Complement

XXX - I Knew I Loved You
(Part B)

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They continued to laugh for a few minutes after the Immortals faded from the cottage. Buffy curled up into Faith, her hand just resting lightly on her thigh. She sat up facing Faith after a few more minutes; she lifted her hand from Faith's thigh and gently traced the dent in Faith's bottom lip. "Did I ever tell you how much I love this little dent?" Faith just stared at Buffy wide-eyed, with a sort of innocence that always made Buffy's breath catch and this time was no different. She traced the outline of Faith's mouth with her fingertip, getting lost in her eyes. "I do you know..."

She captured Buffy's gently tracing finger between her lips, drawit int into the warm, moist cavity of mou mouth. Sucking gently on it, laving it with her tongue and watched as Buffy's eyes started to turn gold with her reawakened desire. She felt something awaken deep in her and could hear not only the soft rumbling, growling purr coming from her own chest but her mate's as well. She lifted her own hand and took hold of the one that was delicately tracing her mouth again. She kissed each fingertip then raised her eyes back up to Buffy's golden ones. "Thank you..." she whispered so softly that only another Slayer or Immortal could have heard her.

"For what?" Buffy asked her just as softly.

"For everything. For being there for me, for being patient. For helping me to remember, for showing me again how beautiful making love with the person you love is. For making me feel clean, feel whole again. For just being you and for loving me." Her voice was husky with raw emotion, there was so much more she wanted to say, but the words were eluding her. Expressing herself still didn't come easy for her, she didn't have all the pretty words and most of the time what she wanted to say came out half-ass backwards. She could only hope that Buffy understood what she was trying to say.

"You're welcome... Thank you for trusting me enough to let me be the one to show and experience all of it, before and now again with you. And for sharing yourself with me, for showing me again too, how beautiful making love is. For being there for me, for all that you've done for me. For helping me to feel whole again. But most of all for gifting me with your love." And like Faith there was so much more that she wanted to say, but she wasn't even sure if there were words to describe what it was that she felt for Faith. Or to express what Faith had given to her in return for the simple act of loving her.

They leaned towards each other. Their mouths barely grazing the other's. They shared a kiss of infinite, tenderness, commitment, and of love. And while neither needed to say it to the other, they both knew it was a kiss between their souls.

They sat staring at each other after the kiss until a cool breeze blew across both of them. They both turned their heads toward the front door that was hanging haphazardly off its hinges thanks to Lilith.

"Well, at least their timing wasn't as bad as it could have been," Buffy said between giggles.

"Yeah it's a good thing I didn't make you sing sooner B."

"Sing? What are you talking about?" Buffy was puzzled, then she watched amazed as Faith turned the brightest shade of red she had ever seen.

"Sing? I didn't mean to say that, I meant to say..." She paused, she couldn't think of a damn thing to say that didn't sound absolutely stupid in her own head. "Ummm... Nothin'... I was talking about nothin', B?..." She shrugged her shoulders and felt her face grow hotter as she blushed even harder.

Buffy st at at Faith and couldn't help but think that she looked so cute blushing. Now she really wanted to know what Faith was talking about! "No way you're getting off that easy F! Don't make me tickle you to get you to tell me..."

Faith stared back at Buffy in mock horror at the thought, then shook her head no.

Buffy stared back and gave Faith her best pout and puppy dog eyes, her finger idly tracing, writing on Faith's chest. "Please, baby... Please Fai..." she begged prettily.

Faith could feel herself beginning to crack, then she cracked completely when she realized that Buffy was writing over and over again on her chest; B loves F.

With a groan, she told Buffy, "You don't play fair... You know that don't ya, B?" Then she proceeded to turn even redder. Just then Buffy's stomach growled loudly and Faith gave her a lopsided grin, "How about I make you breakfast for a change?"

"'K, and you can tell me all about this singin' thingy while you're cooking." Buffy jumped up and practically skipped over to the dresser, Faith just watched her, a silly grin on her own face.

She caught the oversized t-shirt that Buffy threw at her. When she tried to drop the sheet from her, she only managed to get her arm tangled up in one of the holes Buffy had ripped in it. She got up to her feet, untangled the sheet from her, slipped on the shirt, then held the sheet up in front of her. Her mouth dropped open when she saw the two large holes in the sheet. She saw Buffy turn bright red when she turned around and saw her looking at her through one of the holes in the sheet.

"Nice job B... What'd the sheet ever do to you?" Faith couldn't help but tease her.
slowslow sensual smile came over Buffy's face in total contrast with her bright red cheeks and the oversized t-shirt that made her look more like she was fourteen rather than twenty. Even so, Faith's eyes were glued to Buffy as she moved with a graceful, sensuous stride towards her. She stopped right in front of Faith and looked back at her through the hole in the sheet, which Faith realized she was still holding up. She started to drop her arms then stopped when Buffy leaned into her sliding her hands up her raised arms, then slowly back down raking her nails lightly on her arms through the sheet. Faith didn't think she could have moved right then even if she wanted to, which she didn't.

"The sheet didn't do anythingme, me, it was all you." Buffy groaned inside that sounded stupid even to her, especially since her voice came out so low, husky and throaty when she said it.

Stupid or not, she saw the shudder go through Faith, and watched as her eyes grew darker, and the emerald flecks started to glow. She leaned further into Faith, stood up on her tiptoes and captured that full bottom lip that was calling to her with her own lips. She ran her tongue delicately down over the dent that only a little while ago she had told Faith she loved so much. She nipped it a little before letting her tongue trace along her top lip, then enticed Faith to open her mouth for her. She teasingly let her tongue play with her mate's as she deepened their kiss. She couldn't help smiling into the kiss as she heard Faith rip the sheet in half so she could get her arms around her. The sheet fell forgotten around their feet as Faith hauled her into her tightly. One kiss blended into another, then other, each one become increasingly hot, open, wet, demanding, deeper.

The Chosen Two's stomachs decided to growl and grumble loudly their protest at not being feed a few kisses later and they both dissolved into giggles the second time it happened again in sync.

"I think our stomachs are conspiring with each other against us." Buffy half kissed, half giggled against Faith's mouth. Both the Slayers' stomachs grumbled together as if agreeing with Buffy's comment.

"They are like two little kids, gonna keep annoying us 'til they get their way." Faith growled out looking first at Buffy's stomach, which growled back, then at her own which did the same.

"Well that settles it. Get in the kitchen and cook me some breakfast, little woman!" Buffy tried out her best bossy voice on Faith who just cocked an eyebrow at her. She swatted Faith on the butt playfully, "Now, woman!"

"You... you... little... woman... you swatted my butt..." Faith mumbled under her breath.

Buffy took a few steps back from Faith and crossed her arms across her chest, an impish grin on her face. "That's right, my little woman! I kinda like it, might introduce you that way. Meet Faith... My little woman, isn't she cute? Maybe get you one of those sexy little French-maid outfits too... hmmmm... likin' that idea... Now are ya gonna get in the kitchen and make me my breakfast or what like a good little woman..."

She watched as a multitude of expressions crossed Faith's face, from laughter to disbelief. Then she saw the evil glint in Faith's eyes and she giggled.

"Oh I'm gonna make ya breakfast all right, B..." Faith purred a second before she pounced.

"OH SHIT!" Buffy squeaked before she took off running for the kitchen.

Faith caught her around the waist from behind before she made it through the door. She spun around, fell on the chaise lounge, Buffy underneath her and started tickling her without mercy. "Little woman... nope not happening... Swatting my butt... French-maid outfit like that idea... for you B..." She muttered while Buffy squirmed and shrieked with laughter underneath her.

Buffy wriggled under Faith on her stomach, trying to turn over and get away from her tickling fingers. She knew however, there was no way that was going to happen with Faith lying fully on top of her. Suddenly she became aware of the fact that not only had her t-shirt hiked itself up to somewhere around her breasts but so had Faith's. She was acutely aware of Faith's silky skin sliding along her own, Faith's breasts pressing into her back burning holes where they touched her. Acutely aware of the soft tickle of the trimmed hair of Faith's sex brushing up against her buttocks, of Faith's legs that were straddling one of her own. Her shriek of laughter turned into a low moan when she felt Faith's knee press up intimately into her, her whole body jumping in reaction.

Then Faith's fingers, that were seconds ago poking and tickling her started to slide, tease and caress her. One hand slid up caressing her rib cage, while the other moved out from under her and moved her hair away from and off her neck. Her whole body shuddered as she felt Faith's mouth lightly grazing the back of her neck. She was pushing herself up and bacto Fto Faith. She pushed further up into her as Faith's hand slid up further to run along the sensitive underside of her breasts. Desire started careening through her madly, fiercely, hotly.

Faith leaned back onto her calves her hand impatiently pulling Buffy's t-shirt higher. Buffy start to turn over when Faith lifted her body from her.

"No... stay don't move... stay like that..." She smiled when she heard Buffy moan as she settled back down onto her stomach.

Faith bent down low over Buffy, started at the base of her neck and felt as Buffy arched her back like a cat in her tongue's wake as she blazed a trail down the whole length of Buffy's spine. She lifted a little and scooted forward, her knee, thigh pressing once more into Buffy's wet heat; a shudder ran through her when Buffy moaned her name. She lay down fully onto to Buffy, her mouth nipping lightly at the base of her neck and felt Buffy tremble beneath her.

"Have I managed to arouse another hunger in you B?" She whispered low, husky into Buffy's ear.

"Yes... I, Faith... I need..." The rest of what Bufas gas going to say was drowned out by possibly the loudest growling grumbles coming from both Slayers' stomachs that either had ever heard.

"Food..." Faith rasped and then couldn't help but giggle as both their stomachs grumbled their agreement to the suggestion.

"No... You... want you now..." Buffy moaned and her stomach growled a protest. Even she couldn't help the giggle that escaped her, she was really beginning to believe her stomach and Faith's were actually plotting together against them.

"How about..." Faith whispered, stopping for a brief second to slowly slide a little further up Buffy and captured her earlobe gently between her teeth.

"Yes..." Buffy reached one hand behind her and pulled Faith's head closer to her.

"I feed your stomach... and..." Faith ran her tongue along the shell of Buffy's ear then moved to nip and suckle lightly at the sensitive skin behind it.

"And..." Buffy asked as she trembled again and was thankful that her stomach was quiet.

"And... after I feed your, our stomachs, I take care of feeding your soul..." Faith sat back up onto to her calves and gently turned Buffy over. This time it was Faith who started to tremble as Buffy ran her hand up from right above her sex to her collarbone, to behind her neck and pulled her back down.

"Yes..." Buffy whispered against Faith's mouth before claiming it for her own.

Faith wasn't sure if she could stand after Buffy finished devouring her mouth, she lay against Buffy for a few minutes her head buried in Buffy's neck. Her breathing labored; her whole body trembling; smiling softly as she listened to the rapid pounding of Buffy's heart and ragged breathing. She finally moved when both their stomachs grumbled a quiet protest. She sat up pulling Buffy with her.
riggriggin' Slayer metabolism... always gotta feed it..."

"It does have its perks though..." Buffy purred, leaving not a single doubt in Faith's mind what she was talking about.
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Buffy leaned against the counter and watched Faith as she puttered around the kitchen, pulling out pots, pans, utensils and a cutting board. Her mouth dropped opened a little in surprise as she watched Faith set up everything just so, as if she were arranging a display of precious sculptures or some such nonsense. Her eyes were inevitability drawn over the sleek lines of Faith's body as she moved about the kitchen. She liked the way the muscles moved in Faith's thighs and calves as she walked around the kitchen setting the table in nothing but the oversized, but short t-shirt. Her thoughts drifted to those well-muscled long legs wrapping around her, sliding along her own, how they felt under her hands, tasted beneath her mouth. She saw a shudder ripple through Faith and heard a low moan come from her.

Faith's knees grew weak and she almost dropped the coffee cups she had in her hands, as her mind was flooded with images from Buffy in an echo. "B... god you're killin' me..."

"What?" Buffy asked innocently, then let her mind drift a little more, and returned the favor of an echo full with sensual images like Faith had done to her this morning. She liked this; in fact, she was overjoyed that Faith had made her realize they could use their bond like this. Another thought filtered through her mind.

'Wonder if that will work too? Only one way to find out... Hang on Faith, I'm gonna try a new trick!'

She lifted her hand and ran it lightly over her own breast, circling the nipple, teasing herself, she lightly pinched her hard nipple between her fingers and a sultry laughed escaped her when she saw Faith's whole body jump.

Faith hastily put the coffee cups down on the table and then grabbed onto the edge of it as Buffy flooded her again with images and hot, lusty feelings. Her whole body jumped when she felt the shadow-like touch in an echo of Buffy touching her own breast. Then she started to quiver when she felt another shadow-touch of fingers on her nipple.

"I've created a nympho'... all I wanted was for you to sing..." she growled below a whisper then Buffy's low laugh sent another shudder of desire through her.

"Well, that answered that question. Now about that singin' thingy..." Buffy purred to Faith.

'Great Faith! Good job! Make her forget about the singin' shit and then mumble it. Slayer hearing, ever hear of it? Didn't think so, duh!'

"Come on baby, you said you would tell me..."

"No I didn't Gizmo..." Faith turned around to face Buffy, hoping it was safe to let go of the table. She saw a wicked gleam appear briefly in Buffy's eyes which were more gold than hazel right now. She threw her blocks up a second before she got slammed with another echo.

"No fair, Fai... You're blocking me..." Buffy pouted.

"If I don't we'll never eat breakfast and I'll end up being a mindless puddle on the floor."

"Really?" Buffy asked her half seriously, half coyly.

"As if you didn't already know that, B..."

Faith gave Buffy one of her lopsided grins, then moved so fast that all Buffy saw was a blur. She pulled Buffy to her roughly, lifting her so she was sitting up on the counter. She moaned a little when she felt Buffy wrap her legs around her waist and felt Buffy's hot, wet, heat press against her stomach. She slammed her mouth down on Buffy's almost brutally, her tongue demanding entrance, taking possession of Buffy's mouth, in a kiss of total dominance and need. When she felt her stomach getting ready to growl another protest at being neglected, she pulled away abruptly ending the kiss.

"Food first, the rest later..." She barely managed to mumble out, "Now behave, B..."

Buffy just nodded her head mutely, her mouth hanging open a little, her breathing shallow, she put her hands on the counter behind her, to support herself.

Faith had to tear her eyes away from the sight of Buffy sitting on the counter leaning back slightly on her hands. Her t-shirt hiked up around her hips, her leg splayed wide as if she were still standing between them, her curls glistening moistly, calling out to her to touch them. She started mumbling, cursing Slayer metabolism and their stomachs, which seemed to be conspiring against them as she made her way over to the refrigerator on shaky legs. She tore open the fridge door, still mumbling and grabbed what she needed.

Buffy watched Faith move away from her unbelievingly. Her eyes lovingly and hungrily, tracing the lean line of Faith's body as she moved around the kitchen, pulling, eggs, bacon, strawberries, milk and god only knew what else out of the fridge. She jumped down from the counter and sat on a chair at the table her eyes still hungrily watching Faith. She tried to calm down her body, which thirsted for Faith's touch still and she knew Faith's thirsted for hers as well, she could feel it through their bond. She watched as Faith began to prepare breakfast and realized that while Lilith had been giving her cooking lesson it looked like Faith was the one that had actually learned something. She seemed to move and putter about with a confidence and surety that surprised Buffy. It was in its own way quite endearing and cute as hell.

"So... you were going to tell me about this singin' thing. Weren't you baby?..." Was that her voice so low, sultry and throaty? She smiled when she heard more mumbling coming from Faith. "You need to speak up I can't hear you."

"Well... um... you see it kinda was a plan for..." Faith trailed off, how was she supposed to explain to her about her plan to tease the hell out of her until her control snapped. "You know how I kept..."

Buffy fell into the sound of Faith's voice as she talked. Loving the raspy, husky, deep timber of it, the little ripples that it caused under hein, in, she was hearing what Faith was saying on some level it just wasn't actually sinking in yet. She didn't realized that Faith had stopped talking until she heard her name called for the second time.

"What?"

"So are you ah... mad at me?"

She focused on Faith's face and noticed she was blushing again and Buffy whose thoughts were still somewhere in the gutter, thought she looked both innocent and hot at the same time. All at once, everything Faith had just told her sunk in. Faith had been teasing the hell out of her, purposely getting her worked up for over a week and then backing off. On one hand Buffy understood why, she had been hearing what Faith had been telling her over the last week or so, but she hadn't really been listening. She arched an eyebrow at Faith, "No... not mad at you baby..." She purred.

Faith took one look at the wicked gleam in Buffy's eyes and the purring of her voice and knew she was in deep shit. Buffy might not be mad, but Faith knew a little payback would be coming her way in the near future. Then again, that kind of payback she didn't really mind. She turned her attention back to making breakfast, strawberry pancakes, scrambled eggs with cheese, sausage, bacon and toast. She put four slices of bread into the toaster, the bacon and sausage into the toaster oven. She cracked a dozen eggs into a bowl, added a little milk and a pinch of parsley then whipped the hell out of the eggs until they were more froth than eggs. The whole time she was acutely aware of Buffy's eyes lazily running over her body.

She moved the eggs off to the side for now and grabbed the box of pancake mix, she realized she didn't have a bowl to mix it in and without thinking stood up on her toes and reached up for a bowl on the second to top shelf of the cabinet in front of her. She set about making the pancake mix, thinking how much she loved her Slayer strength and smiled with pleasure as she stirred the mix until there wasn't a single lump in it. She was surprised to find that she actually liked this cooking thing; she turned on the flat skillet for the pancakes and the frying pan for the eggs so they would get hot. Satisfied that the heat was the right temperature she turned her attention to slicing the strawberries, heard a soft growling purr come from Buffy and then heard the whoosh of air as Buffy moved.

She continued to devour Faith with her eyes as she set about making breakfast. Her thoughts once more drifting into the proverbial gutter and a little bit of a payback plan began to form for Faith, for keeping her right there on the edge for over a week. Faith said she wanted her B back, so Buffy was going to give her exactly what she wanted. She licked her lips in anticipation at the thoughts that were roaming through her mind. She decided she would wait until tomorrow to start. For now, she was fighting to keep her own arousal in check, as well as her thoughts and almost won the fight until Faith reached up for the bowl. She saw the bottom of Faith's firm buttocks peek out from underneath the t-shirt and she lost all her self-restraint. She flew out of the chair and using all her Slayer speed was across the kitchen in a flash. She pressed herself flat up against Faith's back, having to go up on her toes as she reached over Faith's shoulder for a strawberry.

"Yum... these look good. Can I have one?" She let her mouth brush up against Faith's ear as she purred out her question, smiling as she felt Fatremtremble a little against her.

"Su... sure B..." Faith stuttered as the feel of Buffy against her back burned her. She focused on cutting the strawberries and not one of her fingers off, as she felt Buffy briefly nip her earlobe before grabbing a strawberry off the cutting board.

"Thanks," she grabbed the fattest, juiciest strawberry, took a bite, catching the juice as it slid over her lips and let out a little moan of pleasure. "Mmmmm this is good, want a bite?"

Faith stood stock still, memories washed over her of the morning they had spent in the garden at the Mansion feeding each other fresh fruit for breakfast. She felt a chill go down her spine from Buffy's warm breath tickling her neck. She just nodded her head not wanting to risk stuttering again.

"Open..."

Faith opened her mouth for the strawberry, which Buffy fed to her, then started to trail sticky fingertips along her mouth. Faith couldn't resist, she captured them with her mouth, and mumbled around them, "Sweet too..."

She felt Buffy's free hand skimming up the back of her thigh to her buttocks, where Buffy paused briefly to massage, knead, then Buffy's hand traveled up over the lower half of her back, around to her front not stopping until she had one of Faith's breasts in the palm of her hand.

"Beeeee......." Faith moaned, as the fever that was Buffy raged through her. Then Buffy's other hand swooped down to capture her other breast.

It took all of her will power not to sink to the ground as Buffy massaged one breast almost roughly, while teasing the other with light touches. Buffy started rubbing herself against her back like a cat and Faith's legs began to shake. One of Buffy's hands traveled down from her breast, drawing little patterns over her ribcage, circling her navel, and Faith held her breath in anticipation as her hand moved lower still. She grabbed onto the counter for dear life when Buffy nipped the back of her neck and tweaked her clit at the same time, a guttural moan escaping her. They both smelled the bacon and sausage start to burn at the same time.

"Fuckfuckfuckfuck!!!!!" Faith snarled yanking the toaster oven door open.

Buffy moved from behind Faith to stand next to her, feeling a little guilty, considering all the effort Faith was putting into making them breakfast.

"I'm sorry... It looks salvageable. Why don't you let me take care of this and the toast and you make the pancakes and eggs. I promise to be good."

"Don't apologize, B... I'm not mad, just wish I had thought to shut it off is all." She leaned down and gave Buffy a soft, tender kiss. "Let's just get food out of the way... this way no more interruptions. 'K?"

"'K..."

They moved quickly, working together to finish making breakfast. And like everything else they did together from Slaying to making love, they di wit with a natural harmony, gracefulness, a sort of mirror image of each other.
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She was washing the pots and pans, feeling Buffy's eyes roaming over her. Her body thrilling to Buffy's gaze almost as if it were Buffy's hands, not her eyes, tracing hungrily over her skin. She had almost forgotten how easily, how completely just the slightest touch from Buffy sent all her senses afire. She was trembling from the desire that was pounding through her, afraid to even look down, as she was absolutely certain there was a puddle on the floor by her feet. She continued to wash the dishes almost trance like, while Buffy continued to eat her breakfast way too fucking slow!

She should have known better the second Buffy decided to sit right next to her and had pulled her chair closer. She had almost choked on her mouthful of pancakes when she felt Buffy's hand lightly slide up her thigh a minute or two after they first started eating. And Buffy just kept on eating, sliding her hand lightly, gently, tenderly along her thigh the whole time they ate. She wasn't really sure what she had eaten, she could have eaten a whole stick of butter and wouldn't have noticed it as Buffy's hand slid along her thigh almost absentmindedly. She had practically inhaled her breakfast, but Buffy was still eating so fucking slowly they would be a hundred years old before she finished. When she had finished eating, she had to get up and move, another minute of that delicate touch on her thigh and she would haone one completely insane, that was how she ended up washing the dishes.

Buffy watched Faith as she finished eating. She was purposely taking her time, trying to sort through all the images she was getting from Faith through their bond. There were things skirting around the edges that Buffy didn't think Faith was even aware of. She knew Faith wanted her B back but Buffy knew she still needed to tread carefully. There was fear floating behind the desire that Faith was feeling, Buffy knew from their bond that Faith feared anyone being on top of her right now and Buffy wanted to avoid causing that fear to escalate or being associated with her. There were other things too that she feared and even though Buffy knew on a conscious level that Faith had no fear of her, on a subconscious level Faith feared anyone doing any of those things to her, including Buffy. Time was the healer now, and in time Buffy knew they would work through this together as Faith started to work through them on her own. But she wanted to make sure that she didn't force them to the surface before Faith was ready to emotionally deal with them.

After this morning, Buffy knew she couldn't go back to acting hesitant to touch or be around Faith sexually. Doing that would give Faith the wrong message; make her think that Buffy did see her as a broken, frail version of herself and that was the last thing Faith needed. The problem was how to still tread carefully, but be herself at the same time? She hadn't meant to get Faith so worked up while they had been eating breakfast, she had just wanted to touch her, so she had. Now the problem was how to approach her, before she would have just finished eating and attacked Faith at the sink, but she was worried about what might happen if she did that. She was brought out of her internal musing by Faith's voice.

"B.... please.... please.... finish eating.... " Faith was clutching the pot so hard in her hand she was afraid she was going to bend it. With each passing second, she became more anxious.

Everything was spinning round and round in her head again, she was afraid of freezing up, afraid of making Buffy feel rejected and she didn’t understand it, not after this morning. Why was this happening again, why were all the fears resurfacing? How could they be? Especially since her desire to make love with Buffy was still there, still as strong, almost painful in how aroused she was. She was so caught up in her head she had no idea that she had spoken aloud.

Buffy just decided to follow her instincts, hoping that they once again w gui guide her correctly. She piled the rest of the dishes from the table and carried them over to the sink. She stood next to Faith, leaning into her a little as she placed the dishes into the sink.

"You want help doing the dishes baby?" Buffy asked then leaned up and gently kissed the side of Faith's neck.

“Nope almost done... ah... why don't you go relax in the other room and I'll be there in a few minutes. 'K?" Her voice trembled a little as the conflict raged on inside of her. She needed a few minutes alone to try to sort out what was going on in her head and she couldn't do that with Buffy in the same room.

Buffy smiled softly at Faith and gently rubbed the back of her neck. "Okay..." She started to turn away and then turned back, "Faith?" Buffy waited for Faith to turn her head back towards her, she couldn't help but see the confusion in those deep dark, chocolate brown eyes. She leaned up and kissed her tenderly, but with passion and love. She smiled softly at Faith again after their lips parted, she turned and walked to the swinging door, she turned around once again. "And Faith..."

"Yeah, B..."

"Still gonna get one of those little sexy French maid outfits for you, my little woman..." Buffy ducked, ran through the door and giggled when she heard the sponge that Faith wingwinged at her hit the door wetly.
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Stayetayed motionless in front of the sink after she finished the dishes trying to sort through the jumbled, conflicting thoughts running riot in her head. She realized at some point that she was spending too much time thinking about all that could go wrong or might happen, instead of just enjoying the way she was feeling, enjoying the way that Buffy could make her feel. She was focusing on the negatives instead of the positives and forcing the fears to the surface. A part of her still believing that after all that had happened that somehow her feeling this way was wrong. This morning had been different because she had been concentrating on Buffy and not on herself, and had let herself just feel. She further realized that this would probably happen again, would probably happen for a long time to come, but that over time it would lessen as she began to believe within herself that she deserved all the good things, all the beautiful thing that life had to offer.

She knew what she felt for Buffy was right, knew that wanting to make love with Buffy was natural, was a beautiful thing. She had been reminded, shown that this morning and like she had all those months ago Faith made the decision not to let her fears, her insecurities, and certainly not what the two depraved people who had raised her to believe about herself, rule her life anymore. She deserved this life, she had worked hard on slaying her demons, was still working on making amends, finding redemption, and she wasn't going to let them, any of them, and not herself destroy this second chance or take it away from her.

It was time she started to learn how to love herself, it was time for her to start seeing and believing all the things that Buffy, Angel, Dawn, the Scoobs, the LA crew and now the Immortals saw in her and give herself the chance to be happy. And maybe in the long run being happy was the thing that scared her the most, it was something she was for the most part completely unfamiliar with, having only known it sporadically over her twenty years. It was something she had never thought she ever deserved or could be and now after all this time it was something she found that she had started to believe again. But no more, she owned her life, she had con, th, they didn't, her dark side didn't, the person she had always been deep down inside did and she had every intention of making not only her own dreams come true, but Buffy's as well.

"Hey," she said as she walked out of the kitchen. She was feeling a little bit awkward, a lot shy and nervous, not to mention still aroused. All and all though she felt good, the fear was still there around the edges but she felt confident that she could handle it, and if not, she hadfy tfy there to help her work through it.

"Hey back." Buffy was sitting on the chaise lounge; she had been idly thumbing through the Piers Anthony book they were currently reading from the Incarnates series. She searched Faith's face as she listened to what their bond was telling her, all of it came to her. She smiled encouragingly at Faith and just opened her arms to her.

Faith flew across the room and curled up into Buffy's lap, her arms going around her at the same time she lay her head down on Buffy's shoulder.

"How did you know?" Faith's voice was low just barely above a whisper.

"Know what?" Buffy started to gently, but firmly massage the back of Faith's neck trying to ease some of the tension she felt beneath her fingertips.

"Well, in the past few weeks every time I got scared or was struggling, you were right there. How did you know this time was different; that I wanted to try to work through it myself? You knew even before I did."

"I'm not really sure, it just felt different somehow. It was kind of floating around the edges in the bond and I wasn't really sure if you were even aware of it yet. And I guess I'm just relying on my instincts in a way and I just felt like this was something you needed to figure out or deal with on your own. Was I wrong?"

"No, B. You weren't wrong and I did need to figure it out by myself."

"And did you? I mean did you figure it out you you want to talk about it?" Buffy leaned her cheek against the top of Faith's head after she finished speaking.

"Yeah I did and no I don't need to talk about it. It was just kind of hard to figure it out while you were in the room, ya know? Then again, you probably already know that. You..." Faith paused, not sure how to explain herself or say what she wanted to say. She gnawed on her bottom lip for a minute, "You know what I mean right...?"

The husky laugh Buffy gave her let Faith know that Buffy knew exactly what she meant. "I have the same problem Fai. I have a hard time thinking about anything other than you and how you make me feel when you're in the same room with me."

Faith started idly playing with the hem of her trt, rt, trying to relax into the warmth that was Buffy and the heat from the fire. She was still nervous, which she knew was ridiculous, it wasn't like she was exactly a virgin, but she just couldn't shake it. She felt Buffy gently lay her hand over her own.

"Thought maybe you mighke tke to read to me for a change," Buffy waved the book at Faith.

Faith sat up a little and away from Buffy turning slightly so she could see her face. She knew Buffy had to feel how nervous she was through their bond. She searched her eyes and for a few brief seconds she wondered if Buffy was seeing her as a broken, frail version of herself. At Buffy's slow shake of her head no, Faith knew that wasn't the case. She finally felt, amid all the jumbled thoughts within herself, Buffy's own nervousness. And what she saw in Buffy's eyes, warmth, desire, passion, love and even the lust told her everything she needed to know. Buffy was just giving them the opportunity to relax with each other again. Her B was still there, Faith could see her in the impish, mischievous grin Buffy gave her when she realized that Faith had figured out everything on her own. This time it was Faith who relinquished all control to Buffy, trusting her to lead them wherever she wanted to go.

She handed the book to Faith and smiled at her, there was a little bit of the devil in her eyes that had more gold than normal in them. Faith smiled back at her, her own eyes a little more emerald than normal.

"You sure you want me to read B?" Faith asked her a little hesitantly, she still stumbled a little over some of the words when she read aloud. Reading, other than c boc books was not a way she had spent a lot of her free time. She had found however that it was something she really enjoyed. It was doing it aloud though that she wasn't too enthusiastic about.

"Yeah I do... Can't help it; just love the sound of your voice."

"Okay."

"Why don't you make yourself comfortable, lean up a little and I'll rub your back. Get rid of some of that tension I can see you've got going on."

"Wonder where all that tension came from B?"

She leaned forward and kissed Buffy. A kiss that was full of passion and love, that set everything Buffy had within her afire, and didn't exactly put out the fire that was running still through Faith's own veins.

"Smart ass... Now read!" Buffy teased her.

Faith just gave Buffy a lopsided grin then moved to reposition herself. She shifted until she was sitting in-between Buffy's legs. She drew her own knees up to her chest, rested the book on them and started to read aloud.

Buffy reached behind her on the floor and grabbed up the massage oil she had warming by the fire. She pulled Faith's shirt out from under her and then liberally poured the oil into her own hands. She slid her hands up from the base of Faith's spine to the base of her neck, smiling with each little sigh that escaped from Faith. She fell into both rubbing the tension from Faith's back, neck, shoulders, arms and the sound of Faith's voice as it grew increasingly deeper, huskier and raspier.

Faith found it harder and harder to keep on reading as Buffy's hands moved over her. Massaging out all the tension, soothing away the nervousness and setting every piece of skin she touched ablaze with desire. She couldn't help the mumbled moan that escaped her, "B... feels so good..."

She felt Buffy's hands ease up on the pressure they were exerting. Buffy began to move her hands lightly, slowly, smoothing the silky oil into her skin and Faith turned into jello. She gave up the fight and stopped reading, tossing the book to the floor. She lay her head down atop her knees, closed her eyes and just let herself drown in the feelings Buffy's tracing, teasing hands were creating in her.

"This would be easier if we took this off, Fai..."

Buffy's throaty voice sent a chill down Faith's spine. She simply raised her arms and let Buffy remove the t-shirt from her, then she lay her head back down on her knees anll bll back into the red haze of desire Buffy was creating in her. After a time, though Faith had no idea how long, she felt Buffy's gentle hands pulling her back to her. She leaned back into Buffy and could do nothing but moan as she felt Buffy dribble warm oil over her chest.
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Her head was resting back on Buffy's shoulder, neck arched, she wasn't quite sure how she had ended up in this position and she really didn't care. At some point she had tried to convince Buffy to remove her t-shirt too only she couldn't quite put a complete sentence together. The only thing she cared about now was the soft caress of Buffy's breath against her neck. She arched her neck even further as she felt Buffy's mouth, her tongue running along its length. Her eyes closed, she cohavehave sooner stopped breathing before she could stop the little whimpers and moans that escaped from her.

There were little land mines going off all over her body as she trembled from the desire hammering through her. Thers sos something a little decadent about her being a quivering, naked bundle of need, while Buffy still in her t-shirt continued to give her the most sensual massage Faith had ever had. She was chanting in her head a new mantra of, 'Please B, please B, please B...'

She had wanted her B back and she was certainly getting her. Buffy's hands were roaming over her in random patterns, her touch light, gentle, caressing, teasing and everything Faith could want. Only she wanted more of it. She tried to turn in Buffy's embrace wanting to touch her in return, wanting her to remove that damn t-shirt that was keeping Buffy's warm skin from touching her own.

Buffy was totally abandoning herself to what she was feeling, what she was feeling through the bond that Faith was feeling as she ran her hands, smoothing, rubbing, skimming, stroking the warm oil into Faith's skin. As her fingertips, her hands, her senses remembered, relished the silky-smooth texture of Faith, her skin, her sighs, her breath, her smell, everything. As she just remembered Faith. She stilled Faith as she tried to turn around; her arms came around Faith's waist holding her to her, burying her nose in her hair, inhaling the scent that was just her, that slightly, sweet, spicy, musky scent that was simply just Faith.

"B... I want to touch you too..." Faith managed to get out, it was getting harder to keep a coherent thought in her head as Buffy's hands started to move over her breasts again.

"I need... want to just touch you... It feels like forever since I've touched you and... and... it's all I want right now. All I need. Just want to concentrate on what you're feeling... Want to feel inside me through our bond how you feel when I touch you..."

And Buffy realized that she needed this, needed to know that she too could make Faith feel this way. Needed to erase, or start to erase the bad memories. Needed to replace the hurtful touches with her own loving touch. Needed to know that Faith trusted her to keep her safe.

"Please Faith... Please just let me touch you for now..."

And somewhere in the back of her mind Faith knew this had to do Buf Buffy's need to start erasing his touch from her skin, the same way Faith had needed to start erasing it from Buffy's. So, she just gave in and let Buffy have her way and the smile Buffy gave her was blinding.

Then Buffy rewove a web of such desire, such want, such blatant need and love completely around her that Faith became lost again in a sea of sensations.

Her whole body jumped, arched up into Buffy's hand as she rolled one of her nipples between her fingertips. She turned her head and looked up at Buffy, then Buffy's mouth was on hers, she tasted like strawberries and cream and Faith moaned Buffy's name into the kiss. She reached up and wrapped her arms around Buffy's neck pulling Buffy to her to deepen the kiss.

Faith was drowning in the kiss, her heart racing, every part of her awake and calling out for her mate.

Without stopping the kiss, Buffy ran her own hands up from Faith's breasts, over the insides of her arms, scrapier ner nails lightly, knowing that she left a trail of goose bumps behind them. Then she reversed her direction and made her way back down the inside of Faith's arms. She ran teasing patterns over her chest, stopping briefly to tease a nipple, down to her flat stomach, to run a single finger over the top of the Faith's trim curls. Her other hand roaming where it pleased, lingering in places only to move on to another destination not wanting to leave a part of Faith untouched, unloved.

Buffy pulled back slightly from the kiss and started to tease Faith with light kisses, listening intently to the echoes she was getting from Faith through their bond.

She started slowly to slide her hand into Faith's slick heat and then something almost hidden flashed in the bond they shared. Something Buffy didn't even think Faith herself was aware of, at least not yet. She stopped the downward trailing of her hand and began to move it bac its its previous path. She trailed kisses down Faith's jaw line, purring from the caress of Faith's breath upon her face, the feel of her trembling with desire in her arms. Then traced a path down the side of Faith's neck, nipping at the sensitive spot she remembered from what felt like an eternity ago. She ran her mouth, her tongue along Faith's collarbone, as her hand slid once more up the inside of one of Faith's arms, not stopping until she clasped Faith's hand with her own.

Buslowslowly brought both their joined hands down away from her neck, she rested them against Faith's stomach. Her other hand continued on its random path over Faith's body, as her mouth, her tongue, her teeth continued to nip, suck, taste Faith's neck and collarbone. She repositioned their clasped hands so that hers was underneath Faith's and entwined their fingers. She smiled against Faith's neck when she heard the barely mumbled mantra of her name coming from Faith.

Buffy glided their entwined hands down over Faith's six-pack stomach, stopping to twirl both their fingers into Faith's cute little belly button. Smiling again at the ripple of Faith's muscles under her fingers that had absolutely nothing to do with how ticklish she was. She moved their hands down further, stopping right above the curls that covered Faith's sex. She felt Faith involuntarily raise her hips seeking out her touch.

"B... please..." Faith turned her head and buried it into Buffy's neck.

Her mouth, teeth, tongue, started their own assault on Buffy's neck. She smiled when she felt Buffy tremble and squirm a little behind her. Her hand that was still behind Buffy's neck, drifted upwards, tangling into Buffy's hair, her fingertips massaging and raking lightly over Buffy's scalp, eliciting a moan from Buffy.

Buffy moved their hands at a torturously slow pace down into Faith's wet, hot, core.

Faith's hips bucked up to greet their fingers, her upper body pressing back into Buffy, she bit down hard on Buffy's neck as she moaned loudly into it.

Buffy let out her own moan at the feel of Faith beneath her fingers, "Oh god Faith... it feels so good to touch you..."

She started to move their entwined hands lightly, gently over all of Faith's slick center, as Faith tried to press up harder into her hand and at the same time tried to force Buffy's hand harder into her. Only Buffy was having none of it. She was determined to touch Faith as lightly, as delicately, as gently as possible.

Faith was in a fog, she was dizzy, on fire, unable to keep still, she continued to suck and bite Buffy's neck, mumbling, groaning, whimpering against her flesh as Buffy tortured her with their entwined hands. She growled softly against Buffy's neck in need as she felt their hands slide down further over her. She tried to grind herself into their hands only to feel Buffy's free hand slide down her body to her hip keeping her from rising up too high, or too hard.

Buffy slid their joined hands down further, letting their fingers press shallowly into Faith's entrance. She didn't make any move to enter Faith, she had felt the fear flash to her through their bond. Just like she was afraid of anyone being on top of her, Faith was terrified at the thought of anyone, including Buffy, entering her.

The fear came at Faith out of nowhere, at war with her desire for Buffy to touch her. Her whole body stiffened, stilled, her breath caught in her chest painfully, while the desire for Buffy to touch her, still hammered through her. She fought against the fear and didn't even notice that Buffy's, that their entwined hands had stopped moving. That at no point had Buffy tried to enter her, her own hand gripped Buffy's hard, ready to force Buffy's hand away from her if she had to. Through the fear and desire, she realized that Buffy had been whispering softly to her. She tried to concentrate on what she was saying.

"Faith... baby... Fai... It's okay, I know you not ready for that... I'm not going to do anything Faith, that you don't want me too... I promise... I would never do anything Faith, anything ever you didn't want me to.... I love you Faith..." Buffy gave a sigh of relief as she felt Faith start to relax back against her again.

Faith felt the fear receding in her and she began to relax again. She realized that Buffy had let her move her hand away from her center, their joined hands were now clasped and laying lightly against her own stomach. Somehow or another Buffy had known even before she did that this might happen, had already known that Faith wasn't ready or was afrto hto have anyone including Buffy enter her. Had in fact not even tried, had stilled the motion of their joined hands immediately after just pressing shallowly against her, not even really inside her at all. It suddenly dawned on her why Buffy had reached up and entwined their hands; she had been giving Faith control of her actions. Giving her the ability to stop Buffy at any given moment and with that realization the last bit of fear Faith was feeling, evaporated.

Buffy gently ran her hand soothingly over Faith's hair, neck and shoulder. "You okay baby?"

"Yeah B... I am..." Faith lifted a little so she could turn and look at Buffy, she captured Buffy's eyes with her own and held them. "You amaze me... you knew even before I did... Didn't you?"

"Yes..."

"How?"

"I felt it through our bond, felt it in you sort of hiding along the edges... I don't know really how... I just did. You know I would never do anything that you didn't want me to, don't you Faith?"

"I know you wouldn't B. And if I didn't know before, I do now." Faith leaned towards Buffy and captured her mouth softly with her own.

The kiss started out soft, tender, loving and gentle, and then it grew into something more. The passion that had always been between them flared back up and the kiss grew wild, wet, hard, demanding, but still loving.

Faith felt her desire rise up white-hot and fiercely again. Actually, fiercer than before, because there was no doubt in Faith's mind on a conscious or sub-conscious level that Buffy would ever do anything she didn't want her to, and that Buffy seemed to be as in tune with what Faith was feeling as much as Faith was herself.

They continued to kiss trying to devour each other with their mouths and tongues. When they finally pulled apart both Slayers' breathing was ragged, harsh. Faith's eyes were half-lidded with her desire and almost completely emerald and Buffy's eyes were a decidedly wicked looking gold.

"B... I... I want you... I still want to make love with you..."

"That's good Fai..." Buffy gave Faith a slow sensual smile that sent Faith's pulse racing even harder. Then she reached down and pulled her own t-shirt off, then circled her hands once again around Faith's waist.

Faith gently grasped each of Buffy's hands that were resting against her stomach in each of her own.

"Cause I still want that too baby..." Buffy finished as she gently turned Faith until she was once again lying back against her. "I need to touch you like I need to breathe..."

Faith sunk back into Buffy, delighting in the feel of Buffy's hot skin against her back. She pushed herself back into Buffy a little further and could feel the wet heat of Buffy against her buttocks and she let out a little moan. She felt Buffy pull her even tighter to her and let out a little moan of her own. Then Faith slowly started to move their joined hands up her own body as she rested her head back against Buffy's shoulder, turning it so she could once more, nuzzle into Buffy's neck.

Faith stopped moving their hands when they reached her breasts, then she untangled her hands from Buffy's, leaving Buffy's on her breasts. With a slow, languid, graceful move, Faith raised her arms and reached up over her own head to behind Buffy's to wrap her hands behind Buffy's neck. She gave up all control, putting herself into Buffy's safe hands, leaving herself open and vulnerable in a way she never had before with anyone, not even Buffy. There was absolute, complete trust in her action and in her mate.

Buffy was awed and humbled by the complete trust that Faith just put in her. She couldn't even think for a moment she was so astounded, she closed her eyes and concentrated solely on what she felt in their bond. And for the first time she could remember in a very long time she felt absolutely no fear at all anywhere in what she felt coming from Faith through their bond.

"B?" Faith mumbled to her from Buffy's own neck.

"Do you know how good you feel to me right now...?" Buffy smiled as she felt Faith sucking, nibbling, biting her neck again and took that as a yes. "...and I'm going to have a billion hickeys aren't I?" She was pretty sure Faith mumbled a yes against her neck. "Hmmmm.... well then I guess I am just going to have to start all over again, wouldn't want you to feel neglected since you are giving me so many little presents..."

With that last statement Faith no longer had any doubt that her B was most definitely back. "You wouldn't B..."

But Buffy would and did. And it felt like an eternity to Faith before Buffy had finally made her way once more down towards her center, where Faith now swore she would die if Buffy didn't touch her soon. Buffy had reduced her once more into a quivering, moaning, whimpering, need-filled mess.

Faith's whole body surged up at Buffy's light touch upon her heat. The ripple of desire that touch caused was so intense it started at the bottom of her feet, thundered over all her body and left Faith barely able to breathe. She felt Buffy's mouth hot against the side of her neck as Buffy's other hand ran over her, leaving small bonfires wherever she touched. It felt like another eternity had passed as Buffy explored her core with the lightest, most delicate touch Faith had ever experienced.

Buffy was breathing heavy against Faith's neck as she felt everything Faith was feeling through their bond. She could feel the shadow-like touches on her own skin in the same places that she was touching Faith. And each time Faith raised and lowered her hips she pushed back and into Buffy's own overheated, tortured core and then she felt it start in Faith.

"B...???"

"It's okay baby... let go... let it go... I've got you... let go..."

And at the sound of Buffy's voice Faith let herself go. Her body tried to arch and sit up at the same time as the tidal wave of her release crashed into her. Starting from inside of her womb and expanding, exploding through every organ, every muscle, every bone, every cell in her entire body. She saw a rainbow of colors behind her closed lids and felt like she was on a never-ending rollercoaster ride as she rode the surging crest of each wave. She screamed Buffy's name with each contraction ripping through her.

Buffy felt Faith's release echoing through her with almost the same intensity that Faith was fng ing it through their bond and she reveled in it. A part of her freed from her own fears that she could ever make Faith feel this way again, that Faith would ever trust her enough to relinquish her own tight control and just let herself go like she had been able to before. Then she couldn't think anymore as she was overwhelmed with what Faith was feeling, her own senses drowning in what Faith was sharing with her through their bond. She was hanging on the edge of release in exquisite torture and knew that if Faith so much as touched her she would go hurtling over the edge.

In the midst of the maelstrom of her release, Faith felt Buffy right there with her, holding her safe. Right there on the razor's edge of release just from touching her, just from feeling what she was feeling. And she released her death grip around the back of Buffy's neck and somehow managed to get her hand in between their bodies, while her own body continued to thrash.

"FAITH!" Buffy screamed as just a single touch of Faith's fingers on her sent her spiraling into her own climax. She clung to Faith as the same tidal wave that hit Faith caught her in its wake and dragged her down into the swirling storm.

Faith felt herself start to climax again as what Buffy was feeling washed over her through their bond. Neither Slayer had any sense of time passing as they got caught up in the storm together, until finally they collapsed into, onto each other. They held onto each other tightly as their bodies quieted, murmuring all the silly, sweet nonsense that lovers whisper until they both drifted off to sleep.
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...I knew I loved you before I met you ~ I think I dreamed you into life ~ I knew I loved you before I met you ~ I have been waiting all my life ~ A thousand angels dance around you ~ I am complete now that I've found you ~ I knew I loved you before I met you ~ I think I dreamed you into life ~ I knew I loved you before I met you ~ I have been waiting all my life - Savage Garden
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Continued in Chapter XXXI – Promises