A/N: This chapter is basically the second half of chapter ten, so I wanted to get it up quickly. You guys are awesome, thanks for all the feedback!
Buffy stood in her living room, frozen. She had slipped in a few minutes ago, quietly it seemed. Buffy figured her mind was still on her conversation with Giles as she didn't notice the voices right away. Her two friends out on the fire escape had not noticed her entry, either, it seemed.
As she listened to the last few exchanges between the two, she realized too late to slip out that they were wrapping up the conversation. As Faith's leg pushed through the window, Buffy panicked.
She grabbed the handle of the front door, opened it and then loudly slammed it. "Hello?"
"B."
"Hey, Faith. Oh, and Spike," Buffy said as the vampire crawled in behind Faith.
"Hey, B. How goes it?"
"Good, you guys causing trouble out there?"
"Yeah, throwing pennies at tourists."
"Yeah, sure Spike."
"Believe it love, Faith's got wicked aim."
"Hey, do I look like I played softball as a kid?"
"Well, actually - "
"Alright, Spike, Faith and I have dinner plans. Talk to you tomorrow?"
"Got it, slayer. Oh, that thing you asked for, put it over by the kitchen. Night you two, see you soon."
He gave a short wave and disappeared behind the door. Faith turned to find Buffy walking straight at her. "We have dinner plans, B?"
"Well, I was thinking it's Friday night, maybe we could go grab a bite out after."
"After what?"
"This." She walked the final step at Faith and kissed her. She knew she was on a bit of overload, feelings bubbling from her conversation with Giles and hearing Faith a moment ago. But again, she had known herself long enough to live in the moments when her instinct took over, when she was pure feeling, when she was pure slayer.
She met her equal in Faith as the brunette grabbed the back of Buffy's head with one hand, running her other along the small of her back. The women kissed roughly for a few seconds before Faith pulled back a moment, "What's this all about?" She buried her head in Buffy's neck, grazing her teeth along Buffy's heated skin, needing a moment to process Buffy jumping her so quickly. "Not that I'm complaining."
Because she wasn't.
Buffy was already running her hands inside Faith's shirt, unclasping her bra. She had gotten decent at it over the short course of days. She scratched a light line from Faith's back around to her stomach with her short nails. She stopped just short of grabbing Faith's breasts.
"Today was long and weird. When I walked in and saw you, I realized I was happy." She couldn't stop her thumbs from teasing gossamer hairs and the underside of Faith's now very loose bra. "And horny."
Faith barely waited a second once she realized Buffy had not caught any of her and Spike's conversation. Pulling her bra straps through her t-shirt sleeves, in a move she had not attempted with a partner in a long time, Faith slipped her bra off and tossed it across the room.
"Good enough for me, B." Her shirt followed and landed near the dinette island. Buffy dropped her head and kissed wet sloppy kisses down Faith's neck and collarbone. He hands dropped to Faith's breasts and she palmed the soft, bouncy flesh. Buffy had stayed mostly above the belt with Satsu, but she was amused at how much more she liked Faith's fuller chest.
Faith let herself enjoy the feeling of Buffy's hands, and then mouth, on her chest for a while before reaching down clumsily to the blonde's zipper. She did what she could and then pushed at the denim and underwear beneath until Buffy got the clue. Her mouth staying glued to one nipple or the other, Buffy kicked out of her shoes and stepped back and forth until she was able to kick her pants over to a chair.
Faith dropped to her knees as soon as Buffy was bare, as if drawn by a magnet. Buffy smirked as she tossed her shirt and bra off herself. Faith's tongue was already working between her folds. She licked long slow lines up and down Buffy's body. Buffy let herself relax slowly into the intimate action. She and Faith had already gone places it had always taken her longer to reach. But Buffy knew timelines were different as you got older and, well, Faith was only here for another few days. Might as well get to the good stuff.
"Oh god, Faith. Please." Faith glanced up as her tongue softly began moving back and forth over Buffy's clit. Her hands ran up and down Buffy's thighs as she saw Buffy's face tense, eyes closed as she braced herself on the couch. She let her tongue and hands work slowly and lightly for another couple of minutes and then stopped.
She came up and stood in Buffy's space, leaning close to her ear. "I uh, think we're violatin' one of our rules."
"Huh?" Buffy was already hazy.
"Yeah, equal levels of naked."
Buffy's eyes opened and indeed realized that Faith was still wearing pants. That wasn't fair, she decided. "You're right. New rule. Your pants are always off."
Faith laughed out loud as Buffy clawed at her leather pants, the one throwback she would never fully leave behind. They were better quality and more flattering these days, but she still loved them. "Easy there tiger." That was the wrong thing to say as Buffy gave her principal eye. That and the french twist threw Faith into timid schoolgirl mood and she gave in as Buffy stripped each leg of her pants off.
"Damn, B. You really are a top."
Faith almost giggled so Buffy thought it was ok to crack a smile. Her voice did not waver, however, and she said low and clear, "Bedroom. Now."
"Yes, ma'am."
The two girls wandered toward Buffy's room, but at the last second, the blonde pulled Faith toward the opposite end of the hallway.
"B?"
"I just changed the sheets in my room, and this may get messy."
"B, do we need a safeword? Cause I was jokin' on the phone, but . . . "
They pushed through the door and fell onto the barely used guest bed. They kissed rough and fast and deep as they rolled onto their sides, face to fave. "Faith, I just . . . you're here for a few more days, I figure we might as well make it worth it."
"Hmm." Faith always wondered if there was anything more to she and Buffy being slayers. Wondered if there was some connection. She had given up somewhere in the back of a council paddy waggon. But she wondered now. She worried now.
Could Buffy read her? Maybe not even her thoughts. Or even emotions really. But there was something else to it, she flashed briefly as Buffy's hand trailed between her legs and rubbed lazy circles, testing the wetness she found, creating more as she did.
Between the things she had only just fully realized as she had spoken them to Spike tonight and the way Buffy's gaze was burning into her, Faith was nervous. This felt so good, it felt too good. This was more than they should be doing.
"God, Faith. You get so wet," Buffy said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I love that you get so wet."
Faith propped her leg up, giving Buffy easier access. Whatever thoughts her brain was busy overthinking, her vagina needed the blonde's fingers inside it. She bit down on Buffy's neck.
"Everything feels so different, it's weird, but it also feels . . . familiar. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, sure. Yeah." Faith couldn't manage much more as Buffy had a finger or two slightly probing her entrance. Every few passes she would dip the tip of a finger just inside, teasing the brunette, whose heart rate was climbing. She leaned in for deep, rhythmic kiss. She needed more.
"Faith." Buffy broke away slightly.
She looked up at Buffy, eyes dark, her body rocking gently against Buffy's hand, subtly asking for more.
"I'm glad we're doing this. I don't quite know what's going on, but I'm having fun."
"I'm having fun, too, Buffy." Faith couldn't help but smiling. Not a smirk or an ironic smile.
"Faith?"
"Yeah, B."
"Do what I'm doing." She briefly removed her hand from Faith's slit to grab the brunette's hand and move it between her own spread legs.
"Oh god, B." Faith felt herself melt, turned on by all of it. Faith had always wanted Buffy to see her as part of the group. She had always wanted the blonde's attention. She had always craved the blonde's approval.
And while she'd been a top in bed for as long as she had been having sex, Buffy calling the shots tapped into that deep, primal part of her brain that had always wanted Buffy's leadership.
"Yes, ma'am."
Buffy laughed softly as the two girls remain propped on their sides, their hands exploring up and down. Faith stopped to circle her middle finger around Buffy's clit while Buffy finally slipped a pair of fingers up inside her. "Keep saying that and we just might end up needing a safe word, Miss Lehane."
Faith responded by slipping her fingers inside Buffy and beginning to move them in and out, matching Buffy's pace. The slayers stared hard at each other, their faces focused, adrenaline and hormones fueling their moving limbs, their rocking bodies.
Buffy held her fingers inside Faith's wet cavity and wiggled her fingers, watching Faith's face contort at different movements. As Faith continued to mirror her motions, she heard herself holding on the positions in which she ended up moaning the most.
Their bodies moved against each other, a light film of sweat developing on a small of the back, on a neck. Faith's leather necklace and Buffy's earrings were the only clothing they wore as they kissed. Slow then fast. Hard then soft. They made noises into the voids of each other's mouths.
"You ok?" Buffy asked, close to Faith's face, pulled tight with tension.
"Need more. Need more, B."
Buffy pulled her fingers from the brunette, but only long enough to pull them to her mouth. She licked three fingers, adding even more moisture to three drenched digits. She brought her wet fingers back to Faith and slowly pushed them into her. She knew it wasn't more than Faith could handle, but it still felt like a lot. It still felt like a big move.
"Oh, fuck yeah, B. Fuck."
"You ok?"
"God, yes. Fuck me, B."
Buffy responded by pumping her fingers steadily in and out of Faith. In and out, all the way in and all the way out. Faith's fingers still moved inside her, but they became erratic and jerked into her g spot.
"B, you want . . . "
Buffy curled her fingers into Faith's tight walls, "I'm a slayer, Faith. I can handle whatever you got."
She earned herself a full on smirk that devolved quickly into a devil's smile. She felt the wet pressure as she filled up even more completely. "Oh."
They looked hard at each other as they fucked. There was a challenge behind each woman's eyes. Can you take this? Can you handle this? Who can push harder?
They rocked in an demon rhythm, undulating onto each other's hands. Their sounds were loud, their movements harder and harder.
Faith knew neither of them would probably finish like this, but she was surprised at how close she was getting. It also didn't matter, she had stopped thinking. She was fully enveloped by Buffy's attention. The power of her clear blue eyes made Faith feel like she was slowly being consumed in a fire. She was burning.
"F, here, come here." Buffy sloppily rolled Faith onto her back. She bit her lip and then slightly shrugged. As she started to rotate on all fours, Faith got the idea. She grabbed Buffy's hips and guided them down as the blonde straddled her. Faith had tried this with a few guys way back when who had laughed her off. She had kicked them out soon after.
"I ain't gonna last long, B."
"Counting on it," B said just before she dove into Faith's pussy. She moved a single finger inside the brunette as she lay face down on top of her. She knew she didn't have long either as Faith started working on her.
There was a quick climb to the top and then Faith came hard, with only enough wherewithal to keep her tongue moving on Buffy's clit and not clench her thighs together with full slayer strength. The hard jerking of Faith's tongue put Buffy over the edge and she came hard, clutching hard to the girl beneath her.
A small circle of sparks exploded around the girls, in a dimension reserved for these kinds of things. Blue and gold light leaked into their world and changed the tint of the room just barely. Neither girl noticed as they spasmed and twitched.
They continued to slowly and sloppily lick and rub each other, coming down slowly, coming back to earth reluctantly. Buffy lazily kissed Faith's thigh before rolling off and climbing back up to the brunette, who was trying to be discreet about wiping her mouth some.
Faith almost automatically put out her arm, and Buffy easily laid her head there. The two girls sat for one minute then another then another until both were dangerously close to nodding off.
"Oy," Buffy finally said, shaking herself awake and propping herself up on an elbow. Faith looked up at the smiling blonde and did the same.
"You convert while I been gone, B?"
"Nah. Just turns out living in a city is good for the diversity and all," Buffy laughed, running her hand through her hair, trying to pat it back into a space closer to her head. She reached out tried the same with Faith's unruly moptop.
"Won't work, B. I got hair like a Jersey girl in the 80's."
Buffy laughed and pulled a sheet up over the two of their bodies. She was cooling down now. "Can't say I've pulled that move in a while. Was that ok?"
"No complaints here, Blondie," Faith answered deep and sleepily. "You're just full of surprises."
Buffy's eyes narrowed in mock surprise. "Well, I do want to keep things interesting for the girl who wrestled an alligator naked."
"Hey," Faith poked Buffy in the shoulder. "That was far from sexual, creep." She kept her hand on Buffy's arm, rubbing the skin there up and down.
"I know, I just . . . feel like you've done more than me."
"I actually doubt that, B. I tried some stuff as a kid, but between coma, jail and all the apocalypses, I had a bit of down time."
"I know. And I know that we're just having fun, just want to keep things spicy."
"B, we been fuckin' for like a week, everything's still new. And it's all hot," she reassured, not sure why Buffy was suddenly shy about what they'd been doing. "No need to do shit you're uncomfortable with."
"Oh, no, I was comfortable. Wanted to make sure you were. Too, or whatever. Oh lord, this is probably too much talking in bed."
"Nah, B. I like talking it bed. It's how you get what you want."
"And what do you want, Faith?"
"You."
Faith answered quickly, loving how easy their banter was. It always had been. Feeling a panic rising in her throat, however, she quickly added, "I want you, again, if you're up for it."
Faith topped Buffy and let a thigh lean between Buffy's legs. "Why don't you tell me what you want, tiger."
More touching and less talking was all Faith wanted right now. Buffy thinking she was getting bored already made her feel bad again. She wondered how long she would carry around her teenage mask, when she would be allowed to leave it behind.
"Well, I like that thing you did the other night."
"Which thing, B?"
"You know, the thing with your fingers and the . . . you know, down there."
"Oh," Faith said dramatically, drawing the words out as she snaked a hand between Buffy's legs. The girls were still hot and sweaty, Faith knew there was still moisture between them.
As she was about to indeed do the things with her fingers once more, the two slayers heard a knock at the front door.
"Shit!" Buffy jumped up, "Who's that?"
"Not my house, don't know. Expecting a date?"
"Haha," Buffy meant to keep going, but she heard the door open and a voice explore the space.
"Hello? Buffy, you here?"
"Willow. Crap. I gotta go out there," Buffy said, looking around for some clothes.
"B, why don't I go out. We're in the guest room, remember. It'll look weird you coming outta here, no?" She probably doesn't want Willow to know about us.
Buffy cocked her head at Faith. Does she not want anyone to know about this?
"Yeah, sure. Uh, thanks."
Faith walked down the hall, pulling a sweatshirt over the tank she had quickly retrieved from a drawer. "Hey, Red."
"Faith, oh, hey. Is Buffy around?"
"Uh, haven't seen her since this morning. Why, everything ok?"
"Oh, yeah. Well, no, she seemed really upset this morning. Just wanted to check on her. She kind of ran out on friend breakfast."
"Oh," Faith said, actually concerned. Buffy hadn't mentioned that. She hadn't said much of anything actually; the blonde had jumped Faith and they hadn't stopped yet.
"Yeah," Will said, looking around the room for the first time. She noticed the clothing scattered about. She noticed Faith's loose running shorts.
"Uh, sorry, I'm a messy houseguest."
Faith began to pick up her and Buffy's clothes they had thrown around the living room and kitchen.
Willow watched as Faith picked up a purple bra and added it to the pile, which she then tossed down the hallway.
"Pretty bra, Faith."
"Hey, now. I'm a lady."
"That you are."
Faith took a seat at the kitchen island and motioned for Willow to sit. She did.
"So what was Buffy upset about this morning?"
"Uh, well, you actually."
"Huh?" She was confused, actually. Faith knew Buffy had been weirded out about knowing she was dead, but she didn't think she'd tell the rest of the gang just like that.
"Well, she was really upset that we never really told you when she died. Kind of read us the riot act."
"Well, we did talk about it this morning, but I told her I figured it out. And Angel came by and explained the rest."
"Yeah, but it still shouldn't have been that way. You finding out all alone."
"Well, the way I see it, I landed myself there and missed all the 411. Missed helping out with the whole thing too. If I was there, maybe there woulda been no news to miss."
"Faith, that doesn't . . . well, it doesn't mean that we still don't owe you an apology."
Faith took a long, deep breath and shrugged. "Thanks."
"So you really just knew?"
"Kinda. Yeah. It was weird, woke up with this wicked pain all right here." She made a circle in front of her stomach. "Thought I was dyin' or somethin'. Couldn't find anything wrong with me, but by the time they got around to takin' my blood, I just kinda knew."
"Hmm. Did you . . . "
Faith raised her eyebrows, she could handle a Willow question.
"Did you and Buffy ever have a physical connection back in high school?"
"We never did anything back then, no."
"No, I mean, as slayers? Was there always something there? Could you feel each other?"
"Um, don't really remember, Red. Sorry."
Willow seemed to look disappointed, so Faith quickly added, "I mean, things were a little crazy when we was around each other anyway. And then, ya know, coma," she swung her hand like a game show girl, showing off the proof of the answer. "And then in jail, that was probably the first biggest thing to cause a feelin' like that."
Willow looked up at the brunette, taking her in fully, from messy hair to thin leather necklace to the Oxford hoodie. She saw Faith blush under her stare. How odd, Willow thought, that she should be the one to make Faith the terrible blush.
"I dunno. Or something like that." Faith coughed and grabbed a pear from the bowl on the island. "By the way, as long as we're apologizing for shit, I suppose I owe you one for way back then. Ya know, for the, uh . . . kidnapping and shit."
Willow snapped out of her staring with her knowing expression. She flashed the slayer a slightly wicked grin and said, "Faith, you know you already apologized for that, right?"
Her cocked her head, suddenly alert and interested like a Doberman retriever. "Huh?"
"Second or third day after Sunnydale bit the dust. We all went out to that dive bar in the LA suburbs."
Faith remembered, "Oh yeah, the pool hall joint."
"Yeah, Angel left a bar tab open and we all went a little crazy."
"Shit, yeah, I had almost forgotten about that."
"Yeah, well, we were all exhausted. We had taken care of the basics, emergency triaged the wounded and Buffy issued an executive order to drink."
"Is that how we ended up there? Giles got so drunk I figured it was his suggestion."
"No, it was Buffy. And I remember her drinking even though she was pretty much mortally wounded and saying that she was gonna retire to Italy and never slay again."
"Shit, well, she deserved it."
"Yeah. But you don't remember talking to me that night?"
"Honestly, I think I was so surprised ya'all were letting me stick around, I wasn't registering much of anything. Also, whole lotta Jack D."
"Yeah?"
"I mean, Wesley helped me break out of prison, went on that mind walk with Angel, then you show up and say the world's gonna end, wanna come be a 7th wheel?"
Instead of doing the math she wanted to do in her head, Willow replied, "Yeah, all the crazy things seem to happen all at once, don't they?"
"Got that right." Faith was already munching the last flesh around the core of the pear.
"Anyway, that night you pulled me aside and apologized for taking me hostage. Among other things."
"Among other things?"
"Yeah, you're a talkative drunk."
Faith narrowed her eyes, wondering if she should push the witch or let it go. Before she could decide, she heard a door open down the hall. Willow's eyes shot to the noise and followed Buffy as her friend entered the kitchen.
"Ya know, I remember that night, too." Buffy grabbed an apple from the bowl and dug in. After a bite, she continued, "I did say that I wanted to go to Italy. I said I wanted to go to Naples. And find some cheap apartment overlooking that fountain with the big golden guy riding the big golden horse. And I wanted to drink wine there every night."
"Hey Buff."
"You know why I said I wanted that?"
Willow tried to remember, but Buffy quickly continued, "It was because you all kept taking my drinks that night."
"Well, you were on some pretty heavy pain meds," Will said, smiling.
"Yeah, Angel actually made us promise or he wasn't gonna let us take you."
"That jerk. I had some shots that night anyway."
"Who snuck you drinks, Xander?" Will asked.
"Giles, actually." She thought about it in context of tonight's conversation.
"Hmm, ya think ya know some people. So, Buff, you feeling better than this morning?" Willow asked, channeling her young, oblivious self as best she could. "You certainly look better."
"Uh, yeah. I am, sorry for running off."
Willow took Buffy's outfit, or lack thereof, and that she came from her guest bedroom as an indication and felt vindicated that she hadn't misinterpreted the few clues she picked up on lately. Cutting Buffy some slack amid this new situation, she said, "No problem, Buff. Hey, do you still have that bra I lent you a few weeks back?"
She did, however, intend to have a little fun.
"Oh, the purple one? Yeah, it's - "
Buffy couldn't stop herself from looking at the couch as Faith blushed, with no way to hide it.
"You guys are terrible at lying."
Buffy shrugged, "Eh, not really trying to hide it. We're . . " Buffy looked to Faith, as if to confer, "enjoying this prophecy. Figure if we have to have these things thrust upon us every so often, might as well have some fun, right?"
Willow looked to Faith, who just shrugged and smiled.
Buffy added, "I don't know if any of the guys need to know, though. Xander and Giles would probably have the same inappropriate dreams, Spike and I have history, and Andrew's gay and probably doesn't care."
"Actually, B, Spike already knows and Andrew is weirdly invested in us."
"What?" Both girls asked.
"Spike just kinda figured it out, says he knows what your shit eating grin looks like."
"Wait, have you two been . . .the whole time?"
Buffy was caught off guard by the question so Faith jumped in with, "And Andrew has mentioned a few times that he cares very much about how this all turns out."
"I think he's just getting all the stereotypical gay out of his system all at once. I'm hoping it's over soon."
"I don't know," Willow said, "That may just be who he is now."
"You guys really don't mind having him around?" Faith asked, trying to give Buffy some recovery time. She didn't expect to see the blonde until after Red left. Faith was surprised Buffy was comfortable with Willow knowing.
"He's good for entertainment. And nerdy stuff. I do software, but he's better at hardware and gadgets," Willow said. "This gossip is tabloid worthy, I do have to say. I just better be there when Andrew finds out."
Buffy threw a kitchen towel at her friend and scowled. She felt vulnerable already. What would Xander think about this? Faith had almost killed him once. What would Giles think? She wasn't ready to go there. But Willow seemed nonplussed and Buffy was currently content with being thankful for that.
Willow decided not to push the blonde and switch the conversation. "So did Spike deliver the package you asked for today? I gave it to him this morning."
Faith briefly remembered Spike dropping a bag in the kitchen earlier. She had forgotten completely.
"Oh yeah."
"So?"
Faith was confused, watching the friends.
"So, I haven't told her yet. Asked her."
"Well, get to it then."
Buffy turned to Faith, bit her lip for a half second and started softly, "So a few of us were talking the other day and we decided that it's time you became a more proper Scooby. We were all screw ups back in high school, and even though we live on different continents now, we want to make some of it up to you."
"B, I got just as much making up to do. You ain't gotta do nothing special."
That garbage street accent always popped up as soon as Faith was nervous. Buffy hated that it turned her on a little.
"Ok, then. Well, we have a way for you to make it up to us. We were thinking of initiations one of the first days you were here, mostly as jokes, but I think one of the ideas could actually be fun. You missed the epic that was the Sunnydale musical while you were in jail."
"Oh no."
"Which was, as you said, your fault. Now, see, we all have terrible memories of singing our hearts out to each other on the street corners. It's almost assurance that we'll never do anything horrible to each other, it's mutual blackmail memories of a sort."
"I don't like this as all."
"So in an act of humility and camaraderie, we think you should all sing us a song at karaoke. I had Spike pick up a songbook so you could look ahead."
Faith looked over at Willow. Was Buffy just being crazy?
"People were singing about mustard on the street, there was a dancing demon and Buffy spilled her guts. You could sing 'Please Mr. Jailer' from Cry Baby. I love that movie."
"Never seen it. So when's karaoke? I'm only here another couple days."
"It's tomorrow."
"Oy vey, fine. Let's go."
Willow had gone home, the girls had decided to order Chinese delivery. They sat on the couch now, 8 empty boxes and containers covering Buffy's coffee table. The tv was tuned to BCC America and they were watching Planet Earth. The birds were doing mating dances and they were content.
Buffy had curled into the far side of the couch, laying on her side. Faith had her legs stretched out on the coffee table in front of her, only after Buffy said it was ok. She shifted slightly and felt Buffy's feet rest into her side. She dropped an arm and let it fall on Buffy's legs.
"Hey, B?"
"Yeah?"
"You really ok with Willow knowing?"
"I am, actually. She's my best friend. I've learned to trust bouncing things off of her."
"You wanted to bounce me off of her?"
"She seemed ok about it, that does make me happy. Like I said the other day, she's good at calling me on my mistakes."
"So, can I ask another question?"
"We playing a game?"
"I just want one question."
"Then I get two questions."
"Wait, how is that fair?"
"Cause you already asked one. New rule: whenever one of us asks a question, like a real question, not can you open this jar for me, but like, a real one, the other person gets a question, too."
"What number rule we on?"
"I lost count. Doesn't matter, we'll just keep tacking on to the end."
"Oh, is that how this goes then?"
"We playing or not?"
"Fine. I asked one, so you go."
"I didn't actually have a question. Wait! Gimme a second."
"Ask me what my first memory of you is."
"What?"
"Ask me."
"What is it? The alleyway, right? You stole my stake, you were also wearing a weird shirt with balls hanging from it."
Faith laughed, her hand rubbing against Buffy's pajama pants. "No, I mean, yeah, I remember that. But my first real memory of you, like my first impression of real Buffy, not the Buffy who got innocent talking the Double H's, but like real you, was when we went out to eat after killing Kakistos."
Buffy wasn't sure if she'd ever heard Faith say that name out loud again, but she did remember that night. "We ate cheeseburgers."
"We ate a bunch of cheeseburgers. And I was so happy that you weren't just a non-fat yogurt girl."
Buffy smiled, but couldn't quite think of something to say. She wasn't sure where Faith was going with this, as much as she was happy the brunette was sharing a good memory.
"So, B, I know you love to eat, cause I watched you pack it in that night. You burped three times."
"I did not!"
"You did. It was great. So why'd you skip out on brunch this morning? I know you were upset a little this morning, but you still ok?"
Buffy released a breath. "I'm not wigging, Faith, if that's what you mean."
"I don't think I know what 'wigging' means. I missed out on like four years of pop culture. Jiggy doesn't mean what I thought it did."
Buffy laughed and looked at Faith, stretched out on her couch like a cat. She was rubbing absentmindedly at Buffy's calves at it felt good.
"I was angry at them because I'm still angry at myself back then. About you. I haven't had to think about a lot of those times in a long time. But now you're sitting across from me, looking all cute in glasses and a hoodie, and it makes me have to think about all the times I tried and failed back then."
"Ok, first, B, you did try back then. And I wasn't ready for help. So we got that on both of us. And second, if this is too hard for you, maybe we should back off a bit." She slowed her hand that she just realized had been moving.
"No, that's not what I mean, Faith. And don't stop rubbing, that felt good."
"Yes, ma'am." She couldn't stop if she tried.
"I mean, it's a good thing. I have to go back and think about those things. We're going to have to go back and talk about things from back then every once and while. If we want to move forward. Which I do."
"Move forward?" Faith wasn't sure what Buffy was saying. Her heart started beating fast and hot.
"Yeah, you know. I like that we're able to be around each other for the first time in, well, forever. I don't want to lose that, but I'm probably going to get upset. And so are you. At some point, but I think it's worth it."
Faith relaxed a little bit. "I think it's worth it, too, B, for what it's worth."
Buffy smiled. "Good. My turn, now. What are you singing tomorrow night?"