Paradise

Kennedy pulled her lover to a sudden stop, her eyes focusing in on the darkness intently. The slayer side of her was screaming that something wasn't right, and she didn't like that feeling. Her grip tighten on her lover's hand as she positioned her body in front of the witch. Reaching back with her other hand, she placed it on the witch's hip. “Stay behind me.”

Willow resisted the urge to ask ‘what is it?’; enough years of living side by side with a slayer had taught her that the answer would make itself known soon enough.

She kept her eyes trained on the pathway Kennedy’s seemed to be taking, and it took her a moment too long to see four shapes emerging from the darkness. They suddenly sped up and headed right for the couple.

“Oh, peachy…”

Kennedy suddenly turned to her lover with pleading eyes. “Baby, please,” she began cautiously, “I know you're a kick ass magic mama and *well* capable of taking care of yourself, but please, sit this one out...for me?” She pleaded with her lover to understand. “I don't know what the vamps over here are capable of and I can't stand the thought of one of 'em getting the upper hand on me and leaving you...helpless.”

Kennedy turned to her left just in time to grab the nearest vamp by the shoulders, giving him a quick punch to the jaw leaving him stunned. She turned to look at her lover as she still held the nearly motionless vamp.

A conflicted look crossed over the witch’s face as she fought with herself, but finally she nodded. “Alright, I will…but please, please be careful.” She looked at Kennedy with a worried expression, and took a step back to give the slayer some fighting room.

Kennedy smiled at her lover as she felt the vamp starting to struggle in her grasp. “Always am baby,” she leaned in and gave her lover a short, but passionate kiss before pulling away with a grin. She turned her glare to the vampire that was hissing and growling in her arms. “Oooh, I like 'em feisty.”

Kennedy lifted her knee and slammed it into the vampire's stomach, sending him stumbling back. She smiled victoriously and looked up just in time to be tackled from the side by the next rapidly charging vampire.

“Kenn!!” Willow squeaked, nearly running forward to help her slayer, but instead she danced on the spot. ‘I really really hate sitting out,’ she thought idly as she waited for the slayer to regain her feet. There were still two other vamps circling the brunette…if things got bad, she wasn’t going to sit by and watch her lover get killed.

“One pissed off magic mama coming up…” she grumbled underneath her breath, clenching a fist.

“Sonuva...OW!” Kennedy growled as threw the vampire off of her body, quickly flipping to her feet. “No need to push boys. There's plenty of slayer to go around.” Kennedy eyed each of the vampires that were circling her, weighing up her enemies. Her eyes landed on the smallest of the four, and she decided he was her best bet. “Whatcha waitin' for, shrimpy?” she teased with a smirk. “Mama not lettin' you play with the big boys?”

The vampire let out a loud growl and charged Kennedy, landing a hard blow to her jaw. The world suddenly went dizzy and her feet seemed to just fly right out from under her, sending her back crashing hard to the ground.

“Great plan Kennedy,” she moaned as she lifted her hand to her jaw. Pulling it away, she cringed at the deep crimson liquid now staining her fingers. “He sure hits hard for a...” Her words were suddenly cut off as she felt herself lifted in the air. Looking down, she met the angry face of the small vampire. She swallowed hard.

“Hey!!”

The vampire, who may have had more brawn than his size let on, but not so much brain, turned his head only to have a fist-sized rock nail him right in the center of the forehead. His head snapped back and he dropped the slayer right on top of himself; they both crumpled to the ground.

Willow only had a split second to look somewhat proud of herself before one of the vampires circling on the outside charged at her, obviously not as amused as she was.

“Crap…” She backed up swiftly, trying to get her brain to focus and come up with a counter attack. “Accendo…accendo ballista abunde!” her hand flew forward, and what looked like a ball of fire and energy flew forward. It hit the vamp square in the chest, and after a brief shriek, he exploded into dust.

Willow grinned to herself, still backing up a few paces. “Never underestimate a good ball ‘o fir-“

She backed up into someone, and whirled around to face Layla, who seemed to appear out of nowhere. ‘Sneaky vampires,’ the redhead thought to herself. “Uh… h-hi.”

Kennedy was just about to deliver a massive head butt to the vamp when she suddenly felt herself toppling over on top of him. Gritting her teeth, she placed one hand on the ground and with the other, reached into her back pocket for her stake.

“Dammit Willow,” she growled as she quickly jammed the stake into the vampire's chest, instantly turning him to dust. She coughed as the remains flew up into her mouth, but she was too angry to care at the moment. With a huff, she lifted herself from the ground and surveyed what was left of the vampires.

That's when her eyes fell on the familiar she vamp currently towering over her lover. She clinched the stake tighter in her hand and with a sneer, charged at the two remaining vamps.

Layla looked down at the witch with a raised brow. “Tsk tsk...” The blonde vamp shook her head. “We mustn’t play with fire. Its not safe you know.” Layla smiled evilly as she reached out and grabbed Willow by the neck, relishing in the sweet feeling of bruising flesh beneath her fingers.

Willow was too caught off guard to make the feeble ‘meep’ing sound she had planned upon being grabbed, but she couldn’t get enough- or any- air into her windpipe to do it. She struggled against the vampire’s hold, but for a blonde bimbo, she was really damn strong.

Any attempt at a spell was immediately squammed by her lack of ability to speak. Her vision blurred, and she felt Layla’s grip tightening even more.

Kennedy had just grabbed the nearest vamp by the collar of his coat. She lifted her stake above his heart and was about to slam it down when she looked across the way to lay eyes on the most horrifying vision she'd ever seen.

Willow. On her knees. Layla's hand around her throat. Willow turning blue.

Kennedy's blood boiled. The slayer inside her howled and her muscles tightened. The grip on her stake nearly shattered the wood against her fist, but she was able to control her anger long enough to stake the vampire before leaping over to land on the other's back. Without hesitation, she once again lifted the stake into the air and slammed it through the fallen vampire's back.

Kennedy slowly rose from her crouched position, her eyes landing on the female vampire. She dropped her stake to the ground and clenched her fists tightly. “Let her go,” she ground out in an eerily calm voice.

The smile suddenly faded from Layla's face and she instantly released her hold on the redhead. If she had a heartbeat, it would have been pounding in her ears at that exact moment. The look she was receiving from the slayer made her already dead blood run cold.

Kennedy slowly stalked over to the female vampire, never dropping her eyes from the blonde's. She stopped only when she was face to face with the she vamp. “If you *ever* touch her again,” Kennedy nodded back over her shoulder at her lover who was still struggling to regain a breath, “You'll suffer *so* incredibly much...you'll be *begging* me to stake you.” Her eyes held a look of intensity not even Layla could withstand. “Understand?”

The she vamp nodded mutely and took a step back from the slayer, slowing fading back into the darkness as Kennedy turned and bent down to tend to her lover.

“Will, baby,” Kennedy soothed as she dropped to her knees, pulling the witch into her lap. “Are you okay?”

The witch’s hands automatically went to her throat, and even though the forceful crushing was gone, it still took a few tries to actually get some air back down into her lungs. Groaning, she leaned back against the slayer.

After a few wheezing breaths, she tried to speak to Kennedy, but was met with a painful burning sensation in her windpipe. Instead, she just nodded, coughing a few times as she rubbed at her throat.

Kennedy watched as her lover suffered, her heart burning. The slayer wrapped her arms around the witch and pulled her against her body tightly, leaning down to kiss away the bruises already forming on her lover's neck.

“I'm so sorry baby,” she whispered soothingly. “I never shoulda let it happen. She never shoulda got that close to you.”

Kennedy’s kisses helped sooth the ache somewhat, and after a hard swallow the witch was finally able to force out some words. “Not…you, silly…stupid me. Sorry…”

Turning her head to the side, she caught sight of her slayer’s bloody lip and instantly sat up straighter. Reaching out, she lightly dabbed at the blood dripping down the slayer’s chin. “You okay?” came out as a croak.

“You got nothin' to be sorry for,” Kennedy shook her head before turning away to spit out a mouthful of blood. “And I'm fine.” She watched as her lover gave her a concerned look before shaking her head and pulling them both to their feet. “I said I'm fine Will, but we need to get you back and put some ice on that throat. I don't want it to swell.” She cringed as the words forced another rush of blood into her mouth and she turned to spit it out, wiping at her chin to remove the remaining trail with her sleeve.

Willow grimaced as more blood flew from Kennedy’s mouth, and as the slayer aimed to swipe it away, she reached out to lightly touch her face. “Let me see, baby…” Gingerly, and with care, she pulled the slayer’s lip back slightly to see the extent of the damage. A tooth had sliced part of her lip open, and her gums were sore and bleeding, but thankfully she wasn’t spitting *up* the blood.

That thought made Willow’s stomach turn in knots, and she leaned forward to place a gentle kiss to the side of Kennedy’s mouth that wasn’t as severely damaged. “C’mon…” She reached out and took her hand, quietly leading the slayer back towards the cemetery gate.

Kennedy's mouth ached. It felt like somebody had hit her square in the jaw with a sledgehammer, but she wasn't about to let her lover know. Willow had her own pain and she didn't need her making a fuss about a busted lip.

The slayer held onto her lover's hand and allowed herself to be lead from the cemetery, but she couldn't ignore the nagging voice in the back of her mind that was telling her this was far from over.

***

Willow re-entered the room with a bucket full of ice (luckily the machine was just down the hallway), and several plastic bags to find Kennedy sitting quietly on the edge of the bed.

“Hey, found some,” she stated softly, closing the door behind her and walking over to the bed. Though her throat was still sore, she was able to talk again almost normally, with just a slight rasp.

Sitting next to the slayer, she prepared a bag of ice and grabbed some tissues to dab at the bloody lip.

Kennedy watched her lover intently as she worked to rid her lip of the blood. Her eyes fell to the ugly bruises already forming on the delicate skin of the witch's throat.

The slayer lifted her right hand and ran her fingertips over the purple flesh gently. “How 'bout you? How you feelin'?”

After getting rid of the last of the blood stains, Willow twisted the top on one of the ice bags closed and held it to Kennedy’s cheek. “Kind of like some crazy bitch tried to strangle me,” the redhead joked with a meek smile. “But I’ll be fine.”

“I'm sorry Will,” Kennedy sighed as she dropped her hand back to her lap. “I never shoulda taken my eyes off you. She never woulda gotten to you if I wasn't distracted.” Kennedy looked up into her lover's eyes sadly. “I can't stand to see you hurt Will. It breaks my heart to know you're in pain.” The slayer ran her hand gently over her lover's thigh. “Wish I could make it better.”

Immediately the witch was shaking her head, feeling her inner-resolve face coming on. “No. I don’t want to hear about how it was your fault, because it wasn’t.” The slayer received a look that deemed it was not safe to argue. “I didn’t pay attention, that’s my mistake, not yours. You had a group of vampires to deal with, your hands were full.” Her expression softened, and her unoccupied hand reached down to cover Kennedy’s. “You can’t blame yourself every time I get hurt, sweetie. We live in a dangerous world, it’s part of our job description.”

“Its my job to protect you Will, not only as a slayer but as a lover.” Kennedy replied calmly. “If I can't even protect the one person in all the world that means the most to me, how can I go out every night and call myself a slayer?”

Kennedy shrugged off the other woman's gentle touch and looked away. “You may have been at this a lot longer than me, and I'm sure you know way more about evil than I do, but *I'm* the slayer, its my job to take the cuts and bruises of battles, not yours.”

Kennedy turned her eyes back to her lover and nodded at her throat. “I'm not just mad at myself as a slayer, I'm mad at myself as your lover that I couldn't protect you.”

Willow let out a deep sigh, seeing that she wasn’t going to be able to sway Kennedy that it wasn’t her fault. “Well then, for what it’s worth…I don’t blame you.” She offered Kennedy a small smile and a shrug, standing up. Letting the ice pack rest in the other girl’s hands, the witch walked over to and started rummaging around the suit cases, looking for fresh pajamas for two. She grimaced slightly at having to bend her neck, and absently reached up a hand to delicately rub at the side.

“Moo cows or flying puppies?” Willow held up two different pairs of fuzzy pajamas.

Kennedy couldn't help but smile. “Depends on which you like, 'cause there ain't no way you're gettin' me in either.” The slayer shook her head with a smile, fighting back the grimace of pain that shot through her lip.

“But...I was kinda hopin' for neither...” Kennedy added in afterthought, her smile growing.

“Hey!” Willow argued in mock defense. “Are you saying I’ll look stupid in these?” One more glance at the goofy pajamas and she wrinkled her nose, standing and then heading back to the bed.

The grimace by Kennedy didn’t go completely unnoticed, and Willow arched an eyebrow. “I don’t think you’re in any shape to be…using your mouth for kisses and other pleasant things right now. Give it a night, and your slayerness should have you back on the road to normalness by morning. Promise.”

With that, she held out the puppy pajamas.

Kennedy thought to argue, but decided against it. She reached out and took the pajamas with a light pout. “Stupid busted lip,” she grumbled as she stood up and headed for the bathroom, but stopped before she reached the door. She turned and looked at her lover with slight fear. “Does this mean no good night kiss?”

Without answering, Willow walked over to Kennedy and gathered the slayer into her arms, placing a gentle kiss on her lips, trying to avoid causing further pain. Then she kissed the brunette’s cheek, traveling down to her neck where yet more kisses rained. She let out a content sigh, just breathing in Kennedy’s scent. The slayer’s skin was so damn irresistible.

“Ah, Will?” Kennedy asked hesitantly between kisses. “You r-rethinking that whole 'pleasant' thing? 'Cause if you're not,” she paused and placed both hands on the witch's shoulders, pushing her back gently. “You *really* gotta stop that...now.”

Willow smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. You’re just…extremely kissable.” She leaned forward to plant one more on the slayer’s cheek, before stepping back and waving towards the bathroom. “Go get cleaned up. No stinky battle-smelling slayers in my bed.”

Kennedy smirked. “Funny, never heard you complain before,” the slayer challenged with a raised brow. “In fact, if I remember correctly, there was one night that I couldn't even make it to the bedroom because a certain redhead found stinky battle-smelling slayer me irresistible. Wouldn't by chance know who she is...would ya?”

That certain red head flushed accordingly, shuffling her feet uncomfortably. “Well, t-that was, ah…it was a long…just…go shower already!” She stuck her tongue out playfully at the young slayer before turning on her heels and bustling back towards the bed so she could change as well.

“Guess its pretty pointless to ask ya to join me?” Kennedy teased with a light grin. “'Cause you know, me being injured an' all, I might need some help washing my...back.” Kennedy grinned.

“Uh-huh,” Willow threw back over her shoulder, bemused. “I won’t be responsible for injuring you further, so I’m officially holding out on you.” Glancing behind her at the slightly horrified look on her girlfriend’s face, Willow chuckled. “Just for tonight, of course. Like I said, your mouth should be 90% better by morning. We’ll talk about a group shower then.”

Kennedy just shook her head with a sigh. “You know, *most* girlfriends would use this as an opportunity to pamper their lovers, not hold out on them. I tell ya, it just ain't right.” Kennedy turned to the bathroom door and reached out for the handle, still shaking her head.

“Did I just hear the words ‘Kennedy’ and ‘pamper’ in the same sentence?” Willow mused, glancing over her shoulder at the slayer, before rethinking that question. “…or, hear *you* say the word pamper when implying yourself as the pamperee?”

Raising a seductive eyebrow over her shoulder, Willow turned around so her back was facing the slayer, and slowly peeled her shirt over her head. She tossed it to the side, letting her hand linger in the air for a moment before dropping back to her side. “Hurry up and I may consider doing a little ‘pampering’ when you’re finished…”

Kennedy's jaw nearly hit the floor. Willow didn't know just *how* sexy she could be.

“Um,” the slayer swallowed back hard, her hand slowly dropping from the doorknob. “I ah...” She trailed off as she stared at her lover's back, her mind clouded with the image. “Just...in the...” She turned and pointed towards the bathroom. “S-shower.” Kennedy slowly turned and walked into the bathroom, gently clicking the door shut behind her.

The witch stifled a loud giggle, unable to help the large grin spreading across her face already. “Oh, Kennedy…” she sighed happily.

A few minutes later and she had shimmied out of her skirt as well, quickly changing into the cow pajamas that had surfaced from the depths of her suitcase. Willow aimed to crawl into bed, but her stiff neck gave a loud roar of protest. Instead, she made a second icepack and placed it on the back of her neck.

With a soft groan, she slowly lay down on the bed and snuggled into the covers, keeping the icepack in place.

Kennedy chose that exact moment to swing open the bathroom door and step out with a grin, her hair falling damply against her shoulders. “New world record, baby.” The slayer grinned and threw her dirty clothes into the pile at the far corner of the room before quickly walking over and falling into bed next to her lover.

Kennedy noticed the witch's pained expression and the ice pack that was currently resting against her neck. “Guess I'm not the one that needs the pampering,” she shook her head with a sign before sitting up with her back against the headboard.

“Come here, baby,” Kennedy spoke softly and patted the bed between her legs. “I'll fix that right up for ya.” She smiled over at her lover.

Willow couldn’t help but look guilty. “No, I’m okay…I promised you the pamperin’, after all.” She sat up as well, placing a hand on Kennedy’s knee. “You even had a Guinness-worthy shower.”

“Will, please don't argue with me,” Kennedy pleaded with a gentle sigh. She patted the spot again and gave the witch her best resolve face. “Now, move it.”

Pausing for a moment, Willow let out a small chuckle. “Nope. Still not quite an intimidating as me.” But she scooted in front of Kennedy and settled back between her legs, crossing her own.

Kennedy placed her hands gently on the witch's neck and dipped her head down to place light kisses over the ugly bruises marring her delicate skin. “Still so beautiful,” the slayer turned her head, whispering into her lover's ear.

Kennedy reached over and picked up the ice pack, placing it gently against the redhead's neck. “Feel better?” Kennedy whispered into the witch's ear as she massaged the tender skin with her left hand.

“Mmm-hmm…” Willow moaned, closing her eyes. The coldness from the ice sent a small shiver down her spine, but between that and the light movements of her lover’s hands, she felt her tense muscles start to relax. Kennedy might be a slayer, but she was surprisingly good with the massaging.

“I should get you to do this more often…” she murmured, the hint of a smile catching at the corners of her mouth.

Kennedy smiled and turned her head to inhale the scent of the witch's hair. “Mmm...sounds good to me,” she whispered as she slowly pulled away, continuing the light massage.

Kennedy paused for a moment, watching her lover intently. “Will?” she asked cautiously. “How did...I mean, what were...” The slayer paused with a frustrated sigh. “Why didn't you just listen to me?”

“Ehh?” Willow went to turn her neck quickly but immediately grimaced with the realization that it was a bad idea. So instead she briefly pulled away from the nice massage to turn and face the slayer. “About…what?” She looked confused.

“Don't play dumb Willow,” Kennedy accused. “It really doesn't suit you.” The slayer dropped her hands from the witch's neck and pulled back slightly. “You tried to help. I specifically told you not to try to help. I told you to stay back.” Kennedy huffed. “If you had just listened to me, this never woulda happened.”

Willow let out a loud sigh, looking away from Kennedy and glancing down to idly play with her fingers. “I…I know what I said, and…I’m sorry.” She glanced up once, looking guiltily at the slayer. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, sweetie, that isn’t it at all. I just…panicked. I-I saw him pick you up, a-and I didn’t k-know what was gonna happen. He was gonna toss you, break your back over his knee…I couldn’t let myself just, just *sit* there and let something happen.”

Before Kennedy could interrupt, she rushed on. “I know that you would’ve had him eventually, but momentary loss of brain functions made me jump in. I couldn’t stand the thought of all our happiness being squashed down in one night.”

“That's what you don't get, Will,” Kennedy placed her hands on the witch's thighs and dropped her head to rest against her lover's. “I don't want you thinking you always have to save me. I can handle myself, and if something like that does happen, I'd rather it be me than you.”

Kennedy silenced the redhead's interruption with a gentle sigh. “My body can take it, Will. I'm a slayer, we're built for that sorta thing. But even if it was something...worse, I'd still rather it be me than you. I just...” Kennedy lifted her arms and wrapped them around her lover's waist, letting out a slow sigh. “I can't stand the thought of you like that. Like this,” the slayer gave a nudge indicating the witch's neck. “You in any kinda pain is just too much for my slayer heart to take.”

Kennedy once again turned her head into the witch's, inhaling her aroma with a deep breath. “I'm sorry for yellin' at ya. You just make me so crazy.”

The witch stayed silent for a moment, resting her cheek against Kennedy’s. Any thought of Kennedy getting hurt made her heart wrench, especially any severe injury. Or worse…but she couldn’t think like that.

It was part of the risk of loving a slayer. That there was always the chance- the horrible, almost unthinkable chance- that something could go wrong, and badly. But it was a risk she was willing to take in order to be with her girl.

Letting out a deep sigh, Willow gave a small nod. “Okay,” she answered quietly. After a small pause, the redhead added “Maybe in the long run, it won’t be such a good idea if I go on patrol with you all the time. I’ll end up getting us both killed.” Willow emitted a small laugh.

“Well, maybe not killed,” Kennedy smiled. “Maimed, and possibly completely brain dead, but not killed,” the slayer teased lightly before letting out a low sigh. “But seriously Will, its not that I think you get in the way or that I think you couldn't handle yourself if you really had to. Its just...after what happened tonight, I'm not willing to take that chance.”

The brunette paused before smiling. “Besides, I need you at home cooking my dinner and making yourself all sexy for when I get home. You know how us slayers get after patrol...” Kennedy grinned and leaned in to kiss the sensitive skin behind Willow's ear.

Willow quivered, her nerves dancing under Kennedy’s soft touch. “I can do the cooking part. Not too sure about the sexy,” she replied shyly, turning her head ever so slightly so she was able to nip at Kennedy’s cheek.

“Oh really?” Kennedy asked intrigued. “And just what was that little show earlier, hmm? Sure seemed to me you knew *exactly* what you were doing,” the slayer husked into her lover's ear. “I don't think you have to worry about the sexy part, Will. You'd look hot in a burlap sack.”

“You’re crazy,” Willow pointed out, but it was said with a loving smile. She leaned in to place a kiss on Kennedy’s cheek, then another, slightly more feverent one, on the left and less damaged side of her lips. “But I love you anyway,” she murmured between sucking on Kennedy’s lower lip.

“Good to know,” the slayer moaned between kisses. “'Cause I really...Ow!” Her next words were cut off by a sudden jolt of pain shooting through her lip and straight to the roof of her mouth. Kennedy lifted her hand and placed it against the side of her mouth, closing her eyes in pain. “Sonuva bitch.”

The slayer slowly opened her eyes to meet the upset and slightly pained look of her lover. “Damn, that's quite a kiss ya got there,” the brunette tried to play it off in an attempt to ease her witch's mind.

“Ooh, baby…” Willow sympathized as another guilty look passed over her face. “I’m so sorry…‘guess this really does mean you’ll have to settle for simple snuggles tonight…” She picked up the icepack Kennedy had been holding on her neck and used her other hand to gently remove the slayer’s fingers from her aching cheek. “Here, let me do a bit of the pampering now…” With a soft smile, she rested the plastic bag against the injured side of the brunette’s jaw. “You just gotta stop being so damn kissable all the time. Most delicious lips this side of the continent.”

“Can't help it,” the slayer smiled with a wince. “When you're around, I just can't control 'em, but I think I got a pretty good argument that they're not *the* most delicious...” The slayer leaned in and placed a gentle, sweet kiss against the witch's. “Mmm, yep. I was right.” Kennedy smiled as she ran her hands over her lover's thighs. “Still doesn't mean we have to revert to *just* cuddles...

Another groaning sound came from the witch, as eyelids fluttered with the effort to remain open. “Y-you should be resting…” Willow stammered, her brain unable to concentrate on anything except for the hands now caressing along her sensitive skin.

“Well,” Kennedy sighed, removing her hands from the witch's thighs. “If you think its best.” The slayer let out a long sigh and fell back onto the bed, reaching over to the night stand for the remote. “I think the Cowboys game is on anyway.” Kennedy flipped through the channels, smiling when she found the game on ESPN.

Willow pouted. She stared at Kennedy, whom was concentrating on football for the moment, then sighed and lay down beside her. Mindful of her neck, she snuggled up and placed her head on the slayer’s shoulder.

Then she pouted again. “Hurry up and get better, ‘kay?” She circled her finger along the center of Kennedy’s chest.

The slayer tried to ignore the chill that her lover's touch sent down her spine. She swallowed back and nodded absently. “Soon as the slayer healin' kicks in,” the brunette turned to meet the witch's eyes with a smile, “Not even the Super Bowl itself is gonna keep me away from...” Kennedy paused to slowly trail her eyes over her lover's body, her tongue sneaking out to run over her bottom lip. “...you.”

The witch held the slayer’s gaze for a long moment, feeling the intensity flow between them. She swallowed hard, finally forcing herself to avert her eyes towards the television. “So… t-tired yet?” She really, *really* had to stop kissing those lips is they were ever gonna heal. Bad, bad Willow…

“Oh, come on!” Kennedy shouted at the television. “That was *so* holding!” She slammed her hand back down onto the bed with a sigh. “Those damn refs wouldn't know a penalty if it slapped 'em in the face.” The slayer shook her head with a sigh before looking over at her lover. “You say somethin' Will?”

Kennedy caught a movement on the TV out of the corner of her eye and she quickly turned back to watch. “What was that?! He was wide open! Man,” the slayer shook her head again. “My grandma coulda caught that.”

The witch laughed, rolling her eyes. “Slayers…” she muttered teasingly, though unsure if Kennedy even heard her. Then, to get Kennedy’s attention, she poked the slayer in the ribs. “Hey, cowgirl…I’m gonna try and dose off. Try not to break the TV, the hotel probably charges an arm and a leg for that.” Smiling, she kissed her on the cheek before rolling over and snuggling into the mattress.

Kennedy looked over at the light poke. “You want me to turn it off? Think I still got some energy left for a few snuggles.” The slayer smiled as she stole one last glance at the TV, smiling as the game ended on a Cowboys winning field goal.

The slayer didn't wait for her lover's answer. She turned the television off and tossed the remote onto the night stand before snuggling in behind the witch. Kennedy wrapped a strong arm around her lover's waist while leaning in to trail soft kisses along her neck, nudging the pajama top out of the way as she made her way lower.

“Mmm…wouldn’t want to deprive you of your football,” Willow answered tiredly but with a smile. She sighed contently as Kennedy kissed her way soothingly across the bruised skin. “Careful you don’t bust your lip further, baby. But…y’know, does feel nice…”

Kennedy smiled through her kisses. “Baby, if the cost of bringing you even the tiniest bit of pleasure is a busted lip and a sore mouth,” the slayer paused in her kissing to whisper against the witch's ear. “Then its a price I'm *very* willing to pay.”

Kennedy nudged the red locks out of her way and continued her assault on the skin behind her lover's ear, her hand slowly sneaking down under the older woman's pajama top. The slayer ran her fingers over the soft skin of her girlfriend's stomach before slowly sliding it up to her chest.

The witch shivered once again, feeling Kennedy’s strong hands cup her breast and give it a gentle squeeze. She stifled a moan, licking her dry lips and resisting the urge to roll over and kiss the slayer to death. But there was no need to bring more pain into the mix.

“Have I ever told you how amazing you make me feel?” Willow whispered, closing her eyes and taking in a shallow breath.

“Maybe once or twice,” Kennedy grinned as she stopped her kisses against the witch's neck to pull her lover flat on her back. Holding herself above the witch's body with her free arm, she smiled down at the flushed look on the redhead's face. “But I never get tired of hearin' it.”

The slayer eased her thigh between her girlfriend's leaning in to bring her lips inches away from Willow's. “I don't care how much it hurts Will, I want...I *need* to kiss you.”

Not one to normally protest, Willow nodded silently and tilted her chin upwards to mesh their lips. Her hands automatically caressed her slayer’s sides, bunching and unbunching the soft material between her hands in the process.

She kept her kisses soft, not wanting to cause a lot of pain to her lover. However she pulled back for a short moment, glancing up at Kennedy and grinning lovingly. “Puppy pajamas look cute on you…”

“I thought I told you,” the slayer playfully growled. “I...” she leaned down and kissed the side of the witch's mouth, “...am...” she trailed her kiss over her chin and to the side of her throat, “...*not*...” she brought her head back up and planted a kiss directly on the redhead's lips “...cute.” She emphasized her last word with a light nudge of her hips. “Got it?”

“Uh-huh…” Willow just raised an eyebrow in return. “Whatever you say.” She leaned in to lick the rim of Kennedy’s ear. “Buuut, that’s not to say you aren’t sexy…” One hand grazed over Kennedy’s back, making it’s way her shoulders. “Mysterious,” came second as her other hand started to slide underneath the slayer’s pajamas. “And adorable…”

“Willow...” the slayer breathed huskily. She dropped her head to the witch's shoulder, her hand lightly increasing the pressure on her lover's breast. Her breathing began to quicken and she felt the blood beginning to pound in her ears. “The things you do to me...”

“Well, ‘long as I don’t hear any complaining…” Willow managed to lift the shirt up and over Kennedy’s head. “…I figure there’s no point in stopping.” She leaned up again, capturing Kennedy’s lips in a soft but passionate kiss.

It lasted a few moments before Willow had to pull back for air, her chest heaving as Kennedy’s hand continued to tease her right breast. “So y…you r-really wanna m-marry me…huh?” It came out more broken than she wanted, but the feeling of her body coming alive under the younger girl’s touch was driving her towards the edge.

Kennedy stopped all movement and slowly locked her eyes on her lover's. “Uh, is that a trick question?” The slayer pulled her hand out of Willow's shirt and lifted herself back up. “You know, where we're really heavy in a make out session and then you ask me something intimate and then I screw it up by answering wrong and then you get all huffy and its suddenly 'no sex for Kennedy'?” The slayer trialed off nervously.

The older girl blinked at Kennedy, waiting for some of the fog to clear from her brain before answering. “No, it was more of a…rhetorical question, actually.” She tried to smile reassuringly, and reached out to run a hand along Kennedy’s arm, but stopped halfway through the reach. “…u-unless you changed your mind already…” her brow furrowed.

Kennedy's look of nervous fear soon turned to a playful smile. “Okay. Who are you and what have you done with my Willow?” The slayer poked her lover in the side lightly with a grin. “'Cause *my* Willow would never ask such a stupid question. My Willow knows that I've been waitin' my whole life to finally find that one woman that melts my heart with just a smile, and my Willow knows that the only way she's gonna keep me from marrying her is if she runs away to join the circus and changes her name to...uh, something else except Willow.” Kennedy finished her rant with a grin before stretching out her arm to entwine the fingers of her right hand with the witch's left.

The slightly confused look faded from the witch’s face, changing to one of adoration, then quickly bordering on cheeky. “Well, I guess that answers my question on whether or not you’d support a career decision in tight-rope-walking or acrobatics…”

“Baby, I'd support you in anything you wanna do,” Kennedy smiled with a light pat on her lover's hand. “Just as long as I'm the one you come home to, I got no issues.” The slayer smiled softly. “You can be the Magnificent Flying Willow for all I care, just as long as you fly that cute little butt right back home when you're done.”

“My bottom belongs to you,” Willow replied before thinking about it. Then she blushed deeply and had to glance away. “O-or…you know what I mean. Besides, I think I’d be too scared of heights at the circus. Or lions…or elephants…and clowns are kinda creepy too. This one time, Xander had one at his 6th grade birthday party, and he started t…” Once again, she blushed and gave her lover a sheepish grin. “Sorry. The Amazing Babbling Willow strikes again.” She used her right, un-Kennedy-occupied hand to reach over and stroke the exposed skin of her lover’s side, slowly running it up closer to her breast. “Weren’t we in the middle of something?”

Kennedy smirked. “You could say that.” The slayer shook her head with a playful sigh. “You know, I thought we slayers were supposed to be the ones with the insatiable sex drive?”

She looked up at her lover with a grin. “Seems you wiccans can hold your own in that department, huh?”

That caused a deep flush in the redhead for a third time. “Hey, it’s not my fault you’re all, all…sexy and stuff, and that I can’t resist. Plus, hello, as of three hours ago you asked me to marry you…doesn’t that require some celebration?”

“That it does,” Kennedy smiled. “But I've got a feelin' we aren't gonna stop at just *some* celebration.” The slayer broke her hand away from her lover's to brush back a loose strand of hair from her emerald eyes. “I wish I could stay with you like this forever, Will. I can't believe how much I love you.”

“With you there,” Willow whispered, bringing both arms up to snake around her slayer’s neck and pull her closer. “Let’s take the time to enjoy it while we can.” She gently pulled Kennedy down so she could lightly start to work away at her lips, once again trying to cause the least amount of pain for the slayer as possible. She murmured something in between kisses, words along the lines of ‘kissable’ and ‘love you’.

Kennedy sighed at the gentle contact, returning the soft kisses just as gently as her lover was giving them. Her hands started their slow surveying of the witch's body, softly touching her skin and revealing in the gentle sighs accompanying them. She felt her passion once again beginning to rise, but she held back, trying not to upset the sweet gentleness of the moment.

Willow’s hands slipped from around Kennedy’s neck and began to slowly knead and massage at the muscles along Kennedy’s shoulders and back. She felt some of the tension slip away, and at the same time the kiss deepened a bit. The redhead eased her tongue into the dark haired girl’s mouth, meshing it against her partners.

Kennedy moaned at the feel of her lover's tongue against her own. Willow knew how much that drove her crazy, and Kennedy smiled to herself a little at that.

“Baby,” the slayer barely managed to break away for a breath. “You think we could...uh...” Kennedy trailed off nervously, her eyes landing everywhere but on her lover's face. She briefly glanced over at the large balcony attached to their room before averting her eyes away.

The witch followed Kennedy’s eyes for a moment, before looking back at her lover with a raised eyebrow. “I-I don’t…” she trailed off, confused, and also panting from the lengthy kiss. Then a tiny light bulb started to flick somewhere in her brain. “Y-you wanna…o-outside?”

“Well,” Kennedy blushed. “It's just...we never got to...the other night, 'cause of the demon stuff an' all.” She looked nervous, chewing her bottom lip. “But I mean, i-if you don't...want, then t-that's...fine.”

Willow couldn’t help but smile at the nervous babbling of her lover. She gently cupped her face between two hands and gave her another kiss. “Only if you carry me,” came out as a seductive whisper, accompanied by a coy smile.

Kennedy smiled softly. “I think that can be arranged.” The slayer lifted herself back off her lover and slowly rose to her feet. She meet the trusting green gaze of her redhead before reaching her arms out to lift her up effortlessly. “You might wanna grab that blanket,” the slayer nodded to the quilt lying bunched up at the end of the bed. “As much as I wanna make love to you under the stars, I don't wanna freeze my ass off doing it.”

When the slayer leaned over, Willow scooped up the quilt and wrapped it around Kennedy’s shoulders and her own body as best she could, while being carried towards the balcony door.

Once outside, the size of the balcony registered slight surprise. It was a lot bigger than she thought it would be. Not to mention the fact that a double sized lawn chair, already spread out and covered with cushions, just seemed to lie in wait.

“Looks like *someone* made a special call to room service,” Willow spoke in a mock accusing tone.

“I can't imagine who that could be,” Kennedy smiled innocently. She shook her head with a sigh as she gently placed her lover back against the chair. She lifted the blanket up around her shoulders, allowing it to fall freely behind her. She gazed down at the witch with gentle eyes. “You sure about this Will? 'Cause, you know...you don't have to...to do this if makes you uncomfortable.” A gentle breeze blew in, causing the slayer to shiver.

Willow managed to catch the beginning of the sentence, right until the blanket dropped, then pretty much everything after that went in one ear and out the next. She just kind of lay there, slack jawed, staring the half-naked, topless form of her lover standing above her bathed in moonlight.

“Huh?” she finally asked in a dazed, and distant voice.

Kennedy smiled through another shiver. “I'll just take that as a yes.” She placed one knee between the witch's thighs and slowly lowered her body down on top her lover's. “Not too heavy, am I?” The slayer's lip tremble against the cold.

“I can barely breathe, chubby…” Willow stuck her tongue out playfully, then craned her neck upwards to steal a quick kiss. “Tiny little Kennedy? Too heavy?” She played with a stray strand of her lover’s hair. “I haven’t complained up until this point, so I think we’re safe.” She noticed her lover shaking slightly and raised a concerned eyebrow. “You okay, baby?”

“I...I think so,” Kennedy whispered through the shivers. She took a moment to catch her breath, but the shivers didn't stop. “I don't know w-what's wrong.” The slayer pulled the blanket tighter around her body and laid her head against her lover's chest. “I've never felt like this...before.”

Worry rapidly spread throughout Willow, and she wrapped both arms tightly around her slayer. It wasn’t really that cold out, since it was summer time in Rio. She ran a million and one thoughts through her mind in a matter of seconds, but couldn’t figure out what would be wrong. “S-should we go back inside? Get someone from downstairs? Do you feel sick? A-are you sick?”

Kennedy shook her head lightly. “I...I don't think it's anything like that.” Her fingers clutched the blanket tightly as she took in a few deep breaths. “It doesn't feel so much physical ... more...”

“Are you…nervous?” Willow asked quietly, rubbing Kennedy’s back through the blanket as she held the girl closely to her. “Just take a moment to catch your breath, baby…there’s no rush. We can just, sleep, if you want…” She craned her neck forward, ignoring the stiffness, to place a soft kiss against Kennedy’s forehead.

“Me? Nervous?” Kennedy looked up from the redhead's chest with a shivering smile. “I'm shocked you'd t-think such a thing.” The slayer placed her head back on the witch's chest and sighed. “I think...I think its just my body trying to...to heal itself from that beating.” Kennedy winced at the sudden ache in her ribs. “Yep, that's it.”

That let the witch breathe a little easier. “Oh, thank the goddess,” she sighed, relief obvious in her voice. “I thought…I don’t know *what* I thought, I-I was just really worried for a second there…” She continued to gently rub her lover’s back. “I guess it’s a feeling that’ll take some getting used to, baby. This is kinda the first time you’ve really been hurt since becoming a slayer.” Willow kissed Kenn’s forehead a second time. “I think this is another sign that we need to give the Willow and Kennedy sexcapades a break for one night. You need some rest.”

“I'm so glad my pain amuses you,” Kennedy teased through another shaky breath, but the pain in her ribs cut the light banter short. “I hate to admit it, but I'm gonna have to say you're right on this one.” The slayer pulled her head up from her lover's chest and gazed into her eyes sadly. “I'm sorry Will, but it looks like I'm just not up for it tonight.” Kennedy paused and considered her words. “Uh...you know what I mean.”

The witch smiled knowingly. “I know sweetie, don’t worry your pretty little head.” She glanced around the balcony for a moment, then nodded back towards the door. “Why don’t we get you back inside, and uh, dressed again?”

“Any reason we have to?” Kennedy asked playfully. “I mean,” she let her eyes wash over her lover before letting out a low groan. “I'm kinda hoping the whole clothing thing is optional.” The slayer grinned at Willow.

With a roll of her eyes in a playful manner, Willow started to sit up, bringing Kennedy with her. “Okay, fine, there doesn’t have to be any clothes involved, but *only* if you promise to rest. Meaning sleep. Meaning no sex for Kennedy.” She gave a fierce rendition of ‘resolve face’, trying to get her point across.

“But...but...not no sex *ever*, right?” Kennedy pouted. “'Cause we slayers heal pretty fast you know.” The brunette jumped back on her feet in an instant. “See? Better already.” Kennedy tried to look hopeful, but the sharp pain that shot through her side caused her to waver. “Oh, damn.” The slayer grabbed her side with a wince. “Okay. So, maybe I should just...” she motioned towards the bed with a sigh. “Yeah.”

Kennedy extended her other hand to her lover. “You didn't think I was gonna give up the snuggles too, now did ya?”

Willow beamed up at her slayer. “Good. ‘Cause I still need my Kennedy snuggles. Don’t think I can sleep without them.” She allowed the slayer to help her up, then adjusted the blanket around Kennedy’s shoulders once again.
“And…we’ll see about the sex thing.” She grinned crookedly and headed back towards the balcony door.

“When you say 'see'...you really mean, 'As soon as you're feeling better Kennedy, my body is yours for the taking'...right?” The slayer allowed her hand to be taken and her lover to lead her back into the room. “'Cause that's what I heard. My slayer hearing is keen on that sorta thing, you know.”

TBC...