The Courtship of Buffy Summers

A/N: Just in case some of you are worried because of the title, no this is not the last chapter. There will be a few more. I am going to be taking a break from writing this story. I don't know how long the break will be. Probably no more then a couple of weeks, but I can't be sure. With that said, enjoy your update.
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Buffy carefully watches Faith’s face in the soft glow of the moonlight. Finals are over, report cards have been mailed home, and the school year ended yesterday. She was supposed to have week after the last day of school. A week to pack and spend as much time with her friends as possible. A week to say goodbye until the end of the summer when she and Dawn would return from their father’s house in L.A.


‘But then Dad had to screw everything up like always,’ she thinks and tries as hard as she can not to sigh. She doesn’t want to ruin the nice quiet moment she and Faith have going on. They’ve been sitting outside on the steps of the back porch for a little over an hour. Some of the time was spent talking, and kissing, but now they’re quiet. Faith has her arm draped over Buffy’s shoulders, and she’s holding the other girl close. She misses the blonde already and she hasn’t even left yet.


“What time is your dad picking you up? Maybe I can come over and say goodbye before you go,” the brunette says, breaking the silence and her words make the blonde’s eyes fill with tears. ‘I wish she could do that. I wish I didn’t have to go. I can’t believe Mom is making me go to L.A. Dad hurt all of us, why does she want me to spend time with him? Oh right, it was in the custody agreement.’


“He should be here around eight-thirty maybe nine, and we’re leaving as soon as we get our stuff in the car. He told me he wants to get back on the road before there’s a lot of traffic, but I know he really just doesn’t want to spend a lot of time with Mom. They haven’t talked much since they were separated, and when they did it was about the divorce, and custody arrangements.” The blonde rests her head on Faith’s shoulder and has to force herself not to cry.


“So I’ll be here at seven, that’ll give us an hour to say goodbye. It won’t be long enough but at least it’s something,” the brunette says and she has to force herself not to sigh in frustration when she feels the blonde shake her head no against her shoulder.


“Mom wants us to have a family breakfast before we leave. She said we can’t have anyone over, that’s why she let you and Janice over for dinner tonight. We won’t be able to say goodbye to anyone tomorrow so she lets us do it today.” Willow and Xander had also been invited to the dinner but their parents wouldn’t let them come. Neither set of parents provided a reason, just a flat out no.


They go quiet again, both lost in their own thoughts. Faith is trying to ignore the fact that she’s never felt this way about anyone before. She honestly didn’t think that the blonde girl leaving would have this strong of an affect on her. She either wants Buffy to stay here with her, or she wants to go with the blonde, that way they’ll be together no matter what. She plans on visiting the blonde at much as she can, but that won’t be enough.


Buffy is having similar thoughts, only hers are a little different. Instead of just thinking about how much she’s going to miss Faith, she’s also thinking about how much she blew it a couple weeks ago. After her mother interrupted them they’ve only had a couple of chances to be alone again. And she was so skittish and nervous because of what Faith said that she didn’t take things further. And now they’re going to be apart for an entire summer.


‘I should have slept with her. I love her so much, and Willow’s right, so much can happen in three months. What if we just grow apart, and we break up? We won’t get another chance to be together and have it mean as much as it would have. No, I need to stop thinking like that. We’re going to talk on the phone everyday, and she’s going to come visit me for one week out of every month just like she did with her brother. But that’s still not enough!’


“Maybe I can talk my dad into letting me come back early? He always spoiled me, and he hates it when I whine. Maybe I can bother him until he can’t take it anymore and sends me back?” the blonde says and she sounds desperate. The one thing that is driving her crazy is the fact that Faith thinks her leaving is a good idea. She grew up without knowing her biological father and she thinks Buffy should at least try to be closer with hers.


“No, you shouldn’t do that. You should spend time with him, and have fun. I’m sure it won’t be so bad once you get used to everything again.” That’s one thing that Faith fears. She’s afraid that Buffy will go back to L.A. to visit her dad and realize how much she misses the big city, and not want to come back to Sunnydale. From what Buffy’s told Faith the brunette thinks the father sounds like a deadbeat, but that could change, especially if he wants power over Buffy’s mom.


“We might have to lie to my dad. I don’t know if he’ll let you stay at the house if he knows we’re dating.” That sentence leaves a sting and Faith is having a hard time shrugging it off. She’s never been the kind of person to hide her sexual orientation and she knows that Buffy hasn’t told her dad about all of the changes that she’s gone through. ‘Maybe she just doesn’t want to tell him. She’s a total daddy’s girl whether she’ll admit it or not.’


“I don’t want you to lie to your dad because of me. I can always stay at a motel,” she says and tries not to let her true emotions leak out in her voice. She’s scared, and worried, and frustrated all at the same time. ‘So this is what love is like?’ she thinks and tries as hard as she can not to sigh.


“Well,” Buffy says and lifts her head off of Faith’s shoulder. She looks at the girl with a devilish smile on her face. “The reason I’d lie is so you won’t have to stay at a motel. You can sleep in my bed with me.” Faith smiles back but it’s only halfhearted. She doesn’t want to be a parade rainer, but they need to look at the reality of the situation.


“Ok, so I sleep in your bed with you, and lets say that one night we start fooling around,” now she has a mischievous smile on her face at the thought of having the blonde on her back, and her face buried in between those strong slightly tanned legs. “You’re not as quiet as you think you are. What do you think would happen if your dad hears something coming from your bedroom and he walks in on us? I really don’t think any father would be happy to see their teenager daughter having her pussy eaten out.”


“Yeah, that would end very badly.” ‘Why did she put it like that? She just had to make it sound so dirty and wrong, like she thinks my dad is homophobic or something. I don’t think he is, the issue was never brought up. But he lives in L.A. or God sake’s. It’s one of the most diverse cities ever.’ “So I guess when you visit we’ll have to act like friends? No hand holding, or kissing, or cuddling while we watch T.V.?” She watches the brunette slowly shake her head no, and it feels like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders.


“I don’t know if your dad is homophobic or no, but I think honesty would be the best policy. If he finds out after a couple of visits then he might not let me come back.” Buffy slowly nods her head in agreement. The situation sucks no matter what perspective she views it from. She just wants to be with Faith, this is a very crucial time in their relationship, doesn’t anybody understand that?


“Besides,” Faith says with a small smile. “If I only get to see you one week outta the month there’s no way in hell I’m going to be able to stop myself from kissing you.” That makes Buffy smile and it cheers her up a little. Faith is very good at hiding her emotions, and the blonde still isn’t too sure how much she’s going to be missed. She knows it’s just her insecurities getting the best of her, but she can’t help it.


She knows that Faith is a very affectionate person, and that affection is expressed best in the physical form. If she can’t stop herself from kissing the blonde then that means she’s going crazy with pining. ‘I know I’m going to be going insane with the pining. I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up touching myself while I think of Faith. Her soft lips, that sexy smile, her strong yet tender fingers. Ok, now I’m all worked up. Great, just great.’


“I won’t be able to either. I was just thinking it would be better to have some alone time then be affectionate in front of everyone. I don’t know what my dad has planned for us so we’ll probably end up staying at the house all day. He still has to work, it’s not like he gets a summer vacation too.” She softly sighs and rests her head on Faith’s shoulder again. “Dawn will probably just hang out with her old friends. She hasn’t seen them since we moved. I know Ford will want to hang out with me but I don’t know about the others.”


“Ok so what you’re saying is your dad has to work during the day, and Dawnie will probably spend most of the day at her friend’s house, so when I visit we’ll have the house all to ourselves? And this is bad, how?” ‘I never thought of that before,’ the blonde thinks and gets a little smile on her face.


“That isn’t bad,” she says and leaves a little kiss on Faith’s neck. “That’s very, very great. But what am I supposed to do while you’re gone?” She looks up at Faith and flutters her eyelashes. She knows the brunette won’t pass up a chance to cause a little mischief. The sexual innuendoes and teasing used to embarrass the blonde, but now she actually enjoys hearing what the brunette has to say. Mostly because of the cute flirtatious smile she gets on her face.


“Well, you can hang out with Ford, whoever that is,” the brunette says it with just enough emphasis to let the blonde know that she’s a little jealous. Ford is definitely one of those guys only names, and Buffy hasn’t filled Faith in on any of her ex’s. They decided it would be better not to talk about ex’s what with Faith’s very bad history. Faith has a very ‘fuck the past, live in the now’ type of attitude when it comes to her relationship with the blonde.


“Or,” Buffy says and is in slight disbelief at the fact that Faith didn’t say anything sexual. ‘But I know she’s jealous and that’s so cute. And if she isn’t going to say anything dirty then I am. It’s too good to pass up.’ “I can wait until Dawn is gone, close all the blinds in my room, light some candles, play some soft music, and have phone sex with you.” Faith gives her this look like she’s totally crazy, and Buffy just raises an eyebrow. Then they both start laughing. The laughter stops when they hear the backdoor open.


“Faith, it’s getting late. It’s time for you to head home,” Joyce says and gets a very soft smile on her face at the sight of the two girls. It took her awhile but she’s starting to warm up to the idea of these two being together for a very long time. The thought of Buffy sleeping with the brunette brings out Joyce’s protective side as it would with any mother, but she doesn’t get as angry anymore.


“I’ll walk you to the your truck,” Buffy says and the two girls get up together. Buffy gently slips her hand into Faith’s and laces their fingers together. She loves the fact that Faith always wants to hold her hand. She didn’t think the brunette would be the hand-holding type, but nine times out of ten she’s the one who makes the first move.


They slowly walk through the house and down the walkway. They try to make each step last forever because neither girl wants to leave the other’s side. By the time they actually reach Faith’s truck their hands are clasped together so tightly that pain is starting to ensue. When they finally realize why their hands are hurting they let go, and look into each other’s eyes. Buffy’s has some tears welling up and the sight is making Faith want to cry.


“I promise I’ll see you next week,” she says trying to make the tears go away. She knows that nothing is going to help the situation, but she has to try. This is her girlfriend, and right now they’re at that stage where if one is hurting then the other is hurting. “It’s only a week right? And we’re gonna talk on the phone everyday, even if it’s just to say goodnight before we go to bed.” Buffy nods her head and tries to smile, but her bottom lip is quivering too much for her to pull it off.


Faith can’t take it any longer. She hates seeing the blonde like this. So she leans in and kisses the other girl hard on the mouth. At first their lips are just pressed together, unmoving as they try to savor the moment. But then they simultaneously open their mouths and their tongues start to battle for dominance. Buffy isn’t sure when it happens, but she’s pressed up against the driver door of Faith’s truck. They pull back for a second to catch their breath. They don’t even open their eyes, they just start kissing again.


Even though Faith is going to make the long drive to see the blonde next week it feels like this is a final goodbye. It’s making both girls want to feel more, to taste more, to touch more, and it’s driving them crazy that they can’t. After a few more minutes of almost violent kisses they force themselves to pull apart. Buffy looks deeply into Faith’s eyes and swears that she sees tears, but she isn’t going to bring it up.


“I love you,” she says and leaves a little peck on the brunette’s lips. She wants to kiss her deeper, rip her clothes off and ravage her, but she can’t. And because she can’t she wants to scream, and stomp her feet, and throw a temper tantrum fit for a spoiled rotten four-year-old.


“I love you too,” Faith says and slowly pulls away from the other girl. Buffy steps away from the truck and wraps her arms around Faith in a very tight hug. The slightly taller girl hugs her back, and she breaths in the scent of Buffy’s perfume. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, and I’ll see you next week.” She lets go of the blonde and gives her one final kiss on the lips before she gets in her truck and drives off.


The following morning is very strange to the blonde, surreal somehow. She can’t believe how much she’s come to love this house, and the town of Sunnydale. She can’t believe she’s going to be leaving for three months. All of her stuff is already in the back of her dad’s SUV, and the only thing that they’re waiting on is the girls’ goodbyes to their mother before they hit the road and head for L.A.


“Remember to call me,” Joyce says with a smile as she hugs both of her daughters at the same time. Everybody has noticed the dramatic different in the girls’ attitudes. Dawn is giddy, and can’t wait to see all of her old friends and be back in the house she grew up in. Buffy is depressed and it’s very clear that she doesn’t want to go. “Try to have fun, sweetheart.” She gently lifts Buffy’s chin so they’re looking into each other’s eyes. The younger blonde tries for a small smile, but it doesn’t come.


“I will. I’m sure once I get settled things will be better. It’s the leaving part that I don’t like,” she says and looks down the street. She knows Faith isn’t going to show up because she told the brunette last night that she couldn’t, but subconsciously she’s expecting to see that dazzling smile, and those dashing dimples one more time before she goes.


“I’m surprised Faith hasn’t shown up yet,” the older woman says and looks down the street as well. She looks down at her daughter when she hears her sigh a very heavy sigh. ‘I wish this wasn’t so hard on her. But she will get over it. Buffy has always been a little...melodramatic when it comes to things like this.’


“I told her last night not to come. You wanted us to have a family breakfast and I didn’t want to ruin that,” she says and her shoulders slump with sadness. Joyce can’t help but roll her eyes at the total ‘woe is me’ thing Buffy has going on.


“No offense, dear, but since does Faith listen when she’s told no?” she raises an eyebrow and smiles at the somewhat cheerful look on her daughter’s face. She’s glad she was able to make Buffy feel a little better but at the same time she feels bad for getting her daughter’s hopes up. Faith does listen when Buffy tells her no, and Joyce knows that. So if Buffy told her not to come then it’s likely that Faith won’t come.


“Alright girls, let’s get this show on the road,” Hank Summers says and gets into the driver’s seat of the large SUV. The girls give their mother one last hug and kiss before they climb into the backseat of the car. Buffy would sit in the front and claim it as her spot for the rest of the trip, but her father’s girlfriend Sasha decided it would be a good idea to come along with him. Buffy hates the woman already. She isn’t sure if she’s the one who had the affair with her father, but she doesn’t care.


She stares at the back of the front passenger seat as her father pulls away from the curb and starts off down the street. All she can think about is Faith and how much she already misses her. She was going to try and convince her father to let the brunette stay with them for the entire summer, but he changed the plans so fast that she didn’t have enough time to call him and talk to him about it. ‘And now I won’t see her until next week,’ she thinks and lets out a heavy sigh.


Her eyebrows furrow deeply when she thinks she hears someone call her name. She listens and then hears it again. She turns around in her seat and looks out the back window. Most of it is blocked by all of the luggage but she can see over the top of a suitcase. She has to strain her neck, but she definitely sees someone chasing after the car. She pushes herself up a little higher and she can see who it is. Her eyes go wide and she whips around in her seat.


“Dad stop the car!” she yells and takes off her seatbelt. Her father gives her a strange look in the rearview mirror. Her patience is about to run out, but she stays semi-calm. “I’m serious, stop the car.” He pulls over to the side of the road and she doesn’t even wait for the car to come to a full stop before she jumps out. She starts running down the street, which is hard to do is flip flops.


She collides with Faith in the middle of the street and the two almost fall over. They stumble but remain standing. They wrap their arms around each other and don’t say a word before their mouths meet in the middle for a long, and very deep kiss. The feeling of Faith’s soft, yet demanding tongue against hers makes her toes curl. Her soft lips causes little butterflies to start fluttering in her stomach.


The kiss seems to go on for hours, and Buffy doesn’t want to stop. She doesn’t want to let go of the other girl even though she knows she has to. They finally pull back when the lack of oxygen has them both very dizzy. They rest their foreheads together and both of them have little smirks on their faces. Even though Buffy is going away she’s happy now because she knows without a doubt that Faith is going to miss her. Now she won’t let her insecurities get the best of her, and she feels very stupid for letting them in the first place.


“I’ll see you next week,” Faith whispers and gives Buffy a soft peck on the lips. The blonde doesn’t get the chance to say anything before Faith lets go of her and jogs back to the Summers’ home. She parked there before she jumped out and ran up to Mrs. Summers who was still standing on the walkway. When Joyce told her that Buffy just left and pointed to the black SUV the brunette didn’t even think of getting back in her truck, she just took off down the street.


Buffy smiles and watches her girlfriend’s ass until she gets too far away. The sound of her father honking the horn rips Buffy out of her little world and she walks back to the parked SUV. She climbs in and shuts the door, and puts on her seatbelt. Dawn is looking at her and trying not to smile, but can’t help it when she sees her sister’s smirk.


“Who was that girl?” her father asks and pulls away from the curb. “Since when are you kissing girls?” ‘I do a lot more then kiss her, that’s for sure,’ Buffy thinks and her smirk gets bigger.


“That’s Faith, she’s my girlfriend. And I don’t kiss girls, I kiss her,” she says in a very satisfied voice and looks out the window. She doesn’t see any of the houses, or the trees or the other cars that they pass on their way to towards the freeway. All she sees is Faith’s smiling face as they ran towards each other on Revello Drive. Buffy’s smirk gets a little smaller as the minutes pass, but it doesn’t completely go away the entire drive to L.A.