Had she really slept through the entire night on the back porch with Faith?

When she felt the warm, lithe body behind her sleepily stretch and heard a husky yawn, she knew that yes, she had.

"Good morning," Buffy mumbled through the yawn she'd caught from Faith, taking a quick opportunity to stretch as well.

"Mornin," Faith answered, letting her arms wrap back around Buffy's midsection.

"I know it sounds cliched, but I don't normally make it a habit of sleeping with people on the first date," Buffy joked, pulling the blanket back up around them.

"And I never really make it a habit to stick around til morning. Guess we're already breakin all kindsa rules," Faith joked, letting her right hand just barely slip under the bottom of Buffy's pajama top so that her thumb could rub lightly over her smooth skin.

"Mmm-hmm," Buffy mumbled sleepily again, closing her eyes and basking in the feel of Faith's thumb brushing softly over her skin. "Are you putting the moves on me?"

Both she and Faith laughed.

"Maybe. Thought crossed my mind once or a couple hundred times. And if I am?" Faith asked, stilling her hand.

Buffy smiled. She liked this; their whole flirty banter. It was fun, not awkward. Why should she feel suddenly shy?

She made a decision right then and there that there were no reasons to be coy or shy, or for anything to be stopping her from having what felt right, and what felt good.

With an innocent smile on her face, Buffy took Faith's hand in hers and ran if further up under her shirt, just shy of her breasts.

"Don't let little ol' me stop you," she replied as evenly as possibly, looking back at Faith over her shoulder. When Faith raised an eyebrow at her in question, Buffy just nodded her head a little and leaned back a bit more, waiting for Faith to close the distance.

Faith didn't disappoint, of course.

"Mornin breath be damned," she mumbled before pressing her lips softly to Buffy's, kissing and nipping them gently as her hand began to wander yet again.

Buffy arched into Faith's hand as it cupped gently over her breast, a small moan escaping her lips. Faith took that opportunity to kiss Buffy a little bit deeper, their tongues sliding slowly over one another.

It was a good thing that they didn't have neighbors that could peek into their back yard; they would certainly get an eyeful if the blanket hadn't been in its place.

Just when Buffy was pretty sure that she was going to burst from all of the new sensations she was experiencing, she heard Dawn calling her name from inside the house. Faith must've heard too, as she instantly pulled back from Buffy's lips and sat back a bit, though she kept her hands where they were under the blanket.

Buffy tried to swat Faith's hands away as they heard footsteps approaching the back door, but it was too late. Dawn opened the door and poked her head out, her face that of disgust when she saw the two slayers all wrapped up under the blanket.

"Oh yuck. Get a room, horn dogs," Dawn said as she stepped fully out onto the back porch, crossing her arms over her chest. "Wait, your room is next to mine. No getting a room. Get a tent or something. Anything that keeps your spontaneous grope fests far from my impressionable eyes."

Buffy scowled.

"You want an impression? I'll give you an impression. My foot, your butt. Questions?" she asked, her voice threatening yet playful at the same time.

"Yes, two actually," Dawn answered, her voice challenging. "First, were you planning on signing my permission slip so I can go on the class trip? Think about it; five blissful days without having to worry about me spoiling your inappropriate petting. Second, do you think that the office of child protective services takes complaints from the abused? Cos if I'm gonna have to put up with walking in on random acts of slayer lust, I'm definitely filing a complaint."

"Dawn, kitchen. Now," Buffy ordered as she sat forward a bit. "I'll be there in two minutes. And if you want that slip signed, you'll start the coffee pot."

Dawn scoffed and turned back into the house, though she didn't complain. So long as Buffy signed the slip, it meant she got to miss three days of school – and a weekend stuck at home -- to go on a class trip to Quebec. Surely that had to be worth at least a pot of coffee.

"My powers of persuasion are limitless," Buffy said victoriously as she leaned back against Faith.

"Yeah yeah," Faith mumbled, basking in the final moments they had together. "Just take it easy on the brat, she's a good kid. Besides, if she's going on the class trip, it means we have almost a week of alone time. Sounds kinda good to me."

Buffy turned and faced Faith, a smirk on her face.

"You're assuming that I'll want to spend all of that free time with you?" she asked playfully.

"Fuck yeah!" Faith answered. "In case you didn't notice, I'm wicked hot, B. You find me irresistible, and you wanna spend lotsa time with me. Naked time, too."

Buffy laughed, then smiled softly.

"Yeah, I do want to spend more time with you. But if I'm not in there in the next sixty seconds, Dawn may spontaneously combust. Not only would I have to rush to get ready for work then, but I'd also have to clean up the little bits and pieces of explodey-Dawn mess."

"And that's never fun," Faith commented.

"Never is," Buffy agreed, shaking her head. "But, umm . . . later maybe. I'll be home from work before dinner. Maybe we can hang out . . .?"

"Yeah, for a while, anyway. I've gotta be at work at eight cos there's a staff meeting before the club opens," Faith explained as she placed her hand on Buffy's side. "You could always play hooky though. Heard there's a nasty bug going around. Can't go to work all sick and stuff."

The look on Faith's face was challenging yet playful. She didn't actually expect Buffy to call in sick to work so they could spend more time together, but she wouldn't have been the least bit upset if she'd agreed to do so anyway.

"Are you trying to corrupt me?" Buffy asked as she stood up and stretched, earning a hungry gaze from Faith as her pajama shirt rode up a little and exposed her flat stomach.

"Depends. Is it working?" Faith asked before she stood and leaned in to give Buffy a quick peck on her lips.

"Not quite," Buffy replied, smiling almost sadly. "I'll see you later?" She leaned up and gave Faith one last chaste kiss on the lips.

"Count on it," Faith said as she stood and watched Buffy go into the house, not taking her eyes off the girl the whole time. "Definitely count on it."

Buffy walked into the kitchen to see her sister pouring water into the coffee pot and easily making her way around the kitchen. She rested back against the kitchen door and just watched, a small smile on her face. There was no doubt about it . . . Dawn was growing into a young woman that Buffy really liked and was proud of.

"I'd ask about your date with Faith except I'm running late and I really think my ignorance on the subject will save me down the line from a heap of therapy bills," Dawn jibed.

Buffy's smile fell to a glare.

"Thanks, it went great," she replied sarcastically.

"Were you going to sign my permission slip or are we waiting for it to grow little pen arms and sign itself?" Dawn asked with a smug grin, not bothering to look in Buffy's direction.

"I've seen weirder things happen," Buffy replied as she finally walked fully into the room and grabbed a pen, carelessly signing her name to the wrinkled sheet of paper. "So, pasta and salad for dinner? I'll be home after you, but I can . . ."

"None for me," Dawn interrupted as she breezed by, gathering her belongings that were scattered around the room and tossing them into her backpack. "Remember those favors you owe me? The favors that I rightfully earned when you roped me into that whole sordid affair last night?"

"I briefly recall the mention of a favor or two that may be owed for such services," Buffy said warily, waiting for Dawn to try to pull a quick one on her. "What about them?"

Dawn picked up her bottle of orange juice that was on the counter and took a quick sip before closing it tightly and tossing it into her bag.

"I'm calling one in. I know you're all ‘grr, argh, no' about sleepovers and hanging out with friends late on school nights, but Becky and Julie are having a pizza-study-movie night and I'd say I've earned my right to attend, wouldn't you?"

Buffy thought about it for a moment, then lifted her arms up in defeat.

"You win, Dawnie, you . ." she began, then paused as she realized something. "You can go. But before you do, I need you to do me one more favor," she said, almost wincing as she awaited Dawn's response.

Dawn merely paused and put her hands on her hips, facing Buffy fully.

"Realize, of course, that your favor cancels out my favor, which means you'll owe me a whole new favor," she said with a satisfied smile.

"Fine, whatever," Buffy said, waving her hand dismissively. "I need you to call work and tell them I'm too sick to come in today."

"Riiiiight," Dawn replied, raising an eyebrow. "So first you make me lie to an innocent girl, and now you want me to lie to your boss. Smells like corruption of a minor to me. More favors may be needed."

"Okay, now you're pushing it," Buffy said with an annoyed glare.

Dawn realized she'd pushed as far as she could, so she merely backed down and began zipping up her backpack. She was happy with how much leeway she'd gotten. It was enough for one day.

"Just don't forget to call," Buffy reminded as Dawn slung the bag over her shoulder. She watched as Dawn grabbed her cell phone from the charger and shook it gently, then opened it and began to dial. "And behave!" she yelled as she watched Dawn retreat towards the front door, waving over her shoulder.

When she heard the front door slam shut, Buffy looked happily around the kitchen. It was her first day off in longer than she could remember.

Okay, maybe her last day had been three weeks and two days ago. But who was counting?

The fresh scent of percolating coffee filled the room, almost instantly perking Buffy up. She glanced over at the coffee pot and realized that there was more than she could ever drink . . . that was until she realized that she didn't intend on drinking it alone. Knowing that she had several minutes before the pot was full, she quickly made her way towards the bathroom, stripping her clothes off along the way.

Sleeping on the back porch was fun, but she felt like she was covered in morning dew.

Besides, she couldn't walk around smelling like she'd gone camping if she was supposed to be making a good impression on people, namely Faith.

She showered quicker than usual but made sure that she still smelt and felt perfectly clean. By the time she blow-dried her hair and got dressed, she made it back to the kitchen just in time to hear the timer on the coffee ring.

"Perfect timing, thank you very much," she said to no one in particular, grabbing two large mugs from the cupboard.

She poured the coffee into the mugs, making sure to leave room for cream and sugar. Or, in Faith's case, sugar and sugar. The grimace on her face as she added the usual six spoonfuls of sugar to Faith's mug was barely visible behind her glowing smile.

For a moment or two, she briefly pondered an attempt at making pancakes or French toast, but she figured that the only breakfast Faith would appreciate would be one that wasn't charred and burnt to a crisp.

Instead, she grabbed the two mugs by the handles and headed toward the back door, hoping that Faith hadn't gone back to sleep already. She was in the process of shifting the hot mugs in her hands so that she could open up the door when she heard a knock on it from the other side.

"Just me," she heard Faith say from behind the door.

"Come in," Buffy said as she awkwardly tried to shift the mugs back in her hands.

Faith opened the door and smiled as she watched Buffy fumbling with the hot mugs for a moment before stepping in and grabbing one from her.

"Careful there, killer. Can't send ya to work with third degree burns all over ya."

"Right, because they'd be able to tell the difference between the burns I get at home and the burns I get when I'm serving coffee there," Buffy joked as she ran a hand through her slightly mussed hair. "Doesn't matter, I'd have a day to heal anyhow."

Faith tilted her head to the side and looked Buffy over.

"Yep, definitely been corrupted. Going out on dates with hot chicks, calling in sick to work . . . I'd say my work here is done. Course, if you're the bad slayer now, we're gonna have to find something new to call me," she said as she pulled a chair back from the table and sat down, spooning even more sugar into her already sweet coffee.

Buffy sat down opposite her and merely shook her head in amusement as she watched Faith test-taste the now syrupy sweet coffee.

"Well, you can still be the bad slayer. This bug I've got? Well, I think you may be infected now that you're here. Might have to miss work tonight, stay home and let me take care of you," she said matter-of-factly before taking a sip of her coffee.

"I have no doubt in your miracle recovery or in your nursing skills, but as tempting as it sounds, you know there's no way that Dawnie's gonna let us hang out all day and all night long without giving you major shit," Faith replied with a grin.

Now it was Buffy's turn to grin.

"Actually," she began, drawing the word out as she played nervously with her coffee mug, "I owed Dawn a favor, so she's staying at Becky's tonight. Only one around to give me shit will be you."

Faith looked at her for a moment with her brows furrowed before a big shit-eating grin appeared on her face.

"Holy shit, I really did corrupt you!" she said and laughed. "It's okay, B, I know what this is all about."

"And what is it about?" Buffy asked with a raised eyebrow, trying not to laugh.

"You saw how super fly and smooth I was in those other dimensions, and now you want my booty."

"I want your booty?!" Buffy questioned Faith, now laughing fully.

"Damn straight you do. The other me was all up in your business in all those parallel dimensions and now you want a healthy dose of Faith in this dimension too. Hey, it's okay, I can handle it," Faith joked as she held up her arms in mock surrender. "Go ahead and manhandle me, B. Just make sure you buy me flowers or candy or something when it's all over, I'm fragile."

Buffy continued to laugh at Faith, wondering how the girl was able to get all of that out without cracking up laughing. After a moment or two, she stood up and closed the distance between them slowly, her amused smile turning into a much more seductive one as she neared Faith.

"Is this where the manhandling starts?" Faith asked sounding both excited and nervous, unsure of what Buffy was up to.

"You know what I really want, Faith?" Buffy asked as she bent down so that her face was only inches away from Faith's. "What I really really want?"

Buffy licked her lips and Faith's breath hitched in her throat.

"What's that, B?" Faith asked, her eyes fixated on Buffy's slightly parted lips.

Buffy closed the last few inches of space between them and brushed her cheek against Faith's, then moved so that her lips brushed softly over Faith's ear as she whispered,

"I . . . want . . . . . . . breakfast."

Buffy stood up straight with a winning smile on her face and almost pranced away over to the cupboard, happy with the effect she'd had on Faith. Faith merely sat there, an almost feral look on her face as she watched Buffy's retreating backside as she crossed the room.

Buffy chuckled quietly to herself as she reached up into the cupboard and pulled out a box of Bisquick. She wasn't kidding about the breakfast. Besides, it was fun riling up Faith, especially now that they were . . . now that they were . . . Buffy tilted her head to the side as she pondered exactly what they were now.

Were they dating? Girlfriends? Or still in the ‘getting to know you' phase? Honestly, they'd known each other for years now, and had been getting closer for months. She almost felt like she knew what she needed to know and that she was ready for more.

Before Buffy could turn around to face Faith at the table again, she felt a warm body press against her from behind.

"Pancakes," she said, holding the box in her hands for Faith to see.

Faith simply wrapped her arms around Buffy from behind, but not before taking the box of pancake mix from her hands and putting it back in the cupboard.

"You honestly think I'm thinking about breakfast after you tease me like that?" Faith asked as she brought one hand up and brushed Buffy's hair away from her shoulder so she could place a series of small, wet kisses on it.

"You . . .mmh," Buffy moaned softly as Faith's lips teased her skin, "you love pancakes. Any kind of food, actually."

"Never said I didn't feel like eating. I could defo eat, alright," Faith purred as she kissed her way from Buffy's shoulder to the column of her neck.

"Eating what?" Buffy asked, her body trembling slightly in anticipation.

"You," Faith replied easily, and Buffy felt her smile against her skin. "All this talk about parallels, B?"

"Uh-huh," Buffy said breathlessly, unconsciously turning in Faith's arms and tilting her head back so that Faith could continue kissing her neck.

"It's kinda making me wanna get parallel with you."

"I think you mean horizontal," Buffy breathed out, a smile on her face.

"Yeah, that too," Faith said as she kissed her way up Buffy's neck and over her jaw. She peppered small kisses over Buffy's jaw and chin, right to the corner of her mouth before stopping. Waiting. Holding out for the green light, something to let her know that she wasn't alone in her thoughts and desires.

Buffy didn't say anything. Instead, she ran her fingers through Faith's hair and let them rest on the back of her head, drawing her slowly in for a slow, deep kiss. Faith took her time exploring Buffy's mouth, learning every dip and curve and memorizing each way her tongue made Buffy moan and sigh.

Faith was pretty surprised with how much restraint she was showing. She wanted Buffy in a bad way, but she also wanted to take the time to get to know her body and to worship her in every way that felt good. She was pretty sure it could take her a lifetime or two to discover it all, so she was more than happy to take her time and enjoy the ride.

Buffy deserved it, after all.

When hands started to wander and the kissing was no longer enough, they began a clumsy but fun backward walk through the house, trying their best not to knock anything from the walls or go crashing through any furniture. Faith clearly had the upper hand, but Buffy was giving her a run for her money. It wasn't that she planned on being all dom, but she'd always assumed that Buffy would be the one to be taken rather than being the taker.

Either way it went, she liked the direction they were headed in. That direction was actually on hold, however, as they reached the bottom of the stairs and neither girl was willing to let go long enough to make it up them safely.

"We're gonna have to stop for a second," Buffy mumbled against Faith's lips, though the way her arms clung around Faith's neck showed that it might be easier said than done.

Faith had other ideas though. Now that she had Buffy all wrapped up around her, she wasn't about to let go. Quicker than Buffy could protest, Faith slid her hands down Buffy's back, over her ass, and under her thighs, lifting her up in a smooth motion.

Buffy squealed into Faith's mouth as she wrapped her legs around her back.

"Unexpected," she breathed out as Faith began to climb the stairs.

"I'm all about shock value," Faith mumbled against Buffy's lips as she began kissing her again. They reached the top of the stairs and instead of putting her down, Faith continued carrying Buffy towards her bedroom. She tried her best to open the door, but with both hands holding Buffy up, she fumbled around for a few seconds.

"So, should I get used to this? Riding you? . . . oh my god, I really just said that, didn't I?" Buffy asked as Faith finally got the door open.

Faith merely laughed in response, almost losing her grip on Buffy. She just about made it to the bed before they collapsed on it, both girls laughing. Faith moved so that she was hovering above Buffy, their bodies not quite touching.

"You can ride me all you like. Totally not gonna stop ya on that one," Faith laughed and smirked down at Buffy. "Course, you should get used to me riding you too, cos I'm all about equal opportunity."

"And how exactly would that go?" Buffy asked coyly, her hands sneaking under the back of Faith's shirt to caress her back.

"It would start a little bit like that," Faith said as she shrugged a shoulder back to indicate Buffy's roaming hands.

"Ahh, I see. You may have to talk me through it, coach," Buffy responded, her voice a bit lower and sexier now.

"See, I was thinkin that we could just go with the flow. I show you the moves, you copy ‘em. If all goes right, we both score. No losers in the game the way I play it."

"Uh huh," Buffy mumbled before they kissed softly again, her hands more bold as they slowly began to tug Faith's shirt up and eventually over her head.

"You taking the lead, B?" Faith asked with a teasing grin, sitting up a bit so that Buffy could finish taking her shirt off.

"Nope, just lending a helping hand. Speaking of which . . ." Buffy trailed off as she let her eyes roam over Faith, taking in the sight of her now naked breasts. With a smile, she brought her hands together in a slow and steady clap. ". . . very nice," she finished appreciatively.

"Not bad, right?"

"Definitely not complaining."

"Better not be," Faith joked as she encouraged Buffy to sit up a bit so that she could help take her shirt and bra off as well. As the offending articles of clothing were tossed haphazardly across the room, Faith let out a long whistle as she let her eyes roam over Buffy.

Buffy held her breath, waiting for Faith to say something typically Faith-like. Faith didn't say anything, however. Instead, she leaned in and kissed Buffy, gently pressing her back on the bed again. She let her hands roam over Buffy's stomach, caressing it gently as her fingers worked lower and lower to the top of her pants.

Faith was sure of what she wanted; hell, she'd wanted it for a long time now. Buffy seemed to want the same thing, but Faith wanted to be sure. Needed to be sure.

She placed a few, soft kisses on Buffy's lips and corners of her mouth before pulling back a little, looking into Buffy's eyes.

Buffy smiled shyly at her before bringing her hand up and cupping Faith's face with it. She traced her thumb over Faith's full lips, staring at them as they curved into a soft smile and kissed her thumb gently. She didn't want to stop. Didn't want to wait. She felt like she'd been waiting for years . . . that she'd always wanted Faith but suppressed it.

She finally was going to take what she wanted. What she finally was able to admit that she'd always wanted.

Sliding her hand from Faith's cheek around the back of her neck, she drew her in and kissed her again, positive that she'd never get tired of the soft feel of Faith's lips gliding against her own.

Faith, sure that Buffy was on the same page as her, flicked open the button on Buffy's pants and slowly slid the zipper down, enjoying every moment of it.

Buffy lifted up a bit so that Faith could pull her pants down easier and was a bit surprised to feel her panties sliding down along with her pants. "That okay?" she heard Faith ask, and realized that Faith was staring at her now blushing face.

"Yeah," Buffy replied. "Feeling a little bit, or well, a lot naked here."

Faith chuckled as she finished pulling Buffy's pants and panties down, trying her damnedest not to ogle Buffy's goodies.

"I have a plan. How ‘bout I get all naked too, then you can feel . . . well, you'll still feel naked, but at least you won't be the only one," she said as she stood up from the bed. In a quick movement, she had her pants pulled off and flung across the room to join Buffy's.

No panties, Buffy noticed. She smiled and looked over Faith's gorgeous body approvingly before holding up her hand and beckoning her forward with her finger. Faith happily obliged, crawling onto the bed and making her way towards Buffy.

She slid up Buffy's body, delighting in the delicious friction of their skin rubbing together. When they were finally face to face, she was surprised and more than turned on when Buffy flipped her over so that Buffy was the one on top now.

"Totally knew you were going all dom on me earlier," Faith said, arching up as Buffy took one of her nipples into her mouth. "You're Buffy; you're always the one in charge, huh."

"Maybe I'm just observing one of the lessons I've learned from you over the years," Buffy said as she began to kiss down Faith's stomach, taking time to kiss and swirl her tongue around Faith's sensitive bellybutton.

"Pretty sure I never taught you how to go down on a chick, B," Faith joked, her breath hitching in her throat as she felt Buffy moving her thighs apart.

"That you didn't," Buffy replied, her lips curving up into a mischievous smile. "They have books for that, you know. Willow has a copy. Guess she never realized that it's been missing for a while now."

"Kinky," Faith said with a shudder as she felt Buffy's warm breath on her most intimate of places. "So, what lesson are we talking about then?"

"One of the first things you ever taught me," Buffy began as she settled between Faith's legs. "Want," she kissed Faith's left thigh, "Take," she kissed her other thigh, and then looked up to Faith's face before finishing, "Have."

Faith sighed as she felt the kiss that Buffy placed right over her swollen clit. There was no stopping the string of moans and breathy sighs that followed as Buffy kissed, licked, and sucked Faith to orgasm again and again.

Buffy was very attentive, taking notice of every reaction Faith made to her ministrations. When Faith sighed, Buffy licked faster. When she moaned, Buffy licked harder. When Faith's hips lifted off the bed and a string of obscenities flew from her mouth, Buffy curled her fingers deep inside of Faith and sucked hard on her clit, sending her crashing over the edge and into a beautiful oblivion.

And when she felt Faith closing her thighs and pulling her up the bed by her hand, Buffy happily obliged, crawling up and laying atop Faith's heated and slightly damp body.

"Goddamn," Faith said, out of breath. "I'm sending the chick that wrote that book a big ol' thank you card and a fruit basket or something. Soon as I can form a solid thought, that is."

"I'm betting she's probably gotten lots of thanks over the years."

"No doubt. Holy shit, B. I . . . yeah, that's all I've got. Holy shit sums it up pretty good."

"Has the impossible happened? Is Miss Faith Lehane finally speechless?" Buffy teased as she kissed softly along Faith's neck.

"Yep, speechless," Faith said. "Good thing I know other ways of communication."

And before Buffy could ask what they were, she felt herself being flipped as she had previously flipped Faith over. She looked up to see Faith lying above her with a sexy grin on her face.

"See, I'm an expert on body language, B. I can tell that your body wants me to fuck you. And my body? Pretty good at reading it too. Turns out, it wants the exact same thing."

"Lucky for us," Buffy breathed, letting her hands roam over Faith's back.

"Was thinkin' the same thing."

Faith leaned down and captured Buffy's lips again, kissing her deeper and more forcefully now, though still as soft as before. She sneaked one of her hands between their bodies and found one of Buffy's erect nipples, teasing it gently between her fingertips.

Buffy pressed her body up against Faith's, trying to get as much contact as she could. She knew that she was wet for Faith, and she knew that with the way that Faith was pressed against her, there was no doubt that the girl could feel it. When she felt Faith's hand slide down her stomach and come to rest between her legs, she couldn't help but shiver in anticipation.

Still kissing Buffy soft and deep, Faith slid her fingers between Buffy's lips, covering her fingers in her wetness. She was tempted to bring her fingers up to her lips to taste them, but she knew that could come later. Besides, she figured it would be better to taste the honey right from the pot.

She ran her fingers over Buffy's pussy several times, letting them glide easily over her hard little clit. Faith wanted to take her like that -- to have her coming over her fingers with her tongue in her mouth – but then she remembered what she told Buffy a short while back. She said that Buffy should get used to being ridden as well.

And she fully intended on making good on that promise.

Using her fingers to spread her lips apart as well, they both sighed as their clits came into contact with one another. Faith struck up a rhythm, slipping and sliding over Buffy until they were both shaking for one another.

When Buffy dragged her fingernails up Faith's back, Faith began to lose control. She ground her hips down harder, bringing them both over the edge until they lay there together, spent and panting and trying to catch their breath.

"Fuck the fruit basket," Buffy panted. "We're buying that chick a pony. A castle. Anything she wants."

Faith simply chuckled and rolled so that she was on her side, facing Buffy.

They lay basking for a while, Faith tracing her fingertip up and down Buffy's side, delighting in the way Buffy giggled every time her fingers reached a certain spot.

"Never knew you were so ticklish, B."

"There's a lot you don't know about me," Buffy replied easily.

"Oh yeah?" Faith asked, amused. "Like what?"

"Like . . ." Buffy began and paused, thinking things over in her mind, ". . . I went to get a tattoo once, but I chickened out when I saw that the guy giving me the tattoo had the word ‘Freedom' misspelled on his right forearm."

Faith laughed, "What else?"

"Umm . . . I have nervous habits. Sometimes I strum my fingers or play with the hem of my shirt, and every now and then I untie and re-tie my shoes, just to make sure they won't come undone at an inopportune time."

"I don't have that problem, my boots don't have laces," Faith joked. She put her hand on Buffy's lower back and pulled her closer, looking deep into her eyes. "Anything else?" she asked.

Buffy tentatively reached out and ran her fingers through Faith's tussled hair, loving how soft it felt between her fingers.

"Yeah," she answered softly. "I can see myself falling for you. Really falling for you. And I'm not afraid of it anymore."

Faith couldn't help but smile at Buffy's honest confession.

"It's cos I have a great rack, right?" she joked, putting a bit of space between them so she could look down proudly at her chest.

"And an ass that won't quit," Buffy replied with a grin, taking the opportunity to slide her hand over Faith's hip and squeeze her firm little ass.

"Buffy," Faith began, a big smile on her face, "I think we're in luck here, cos I'm feeling the same way about you. On all accounts."

"Yeah?" Buffy asked, smiling almost shyly.

"Yep," Faith nodded. "Specially the part about the ass. Seriously B, I could bounce a quarter off that thing."

Now it was Faith's turn to squeeze Buffy's ass. Buffy merely yelped, then laughed and snuggled in closer against Faith's body.

"I think we're onto what could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship," Buffy said, closing her eyes. "It's not every day that two people with near perfect asses find each other. That's gotta count for something."

"Yeah," Faith said, resting her head down on the pillow so that she could watch Buffy rest. "Definitely counts for something."

Epilogue

Ten months later . . . . .

"Baby, where are my panties?" Buffy asked as she lifted up the blankets on Faith's bed, trying to find her vanishing pair of underwear.

"How the hell would I know?" Faith asked as she lay under the blankets, not budging an inch. "Last thing I know, I was tearin' them off and tossin ‘em."

"Not another pair," Buffy said, pretending to be upset. When she saw the fake pout that Faith was wearing, she couldn't keep up her act for long. "You're sexing me out of all my underwear!" she said as she jumped onto the bed and under the covers with Faith.

"Hey, I never hear you complain while I'm doin' it."

"That's because my mouth is usually otherwise occupied."

"Damn straight it is," Faith said with a grin as she leaned in to kiss Buffy. She was stopped, however, by a hand on her chest.

"I'd love to, but I have to go home and get more panties. Unlike you, dirty girl, I can't go to work commando. It makes me feel icky."

"So you should start keeping some panties here then," Faith said with a shrug.

"I guess I could do that," Buffy answered.

"You could bring over some other stuff too if you wanted, yunno," Faith hinted.

"Like what?" Buffy asked, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Like . . . all your clothes and girly shit. Load it on up and bring it on over."

Buffy cocked her head to the side, trying to read Faith's facial expression.

"Are you saying that you want me to move my stuff over here?" she asked.

"Yeah," Faith answered, looking into Buffy's eyes. "Was kinda thinking maybe you'd wanna move here with them. Would be kinda stupid to have all your shit here and not you. I'd end up sleeping with your shirts. It'd be pathetic."

"Really? You really want us to move in together?" Buffy asked, wanting to be perfectly clear of Faith's intentions.

"Yeah," Faith replied easily. "You spend all your time here anyway, and . . . I dunno. I love ya, B. I want you all to myself."

Buffy smiled and leaned in to give Faith a soft kiss.

"I love you too. And I think it's a good suggestion. I'll have to talk it over with Dawnie, but . . ."

"No need, I already talked to her about it," Faith interrupted. "Kid is 17 years old, almost all growed up. She can stay in your apartment and we'll stay here. It's not like we're far. We're literally a wall away. She gets in trouble, we'll know it. Slayer hearing, B. Gotta love it."

"I love the slayer hearing. Not sure I love the idea of my baby sis living all on her own, but . . . I guess I'll talk to her about it and set things straight. Make sure she knows that just because I'm not there doesn't mean I won't bust through a wall to kick her butt."

"So . . .?" Faith asked, waiting for a final answer form Buffy.

"So . . . yeah. Let's do it. Let's move in together."

Faith grinned all big, pulling Buffy close to her.

"Well damn, B. I'd say this is cause for celebration."

"What did you have in mind?" Buffy asked, wrapping an arm around Faith's back.

"Oh, I think we could . . ." Faith began, but was interrupted by a bright white light that flashed through the room, followed by the sound of boots clunking on the floor. "What the fuck?" she asked, shielding her eyes from the bright light. As the light faded, a look of terror crossed Faith's face. "You," she yelled out, surprised.

Buffy looked across the room to see another Faith stood there, chest heaving and eyes wild. It was the Faith from the other dimension. The one where they had run into their other selves and were spontaneously groped.

"You!" the other Faith shouted back, pointing wildly at Faith on the bed. "You're the one that groped my girl and thinks you can get away with it!"

"What?!" Faith yelled in disbelief. "Your girl groped me. And hey . . . you groped my girl!" Faith said, indicating Buffy next to her.

The other Faith looked over to Buffy and smiled sexily, giving her a wink.

"What's up, sexy?" she asked.

"Hey," Buffy answered with a shy smile.

"B!" Faith yelled in disbelief, pinching Buffy's arm.

"What?" Buffy asked excitedly, looking at her girlfriend. "She's you. And if you guys are going to fight over me – and the other me – I simply request that there be some kind of oil involved."

"Hey!" Both Faith's yelled at the same time. That's when they both remembered about the other.

Faith stood up on the bed, in all of her naked glory, and looked down at the other Faith.

"I'm gonna kick your ass good!" she yelled, eyes wild now too.

"Bring it on," the other Faith yelled, just before they lunged at each other and landed in a heap on the floor.

A string of obscenities was heard across the room as the two Faith's tried to get the upper hand with one another, but found they were deadlocked as they knew all of one another's moves.

Buffy just sat on the bed looking down at them, partly concerned, partly amused, but mostly turned on. She was about to comment about her upsetting lack of popcorn for the show when yet another white light flashed through the room.

When Buffy's eyes finally adjusted, she looked up to see her other self stood there, looking at her with wild eyes.

"You!" the other Buffy said, pointing at Buffy.

". . . oh shit."