Title: Ice Cream

Author: Shannon (mighty_minnie_mouse@hotmail.com) Pairing: Dawn/Amanda Summary: Heh. A surprise for a friend. Just a little ficlet, nothing too long. (Yeah, I'm good. We all know this.) "A Dawn and Amanda hook up fic, with a unexpected kiss in it, a joke about... Oh, who the hell cares people - Just bloody hook 'em up already!" Rating: PG-13

***

Dawn crept quietly down the stairs, hoping not to wake any of the sleeping potentials. She really couldn't be bothered with all the gossiping and squealing tonight. As she crept into the kitchen, she stole a glance at the clock on the microwave, which read 1:04 am.

"Jeez," Dawn muttered to herself. "When did I become an insomniac?"

"I'm guessing around the same time I did." A voice that came from the kitchen made Dawn jump out of her skin, and let out a squeak.

"What the- oh, hey Amanda." Dawn stumbled over to where Amanda was sitting and pulled up a chair for herself, clutching at her chest where her heart seemed to be slowing down slightly.

"Ice cream?" Amanda smiled brightly, and offered a spoon to Dawn. She smiled as Dawn accepted her offering, and began twirling her spoon around between her fingers.

"So," Dawn began, "Why are you up so late? Isn't Kennedy coaching all you guys tomorrow?"

"Yeah, but it's okay. I can operate on very little sleep. It's a gift!" Amanda nodded enthusiastically, and Dawn couldn't help but grin at her. It was no surprise, really. Not the fact that Amanda you rely on little sleep - No, that Dawn found it cute and endearing. Honestly, with all the teenage girls in the house, Dawn had to fall for someone!

But you'd think she'd have fallen for another gay girl.

"Amanda, can I ask you something?" Dawn asked carefully.

"You just did. But, sure!" Amanda giggled at her own joke, then stopped when she noticed Dawn's serious look. "Something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing's wrong. It's just. Uh. How do you like being a potential? You know, part of everything. New friends. All that." It was no secret that Dawn was a little let down when she found out that Amanda would be a potential instead of herself. But she was strong, and put on a brave face. Now, she wanted to know just what it was like.

"It's great," Amanda started, as she ate another spoonful of ice cream, "At school I just felt so. Different. You know?" Dawn nodded. "But here, I just feel. Warm. Inside."

"Warm. Yeah. Really warm." Dawn mumbled, then blinked as she realized that Amanda had stopped talking. "Wow, yeah! It is warm in here, huh?" Dawn blushed, suddenly glad that the light was off.

"Yeah. Really warm." Amanda squinted into the darkness, and her well- adjusted eyes noticed a slight blush that had spread over Dawn's face. 'Why would she be blushing?' Amanda thought to herself, 'I wonder.'

"Dawn?" Amanda spoke out loud.

"Umm, yeah?"

"This time, can I ask you something?" Amanda started fidgeting with her spoon again. She could really make an accidental scene if Dawn didn't go for this idea.

"Sure. What is it?"

"Well. I was wondering. We go to school together, right? Okay, never mind that has nothing to do with it. What I'm trying to say - well, ask, 'cause you ask questions, you don't say them - is... Can-I-maybe-kiss-you?"

Dawn's brain froze. In fact her whole body froze. Did she just? No. No way! Amanda did not just ask her to kiss her. Or did she?

"What?" Dawn managed to get out.

"I asked if I could kiss you." Amanda said in a small voice.

"Can you. I mean. Yes." Dawn breathed.

And, in that moment, the sweetest kiss of either of their young lives occurred. They didn't see fireworks, they weren't in love, but they has the sweetest kiss. A kiss of strawberry and grape lip gloss merging together; a kiss of two young girls confessing their feelings for each other.

And above all, a kiss of ice cream.