Chapter Two: In a Land Far, Far Away.
"I like being in a country where no one can understand our language," Faith said as they strolled down the street. "It's liberating."
Buffy snorted. "You don't need any liberating, Faith. Trust me. You're liberated quite enough as it is."
"I resent that," Faith said, and turned her head to stick her tongue out at Buffy. "There is always more liberating to be done. For example: have you ever been kissed on the streets of some exotic foreign country?"
"Why, I don't believe I have," Buffy lied, without any qualms whatsoever. "Clearly, I need to be liberated."
Faith grinned at her and stopped walking, pulling on Buffy's arm until the other girl was turned to face her. Then she pulled her closer, and laid her lips carefully against Buffy's.
A few minutes later, Buffy pulled away, breathing a little harder, and smiled gently into Faith's eyes. "You were right. There is always more liberating to be done."
Faith laughed and started to walk backwards, holding Buffy's hands in hers. "And here we are, two young women alone together in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The slaying is all done, and the night is still young. Just imagine how much liberating we can fit into this evening alone."
Buffy followed her, her eyes laughing though her mouth was pressed determinedly into a straight line. "For example?"
"Well, there's a few clubs around here that are worth seeing," Faith said. "Or so I heard."
"Faith, we're in a country where one person in a baker's dozen can speak even a few words on English. And yet, somehow, you've managed to hear about all the good clubs." She paused to consider this. "I find myself oddly unsurprised."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Faith said. "So? You up for a little clubbing?"
"Not tonight, I don't think," Buffy said. "Head hurts from where I got tossed into the side of the building by that last vamp. Not really up to the so-loud-you-can't-hear-yourself-think music."
"Maybe another night," Faith said, understanding. "There is, however, something else that we can do on this fine night."
"And what would that be?" Buffy asked archly. Faith grinned at her.
"Dancing in the moonlight," Faith said, and pulled her close again, spinning her around as if she weighed little more than the cool night air around them. "I think I saw it on a list of 100 Most Romantic Things to Do with Your Lover in some magazine or other a few weeks back."
"There's no music," Buffy protested, but her body was already falling into a slow, sweet rhythm, guided by Faith's.
"We don't need any music," Faith whispered. "It's right there, if you listen hard enough."
Buffy ducked her head into the curve of Faith's shoulder and smiled against the skin of her neck. "I can hear it," she said.
"What does it sound like?" Faith asked her, and Buffy lifted her head to stare straight into her eyes.
"It sounds like love," she said, and Faith smiled at her, sweetly, nothing at all like her usual smirk, and said nothing. They danced together in the moonlight, not realizing that people watched them from darkened windows, and they wouldn't have cared if they did know. They danced together, and the world fell away.
It felt like love.