It’s their last night in Mexico and Buffy and Faith aren’t quite ready to go yet. The last nine days have arguably been the best they’ve ever had and there’s no doubt that this vacation is going down in the history books. They’ve wined, dined, and – well, sixty-nined – and now all they can do is bask as they watch the sun set into the ocean from their hammock on the beach.

“I never want to leave here,” Buffy says softly. She wraps her arms around Faith who is laying atop her and softly caresses her stomach.

Faith nestles back against her and rests her head back on Buffy’s shoulder, looking up so that she can see her face.

“You say that now but in a few weeks you’d be cryin’ that you miss Dawnie and Red and that you’re sick of eating tacos.”

“That’s very true.”

Buffy smiles and tilts her head down, giving Faith a soft kiss despite the awkward angle. They sigh against each other’s lips before they pull back and relax once again, their eyes trained toward the disappearing sun. The sky is purple and pink and orange and completely magnificent.

“Kinda makes me want a big ol’ bowl of rainbow sherbet,” Faith says.

“I think if I eat anything else on this vacation I’ll have to buy a new wardrobe when we get home.”

“Hey, you won’t hear me complainin’. I likes me some curves.”

Buffy pinches Faith’s side and Faith laughs, trying to slap her hand away. “Brute! I’m tryin’ to be all sweet and you’re abusing me. I see how it is.”

“I only abuse you because I love you,’ Buffy teases, playfully nudging her nose against the side of Faith’s head. Faith nudges back and Buffy giggles.

“Is that why we were so horrible to each other all those years ago?” Faith asks. “We secretly loved each other and just couldn’t say the words?”

Buffy thinks about it for a few minutes and finally replies with a shrug. “Maybe. I always felt something for you. But what I feel for you now? I don’t even know how to put it into words.”

Faith isn’t one to ever get really mushy; she can be sweet and she can be loving, but the real mushy stuff? It’s never been her. But for some reason, Buffy brings the mush out in her and she can’t stop herself from looking up and Buffy and asking,

“Try?”

Buffy adjusts so that they’re at a less awkward angle and uses her right hand to cup Faith’s cheek. She softly caresses it with her thumb and Faith’s eyes glisten in the dimming light.

“All I can see is you. All I can hear is you. All I can smell, feel . . . is you. You’re always on my mind and I feel you in my heart every time I think about you, which is always. Loving you has . . . it’s completed me in a way that I didn’t know I needed to be completed. Kind of like I’ve been trying to get through life with just one arm and one leg, but then you came along the second time around and just . . . balanced me.”

Buffy can’t say anymore because Faith closes the few inches between them and kisses her with so much warmth and passion that it takes both of their breaths away. When they pull back Faith places her hand over Buffy’s on her face and moves it down so that Buffy’s hand is flat against her chest.

“Me and words, we don’t get along so good all the time,” Faith says. “But if you ever wanna know how I feel?” She squeezes her hand around Buffy’s over her chest. “It’s right there. It speeds up every time you’re near and it feels like it’s gonna break any time I even think about you not bein’ with me.”

“I’ll never not be with you,” Buffy says, smiling even though she has tears in her eyes. “What can I say? It hasn’t been a bad nine days being the fake Mrs. Lehane.”

“Yeah?” Faith asks and Buffy nods. “Good, cos I kinda like being your fake missus too.”

“And who knows what the future might hold. Maybe some day we’ll decide we don’t want it to be a fake honeymoon.”

Faith chuckles and nods, her nose brushing against Buffy’s. “I think that’ll be a pretty good day.”

“Definitely,” Buffy agrees. She kisses Faith’s lips and sighs happily. “God, when did we turn into such mushballs?”

“Some time between the hellmouth and the all-you-can-eat burrito buffet. The jury’s still out on that one.”

“Way to narrow it down, slick. Two points to the rogue slayer.”

“Shaddup, B. You totally love me.”