Title: Drunk

Author: Dreamiflame

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine, I'm only borrowing from Mr. Whedon.

Warning: Femme-slash.

Notes: Written for my Erin, after the season seven episode where Faith took the girls to the Bronze.

I'm drunk, Amanda thought, and swayed on her feet. The others were walking faster than she was, but they weren't drunk. At least, some of them weren't drunk. And her blood was still rushing from the danger, the fighting, the sight of Dawn jumping on that cop and doing her best to hurt him. Amanda giggled and staggered, nearly running into one of the other girls. It was dark and the other girl was bent over, heaving into the gutter, so Amanda wasn't quite sure who she'd hit. "Sorry," she said, or tried to say, but it sounded slurred, and that was funny, too.

A warm hand took her arm, and Amanda tried to swing around and fight, but instead nearly overbalanced and fell. She heard Dawn's voice from below her head and she was swaying, nearly falling, but there was a warm soft body holding her up. "You're drunk," Dawn breathed, laughing almost under her breath. "Amanda?"

Dawn was trying to swing Amanda's arm up to lie across her shoulders, and Amanda tried to help. On the fourth try they managed it, and Dawn held Amanda up as she laughed at how funny it all was. "Ok, now, see, this is why they say underage drinking is bad," Dawn informed her, leading Amanda in a more or less straight line back towards the house. "Come on, let's go get you some nice water."

"Don't need nice water," Amanda told her, trying to focus enough to follow Dawn's murmured directions. It seemed like a silly place to plant a tree to her, but Dawn was trying to get her to walk around it, and not into it. "Did you hear me?"

Panting, Dawn managed to catch them again before Amanda's unsteadiness knocked them both over. "I heard you."

"Do you know why?" Amanda tried to remember why it was important for Dawn to know. Ah!

Sighing, Dawn guided Amanda up the path and onto the porch steps. "Why?" she asked, pressing Amanda up the stairs.

"Because," Amanda replied very seriously, turning to face her and setting both hands on Dawn's shoulders so she couldn't keep moving, "I have a nice Dawn." One hand moved to cup Dawn's cheek as Amanda moved forward, lips soft and wet against Dawn's. Amanda tasted Coke on Dawn's tongue, and sugar and lemon. Smiling happily, she drew back and turned to go inside. Dawn shook herself from her stupor and caught Amanda before she fell back down the porch steps.

Amanda kissed her again once Dawn had finally managed to get her to drink some water and get into her bed. She smiled brightly at Dawn and turned over, falling asleep almost at once. Dawn touched her lips with a trembling fingertip and fell asleep in her own bed replaying every moment of that.

The next morning, Amanda's head ached and she growled at a few of the others Potentials when they talked to loud. After brushing her teeth three times, Amanda set down her toothbrush and went to find some Tylenol.

Dawn and Andrew were in the kitchen, eating cereal and talking quietly about some movie or another. For once, they were the only three in the room, and Amanda bit her lip, then went over and touched Dawn's shoulder. "Hi," Dawn said brightly, and Amanda winced. Andrew went over to the counter to find some Tylenol, and when he turned around, bottle in hand, Amanda's hands were cupping Dawn's face as their mouths moved gently across each other. Andrew turned back to the sink and got a glass of water, smiling.