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Maybe it's intuition / But some things you just don't question / Like in your eyes I see my future in an instant / And there it goes / I think I've found my best friend / I know that it might sound more than a little crazy / But I believe / I knew I loved you before I met you / I think I dreamed you into life / I knew I loved you before I met you / I have been waiting all my life / There's just no rhyme or reason / Only this sense of completion / And in your eyes I see the missing pieces I'm searching for / I think I've found my way home / I know that it might sound more than a little crazy / But I believe...
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The next week and a half were one big, long blur of lessons. Horseback riding, training with Mars, after Faith profusely apologized to both Mars and his Man-At-Arms, Lee. Lee, it turned out, was only around eighteen years of age. And while he did have black hair and pale, blue eyes, did not look anything at all like Johnny in the cold light of day.

They spent most evenings with Lilith and Clotho, watching Buffy turn everything into ash as she continued with fierce determination trying to learn how to cook. Faith had a feeling she was going to be spending a lot of time sneaking out to get fast food because she just didn't have the heart to tell Buffy that she wasn't even a halfway decent cook at best. Instead Faith and the two poor Immortals sat at the table each night and ate with smiles on their faces whatever Buffy had burnt for them that night. Faith had the worst of it though, because of the amount of food she normally ate and because Buffy decided to start making breakfast too. Faith was eternally grateful that she had a stomach made out of cast iron.

They continued to take a bath together every night and Buffy would read to them resting against Faith. They became increasingly comfortable around each other. Neither afraid to share 'just-because' touches or kisses, though Buffy was still giving over all control to Faith when it came to the more passionate touches and kisses. Buffy was cautious in returning the kisses and touches. Afraid to give free rein to what she was feeling, she didn't want to inadvertently call up one of Faith's bad memories. She listened closely to the echoes she got from Faith when she joined Faith in deepening their kisses or her hands wander past the purely 'just because' type of touch. The second she felt any fear or Faith freezing up she would gently pull back and simply gather Faith into her arms and hold her until the fear passed, letting her know through their bond and by her actions that this was fine with her, this was enough for her.

Faith had been weaving a seductive web around Buffy that left her catching her breath in anticipation with just a look or a casual touch. For the first time in her life Faith gave into all the romantic little notions that she had heard and read about or seen others do. From picking daisies in the meadow by the cottage for Buffy, to candlelit dinners or snacks when it was just the two of them. From picnics by the lake, to them riding bareback and double on Obsidian in the moonlight. To waking Buffy every morning with slow sensual kisses, drawing her into that in-between place with her, to just picking her up and swinging Buffy around and around until they both fell dizzy to the ground.

Faith was romancing Buffy as if they were just starting out and she found herself falling deeper in love with Buffy every second they spent together. Delighted by Buffy's shy smiles, to her out and out jumping into her arms in joy and she found that Buffy was weaving her own seductive spell around her as well.

Once again the single red and white roses twined together by wire were left somewhere every day for Faith to find. She found little yellow sticky notes all over the place for her, including one inside her boot that simply had a B on it. To little beanie babies waiting on the bed for her, joining the black and white panthers that Buffy had asked Clotho to bring here for them. They had a virtual zoo living with them on the bed. To the black riding boots and the kick-ass custom made black leather chaps Buffy had made for her. The way that Buffy always seemed to grab her hand when they were walking, to the casual touches and kisses that were purely just because. To the little secret smile that Buffy had and Faith knew that she would find something in a shoe, her coffee cup, one of her pockets during the course of the day. It could simply be a note that said 'I love you' to a silver bracelet. The massages with the warm oil and the way that Buffy seemed to always play with her hair when she was near.

They found themselves falling further under each other's spell every day. They were paying attention to each other's reactions in a way very few lovers ever did and they listened to the echoes in the bond they shared. And the intimacy they had discovered in that dream place they had created when they were held in hell grew ever deeper.

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Everyone had been there for Lily's little gathering the week before and it was great to see them all. It had felt like forever since they had seen anyone, especially Dawn. Both Slayers were shocked to find out that eight days here in the Incarnates' domain only equaled a little less than one day back on Earth. So while to them it had felt like they had been gone for so long, to the others it had only been a little over three days. Willow and Tara had let them know that all was under control in good old Sunnydale, Luc had sent two of his minions to pose as the Slayers and patrol.

After the party Angel had stopped Buffy and Faith asking if they could talk about what had happened. They all went back to the Slayers' cottage where Faith was ready to go for a stroll to give them privacy. She wasn't afraid; she had no doubt in her mind any longer that it was with her that Buffy wanted to be with. She just thought that it would be easier for them to talk about that day without her there. Both had asked her to stay at the same time as if they had practiced it.

Angel, being who he was, cut right through the shit. Stating clearly and plainly that he was not in love with Buffy and he knew that Buffy was not in love with him. He even wondered if they were in love with each other two years ago when he had been human for that one day. Or if perhaps they had convinced themselves they were because of all that had happened before, because of being denied the chance to ever really try. He loved Buffy, she was his family just like Faith was. They were, Buffy and Faith, his Anmchara, his soul-friends. And Buffy cried not because she couldn't be with Angel, but because he had given up his chance at being human so that she could live, so that innocents would not die because of him. Faith found herself crying right along with Buffy, and she silently thanked the powers for bringing both of these beautiful people into her life and for letting her become a part of theirs.

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She rolled onto her back and off of her mate. She stretched, arching her back up off the bed, her hands reaching for the headboard. Faith almost looked like a cat or rather a panther as her mate so often likened her to, arching, all graceful, sleek and sensual. The covers as usual where all tangled in a bunch down at the bottom of the bed. It was a good thing they had central heating at the Mansion, and that the cottage they were staying at within the Incarnates combined domains had fireplaces or they would be forced to sleep in pajamas.

She rolled back on her side towards her mate and propped herself up on one elbow resting her head in her hand. She idly started to caress the smooth flat stomach below her, smiling at the little ripples that ran under her fingertips at her touch. God she felt good, so relaxed, so comfortable, so safe and realized with a start that her first thought this morning wasn't; Was today the day she was going to die? Realized that she hadn't had that thought for a good while since they had been here at the cottage. It was the first time since she had been Chosen that she could remember not having that thought. She wondered if Buffy was no longer thinking that first thing upon waking too.

She stared down at Buffy while she slept and couldn't help but think how peaceful, how beautiful and how young she looked while she slept. The funny thing was that they were young, but it was rare that they ever got to be young. Being Slayers added a responsibility to both their shoulders that added years to their mental age. They had been given a rare opportunity since being here, a temporary respite from carrying the weight of Slayerdom on their shoulders. And for the first time ever in her life Faith knew what it was like to be young, carefree and normal. Something she had never been, considering the way she had grown up.

At least Buffy had somewhat of a normal childhood until she had been called. She had been a cheerleader, had friends, a Mom and a sister who loved her, things Faith had never had. Things that, at one time, Faith had resented Buffy for, but now she no longer did, was happy that Buffy got the chances she never had. She had this time now and the time before Glory had abducted them. She silently prayed daily that when they did return back to their own domain that they would be able to retain the young, carefree, normal life they had created with each other without shirking their responsibilities as Slayers.

She rose from the bed and padded into the bathroom, truly comfortable with her own self for the first time since before Glory had abducted them. She brushed her teeth, splashed cold water on her face and ran a comb quickly through her hair. She looked at herself in the mirror and no longer saw the haunted eyes that had stared back at her for almost the whole of her life. It had been almost three weeks since her breakdown in the shower and while all the ghosts weren't gone, they, he, haunted her less frequently. She had Buffy to thank for that. She knew almost at the same moment that Faith herself did the second they reared their ugly heads. Within seconds Buffy's strong, safe, warm arms would surround her, and Faith would lean on that strength. She would hear Buffy whispering or asking her quietly to talk to her, to tell her what was wrong, what had triggered the memory and much to her surprise Faith found that it had gotten easier and easier to talk about it with Buffy.

The more she confronted and talked about the ghosts the less and less power they had over her. She knew that the ghost of him would always be with her, that his cold shadow-like touch would rear it's head from time to time for no other reason than maybe a certain smell, a sound, or simply a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye triggered the memory of him. But every minute, every hour, every day that went by that she was free of his ghost, made her stronger, made her less terrified, made it easier to trust again. As she looked at her reflection in the mirror she knew that when it came to Buffy she trusted her completely and as for the rest of her extended family she knew that if push came to shove she trusted them as well.

She smiled as she thought of Buffy, a little wicked glint glittered in her eyes making the emerald flecks flash. She had noticed over the last few weeks that strong emotions in either of them cause their eyes to glow, change colors, hers emerald green, and Buffy's gold. It was going to be extremely hard for either of them to hide from the other, or anyone else, any type of emotional extreme even if they did block their bond. She was done hiding anyway, she had nothing to hide anymore. Buffy knew everything about her and for the first time in her life, Faith felt truly free. With a smile on her face she turned from the mirror and headed back to bed.

It was time to wake her mate. Something she found she enjoyed doing very much! And Buffy didn't seem to mind either!

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She crawled back into bed with Buffy, but instead of kissing her awake like she had been almost every morning, she started to trail her fingers along Buffy's tanned skin. The tips of her fingers barely grazing the flat surface of Buffy's newly acquired, six-pack for a stomach. She watched as the goose-bumps rose on Buffy's skin everywhere she touched her. They had become increasingly more intimate with each other over the last few weeks. She loved touching, kissing Buffy and loved Buffy doing the same to her in return, the difference now though was Buffy was reining herself in.

And while she wasn't ready for Buffy to slam her up against the wall and fuck her into oblivion, she also didn't want Buffy treating her like a delicate piece of china that would break at the slightest touch. Nor did she want Buffy to stamp down her own desire, and since their return from Glory's hell, Buffy hadn't initiated anything beyond the 'just because', touches and kisses and had only been touching her tentatively, hesitantly. She was careful not to be to passionate, or even demanding and kept herself as still as possible. When she held Faith while they were being intimate, it was always loosely, careful to keep her control at all times and Faith knew Buffy was waiting for her. Waiting for her to be ready to take that next step and Faith didn't know when she would be ready for Buffy to touch her that way and she didn't want Buffy to wait for her. Didn't want Buffy to be afraid to let herself go, afraid to ask for anything.

For some reason Buffy had associated that first night they had dinner at the Immortals and her own loud moan of desire with Faith getting scared. Even though Faith had tried to explain to her it wasn't the moan that had trigger the fear, tried to explain that it was a knee-jerk reaction to her saying she couldn't. A knee-jerk reaction to saying No. Buffy had said she believed her, but Faith knew from their echoes and the way Buffy had been acting that deep down she didn't.

And Faith fervently missed the passionate, the wild side of Buffy.

She missed the woman who had tortured and teased her in the bath that night they had first made love. The woman who the next morning had screamed her name so loudly the neighbors had heard them. The woman who attacked her in the shower, had thrown her over her shoulder one afternoon and made love to her until she passed out. The woman who would kiss her until her knees grew weak and then left to go pick up Dawn at school. The woman who arched up into her when she was touching her, or clutched at her with desire, or dug her fingers into shoulders when she teased her. The woman who demanded and gave as good as she got. She missed the gentle side of Buffy, her sighs, her moans, her screams. And Faith knew that if Buffy didn't let go now of her fear of somehow scaring or hurting Faith that she never would.

Over the last three weeks, Faith had tried repeatedly to convey this to Buffy and each time Buffy would tell her she understood, believed her, but her actions still didn't reflect her words. She never wanted Buffy to ever feel afraid to touch her, to kiss her, to hold her with as much or as little passion as she wanted to, anytime, anywhere. And right now Buffy was afraid to do that, afraid to let herself go and it was time for Faith to change that.

Faith had absolutely no fear of Buffy at all, she knew that Buffy would never force her, never hurt her. Knew that Buffy would stop the second she sensed any fear coming from her. She had shown that over and over again in the last few weeks. What Buffy didn't realize and Faith had tried to explain to her, was that; with every kiss, every touch, every caress, every sigh that came from Buffy, it was helping Faith to remember how good, wonderful, beautiful it was to make love with someone you loved. That the act itself, whether slow and gentle or hard and furious, when done with love, was beautiful.

While she had needed to be in control of initiating anything intimate between them in the beginning she didn't need that anymore. She wanted Buffy to be unafraid to grab and kiss her until her knees started trembling and her heart tried to pound it's way out of her chest. While Faith didn't know if she was ready for Buffy to make love to her, she knew she was more than ready to make love to Buffy. Would she prefer that they made love to each other, yes, but she needed, wanted to touch, be intimate with Buffy.

Just like Buffy had wanted her Faith back, Faith wanted her B back. And with that goal in mind she had spent the last week and a half playing Buffy like a fine tuned instrument and it was time to make Buffy sing.

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She lay on her side, head propped in her hand, with her free hand she continued to trace the outline of Buffy's six-pack stomach. Watching the little ripples of the muscles, she ran her eyes leisurely over Buffy's body. Starting with her cute little feet, up her well defined calves and thighs. Over the short curls that covered her sex, her narrow hips, over the six-pack again. To her small but just the right size for her hands, perky, firm breasts, the rosy nipples of which were still sleeping. To the slim column of her neck, to her full lips, the bottom one even pouty in her sleep. The straight line of her nose, that was flanked by high, narrow cheekbones, over her winged eyebrows, to finally her closed eyes. Eyes that Faith lost herself in more than once a day. Eyes she could lose herself in forever.

She trailed her hand down to one firm breast. Her fingertips skimming lightly over and around it, 'til they climbed up one gentle slope to barely brush, tease one nipple to wake. She leaned down and gently blew on Buffy's other nipple and couldn't help but smile as it too woke to greet her breath. She began to run her hand, fingers as lightly and softly as possible over all of her mate's body. Watching as her breath sped up a little, as her chest began to flush, the lips to part, as the tip of her tongue came out to wet them. She left no part of Buffy's body untouched while she slept, her fingers dipping down to feel once again familiar wet warmth. And Faith couldn't suppress her own moan as the feel of touching Buffy's heat traveled up from her fingers and through every part of her. It was almost belatedly that she realized that she could feel the shadow-like touches on her own skin as she touched Buffy.

She dipped her head down and whispered a kiss over Buffy's parted lips. She caught the bottom one between her own and delicately ran her tongue along it's length, then pulled back to give the top one the same delicate treatment. She slide her mouth away and traced Buffy's jaw line, then ran her mouth, her tongue down, then back up the side of her neck, stopping briefly to nip Buffy's pulse point. Her hand continued on it's own lazily path of random patterns all over Buffy's body. Out of the corner of her eye she saw as Buffy's legs parted slightly further as her fingertips brushed across the top of her curls. She moved a little so that she was flush up against Buffy's side, she slid one leg over the top of Buffy's and hooked it, pulling it back towards her, opening her mate to her more.

She let her hand travel downward again, to the inside of one thigh, making little circles, writing her name with her fingertips. She trailed her mouth back up to Buffy's, kissing her teasingly with both her mouth and tongue. Her hand traveled upwards to Buffy's heat, to run along slick folds, gathering up the essence that was her mate. Her fingers slid away to the inside of Buffy's other thigh, leaving a trail of wetness in their wake. Her mouth left Buffy's lips, as she moved down raining soft kisses over her chin, to under it, down the whole of her throat, biting, nipping, flicking with her tongue. She continued down to Buffy's chest, leaving little love marks to show where she'd been. Up over the slope of her breast to take one, now wide awake nipple into the darkness of her mouth. She suckled gently, as her hand moved up of it's own will to her mate's heat again.

She heard Buffy's breathing become more erratic as she pressed her hand flat up against her heat. She caught her nipple between her teeth and let her tongue play. She felt Buffy's arousal through their bond, burning-hotly, even in her sleep, Faith had been keeping her there on the edge every day, all day long for almost the whole week. It was a little cruel she knew that, but, she wanted, needed her B, back. Wanted, needed to know that she could still make Buffy feel this way. Wanted, needed Buffy to lose her control. She needed it like she needed to breath after all that had happened to them, between them in the last few months. She pressed her hand against Buffy with just slightly more pressure and felt Buffy buck.

Then she heard the sweetest sound she had heard in a long time, as Buffy woke moaning her name.

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She woke feeling like someone had exchanged her blood for molten lava. She breathed out the mantra that had been playing in her dream, 'Faith...' and then because she couldn't help herself she said it again. "Faith..."

Faith lifted her head reluctantly and smiled down at her, "Morning... Gizmo..."

Forcing her eyes open, Buffy just stared up at her, and the only coherent thought she was capable of was Faith's name. She wanted to pull Faith down to her, wanted to wrap her arms around her tightly. She just wanted! But she was afraid. She didn't want to frighten Faith, didn't want to ruin this moment. Didn't want to ask Faith for something she wasn't ready for and innately she knew Faith wasn't ready to make love with her. What Buffy still wasn't getting was that Faith was more than ready to make love to her and see where it led.

She forced her body to stay still, tried to force down her arousal, her all consuming desire and almost lost her control when she felt Faith press her hand more firmly against her.

"Cat got your tongue, B?"

Buffy just stared up at Faith mutely, afraid to move her mouth even, afraid any movement and she was going to lose it. She knew it! She so wanted to lose it, but she couldn't. She had to wait. SHE HAD TO WAIT! She started saying the 'ABC's' in her mind then decided that wasn't a good idea as she started reciting the list she made at the Fates' the day of the Joining.

"Maybe I ought to help you get it back." At Buffy's quizzical look Faith explained further, "Your tongue from the cat that is..." She gave Buffy a wicked, down right fucking evil smile and Buffy knew she was in big trouble.

Faith's hand slid up and through Buffy's heat, her finger's pressing inward for a second, sliding over her clit, across her hip, down the side of her waist. She placed her hand, palm flat on the bed, she moved, nudging Buffy's legs further apart and lay right between them, holding herself up over Buffy, her heat resting lightly on Buffy's.

Buffy just became one large quivering, need-filled mess. She clutched desperately at the sheets, then Faith leaned down and kissed her until Buffy swore her hair was going to catch on fire. She dug her fingers into the sheets so hard that her fingers ripped right through them.

Buffy started to recite the names of her relatives in her head. She tried thinking about Giles in that way, anything, and everything to keep away the desire that was screaming through every cell. She had been on the edge for days now. And she had taken more cold showers than she had in the weeks after she had brought Faith back from LA. She wanted to feel the full weight of Faith upon her, instead Faith just deepened their kiss, distracting her from her internal mantra and she felt the sheet shred under her hands.

She shifted her weight a little so she was supporting herself with one arm. Starting at Buffy's neck she trailed the tips of her fingers down, she moved inward a little and stopped to pay teasing attention to Buffy's nipple then moved on again. She slid her hand along Buffy's side and her back. When she reached one firm buttock she started to gently massage and knead.

Faith lifted her head to look down into Buffy's half-lidded eyes. She smiled then ducked down again to trace patterns all over Buffy's throat, nipping with her teeth, soothing with her tongue the little tiny love bites. Her hand slid further down to massage and knead the back of Buffy's firm thigh. She continued downward until she reached the back of Buffy's knee, she lifted and wrapped Buffy's leg around her hip. Then she began a slow, light rotation of her heat against Buffy's. It was so light, so soft that Faith herself wasn't even sure they were actually touching at first. She pressed down a little more and was rewarded with a gasp from Buffy.

"Faith... uh... what are you doing?" Buffy's only answer was something unintelligible mumbled against her throat.

She knew at any second her fingertips were going to slice right through the mattress now that she shredded the sheet. She was chanting in her head for Faith to press down into her just a little harder, just a little harder. Instead she felt Faith switch her weight to her other arm and start the same tortuous path down the other side of her body until her left leg joined her right around Faith's narrow hips. She couldn't take it anymore, she had to touch Faith.

Faith felt Buffy's tentative, hesitant touch on her forearms. It was a start but not what she wanted. She could feel everything Buffy was feeling, knew that Buffy wanted to just tighten her legs around her and pull her down onto her, but she was holding back. Faith had to give her a lot of credit, she had more control and will power than she originally thought.

{Sorry B.... Time to bring out the big guns...}

Faith bent her knees a little and lifted her lower body from Buffy's. She grazed her tongue down over her chest, moving to capture one begging nipple within her mouth. She let the tip of her tongue flick over just the tip of Buffy's nipple, while her hand came up to roll the other nipple between callous fingertips. She keep her touches light, teasing, almost non-existent and she couldn't help but smile as she heard Buffy start to pant. She let her mind focus on all the things she wanted to do to Buffy, wanted Buffy to do to her, and she flooded Buffy with the images in an echo.

She switched breasts and let her hand roam of it's own free will. Down over a quivering stomach, up to Buffy's mouth, down over to one firm thigh. Slipping in-between them to skim over moist curls, flicking out once briefly over Buffy's swollen nub. Letting them go wherever and do whatever they wanted; Faith let her fingertips continued on their torturous, light path as if they had a mind of their own.

Buffy was clutching her fingers in time with Faith's flicking tongue. She tried not to grip Faith's forearms to hard, but she couldn't help herself. There were bursts of lightning running rampant over the whole of her body and she knew all it would take was for Faith to touch her with just a little more pressure and she would go flying head first over the cliff. She had to stop Faith before she lost her control and did something stupid and frightened her. Then she got slammed with an echo of such sensual pleasure from Faith that she started to whimper and pant.

"Faith... got to ahh..." She lost her train of thought as Faith's hand grazed her heat again. She pushed herself back into the mattress away from Faith's fingers, whimpering. She whimper once more as she felt Faith's fingers move away.

"Gotta what, B?"

Buffy shuddered as the vibrations of Faith's voice went right through her as she spoke around her nipple. "Got.. to stop..."

"Why?" Faith eased up even further, her touches, her mouth, her tongue, now barely grazing Buffy's body. She felt her own desire rising up to the surface as it mixed and merged with Buffy's in the echoes.

"Breakfast... have to..." She stopped and whimpered in frustration when Faith's touches became even lighter. "... make it... breakfast... hungry... food... good... make... food... god... feels good..." Her hands had somehow made their way up to Faith's hair, she wanted to pull her head down firmer into her breast, but she didn't.

"Have what I want for breakfast... want more of what I'm having..." She moved her hand down in-between them again, unable to help herself. She wanted, needed to touch Buffy's heat. She slid just a finger along slick folds, teasing slightly at Buffy's entrance than ran it along the entire length of Buffy's sex. She caught the nipple in her mouth between her teeth and started flicking her tongue rapidly across and around it, still with as light a touch as possible, while her other hand continued to tease, torment and play along Buffy's hot, slick, heat.

"St... stop... Faith, please..." She was digging her fingers into Faith's shoulders. She dug them in even harder when she felt Faith shake her head no against her breast. "Faith... please... can't control... please... don't want... to hurt you... scare you... Please..." Buffy wasn't sure what she was begging for anymore, she just didn't want to scare her mate. She knew she was a second away from losing her control and just pulling Faith down to her forcefully.

Faith shifted again, she slid both her hands under Buffy's back and gripped her shoulders, supporting herself on her elbows. Her body hovering over Buffy's, less than an inch separating them from touching fully. Both Slayers could practically feel the fire running between them as if it were a real thing. She looked down into Buffy's flashing gold eyes and didn't need anyone to tell her that her own eyes were flashing emerald. She leaned her head down, her mouth close to Buffy's ear, she had to restrain herself from flicking her tongue out to trace along it's shell.

"Not gonna break... not china... not scared... nothing you could do would scare me... Want to, need to touch you... Want to feel you pulling me to you... You're fingers digging into my back or shoulders, wherever they wanted to... Your body arching into me... Want to feel your need... Want to hear you moan... scream my name..." She felt Buffy's arms come up to surround her. She whimpered a little at her touch.

She lifted her head up and gazed down into Buffy's eyes for a few seconds before she leaned down, her breath softly tickling Buffy's face. Her lips brushed lightly across Buffy's before she began to kiss Buffy with all of her pent up passion, pouring everything into that kiss. Her tongue begging entrance, moaning Buffy's name when she opened her mouth to her. She teasingly ran her tongue along the velvet softness of Buffy's, enticing it back into her own mouth. She kissed Buffy until she had to pull back for air.

"I want you B... I want my B back... The one from before all this shit happened... I want you... Want you to touch me... Want you to kiss me... Want to feel your mouth on me... Want you to lose your control... Let it go... God B... Want it so bad... Want you so bad... Want to know you feel the same way as me..." She leaned her forehead against Buffy's and just stared into her eyes. "I love you B..."

She hadn't planned this, she didn't even think she was ready for this, she had started out this morning just wanting to please Buffy. Just wanting to get her B back. Just wanting to make love to Buffy, not make love with Buffy, somewhere along the way she had forgotten that with Buffy there wasn't a difference between the two. As she had felt those shadow-like touches on her own body, as she had let her mind think of all that she wanted them to do together. As she had felt Buffy's own desire ricocheting through her in an echo, she found that she wanted Buffy just as much as Buffy wanted her. And in realizing that, she found that she needed to know that Buffy still saw her as she did before and not as some broken, frail version of herself.

She continued to stare down into Buffy's eyes waiting for her answer, as she let all that she was feeling, all that she wanted flow out of her and into Buffy in an echo through their bond.

Buffy stared up into those flashing emerald eyes. Her whole body was on fire and it wasn't entirely from the touches and kisses, it was mostly from Faith's words. Words she had finally started to understand. Faith wanted things how they were before between them, wanted Buffy to see her as whole again, not as a delicate piece of china that would shatter at the slightest touch. Buffy didn't have any illusions that Faith's ghosts would rear their ugly heads from time to time no matter what happened right now, right here between them.

But treating Faith like she was less than whole, less than an equal was only helping those ghosts to stay alive in both of their minds. And in every other aspect of their relationship except this part, Buffy had treated her as she always had. Like a whole person and never once had Buffy ever held back what she was feeling, giving up her control to Faith in the bedroom didn't mean she had to treat Faith any differently there. It was time to trust herself, trust Faith, trust in them and what they had together to know if something was wrong, or needed to change or stop...

'And right now,' Buffy thought to herself as she stared up into those loving eyes she needed to stop thinking so much and just feel.

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She slid one hand up to tangle in Faith's hair, the other down to the middle of her back. She tightened her legs around her mate's hips and pulled her down fully, forcefully onto her. She arched her body up into Faith's and captured her mouth with her own. She ravished Faith's mouth, kissing her with all the suppressed passion, need, want that she had been trying to control, hold back. Her tongue came out to chase after her mate's, entwining, seducing, sliding against and she moaned into Faith's mouth as Faith gave back as good as she got.

The hand that was tangled in Faith's hair, pulled her head back, her mouth away from her own. She attacked Faith's throat, nipping, biting, leaving her mark. Mumbling incoherently under her breath. The heels of her feet pushing down to bring Faith's heat harder, more firmer against her own.

Faith let out a relief and desire-filled moan when she felt Buffy pull her down to her. Her own senses totally on fire from what she was getting from Buffy, and her own need became urgent. She began a slow circular motion with her hips, sliding her heat against Buffy's. Joining their wetness. Groaning deep in her throat, she had forgotten how incredible it felt to be with Buffy like this. How it was music to her ears to hear Buffy's sighs, her moans, feel her fingers digging into her back. How nothing ever in this world, any world could match this, this burning deep in the pit of her stomach. Match the exquisiteness of being loved, touched, kissed, held by Buffy and doing the same in return to Buffy. Knowing that she could make Buffy feel this way, knowing that Buffy made her feel the same way.

Buffy dragged her mouth away from Faith's neck, pulling her more tightly to her with her arms and legs. Loving the way Faith seemed to be touching all of her at once. She looked up into those eyes filled with so much passion, but with even more love and Buffy drowned in them.

"You... feel so good... warm... god... Faith.... baby..." She wasn't making sense, she didn't care. She arched up further into Faith, pressing herself harder into Faith's heat, following the motion of Faith's hips as she increased the wetness, the heat between them. Then she felt as Faith lifted herself slightly starting to slide down her body, to bring one hand down between them. "No... stay... want you... want you... to hold me... please baby... want... need... to... feel all of you... all of you around me... on me... want you... like this..."

Faith wrapped her arms back around Buffy pulling her tightly to her. She shifted a little, bringing the weight of her body to bear down harder onto Buffy's heat. She started to alternate between circling her hips, and thrusting down into Buffy. Sliding the whole of her body along Buffy's, almost disbelieving the tension she felt coiling so quickly in the pit of her stomach, or the wetness she felt between her own legs.

She rested her forehead once again against Buffy's, looking deeply into her eyes as she moved upon her. She felt Buffy's fingers digging into her back, then her nails raked down her back and Faith's whole body shuddered with intense desire. She could feel her own release hurtling at her fast and furiously and suddenly it scared her. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, fighting against the fear, letting herself forget about her own wants and focused on Buffy's instead.

Buffy felt it the second it started to happen. Knew instantly what it was, knew a part of Faith was afraid to let go. Could feel her mate struggling against what she was feeling as she continued to move upon her. She could feel Faith pushing her own desire down, her own release and focusing again solely on her. Buffy didn't want that, she wanted Faith with her, wanted her whole, wanted her to remember, wanted her to know there was nothing wrong with this. That she, Faith was, that making-love, that whatever they did together, that they were beautiful together.

"Faith..." Buffy gasped, holding her own release back, but she didn't know if she could stop it, not this time. "You feel so good... you make me feel so much... god you... so beautiful... no one... ever... made me... feel like this... this is so beautiful... you're so... beautiful... look at me... baby... want... you to... feel... the same... need you to..." She brought one hand up to gently stroke Faith's cheek, then just rested it there. "Faith, please... baby... open... your... eyes..."

She didn't want to open her eyes, she was afraid, her body, her heart, her soul was at war with her fucking mind. She was afraid to let go, afraid to give up her control, afraid to make herself vulnerable to anyone again. She began to slide, to circle her wetness, her heat, joining them, into Buffy's harder. Needing to please her, needing to lose herself in Buffy, needing to forget her own fears, needing to give to Buffy what she thought she couldn't find for herself. Wanting so much to release that part of herself that she now realized she had locked up tightly, safely again. Wanting, needing to let it go like she had all those months ago the first time they had truly made love in front of the fireplace at the Mansion.

"Please Faith... I need... I need... you to look at me.... need... you... need... you to see... need you... to let go... safe with me... got you... always.... please... let go... you're eyes... need... to... see... you... I... Faith, I... love... you..." She had no idea if she was making sense anymore, it was almost impossible to kept a coherent thought in her head with Faith moving on her so urgently. Buffy could feel the beginning of her climax rising up in her, her insides clenching, tensing and she stilled, holding her breath, trying desperately to force it back.

Faith slowly opened her eyes and stared down into the hazel-gold eyes of the woman who meant everything in the world to her. And felt herself start to give up her firm control over herself, unable to deny Buffy anything. With a low moan, she let herself go completely. She began rotating, circling her hips more forcefully into Buffy's as she felt Buffy teetering on the edge, holding back, waiting for her.

Like she had that night all those months ago, Buffy felt Faith release once again to her that part of herself that she kept hidden, protected all those years. The full breadth of all that Faith felt for her washed over her and she began to move with her once more, releasing back to Faith all that she felt for her in return.

Faith felt not only Buffy's arms come up to surround her neck, but felt herself being blanketed in the desire, the need, and the love, Buffy felt for her. She shifted again slightly and pressed down, bringing her own swollen bundle of nerves to press down directly onto Buffy's. Thrusting her hips, rolling them to bring pressure to where they both needed it so desperately.

"Can't... can't stop... Faith... baby... god... please... with me... please... Faith... Fai..." Her whole body stilled; then her climax was thundering through every part of her. All of her was ablaze, her skin, her bones, muscles, with the force of the fire rolling over her body.

She arched up into Faith, her whole body except the back of her head came off the bed. She held onto Faith tightly as her body was wracked with spasms. All of it was there, all the need, the want, the love. Every part of her felt like it was in flames, exploding with the rapture that was her mate and what, who they were together. She just kept chanting Faith's name over and over, and then she screamed out in wordless primal pleasure as she felt in an echo Faith start to join her in release.

Faith felt Buffy's climax run riot through every part of her in an echo and she bathed in it. Then Buffy bucked, arched so hard up into her that had she not been holding onto her so tightly, Buffy would have thrown her not only off of her, but the bed as well. And Faith felt her own body responding, seeking the same release as her mate, her hands slid down to Buffy's lower back bringing her more forcefully into her.

Then Buffy's legs, her arms around her neck, tightened and her heat thrust up into Faith's own again hard, grinding into her. Putting pressure exactly where Faith needed it to start flying over the edge. Faith's whole body arched into Buffy, she lifted them both up and back, until she was sitting back on her own calves. Her knees spread wide, Buffy somehow snug, pressed up tight between them. Buffy's legs, her arms, her whole body wrapped tightly around, surrounding her. Breasts against breasts, sweaty stomach against stomach, heat still managing to be pressed, rotating against heat, forehead against forehead as they continued to drown in each other's eyes.

The white-hot fire in her blood that was Buffy exploded within her, her head snapped back and with a loud, piercing savage cry of Buffy's name, Faith joined Buffy in release.

Neither of the Chosen Two knew which were their own feelings, which were the other's. The pleasure scorched a path through both of them, merging, entwining with the other's through their bond. It didn't matter, it was glorious and it was beautiful and both Slayers held tightly onto the other, tears of joy streaming down their faces as they tumbled in the ecstasy that was each other, together.

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