As Faith relaxed into the warmth of the day, soaking in the relaxing atmosphere of the secluded beach, she allowed her eyes to wander over Buffy’s silky looking skin. Buffy was busy applying sun tan lotion to it, gliding her powerful hands over her delicately toned arms and legs, ensuring all the cream had been thoroughly rubbed in.

Faith couldn’t take her eyes off the girl sat beside her. It seemed to Faith that Buffy was taking her time intentionally. Her actions almost sensuously slow and deliberate, as every drop of lotion was worked into her fit body.

“Faith, could you. . ?” Buffy turned to face the captivated brunette, giving her sun tan lotion bottle a shake, catching her gazing at her for certain.

Somewhere inside Faith’s mind a small voice squeaked for her not to do it. Telling her not to take that bottle and lay her hands on Buffy’s nicely defined, slender back. Not to take the risk. It squeaked and squeaked, but was ignored.

“Sure. You wanna lie down?” Her brain was exploding with possible sexually explicit answers to that simple question. Every one of them causing her voice to get just that little bit huskier, betraying her desire for Buffy. She really hoped Buffy hadn’t noticed.

“Thanks.” Buffy smiled up at Faith as she lay down on her stomach, awaiting her to rub the lotion into her back.

Faith could almost have leapt around the beach screaming ‘go me’. She knew for sure that she was going to enjoy this immensely. Faith hadn’t had much of a chance or an excuse to touch Buffy in this way before now. Their time spent sparring didn’t really call for them to be gentle with each other. Although, Faith had to admit, even the violent kind of touching turned her on.

She gazed down at Buffy, the smaller girl’s slim body waiting for her hands to glide over it. She licked her lips and leant over the prone slayer. Without asking for permission - sure that she probably wouldn’t be granted it - Faith unhooked Buffy’s bikini top.

“Faith, wha. . ?”

“You don’t wanna get tan lines do ya?” Faith pushed the offending article of clothing from Buffy’s shoulders, ignoring the flimsy protest.

She squirted some lotion onto her palm, rubbing it into her hands a little before placing them on Buffy’s back. Buffy flinched at the coolness of the lotion, but as soon as Faith began sliding her palms over her, she relaxed. Faith took her time rubbing the sunscreen into Buffy’s back as she was enjoying the silky feel of her skin through the lotion, taking in every dip and curve with her fingertips; pushing in a little where the muscles were tense.

In fact, she was really no longer rubbing lotion in at all. It was becoming more of a massage, but Buffy certainly wasn’t objecting. The small slayer was too busy enjoying the attention. Soft sighs of appreciation coming from her as Faith abandoned the hope of stopping any time soon with the butterflies tumbling around in her stomach every time Buffy groaned. She had never been the butterfly type of girl before so this was all new to Faith.

Faith decided - as Buffy so obviously liked what she was doing - to step things up a little. Without warning, she lifted her leg over the contented girl, perching on her backside but not putting too much of her weight on her. This way she could better massage Buffy, although it also just became a far more intimate position.

“Faith, you don’t have to. . .”

“Relax, B. You’re all tense.” Faith’s voice was now pouring from her throat like liquid sex.

She was sure Buffy must have caught on to the fact she was getting turned on. She wasn’t stupid after all, and knew that Faith was into girls as well as guys. Buffy said nothing however.

Oiling her hands with more of the lotion, Faith set to work on really getting Buffy to loosen up after she had noticeably stiffened when she’d shifted positions. Using her thumbs to tease out the knots around Buffy’s shoulder blades and lower back, she felt Buffy give in to her somewhat; sighing again as Faith hit all the right places.

The teasing of Buffy’s overworked muscles eventually gave way to teasing of another kind, although the shift had been subtle. Buffy remained where she was with Faith on top of her, more of her weight now resting on Buffy’s firm ass. Her sparkling green eyes were shut, but she wasn’t snoozing.

Faith could tell Buffy was feeling everything she was doing to her. Replenishing the lotion now and again on her palms, Faith slowly but firmly stroked up and down the blonde slayer. She was inching further down towards her backside every time, nudging at the material there with her thumbs and then sweeping her skilful hands up Buffy’s sides.

Faith was loving being allowed to touch the other girl in this way. She had to restrain herself quite a bit, trying her best not to let her weight cause her already wet sex to rub up against Buffy’s pert butt. It certainly was no easy task, with the groans and sighs coming from Buffy doing nothing to dampen her burning desire.

As she swept her hands up Buffy’s sides once again, Faith permitted her fingertips to stray a little further up and out, brushing the soft outer curve of Buffy’s breasts. Buffy visibly shuddered at the touch, her hips raising slightly and causing her ass to push up into Faith. Faith involuntarily rocked forward, her now slick pussy moistening her bikini briefs.

She vaulted off Buffy, standing before she started literally humping the girl’s backside. Buffy turned, probably to see what was wrong, her hand clutching her bikini. The effort to hide her chest all but failed and Faith was having a hard time lifting her eyes from the lone erect nipple peeking out on display to her.

Faith wanted to leap on Buffy and take the little pink nub into her mouth. She wanted to slide her fingers into the older girl and lick her sticky juices from her pussy, but she couldn’t. She was sure things would never develop in that way with her, so Faith forced her breathing to slow and swept her hand through her hair, regaining her composure.

Both girls just stared at each other as neither of them seemed to know what to say. Faith realised Buffy must have had an inkling now about her attraction to her. She knew her pupils must have been huge, and she was aware that she was still looking at Buffy in more than a friendly way; she just couldn’t stop herself. Mainly due to the fact Buffy was also looking at her differently. Her green eyes penetrating her own dark ones, questioning and telling her things all at once. It was confusing for Faith because she couldn’t quite tell exactly what was going on under the surface.

So rather than stay and face it, and maybe ask what the other girl was thinking, Faith decided her best course of action was to dissolve the situation.

“I’m gonna go for a swim.” With that, she left Buffy looking visibly perplexed on the sand as she went to cool off in the ocean.

The chosen two spent the rest of the day avoiding physical contact and anything relating to what was going on between them on the beach. After spending a few hours sunbathing they made their way back to Buffy’s house to eat. Faith then went home to shower, masturbate, relax, eat some more, masturbate some more, and eventually get ready for patrolling for the night. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about touching Buffy all day, hence the excessive amount of masturbating. Faith just hoped she could make it through the night without injuring herself.

* * *

The two girls met outside Buffy’s house, Faith having met the other girl there every night since her arrival. She both loved and hated the walk over to Revello Drive. She looked forward to their nightly patrol, but also knew it would piss her off immensely later when she had to make her own way home alone.

Sure, she could have done what she used to do and go to a bar and pick up some random guy to screw. They were always easier to fuck and dump than girls, but Faith didn’t want that. She wanted Buffy and it was beginning to show. Even with trying her best to avoid too much eye contact, or avoid anything too physical, she just couldn’t help herself. Her wandering hands at the beach could testify to that.

“Faith. . .hey. Little Miss Attention Span?” Buffy was waving her hand in front of Faith’s face.

She had zoned out thinking about how soft Buffy’s skin had been, and how the scent of the sun lotion had done nothing to mask the uniquely sweet smell of the other girl, Faith’s heightened senses easily distinguishing it from anything else. She wanted to discover the more intimate scent of Buffy, and that thought alone had caused her to miss whatever it was Buffy had been chattering about as they walked to the nearest cemetery.

“Sorry. . .I was. . .” Faith rummaged around in her head for an excuse but came up blank.

“You were completely ignoring me. I could have been saying something important,” Buffy whined as the two girls entered the gates to one of many graveyards in Sunnydale.

“What important thing would you be saying, Twinkie, unless it was something about shoes?” Faith grinned at Buffy knowing the comment would hit the spot.

The Slayers had begun to develop something of a strange bantering double act over the past week. It baffled the scoobies, who thought they were arguing most days, but Faith for her part loved it, and so did Buffy it seemed.

It was obvious to Faith that there was some unresolved tension between them. She knew it to be sexual as far as she was concerned, but she was unsure why Buffy also got a kick out of their sarcastic bickering. She hoped it was for a similar reason but would never question Buffy about it. At least not just yet.

“I don’t just talk about shoes. I can have meaningful conversations.” Buffy was pouting now, which always drove Faith on because she liked it so much.

“Yeah?” Faith pulled a sceptical face and busied herself with looking around the cemetery for vamps.

“I can.” Bigger pout and whiny voice.

Faith was doing her best not to just break down laughing at the look on Buffy’s face. Buffy hated her intellect being questioned. It wasn’t that Faith thought her new friend was in any way less intelligent than anybody else, although she had to concede that Buffy did come out with the dumbest comments sometimes, it was just that Faith loved winding her up.

Buffy would get all feisty and flustered. Her eyes all serious, but the cute little sulky face would just throw it all out of sync. She just looked too damn sweet to be menacing.

“I talk about. . .” Buffy bit her lip in concentration.

“Slaying?” Faith offered as she slid her stake out of her waistband to play with it.

“Yeah. . .and. . .”

“School?” She picked at her nails with the sharp end of the wood as they sauntered around the gravestones.

“Yeah. . .”

“And shoes?” Faith chuckled.

“Yea. . .no!” Buffy stopped and did her best to look threatening.

“Don’t worry about it, babe. It’s not like I hang around with ya for the scintillating convo.” Faith knew all too well why she hung around with Buffy so much. She was beginning to wonder if Buffy knew why too, especially after the day they had just spent together.

“Hey, I can be scinti.. . .scilli. . .ated?” Buffy looked baffled at herself.

Faith couldn’t help but laugh. The other slayer just kept getting cuter and cuter as far as she was concerned. The overwhelming urge to just pick Buffy up and kiss her pouting lips was almost unbearable, and she had to fight with her self-control, keeping it in check.

“I know I’ve said it before, but. . .you are one cute chick.” Faith hadn’t been able to restrain herself from at least commenting. She just couldn’t hold it in any longer.

Buffy looked up at Faith. Standing right in front of the taller girl, she licked her lips, causing Faith to stop laughing in an instant.

“Faith. . ?” Buffy’s sincere eyes pierced Faith’s, who was busy holding her breath for the comeback. Good, or bad, Buffy looked serious. “Vampire!” Buffy shoved Faith out of the way as she kicked out at the vamp behind her.

When Faith regained her balance from the shove she joined the fight, catching the flying vampire as Buffy hit him with a particularly powerful spinning kick.

“Well would you look at that, vampires can fly. And here I was just thinking that was a myth,” Buffy laughed as she sauntered over to the captured foe; cocky and sure of herself.

“Fuck, I love it when you tease them, B.” Faith pushed the terrified bloodsucker towards her fellow slayer.

Buffy wasted no time in staking the unfortunate dead man, leaving his ashes blowing away in the breeze. The cemetery fell quiet again. Only the shadows whispering in the stifling darkness.

“Aww, you shoulda teased him some more, girlfriend. You’re good at it.” Faith meant more than she was actually saying, but wasn’t sure if Buffy realised.

“Come on, let’s make our way to the next one.” Buffy gave her stake a twirl before replacing it back in her waistband.

Faith didn’t argue or stop the girl and ravish her like she wanted. She just shrugged and set off walking next to Buffy, not minding in the least that Buffy always chose when and where they slayed. It was her territory after all and Faith wouldn’t fool herself into believing she could do anything other than exactly what Buffy wanted.

The two girls reached the next cemetery still indulging in a little banter with each other. Buffy remaining prickled about the previous insinuations about her intellect. Faith had told her she hadn’t meant anything serious by it but Buffy wouldn’t let it drop.

They stopped to wait for a fresh grave to spew its vampire from the earth. Faith leant on a nearby gravestone as Buffy perched herself on a nearby handy bench. The night was a dark one, not much moon to speak of and rolling clouds dampening its attempt at illumination. For anybody else, anybody less used to such things, it would have been a creepy night. The breeze causing the trees to murmur and hiss. Shadows shifting as the clouds displaced what light there was.

“It’s not like you ever talk about anything important. . .like yourself for instance,” Buffy said quietly.

Faith almost missed what Buffy had said as the other girl practically muttered the sentence.

“I talk about me.” Faith knew she didn’t.

“No you don’t. I’ve known you for a week, or however long it’s been, and I don’t really know who you are. I mean, I feel like I know you. Like we’re already close. But I don’t know about you. I want to,” Buffy said quietly, softly.

Faith couldn’t help but feel like a bit of a shit for not sharing anything about herself with the other slayer. After all, Buffy had opened up to her from the very first day they had met, but Faith had never been one to just dish the dirt on her life. She hadn’t liked her life - up until now - so talking about it never really seemed like a good thing to do.

She looked down at her scuffed boots, frowning. She wanted to tell Buffy about herself. Well, more than just about the bad-ass she was anyway.

Buffy knew her whole philosophy of want, take, have, and her get some, get gone catch-phrase for life. She also knew that she was bi and had lost her watcher, but it was really all just surface stuff. She took a deep breath. She didn’t want to hide herself from this girl. Ok, maybe some things but not everything.

“What do ya wanna know, B?” Faith raised her chocolate brown eyes to Buffy.

“I don’t know. Just normal stuff I guess. Like, is there any special guy. . .or girl in your life?” Buffy questioned coyly.

Faith certainly hadn’t expected Buffy to ask her that, and if it were somebody else she would probably been thinking they were trying to find out if they had a chance with her. But this was Buffy so that was out of the question. She was about to answer but the blonde girl was apparently on a roll.

“I mean, I’ve seen the way you dance, and you have plenty of admirers. I guess you get asked out a lot,” Buffy mumbled, avoiding eye contact and fiddling with a splinter in the bench.

The whole ‘Buffy isn’t interested’ vibe was definitely dwindling. Faith didn’t quite know whether to go with her instincts that were telling her that Buffy was testing the water and trying to discover if Faith would be interested in her; or if she should just stick to what she knew as reality. That the other girl was just being ‘friendly’. Faith took the leap of her life. She had to know.

“There is someone special. . .well, kinda. But I’m pretty sure they’re not interested,” Faith answered.

She did her best to keep eye contact with Buffy and not fidget too much, finding it harder than she had ever done before. The very real probability of a let down screaming in her ears.

Buffy seemed to mentally ask herself something before taking a bigger breath than was needed.

But before either girl had a chance to find out what was going on between them the newbie vamp hauled himself out of the dirt with a howl. Faith span around, being closer she thought she might as well get to it and dust him, not sure whether to be grateful for his arrival or extremely pissed about it. Faith jumped towards the muddy vampire but he vaulted out of the way of her boot.

“What the. . ?” Faith was definitely pissed off now.

She lunged for him again, this time hitting him with a solid blow to the head with her fist. As he bent slightly, unbalanced, she spun and kicked him in the chest and he reeled to the ground looking panicked. Faith leapt on the downed bloodsucker, striking him in the chest and sending particles of him into the air. He was gone just as quickly as he’d arrived.

She turned around to witness Buffy being attacked by some dog like creature, the fight with her foe having distracted her enough for Buffy to be struggling alone with it; whatever it was. It was definitely a demon, but one she had never seen before.

“B!” She rushed towards her fellow slayer.

Aiming a kick at the demon's side Faith managed to throw the fight in favour of Buffy, who threw an uppercut into the creature’s jaw. It howled in pain then lurched towards the blonde girl, biting her viciously on the hand.

“You fucking. . .little. . .poodle,” Buffy yelled, hitting out, smacking it on the head with the butt of her stake and attempting to make it let go; Faith kicking it ineffectively in the ribs at the same time.

It did eventually let go, almost as if somebody had blown some demonic dog whistle, calling it off. Faith tried to grab hold of it but the demon charged away into the night, howling on its way.

“What the fuck was that?” Faith said breathlessly as she turned to look at Buffy.

“I have no idea, but I do know. . .I’m gonna faint.” With that, Buffy’s legs gave way and Faith caught her before she hit the ground.

“B. . .hey. Stop fucking around.” Faith stroked Buffy’s cheek tenderly, then picked the smaller girl up.

She could see Buffy was still breathing, but was worried nonetheless. Cradling the blonde in her arms Faith briskly started making her way to Giles’ apartment. Whatever had happened she hoped he could fix it.