It took a minute or two for an awkward silence to settle over them both. Buffy didn't know what to say. She knew what she wanted to say but actually saying it – to Faith – was probably not a great idea. There was no knowing exactly what the response would be. There was no guarantee that they wouldn't end up throwing accusations around or arguing.

Still, her question begged to be freed, and Buffy had never been the patient type.

“Why would me wriggling. . .there, make you horny?” she asked, feeling herself get a little flushed.

She felt Faith chuckle underneath her, momentarily enjoying having her head bob up and down on soft boobs.

“Don't be dense, B,” Faith said through her husky laugh.

Buffy knew why, but she wanted to hear it. She had to so that she knew where she stood. Not a fan of making a fool of herself, Buffy needed to be sure about what Faith was suggesting.

“You mean you're a. . .”

“I'm not a raging dyke, Twinkie. Don't get your panties too twisted about being stuck in here with me.”

“Then why. . .”

Faith chuckled again, making Buffy smile slyly as she once again enjoyed the sensation.

“You need to get out more or something, or maybe read a book or two,” Faith chided. “Can't believe you never guessed. Hell, I think even Giles got it without me needing to spell it out.”

“So spell it out to me, Faith,” Buffy requested, holding herself impossibly still.

There really was no reason to push the subject as she knew what Faith was inferring; she had guessed long ago. She just needed it confirmed. If they were maybe headed away from the anguish and hurt and into something more – even though the prospect of that was slim to none-existent – Buffy had to hear it from Faith. Faith had to open up. A fresh start with them both knowing exactly where they stood.

“Is this some form of torture, B? Putting me on the spot and squeezing out all my secrets when you're pressed into me all sexy like,” Faith sighed. “Not exactly fair.”

Buffy bit her lip and tried to tell herself that she wasn't purposefully laying between Faith's legs in a way that would get them the most contact.

“Hey, you're the one who suggested I climb on top of you,” Buffy pointed out. “Stop changing the subject.”

“Subject? You mean interrogation.”

“If I were interrogating you, there would be a lot more rope involved,” Buffy said, her voice taking on a sensual tone that surprised even herself.

“Kinky, B. And not really helping to get rid of my horny problem.”

“Maybe I don't want to help with that,” Buffy muttered.

She felt Faith hold her breath but resisted the temptation to say anything more. It was a fine line they were both walking; they'd visited it in the past, and every time had fallen on the wrong side. This time she wanted the outcome to be different. It was time to see what was on the other side.

“Look, B. . .not gonna bullshit ya or play this game anymore. You won't be doing that flirting thing when I tell you. . .”

“What flirting thing?” Buffy interrupted, scrunching up her brow in mock confusion and attempting to turn just a little to see Faith's face.

“The flirting thing you've always done,” Faith replied, poking Buffy just below her ribs. “Stop wriggling.”

Buffy sighed and settled back into position again, a slightly guilty look on her face. Sure she'd always tiptoed around the flirting thing with Faith, but she'd tried to be subtle.

Looking back, she realized that maybe neither of them had been as subtle as they'd thought. The looks, touches, jealousy; it all pointed to one thing. Every betrayal had cut deeper than it should have. Every hurtful word or fight had done more damage than was necessary.

“Maybe I like wriggling on you, Faith. Maybe I should have done it a long time ago.”

“I might not have the greatest memory but I'm pretty sure we've never been trapped in a box with you on top of me before,” Faith pointed out.

Buffy shook her head and sighed. She wasn't going to allow Faith to avoid the obvious.

“I mean maybe. . .we could have avoided a whole lot of crap if we'd both been honest.”

It was true; honesty would have prevented a lot of the bad things that had happened. Buffy would have been there for Faith, and Faith would have been there for Buffy. No needless killing, no needless deaths. There was no way of knowing just how different both their lives would have been.

“I dunno, B. You really tellin' me if I'd let you know I wanted your hot little body way back. . .you woulda been cool with that?” Faith asked. “Way I see it, you woulda got the hell away from me even faster than you did. That stick up your ass was totally in the way.”

Buffy couldn't really argue with that. She'd done a lot of growing up and improving over the years. At least she'd thought she had; their last encounter proved that she fell into old habits far too easily. It was time to stop those habits from dictating how she was around Faith. The past had to be laid to rest.

“Ok, maybe we had to go through everything we did, and even though I was a bitch the last time we met I think we need to move on. We need to. . .”

“B, I don't need to do shit. I tried,” Faith said, a slight hint of anger tainting her words. “Nothing woulda changed what happened. Me telling you I like fucking chicks even more than dicks wouldn't have fixed a thing. You didn't wanna know.”

More apologies were pointless so Buffy kept them inside. Faith didn't want apologies, she needed proof. The kind of proof that Buffy didn't know exactly how to give. They couldn't switch from being one thing to another entirely without it coming off as forced or a mistake. It had to be subtle. Buffy knew she couldn't turn around and take Faith in her arms and just. . .love her. It wouldn't work. Faith wouldn't allow it to work.

As Buffy settled down on Faith once more, keeping her feelings in check, her cellphone played its little tune beside them. She flipped it open and informed Faith that it was Xander before answering.

“She's coming here?” Buffy asked into the phone. “And she'll be able to. . .even though. . .great.”

Xander knew her too well and was answering her before she even asked her questions. He was good at his job, and even better at dealing with Buffy and the odd situations she'd often find herself in.

“So do you have any idea why I was. . .whooshed here?” Buffy inquired, genuinely intrigued.

She listened to his answer but it didn't really help her out. Apparently they had a good idea why she'd suddenly been sent there – something to do with a junior witch - but Xander told her they'd talk about it properly when she was back. She wanted to press the issue as she hated being kept in the dark, but Faith chose that moment to stretch.

Buffy was unable to bite back the small groan that escaped her lips as she felt Faith moving beneath her.

“Ok, Xan. I gotta go,” she said in a rush, slamming the phone closed and dropping it to the bottom of the box.

Faith wasn't done stretching, her body pushing up into Buffy salaciously.

“Could you stop that, Faith?” she practically moaned, feeling her body reacting, her mind conjuring up sexy images.

“Stop what and why?” Faith asked in reply, a note of triumph betraying her.

Buffy just knew Faith was smirking, but she stopped stretching and allowed Buffy some respite from the steamy thoughts and feelings beginning to take a grip of her. They were holding her solid now, however; years of wanting crashing to the surface of her mind as she became immersed in the feeling of being so close to Faith, her scent beginning to drive her to the edge.

“The stretching thing against me,” Buffy explained. “It's. . .well, it's been a while.”

She didn't want to say too much, but was pretty sure Faith would understand.

Sounding very much like she was grinning widely, Faith pushed further. “A while since you stretched? Or a while since. . .”

“Sex!” Buffy blurted loudly, hoping to get control of her own embarrassment. “It's definitely been a while.”

There was no response from Faith and Buffy felt like she should turn around to see what Faith was thinking. Not that she'd be able to tell just from looking at her, but she was beginning to feel a little silly and uncomfortable. Faith would now know that Buffy wanted her. Or at least that's what Buffy thought; she wouldn't know for sure without asking her, and she was feeling a little too unsure right now to do that. Things were sliding further away from her than she wanted, and she wasn't sure how to pull it back. Maybe they were just destined to be awkward with one another forever.

Keeping her thoughts to herself, Buffy let out a soft sigh, doing her best to relax as much as Faith felt beneath her. It was hard; her body was hot and craving Faith's touch more than ever before, and her mind was racing. Concentrating on waiting for Willow to turn up wasn't helping. Her imagination was too good, and too eager to explore.

As they lay in silence together, Buffy closed her eyes and allowed the warmth and softness from below her to creep through her psyche. There was no stopping the little daydream of Faith's hand sliding over her. She imagined it easing into her pants and panties as Faith breathed heavily under her. She could almost feel her fingertips brushing softly, teasingly, towards their goal. Wanting to arch up into the touch, she imagined her legs falling further apart, inviting Faith to slip her fingers into intimate places. She wanted it. She wanted the dream.

“Faith,” Buffy said softly, breaking her daydream as much as the silence. She had to ask her questions. She had to know the answer to the things she'd always wanted to know. “Are you attracted to me?”

The slight movement of Faith's breasts against her head indicated that she was laughing lightly. It didn't perturb Buffy, she knew Faith's little grin-chuckle combo well enough by now.

“Shit, B. . .talk about delayed realization,” Faith responded. Buffy didn't think she was going to say anything more, but after a big intake of breath, Faith continued. “Always thought you were hot. Always will, which probably means I'm still fucking crazy or something.”

Buffy didn't feel like laughing along with Faith on that point. She knew she'd been a bitch to Faith, and it didn't make her want to laugh. Hearing Faith tell her what she had did make a small smile settle on her lips, however.

“I don't want you anymore, though,” Faith added, quickly making Buffy's smile disappear.

“Guess I deserve that,” Buffy mumbled under the weight of her guilt.

“Don't get me wrong, it took a whole lot of doing to get to that point,” Faith explained further.

Buffy still wasn't sure what she meant. Faith thought she was hot, but didn't want her. Weren't they the same two things?

“Explain?” she asked warily.

Faith shifted a little beneath her, a deep sigh rumbling through her chest as Buffy waited for her to talk some more. It was incredible that Faith was talking as much as she was considering their most recent encounter. Buffy wasn't certain why she was opening up, but she liked it, and she wanted to hear more.

“Not sure I'm too comfortable with spilling my guts but what the hell,” Faith said huskily as she lifted a hand to rest it against the side of the box, rapping her knuckles briefly against the hard wood. “I wanted you from the moment I first saw ya, B.”

Buffy held her breath, turning her head slightly to watch Faith's fingers clasp and unclasp.

“It fucking tripped me out back then,” Faith admitted. “Guess I rebelled against it, along with everything else. Wasn't much fun wanting something I could never have. Wanting to be with you kinda sucked.”

“I didn't know,” Buffy said quietly as Faith paused. “You always said you weren't the relationship type and I guess I didn't see past that.”

She tried to fit all the pieces together in her memory. She could see it all now, but it still confused her.

“I wasn't into relationships,” Faith chuckled, “which is why it was totally weird to want all that shit with you.”

Buffy chewed at her lower lip, memories tumbling around in her head as she wished she could turn back time and change it all now that she knew more. Now that she was more open to the possibility of being something other than just Faith's enemy.

“Didn't want just the sex,” Faith said, forging ahead with her explanation. “Gotta admit I wanted plenty of that too, though.”

They both laughed lightly, some of the tension lifting from them.

“There was all this other shit I wanted, and it was all new to me,” Faith said as Buffy allowed her to speak freely. “Wanted your touch in all kindsa soppy ways. Wanted to hold you and spend the night with you in my arms. I wanted the good times, the fun, for you to love me.”

She said the last words quieter than the rest but Buffy heard them loud and clear. Faith had wanted Buffy's love. In a way she'd always known that to be the case on some level, but to hear it was something else. Something that touched her more than she thought anything ever would again.

“Really got no clue why I'm telling you all this now,” Faith confessed. “Doesn't matter now I guess, it's all in the past. And I knew back then that you could never love me – I mean, who the fuck would right? It was crazy thinking, but it stayed with me. Broke my heart more than I can say when I felt you die, and when you came back I. . .can't even explain how that felt.”

Buffy tried not to hold her breath too much, fearing she was about to turn blue and suffocate, but she couldn't help it; Faith was apparently on a roll, and letting her know much more than she'd ever even guessed. Faith had loved her? Wait, Faith had felt her die? That was new info too.

“You felt me die?” Buffy asked, turning her head so she could just about catch Faith's dark eyes in the scant light.

“Yeah,” Faith replied somberly. “Was like somebody ripping my heart outta my chest and. . .shit, you don't need to hear the details, but it cut me up.”

“I'm sorry,” Buffy said softly, giving Faith's thigh a light squeeze.

“Not like it was your fault, B,” Faith said almost too cheerfully. “I tried to deal with it without going too psycho again – and I just about managed it. When you came back though? Drove me nuts to sense the pain you were in.”

It surprised Buffy to hear how much Faith could 'feel' her and sense her. She had the slayer-tingles from Faith much more than from the other girls, and now and then she had an inkling that she was somehow connected to her in some way that wasn't obvious, but it hadn't been as strong as what Faith seemed to be describing.

“Took all I had not to bust outta jail and hop on the first freight to SunnyD, but I knew you wouldn't have appreciated it anyway. Nobody would have.”

Watching as Faith made a tight fist against the side of the box, Buffy wished that maybe Faith had been around back then. Maybe she wouldn't have made so many stupid mistakes if Faith had been there; but then, she doubted she'd have welcomed her with open arms, or at all. It could have been even more disastrous than everything else she'd walked blindly into. They'd never know, but now was the time to look forward and not back - though hearing Faith's confession gave Buffy a lot to think about. More than just attraction was clearly running under the surface of their tumultuous relationship. There had been feelings. Feelings Buffy hadn't been fully aware of until now, both from Faith and herself.

“I was in a bad place back then, and you're right. . .I probably wouldn't have reacted well to you showing up. I hope you know how much I did appreciate the help you gave us against the First, though,” Buffy shared. “We couldn't have done it without you.”

“Yeah, sure,” Faith commented flippantly. “You appreciated it so much that the last time we met you trusted me enough not to try to pound my face into the floor.”

Their last meeting seemed like it would forever rise up to bite Buffy in the ass. She'd fucked things up big style with the way she had reacted on instinct, by habit.

She sighed and lifted her hand to her head, rubbing at her temple and fighting to keep her inner-bitch caged up inside as she spoke.

“That was. . .” Stupid? Awful? Hateful and unnecessary? It was all those and more, but Buffy wasn't very good at displaying her flaws so openly. “I was wrong.”

Buffy was about to say more; to explain her actions a little further, or try to, but Faith shunted her flow.

“Doesn't matter,” Faith murmured. “I was fighting myself more than anything. And anyway, it helped me finally stop wanting you. I finally kicked the habit and I'm mentally healthier for it - though right now I'm starting to feel a whole new shade of crazy stuck with your tight little body on top of me.”

Faith jiggled Buffy a little to emphasize her point, causing Buffy's libido to take notice once again. Apparently Faith had woken a beast within her and now the slightest movement made her skin buzz and her pussy throb. But Faith didn't 'want' her now, so what did that mean? How true was it when Faith couldn't even handle a little wriggling herself? She didn't know, but it certainly didn't make her feel cheerful and hopeful to hear the words said aloud. To hear that Faith felt saner without the desire and the wanting.

She hated that she'd caused so much turmoil within Faith. To be fair it wasn't as if she'd been fully aware that that's what she was doing at the time, and Faith wasn't exactly the model citizen regardless. . .but now, knowing for sure there had been love involved for Faith, and that she'd hung onto it all this time? It made Buffy wish for an easy option to wipe the slate clean. There were no easy anythings with them, however. They had to fight for everything, and Buffy suddenly realized she wanted to fight for Faith. She didn't want to just accept that Faith was now 'over her'. That was unacceptable. She couldn't allow it to happen, not just for the sake of her ego, but for the sake of their future – regardless of whether it would be spent closer together or not.

Without hesitating further, Buffy struggled on top of Faith in order to attempt to turn to face her. It wasn't as easy as she'd hoped.

“Ow!” Faith grumbled. “Jeeze, B. . .what are ya trying to do to me?”

Buffy's elbow dug into Faith's stomach as she maneuvered, remaining between Faith's legs and doing her best not to get distracted by the host of new sensations being there brought about. It was hard trying to focus, but there was a lot riding on what was said now so she had to attempt to stop thinking about actually riding Faith. She doubted Faith would really mind, but she couldn't be sure and there had been enough guessing and confusion in heir relationship already.

“Buffy, what are. . .”

“Shh,” Buffy soothed.

She concentrated in the dull light, finding Faith's eyes with her own as she propped herself up just a little above her. Faith's gaze was soft but guarded; eyes darker than normal due to the light. Buffy wondered how she'd ever been able to look into them without falling in love with her every time. Maybe she had fallen in love with her every time. Maybe she was only now coming to realize why they made her heart ache.

Buffy spoke slowly and quietly, looking deep within Faith. “I want to start again.”

Faith blinked but didn't look away. Buffy could tell she wanted to – to gather her thoughts and toughen her walls. The walls were visibly crumbling and Buffy had to keep it that way. One wrong step and they'd be in a worse situation with each other than when they'd started.

Raising her hand slowly, Buffy reached out and touched Faith's cheek. Her fingertips grazed over her skin, smudging a smear of dirt, entrancing them both. She felt so many things: scared, bold, lucky, hot, needy. Her body tried to remind her of their position; the throb between Buffy's legs taunting her as she tried to ignore it. This was about more than lust and she needed to stay in control. There would be time later to think about how sexy the gentle rise and fall of Faith's stomach against her own felt, how perfect they fitted together this way, how the mix of heat and scent bound them together in a promise of further delights. If things went horribly wrong, Buffy would at least have this to remember, to think about at night when her body craved release, to dream about along with the regrets.

“Start again?” Faith asked, a deep furrow to her brow.

“Us,” Buffy uttered, her hand still touching, still testing the water. “Can we?”

Faith's hand covered Buffy's at her cheek, a tender touch that gave her hope. She held her breath, waiting for a further response with everything in the balance. Faith's touch moved upwards towards Buffy's face; a pause before her fingertips arrived at expectant skin. The hesitation was clear in Faith's eyes, and Buffy tried to will her mentally to let go.

“If you're screwin' with me. . .”

“I'm not, Faith,” Buffy assured.

Her green eyes drifted shut for a second as Faith's fingers carefully slid over neatly tied back blonde hair. Faith found a few loose strands and pushed them behind Buffy's ear; so gentle, so open as she gazed up at Buffy.

“We can't just forget the past,” Faith argued, though the hushed tone betrayed her.

Buffy licked her lips, so close to Faith's she could practically feel them burning for the kiss it was obvious they both wanted. She did her best not to move the few inches it would take to allow her mouth to fall upon Faith's, needing them to settle things between them before they took that leap into the unknown.

“No forgetting, just something else. Something new,” Buffy told her.

Allowing her fingers to move a little more freely over Faith – who wasn't objecting – Buffy discovered the silk softness of her brown locks, the strong cut of her jaw, the captivating arch of her eyebrow. She wanted to explore further. She wanted to learn how to read every inch of Faith with her fingertips. There was a new burning need inside her for Faith that would never be ignored or dulled as easily as before.

“Sounds too good to be true, Buffy,” Faith said with a sigh.

Smiling at the full use of her name – realizing how much she liked hearing it from Faith's perfect lips – Buffy shook her head.

“It's there for the taking.”

Watching conflicting emotions flutter through Faith's eyes, Buffy silently wished for a breakthrough. If it didn't happen now then it probably never would. If Faith didn't let her in, if Buffy didn't hold her own ego aside long enough, if their lips didn't meet. . .there wouldn't be another time or opportunity to bridge the gap. Buffy could just sense it.

Dark eyes glanced from Buffy's to her mouth and back again; tension stifling in its temptation. They both wanted the same thing, for pretty much the same reason, but there was a fear that went beyond demons and monsters. A fear that neither of them had been able to conquer in the past.

The sound of their heartbeats crashed the silence when Faith's hand began to subtly urge Buffy down to her. She went willingly, lips parting just as Faith's did. Warm breaths tickling as the distance disappeared. The faint scent of lip gloss and mint. Eyes closing as mouth met mouth in slow motion.

Faith breathed hard out of her nose as their lips discovered each other, causing Buffy to do the same; her rush of heated breath carrying a soft moan as Faith pushed up against her. They were so close to tumbling over the abyss. Hands beginning to reach for more, and mouths wanting to claim deeper. It was what they wanted. What they needed. But the life of a slayer was never that easy or perfect.

They jumped apart as a ripping sound startled them and a harsh flood of light engulfed their small haven. Buffy twisted her head and could plainly see the lid to whatever they were trapped in flying off and crashing violently into a nearby wall. She blinked rapidly, the new light hurting her eyes. Faith was already trying to sit up, effectively ending the intimacy between them as Buffy shielded her eyes with her hand and peered out.

“Buffy?”

“Great timing, Will,” Buffy mumbled to herself, then raising her voice she shouted out in answer to her friend.

“Thank God we got the right one,” Willow said as she strode towards the box. “I was worried we'd have to fend of a bunch of mummies or something. Nothing worse than a cranky mummy in old, stinky bandages coming at you and. . .”

Buffy tuned Willow out as she took her hand in order to step out of the cramped box. Her muscles were stiff and she suddenly felt all kinds of grimy and sticky with sweat, not to mention wet and sticky with something else altogether.

She watched as Faith got out beside her and stretched. Trying not to stare, Buffy turned from her to take a good look at what they'd been trapped in. It was indeed a coffin. A very old coffin perched on some kind of altar.

“Any sign of the guy that trapped Faith in here?” Buffy asked, putting business before pleasure, or at least attempting to as she licked her lips and tasted lip gloss that definitely wasn't hers.

“Nope, no trace,” Willow said with a shrug. “His barrier was pretty strong. Took a lot of effort to break, but we make a strong team.” She glanced behind herself and smiled at the few apprentice witches that Buffy had failed to notice until then. Buffy was obviously too busy trying to avoid gazing at Faith – mind in a tumble of possibilities – to fully take in her surroundings.

“Thanks,” Faith muttered as she rubbed at the back of her neck with one hand, the other dug firmly into the pocket of her jeans.

“Yeah, thanks, and good job,” Buffy added, giving the witches a small smile. “Now can we get the hell out of here? I'm hot and dirty and would sell my sister right now for a drink of something wet and cold.”

“We're all set to go, just say the word,” Willow replied. “But I have to warn you. . .it's a bit crazy there right now,” she added cryptically.

Buffy raised an eyebrow but decided not to dig for more information as she'd soon find out what she meant. She turned her head towards Faith, wondering if she should ask what she wanted to ask. Wondering if Faith would accept.

“Oh, and Giles is there now too, waiting for Faith,” Willow continued. “If she wants to go.”

Faith appeared a little taken aback, but she hid it well, and now Buffy didn't need to ask at all.

“Um, yeah,” Faith replied slightly uncomfortably. “Sure.”

Her gaze landed on Buffy and a small flash of understanding passed between them. That bridge had been crossed. The gap had been pushed closer. But Faith was still wary about a lot of things, including being around the scoobies and the younger slayers. It was foreign territory. It was outside Faith's comfort zone.

“Don't worry, you'll enjoy the eggnog Xander will force on you, I promise,” Buffy said to Faith, adding a wink that made Faith's sexy eyebrow make a playful appearance.

It wasn't long before they were back at the castle and Buffy was heading for a much needed shower.

She'd discovered the reason why she'd been given an impromptu twirl across the planet almost as soon as they'd arrived, as a white pony pranced past her and then bolted for the door in search of freedom. There were three of them outside, noses pushing though the snow in search of grass. There was also a large, flashy looking truck, a Ford Mustang, and a little red Mini parked in the drive. As far as she was aware, they didn't belong to anybody she knew.

Slayers were walking around in new clothes, using new gadgets, and some with impressive looking new weapons. They'd had to chase off at least two naked male models, all courtesy of one of the younger apprentice witches. Apparently she'd done a supposedly innocuous little Christmas spell for everybody to get what they most desired and wished for. She hadn't bargained on it actually working, but it had.

It didn't take Buffy long to understand the connection between that and whizzing off to Mexico, though she chose not to share it with a clearly baffled Willow, Xander and Dawn. Kennedy snickered from the sidelines and she knew the cat would be out of the bag soon, but for now she just wanted to hold the secret close for a while. At least until she'd had chance to talk further with Faith.

Once she'd showered, and giving Faith plenty of time to do the same in one of the guest rooms, Buffy made her way down the hall. It was late now and most of the other residents had gone to bed. She passed Xander in the hall and said goodnight to him, wishing him a merry Christmas eve. She could hear Willow laughing with Kennedy in the kitchen about leaving Santa some snacks. Not lingering to listen too long, Buffy continued towards the main living room where she hoped to find Faith. There was no guarantee she'd be there – exhaustion could have got the better of her, or she could have changed her mind and decided to avoid Buffy.

Neither of those were obviously the case, as Buffy stopped by the entrance to take in the sight of Faith standing in front of the large tree. The tree lights threw sparkling highlights into her dark hair as it flowed in soft, freshly washed waves over her shoulders. Her arms were crossed, but she seemed relaxed. Buffy couldn't see her face as her back was to her, but she could picture every detail of it; she accepted that she'd always been able to.

“You gonna come in or are ya waitin' for the Clause dude?” Faith asked, not even needing to turn around to check that it was Buffy.

“Yunno, I'm pretty sure he doesn't exist,” Buffy said with a chuckle as she eased further into the room towards Faith.

“Well he better not fucking exist otherwise I'd have to hate on him as well as my folks for the crappy presents I never got.”

Though Faith said it in jest there was a hint of hurt and anger bubbling under the surface. Buffy wished she could take away the horrible past and the hurt. She'd gotten her wish tonight thanks to the young witch; she'd gotten Faith. She'd been given uninterrupted time with her, and an openness from the other slayer that she should have realized wasn't entirely normal.

“Maybe we can fix the crappiness this year,” Buffy offered in a whisper as she reached Faith.

Without asking for permission or worrying too much about the reaction she could get, Buffy moved up behind Faith and slid her arms around her. She pulled her close and Faith's hands dropped to lay on Buffy's forearms.

A moment of silence passed as Buffy just enjoyed being close to Faith. The fire was roaring close by and the only light in the room came from its orange flicker and the sparkling lights of the tree before them. She wanted to freeze time so nothing could get in the way of this perfect moment as they stood – a perfect fit – with nothing but hope laid out on their path.

“I hope you're not messing with me, B,” Faith finally said, her voice heavy and husky as she practically melted into Buffy. “I only just got done believing I couldn't live without wanting you.”

Buffy felt her heart shaking within her chest. She needed Faith to know she was serious without scaring her away. She was through fighting it. Through dodging the fact they shouldn't be enemies but lovers.

“And I only just got done thinking I could live without you. I can't,” Buffy admitted. “And I want more than we've ever had. . .if you want it too.”

She felt Faith stiffen for just a second, but then she turned in her arms, facing Buffy. Her hand stroked softly over Buffy's cheek before dropping to her shoulder as they looked into each other's eyes. The fire crackled in the background, warming the slayers nowhere near as much as they were warming one another.

“Will you?” Buffy asked tentatively. “Reconsider the wanting thing I mean,” she clarified.

A slow and sensual smile crept over Faith's face before she answered. “Are you only asking 'cause it's 'been a while'?”

Buffy couldn't help but smile right along with Faith until they were just gazing at each other with silly grins.

“I was lying to myself thinking I don't want you, Buffy,” Faith said as the grin faded into a serious expression. “I want you. I want you so fucking bad it scares me.”

She barely whispered but Buffy heard the words. Felt the words right through her. Lifting both her hands to Faith's face she studied her, holding her captive so Faith would see the truth in her eyes.

“We can be scared together,” Buffy said as she brought her nose close to Faith's, brushing them together as they closed their eyes and breathed each other in. “I want you too. I want the chance to love you.”

Feeling Faith shudder against her, Buffy brought their lips together. They kissed deeper this time as their bodies threw caution to the wind. She sighed and moaned as their tongues claimed and teased, hands roaming to find flesh that wanted explored, hips that searched for more contact, desire that no longer wanted to go ignored.

Kissing over Faith's lips, jaw and neck, Buffy tried to calm her breathing enough to suggest, “We should take this upstairs.”

Her own mouth felt the small grin that graced Faith's as she continued to place soft kisses there, waiting for a response.

“Sure you don't wanna wait around for Santa so you can get your gifts?” Faith asked, pulling back so Buffy could see the twinkling lights sparkling in her dark, desire heavy eyes.

“No need,” Buffy informed her. “I already have everything I want.”

She could see the slight flicker of disbelief in Faith's eyes, but she knew she'd take care of that. Buffy would show Faith she meant every word. She'd show her how sorry she was for the past. She'd love her in a way nobody ever had.

“You're talking about the ponies right?” Faith joked with a grin.

The uncertainty behind the joke didn't go unheard and Buffy took Faith's hand in her own, stepping away from her just enough for them to be able to walk.

“Ponies are fun, Faith,” Buffy told her as she gently tugged her towards the door. “But I'm not planning to ride the ponies, I'm planning to ride you. And by ride I mean fuck you senseless, hold you all night, promise to make love to you every day so I can show you how much I want you with me. How much I fall in love with you every time I look at you. How much I need you around to drive me crazy with your wise cracks, your hot body and your sexy slaying moves.”

She paused to make sure Faith was listening. She was, a beautiful smile making every risk Buffy was currently taking worth it.

“So I can show you how much I've always loved you, and how sorry I am for never telling you.”

The tear that rolled down Faith's cheek never reached the floor as Buffy stepped back into her arms and wiped it gently away with her thumb. Buffy had an idea that maybe Faith was still a little under the 'Christmas wish' spell, but she could feel in her heart that they were making the right decision for once. She kissed her softly and then said no more as they made their way to Buffy's room. To a new future.

Christmas would never be the same again.