Buffy stopped outside the heavy doors to the library, causing Faith to bump into the back of her.

“Watch it, Slayer. You’ll give a girl ideas getting that close,” Faith chuckled as she winked at Buffy as she looked up smiling at her like a schoolgirl with a crush.

Well, Buffy had taken things way past crush status but she was a schoolgirl, as Faith had been abruptly reminded about earlier. The two slayer’s had rushed about Faith’s small motel room getting ready to see Giles before Buffy had her first class, picking pieces of plaster and flakes of paint out of their hair and off each other’s bodies, which of course took a lot longer than was probably necessary.

They hadn’t spoken much about the recent turn of events, but Faith had noticed that Buffy was being extremely touchy feely with her and hanging on her every word, of which there were few.

She still didn’t know if Buffy was cured or not, or even if the little blonde was bothered about it, but Faith really didn’t want to rock the boat. She was too busy basking in the afterglow and revelling in the hope that she would get many more chances to be with Buffy again. She was on a tentative high, and risking the possibility of a huge drop.

“You ok, B?” Faith brushed her hand intimately across Buffy’s back as the older girl stood staring at the library doors.

“Yeah.” Buffy took a deep breath.

Faith didn’t know exactly why Buffy was so anxious. But then, she didn’t know what was going on inside the other slayer’s head. She hadn’t asked Buffy what she was going in to tell Giles, if anything.

Faith pushed the library door open and gestured for Buffy to go in. She caught the delicious scent of the small slayer as she swept past, licking her lips at the memory of the tastes that came with the smell. She realised she was in big trouble if Buffy didn’t want anything more to do with her in a sexual way, because she was already hooked.

As soon as Faith entered the sombre room she felt it. . .the tingles, but not of the nice Buffy kind; the scratchy, stiffening kind that meant one thing. Vampire.

Instantly both girls became super aware with their muscles twitching and ready to respond. They looked at each other then towards the source of the alert to their senses. Giles’ office.

Signalling for Faith to stay back, Buffy quickly and stealthily moved forwards to the small room. Faith frowned and shook her head behind the small slayer, catching up with her despite the other girl’s instructions so they were virtually side by side.

Faith wasn’t about to let Buffy just charge into something on her own. Not because she thought the blonde girl would have trouble dealing with whatever was currently behind the closed door, but because she didn’t want her ‘lover’ to put herself in any danger alone. Not now that Faith was falling for her and gave a damn whether or not she would get hurt.

The door to the office opened quietly and both slayers reacted in unison, pouncing as their reflexes took over from their brain cells. Everything happened in a rush and a blur, and the chosen two came out on top.

“What the bloody hell?” Giles was pulled forcefully out of the way as Faith charged into the office.

“Got it, B.” The dark girl rushed towards the vampire, pinning her catch down with her knee in its chest and her hands firmly grasping its flailing arms. “You got a stake, girlfriend?” Faith had left hers behind, not expecting vampires to be roaming the school early in the morning.

“Hey, if you wanted to get up close and personal you only had to ask.” The dark, well built vampire that Faith was holding onto said as he looked her up and down from underneath her.

“Get your fucking dead eyes off me, worm feed.” Faith pushed her knee harder into his chest, really wishing she had a hard wooden pointy thing to hand.

“Angel?” Buffy rushed into the office, ignoring the fact that Giles was doing his level best to stay upright and compose himself.

“This is soul boy?” Faith looked down with a jealous glare at the vampire under her, making no move to allow him to get up. Then she noticed his appearance and raised an eyebrow. “Do you just have a thing for dark and dangerous, B?” The comment wasn’t lost on Buffy, who blushed as she looked from Angel to Faith.

Then Buffy placed her hand gently on Faith’s shoulder. “You can let him up. . .unless. Giles, is he evil?”

“No, Buffy. He is most certainly not evil, and he’s here because I asked him to come.” Giles picked up the handful of things that had flown off his usually tidy desk in the ruckus.

Buffy squeezed Faith’s shoulder again and the brunette slowly eased her grip on the vampire. As she stood, Faith made sure she dug her knee into Angel’s chest with as much force behind it as she dared. After all, the guy had supposedly been the love of Buffy’s life so she was bound to feel a little jealous.

Faith backed off whilst glaring at him with her dangerous slayer eyes; eyes that were darker than usual and basically telling anything in her way to get the fuck out of it.

“So I guess you’re Faith.” The broody looking vampire rose to his feet, dusting himself down. He extended his hand to Faith in greeting.

“Yeah.” She didn’t take the hand, not wanting contact with something her whole body was screaming at her to kill.

They all stood in the stuffy office looking uncomfortable. Buffy was looking at Faith, probably noticing the twitching of her muscles under the denim jacket as she stared at Angel, who stared back with feigned disinterest.

“So what’s going on? Why’s he here?” Buffy asked, pointing at the frowning vampire, the dissatisfaction clear in her tone.

“I. . .err, asked him to come, like I said. Shall we make our way out of my office?” Giles suggested. The cramped confines of the small room had them all feeling uneasy.

They made their way into the main room. Faith waited behind for Angel to go first, not wanting to show her back to him. She knew he was supposed to be good, but she didn’t trust anything that was technically dead when it came right down to it.

“Ok, so explain.” Buffy wasted no time in getting straight to the point.

The two slayers stood together with their backs to the door in an unspoken gesture of solidarity. Angel was looking moody by the counter and Giles was behind it, no doubt sensing the tension on the other side. Most of it was coming from Faith, and pointed directly at Angel.

“Yes right, well, I looked more into the err. . .the spell you’ve been put under. . .causing you to crave sex,” Giles stuttered.

“Giles!” Buffy blushed a little and wrinkled her brow, looking over at Angel.

“It’s ok, Buffy, he knows. As I was saying. . .I worked out the cure.” Giles shuffled around with a large book and some notes on his counter.

“But. . .” Buffy tried to interrupt, but Giles was on a roll.

“Apparently, absolutely the only way to alleviate you from the effects of the spell is to have sex with the one you most desire. That’s why I called Angel,” he explained.

“But, Giles I. . .” Buffy began, but he ignored her again and carried on.

“Now I know you can’t technically have sex with Angel because of the curse, but there is a loophole to the spell you are under. We can overcome this demon’s plan, and cure you as long as Angel is careful, because I’m pretty sure that’s what the spell was designed for; to free Angelus again.”

“Giles, I’m already cured. I. . .” Buffy’s voice once again fell on deaf ears.

Only Faith caught what she’d said, and she knew that it meant that she was the one Buffy most desired, if Giles was correct. She had cured Buffy, so Buffy had meant it when she had told her she really did want to be with her regardless of the spell.

“As I understand it you don’t need to err. . .well, have full penetrative sex with Angel,” Giles continued.

Buffy blushed a lovely shade of red at her watcher’s words. “Giles,” she said, hoping to stem his flow of words.

Giles blustered on, his own embarrassment obvious and causing him not to listen. “He just needs to bring you to orgasm. And so. . .provided he can control himself, you have your cure. So. . .”

“Giles!” Buffy was shouting now, trying to get her point across.

“Buffy, you. . .” He continued yet again, obviously just wanting to rush through his explanation to save his own blushes.

“I’m trying to tell you, I’m already cured,” Buffy said clearly, leaning on the counter right in front of Giles so he had no option but to hear her.

“But, how? I-I mean. . .” Giles stuttered, trying to work out where he’d gone wrong in his research.

Faith kept uncharacteristically quiet; not only because she was stunned at the fact that, if Giles’ research was right it meant she was the one Buffy most desired, but also because the blonde girl had to be the one to tell him. Not to mention Angel, who was still leaning on the counter with some painful looking brooding going on.

“You couldn’t have. . .” Giles shuffled his papers around, looking perplexed.

“I’m cured, Giles. . .I had sex with Faith,” Buffy said loudly.

The room fell deathly quiet, and even for a library it was eerie.

If Angel had had any air in him to exhale it would have come out in a rush. He looked like he’d just been punched in the stomach by the biggest, baddest demon this side of the hellmouth.

“You. . .excuse me?” Giles stopped his blustering about and gaped at Buffy then at Faith, who couldn’t help but look a little sheepish.

“I had sex with Faith,” Buffy said it again brashly, clearly tired of having to repeat herself.

“B-Buffy?” The sound of Willows voice from the door behind the slayers sliced through the thick atmosphere.

Buffy spun around.

“Willow, I, err. . .” Buffy stumbled over her words.

The scoobs all stood by the library entrance in shock. Willow, Xander and Cordelia.

“W-what? You. . .” Willow was stammering, and bright red with an inescapable expression of shock on her face.

Xander looked like his jaw had been surgically removed and reattached to his knee, and was also covering his groin area with the book he had in his hand. Cordelia, well, she disinterestedly checked her nails over for chips and yawned.

“Oh, God.” Buffy planted her hand on her forehead and closed her eyes.

“Look, why don’t we all sit down and we. . .well, B, can explain what’s been happening. Ya see it was a spell she was under, nothing more to it. It didn’t mean anything to her. She had no choice,” Faith said, trying to help Buffy out. She hated thinking that was all it had been about, and she hated saying it even more, but she didn’t think Buffy would want them all knowing the truth of it. If indeed it was true. Faith was still a little shaky about it all.

“No. . .that’s not entirely true,” Buffy sighed. “I do think you should all sit down though. You too, Angel.” She caught him trying to skulk off.

They all sat down as they had been asked to. Willow still looked flustered and down right scared, probably due to the fact she was attempting to work out what the hell was going on with her best friend, who had just practically shouted that she had slept with the skanky new threat to her friendship with Buffy.

Xander just picked up his jaw and shuffled uncomfortably and awkwardly to the table. He looked like he was trying to make up his mind about whether or not to cry, or to run off to a dark room with a family sized bottle of hand cream. Faith couldn’t help but want to snigger at how he seemed to be suffering.

Cordelia still looked like she didn’t care what the hell was going on, but Faith could see the cogs turning in her head, working out how she could use the situation to her advantage.

Faith wasn’t sure what Buffy was planning to tell them all. She doubted that it was that she had pursued Faith until she had no choice but to react to her outrageous flirting and teasing, and that they had enjoyed mind blowing sex together with the almost definite possibility of wanting more, much more.

But then again, with Buffy, she just didn’t know anything for definite. She was still learning the various traits of her distinct personality, which wasn’t easy; Buffy was baffling at the best of times.

Angel remained standing as everyone but the two slayers settled in their seats around the large library table. The vampire hung in the background looking pensive and more and more like he just didn’t want to hear whatever was coming next.

Faith was feeling a little apprehensive too. She wasn’t keen on the evil glare she was getting from the trainee witch, and that was nothing compared to the look on Xander’s face heading her way, well, when he could decide between being angry and aroused.

Faith stood away from the table, glancing towards the door with the natural instinct to run. Buffy must have sensed what she was thinking because she reached out towards Faith and took her hand in hers. She pulled the brunette closer and held onto her, not giving her any chance to disappear.

“Right, well, I guess I’d better start with telling you about the spell I’ve been under and work from there.” Buffy took a look at Faith’s anxious expression and smiled gently before turning back to the gang. “Ok, short version; I got bitten by a demon, which made me horny because of some kinda spell. I couldn’t cope with it and it was putting me in danger, and in the end it would have put the whole town in danger. Anyway, I slept with Faith and she cured me.”

“Oh,” Willow muttered, wide eyed.

Faith thought that that was the end of Buffy’s speech, and didn’t expect anymore. She certainly didn’t expect Buffy to say anything about her being the one Buffy most desired, or how much she had enjoyed being with her.

Willow opened her mouth to speak again.

Buffy carried on, not yet letting her say anything. “But that’s not quite it, because. . .the only reason she broke me from the spell, according to Giles, was. . .is because she’s the one I most desire. I hope you can all understand this, and not hate me for it because I love you guys, but. . .I’m falling in love with Faith. So anyway, there it is.” Buffy looked down at the floor then up at Faith as the brunette squeezed her hand.

Faith had almost fallen over at the confession. She hadn’t even been confident in the fact that Buffy was attracted to her, so to hear her say she was falling in love with her was. . .she couldn’t put into words how it made her feel.

She had never felt love before, not like the kind Buffy was offering her. She had never before believed that she deserved to be loved, and certainly not by somebody as special as the little slayer. It filled her with confidence and a new sense of self-belief. Buffy was falling for her, and she realised she was already in love with Buffy.

So whatever happened, she knew she would be able to hold onto that deep inside, and know that what they had shared so far had been real. It hadn’t just been about getting some and getting gone, for either of them.

“You. . .you’re falling in love with her? But she. . .I mean. . .girl. And. . .” Willow was almost hyperventilating. “What about Angel? Y-you love Angel. And you’re. . .straight; at least that’s what I thought, but. . .”

“Willow, Buffy and me haven’t been together for a while now. I guess she didn’t tell you that. Just like she didn’t tell me what was happening between her and Faith,” Angel interrupted. His tone was less than friendly, and the way he was looking at Faith made her hairs stand on end.

Faith’s senses were screaming “kill it, kill it.”

“Hey, big guy, she doesn’t have to tell you fuck all. It’s her life,” Faith said harshly. She let go of Buffy’s hand and stepped towards the vampire menacingly.

“Faith. . .it’s ok.” Buffy smiled at Faith and placed her hand on her shoulder, halting the advance; but she didn’t even bother gracing Angel with so much as a look in his direction.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys about Angel, but. . .I didn’t want to deal with all the questions about it. And as far as this thing with Faith. . .” She took Faith’s hand once again. “I’m sure you can understand why I didn’t run around shouting about it.”

“So you liked her from the start? I mean, is it just this spell thing and you’ll get back to being all straight and guy liking Buff again?” Xander asked as he leaned forward in his chair.

Faith didn’t like the way they all seemed to be looking at Buffy, like she was on trail or something. As far as she was concerned, what Buffy did, or who Buffy did was entirely up to her. But then, she had never had friends as close as the blonde girl did, so she wasn’t aware of all the stuff that came along with that. Stuff like sharing, and being honest with them.

“I liked Faith from the start. . .and it confused the hell out of me.” Buffy reddened slightly and started fiddling with the zip on her jacket. “I tried to ignore it, but it was too hard. I mean, she’s just. . .beautiful.” Buffy got lost in a little daze as she gazed at Faith.

“Well, I guess some people are easily impressed,” Cordelia scoffed. She shrugged and shook her head.

“I. . .I wont hate you for this, Buffy. I never could. It’s a little strange and well, I don’t really get it. But I love you so I’ll always be your friend,” Willow said with a blush, smiling weakly at Buffy.

“Thank you, Will. I know you don’t really know Faith, but I’m sure you’ll get to like her just as much as me. Well, not exactly as much as me, or in the same way but. . .”

“No! I’m not. . .I mean, she’s pretty but I. . .” Willow babbled, getting more flushed by the minute.

Faith couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hey, don’t worry, Red, there’s just one girl for me in this room.” She removed her hand from Buffy’s and slapped her gently on the backside, instantly causing Buffy to narrow her eyes at her in mock annoyance.

The brunette kept her hand on Buffy’s lower back in a subconscious possessive gesture as Angel walked around the table.

“Look, I’d better get back to the mansion now that you don’t need me. I’ve got a car waiting outside.” He nodded at Giles and made his way out of the library.

“Should you just let him leave like that?” Willow questioned and looked up anxiously at Buffy.

“He’ll be fine, Will. I’ll talk to him later.”

“Well, if we’re all done with the whole Buffy jumping out of the closet deal, I’ve gotta go.” Cordelia scraped her chair back on the shiny floor. “Xander?”

“Err, yeah, right. Um, Buff, can we maybe talk about this later? Ya know, guy to guy kinda thing. I mean, Faith’s quite a catch.” He scuffled around in front of the two slayers, doing his best not to look at the exact point that Faith was touching Buffy.

“Xander, I’m not going to tell you what Faith is like in bed,” Buffy chuckled. She looked over at Cordelia’s obvious disapproval at Xander’s comment and smirked, then turned back to Xander. “Except to say. . .there are things she can do that could make a girl pass out.” She winked as Cordelia tutted and yanked on Xander’s arm.

“Come on, geek. Move it.” Cordelia pulled a dazed Xander out of the room.

“I guess I’d better get going to class too. I’ll catch up with you later, Buffy.” Willow rushed out behind the rest of the gang, leaving just the slayers and Giles in the library.

“Well, that seemed to go ok,” Giles said, as he straightened up and adjusted his glasses.

“What do you mean? You knew?” Buffy had caught the suggestion just as Faith had.

“No, I wouldn’t say I knew exactly, but I’ve been around long enough to notice these things, Buffy. And, for what it’s worth, I’ll support you in this if it is truly what you want.” He stood and leant on the table in front of the chosen two.

“I’m not too sure your friends are gonna be that supportive, B.” Faith tucked her hands into her pockets, unable to stop feeling a little guilty that she was going to cause the blonde girl more trouble than she probably wanted.

“Sure it’ll take time for them to take it all in, but. . .they’re good people, well, maybe not Cordelia, but they’ll understand in time. And I’m not about to let you go just because they might be a little creeped out by it.” Buffy swept her hand through Faith’s dark locks, looking her straight in the eye. “I meant what I said. I’m falling for you, Faith, and nothing’s going to change that.”

“Err, I um, have things to do so I guess I’ll leave you to it. Don’t be late for class, Buffy.” Giles smiled at the two slayers gently before making his way into the office, leaving the door ajar.

They stood in the middle of the silent library, the tension and stress of the last couple of days finally falling from them. Gazing into each other’s eyes and just taking it all in, the slayers slowly moved together and kissed softly, brushing their lips delicately over each other.

There was obvious feeling in the kiss, and Faith could sense how much Buffy had come to care for her. It was in the soft touch of lips and the gentle caress of the other girl’s hand in her hair and now on her neck, moving towards her chest.

“Hey, girlfriend. If ya keep that up, you’re not gonna get to class at all, ‘cause I’ll take ya behind that bookcase over there and teach you a few things that don’t involve reading.” She winked as Buffy’s cheeks flushed.

“Actually, that sounds like fun,” Buffy said, smiling. She kissed Faith’s jaw, then up to a gorgeous dimple as the dark girl smiled back.

“Hmm, you’re a bad girl under all that pastel pink aren’t ya? I like that.” She caught Buffy into a passionate embrace, crushing their mouths together.

Buffy pulled Faith as close as she could, rubbing herself up against the brunette’s firm body. She ran a strong hand down Faith’s back, and grasped her backside, biting lightly on her lower lip at the same time.

“I can be bad, Faith. Especially with you, because I can’t think of anything other than licking you all over and making you scream my name as you come in my mouth.” She whispered into Faith’s ear.

“Oh man, don’t tell me you have to go now and leave me all wet for you.” She kissed Buffy’s neck, nipping a little around her pulse point.

“You’ll just have to look forward to tonight. My moms away for the night so. . .I can stay with you again, or you can come round to mine.” Buffy placed her arms around Faith’s neck, looking up into dark pools of chocolate brown.

“I think we should stay at yours considering my place looks like a building site right now.” They both grinned at the memory.

“Can I ask you something, Faith?”

“Sure.” Faith kissed the blonde girl on the end of her cute nose. Smiling to herself at how she was so lucky to be able to do it now without worrying about the consequences.

“You’re not gonna get spooked out because I’m falling for you are you? I mean, you said. . .well, I think it more like slipped out this morning. . .that you loved me, but. . .”

Faith’s face fell. She had been certain she hadn’t let that out earlier, or at least she had been hoping it had been a figment of her imagination. Now though, it looked like she would have to face up to lowering her walls and letting Buffy know exactly how she felt. The thing was, she wasn’t all that sure she understood it all herself.

“I didn’t think I’d actually said it, I. . .” Faith stared down at the floor. She really didn’t want Buffy to think she was some mushy lovesick teenager who fell in love at the drop of a hat.

“Are you telling me you don’t feel that way? The same as me I mean.” Buffy appeared worried now, and she started to pull away from the taller girl.

“No, wait. I do. . .feel the same. I just. . .” Faith took Buffy’s hands in her own. “I’ve never felt something like that before, let alone said it. I’ve fallen in love with ya, B. And I’m still falling, and probably will be for as long as you want me. If you want me.” Faith watched as Buffy smiled at her sweetly.

“I want you, Faith. And I feel the same. I’m in love with you and I know I’m still falling too. You make me. . .you make me happy.” She moved forwards and kissed Faith, pulling away to continue speaking close to her ear. “And you’re hot as hell, and great in bed. So I’m not planning on letting you go anytime soon.”

Faith could feel her heart pounding with how full it felt, how special Buffy had just made her feel, and how she hoped nothing would come between them. She wanted to explore this new relationship as thoroughly as possible. In as many ways they could.

“Faith, can I have a word?” It was Giles, lingering by the door to his office.

“Sure.” Faith turned around, but Buffy kept hold of her hand.

“I’ve just had word from the council,” he said.

Both Slayers gripped each other’s hands, praying they weren’t about to be forced apart by a bunch of tweeds in another country.

“Lay it on me, Giles.” Faith prepared herself for the worst, knowing that’s the way her life usually went.

“They’ve informed me that you can stay here and I’ll act as your watcher, unless of course it gets to be too much and. . .”

The rest of what he said was lost as the chosen two embraced, giving in completely to each other and the promise of deep, passionate and overwhelming love. Faith pushed her hands into Buffy’s hair as the smaller girl did the same to her, and they kissed with all their want and need for each other spilling over them both in a wash of relief. Faith fed off the love and desire crashing out of Buffy into her.

She knew right then, that all she had gone through in her short life was worth it, because it had lead her to Buffy. It had shown her the way to her other half, and she knew - from the power of the kiss and the emotion in it - that Buffy felt the same. They were the balance to each other, the hope and the passion. They were the chosen two. The lucky two.

And as Giles disappeared quietly back into his office, leaving the slayers to crush closer together, it was obvious that they were both as into each other as two people could be. The heat coming from them would have fuelled a small town, and the love would conquer any challenge to their heart’s hold on each other.

“You’re gonna have to get your mom to give you a sick note, Buffy, ‘cause you’re coming home with me. I want you. I wanna show you how much you mean to me. I wanna make love to you,” Faith whispered in Buffy’s ear.

It was something the young slayer had never said before but she meant it. She didn’t just want to fuck Buffy, she wanted to really show her what she felt for her.

“Faith. . .God you make me weak at the knees. Please, take me home and make love to me.” Buffy kissed Faith softly on the lips and allowed her to lead her out of the library and back to her motel room.

They walked down the school steps together hand in hand with huge smiles on their faces, ignoring the strange looks and stares their way. Faith didn’t give a fuck what anybody thought, and it didn’t seem that Buffy did either.

They were more than proud to walk through the crowds as lovers and not just friends. Because that’s what they were, and they were on their way to confirm that to each other as loudly and as vigorously as possible again and again and well. . .you get the idea. The rest of the walls were gonna be shaken down this time.