"Can you believe we got to meet the actual slayer?"
"Of course I can, bunny. Do you want to be in this decade's clothes when she comes back at sunset or do you prefer a different decade?" James was at their closet, picking through the clothing. "I'm going to dress calmer. Perhaps…jeans, hmm, bunny?"
"Jeans sound beautiful. And I do love how you look in those. Remember when you did the bad boy thing in the fifties and sixties? Those black jeans were perfection on you."
"Mm. You know what's perfection on me, bunny?" James turned away from the closet and stared at her spread out across the bed, her journal on her lap.
"What's perfection on you, Jamesy?"
"You." He crossed to the bed to lay next to her without stopping her from writing. She leaned across the journal so she could kiss him. "Writing about your big day meeting the slayer?"
"She's the first slayer I've ever met. It is a big day."
"I'm glad you got a big day. The curtains are closed, our clothes are in the laundry hamper, and we're ready to sleep. Or not to sleep."
Fawn looked up with her eyebrows raised and teased, "Look at you feeling all riled up because you faced the slayer today and didn't get killed."
"Well, yes, this slayer is quite a bit different from the others. She asks questions. She allows room for moral ambiguity. I can see why Angel has taken such a liking to her."
"Liking?" Fawn snorted. "He's in love with her."
"And does he know of the curse?"
"He knows of parts of it. I can't think too hard of it, Jamesy. It makes me ache so much." Her voice became willowy and light and her hand rose up so that the backs of her fingers brushed her temple. James captured her fingers and brushed his lips over the tips of them.
"So don't think of it, bunny. Think of me, here and now. Think of your day with the slayer. Think of what I'm going to do when you close that little book of yours."
"Oh, you horny old thing."
"Who's the old one in this relationship, Vengala Denlanite? Bringer of the Light, Keeper of the Dark. Decision maker and creator of knowledge. She who rose from the blood of the lamb to lead the lions forth into righteousness. She who is protected by those that live in the night. She who loves those without the souls and she who restores pain and fear to those who do wrong."
"Oh, I love it when you say my full name. It shows dedication."
"Write your journal of the day, then I'll show you dedication, princess."
Fawn laughed and raised her leg to kick him a little. He ordered, "Finish your little book, my dear princess, so I may ravage you in the manner fit to a husband and a wife."
At sunset, the door swung open at Angel's first knock to reveal Fawn and James dressed in the decade's clothes. Fawn was wearing a pair of jeans and a crop top. Her feet were bare and the nails looked freshly painted. James was wearing blue jeans and a tight fitting white t shirt. His feet were also bare, but there was no paint on his toenails. Fawn greeted cheerfully, "Hey there! We're dressed for this century. I prefer James forty years ago usually and he prefers me from the moment he met me, but we know how to dress as if we are from here."
Buffy nodded and smiled weakly at her. James commanded, "Invite them in, bunny."
"Sorry. I always forget that. Come in. Come in. I made snacks."
"She was up and down half the day making snacks," James said dutifully as he stepped backwards, pulling Fawn with him. Fawn grinned up at him and started towards the kitchen. James paused to whisper, "No matter what, compliment them. Though they've gotten much better over the years, she loses herself at times and gets too distracted to remember that she's baking. I like to believe that today is going to be a good day though."
Angel and Buffy nodded and followed him into the kitchen where Fawn was pulling things out of the fridge and lining the table with them. James laughed and Buffy asked, "I thought you said you made a few snacks."
"The Slayer has an accelerated metabolism. I didn't know how hungry you'd be."
"Well, thank you. If I'd known we were having a feast, I'd have dressed better."
"Please, dear. This isn't a feast," Fawn chuckled. "I'll invite you to a true feast one day. You'll be my guest of honor. Cause fear to quake in the hearts of the lesser beings. Ah, it will be a party."
"It will be a grand honor. Fawn hasn't truly celebrated in a long time."
"That may be because of all the people who usually try to kill me at those celebrations. Though, slayer, it may be slightly difficult to celebrate with you as we leave when the new year begins. We go to join my father."
Buffy and Angel watched as James and Fawn worked like a well-oiled machine. She bustled around busily while James moved around her, picking up the things she put down and putting them back in new places, whisking things out of her arms just before she spilled them. They were an extension of one another. James said over his shoulder, "Go ahead and take a seat. This will take a moment. She's still got to get drinks. Buffy, what do you prefer? I'd like to not have her yanking everything out of the fridge."
"Water will be fine."
"Flavored? We have lemon, cherry, grape, and strawberry. We also have sparkling water, and three types of bottled water," Fawn chirped with her head buried in the fridge.
"Surprise me. Angel, what do you want? You know they're going to ask next."
"We have both pig and sheep blood and some donated human blood. Which would you prefer?" Fawn asked politely.
"Sheep blood is fine. Where'd you get it? It fetches a high price in this town, doesn't it?"
"I ran errands today," Fawn answered flippantly. "Jamesy came with me for some of them. We made a bit of a day of it. Thank goodness for overcast days. Isn't that right, Jamesy?"
"Of course, bunny." James leaned over to kiss her while he poured sheep blood into a cup. "How hot do you like it, Angel?"
"Lukewarm. What are you having?"
"I had a drink before you got here."
Buffy snorted and James said quickly, "Not from her. I don't snack from her often. She's my wife. Not a damn buffet table."
"Yeah. Time for you to explain that."
"And we will. Sit, please. I made a cheese ball. I thought about making two, so I could send one home with you but I realized it's just you and your mother. You don't have a…ugh!"
James shut the door on the microwave and looped his arm around her waist to yank her to his body. While she tucked her head into the crook of his neck, he punched a number in on the microwave and ran the other hand through her hair until she'd stopped wincing and calmed down a bit. Then, as if she hadn't had a neurological attack a moment before, she turned with a smile and asked, "Where did we leave off yesterday?"
"You just sent Angelus to Europe so he could get his soul back and James was being completely hands off."
"Ah, yes. Sit, eat some, drink some," Fawn ordered. "Jamesy, you start today while I eat."
"Yes, princess."
He sat down and she settled onto his lap. She ate while he got started.