Risk and Reward

TITLE: Risk and Reward AUTHOR: MidKnight CHAPTER: 5 of ? SHIP: Faith / Xander RATING: NC17 CATEGORY: Romance, Angst, Erotica, Drama, Action SPOILERS: Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 3 & 7 Finale and Angel Season 5?6? general. DISCLAIMER: None of these characters belong to me. They belong to Joss Wedon, Mutant Enemy, Warner Bros. and I bet a whole bunch of other corporations and I am only borrowing them, seeings as those who own them don't seem to want to use them anymore. UNIVERSE: Slayer Academy - Everything that happened in BTVS Season 7 happened except Robin Wood never existed, ever. Anya still died and Sunnydale is a crater. All the survivors have gone to L.A. and Angel has given them The Hyperion. Buffy, Dawn, Giles, Andrew and some of the now fully powered potentials have gone to Europe to rebuild the Watchers Council. This leaves Faith, Xander, Willow, Kennedy and the rest of the now fully powered potentials. Willow with Fred's help has used her mojo to create a magical website that only Slayers can access to answer any questions and to give them the surviving Scoobies location. So, The Hyperion is now a sort of school for Slayers where they can get training and knowledge about who and what they are. Gunn has sorted out all Faith's legal issues and she and Xander have been working construction together for the last 6 months or so. On the Angel front. It is in the early part of the Wolfram and Hart storyline, so I guess it's season 5 and it goes as such. Cordy came out of her coma and she and Angel are dating as are Gunn and Gwen, Knox doesn't exist, so, Fred and Wesley are now living together. Spike came back fully corporeal. It was him that couldn't save Nina from being bitten and he is the one helping her to deal with her werewolfism. AUTHORS NOTE: I apologize before hand and hope you will forgive any errors or blatant discrepancies, but I am new at this so... Enjoy FEEDBACK: Yes Please - deton8@mweb.co.za Monday, 4 April 2004, 5:00am, The Hyperion Hotel, Xander and Faiths Bedroom, L.A. *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* "Wha... !!" Xander woke with a start as his alarm went off. Groggily he pounded the device into silence. He felt like he had just closed his eyes moments ago. He felt Faith move in the bed next to him. She must have rolled away from him in the night. He picks up the offending alarm clock and squints at the time through gritty feeling eyes. He groans as he remembers Faith fiddling with the alarm clock before they'd gone to sleep. "For the love of Christ, Faith. It's five in the bloody morning." he growls, his voice surly. "I love you to bits, but if you woke me up at this god forsaken hour for sex, I swear, we're over. Finito." he continues wanting nothing better than to close his eyes and go back to sleep. "You wish, Loverboy." Faith says as she gets up and he suddenly finds himself exposed to the cool, early morning air and he scrambles to hold onto the covers as Faith pulls them off him "Hey!!!" he yells grumpily. "You had the weekend, as promised. Now your ass belongs to me. Remember?" she says and gives the cover a vicious tug and yanks it from his grasp. He remembers and groans. "Come on, Harris. Up! We're going for a jog." she commands. "Faaaaithhhh." he whines. "Would you like some cheese with that whine." she asks her hand on her hip. "UP!" she encourages him in a voice like the crack of a whip. "Maaaannnnnn." he whines again, but starts to sluggishly make a move to get up. "Good. I'm going to my room to change. Meet me there, and Xander if you ain't there in ten minutes and I have to come back here to get you..." she informs him letting the threat dangle between them. "Yeah. Yeah. You'll make me wish I were dead or something." he grumbles. His face brightens suddenly, "You couldn't just kill me now? That way I could get some more rest." he asks. "Xander." she says his name warningly, but smiles inwardly at the fact that he is obviously not liking this and is still able to make a joke. He holds up his hands in a placating gesture and levers himself off the bed with an exaggerated sigh. "Don't bother with a shower.", she tells him, "You'll only need another one after we're done." and exits the bedroom. Xander rubs his arms to warm them and then runs a hand through his hair. "It's gonna be a long day." Xander thinks and with a shrug heads to the bathroom to relieve himself and brush his teeth. Nine minutes and a self-motivational speech later Xander knocks on Faith's door dressed in running shoes, a grey track pants and hooded top over a X-men Two t-shirt. She doesn't answer, just simply opens the door and steps out into the hall. She's wearing a black Nike tracksuit. She is also wearing running shoes and he can see a glimpse of a white t-shirt, as the track top is not zipped all the way to the top. She's wearing a Dolphin's peek cap and she's tucked her hair into it. Xander does not like not being able to see her luxurious growth of curls, but he doesn't tell her that. "Ready to go?" she asks. He nods. He starts to follow her, but she suddenly turn and he walks straight into her. The impact is negligible, but his hands go to her hips reflexively to steady her as she rebounds off his chest. She giggles and instead of moving back as he thought she would she slid forward. She snakes a hand up behind his neck and raises herself onto the tips of her toes as she draws his lips down to her rising ones. The kiss is light, warm, minty fresh and affectionate. He feels her lips twist into a smile against his just as she breaks the kiss. "Good morning, X. I forgot to do that earlier." she explains smiling and Xander suddenly feels the day might not end up being as long as he had first expected. "Let's go." she commands all businesslike again as she moves off. He shakes his head ruefully and follows her. An hour and ten minutes later Faith is jogging in place in front of the entrance to the Hyperion waiting for Xander to catch up. She was grinning like the canary who ate the cat, if you know what I mean. "He did pretty well." she thinks. They'd jogged to a nearby park and then did a couple of circuits. She set the pace and he'd held his own. She didn't really want to push him too hard, she just wanted to gauge what shape he was in. They talked sporadically, commenting on this or that or on what they saw, but mostly they shared a companionable silence. They'd been at it for about fifty-five minutes when Faith decided it was time to head back. She'd indicated her intent with a nod of her head at one of the park gates and they'd veered off the jogging circuit. About three blocks from the hotel Faith decided to have some fun. "Race you home." she'd challenged him. He'd looked abit dubious, but nodded cautiously. She'd smiled letting him pull dead even with her. She could almost hear his thoughts. "I know she's a Slayer, but I kept pace with her so far... and my legs are longer." he'd be thinking or at least something along those lines. The devil in her laughed. "Men and their pride." she thought and then they were off. The pedestrian traffic was really light in their area, so the sidewalk was pretty easy to negotiate at a run. She'd toyed with him for about a block, letting him edge just a little ahead before reigning in his lead. Along the second block she pushed him, making him work hard to stay level with her. She'd never tell him, but she was quite impressed by his persistence to try and beat her, he'd started to breath hard whereas she wasn't. When they hit the beginning of the third and final block she eased ahead of him and with a deliberate wiggle of her ass she shouted over her shoulder, "Loser makes me breakfast!" and with that she was gone. A glance over her shoulder showed her that he had tried to follow, but couldn't match her pace. Just for the hell of it and maybe to irk Xander, she'd pushed herself. She immersed herself in the feel of straining her muscles. Feeling the wind of her passage against her face and the burn of oxygen in her lungs. She'd felt like she had reached The Hyperion too fast wanting to enjoy the exhilaration of physical exertion for longer, but having to reign in and pull up instead. Xander reached her panting like a bellows. He came to an unsteady halt in front of her and bent at the waste resting his hands on his knees, gulping in air. The chest, neck and back of his top were dark with sweat. "You... *pant* You are... *pant* a... *cough* very... *pant* very... *pant* wicked... *deep breath* woman." he finished raising his head and straightening up. "I should... *pant* spank you or something... *pant* for playing me like that." he scolded her as his breathing returned to normal. "Maybe tonight." she told him in voice like summer honey and patted his cheek lightly as she moved passed him. "For now, to the training room, X-man." she said with a crook of her finger. "Can I have my heart attack first?" he asked sarcastically. "Suit yourself. You're still not getting out of this session or making me breakfast after. Remember, Willow has raised friends from the dead before and I could persuade her to do it again." she answered mildly. He mumbled something she didn't quite catch, but it sounded like "What did I do to deserve this." She smiled as she heard his footsteps following her. In the training room they removed their shoes and socks as well as their tops. She was surprised that having been in the Scoobies for so long he had never had any formal kind of martial arts training. He had picked up a couple of things here and there, he kind of had to, to survive. She went to the weapons rack and took out two bow staffs. She looked at him questioningly and he shrugged. She threw him the staff and he caught it casually, thunked it's end into the mat and leaned against it his hands resting close to it's top. She then tossed him some light pads for his shins and fore arms, which he strapped, into place. She then threw him a chest and back protector, which he slipped over his head. The pads were heavy enough to protect against serious damage, but light enough to still feel the sting of a blow as a lesson. She offered him a head guard, but he shook his head in the negative. The only padding she wore was for her forearms. Xander thought it made her look sexy in a strangely Xena-esque way. Faith twirled her staff and took up a casual seeming fighting stance as she grasped the staff about a third of the way and bringing it against her side, under her arm along her fore arm, the longer end pointing at Xander. He took her hint and took his staff in two hands, spread apart in the middle, turning his body so he faced her side on. She extended her free hand and made the classic bring it on gesture of holding out her arm and holding her palm steady and drawing her fingers up in quick flicks. He gave her a mock bow and moved in with an overhead strike. He didn't even see her move, but his strike found nothing but air. He heard more than saw the blow heading towards his back as she had spun out of the way of his strike and continued on round to land one of her own. He spun and barely blocked it. She was grinning as he took a step backward to get some separation from her. Her grin irked him. It seemed to say "I'll humour you, for now, but, I can take you whenever I want." Yes, she was a Slayer. In an extended fight he didn't stand a chance. Yes, she would most probably beat him, but he made a promise to himself to make her work for it. He knew she was stronger and faster than him, so he figured he needed to try and ground her with his greater size. It's all he really had. He knew Faith was into all kinds of martial arts and she had alot of knowledge and experience, so he did the only thing he could think of. He charged hoping surprise, at least, would buy him some time. He rained a series of blows, which she was forced to block rather than evade, that made him feel abit better. She struck back and he managed to block her attacks. He grinned back at her. They rallied back and forth. The sound of the staffs meeting again and again filled the room. Faith was stunned. His technique was non-existent. She was faster and stronger than him. His attacks were rudimentary, but he fought with zeal and seemed to intuitively know where to strike to keep her from finishing combinations or make her go on the defensive. His defenses were sloppy, but somehow still managed to do the trick. She wasn't using her full strength or speed, but was instead relying on the things she wanted to teach him. Skill and technique, but she simply couldn't seem to land a blow. "I've under estimated him." she thought even as she realised he was tiring. His attacks were slower and her blows managed to get closer. Finally, his recovery was too slow after an attack and she managed to counter with a string of blows and moves that left him over extended and she trapped the bottom of his staff below hers in such a way that if she continued her motion she would strike the back of his neck. Xander had lived in Sunnydale for all of but six months of his life. He had been in the world of vampires and demons ever since he met Buffy in high school and he was still alive. He had been under the knife so many times in the past that his instinct for survival had become reflex. Whereas others may have given up or sought someway to escape, Xander did not. Even as Faith continued, aiming to at least tap the back of his neck to show him the intent of her maneuver, he suddenly lunged forward. His staff slid forward sliding along the mat. Too late Faith realised that the staff was now between her legs, just past her right foot. Holding onto the staff and literally falling to the side and into a roll, he used her own staff as a lever and swept her legs out from under her. She found herself flat on her back even as he rolled to his feet and into a crouch. Faith lost herself as something clicked into place or maybe snapped. Slayers were fighters; the ones that stayed alive didn't lose, ever. She back-flipped onto her feet and slipped her toes under the staff she had dropped and flicked it up into her hands in the blink of an eye. He barely had time to register that he had actually managed to take her off her feet before she was on him again. Something was different. At first he thought he had just dented her ego abit and she was trying to take a measure of revenge in beating him now. He revised his thinking as she nearly took his head off. Although it was hard with her now raining blows at him, hard and in quick succession, he took a closer look at her. He came to a realisation that Faith, his girlfriend, was no longer present. This, was Faith the Slayer. He was fully on the defensive, barely managing to keep her blows from landing. The next blow sent a shock through his arms as he raised them to block a hard overhead strike from Faith. He saw her move as if in slow motion. She had the staff at its midpoint in her right hand and pivoted on her extended left foot. He felt the sting of a blow landing on his right side, then his left as she reversed the move, driving the air from his lungs. Her next blows were lower, striking his thighs. He grunted in pain. There wasn't any padding there and the blows numbed his legs and when her staff thrust into his chest he went down like a house of cards. By some dint of strength he didn't know he possessed he managed to keep hold of his staff and raise it to block the overhead blow she delivered, aimed directly at his head, holding the staff at one end. His eyes bugged as Faith's blow shattered his staff and hers continued on its voyage to tour the inside of his skull. His eyes closed in anticipation. Minutes ticked by and still he breathed. He opened his eyes and found the butt of her staff less than an inch from the bridge of his nose. He heard her breathing ragged and harsh, but the staff never wavered an inch. Suddenly, with a growl, she threw the staff across the room. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." she said her voice soft and hoarse sounding. Her head shoulders sagged as she stood over him. "I don't know what came over me. I'm so sorry, Xander." she continued and extended her hand down to help him up. He got unsteadily to his feet with her help. She looked so contrite. Her entire demeanor spoke of shame and apology. Her eyes wouldn't meet his gaze as he rubbed his thighs. "I..." she began, but he cut her off by pulling her into his arms and hugging her to his chest. "I... I... hurt you. I could have... could have killed you, Xander. What the hell is wrong with me?" the words tumbled from her lips as she clutched at his chest. "All I wanted to do was teach you some moves, so that you don't get killed and I almost kill you in the process." she re-iterated. Xander rocked her gently. "But, you didn't and I learned my lesson. Don't piss-off a Slayer." he told her, brushing his lips over the sweat mussed hair on the top of her head. He felt her smile against his chest "She tries to kill him and he makes her smile?" she thinks in awe. "That's just it Xan. I wasn't pissed off. I wasn't anything. One minute I was kinda impressed if, startled, at what you had managed to do, and then... It was like, I was pushed to the side. I was like a bystander watching myself trying to pound you into dust. Everything happened so fast. It was only when I realised what was going to happen that I fought and clawed for control. I don't even want to contemplate what would have happened if I hadn't finally managed to stop myself. I'm sooo sorry, Xander. Please I..." she said her voice faltering in panic. "Shhhhhh, Baby. Shhhhhhh." he whispered into her hair. "I have a theory. I think, I just kinda startled the Slayer right outta you." he started to explain. "Huh?" she said in eloquent confusion. "Okay. My theory goes a little something like this: Slayers are, like, custom built to being a solution, no, the solution, to evil. And, as such, you guys are wired different, physically obviously, but also, mentally and psychologically." he expounded. "I'm going to go with Oh Kayyy." she agreed abit dubiously moving back so that she could look up at him. "Thanks." he said sarcastically. "To continue. What I was getting at is that you guys adapt to threats and when you can't consciously do so, I think, the Slayer side of you takes over. You couldn't find away to beat me, although I know you were holding back and when by some miracle I managed to knock you down, the Slayer part of you , I don't know, recognised me as a possible threat, and took over. When you finally realised how much danger I was in, your concern for me, showed the Slayer part that I really wasn't a threat and returned control to you. Whereby saving my life or at the very least a whopping concussion." he explained as calmly as he could looking into her eyes hoping to see the fear and panic subside. "But..."she started relief warring with guilt in her voice. His finger over her lips silenced her. "It wasn't your fault. I'm fine and I would like to learn some of those moves." he told her firmly. He grasped her chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilted it up so that her gaze met his. "You are what you are. Here and now and I love you for who you are, Faith. I know you are a Slayer and I respect that, but I love the women you are. The complicated, sexy, amazing, irritating, beautiful and courageous women who has beaten all the odds to live her life and be the women all of us, and more importantly, she herself knew she could be. If I have to deal with any of the surprises that the Slayer in you might deal me, so be it. Granted, I would prefer that said surprises weren't life or limb threatening, but hey. So here's the deal Faith: You could feel guilty for what just happened here, and hey, that's your right. You can mope quite spectacularly. I know I watched you when they cancelled that show you liked so much, Tru Calling, wasn't it? Or. You can forgive yourself. Realise that I understand and that a little something like this doesn't make me love you any less, hell, maybe even more. Consider this. I now know you really love me. I don't think you would have been able to wrestle control away from your Slayer side if ya didn't." he gave her the ultimatum, letting just a little humour slip in at the end. He could see the debate raging back and forth in her eyes and he raised an eyebrow to playfully mock her indecision. "I guess... I'll go with option two." she replied at last as a shy little smile crept onto her lips. "Good girl." he said and tapped her nose with a finger dismissing the whole incident. "Hey!!!" she cried laughing. "So what will it be? Shower first or breakfast?" he asked. She wrinkled her nose as she sniffed. "Shower. You stink." she answered. "Okay, Miss April Fresh." he agreed sarcastically. "I think shower, just became showers, Captain Smart Mouth." she told him with a flip of her hair. The fact that she could joke put his mind at ease that she, at least at the moment, had accepted his view of what had happened. As, she turned to leave, he wrapped his arms around her again and pulled her back against his chest. He lowered his head and kissed and nibbled her neck playfully. "You sure about that?" he asked her as he nipped her earlobe. She sighed when he lifted his lips from her skin. "Maybe not." she breathed huskily and her hand came up to tap the spot he had been nuzzling. He grinned as she also pushed back against him grinding her butt into his crotch. He tightened his crossed arms around her waist and returned to feasting on the smooth, soft skin at her neck and collarbone. She tasted of salt and smelled of exertion and jasmine. He hardened against her grinding ass and he felt her hands reach back and grasp handfuls of his sweat pants to pull him even harder against her. Her head tilted back and to the side, giving him more access and flesh to explore with his lips and teeth. He began slipping a hand under the waistband of her sweatpants. "Xander?" she hissed. "Yes?" he asked whispering in her ear as his hand disappeared into her pants and began to snake it's way into her panties. Her breathing hitched as she felt the heat of his palm against her flesh and his fingertips sliding through her pubes. "Xander... Anyone could... Not here... We shouldn't... St..." she tried to forestall him, but her arguments were balked each and every time by a lick of his tongue at her ear or the scrape of his fingertips through the curls on her mons and the skin beneath. She could feel his penis, through their combined clothes, hard, hot and nestled in the crack of her ass. Her mind was trying to grasp at straws of rationality, but they slipped from her as he rolled his hips grinding into her. "Do you think I should stop?" he asks with a heavy breath the tickled her skin and ruffled her hair, raising goose bumps as it cooled saliva slickened flesh. She was breathing hard, her mind desperately trying to make her lips form the answer 'Yes', while her body screamed 'No!!'. She had almost overcome the treachery of her body's betrayal as he remained still behind and she found her voice long enough to begin: "Ye...". She never finished as he robbed her of voice and thought as his middle finger slid over the length of her barely hooded clit with firm pressure, curled it into the opening petals of her outer lips before straightening it again to run it down the slippery length of her vagina. Air exploded from her lungs as she exhaled loudly and arched her back, throwing her head back, her neck on his shoulder. Her body trembled in indecision, as her hips couldn't decide if they wanted to buck back into the heat of his firm erection against her ass or thrust forward into the welcoming heat and pressure of his palm as he cupped her most intimate flesh. His lips found the hollow at the base of her throat where his tongue proceeded to trace wet spirals. His finger continued to curl and straighten as he skimmed it between the quickly slickening petals of her blooming sex. "I believe I asked if you would like me to stop?" he asked again moving his lips off her heating skin. His palm ground against her increasing its delicious pressure. She so wanted to say something smart or sarcastic to wipe the smug grin, she knew was most likely on his face, off. Instead, the only thing that escaped her lips was a whimper and she wasn't wrong about the smile. "I'll take that as a no, shall I." he almost purred against the shell of her ear as he felt her moisten around his finger. Xander was surprised by his actions. He had the same concerns about someone walking in on them and had only meant to tease her, but her reactions and, he realised, the danger of discovery fueled the need to go further, mischievousness just crept into him. He began to truly enjoy playing with her body, drinking in her movements and sounds as he caressed her sex. Sparks of pleasure radiated from her now exposed clit as his movement caused the last joint of his finger to flick the sensitive nub back and forth even as his grinding, circling palm stimulated the area behind it. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Yesss!" she exhaled as she pushed her shoulder blades into his chest and bucked forward into his hand trying to get his finger to go deeper. He tasted her heart rate speeding up as he sucked at the pulse point on her neck. "Do you like that, Faith? Do you?" he asked her his voice a steady growl and his finger pausing it's velvet journey while countering any movement from her hips to increase it's contact with her. "Do you?" he asked more firmly. She couldn't believe how controlling he had become. It surprised her even more how it heightened her arousal. She thrust harder with her hips, but he countered by moving his hand further away straining the material of her panties and pants drawing them tight against her buttocks. It wasn't the stimulation she sought and she mewled in frustration. "Do you? Do... You... Like...This?" he asked again applying pressure to her sensitive bundle of nerves with each word. She tried hard to gain her breath, knowing the only way to get what she wanted was to answer him. The wild, independent part of Faith wanted to tell him to go to hell, but it found itself outnumbered by her fully awakened lust, her fascination with being dominated in this way and the surprise at this domineering side of the man she loved and never had an inkling harboured such tendencies. "Yessssss." she whispered with her next exhalation. "What was that?" he asked her tersely letting his finger slide back into her buttery flesh, extending it fully and then curling it again to that the fingertip scraped gently over the sensitive skin of the top of her channel before he withdrew the now drenched digit. It was as if his fingertip was a heated poker connected to an electrical generator. The muscles of her body tensed out of control while her inner muscles rippled in an attempt to capture and draw in the source of such intensity. It wasn't there and an animalistic growl of frustration and dissatisfaction rumbled from her lips. "I didn't hear you." he told her. He couldn't really fathom why controlling her like this was so satisfying, but he just went with it. The feel and smell of her arousal had him hard, but the intellectual stimulation of the game he was playing with her kept his concentration fully on her, making his own sexual pleasure secondary. "Yes... Damn it!! Xander. I like it... I fucking love it. Do it again and don't stop. You..." he cut off her strident voice and whatever she was going to call him. He would always wonder, but never ask her, if it was going to be praise or derogatory. He repeated his earlier maneuver, but this time stayed inside her. The crooking motion of his finger stoked the furnace of her internal flesh to greater heights and she bucked against his palm with abandon. She made rhythmic moaning noises as her breathing speeded up with the movement of her body and his fingers. Pretense of teasing and play was forgotten as she urged him on to seek out and release her orgasm. Although still in the back of his mind, the thought of being caught or caring fled her mind as white-hot pleasure surged through her body. Her senses seemed to narrow and intensify. All she could smell was sex, sharp, musky and pungent in the air. All she could hear was a voice she couldn't recognise, but somehow knew was hers along with the wet sound of his fingers plunging in and out of her as he added a second. Some bemused part of her mind catalogued that the sound was strangely different when muffled by layers of clothing. All she saw were the blooms of light on the inside of her eyelids as his fingers drove her to climax with a steady rhythm. Her breathing and her movement became erratic as conscious control gave way to animal need. He altered his movement so that his thrusts would continue to hit the same spots of tensing, hot, moist tissue despite her unco-ordinated efforts his mind staying surprisingly focused even as her shoulders dug and squirmed against his chest using it as a brace to work herself against his hand. The pleasure rose and rose and rose and with a strangled cry it crested and flooded her senses. He actually had to move one foot backward to brace himself as her muscles locked and she arched back into him hard. Her vaginal muscles clamped onto his finger, trying to suck them deeper into her, needing something to bear down on as they constricted and released. He relished the vice-like grip and the moist heat as he took a firm grip on her waist with his free hand and arm to support her weight as she finally went limp against him. Her head lolled on his shoulder as she gulped air like a stranded fish. His hand and wrist began to spasm and cramp. He shifted his hand and fingers slightly to ease them. His slight movements caused her to react as if he had just dowsed her with ice-cold water. She gave a little cry and her hands that had still held lightly onto fistfuls of his sweatpants were suddenly gripping his arm above where it disappeared into her pants. She let out an unsteady breath. "Don't move." she said her voice low and promising dire consequences if he did not comply. "Sorry." he apologised. Faith could feel her juices leaking out around his fingers into the already saturated cotton of her panties. She was so sensitive that she could swear she felt his heartbeat through his fingers. When he'd moved it had been like his fingers were heavy sandpaper on her now hyper-tender inner flesh. Her own muscles sporadically still clutched at those pleasure-inducing digits dancing the fine line between pain and pleasure as time past. Her nipples ached. They had been trapped in the confines of the sports bra she wore. The sensation had been delicious when they had hardened against the pressure of the undergarment, but her movements had chafed them and she was glad as they softened to normal along with her breathing. With, a sigh, she released his arm and simply let them dangle at her sides. Her weight still rested against his. She still didn't trust her legs enough and his warmth felt good against the length of her back. She could feel his penis pressed against her buttocks, not limp, but not hard either. She didn't quite know what to think about that, but after what he had just made her experience, thinking was not high on her list of priorities. Taking the release of his arm as a signal that he was allowed to move, he slid his fingers from the liquid warmth of her quim and when there was only the slightest groan of protest he extricated his hand from her pants. It was wet and slick with her cream. Her eyes fluttered open as he moved his hand past her face and the aroma of her climax wafted strongly to her nostrils. She turned her head just in time to see his two climax cream covered digits disappear in between his lips. She watched him suck them clean of her essence with a smile playing at the edges of his lips and a hum of enjoyment sliding out around them. He pulled the now clean fingers from his mouth with a smack of his lips. "Did you enjoy that, Faith?" he asked the hazel eyes that were watching him intently. "I think you just tasted the answer to that question. Xander, the real question is, did you?" she answered and queried. She had expected one of his usual flippant comebacks, but instead his expression turned introspective and she watched as he gave her question due consideration. "Yes. Yes, I did. I've never done it quite like that before." he answered earnestly. "You surprised me, Xan. I never thought you could be so domineering. Surprised myself a little too. Never thought being controlled could rev my motor quite so much. I know you got into me, but what got into you?" she confessed as she turned in his light embrace finally taking her full weight once again. "Guess we both brought out a little something in the other this morning, Faith. I can't explain it. It just felt really intense and incredible. It gave me, like, a mind orgasm or something, to feel you want me to hear you say It." he tried to explain unsuccessfully. She smiled up at him. "Don't sweat it, X. It was wild. Whether it's a one time deal or not, I can't tell you right now. Rational thought is beyond me right now. If we didn't have to go to work..." the twinkle in her eye and a breathy note to her voice spoke volumes of what she would like to do had they no other responsibilities. Her speaking of work got him to looking at his watch. "Oh boy, will you look at the time? Looks like it's separate showers anyway." he told her. "Yeah." she agreed. "Was that just a hint of disappointment in her voice?" he thought and the macho /caveman part of Xander's brain congratulated him on being the man. "You still owe me breakfast, Handyman." she told him as she slipped from his grasp. "Handyman?" he asked. "Oh Yeah." she replied and a flick of her eyes to her crotch allowed him to make the connection. "Oh." he replied and he felt his face heat just a little. He could see telltale signs of dampness. "He plays my body like a violin maestro doing his solo and now he's blushing?" Faith thought in disbelief. The thought caused a rush of affection to well up inside her. She turned back to him and simply wrapped her arms around him and gave him a quick, hard hug. "I love you." she said, let go, grabbed her top, socks and shoes and walked out of the training room. He just stood and watched her leave with a thoughtful smile on his face. Monday, 4 April 2004, 7:36am, The Hyperion Hotel, Faiths Bedroom, L.A. Faith stripped off her clothes as she walked across her room toward the bathroom. Her panties were saturated and clung to her and she had to peel them off. To, her enhanced Slayer senses, the smell of completion wafted from them and perfumed her room. The air felt really good against her bare skin. She felt sated. If she were a cat, she'd be curled up on a windowsill, basking in the sun and purring her head off. Right then she wouldn't have minded being a cat at all, but she was a woman. A woman who was abit of a sweaty mess and needed to get to work. As an after thought she grabbed the panties back up off the floor. She ran some water into the sink and tossed them in. "Hope no one uses the training room before it's had some time to air out a little." she thought worriedly. With, five Slayer super noses around, they'd have no problem at all detecting the sex in the air. She sighed and stepped back into her room to get a towel. She told herself she needed to be quick, but the hot spray of the shower was just too good and she lingered. "Besides nearly killing my boyfriend this is turning into a really good day." Faith thought. The thought of the earlier incident, brought a quick flash of guilt, but Xander's words returned to sooth her emotions like a balm and she got down to the business of getting clean and ready for work. Monday, 4 April 2004, 7:57am, The Hyperion Hotel, The Kitchen, L.A. Xander had showered and dried off quickly. He'd dressed in his typical work clothes, work boots, blue jeans, t-shirt and flannel shirt. He also put a white cotton shirt, a plain tie and his deodorant into a backpack. He had a meeting with Jerry, his boss, towards the end of the day. He'd grabbed the pack, his toolbelt and hardhat and made for his door. "I wonder if they make his and hers toolbelt pegs." he'd thought with a grin. He had to turn back to the dresser to get his car keys before hurrying to the kitchen. They were a little pushed for time, so breakfast wasn't gonna be a large production number. It would have to be toast, coffee and Coco pops. They didn't have time for anything else. He guessed Faith would give him uphill about the simple fare, considering that it was her prize for winning their little race, but it couldn't be helped. That's when he got lucky. His nose caught a mouthwatering smell, well before he reached the kitchen and as he reached the kitchen doorway, he heard someone humming merrily. It was Dawn, dressed in pink shorts, a Hello Kitty t-shirt and Bunny slippers. She started singing the words to Avril Lavigne's Complicated softly to herself as she bopped to the beat in her head. Xander halted and smiled, both at the short stack of pancake waffles next to the stove, where he could now see her working to increase their number, and at her carefree demeanor. He also noted her shapely legs revealed by her shorts and admonished himself: "This is Dawnie. Bad Xander. Bad." before entering the kitchen. "You're up early." he commented as he drew nearer and put his things on the counter. She swung around startled and he saw her blush. "Morning, Xander." she said turning her attention back to the stove. "Morning, Avril." he greeted her with a peck on the cheek and she giggled. "Hey. I like to get my groove on in the morning." she said with a smile and continued to absently sing the song as she added to the stack. "Think you could spare some of those for a pair of hungry and running late construction workers." he asked the teen. "Sure. I was making for everyone. I was gonna wake you all when It was ready. I'd forgotten that you and Faith have to go work. The coffee should be ready. You guys don't have an espresso machine. How uncivilised. Can you get the syrup? I don't know where it's kept." she replied pouring more batter into the pan with a sizzling sound. He nodded and got out plates, cups and cutlery, as well as, some maple syrup and honey. She flashed him a smile of thanks as he set the table. "Until what time were you guys up?" he asked. "I bugged out about half hour after you guys. I couldn't tell you when the others went to bed. My sister and Kennedy got all competitive again. I was surprised they weren't still at the console when I came down this morning." she replied flipping the contents of the pan deftly. Faith arrived about five minutes later. She was dressed pretty much the same as he was except her shirt was unbuttoned and tied in a knot over her stomach. She also carried her toolbelt. "Morning, D. That smells delicious." she greeted the younger woman as she rested her hands on Xander's shoulders for a moment before hooking her toolbelt onto the back of the chair and taking a seat next to him. He'd poured them both bowls of Coco pops and placed the milk on the table along with a cup of black coffee for Faith. He would never understand how she could drink neat coffee, no cream, no sugar. He shuddered inwardly as she took her first sip with relish. Dawn brought over the stack she had already made after checking that the pan did not need her immediate attention. Xander made a 'Ta da!' gesture, but Faith only grunted around a mouthful of cereal. "This doesn't count, Sport." she told him licking her lower lip to catch a crumb of cereal at the corner of her mouth. "You still owe me breakfast. D made those, bless her. Not you." she continued eyeing the stack of pancake waffles hungrily. "I put the pops in the bowl and poured the coffee." he argued weakly. "Great accomplishments, X, but they don't actually constitute making breakfast. Sorry. You owe me and I'll collect, one way or another." she re-iterated. There was a little gleam in her eye and a set to her expression that gave Xander the sneaky suspicion she might no longer only be talking about breakfast. Dawn laughed. "Oh, Xander. You are soooo whipped." she told him. Faith smiled around her last mouthful of cereal as she speared two of the pancake waffles onto her plate and then drowned them in maple syrup. He finished his cereal. "Would you like some pancake with your Maple syrup?" he asked her sarcastically as he also took two and drizzled honey lightly over them. "What do you think keeps me so sweet?" she quipped back. He grinned and took a sip of his coffee. Faith took her first bite and a moan escaped her lips and her saw her shift from side to side on her seat in obvious enjoyment. "Damn, D. If I were gay and you were legal, I'd marry you. These are absolutely amazing Dawn." she complimented the girl. "Hey!! Hello!!! I'm, sitting right here." Xander cried indignantly. "I would. Here, just taste this." she told him and changed the course of her fork from her mouth to his. "Oh MY GOODNESS!! These are unbelievable" he exclaimed. "Sorry, Faith. Dawn, if you still want me, I can wait. It's only another ten months until you're eighteen right? We can go to Vegas get hitched on the same day. What do you say?" he enthused. "Hey!!!!" Faith said giving him a dirty look. Dawn's cheeks glowed in embarrassment with their praise. "Sorry, Xander. I am one of the few people in our little group that Faith here hasn't tried to kill and I'd like to keep it that way." she rebuffed his offer playfully. Faith grinned and saluted Dawn with her coffee mug. Xander chuckled. "Seriously, Dawnie. These are really good." he told her. She gave them a bow and another laugh. Her face lit up, as she seemed to realise something. "Just wait." she told them as she went over to the refrigerator. She returned and placed a can of whipped cream on the table. "Try this." she said casting an eye at the stove to check that nothing was burning and crossing her arms in expectation. Xander wasn't fast enough and Faith snatched the can before he could, spraying a generous amount on her food. Her expression turned dreamy as she savoured her next mouthful. She handed him the can without looking as she prepared her next forkful. Dawn gave them a satisfied smirk as they both tucked in with grunts and other sounds of approval and then turned back to her cooking. Faith was seriously tempted to go for a third pancake waffle as she mopped up the last of the syrup and cream with her last piece abandoning her fork in favour of her fingers. Xander looked up from his plate and seemed to read her mind. "We can split it." he told her. She nodded, her eyes bright with delight. They shared another pancake waffle off her plate. She deferred to his like of honey as apposed to Maple syrup and he catered to her sweet tooth by adding more than he would for himself as she added the cream. He finished first and drank down the last of his coffee. He watched as she mopped the plate trying to get every last scrap off it. He glanced at his watch. They had to get going soon. She had a smear of cream on the side of her mouth he noted. His hand moved of it's own volition and with his fingers on her cheek he swiped the cream away and onto her lips. She absently opened her lips and licked his thumb clean. He moved his hand away and began to gather their dishes as Faith licked her fingertips where they'd picked up some syrup when she'd mopped her plate. Dawn sighed. "That was kinda hot." she told the Slayer. "What?" Faith asked her, perplexed. "Nothing." Dawn replied, realising they hadn't even realised that they had done anything. She shook her head even as Faith gave her abit of an odd look. "Come on, Faith. If we get lucky with traffic we can still make it to work on time." he told her as he packed the dishwasher. Faith got up with a scrape of her chair. "Sorry to eat and run, D." she apologised and surprised the teen by giving her a brief hug as she said: "Thanks, Dawn. Bye." Xander was surprised by Faith's show of affection to Dawn, but smiled in approval. "She just doesn't gel with all the stories I've heard." Dawn thought having no real comparison as to how Faith had been before prison. "See ya, Dawnster. Breakfast was great." Xander also bid her farewell as he gathered his things. "Oh. Tell Buffy to call me on my cell if there's any hassles with the television." he told her as Faith gathered her toolbelt as well. "She'll know what it means." he added at Dawn's questioning look. She shrugged and nodded. Faith followed him out of the kitchen. "What's with the bag?" she asked curious. "Progress meeting with Jerry and the other crew managers at four." he answered. "Where's your hardhat?" he asked noting she didn't have it with her. "Left it in the jeep on Friday." she answered adjusting her toolbelt where she'd slung it over her shoulder. She held the door for him as they exited the hotel "Why thank you kind lady." he thanked her and they headed off to work. Monday, 4 April 2004, 6:04pm, The Hyperion Hotel, The Lobby, L.A. He entered the hotel ahead of Faith, but stopped just inside the door. The big screen television was still there. Buffy hadn't called him, so he assumed everything had been sorted out. Something seemed different about the set as well. He then noticed the cable box now sitting on top of it. He frowned in puzzlement. Faith slid up against his side. "What's the matter?" she asked worming her way under his arm. "I'll never quite get used to that from her." he thought smiling to himself and hooking his thumb into the corner of her jeans pocket. He pointed at the television with his free hand. As. they watched, the channels began changing. "Guess someone's on the sofa. Maybe they can tell us what's up." Faith suggested unable to see whom as the sofa back was to them and whoever it was, was lying down. Her hip jostled his playfully as she kept close to him while they walked over to the sofa and television. The television had settled on a rerun of Friends. They came to a stop behind the sofa back and looking down found Buffy lying on her side watching the show with a bag of chocolate chip cookies and a tall glass of milk sitting on the floor in front of her. "Hi, guys." she said not looking up. "Hey, B" Faith greeted the blonde. She hadn't seen the episode playing out on the television and began to focus on it. "Hi, Buff." Xander greeted frowning. "The televisions still here." he stated. "No it's not." Buffy said. "B, if the television ain't here, we really got to congratulate Red on this illusion spell." Faith quipped. Buffy rolled onto her back so that see could look up at them. She was barefoot dressed in sand coloured camouflage Capri pants and a white tank top. Her hair was in a ponytail and she was a picture of lazy relaxation. "Buffy?" Xander said her name as a question hoping for an explanation even as the blonde Slayer arched her back and yawned while stretching. "It's not the same television. This is a new one. I bought it." she answered casually. Xander raised an eyebrow. "Cool, B. For real?" Faith said her face alight as she considered the possibilities of having such a choice television at her disposal. "Uh Huh." Buffy acknowledged. "Fucking A. Now scooch up, B. I haven't seen this episode." Faith continued and she vaulted over the back of the sofa and onto it as soon as Buffy made space for her to sit. "You bought it?" Xander asked mentally working out what it had cost. "Well, actually, Giles bought it or technically The Watcher's Council bought it. It kinda amounts to the same thing." she explained her eyes flicking between him and the television and she laughed along with Faith at one of Chandler's jokes. "And, the Cable?" he pressed. "That. I stole." Buffy said absently reaching down to the front of the sofa to grab a cookie. He gaped at her in surprise. "Geez, Xander. What do you think of me? I bought that too. I got great package deal for the DVD player, surround sound speakers, decoder and a cordless satellite dish. We get two hundred and fifty channels and they threw in an X-Box, whatever that is as a bonus. It's over there somewhere." she said gesturing vaguely to one side of the television. "Buffy?!!??" he said in disbelief. "Giles is gonna kill you. All this must have cost a fortune. Can The Council even afford this kind of extravagance?" he continued loudly. "You'll be surprised what The Watchers Council can afford." Buffy retorted. "Xan, Baby, could you tone it down just a scoatch? Trying to watch this before it all gets repossessed." Faith asked gesturing at the television. His gaze shifted from Slayer to Slayer in disbelief at their cavalier attitudes. "Get over it, Xander. Stop looking like you've just bitten into a lemon or something. Giles will be fine with it. He'll considerate it as back pay for services rendered." she told Xander bluntly. "Is he always like this?" she asked Faith. "Yeah. Most of the time it's adorable. You should have seen him the day I spend two hundred dollars on a leather jacket. Can I get a cookie?" she answered and Buffy offered her the bag. "Helloooo. I'm right here." Xander stated pointedly. "So you are. Make yourself useful and get me a glass of milk too? Pleeeease?" Faith admonished and pleaded. He was trying to be angry at Buffy for her frivolous waste of money, but it was a really choice set-up and Buffy seemed to not have a problem with the whole idea. His eyes strayed hungrily to where he could see the package containing the X-Box Game console. "Was that a video game box he saw on top of it?" he asked himself. "Fine. Whatever, but when Giles reverses the charges on that credit card, I ain't explaining nothing to nobody." he gave in grudgingly. "Xanderrrrrrrrr. Milkkkkkkkkkkkkk." Faith whined. "You can be such a baby sometimes, Faith, but I love you anyway." he told his girlfriend as he ruffled her hair in passing as he made his way to the kitchen. "Takes one to know one." Faith shouted after him as she tried to fix the mess he had made of her hair and he heard Buffy laugh. In the kitchen he found Willow and Dawn. The witch was dressed in dark leather boots, swade pants and a white blouse. Her swade jacket hung over the back of her chair. Dawn was dressed in black jeans and a multi-coloured t-shirt under an apron. He noted with amusement that she still wore her Bunny slippers. "G'd evenin', Ladies." he greeted them as he entered and opened a cupboard to grab a glass for Faiths milk. "Hi, Xander." they chorused. Dawn was once again in front of the stove and the smells filling the kitchen were exquisite. He got the milk from the refrigerator as Dawn worked deftly with the pots on the stove and the things she had laid out on the counter next to it. She was humming to herself, much as he'd found her doing that morning. "What's this?" Xander asked Willow, gesturing at Dawn and putting the glass down at the table where she sat so he could pour the milk. "Spaghetti ala Dawnie Supremo or something like that. She can cook, Xander. Can we keep her? Pleeeeeease?" the witch joked and he chuckled. "Wills, I need to talk to you about something. I'll be right back. Just need to take Faith her milk." he said and she gave him an enquiring look. "Tell Buffy not to ruin her dinner with too many of those cookies she thinks she snuck passed me. Willya Xander?" Dawn requested as she expertly tossed and shook whatever it was she was brazing in a pan. Dawn seemed to be in full Mom mode. He didn't think her message would go down well with her sibling, but he answered that he would. He hurried to the lobby, now apparently lounge, area and presented Faith with her milk. She thanked him, not taking her eyes off the television. Xander debated whether to actually convey Dawns message to her sister and turned to return to the kitchen, but he had promised. He took a few more steps away from the television absorbed Slayers before he loudly said: "Dawn says you shouldn't spoil your dinners with too many of those cookies." he figured he might as well get in a shot at Faith for her earlier remarks as well. They both flipped him the bird in dismissal. In the kitchen he pulled up a chair next to Willow. "So?" she asked curious as to what he wanted to talk about. He glanced at Dawn, but she seemed to be in her own little world, blissfully ignorant of all else as she cooked and hummed. "I need your help with something. A surprise for Faith." he told her. He had stepped up his timetable. The idea of what he wanted to do kept running around his head all day at work and he had decided to try and set it up for that Friday evening. He quickly sketched out what he had planned remaining abit vague about his motives. Willow was looking at him with affection as she realised just how unique her friend really was. She agreed to most of the things in his plan. She warned him that she didn't use magick lightly, but it was for a good cause and she'd do as he asked. She also made some suggestions about things he hadn't thought about. "I'll help too." Dawn said, startling him. "I don't cook with my ears, Xander." the teen admonished him for his oversight of thinking she wasn't listening. "Thanks, Dawn." he agreed to her help and she added a few suggestions of her own. They hammered out the plan in abit more detail while keeping an eye on the door. Slayers were a stealthy, sneaky breed after all. "The main thing is to keep her from suspecting anything. Do you think you gals can manage your part in only one afternoon? I've organised to take half the day off." he finished. "Do we tell Kennedy and Buffy?" Willow asked. "We'll have to, I guess. Discreetly of course. If they'll help, great, but the less people who know, the greater the chance of us pulling this off as a total surprise. So, delay telling them as long as possible unless we need their help for something specific." Xander replied. "You've been watching too much Alias, Xander. You're like all Mr Cloak and Dagger." Dawn commented. "Yeah. A regular double oh no." Willow joked, but hey both agreed his suggestion would be best. "Can I take photos, just at the beginning after you've sprung the surprise. I won't stay long or be in the way?" Dawn asked. "Sure. I guess." Xander answered abit hesitantly. "I just think it would be cool to document the occasion." Dawn continued feeling the need to elaborate at his hesitancy. "She's actually pretty good with a camera, Xander" Willow added. "She showed me some of her stuff earlier. She has a good eye. Quite the little shutterbug." Willow continued to put in a good word for the teen. "You've convinced me." he said with a smile and was about to say something more when Willow squeezed his knee and flicked her eyes over his shoulder. "Yeah, Dawn. You convinced me. I'll have to give that a try." Xander said loudly as Faith and Buffy entered the kitchen. "That smells great, Dawn." Faith said coming to halt behind Xanders' chair. "Dinner will be ready in about half an hour to forty-five minutes." Dawn told them after checking one of the pots on the stove. "Do you have any red wine?" she asked causing all eyes to jump to her. "What? It'll go well with the food. I didn't say: Can I drink a bottle of red wine." she complained. "Not like a glass would hurt me." she muttered under her breath. "When did D become the Cuisine Crusader and all?" Faith asked Buffy. "Dunno. I blame Giles and Andrew. They tended to get their cook on at the slightest drop of a hat, She'd hang out with them and... But, she is really good at it. I think it skips a generation. I got to be the Slayer and she got the cooking skills. Just another unfairness, I guess." she explained and complimented with a mock sigh. Dawn laughed. "Thanks Buff, but at least I can still hit things, you my sister dearest, have in the past managed to burn water and when you make Rice Crispiest they Snap, Crackle and Plop." the teen retorted. "She has you there, B" Faith said grinning at her shorter, blonde counterpart. "Where's Kennedy, Red?" Faith asked changing the subject. She noticed Xander flex his neck from side to side and without thinking began to knead his shoulders with her hands and the base of his neck with her thumbs. He hummed his approval. "She's teaching a self-defense class at that security firm she wants to work for. I am suppose to go pick her up later." the witch answered. Faith leaned down to Xander and whispered: "I'm gonna go take a shower and pack.", while her fingers continued to draw the tension from his muscles. "Okay. I'll meet you in my room after and we can decide where you want things to go." he replied. "It's your room, X. Just clear me some space. I'll make do." she whispered back. "It's our room, Sweetie. We should both decide." he reaffirmed. He could see a shy affectionate smile creep onto her face. "Damn, How does he know just what to say?" Faith thought. "What's this?" Buffy piped up questioningly. "Damn Slayer hearing." Xander cursed mentally as he tried to decide how to explain. "Oh. Nothing much, B. I'm just moving in with my boyfriend. Makes it easier for the fooling around and sex. You know how it is." Faith answered non-chalantly. Remaining straight faced was harder than she thought as she was inwardly amused and delighted at the shocked stares the other women gave her. "There's the wild child I so love." he thought. "Yeah. We figured it would be easier on you guys not having to see us running down the hall in the buff. No pun intended Buffy." Xander added following Faiths lead. The stares swung his way. Xander and Faith looked at each other and grinned as he rose. "Give us a shout when dinners ready, D. We'll come a running. That does, smell, really, really good." Faith told their cook, complimenting her again as she and Xander walked from the kitchen. "What was Dawn convincing you about earlier?" she asked as they walked to her room. He didn't quite follow her question until he remembered what he had purposefully let her hear when she had entered the kitchen. This was what worried him about trying to deceive her in trying to keep her surprise a secret. She was really observant and didn't forget a thing. "She was telling me about a rock band that is very similar to Evanescence. They're called Lacuna Coil. Very similar sound, according to her, but they're from Europe. She convinced me it was worthwhile to get their CD." He explained. He'd have to remember to actually buy that CD. Luckily he had heard Annabelle compare the group with Evanescence a month or so ago. He knew of Faiths love of Evanescence and knew she would bust him if he didn't produce the CD at some point. Also, he was sure she would love it and watching her dance to knew music had it's perks, he thought with a rye smile. At, her door. she grasped the door handle and he made to continue on his way to his room. Suddenly she reached out and grabbed his wrist, bringing him to a halt. She held onto him as she pressed her back to the door. "What is it?" he asked with a little frown. "Kiss me." she said her voice sounding fragile and soft in the quiet hallway. Her eyes simply said, "I need this and I'm sorry I don't know why." at the same time. The tough girl veneer she had always presented to the world was wearing thinner and thinner as she slowly allowed herself to trust her new life, but in that hallway at that time it had been stripped away completely. Her quip to her friends had been attitude and reflex, but it also highlighted exactly what was going to happen. Making the abstract concept of actually moving in with Xander a definite reality. All the way from the kitchen her mind had started playing every worst scenario it could come up with. She had asked him what he and Dawn had been talking about to distract herself. She only had a very vaguest recollection of his answer. And, here she was. Put up or shut up time and her pessimism was in overdrive. "Fear of fucking up is gonna fuck this up." she thought bitterly, but still unable to put her fears to rest. She needed reassurance, but couldn't find the words. Instead, she asked him to kiss her. Actions had always spoken louder then words in Faiths view of the world. Her voice sounded strange in the quiet hallway. His lips met hers and she inhaled him as he kissed her firmly, but with exquisite gentleness and reassurance. His fingers wormed into her hair as his palms cupped her cheeks. He tasted just the slightest hint of chocolate from the cookies she'd eaten earlier. Their lips parted slightly, but their tongues only touched lightly before he broke the kiss, moving his face less than an inch away from hers. "It'll be alright, Faith. Whatever happens. I promise, I'll always be there for you when you need me. Okay?" He told her quietly, locking her gaze to his. He planted another light peck on her lips even as they curled up into a smile. "Promise?" she asked coyly. "Promise!" he confirmed forcefully and pinched her nose between his thumb and forefinger as he stepped back. She swatted at his hand with a very girlish laugh that brought her other hand up, self-consciously, and the tension and worry she'd been feeling dissipated. "Now. Go, shower, pack, move in and that's an order, Young Lady." he told her in a mixed Texan, drill sergeant voice. "Ordering me around already?" she joked. He shrugged and winked at her as he made his way to his room and she entered her own. She let the tensions of the day wash away along with the accumulated grime of the day as she relaxed in the shower. Her mind flickered and flashed back to that morning in tantalising snippets of how his fingers had commanded her and his body had warmed her as she washed those parts of her he had touched. It aroused her. Yet she found no compulsion to seek release. It was like a tender sweetness or soft soothing lullaby being played by her nerves to calm her swirling thoughts allowing her to consider the fact that moving in with the man who made her feel this way could be a good thing. She finished her shower and toweled off briskly, then wrapped the towel around herself. She looked for her body lotion and after a perplexing few minutes she realised it was in Xander's room. "Omen." she thought with a rye grin. She dumped the rest of her toiletries into a brown leather toiletry bag. She considered it for a moment. It was a man's and she laughed out loudly into the silent bathroom. It was Xanders. He'd given it to her at the first motel they'd stopped at after leaving Sunnydale when he'd seen her awkwardly trying to pack the few necessities she bought into her knapsack. She hadn't asked. She'd been ready to just dump the stuff into the bag when he'd handed it to her. "Okay, Universe. I get the picture." she said to the world in general and exited the bathroom. She dressed quickly in plain cotton panties and bra, an olive cargo pants and a black t-shirt. She felt abit of a chill after leaving the bathroom, so, she slipped on a plain grey sweatshirt as well. Refreshed and warm she started to pack. Some habits die hard and Faith had always lived light, out of necessity. Her clothes and personal belongings pretty much fit into a duffel bag and a knapsack, the knapsack contained the tools of the Slayer trade like stakes, holy water and assorted small blades along with the stray CDs that had been lying next to her stereo. Her prized leather pants and jacket, she had on a clothes hanger. Her MP3 player and memory sticks were stuffed into the leg pocket of her cargo pants. The only thing that now marked her stay in the room was her stereo. She figured they could come get that later, although Xander had a modest, but adequate entertainment centre in his room with a television and a stereo of his own. She gathered up her things, took one last look at the room and left. As, the door clicked shut, she groaned. She'd forgotten her shoes. It was only her work boots, running shoes, a pair of sneakers and a cheap pair of flip flops she'd bought on a whim, but it meant she'd have to put everything down and then figure out how to carry everything. Suddenly she laughed at herself. "For the love of Pete. It's just down the hall. It's not like I'm moving to a different state or something, well geographically speaking anyway." she thought amused at how silly she was acting and continued on to Xanders room. Xander stood just outside his bathroom door in a blue sweatpants and nothing else, toweling his hair dry when she pushed through his bedroom door bags first. She unceremoniously dumped everything onto the floor and walked over to him. "All moved in, except for my shoes." she said cheerily rubbing her hands together in a typical gesture of task completion. "Nice pile. Really brightens up the place." he replied straight-faced and she laughed. "Is that it?" he asked surprised having seen Willow or Buffy pack more than that for a day at the beach. "Yip. The sum total of the possessions of Faith Williams minus shoes, as earlier stated, and my stereo." she answered. "However will we find space for it all?" he kidded. "And, you haven't even seen my mega shoe collection, yet." she added as well, this time making him laugh. She was looking at him curiously. "What?" he asked. "Hmmmmm?" she answered absently. They had made love several times, but she had never really taken a close look at his body. Now, in the brightly lit room, as he stood topless she remedied that oversight. "Faith?" he questioned and stopped toweling his hair at her lack of answer. "Shhhhhhhhhh." she told him and he raised an eyebrow. She stepped closer to him and let her eyes map his chest and torso. He was lean, but muscular. His six-pack wasn't bodybuilder defined, but she could see the muscles clearly enough. She reached forward and ran her finger down them feeling the ridges and valleys. She felt him take a deep breath He had a little fat on the sides, but it just sort of rounded him out she thought. His life in Sunnydale and on the Hellmouth was documented on his skin in myriads of faded scars. Her finger moved to trace the larger of these. She felt his flesh goose pimple at her touch. "Faith." he called her name softly as she continued her intent inspection. "The life you've led is written on your skin." she told him her face a portrait of concentration. "Do you remember how you got all of these?" she asked curiously her finger finding the texture of the pale, slightly raised scars strangely interesting. "The major ones. Some I wish I could forget, but can't. Others... Others, I treasure." he answered her quietly as hushed tones seemed appropriate for this suddenly intimate moment. He tossed the towel away as she slid her arms around his waist and hugged him to her. She rested her cheek again his chest and she felt his chin come to rest on the top of his head as his arms enfolded her as well. "And, someday, you'll tell me which are which?" she asked. "Yes." he answered simply. She turned her head and kissed his chest before releasing him and stepping back. She felt a little embarrassed by her actions, but those few moments were already becoming a treasured memory and she did not regret them. Xander didn't quite know what to make of Faiths actions, but his gut and his heart told him that it was somehow important to her, to them and that in a very curious way those few moments had strengthened their relationship more than some of the pleasure they'd shared or the long talks they'd had. She turned, moving towards his dresser and his hand reached out and closed on her shoulder. He squeezed slightly to reassure her. Her head turned and she looked at him with eyes that said she understood. He released her and grabbed up the towel again, to finish drying his hair as she went to the dresser and picked up her body lotion. He watched her once again spread the jasmine scented cream on her arms, neck and hands. He realised he was never going to get tired of watching her perform that graceful and feminine task. It spoke very strongly to him of the softer side of Faith, which so few people really got to see. It was a moment when she was all women. Not a Slayer. Not an ex-con. Not even his girlfriend. She was just an incredibly beautiful and sensually feminine woman. He tore his eyes off her not wanting her to catch him staring or make her feel uncomfortable with his unwavering gaze. He didn't realise, that she could see him in the mirror and that it gave her stomach a little flutter of thrill at the expression of awe on his face as he watched her. She saw him will himself to look away. She saw his gaze dart back for just one more quick glance before he vigorously began to rub the towel over his head obscuring his view of her. She smiled to herself and hummed softly as she finished with the lotion. He pulled on a matching blue sweatshirt that had been lying on the bed and walked over to Faith at the dresser. He pulled open the top right drawer as well as the full length one below it to show her that they were empty and for her use. "Enough space? he asked. "More than." she replied. "There's a shelf in the medicine cabinet and space under the sink as well." he told her gesturing to the bathroom and she nodded. "I'll put a dividing wall in the closet as soon as I can get to the hardware store. I'd thought about it at work and had actually meant to stop on our way home, but it slipped my mind." he explained. "Errrm. That's how I figured things would work best, but if you wanna change anything. Feel free." he added suddenly remembering how he had told her it was their place and, how they would decide how to share it. Faith was inwardly amused as the side of her boyfriend she liked to call "Work Xander" came to the fore. He had everything planned and executed to precision and it amused her how he suddenly faltered when he realised he hadn't actually consulted her. She had no problem with the arrangement, but was tempted to mess with him by rattling off changes at random, just to see what he'd do. In the end, she figured it just wasn't worth it to give him a hard time and told him that everything was five by five. She looked around the bedroom. "Think there's place to put my stereo in here?" she asked. Xander looked speculative around the room. "Sure. On that little bookcase? Next to the bed against the wall. It's got a power point behind it. I think." he replied. "We can keep some CDs on the shelf too." he continued, ever practical. "Outstanding." Faith agreed. She put her leathers in the closet which she found to have more than ample space and she even considered telling Xander to forget the divider, but figured it make more sense to have it and didn't. She was about to tackle emptying her duffel when they heard Willow call from the hallway door: "Dinner in front of the television in five guys." Faith just caught a flash of red hair at the door and then she was gone, so she didn't bother with a reply. She put her MP3 player and memory sticks on top of the dresser. "Come on, Faith. Let's go. I'm famished and Dawns cooking had me drooling like a St Bernard." he told her. "Lead the way, X." she agreed and they went downstairs to dinner with their friends. The dinner was scrumptious. They'd come down to the lobby to find a feast set out on the coffee table in front of the television. Dawn was just putting the spaghetti dish she had created on the table as they occupied one of the sofas. Dawn snapped her fingers and told them she'd be right back. Xander noticed that the teen was now wearing a long sleeve top. Apparently she had forgotten the Italian bread she had prepared. Faith took the opportunity to sneak a pinch of the pasta dish. She leaned her head back and dangled the strands of pasta into her mouth before closing her lips and sucking it in. With, her head tilted back in such a perfect position Xander couldn't resist. He cupped her chin in his palm, his fingers on her cheek and leaned down to kiss her. He felt her swallow as his lips slid onto and then against hers as he kissed her firmly, but gently. He parted his lips and let his tongue trace between hers before pulling back as he felt her lips curl up into a smile against his. "Hmmmmmmm. That tasted good and the pasta wasn't bad either." Faith told him and he chuckled before placing another quick peck on her lips. Willow was pouring glasses of wine while Buffy channel surfed. The witch was now dressed casually in blue jeans and sweatshirt. Buffy also had a sweater on now. "Weathers changing." Xander commented. "Yip, smells like we'll get some rain tonight." Faith replied. Xander indicated for Buffy to stop when she found an episode of Alias. Dawn returned with a big basket of Italian bread chunks. She told them it tasted great when you mopped up the sauce with it. The next few minutes were a cacophony of plates and cutlery as they all dished. Faith waited until everyone had dished and then added an extra helping of the pasta dish to her plate. Xander raised an enquiring eyebrow. "Wait 'til you taste it." Faith said cryptically. Xander swirled a large forkful of the pasta dish onto his fork and proceeded to taste it as Faith had suggested. After he swallowed he gave a loud wolf whistle. "WOW! Dawn. This tastes even better than it smells. Dibs on seconds." he complimented the teen and she ducked her head in shy acknowledgement. Not much else was said after that as sounds of enjoyment filled the air and people' mouths were too full of the delicious meal to speak. When they were done and to everyone's amazement Xander simply polished off the last of the pasta directly from the dish, they sat back and relaxed with glasses of wine. Even Dawn had a half a glass as they watched the television. Dawn put down her unfinished glass and made a move to start clearing their dishes. Faith' hand shot out and forestalled the teen. "Hell no, D. I couldn't let you clean up after cooking us a great meal like that." she told the teen. "But, you guys worked all day and it's..." she started to say before being cut off. "Yeah, Dawn. Leave it we'll clean up. It's the least we can do after that superb meal." Willow added and Xander and Buffy nodded their agreement. Dawn sat back down hesitantly. "Guess you guys twisted my arm." she gave in. They watched until the end credits began to roll and then began gathering their dishes. Dawn told them she wanted to check and send some e-mail and she went off to the computer while they made their way to the kitchen. There wasn't too much to do to clean up the kitchen and with the four of them it wouldn't take long. "So, Buff. What are your plans for your vacation?" Xander asked the blonde Slayer. "Well, actually, I don't think it's a vacation for me anymore." Buffy began and everyone stopped what they were doing and focused their attention on her. "The thing is, I don't think I'll be going back to Europe. To live that is. I'll still visit as regularly as I can of course. Actually we all should. Faith, you would so love Madrid, but I've missed the States and this." she continued gesturing to mean all of them. "The Council thing is just not working for me. I thought slaying was hard work, but paperwork on slaying, that's just insane. I'm just not cut out to be the poster child for Slayer Monthly and that's what it felt like every time I met any of the new Slayers or Council agents. Dawn on the other hand fit in over there really well. You should hear her. She can speak French and Italian fluently, while after six months I'm still walking around with a phrase book sounding like National Lampoon's European Vacation. With, the tutors he got for her and his connections Dawn has enough academic credits to graduate high school and I want to give her the choice of going to college or university, either here or there." Buffy explained. "I see." Xander said thoughtfully. "What does Giles think of all of this?" Willow asked. "He understands. I told him I was kinda unhappy and he was the one that actually suggested I come back here to see if it was what I was missing. I was gonna come alone, but then Dawn asked if she could tag along. I think she missed you guys more than she was letting on. Giles told me he wanted me to live the life I've always wanted. We both understand that slaying will always be part of my life, but that it now isn't the sole driving force in my life. There are other things I want and can now try to obtain. I want a career that doesn't involve pointy sticks, real honest to goodness live boyfriends and one day the whole nine yards: picket fence, two and a half kids, husband and Volvo. Not particularly in that order. Giles has always tried to give me as normal a life as he could, considering who I was and what Sunnydale was. He let me have you guys, which flew in the face of Watcher tradition and he had to pay for it. We've all had to pay for it in one way or another. He wants me to have a normal life, he wants all of us to have the lives we deserve." she told them as they slowly returned to their tasks. "You think D will stay or go?" Faith asked. "I honestly don't know. Being in Europe was really good for her. A real chance to start over and like I said she took to it like a duck to water, but I haven't seen her as happy as this in a while. It will be abit tough if she decides to go to university there, but I won't stand in her way." the blonde answered. "When are you gonna tell her?" Xander asked. "End of the week, maybe the Monday after. I want her to enjoy this as the vacation it was billed as, before I lay this on her." Buffy said after a moments thought. "Either way, B, you're both welcome her as long as you like. Right guys." Faith told her blonde counterpart and the rest of her friends nodded in agreement. "Thanks. Now let's get this kitchen squared away. I think there's a Friends marathon on." Buffy said. "Oh Yeah!" both Willow and Faith enthused and Xander groaned. He liked the sitcom, especially the earlier seasons, but over the last few months Xander had found out that both Faith and Willow were absolute fans and now it turns out so was Buffy. He didn't find it likely that he would budge them from in front of the television and he had really wanted to try and hook-up that X-box, "Oh Well." he thought and they quickly finished cleaning the kitchen and their dishes. When they returned to the television area, Dawn was channel hopping and Buffy told her what channel she thought the Friends marathon was on. They all took seats with Faith and Xander sharing one of the sofas and the other ladies taking the other. Willow looked at her watch and sighed. "Guess I'll have to catch up when I get back. I need to go pick-up Kennedy." she explained as she rose again. Just as she finished they all heard the distinctive sound of rain. "Better grab a jacket, Wills. Doesn't sound like it's coming down hard, but it's likely to last for awhile." Xander suggested to the red haired witch. "I'll just grab the umbrella by the door. It's not that cold." she replied. They all waved her on her way as she left. Faith and Xander had been sitting, but decided to change positions as Faith urged Xander to stretch out on the sofa facing the television. She then lay down next to him and snuggled her back into his chest. He used a pillow to support his head on the sofa arm while she used his shoulder, upper arm and her hands as a pillow. He wrapped his other arm around her, resting his hand on her stomach. As, an afterthought, he also through one of his legs over hers. She drew her knees up a little arching herself against him and burying her feet into the material of his sweatpants. Leaning down he whispered into her ear: "Comfy?" She shifted a little more against him before replying quietly: "Uh huh." He smiled and they turned their attention to the television. The soft sigh of the rain created a gentle backdrop to the laughter created by the sitcom. The heat and weight from Faith pressed against his front was very comfortable and it had been along day. He dozed, waking when a particular joke or situation made the women laugh loudly, but always settling back into a doze. He didn't remember finally nodding off completely, but woke with a start when the women loudly greeted Willow and Kennedy return. He added a muzzy greeting of his own, feeling a little disorientated. Faith shifted so that she could look at him. He tried valiantly to stifle a yawn, distorting his face in the attempt. "Wanna go to bed, Xan?" she asked. He considered her question lethargically. "Would that mean I'd have to move?" he countered. "I could carry you upstairs." she joked. He pushed his face into the crook of her neck and blew onto the skin he found there making her giggle and struggle against him. "Do you two mind?" Dawn asked sarcastically. "No." they both quipped and the other women laughed. The little tussle had energised him some and it wasn't that he was overly tired, just that the situation had been very comfortable and mellow. "What's the time?" Xander asked the dark haired Slayer in his arms. "A little before ten, I think." she replied. "How long was I out for?" he asked curiously. "You only started snoring about an hour ago." Buffy answered. "I do not snore. Tell them, Faith." he said with indignation. "I plead the fifth on the grounds that any answer would be against my best interests." Faith said, but mouthed the words 'Like a buzz saw.' to their friends, with a grin. The women tried to school their faces into not showing their amusement, but Xander could see that Faith had done something to amuse them. "Traitor." he said and again he lowered his lips to the soft skin of her neck and blew out vibrating them against the sensitive flesh. She writhed in his arms trying to stop the tickling sensation with laughter and snorts escaping hr lips as he continued his playful assault. Her movements ground her butt against his crotch making his body react and his hand tightened a little on her belly to move her more firmly against him. It kind of dawned on him that he was in the presence of all his friends and that he now had a raging hard on and was actually starting to hump the beautiful women in his arms responsible for his condition. He stopped what he was doing and looked up to see if the women had noticed. He knew Faith had. Although he had released his hold on her tight belly, her buttocks still remained firmly pressed to his crotch. They didn't seem to have, but maybe their attention was just a little too focused on the television. He couldn't tell. She craned her neck to be as close to his ear as she could get before whispering huskily: "Maybe, WE should go to bed. NOW. Hmmmmm?" and somehow she managed to rub one of her feet against his in a very seductive manner. He swallowed reflexively. "I think right now, it might be just a touch embarrassing." he whispered. "You might be right." she replied with a little nudge of her backside into his crotch. She moved away slightly to break the contact, but still keeping his condition out of sight. Faith asked Kennedy how her class had been after she and Willow took the only unoccupied sofa. Kennedy made a non-committal sound as she dug into the plate of food Willow had set aside for her. After her first mouthful she also complimented Dawn on the delicious food. They chatted about everyday things with Kennedy answering or commenting between mouthfuls. Xander's condition had subsided and he nudged the back of Faith's leg with his knee. Faith stretched and yawned, abit theatrically, Xander thought and then said; "Gals and gals, think I'll call it a night. You joining me, X?", and moved to a sitting position in front of him. "I think I better or I'm gonna have a sore neck from sleeping here." he replied and they both rose. Their friends bid them a good night and she led the way upstairs. A little smile crept onto her lips as she felt his hand lightly find its place at the small of her back, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She almost stopped by her door by reflex, but reminded herself at the last moment that it was technically no longer her room, she had moved on down the hall. She had moved in with Xander. The thought somehow kept the smile on her face as she continued past her former room. Just, before their door she pulled a little ahead of him and turned with her back against the door and her hand resting lightly on top of the doorknob. He didn't stop moving until he stood, but a mere inch away from her. She smiled up at him and he grinned down at her. "You okay with not getting a shot at that X-Box, X?" she asked him, her smile turning impish. "What?" he replied playing the innocent. "Oh, please. I saw you. You were practically drooling over it, earlier." she continued not falling for his feigned innocents. He was amused to notice that she was tracing whimsical patterns on the carpet with her big toe. The toenail was painted pink. "Sheesh. Alright already. You got me. Moved in for one day and already you are nagging me." he finally answered in exasperation. She was moving in a flash, but he was ready for her. As she moved forward off the door, her eyes blazing he moved forward as well. She managed to get out "Na" in a shocked, angry voice before his lips met hers and silenced her. For, just an instant more her momentum carried her forward, giving his kiss bruising force. She was all tensed up, pressing against him and then she melted. He pushed her back up against the door and kissed her as thoughrally as any man has ever kissed a women and he continued to do so until at last air became an issue and he backed off, but returned for another quick peck at her lips. He grinned down at her. Her eyes narrowed at him. "Asshole." she cursed him in an angry voice, but the corner of her lips were twitching in an attempt to keep from smiling. "God, you're so easy sometimes, but I still love you all the same." he told her, resting his forehead on hers. "Forgive me?" he asked playfully, but sincerely at the same time. "Dammit. You may be an asshole, but you're my asshole." she answered him with fervor and tilted her chin up to invite his lips back to hers. They kissed languidly. Lips sliding together in time to their heartbeats as tongues parried and thrust like master fencers. His hand slid over hers where it rested on the doorknob and they both turned it to open the door. They didn't break the kiss as she moved backwards with the opening door. They finally broke the kiss, but she took hold of his hand and led him into their suite. He pushed the door closed as she dragged him in the direction of the bedroom. With, a sexy leer thrown over her shoulder she said: "I think there's another box you might be interested in playing with, X." he's smile broadened as her look turned thoughtful for a moment and then her smile returned in full force. "Guess I'm even wittier than I thought." she continued with an impish little giggle. "Oh. yeah. Much with the box and then with the X. Wow! Adam Sandler beware." he joked, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "Careful, Buster or you'll be the only one playing with your joystick tonight." she admonished him. "TouchŽ or should I say tooshie." he replied with a grin and a swat to her ass. With a laugh, she let go his hand and dashed ahead of him. Then, with a whoop of delight she through herself full length at the bed. She twisted in the air and landed on her back, bouncing a few times for good measure before coming to rest with little burst of laughter still spilling their way though her heavier breathing. He folded his arms and leant his shoulder against the doorframe of their bedroom. "Their bedroom." he thought and the thought didn't seem at all strange to him. He watched as Faith's body and the bed finally came to a consensus of stability. There was lightness to her at that moment that he found incredibly charming. Her past, just then, as it often was, was not in the room with them just then and it was as if he was getting a glimpse of what Faith might have been like had her life not taken the wrong turns that it had. He found himself hoping that he could give her more of these kinds of moments and that their relationship would bring this side of her to the fore. Either way, at that moment he knew that he truly did love her. She had thrown her forearm across her eyes to block the light from her eyes as she lay staring up at the ceiling, but when she opened her eyes to mere slits she could see him, standing, leaning against the doorframe of their bedroom. "Their bedroom." she thought. The thought gave her a little thrill and yet somehow it felt natural and... right was the closest term she could come up with to describe the feeling. She loved the tender way he was looking at her. It made her feel more wanted than any of the lustful leers she had, had thrown at her though most of her life. She had never been a shy girl. She knew what she had and she'd flaunted it shamelessly to get those looks from men in an attempt, she realised now, to validate herself. Their lust meant they desired her and in her twisted mind, somehow, that translated into her believe that she was loved. "Gods she'd been stupid, amongst other things." she admonished herself mentally, "But, that was in the past." she thought with conviction. He felt the moment slip away. He couldn't see her face as she had thrown her arm across her face to shield it from the light, but her body lost it's unguarded softness and he could almost hear the cogs in her mind turn to bring up the darker images of her past. Her arm slid away from her face and then she patted the bed next to her. "Stare much?" she said softly in a voice that made the sarcastic question sound like a poetic invitation. With, a lopsided smile, he pushed away from the doorframe and moved to the bed. He sat on the spot she had just patted, but leaned his body diagonally over hers, he's hand supporting most of his weight while his side rested lightly across her midriff. Her hand rested lightly on his thigh. The warmth and weight of his frame felt good. He brushed away some stray strands of dark hair from her face with his free hand. "What were you thinking just now?" he asked quietly. A wan little smile crept onto her lips. "You're starting to read me just a little too well, X." she told him. "As if." he replied with a snort and the smile gained a little more warmth. "Can we just say I took a fairly brief stroll down memory lane to see how far I am on the learning curve of life." she answered his original question. "We could or you could make sense." he teased with a smile. "Oh Ha ha..." she began, but he silenced her by applying his lips to hers and they shared a gentle kiss. He let a little more of his weight rest on her and her hand kneaded his thigh as their lips slid leisurely across each other with tongue tips occasionally making shy appearances to sneak a taste. He finally broke the kiss. He felt a lazy smile on her lips and a contented sigh of breath against his lips just as they parted. "Hmmm That was nice." she said her eyes closed and drew a deep lazy, cleansing breath which expanded her ribcage which in turn pressed her full breasts up against his chest, a fact that was not lost on Xander. "Now there's a curve I'd like to learn." he told her. "Why don'tcha?" and she gave him a throaty laugh in invitation as his hand ran lightly up along her ribcage. He then cupped her breast and slowly began to fondle and caress the firm full flesh. Her nipple came to life under his circling thumb and he became conscious of how her breathing had become a little faster with little hitches and pauses. Her hand was once again kneading his thigh while her hips made little, involuntary thrusts against his side. He hardened in response. "I think this would be an opportune moment to suggest that we get very naked, very quickly and see where we go from there?" he suggested with another firm squeeze. Her eyes fluttered open as his hand remained still. They were clear hazel orbs peering up at him through a fan of long, curled lashes that radiated desire. She licked her lips. "I concur. Now get off me for a few minutes so I can get out of these clothes and you can get into someone more comfortable." she commanded with a frightfully realistic leer. "Yes, Ma'm. Right away Ma'm. When will that someone be arriving, Ma'm." he countered. She slapped his chest. "Goof ball. Now mooove." she chastised him and with a chuckle he did, rolling off her to sit on the bed next to her. She was a fury of activity behind his back. He reached for the bottom of his sweatshirt and began to pull it up over his head. She caught him just as the sweatshirt cleared his shoulders, holding his arms in place so that the shirt covered his head, effectively blindfolding him. He felt her breath, warm against his neck, before he felt her shift and then the delicious satin feel of her lips on the exposed skin of his shoulder. Her lips parted to form a wet circle. The circle closed as her teeth test his flesh then widened again before her tongue peeked out to lave the slight indents her teeth had left. With, a flick of her head she repeated the process on his other shoulder. The flick of her head had caused the luxurious mass of her hair to come to rest on his unattended shoulder and her movements caused the strands to slide over his skin and he groaned at the sensual feeling. He felt her lips smile against his flesh. She shifted again and his groan had a slightly different note to it as she broke contact with him. He couldn't see the grin on her face. She rearranged the hold she had on him until she could keep him in the predicament he was in. He thought about struggling. She gave him plenty of openings, but he was curious as to what she would do next. Finally she seemed to decide that she had a firm enough hold to keep him in the dark, because she stopped adjusting her hold and became still behind him. Time drew out and she didn't move. He started to wonder. The urge to free himself and turn becoming ever greater. A moment before he gave into that urge he felt the bed shift and he had to release a heavy breath as he felt her tongue slither it's way upwards from the centre of his shoulder blades. He had to suck in that breath again as her tongue left only to be replaced by the hot, hard point of her nipples. She dragged them up along the skin of his back. The slight ridges and valleys of his muscles caused little sparks of sensation to travel back into her and she had to stifle a groan of her own, trying to maintain the illusion of control she was weaving. She moved again and the sweatshirt rose a little further, not quite clearing his eyes. She shifted forward bringing her head over his shoulder and sliding her cheek along his, at the same time her free hand slid along his side and onto his torso. She felt his abs tighten under her touch. Suddenly she tightened her grip, pulling him towards her and at the same time pressing herself forward into him. The words "Oh... Man." escaped his lips without any sentient thought or communication between his mouth and brain as he luxuriated into the heat of her. Her nipples were sharp points of heat and pressure surrounded by the more gentle heat of the rest of her breasts as they flattened out against his back. She released her hold on his sweatshirt and he finally removed the garment freeing his hands and head. He could feel the strong, steady beat of her heart. He moved his arms back and wrapped them around her, locking his hands at the base of her back. He tensed his arms, pressing her even more firmly against his back. She gave a contented sigh, which he echoed. His, was transmuted into a long slow hiss of breath as her hand on his abdomen snaked down under the waistband of his pants and boxers and wrapped gently, but firmly around his erection. "Is this for me?" she asked huskily. He knew he had a voice, but the sound that escaped his lips was not it, but it conveyed the message of "yes" very eloquently. "So... Why are you hiding it under all those clothes?" she asked in a voice that made the question seem like the most natural thing in the world. He actually tried to formulate an answer, but a squeeze of her hand put an end to all thought. He turned on her, releasing his hold. His lips found hers. She released her hold on his penis as he twisted, deepening the kiss. They twisted and shifted and moved and adjusted and then Faith was on her back and Xander was atop her, between willingly spread thighs. He hovered above her and it was her eager hands that pushed down his pants and boxers. There's an awkward struggle to get them the rest of the way off, but they succeed. She grasps him and guides him and then gives herself over entirely to him. Xander enters her steadily, but slowly. Her head tilts back at the same pace of his penetration exposing her creamy throat that generates a sound of satisfaction the escape wide open lips as he bottoms out inside her. They remain motionless for a few moments, each savouring the feel of their connection until he draws back, only marginally faster than when he entered and begins a slow languid session of lovemaking. Their bodies undulates in a primal dance of give and take. She is wet, open, willing and inviting and he accepts her invitation again and again. The inevitability of orgasm lies somewhere off on the horizon, but for them, at that moment it is not the goal. It is what they are doing, the joining of two bodies in one spirit. The spirit of love and they make every effort to sustain it for as long as they possibly. But, nature will have its way and their breathing increases, movements become faster and control is lost. He thrust hard and she knows he cannot hold back any longer. She locks her ankles just below his ass and contracts herself around him. His back arches and somehow he moves even deeper inside her. With, a gasp, she cums. It is not the blinding, crashing crescendo of the great wave of pleasure she has come to expect. It's something different. Pleasure seems to suffuse her, spreading outward from her belly in gentle waves of heat and sensation as she feels him pour himself into her. His orgasm is more of a relaxation than a release. The satisfaction of completion is as great as ever, but it is somehow different. He feels at peace and he lets himself relax down on top of her. Her arms wrap around him and he kisses the nearest part of her he can reach. They lie like that for long minutes, simply enjoying the feel of each other. She idly begins to run her hand through his hair and he finally finds the strength to tilt his head up to look at her. He smiles at the look of complete peace on her face and he realises she is humming quietly and tunelessly under her breath. "Hi." he says lazily. "Hi yourself." she replies. Faith is in heaven. She now has an implicit and explicit definition of the words "to make love". The weight of him on her and the feel of him still inside her frames itself in her mind, as the way things should be. He stirs and the movement causes little eddies of sensation to slide across her nerves. "That was nice." she murmurs tilting her head to look down at him. "Nice?" he asks with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Yes, Xander. Nice... and nice is really, really good and really what I want." she qualifies. His smile broadens. "Nice. Yeah I think I know what you mean," he concurs. He begins to shift to lift his weight off her and withdraw to lie next to her, but she stops him. "Not yet... Not just yet." she explains and he relaxes and acquiescence to her wishes. As. they lie, basking in the afterglow he can almost make out what it is she is humming, but it just eludes him. He does wonder if she even knows she is doing it. At last, biology takes its course and his penis shrinks to the point where it slips out of her and this time when he moves there is no protest. He rolls off her and lies next to her. She snuggle against his side, lying on hers as she drapes one leg over him and draws his arm around her. Her hair tickles his chest as she rests her head on it, but it doesn't stop him from kissing the top of her head. Lastly she grabs the duvet and draws as much of it as she can around them. With, a quick glance to the side, he gathers the other side of the duvet and completes their cocoon. "Comfy?" he asks. "Uh Hu." she replies with a little nod of her head the cause the silky strands of her hair to caress the skin of his shoulder and chest. "Happy?" he asks and his answer is another nod. "Sleepy?" he continues his one word interrogation. His answer is an almost imperceptible shift of her head. His last question was for the most part rhetorical, because he could feel the rise and fall of her chest slow along with the beat of her heart against his. Her hand shifted and her arm wrapped around his waist and then she was still and lost in sleep. "Good night, Faith." he whispered and with a contented sigh he closed his eyes and joined her in slumber.