Like Other Girls...

Disclaimer in first chapter

Buffy groaned slightly, nuzzling Faith’s neck as she cuddled closer to the other girl. She was having a bit of trouble getting to sleep after that caress. She could still hear Faith’s breathing. The girl didn’t seem to be falling asleep easily either, probably still startled that she’d been awake. Letting out a sigh that she knew would tickle the other girl’s neck, Buffy fluttered her eyes open and looked up at Faith’s strained expression. Her hand slid onto the brunette’s flat stomach, and she lifted her head, raising both brows.

“Are you going to just lay there like a stiff board all night?” There was no answer, and she blushed, looking down at where her hand rested, then to the crook of Faith’s neck where her head had been so briefly before. Her fingers began to trace idle patterns on the other girl’s skin where it was barely exposed from under the shirt. “Faith….” This time she got a strained grunt-murmur in response, making her smile slightly, if a shy blush suddenly came to her cheeks. “why… I mean… before, when you touched me…”

“Listen, B, um maybe I should just walk on home. Neither of us are getting much sleep… and fuck if I’ll be able to even think of it in stuffy things like these.” Faith babbled out in a gruff tone, though her throat sounded tight, and her fingers played idly with the hem of her shorts, as if indicating that she meant the clothing. “And that… just forget about it B. It was nothin.”

“Nothing…” Buffy looked shyly, disappointedly down at the sheets of her bed, but after a moment, she felt the girl next to her shiver beneath her still moving fingers. A shy, mischievous smile returned to her lips then, and she slid her hand purposefully under the barest edge of the shirt, trailing up just slightly. “Well… um… if they make you that uncomfortable… you can take them off. The clothes. I don’t really think I’d mind.”

“B…”

“Why did you really pick that outfit for the dance?”

“I… um…”

“You know… you looked amazing in that cheerleading outfit…” Buffy finally looked up, knowing full well that she wasn’t going to get a straight answer out of Faith. “I… Faith, I can’t get the feel of your lips off of my mind…”


Faith woke up in a cold sweat, shooting forward and staring at the wall across from her. That particular dream had been haunting her since the night of the sleepover. She hadn’t had as many of the “exciting” dreams since, but this one was almost every other night. Groaning as if in pain, she fell back again. It was torture. She couldn’t quite figure out what the hell was going on. Most times, especially when it was just her, Buffy, and Willow, Faith couldn’t stand the blonde. Buffy drove her insane. Then other times, especially when Darla would even hint at being seen nearby, Buffy would have an annoyingly adorable habit of actually standing and blocking direct route between them, and sent the other blonde the worst of glares. Tara put half of that up to that Darla had managed to strike a nerve, but the other half in knowing just how powerful a bitchy snipe could be, and having recognized the ability in Darla… a protective nature making her try to shield everyone, even Faith, from the brat. She always felt torn around the petit blonde, part of her wanting to grab her and keep her close, the other half wanting to kill her in aggravation.

As it was, this dream was probably a bad sign. She’d had it, yet again, after an hour of attempting to relax with all of the methods Willow had suggested, and clearing her mind of everything. Now, she had to get up and go see the blonde. Buffy had asked her the previous day to meet her at school early, that she wanted to talk to the brunette alone. “Holy fuck. Three fuckin weeks since the damned slumber party, and I still have the same damned dream.”

Same dream didn’t exactly describe it though. Things always seemed to happen just a bit differently. Buffy would sometimes end up cuddling so close in her sleep that they were intertwined, and Faith wouldn’t be able to stop herself from copping a feel. When Buffy suddenly awoke, the blonde would make a wry comment about keeping hands to oneself, then grin and suggest that she had to get even… other times Faith would just be so tired of the teasing, especially after that kiss in the game, that she’d pin Buffy to the bed and find a very willing little playmate.

It was, to say the least, hell getting herself going that morning.

~

Buffy didn’t quite know what was up with Faith lately. Then again, neither did anyone, really. Willow and Jesse simply said that she was being “Faith” and that sometimes, the girl was just strange. Wills would occasionally give the brunette a strange, and oft-times concerned glance, though, so Buffy suspected that the redhead knew something about what was going on. Either way, when the girl trudged into the library, feet dragging, and looking quite exhausted, she kept her mouth shut. There wasn’t much she could do right now, at least not yet. “Hey.”

“What the fuck did ya want, B? It’s early.” Faith squinted up at Buffy over dark sunglasses, then plopped down in a chair, holding a thermos of what was probably a highly caffeinated coffee drink in her hand.

“It’s about Wills.” Buffy said, sitting down much more gracefully and smiling slightly. That seemed to get the brunette’s attention quickly, and she found herself being stared at by those deep, dark eyes. Maybe that was what was bothering Faith. Maybe she really had figured out what was happening, and it was bothering her. “I mean, you know Willow better than I do.”

“Yeah, what about Red?” Faith asked curiously, raising both brows. This was why the blonde wanted to talk to her alone? “B… Buffy, do you like her?”

“What?!” Buffy nearly shrieked, only to be shushed by the just arriving librarian. She scowled at Faith. “Are you serious? Tara would kill me.”

“Oh.” Faith looked a bit put off, and rather confused by that. “Huh?”

“Dear lord, you are blind.” Buffy growled, scooting her chair closer so that they didn’t further disturb the librarian’s picky quiet policy. “I’m talking about Willow and Tara. It’s obvious that my sister has a thing for the little redhead. Frankly, I think that if we could possibly get them to recognize that, she’d drop bleach-boy and try out a relationship with Willow. Damn, it would make a hell of a lot more sense if they did too.”

Faith scrunched up one eye, then the other, in thought, then looked at Buffy, still in confusion. It was too early to be plotting. So, of course, her only resulting response was a repeat of, “Huh?”

“Faith, there’s this thing called affection. It’s rather simple, and goes along with that concept of attraction that you’re so familiar with.” Buffy said in a patronizing tone. “It’s when two people like each other. Sometimes, that affection, or liking someone, goes further…”

“I get what it is, B.” Faith growled and sipped at her drink again. “You think Blondie and Red have a thing for each other?”

Buffy rolled her eyes and sat back, folding her arms and giving Faith an arch look. “Mi amore, if you haven’t noticed the moon eyes they’ve been tossing at each other every time one of them turns to look another way, then you really must be blind. I don’t expect Jesse to notice, cause he’s a guy, but come on.”

Faith was caught off guard completely by the first two words spoken there, and could only stare unashamedly at the blonde. After a moment, her mouth snapped shut and she shook her head. “Listen, I know Red. Her, plus liking girls, that doesn’t really compute.”

“Faithy, come on. You’re joking right. I’m straighter than she is.” Buffy rolled her eyes in a theatrical manner and sighed.

“That’s not sayin much, B. You may be the tease of the century sometimes, but you still drive stick.” Faith grumbled out, smirking. “Red don’t bark up that tree….”

“Faith, you really are blind.” Buffy complained, standing and walking away.

TBC