You hadn't meant to kiss Faith. Yet here you are, and her lips are warm and softer than you imagined in any of those daydreams you told yourself never happened. You are kissing her. You are.

And you realize she is kissing you back, the warmth of her hands in your back, pulling you closer. Relief rises in you, a wave cresting and falling only to be replaced by another of pure desire. You pull her in close, the kiss changes and you flow with it.

This is happening.

And for the first time since... since... emotion. Real emotion. You feel them waking up in you, and realise you haven't really felt anything since you pushed that sword through all your hopes and dreams.

You Slayed your love and the love in you.

She pulls away for breath, your foreheads pressed together. You are gasping too. This is too much. Too intense. You hold her to you whilst you acclimatize to your waking. Emotions crash around inside you like waves. You will that sea calm, but it refuses.

You steal a glance at her face. Her eyes are shut, face flushed, lips swollen. It happened. It really happened.

'Say something.' you whisper.

'B?' she says in that smokey voice. Her voice trembling. A note of fear hangs. "Is this happening?"

You kiss her cheek softly, trying to coax open her eyes.

'Do you not want it to?' you manage, your sentence a breath.

'So much. B...' she swallows. 'this is the bit where I wake up.'

You kiss her forehead and run fingers through soft hair. Soft. So soft. 'Faith? Please open your eyes.'

Slowly she does. And it is like the sun rising on the first day of this... whatever this is or will be.

You both laugh awkwardly, but neither release your grip upon the other. She feels the same. She actually feels the same.

'You okay?' you say and she nods, a little awkwardly. That false bravado she hides behind is nowhere in sight, and you somehow feel exposed for her. And strangely, she seems like another girl altogether. 'Guess, we should talk about this, huh?' she nods again, and without words, she takes your hand and pulls you to from the silent high street, past the closed Espresso Pump and to a bench. A single car passes, cutting through the silence. But her warm hand in yours says a great deal. It's the best conversation you have had since...

You trace your fingers over the back of her hand, marveling at the softness of her skin. The warmth. You meet her gaze and smile.

'This is... a world of new.' you say. She chuckles and nods.

"Got that right."

"S'good new. Though. I think." you stammer. "It is, right?"

'Doesn't suck. Well... ' she waggles her brow suggestively, the old Faith flickering back to life for a moment... but then... 'I'm sure I just need a little freak out at some point and hey, I'm good.'

'I... well, I hope this explains a lot. About me. About... well, about how I have been acting around you lately.' you adds, then realize you haven't explained anything at all. 'I have kinda been pushing you away.'

'What, because... you like me and that freaks you?'

'Honestly? Yes.' you sigh. 'It's... I mean, the whole being attracted to girls thing... it's something I have noticed before, but had it firmly in the denial basket. Slam dunked, in fact. Nothing but net. Figured it was easy enough that I liked boys plenty. Then you come along...'

'With my irresistible hotness.' she smirks.

You shoot her a warning look, but her hand smoothly cups yours and you feel electric as her fingertips dance over your pulse point. Then she says something you find so out of character.

'I'm sorry. Must have been hard. I would have toned back the flirting had I known it was causing you angst.'

'I... liked it.' you admit, both to her and to yourself for the first time. 'You don't need to apologize for anything. Believe me, my sapphic tendencies? Pretty much out of the denial basket and dancing a little jig on my consciousness right now.'

'So we cool? About this?'

'Are you?'

She shrugs, and glances off into the night. You watch thoughts flicker across her features.

'Not sure. Been riding the same confusion train as you. Never thought about girls. Not until you.' that brings a smile to your face. 'Not that I am scared or anything...' she adds, and you immediately read it as false. She feels your hand tighten around hers and she swallows. 'Okay. Maybe a little. Never thought of myself as gay or... I guess...'

'Bisexual?' you say the word for the first time and it feels weird in your mouth. Bisexual. You're bisexual. Bisexual Buffy.

'I guess.' she sighs, shaking her head. 'I mean, I dunno. It's new. Real new. Not sure.' she drops her head onto your shoulder for a moment and growls in frustration before pulling away.

'Need me to back off?' you say, not wanting to.

'What I need, right now, is a strong drink.'

'I am so glad the idea of dating me drives you to drinking.' you deadpan. She chuckles. You have to admit the idea of something to calm your nerves sounds appealing.

'I mean... ' she says, but a thought cuts the sentence short. 'You want to date me?'

You nod. She stares at you expressionless again.

'Me?' the idea seems alien to her. Your stomach lurches at the fear of rejection. But for a moment, until something kicks in. Something within you that always kicks in at a time of fear. If you had to put a word on it, Slayer, comes to mind. Your face tightens with resolve.

'Yes. I do.' your brain swirls with all the bad things that could possibly happen. What would the gang think? What would your mom think? But The Slayer sits between those possibilities and you. 'Faith, I like you. Whatever the world thinks, I am sick of denying it. I want to see where this goes.'

She seems confused at first, but a smile creeps across her lips.

'Really?'

'Really. Faith... hey, wait a minute. what is your surname?'

'Lehane'.

'Faith Lehane would you be my girlfriend?'

The vulnerable girl appears again, and she blushes, burying her face into your shoulder to hide.

'What was that?' you say to her mumble.

'This is really happening?'

You chuckle and nod.

'You sure you know what you are signing up for?' she says. then something occurs to you. I mean, if you are going to date her...

'Seriously? You didn't know my surname?'. Ooop- there's the guilt. You frown.

'I have been a sucky friend, haven't I?'

'Well, yeah.' she says, and straightens up to look you in the eye. 'You better be a better girlfriend.'

'Is that a yes?'

'Just shut up and kiss your girlfriend already' she smirks.

And you do.