"Who's Precious?" Her eyes were flickering again. I'd forgotten how
disorienting being reborn was.
"Nothing luv." I started stroking her hair, and she was letting me. She let me move her head into my lap and cradle it there. Maybe she wasn't reborn, maybe I had died.
"You called me Precious."
"I'm sorry, it just slipped out Buff." I moved my hands, so she could pull away if she wanted. Forceful wasn't the best way to be right now in my opinion.
She reached out, trying to grab my hands, but not really making contact. She wanted my hands back. Cor, I must have died, this was not happening. "Don't be sorry. I like it. What's going on? How did I get here?"
"The floor? You fell luv." I smirked. I could feel it on my face, that little half smile that hadn't made an appearance in so long. She glared at me a little. "I don't know Buffy, you were just poof. Here. Do you remember anything? Stuff that happened?"
"Only that I missed being here. It was so weird, I saw you. You were wherever I was. It was the first time that I felt safe. I actually laughed. Something wiggy happened after I did, but that was ok. It didn't hurt. I don't really know what happened."
"Probably better that way. Wasn't the most pleasant thing to see."
"I felt that it hurt you. And that you missed me." Her eyes were beginning to droop again, her breathing slowing down ever so slightly. "And that you loved me. Thank you for loving me."
I didn't know how to respond to that. You're welcome didn't seem to fit. I gazed at her, my Slayer. I was kidding myself though. She wasn't mine.
I swept all of the debris off of my comforter and laid her down on top of the bed. She whimpered quietly after I let go, so I took her hand and leaned down to kiss her forehead. I sat by the bed, holding her hand, because if I moved, I was worried that she'd disappear. I'd lost her once; I couldn't let it happen again.
"Nothing luv." I started stroking her hair, and she was letting me. She let me move her head into my lap and cradle it there. Maybe she wasn't reborn, maybe I had died.
"You called me Precious."
"I'm sorry, it just slipped out Buff." I moved my hands, so she could pull away if she wanted. Forceful wasn't the best way to be right now in my opinion.
She reached out, trying to grab my hands, but not really making contact. She wanted my hands back. Cor, I must have died, this was not happening. "Don't be sorry. I like it. What's going on? How did I get here?"
"The floor? You fell luv." I smirked. I could feel it on my face, that little half smile that hadn't made an appearance in so long. She glared at me a little. "I don't know Buffy, you were just poof. Here. Do you remember anything? Stuff that happened?"
"Only that I missed being here. It was so weird, I saw you. You were wherever I was. It was the first time that I felt safe. I actually laughed. Something wiggy happened after I did, but that was ok. It didn't hurt. I don't really know what happened."
"Probably better that way. Wasn't the most pleasant thing to see."
"I felt that it hurt you. And that you missed me." Her eyes were beginning to droop again, her breathing slowing down ever so slightly. "And that you loved me. Thank you for loving me."
I didn't know how to respond to that. You're welcome didn't seem to fit. I gazed at her, my Slayer. I was kidding myself though. She wasn't mine.
I swept all of the debris off of my comforter and laid her down on top of the bed. She whimpered quietly after I let go, so I took her hand and leaned down to kiss her forehead. I sat by the bed, holding her hand, because if I moved, I was worried that she'd disappear. I'd lost her once; I couldn't let it happen again.
