Buffy bustled into Giles’ shop, dropping a book to the ground as she squeezed through with her bag, doing her best not to drop the rest of the books in her hands. College wasn't as much fun as she thought it should be. There were too many books and papers, classes and responsibilities. She wasn't doing well with it at all.

“Ahh, Buffy, I'm glad you could make it,” Giles said cheerfully. “You’re the first here, but Faith just called to tell me she’s on her way.”

He shuffled some papers about on the table in the middle of the shop, clearing a space for Buffy to place her bag. She eased down into the wooden chair, taking a deep breath as she relaxed in familiar surroundings; though it wasn’t the shop that made her feel instantly comfortable. It was Giles. He’d always been there for her, guiding her and looking after her. There had been a moment of uncertainty when he’d done the council’s bidding on her eighteenth birthday, but they had resolved that issue between them, with understanding and love.

He was like her father now. Better than the original in fact. Giles was always there. Always with a gentle smile and an open heart. Buffy knew she could tell him anything.

She watched as he spilled coffee on some paperwork as he flustered about behind the counter. “Giles,” she said, trying to catch his attention, “I need to tell you something. It’s about Faith. Well, me and Faith, or is it Faith and I?” Buffy furrowed her brow. “Anyway, we. . .we’re. . .” Buffy was interrupted by the chiming of the shop bell.

She closed her eyes and sighed, wondering if she’d ever have the courage again to – almost - tell Giles how she felt about Faith. She noticed that Giles didn’t seem to be paying much attention to her anyway. He was frowning fiercely and rooting around in a trinket box.

“I come bearing gifts,” Xander called as he entered the shop. “I do believe I’m the king of donuts. That or I just want you all to get fat so I look a little more svelte and dynamic, like all good superhero sidekicks.” He grinned to himself and plonked a box of donuts in front of Buffy.

Willow and Tara weren’t far behind him, bustling into the shop as they chatted about magic. Buffy looked on as the three of them found places to sit. She smiled and replied to their greetings, but she was on edge. The only person she really wanted to see wasn’t there yet.

Buffy didn’t know how she was going to react when Faith came. She knew her friend’s probably expected her to still be wary of Faith, even angry and bitter. But she was none of those things. She’d had a day apart from Faith to figure out that she was indeed head over heels in love with her. All day long, all Buffy had been able to think about was Faith.

It had always been that way when she was around, but now. . .the thoughts weren’t of the kind trying to make her forget she liked her, but proving to her that she wanted her, more than ever. Faith was burned into her. Body and soul.

Buffy smiled to herself as she thought about Faith. Lost in a little fantasy of Faith peeling off her clothes and seducing her, Buffy failed to notice the change in atmosphere as the girl herself came into the shop via the backdoor. Everybody looked from Buffy and back to Faith, gauging the tension. Buffy looked at her friends, searching for signs of distress or hate, but she found nothing but waiting expectant stares.

She was obviously expected to break the ice, as Faith shuffled to the far side of the counter, dropping her backpack and nodding a hello to Giles.

Buffy took a second just to watch Faith as she loitered behind the counter, away from the group. Buffy didn’t know what to say, not in front of her friends. How were they expecting her to act? Buffy didn’t know. She wanted to say hi to Faith. She wanted to move closer to her, but she was being scrutinized. So she watched for a minute or two, just gazing at Faith’s soft tumble of dark hair. Her strong, striking frame, so small yet so powerful. The clouded eyes, heavy with black eye liner, drifting up to meet her in the hush of the room.

Buffy instantly found herself falling into Faith’s eyes. She willed herself to look away so she wouldn’t draw attention to it, but she couldn’t. Faith looked every bit as dark and dangerous as she always had, but there was a softness to how she was looking at Buffy. Like her eyes were wrapping Buffy in a warmth she had never felt before. She wanted to reach out over the distance and touch Faith. Her hands were yelling at her that they wanted to feel the silk of her hair and the charge of her skin.

Buffy could feel her heart beginning to jump and bounce in her chest as she drifted into chocolate brown eyes and thoughts of kissing Faith’s tempting full lips. A familiar feeling fluttered through her. Feelings Faith had always instilled. She wanted her. Buffy had always wanted her.

“So,” Xander said abruptly, breaking the silence that had descended. “Are we all gonna have to start learning the art of mime, or are we allowed to talk yet?” He looked uneasily from Buffy to Faith, fidgeting in his seat. “This is getting kinda weird, and heading into that scary place I think we’ve had about enough of.”

“I agree,” Willow said, nodding. “It’s time to move on. Buffy?” Willow said, trying to catch Buffy’s attention away from Faith.

They were mistaking the tension between the two slayers as bad, hate filled tension, but it wasn’t. Not any more. Buffy decided not to put them right just yet. There would be a time for that, but right now she just wanted to get close enough to talk to Faith without it seeming odd.

“Yeah, it’s time,” Buffy agreed, smiling just a little.

She took a deep breath and stood. She felt incredibly nervous. Her hands smoothing down her shirt as she hovered next to the table, looking for some kind of salvation from the awkward predicament. Thankfully, Giles cleared his throat, splitting some of the attention from Buffy. He placed his now empty cup on the table and smiled gently at Buffy.

“I um. . .I need some help looking for a piece of text,” he said softly, letting Buffy walk behind him and towards Faith as he pushed books towards the rest of the gang. “It seems we missed something vital from the spell when. . .”

Buffy heard nothing more that he said as she got closer to Faith.

“Hi,” she said, speaking quietly as she approached Faith, moving behind the counter with her.

“Hey,” Faith replied, feeling just as awkward as Buffy looked.

She hadn’t been able to take her eyes from Buffy as soon as she’d entered the shop. Buffy looked as beautiful as ever. As untouchable as ever.

Buffy let out a little laugh as they stood an arms length away, just gazing at each other as the rest of the occupants of the shop immersed themselves in research mode. They both wanted to shove the barriers aside. The restraints. But it wasn’t easy, and that was plainly obvious. As much as they had said, and done, there was still the sparks of tension jolting between them. It would probably always be there. They were on fire for each other in every way. Bursts of need and desire crashing between them, soaking the atmosphere in anticipation.

Buffy gazed over her fellow slayer, finally able to unlock her eyes from Faith’s. She was dressed in black, a tight black encasing of denim and leather. Her top was low cut, pushing Faith’s breasts up to capture undivided attention as they peeked out of the confines of her jacket. She didn’t look slutty, but there was a definite hint of cleavage-y and sexy going on. A big hint.

“Do you normally dress like that to see your therapist?” Buffy asked, wetting her lips as she took in the stunning girl stood before her.

Faith chuckled, noticing exactly where Buffy’s eyes had lingered and burned. She had felt the lust within them crawling over her body. Finally able to detect it and not confuse it for something else.

“No, B,” Faith replied, grinning a little. “I thought some of the old Faith charm would help me out today. Giles’ note explaining my absence didn’t sound too convincing. I think he needs practice. I just wanted to make sure she bought it.”

Buffy tried not to feel jealous, but when it came to Faith she had always felt possessive. She’d had a hard time coming to terms with that and not writing it off as something else, but it was all too clear now. There was still a piece of her that wanted to twist Xander’s arms off for touching Faith. But the past was just that, and the future hopefully held a world full of possibilities, and chances to make sure she was always around to help Faith out when she was experiencing a post slaying tingle.

She wasn’t going to leave Faith thinking she didn’t care what she was up to, however. “She? So you dressed like that ‘cause she’s gay and you thought your volumous breasts would keep you out of trouble?” she asked, careful not to let the others hear her as she teased Faith.

Faith chuckled, seeing the jealousy in Buffy’s eyes. It was kind of a comfort. Knowing that Buffy cared who she was flirting with told her a lot about what Buffy was feeling for her. “Nah, she’s not gay, more like bi-curious I’m guessing. And yeah, these babies are great at distracting people,” she winked, following Buffy’s gaze down to her cleavage.

“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” Buffy agreed, peeling her eyes away from the soft round temptation of Faith’s chest. “Wait. . .bi-curious? Did you just make that up?”

Laughing, Faith shook her head. “No, it’s what you were up until the other day.” Faith licked her lips, remembering how good Buffy had felt beneath her, hot and trembling for her.

“Hey,” Buffy protested, earning a few brief glances their way. She waited for the eyes to turn from them before playfully whacking Faith in the stomach.

She left her hand to linger for a second, feeling the heat of Faith’s skin through the tight material of her top. They both looked over to the table of avid researchers, ensuring they weren’t looking their way. Buffy dropped her hand lower, slipping it into Faith’s for a few precious seconds. Their hands were out of view due to the high counter top, but Buffy wasn’t going to give her friends reason to faint.

Faith glanced down to their hands, holding lightly, barely touching but revealing a thousand unspoken truths. She stroked her thumb gently over the back of Buffy’s hand, sending shivers through both of them. They were hardly connected, but their bodies hummed with need. Aching to bridge the gap. To sweep each other up and confirm that all the pain was slipping away, leaving them back at the start to begin again. To get it right this time. To love, fully, passionately, without lies and confusion.

Giles stole their attention as he called over for something he’d left nearby them. Buffy gently squeezed Faith’s hand and released it. She wasn’t ready to move away from Faith just yet. She couldn’t will herself away when all she could feel was Faith, tickling her skin in all the places she wanted to be connected to her.

Keeping impossibly close to Faith, Buffy slipped past her, moving behind her slowly. She pressed close to her, pretending like there wasn’t enough room to get by without them touching. Her fingers brushed over the harsh denim of Faith’s jeans as she ran her hand over them, feeling Faith react to her touch. Buffy kept her eyes fixed on the table of people and allowed her hand to drift up to the hardness of Faith’s belt, passing beyond it to sneak under her jacket and top.

Faith sighed softly as Buffy’s fingertips tripped delicately over her lower back just above her low slung jeans.

“It was nice talking to you last night,” Buffy said quietly, her fingers catching fire as they blazed a trail over Faith’s skin.

“Yeah, it was,” Faith replied, shuddering almost imperceptibly as Buffy’s nails scratched over her softly.

Faith fought to control her breathing and the distinct urge to spin around and kiss Buffy until she was limp in her arms. She watched through dark, desire ridden eyes as the gang read through their books, oblivious to the fact Faith was seconds away from letting them know that Buffy was unfairly teasing her. She could smell the distinct aroma of the other girl as it washed through her senses. Shampoo, perfume, desire. Faith’s nostril’s flared as she caught the tang of Buffy’s need.

“B,” she said softly, breathlessly, trying to restrain herself, “if you keep doing that with your nails I’m gonna have to fuck you.” Her voice was rough and needy, low enough only for Buffy to hear, taking a chance that she hadn’t said the wrong thing.

Buffy moaned almost silently. She wanted Faith, unrestrained, the hot and horny girl that had haunted her dreams. The years of pushing out all the naughty thoughts she’d had of Faith had left her greedy with lust. She’d never wanted anybody as much, and it had scared her into pushing it out of her mind, but now was not the time for pushing. She was done pushing. Done treating Faith with contempt in her need to keep her at arms length.

“Maybe that’s what I want, Faith,” Buffy replied, her tongue wrapping around her name like a lover.

Faith turned her head to look at Buffy. Their eyes locked, searching and feeling. Yearning and craving. The look they shared was usually a prelude to a fight, but their fighting was over, and all that was left was the need for hot skin and exploring touches. Wet kisses and intimate embraces. They were struck by the desire in each other’s gaze.

“Buffy, did you find the book?” Giles called over, breaking the tension between the two girls.

Buffy whipped her head round to look at Giles, blinking as she tried to recall what he was talking about. “The what?” she said, her voice a little shaky as her fingers dropped to rest on Faith’s belt.

“The book I just asked you for, Buffy,” he repeated, looking a little puzzled.

Giles studied the two slayers as they stood close together behind the counter. He wondered why they were so near to each other, and where Buffy’s hand was, as he could plainly see her arm was raised behind Faith from his standing position next to the table. He hoped things weren’t heading towards the possibility of his shop being destroyed. Something in Faith’s eyes, a reassuring look, told him not to worry. Giles sat back down as Buffy began looking for the book he needed.

Buffy pushed some papers off an old book and decided it must have been the one Giles wanted. Her fingers tripped over Faith’s belt down to her firm backside. She brushed her hand over Faith as she began to move away, sharing a heated look that informed them both that all they wanted was each other.

Faith breathed out steadily, regaining her composure as Buffy made her way back round to the other side of the counter. She could have sworn she’d almost heard Buffy tell her she loved her, but Buffy’s lips hadn’t moved. Maybe she’d just felt it. There was no doubt she felt the need from Buffy. It buzzed between them now more than ever. Like electric spiralling around them, twisting them up in it, pleading for them to unleash each other from their own versions of solitary darkness.

Faith smiled to herself, feeling lighter than she ever had. She watched Buffy hand Giles the book, noticing every glinting strand of blonde hair, every strong muscle stir under her silky skin as she moved. She wanted to know every inch of Buffy. Chart every dip and curve. Every beat of her pulse and every sigh in her breath as she made love to her.

“Hmm, this isn’t the one I was looking for. It must be downstairs,” Giles said, rubbing his forehead as he examined the book that had been handed to him. “There’s a very important passage in it that may explain. . .well, we’ll get to that momentarily. First I need to make sure I’m not completely off the mark.”

It didn’t seem like anybody knew what he was talking about, but nobody mentioned that to him.

Faith edged closer to the busy table, grateful that nobody flinched or ran screaming from the room. Tara smiled gently at her so she smiled back, hoping it seemed genuine. Her first meeting with Tara hadn’t been a good one, but she was there to put all that right. They were all buried in various books, doing what they were best at it seemed. It always surprised Faith how they dedicated their lives to helping Buffy. They all loved her, and Faith was no exception. She’d loved Buffy from the very moment she’d seen her, watching – unnoticed – from across The Bronze as Buffy sat amongst her friends.

She turned her smile to Buffy, open, without barrier or conditions. Her dimples deepened as Buffy smiled back sweetly, looking up at her a little through her eyelashes.

“You want me to go find the book, G?” Faith asked, not taking her eyes from Buffy for a second.

“Yes, thank you, that would be very helpful, Faith,” Giles replied, removing his glasses as he explained to her what the book looked like.

“Gotcha,” Faith nodded. “I’m looking for an old book called. . .something about crabs.”

“The Krabalba,” Giles corrected. “It’s quite an ingenious book, full of potions and helpful tips about magical. . .” his words once again went unheard as Faith zoned out and made her way to the door that lead down to the bowels of the shop. “Make sure you don’t bring up the one next to it, it’s a quite different book altogether,” he called after her.

“Sure,” Faith replied as she descended the steps.

“I’ll go help her look,” Buffy said in a rush, not waiting for objections or questions.

She followed Faith, praying that nobody else tagged along so she was able to have at least five minutes alone with her.

As the door to the steps closed shut, Xander turned to Giles and raised his eyebrow. “Is it wise for those two to be left alone together?” he asked. “I mean. . .I’m not saying they might start pulling each other’s limbs off, but going on previous history. . .I hope you’re insured.”

All four of them looked towards the door and held their breaths. All was quiet, and Giles was pretty sure the precious objects adorning the shelves in the basement would survive.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Giles reassured. “They’ve been through a lot, but something tells me they won’t make the same mistakes again.”