'm okay, thank you," Kennedy backtracked across the space to press her lips to Willow's quickly, then headed straight for the bathroom. "You can be next, though."
Faith managed to sweet-talk her way into being the last one to shower. This way, she figured, she could take as long as she wanted, and didn't have to worry about people knocking on the door to tell her to hurry up. It was luxurious, given that at Buffy's, there were about a hundred girls trying to share one bathroom. She stayed under the pounding water until her fingers were wrinkled and the hot water had eased all the remaining tension from her muscles. Her Slayer powers were already healing her body, but she could still note the bright canvas of greens, blues, purples and blacks that adorned her skin. It was gorgeous, really, and reminded her of home. Wherever, or whatever, that was. Stepping out from under the spray, and shutting it off, she grabbed the last towel and began to dry herself. It sucked that they didn't have many clean clothes - aside from the underwear they'd managed to pick up at one of their pit-stops - but her, Giles and Buffy had made the executive decision that tomorrow would be the day they worried about that. Until then, it was enough to just have clothes to wear. As much as Faith would have liked to ditch them entirely, she figured Buffy probably wouldn't appreciate that, and that thought trumped all else.
As she pulled on her scuffed and stained pants, she noted that there was no noise coming from the other side of the door. Either they were all being really quiet, or they were asleep. She was willing to put money on the latter. Not that she had a lot of it. There were a few notes in her pocket, but it wasn't like she was a millionaire. She was grateful for Giles's mysterious stash of cash, and vowed to do her part by winning a few hands of poker or a couple of games of pool. Shoving what she did have back into the depths of her pockets, she padded on bare feet over to the door of the bathroom, opening it just a crack.
In the main room, Willow and Kennedy had curled around each other on their bed, fast asleep. One of them was quietly snoring. Faith fought a smile. Willow really deserved to be happy, and Faith was happy for her. Not that she'd ever mention it to the redhead in a hundred years. That was one of those soft mushy thoughts that she would forever keep to herself, locked down in that part of her that was still soft and mushy. It wasn't that big, but it was there.
Faith glanced past Willow and Kennedy's bed to look at her own. Buffy was lying neatly on one side, tucked under the covers and facing away from Faith. She assumed that the blonde was asleep, so she flicked off the bathroom light and wandered slowly across the room, guided only by the faint light streaming in from the window and her enhanced Slayer senses. The carpet was soft under her feet, and she felt her body grow more weary with each step. Damn, she was tired. Bone-tired. The kind of tired that really only comes from stopping an apocalypse. Not that she really knew what that felt like. Buffy was the Slayer who'd fought that before. She was the one who'd been dealing with it before Faith came along, and who had to deal with it when she left. All the 'hungry and horny' from earlier had vanished completely, leaving in its place simple tiredness. Now all that was left was to lie down and let her body recover.
As Faith lowered herself to the bed, it squeaked quietly under her weight, and Buffy rolled slightly towards her. Faith gave the other girl her space, preferring to sleep in her own personal bubble anyway. She'd never been a cuddler, even in the platonic sense.
"G'night B," Faith whispered quietly as she settled down and closed her eyes.
Faith awoke to the sun streaming through a chink in the drapes, golden light spilling directly onto her face and causing her to squint and pull away. It seemed as though the sun had forced its way into bed with her, though, because all of her left side felt warm. After a couple of seconds to clear the cobwebs from her brain, she realised it wasn't the sunshine in her bed, it was just Buffy. Sometime during the night, the girl had rolled over, snuggling against Faith's side. One of her legs was entwined with Faith's, and an arm was draped across her midsection. Somehow, one of Faith's own arms was encircling Buffy's back, holding her close.
Faith clamped down on the urge to leap out of bed, instead choosing to control her heart rate, lest Buffy hear it and wake up. Okay, so apparently B was a cuddly sleeper. Who knew? Faith cast a look over to Willow and Kennedy, relieved to see that they were both still breathing, and still asleep like Buffy. Faith considered the merit of getting up to get food, or to pee, but quickly decided against it. She was comfy as hell here, even with Buffy wrapped around her. Even though it should feel weird and wrong and just plain awful, like it usually did, this felt… nice. It wasn't like Faith hadn't been with a woman before, but this was different. This wasn't being with a woman. This was just cuddling. Something she'd always hated. Supposedly.
To shift the direction of her thoughts, Faith moved her head out of the direct line of sun, and closed her eyes, willing her body to go back to sleep.
Her body must have listened, or it was just too tired to protest, because the next thing Faith knew, she was waking up again. This time, she felt a million times better than before, and she knew she was almost entirely healed. The bright light that still burst through the drapes meant that they hadn't slept all the way through until nightfall, which was a good thing, she supposed. With an already messed up sleeping schedule, sleeping for a day probably wasn't going to help matters much.
Bright and awake now, Faith took a second to assess her surroundings. The first thing she really noticed was the mess of blonde hair just inches from her face. It smelled sweet, and it only took Faith a second to realise that somehow, through the night, her and Buffy had switched positions again. Damn it. This time, she was the one doing the cuddling, Buffy's back pressed against her front, her own knees tucked in behind the blonde's and one hand coiled tightly around her waist. This never happened. Faith took a moment to calm her racing heart - though whether its speed was due to their position or the newness of it all, she didn't know - and just felt Buffy breathing against her.
After a moment, she heard soft whispers floating to her ears. It was only another split second before she realised they must be coming from Willow and Kennedy, who were probably awake and wondering exactly what the hell was going on in the other bed. Faith had her back to them, curled tight around Buffy, so she had no idea if they were really awake or not, but the quiet murmuring didn't cease, and she figured it was probably best to extract herself from her current position, for everyone's benefit. Plus, there was a good chance that earlier, Buffy had mistaken Faith for her previous bedfellow and snuggled up against what she'd thought was Spike's body. There was no telling how she'd feel if she woke up and discovered Faith was the one holding her. So, no matter how much Faith's body urged her to stay in this ultra-comfy position, she knew it was best to move.
Slowly, Faith started to roll backwards, pulling her arm from the warmth of Buffy's stomach. For a second, she thought that the other girl might be holding on, because there was much more resistance than she'd expected, but eventually the extraction was completed successfully, and Faith continued in a fluid motion up to a sitting position. She glanced over at Willow and Kennedy, who were still tangled up in one another, but this time they were wide awake, and looking at her. Willow's gaze was tinged with embarrassment at having been watching the two Slayers while they slept, and Kennedy's held a hint of pride and encouragement, which Faith was not expecting.
No, she thought stubbornly. No encouragement here. No thank you. We are perfectly fine how we are.
Thankfully, neither of the other girls decided to say anything, and Faith considered that a wise move on their part. She swung her legs out of bed and onto the floor, only just realising how much she needed to pee when she began to move.
"Morning Faith," Kennedy was the first to speak, her tone unwaveringly neutral.
"Morning," Faith returned the greeting, with a nod in the direction of the couple, her body moving of its own accord to the bathroom.
It turned out that, even though it was past midday, Faith wasn't the last one up. After leaving the room and heading for the diner with Willow and Kennedy, she discovered that a couple of the junior Slayers were still dozing, as were Robin and Xander. The rest of their troops were seated at benches, clearly waiting for their teammates to wake.
"Hey!" Rona waved a little, and Faith wasn't too surprised to see that she was looking a million times better than she had been yesterday. In fact, they all were. Even the civilians were healing nicely, and Dawn bounded up to them with a perky smile, the slight bags under her eyes clearly not deterring her from her enjoyment of the day.
"Hey guys," she greeted enthusiastically, and Faith found it hard not to give her a bit of a smile back. What could she say? The kid had spunk. "Where's Buffy?"
"Sleeping," Willow shot a fond smile back towards the direction of their motel room, and Faith found her eyes automatically following, wondering if the blonde had woken up yet. Wondering if she should go back and check.
"Willow, Kennedy, Faith!" Giles greeted, his voice distinguishable over the chatter of the others. "Did you sleep well?"
"Very well," Willow snaked an arm around her girlfriend's waist, and Kennedy flashed a sly grin at Faith. The brunette wasn't entirely sure what the expression was for, but she answered Giles' question with a half-shrug.
"How about you?" Willow returned the question.
"I intensely dislike people who snore," was all Giles said on the matter, leaving Faith considerably confused as to who exactly he was referring to.
About an hour or so after Faith had arrived at the diner, Buffy finally made an appearance.
"Sleeping Beauty!" Xander - who was now also awake - exclaimed. "She rises!"
"How did you sleep, Buffy?" Giles' brow furrowed in genuine concern, something Faith noted was an expression unique to when he was speaking to his original Slayer.
"Really well, for the most part," Buffy answered, taking the empty seat beside Faith and starting to snack on the few fries she had left. "The last hour or so really sucked, but hey, I'm alive and awake and healed so I'd say that's something."
"It is an achievement," Giles nodded in agreement. "Perhaps it was your body telling you that you'd slept enough to recover properly?"
Buffy shrugged, and Kennedy kicked Faith under the table. The older girl looked over with a confused glance, trying to understand exactly what Kennedy was implying with all of these looks and gestures. There was nothing between her and Buffy. There couldn't be.
After Buffy had eaten all of Faith's fries, and they had bought her something proper to eat, the group decided it was time to head out.
"I say we find a good town and settle in while we decide what to do," Xander suggested to the original Scoobies, while the rest of them piled onto the bus.
"We need to work out what to do ASAP," Willow nodded emphatically.
"I say we focus on rebuilding everyone's lives," Giles volunteered. "We all lost everything. It's time to start anew."
"What if we just sent the girls back home?" Buffy supplied. "We could have a system to keep in contact with everyone, and then we'd be able to cover a lot of ground, vamp-wise."
Faith had just about had enough. Sure, she loved spitballing with the Scoobies as much as the next girl, but seriously, right now there were more pressing problems. Like the fact that they were wearing drugstore underwear and some of them were still healing.
"Hey, Scooby gang," Faith interjected, waiting until they were all looking at her before she continued. "We can work out what we're doing in the long run after we get some clothes, and a stable bed for the wounded."
"That's what I said!" Xander exclaimed, and everyone turned to shoot him a glare. "What?" he held up his hands in defeat. "It is."
"I think I'd have to concede to what Faith is saying," Giles agreed.
Faith didn't even conceal the smirk that spread across her lips. The mall, like Dawn had been cheering about, and another bed to sleep in tonight? Didn't sound like an awful plan.
Turns out that trying to shop for everyone wasn't exactly the best plan. Faith had spent a couple of hours winning them all some money in a poker game, even though Giles and Buffy and a couple others had complained about the immorality of it the whole time. Nevertheless, she'd managed to come away with enough money to buy them all a couple of changes of clothes, and a promise to a certain blonde Slayer that they'd find proper work for one, or all, of them as soon as they had a chance.
When it came time for room assignments again that night, Faith was surprised when her and Buffy ended up together again. They were in a room with one double bed and one single, and their third roomie was Xander. It could have been a worse arrangement - Faith shuddered to think of ending up with Andrew, who would talk her ear off all night, or something to that effect - but it wasn't the best. Faith was pretty sure Xander was still a little strange with her about when they'd slept together, but she figured he wouldn't insist that they share a bed now.
She didn't even have to worry about that, though. When the three of them entered the room, Buffy tossed her bags of clothes on the double bed, and announced cheerily, "Faith and I will share this one." Faith's eyes almost widened in surprise, but she kept them in check, following Buffy's lead and dropping onto the bed with a bounce.
"Sorry, this one's for us," Faith flashed Xander a flirty smirk, but her confidence wavered a little. Why did it feel weird?
"You sure I can't join in?" Xander's face looked a little taken aback at her comment, but he managed a retort anyway. Faith had to give him credit for that. The girl he'd always adored, and the first one he'd slept with? Yeah, must be heaven for the boy.
"Nope," Buffy twisted on the bed until her head was on the pillow, body spread at a 90-degree angle to Faith, and her legs sprawled across the brunette's lap. "Just for us."
Faith's stomach twisted a little, though she wasn't entirely sure why. It shouldn't feel weird for Buffy to finally be reciprocating her flirtatiousness. She should be revelling in what she's finally managed to achieve after so many years. Instead, it made her feel oddly unsettled inside, like she was standing on a riverbank and the ground was slowly crumbling away beneath her. But god, the river looked so beautiful.
Thankfully, she wasn't caught up in her thoughts long, and was brought back to the room by Buffy's voice.
"I propose that we all shower," she suggested, then noting Faith's suggestive eyebrow raise, quickly backpedalled. "Separately. And then sleep."
"Can't argue with that," Xander grabbed one of the bags he'd thrown on the single bed, then made his way to the bathroom. "I call first dibs."
"Nor arguments," Buffy leaned over to the nightstand and grabbed the remote for the small TV, not moving her legs from where they sat atop Faith. She flicked on the device, and Faith turned to see what she'd settle on.
"What's good, B?" the brunette clapped one hand over Buffy's knee - a friendly gesture, she justified to herself - and raised an eyebrow as she glanced between the other Slayer and the television set.
"Nothing really," Buffy continued to flick through channels. Faith expected her to shift so that her leg was out from under Faith's hand, but she didn't. And Faith found herself a little surprised and happy about that fact.
After a few minutes, the door to the bathroom reopened, and Xander emerged, hair damp and a bundle of clothes under his arm. Faith was shocked to find that Buffy hadn't moved, and the time had passed entirely without her knowledge. She'd just been focused on the changing TV screen. Yep. That was it.
"My turn!" Buffy leaped from the bed, nudging Faith lightly as she did so. "Sorry," she said, though her tone told Faith that she was anything but. The brunette watched as Buffy gathered up her new pyjamas and made her way to the bathroom, tossing a smirk over her shoulder that made Faith's stomach turn on itself. What the hell was happening?
Faith picked up the remote from where Buffy had discarded it on the bed, and crawled up the mattress to settle herself against the headboard.
"Anything on?" Xander mirrored her position on his own bed, and Faith shrugged noncommittally.
"Nope." She continued to flick through the stations in silence, the click of the remote the only noise in the small room.
Faith appreciated that Xander wasn't saying anything. For a guy who seemed to like talking a whole lot, he was wisely staying quiet now. With all the hell they'd faced in Sunnydale, and her absence from their lives for the last few years, there was surely enough for him to probe her about. But she wasn't down for that. She just wanted to be here, tangled up in the web of her own thoughts. Thoughts that seemed to be turning to a certain blonde Slayer uncomfortably often.
For whatever reason, Faith found it hard to think of anything except waking up that morning, with Buffy curled tightly around her. The automatic shift in her body, the heat that she'd felt at having someone so close. At having Buffy so close. It was enough to make her nerve endings tingle just now. She'd felt the sheer power in Buffy's muscles before. Hell, she'd experienced it in her own body; they did share the same powers after all. And her mind tended to wander. There were a few times when she'd thought about Buffy in that way, sure. But she'd always reeled them in, and dismissed them. It was those thoughts that had invaded her mind in those first few seconds of consciousness. But what surprised and scared her a hell of a lot more was the fact that, despite that, she was completely comfortable just… being. It was unsettling, to say the very least.
Before Faith knew it, Buffy had returned from the shower, darkened blonde hair hanging in damp tendrils by her face.
"Shower's free," she gave Faith a smile and dropped her clothes into a heap on the small table.
"Thanks," the brunette slid off the bed, grabbed a few items of clothing, and moved past Buffy to get to the bathroom. She shut down all thoughts of anything but getting into a nice warm shower, of soothing her tense muscles - healed from the apocalyptic battle but still wound far too tight.
The water ebbed away at her body until she was curled on the floor, back to the tiles and knees dragged up to her chest. The spray continued to rain down from above, the water pressure just enough to be comforting. To remind her that in here, there was no need to worry about the junior Slayers, or Robin - still in critical condition but healing as well as a mortal could - or even Buffy. It was just her, and the rain.
She had no idea how long she stayed under the spray, but she managed to eventually haul herself out of the shower, and tug on her newest pyjama set. She couldn't remember the last time she'd actually had to buy clothes to sleep in. If she wasn't going without, then it was just a pair of old leggings and a hoodie. Or something to that effect. However, she knew that she'd be seen - if by no one other than Buffy - and for some reason, that had her wanting to buy new things. Even if they were plain. She gave herself a once-over before leaving the bathroom. Damp locks framing her face, a plain black v-neck tee. Pyjama shorts that were the simplest pattern she could find - black with deep red spots. They reminded Faith of blood. Her bruises were mostly faded, and the dark circles she'd developed under her eyes were almost gone. She looked… normal. It was weird. Faith tucked her clothes under one arm, gave herself another once-over - not that she had any idea why she would need to, it's not like anyone cared what she looked like - and then quietly opened the door to the room.
The TV was still on, casting light over the two sleeping figures in their beds. Xander was sprawled ungracefully atop his covers, and Buffy was tucked up into the bed, remote still dangling from her now-limp hand. Faith dropped her clothes next to the other slayer's pile, and then slipped the remote from the blonde's hand. Taking a moment, Faith observed her dozing form in the flickering shadows. Buffy's hair was fanned out behind her, slightly paler in the dimness of the room, but just as ethereal as all those nights they'd spent under the stars slaying together. In sleep, her face was totally relaxed, the small furrow between her brows completely non-existent, and the pursed edges of her mouth smooth and soft. Faith found her own brow furrowing as she watched the other Slayer sleep. It was beautiful to her, which was a problem.
With a decisive click, Faith shut off the television, plunging the room into almost total darkness. She placed the remote on the nightstand and crawled into bed as gently as she could, so as to not wake its other occupant. Buffy made a noise in the back of her throat, clearly being roused from her slumber, but Faith slipped between the sheets at a faster pace, completing the manoeuvre before the other girl even had time to adjust her position. She paused, muscles tense as she waited to see if Buffy woke up fully. Surprising her, the other Slayer didn't utter another noise, merely rolled to drape her body casually over Faith's, snaking one arm around her waist and tangling their legs together.
Faith could swear her heart almost stopped.
What the hell? she thought, not about Buffy, but her own response. They'd been close before. They'd slept like this last night. But for some reason, her heart was deciding now was a pretty great time to stop working. Her breath had set up camp in her lungs, not intending to leave any time soon. And her brain? Well, that was torn between wanting to throw Buffy across the room, or pull her closer. So she did neither, simply lying there in the silence, listening as other menial noises slowly came into her hearing range. A lone car speeding down the highway outside. The faint snoring of someone in the room next door - no doubt the same person Giles had been complaining about, whoever that was. The soft and gentle rhythm of the room's other two humans breathing deeply and evenly.
Buffy was warm. Not overly, but just enough for Faith to be aware of it. Aware of the fact that it was an actual human being curled up against her side. And what was more, the warmth was a comfort. Something that soothed her racing mind and her tired bones and lulled her into a deep sleep.
The next morning, when the troops met to decide what was for breakfast, Faith found herself standing with Willow, Kennedy and Buffy.
"How'd you sleep, Buffy?" Willow chirped, clearly having gotten another good night's rest.
"Better than ever," Buffy replied, matching her best friend's grin. "Post-apocalypse crash, I guess."
Kennedy shot the Faith a smug smirk, which perplexed the older Slayer. What was that for? She simple raised an eyebrow in return, waiting for Kennedy to explain. But she didn't, instead sliding her eyes between Faith and Buffy, who was engaged in a deep conversation with Willow about something Faith didn't care enough to listen in on. Kennedy nudged Faith's foot with her own, and jerked her head in the blonde slayer's direction.
Faith's eyes widened momentarily, before she caught herself and shook her head curtly, her gaze clearly broadcasting 'don't even go there'. But Kennedy either didn't take the hint or didn't care, because the sly smile still stayed on her lips, and there was a dark twinkle in her eye that Faith found she didn't like all that much.
They stopped just outside of Cleveland for one more night of rest before they had to deal with the Hellmouth. Faith wasn't even surprised this time when her and Buffy ended up sharing a room, but she was a little shocked when it was a room with two single beds. Not that she should have been. Because it wasn't a big deal about the sleeping arrangements. Not at all.
After showering, and determining there was positively nothing good on TV, they made the unanimous decision to just switch off the lights and try to sleep. After all, they were going to launch back into Slayer mode tomorrow, with actual fighting, and training new slayers, and trying to organise this new 'not just one girl in the world' thing. Tonight was going to be their last night of good rest for a while.
Faith rolled over with her back to Buffy, trying to shut out the quiet little voice in her mind that protested the blonde's absence in her arms. It was stupid. The whole thing. She didn't like Buffy like that. She couldn't. Buffy was, well, Buffy. This couldn't happen. But that didn't stop her arms aching without the other Slayer's slim form wrapped between them.
Faith's mind whirred, preventing her from sleeping. Unlike the past couple of nights, Faith wasn't close enough or relaxed enough to be able to hear Buffy's breathing, which meant she couldn't determine whether or not the other girl was asleep either. As time continued to drag on, though, she figured there was no way that Buffy could still be awake. But then she heard a soft whisper.
"Faith? You up?"
Faith closed her eyes quickly, as though Buffy could see her, and her mind raced. Should she answer? Should she pretend to be asleep? What was Buffy going to ask her?
"Faith?" Buffy's voice was slightly quieter now, overridden by the quiet rustle of sheets and fabric. Faith tried to make her breathing as even as possible. Pretending to be asleep seemed like the best option here.
Faith could hear Buffy's bare feet padding against the carpet of the room, and they appeared to be moving closer. Slayer senses allowed her to almost pinpoint Buffy's exact location, and it was a little alarming to find that she was moving closer and closer towards the bed. Then, to her surprise, the mattress at her back dipped, her body automatically rolling over slightly as Buffy climbed into the twin bed. It was slightly squishy, but with Faith turned on her side and their lithe bodies, they fit. Faith focused all her energy on not tensing her muscles, on not giving anything away until she was sure what the hell Buffy was actually doing.
She found that out in a few moments. Buffy tucked her knees into the crook of Faith's, and slipped one arm around Faith's waist. The brunette felt Buffy snuggle closer, pressing their bodies flush against one another. Then she stopped moving.
Holy shit, Faith thought to herself, noting the warmth of Buffy against her back, the tight and possessive way her tan arm encircled Faith's body. This was probably in the list of top five things she had not expected when Buffy had whispered her name. Right up there with the other girl suddenly growing a second head, or playing the bagpipes.
Faith let them rest for a few moments, noting even in the short space of time how Buffy's breathing slowed, and her muscles grew more lax. Then she shifted slightly, rolling over and attempting to face the blonde. Given the small bed, it was no easy feat, but she ended up on her back, Buffy still coiled around her, and a pair of shocked green eyes staring at her in the darkness.
"Uh, hi," Faith was the first to break the spell that had apparently fallen over the two of them and rendered them speechless. "What's up, B?"
Buffy's face was a picture of shock, her eyes wide and a little scared. Faith waited with bated breath, half of her hoping Buffy would come up with a reasonable explanation, and the other half simply hoping for her to say 'I wanted to'.
"It's cold."
Faith scoffed slightly, knowing it was a blatant lie on the other Slayer's part.
"I don't like sleeping by myself," she tried again. Faith simply held her gaze, and raised an eyebrow. She had no idea what the real reason was behind Buffy's little trip to her bed, but she could tell it was none of these. Not with that lying glint to Buffy's eye, the one she'd picked up on shortly after they'd met.
"Try again," Faith said quietly, her voice rough with anticipation.
Buffy pursed her lips together to think, and it was then that Faith realised they were mere inches from each other. And Buffy was still holding her tightly.
"I just… sleep better with you."
Faith was genuinely surprised to find no hint of a lie in Buffy's gaze this time, just the honest truth and a bit of fear. Fear? Why would she be afraid of me? Faith thought. It took a moment for her to realise. Oh. Not me. Just the scenario. She doesn't know what I'm gonna do.
Faith ran through a multitude of snarky comments in her head, all of which were delivered with a sideways smirk and a squeeze of the hand that was lying dangerously close to her breast. Instead, her body didn't move, and she found her lips saying, "I sleep better with you too."
"Good," Buffy grinned, lighting up the dark. "Glad we got that sorted. Sleeping now?"
"Hang on," Faith resisted Buffy's attempt to roll her back over and curl up behind her. In the slight struggle, they ended up face-to-face, Buffy's short breaths sending puffs of air across Faith's lips. "We're so far from sorted."
"Okay, fine," Buffy huffed, and Faith felt the warmth from her breath skitter all the way down her spine. "We're five by five, or whatever."
"Not five by five either, B."
"What do you want me to say?" Buffy spluttered indignantly. "I came over here because ever since we started sharing a bed apparently I hate sleeping by myself, and you're so comfy, and I really like just being here but apparently you don't want me in your bed-"
"B-"
"Which is weird because you keep giving me these mixed signals and everything and-"
"B-"
"God you are so hard to decipher, Faith, because I thought you might actually want me here-"
"Buffy-"
"But then I get up all my courage and you suddenly get all wiggy and I'm scared I read everything wrong and-"
Buffy didn't look like she was going to shut up anytime soon.
So Faith kissed her.
Back when they'd both been young, Faith had been attracted to Buffy. As much as they fought , there was something about the blonde. But then her world went to shit and she kind of almost killed a whole bunch of people and then she'd fled, and then her life had gotten even more shit. But despite everything, her mind seemed to always crave Buffy.
From the past few nights, Faith had learned what Buffy's body felt like. Not just seen it, not just imagined it, but felt it. And now she felt it come alive, humming with electricity as it touched hers, their lips locked together even though nothing else had changed. Buffy tasted like mint toothpaste and vanilla. Their lips moved gracefully against one another's, like it was a dance they'd been practicing for years. Faith guessed that Slayer senses, and the fact that they both had them, helped with how in tune to each other's movements they were. She could feel every shift in Buffy's lips, and they parted eagerly under Faith's gently roaming tongue.
Kissing Buffy should have felt strange. They weren't even supposed to exist at the same time, let alone be this close. It should have been weird because it was Buffy and it was her sister slayer and it was the girl she wasn't even sure she could call a friend after all that had happened. But for all the reasons it should have felt strange, that was why it felt so right.
Buffy's hand rose to cup Faith's cheek, and the brunette pulled away slightly, allowing their eyes to flutter open and meet each other in the darkness. Brown held blue, until finally one of them spoke.
"If I'd known that would make you shut up, I'd have done it years ago," Faith chuckled, one hand drifting up to settle on Buffy's hip.
"Should've," Buffy hummed nonchalantly.
"What's different now, B?" Faith felt hesitation grip her chest. This was one of the only good things in her life right now. She couldn't mess that up. And if it was already messed up? That was something she'd have to deal with.
"I sleep better with you," the blonde's tone was factual, and she lifted one shoulder in a shrug. The action was awkward, given their position, but neither minded. Buffy's fingers drifted along Faith's jawline in a surprisingly tender caress.
"Okay," Faith nodded decisively. Was this weird? Hell yes. Should she be worried? Hell yes. Was she? Hell no. Something about this felt so easy. So natural. And she didn't want to question that. Not until anything went wrong. What was that saying? Never look a gift horse in the mouth? Or something.
"So now what?" Faith asked after a moment. Her thumb was making small circles on Buffy's hip, and the other slayer was mirroring her action against Faith's own cheek. After a kiss like that, Faith was tempted to flip them over and push Buffy into the mattress and lose herself in the other Slayer. But this was unlike any time Faith had been in before. This was Buffy. And she couldn't bear to think about screwing this up, stupid as it was to think so.
"I don't know," Buffy pursed her lips, and Faith impulsively leaned over and kissed them.
"Stop, you're making it hard to think."
"You think too much," Faith murmured. A memory floated back to her, of her saying those exact words to Buffy in a cemetery, so many years earlier. They were talking about sex, funnily enough, and now they were lying pressed up against each other, horizontal. Fate has a twisted sense of humour, Faith thought. "Don't think."
"How?" Buffy's eyebrows drew together as she clearly tried to make sense of the brunette's mindset.
Faith knew they thought differently. Always had, probably always would. But she also knew exactly how Buffy thought. And right now, she'd be trying to process this far too much, to be worrying about what this meant, and their future, and what the hell was actually going on. Faith tried not to think about that. Thinking too hard about this meant there was a chance to poke holes in the fragile little bubble they'd created. And Buffy tended to do that. Jumping in with her logic and her facts. That wasn't how Faith worked. She was more of a 'jump first, think later' type of girl. And in this case, it was her approach that would preserve whatever had changed, and Buffy's had a chance of destroying it.
"Please don't think," Faith used the hand on Buffy's hip to draw her closer. For the first time, she wasn't even aiming for sex tonight. Sure, that would be great, but just being able to sleep beside Buffy, along with whatever had changed between them, would be all she needed. And that terrified her.
"Okay," Buffy whispered, so quietly that Faith would have missed it if it weren't for Slayer senses and being so close to the blonde.
Their lips touched again, softly. This kiss was delicate, lips sliding over the other's like they were made of glass. But then Buffy let her tongue slip past her lips, and all bets were off. Faith felt the spark ignite within her, something she'd long ago dismissed as a persistent ember, and her hands rose to clutch at the blonde. Her hips, her jaw, her hair. Anything she could touch, she drew close, lips constantly searching for more.
Though they were assisted by their reduced need for oxygen, ineveitably, they had to break away. Their harsh pants were the only sounds that broke the silence of the room, and as Buffy's eyes locked with Faith's, the brunette noted a tinge of fear.
"What?" she rasped.
"I've never…" Buffy trailed off, suddenly shy. Her hand released its iron grip on the hem of Faith's shirt, and she started to shift away.
Faith was no stranger to the lure of women's bodies, and had her fair share of experience with them. But she hadn't thought about the fact that it wasn't everyone's history.
"Hey," Faith tugged her back. "We're five by five, B." She hesitated a beat. "I'll do whatever you want, okay?"
There was a moment of silence, and Faith was pretty sure someone had stolen all the oxygen from the room. Holy shit. That was not what she'd meant to say. It held way too many implications, way too many hopes and promises and certainties. She tried to backpedal, but Buffy spoke before she had a chance.
"Thanks," the blonde leant down and touched her lips chastely to Faith's. When she pulled away, the shyness was back. It was uncharacteristic, and made Faith a little uncomfortable, so she wanted to do what she could to fix it. "Could we just… sleep?"
"Yeah," Faith replied, without even taking a moment to process what Buffy had just said. Oh, she thought after a second. Just sleep. Yeah. Okay. I can do that. Done that before. Got it. "Wicked."
"Not tonight," one corner of Buffy's mouth lifted in a flirtatious smirk, and Faith was taken aback at her brazenness. Before she had a chance to react, Buffy had closed the distance between them yet again, shifting their positions ever so slightly as she did so. Once she was settled, she broke the kiss.
In that moment, Faith was grateful for Slayer vision, because without it she would have missed the soft smile that graced Buffy's features, made up of promises, sexiness and trust. And that was the best thing Faith could have hoped for. Buffy turned abruptly, tugging Faith until she was curled up behind her, and linked their hands together. Faith was again surprised at how perfectly they fit, and how natural it felt to hold this woman close, to simply lie beside someone and not feel the overwhelming urge to run away. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Buffy did the same thing, if the rise and fall of her ribcage against Faith's body was any indication.
"Goodnight Faith," Buffy murmured sleepily.
"Night B," Faith pressed an impulsive kiss to the tan shoulder in front of her, then relaxed against Buffy.
Within minutes, both girls were sleeping soundly, still holding tight to one another.
And the next time they slept together, there would be very little sleeping involved.