Disclaimer: Still don't own them.
Dedication: To everyone who ever reviews. Not just for this one but anywhere.
By Leaps And Bounds, the World Turns 'Round
Instead of Jack's threat of fastfood Mexican Saturday evening found them at a popular Mexican restaurant called Rosario's.
Jack had picked Buffy up at the gym as agreed and they had taken his pickup, leaving her car at the gym since Jack had told her that it wasn't easy getting one parking spot near the restaurant, let alone two.
Rosario's turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. The dining room was warmly lit by dozens of candle lamps with brightly coloured shades. The walls were whitewashed with wooden beams placed at regular intervalls. On the beams was a collection of knick-knacks in keeping with the rustic theme: an old guitar, a pair of huge silver spurs, one of those combs that Mexican and Spanish women use to keep their hair veil in place. The waitresses wore traditional Mexican Indian garb of white blouse with cotton lace applications and either several multicoloured skirts for the unmarried ones or a black one on top with coloured ones underneath for the married ones. Behind the bar worked Antonio Banderas or at least his long lost brother. Buffy wondered whether that was a pre-requisite for getting the job in the first place.
Jack settled the two of them at a corner table. Absentmindedly Buffy took note of the exits, her relation to other entryways and her date. With wry amusement she saw him do a similar assessment of the surroundings. She covered her smile by busying herself settling her handbag over the back of her chair.
After ordering a salad and agreeing to share beef Fajita Buffy commenced the small talk:
"So, what do you do?"
"I work at the base."
Buffy wasn't surprised. Everybody around here seemed in some way or another affiliated with the military up at the mountain, as the locals called it. And he was the type.
"Go figure. What do you do there?"
"I'm the General."
"The general what?"
"The General. You know the one that runs the place? At least that's in the job description. Nobody ever actually listens to me."
"Get out! You… how… no way!"
"Thank you for that vote of confidence." Jack pretended to be put out.
"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way." Buffy back-pedalled hastily. "The Generals I've met up to now where either stuffy or totally trigger happy."
"So, met a lot of Generals lately?" Jack smiled to show he was teasing. "Daniel would probably disagree with you and call me trigger happy and gung-ho. No respect for authority, that man." Jack shook his head as if shocked about that lack.
"At least you're nice for a General."
Jack leaned back, straightening the table-cloth unnecessarily: "So you think I'm nice?"
Buffy actually blushed but still managed a quiet: "Yes."
"I'm doomed." Jack dramatically threw his napkin on the table. "Nice is so white bread. Describing a guy as nice should be illegal under the cruelty to animals act."
Buffy was quick to reply: "No! I really like you."
"Like! Gargh! Here take the knife, it'll be quicker." Jack dramatically thrust the knife at Buffy handle first.
"Now I know you're just fishing for compliments." Buffy shook her finger mock-sternly at him.
Jack grinned, the very picture of innocence.
As the evening progressed Jack found himself alternately amused, challenged and even dumbfounded a couple of occasions.
Buffy prove to be a charming date and even when they weren't talking at all Jack felt at ease, just enjoying her company.
"So, while I was out for the count, what happened? How did you get rid of the muggers?"
Buffy had been waiting for that question and had an answer ready.
"While I came running a police car cruised by. It must have scared off the guys. When I reached you, they were already gone."
Jack raised one eyebrow, choosing not to comment.
"I know! I have no clue why I didn't just call the cops instead of this rushing headlong into danger thing." Buffy rolled her eyes at her supposed foolishness hoping Jack would buy it.
Buffy could have kissed the waitress who chose this moment to ask whether they wanted any dessert.
After a lengthy deliberation weighing the pros and cons of cinnamon cake versus fresh fruits they placed their order.
"So, what made you leave sunny California behind for America's true heart here in Colorado?"
"You could say that my town was such sink hole that me and my sister and some friends of mine left together. Safety in numbers and all that jazz, plus we had a lot in common. First we went on a trip to Europe, seeing the mother country, touring Italy and stuff, you know? Doing the touristy thing."
"Yeah, I did that too."
"Really? Where did you go?"
"It was between first and second semester at college. We managed to see France, Spain and Italy before we got stuck in Greece, running out of money. So we were on this tiny island in the middle of nowhere with only the ferry connecting us with civilization and we had no money for that ferry."
"What did you do?"
"Shepherding."
"No! No way. What did you really do?" Buffy couldn't believe this for a second. Jack seemed such an urbane man.
"Seriously. My friend and I became shepherds for two weeks. The old shepherd had twisted his ankle pretty badly and took pity on us." One look into his earnest chocolate brown eyes convinced her.
Buffy had to giggle at the image of young Jack standing on the hillside, yodeling his lungs out.
But those were the Switzerguys, weren't they?
She felt compelled to share the embarassment: "I once had to flip burgers for half a year. Let me tell you, I'd have gladly traded you."
Once they had finished their meal they sat for some time chatting amiably and eventually agreed to take a little stroll before heading home. They ambled along the deserted streets of downtown Colorado Springs towards a small open park. Ostensibly to make Jack take smaller steps, Buffy had slipped her hand through his looped arm.
"So, you still on for skating tomorrow?"
"I still think the only decent activity involving ice is either hockey or eating ice cream. But, yeah, I'm still on. Look forward to it actually." Jack smiled down at the petite blonde. He had found the evening to be great fun and the company witty, charming and an utter knock-out, too.
"I'm with you on the ice cream but toothless guys beating the crap out of each other while chasing a small, round disk... not so much fun."
"Hey, no dissing of the hockey on a first date."
"First date?"
"Well, I wouldn't count being knocked out by muggers and you coming to my rescue as a first real date."
"My damsel in distress." Buffy giggled.
"Again with the hey! No dissing of me either!"
"I wasn't dissing, I was ..." She foundered and had to admit "Can't think of anything. Ok, so I was dissing." She looked utterly unrepentant. In fact she was grinning as she said it.
Jack disentangled himself from Buffy's arm and bent down to tie a shoelace.
"So, you're from California, you said."
"Yes, the state of eternal youth and beauty, trademark surgeons incorporated." Buffy slowly continued walking.
"Not much experience then with some of the more, shall we say rustic winter traditions."
"I would have to say no. What do you mean exactly?" Buffy turned around to see what took Jack so long tying his shoelace.
Jack whooped as he snuck up to her just as Buffy turned and managed to shove a handful of snow into the hood of her coat.
"Oh you… wait, I'll get you for that." Alarmed Jack saw Buffy grabbing a huge handful of snow and took that as his cue to run like hell.
He still didn't escape the snowball flying with deadly accuracy, hitting him in the back with enough force to make him nearly stumble.
"Here we are." Buffy looked out of the window of Jack's pickup. Her beetle was still parked in the employee's parking space of the gym.
She had enjoyed this evening like she hadn't anything in too long a time. Jack had proven to be quite funny with a dry, sarcastic wit, not afraid to laugh about himself. He had surprised her by sometimes being downright courteous like holding the chair and helping her into her coat without making her feel like a delicate, useless flower. At other times he wasn't above pushing her into a snow drift in their wonderfully silly snow ball fight.
As she tried to remember when it was last that she had felt this content and optimistic, she came up with her first semester at college and meeting Riley and wasn' that a reason to act like at once on impulse.
Resolutely she turned to Jack.
"You know what? Let's skip the awkward do I or don't I kiss her good bye first date nightmare, ok?"
"Hmm, sure." Jack couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. So she hadn't liked him or rather she did and that was all and liking was living up to its most heinous qualities.
Thus he was quite surprised when he felt her hand on his neck drawing him to her.
Her breath felt warm against his lips and she smelt like fresh air and cinnamon for some reason.
Then Buffy's lips touched his and his hands slid around her waist of their own accord.
So soft and supple.
He angled his head to draw her further in and was rewarded with Buffy settling snugly into the circle of his arms. Tentatively he ran his tongue past his still closed lips, earning him a contented sigh and an answering pressure of her tongue, demanding entrance.
Buffy couldn't believe it. She felt alternately hot and cold racing up and down her spine. Jack's arms felt so good around her, that she felt herself settle in for the duration. Kissing him was turning into a revelation as well. Never had she felt content and secure at the same time.
With Spike it had always been either tinged with desperation or mind numbing passion, Riley had been lacking quite soon and kissing Angel had always been so hesitant, let's not even talk about Parker.
Jack's touch ran like a current through her and she felt tingling sensations rushing along her limbs, spreading through her body and making her feel like floating away.
Warm. Lips slightly chapped from the cold and tasting like ... more.
Jack felt like boiling over any second now. Elation, surprise, enjoyment and passion were vying for the driver's seat and Jack could only hold on tight for the ride. And then coherent thought went away for a while as he felt Buffy responding in earnest and lost himself in her a bit.
Wow. Damn. Wow. I'm about to...Holy….
When the two of them came up for air some minutes later, the windows of the truck had steamed up.
Jack blinked a bit owlishly, his jacket hanging open to reveal his first shirt buttons having been opened and his neck sporting the beginnings of a slight hickey. Buffy blew a stray strand of hair from her face, looking flushed, her clothes in similar disarray.
"That was... definitely no nightmare." Jack uttered slightly disbelieving.
"Yeah. I... we... yeah." Buffy fondled her coat buttons, suddenly feeling weird.
He must think I'm so easy. Nearly going second base on a first date.
Jack looked at this utter, utter surpise of a woman and couldn't help himself. He reached out to brush some hair from her face turning the gesture into a caress. Feeling like an incredible fool he could only smile goofishly as she leaned into his hand like a cat, closing her eyes.
This could easily turn out to be the first day of the rest of his life.
Buffy felt the warmth of Jack's hand not only on her face but in a place she had thought had fallen dark long ago.
Sometimes you have to leap before you look and right now I'm flying.
tbc