Authors: Eliza Lentzski
Faith adamantly shook her head. "No, no," she insisted. "You look great like always. I'm sorry," she apologized in a rush, "I just wasn't expecting to see that."
"The doctors were all very impressed," Buffy said, a small smile on her face. "This small one is quite the overachiever, it seems."
The brunette took a tentative step toward the blonde girl, one hand slightly stretched out. "Can I...can I touch it?"
Buffy snickered. "Yeah, I guess so," she agreed. "I don't know what the big deal is. It's just a stomach, after all."
Faith slid her hand over the soft cotton of Buffy's form-fitting top. She remained silent for a moment as she felt the tautness of the skin beneath her touch. She didn't know what to expect. The brunette had never touched a pregnant woman's stomach before.
"Is this normal, B?" she asked slowly. "I mean, is the baby healthy and all that?"
Buffy sighed. "According to the doctors, yes. Willow and Giles are doing some research though. Apparently when Cordelia was pregnant with some demon spawn she had a super quick pregnancy. But it was like, overnight quick. They think this might have something to do with Willow's healing or the fact that I'm a Slayer," she revealed. "Giles is trying to find something in the Watcher Diaries about Nikki Wood's pregnancy to find s'more clues."
"And with all of this going on, you still thought it was a good idea to travel to Boston?" Faith asked incredulously.
"I don't need a lecture from you, Faith," the blonde complained. "I'm a big girl." Buffy walked away from the younger slayer until she came to the living room, which consisted of a futon in front of a small, flat-screen television.
"Yeah, and growing bigger by the minute," the Boston girl called after the retreating figure.
Scowling at herself and her attitude, Faith followed the smaller woman deeper into the apartment. She watched as Buffy gingerly sat down on the futon, as if expecting the furniture to break under her weight.
"I know I probably should have stayed in Cleveland," the blonde stated. She patted the space next to her, motioning for the younger slayer to sit down.
Faith raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure my poor futon can handle all that weight," she joked.
The golden-haired slayer frowned deeply. "Thanks," she grumbled.
The Boston girl hastily sat down, and the futon made a slight squeaking noise. "I'm totally kidding, B," she rushed out. "I've never known anyone who was pregnant before," she explained. "I don't know what the protocol is."
"Well for starters," the blonde pointed out, "you should never call a girl fat, even if she's as big as a house."
"Point duly taken," Faith quipped as she pretended to scribble down notes on an imaginary pad of paper.
"Come back to Cleveland with me," Buffy blurted out.
The Boston girl opened her mouth to respond.
"Don't say no," Buffy interrupted. She grabbed onto Faith's hands with her own. "We can transfer someone else to Boston to take care of the Slayer cell - Vi or Rona or both of them could go. Or Kennedy!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I'm sure she'd love to be in charge of the East Coast. She'd love to be in charge of anything."
"Is that a real offer or are you just trying to get in my pants?"
"You're crude," Buffy made a face.
"You love it," Faith smiled, showing off her dimples.
"There are things I love about you, yes," Buffy readily admitted. "I'm not so sure you being a dirty old man is one of them."
"Oh yeah?" Faith smirked. "So what do you love about me?"
Buffy furrowed her eyebrows together. "You really want a list?"
"Listen, B. You showing up here unannounced is an awfully nice gesture," Faith started, "but I'm not gonna ditch my life here and follow you back to the Mistake by the Lake just to find out it's your pregnant hormones doin' the asking."
"This is embarrassing," the elder slayer complained.
Faith pursed her lips together and lifted her eyebrows. "Well? I'm waiting..."
The Californian released a deep, disgruntled sigh. "Fine, I, uh...I love your gusto for life."
"Gusto? I guess that's a start," the brunette smirked. "Keep going."
Buffy's face turned contemplative. "Well, I guess...I...I love being near you. I don't know if it's the same for you, but whenever you're close it's like my spine is vibrating. And I know it's not just a slayer thing because it's not like that when I'm around any of the other girls."
"Buzzin' all over, B," the dark slayer grinned, soaking up the unexpected attention.
Buffy took another deep breath, starting to gain momentum. "And I love how you make me take myself less seriously. Sure slaying and saving the world is a serious gig, but with you around, it makes it feel...manageable. Like when you're around, the world isn't so loud and cruel and hard. Or I love how even when I'm frustrated or nervous you can make a joke. That used to piss me off about you," she admitted, "but I know you're just as scared as me; you just respond in a different way."
"I love that you eat like it's the best thing you've ever had," Buffy continued in earnest. "And I love the way you dance like you're the only person on the dance floor. It's like you've never been self-conscious a day in your life. And when you look at me, I feel like I'm the most important person in the world."
"Is that enough?" the blonde asked with a shy smile on her face.
Faith cast her eyes away from the shorter slayer, feeling an uncharacteristic warmth creep onto her cheeks. People had complimented her before. Some had even said they loved her, too - mostly to get in her pants. Hearing the words come from Buffy Summer's mouth, however, was a new and humbling experience for the Boston girl.
"You didn't mention my bodacious body," Faith lightly protested.
Buffy chuckled and licked her lips. "I thought that was obvious."
"Well, a girl still likes to hear it, ya know?"
"I love your bodacious body, too," the elder slayer responded quietly. Buffy slipped a free hand beneath the Boston girl's t-shirt and rested her palm on the younger woman's abdomen.
"Mmmm," Faith approved, feeling her heart skip a beat at the golden-slayer's touch. "Much better."
Buffy was quiet for a moment, her hand still innocently beneath the bottom hem of Faith's t-shirt. Her fingers stroked along the toned flesh, and she gently fingered the scar beneath the brunette's shirt.
"I guess we have matching scars now, huh?" Buffy mused aloud.
"Fun stories to tell the grandkids, I suppose," Faith responded nonchalantly, willing her racing pulse to slow.
She didn't want to be so easily turned on around Buffy, but she couldn't help it. Despite her assertions that she'd never been with a girl before Faith, the golden-haired slayer certainly knew her way around a woman's body.
Buffy looked momentarily thoughtful. "I used to just say that, you know...never really thinking about kids. But now I guess there's a real possibility that I could be a grandma some day...if I live that long."
"You'll outlive us all, B," the brunette quipped. "You're like the Energizer Bunny."
"Speaking of batteries," Buffy started with a wicked grin. "I'm all out."
Faith raised an eyebrow. "Out?"
"In Cincinnati...you..." Buffy paused, thinking about her next words, "left something behind in the room."
The image of a small, silver cylinder flashed through Faith's memories. "Why you little minx," she murmured, narrowing her eyes mischievously.
"Oh, don't act so surprised," Buffy admonished. "Why does everyone think I'm so innocent? Hello," she announced, gesturing to her swelling stomach, "pregnant, single mom here."
Faith leaned towards Buffy and licked her full bottom lip. "I've got plenty of batteries in the bedroom," she purred.
"Stop trying to distract me," Buffy charged, pushing the Boston girl away. "You still haven't answered my question. Will you move to Cleveland with me or no?"
"I don't know, Little Miss Bossy Pants," Faith stubbornly countered. "Did you decide if love is enough?"
"Honestly? I still don't know," the blonde admitted, chewing on her bottom lip. "But I'm done with all the waiting and the distance. I miss you, Fai. I don't just want to talk to you on the phone or online. I want to..." Buffy visibly blushed, "spend the night with you and wake up and find you still there next to me. So I guess what I'm saying is," she continued, taking another breath, "just this once, let's trust the Beatles."
"You've always had a way with words," the brunette laughed, slightly shaking her head.
Buffy stuck out her lower lip. "So does that mean yes?"
"How's this for an answer?"
Faith leaned in, the ancient futon audibly protesting as she shifted her body on the thin, black mattress pad. She brushed her lips against the Californian's, pulling a small, almost indiscernible sigh from the smaller woman.
As her hands snaked their way beneath Buffy's tight t-shirt, Faith deepened the gentle kiss, pressing her mouth more fully against the blonde's lips. Faith ran her hands down the sides of Buffy's nude torso. Her fingers bumped along the small ridges of the blonde's ribcage, and stroked along her waistline. Buffy eagerly opened her mouth and pulled the Boston woman's tongue inside.
After a few moments, Buffy pulled away, feeling slightly dizzy and altogether breathless.
Faith grinned, triumphant. "Satisfied?"
The Chosen One rewarded her sister-Slayer with a sly smile. "I'm still not sure about your answer; maybe you should try that again."
Buffy leaned against the smooth polished bar, working to get the attention of the over-extended bartender. She tried waving the twenty-dollar bill in the air, but the bar employee was either unimpressed or blind. Even leaning forward and pressing her modest breasts together failed to gain the man's attention.
Unfortunately, all of her antics had caused others to notice her. A man's voice beside her caused the slayer to halt her quest for another bottled water.
"Can I buy you a drink?" came the polite request.
The golden-haired woman leaned away from the bar, revealing more of her lower torso. "It all depends," she started with a smile. Buffy rested a hand on her swollen abdomen which had been hiding beneath her peasant top. "Are you gonna buy a drink for the both of us?"
"I, uh," the man's eyes bulged in his head when he realized his mistake. "I'm sorry. I forgot I have to be...somewhere else," he sputtered. The man hastily threw some crumpled up money onto the bar top, paying for his tab, and stumbled away from the bar. Buffy was once again alone to fend for herself.
"Chivalry is totally dead," the blonde slayer laughed to herself.
No sooner had the stranger disappeared when arms slipped around Buffy's waist from behind, and hands rested lightly on the hipbones that peaked above the top of her elastic-banded jeans. The fashion-conscious slayer had rebelled against buying the pregnancy pants, but she certainly couldn't wear yoga and sweat pants everyday until she went into labor.
Buffy closed her eyes and smiled, enjoying the gentle buzz at the base of her spine. A hand reached up to gently brush her loose blonde hair away from the side of her neck, and warm, supple lips pressed against her skin where her neck met her shoulder.
"You shouldn't be so mean to the boys," the low voice chuckled, sending chills down the blonde slayer's body. "It's not
their
fault you're so irresistible."
Buffy grinned and pressed her figure back against her partner, enjoying the way her backside seemed to naturally fit against the other slayer's front. "Well if you didn't insist on leaving me alone," she countered, "I wouldn't look so available all the time."
Faith chuckled. "After all the drinks you've been feedin' me tonight, you can't be mad that I had to pee."
Buffy turned to face the taller woman. She gave her lover a half-smile and brushed a wild lock of brunette hair away from the Boston girl's beautiful face. She loved it when the darker girl left her long, wavy hair down and it framed her face.
"No," the blonde noted. "I could never be mad at you." Her half-smile turned into a smirk. "Well, at least not for very long."
Faith dipped her head slightly to capture her partner's pink mouth with her own. Buffy's mouth tasted like mint from her gum. The pregnant slayer had been drinking water all night and it only made the freshness of her mouth even crisper.
Buffy ran her tongue along the bottom row of the Boston woman's teeth. Even though Faith tasted slightly of alcohol, the faint taste only served to turn Buffy on. She knew how fun her slayer could be when she was a little buzzed.
Tonight was a reunion of sorts. With Faith now living in Cleveland, albeit in her own apartment to assert a semblance of independence from the blonde slayer, Kennedy and Willow had taken up residency in New York City to oversee the slayer cells on the East Coast. Xander and some of the other slayers who had fought against the First had returned to Cleveland as well for the weekend.
After the chaotic events surrounding Buffy's would-be wedding, everyone had returned to their respective homes across the globe; but the Originals had made a pact to not just stay in contact, but to get together frequently. Too often extended families only see each other during emergencies or tragedies, and this demon-hunting family didn't want to only reunite during apocalyptic times.
Imperceptibly, the Boston slayer pressed her fingers between Buffy's thighs. The elder girl groaned when Faith cupped her sex. Faith captured her lover's bottom lip between her teeth and gently bit down, sending a fresh flood of arousal to the blonde's underwear.
"Uhn, why do you always do this?" Buffy gasped. Her head was swimming with a mixture of dance beats and Faith's influence.
"What's that, B?" the brunette murmured, once again kissing her way along the smaller woman's jaw line.