Timeline: Third season. Assumes Buffy and Faith are in a romantic relationship, and assumes Faith didn't accidentally kill Finch and go psycho. Takes place during my slash fanfic 'Waiting', only from Buffy's perspective.

Category: Romance

Disclaimer: Buffy, Faith and any and all characters, concepts, situations, properties and scenarios of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer belong to Josh Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, and doubtlessly many other people in suits. No profit is intended, no copyright infringement is intended, no offence is intended - it be all in good fun, me mateys (if you'll excuse the brief slipping into pirate tones, there). Don't sue, I have nothing worth suing for anyway.

Warning: This work deals with two women in a consenting romantic and sexual relationship. There is no graphic depiction or description of sexual activities in this work - however, if the orientation of this relationship isn't to your taste, if you find this sort of thing offensive or if it's illegal where you live, please do not read it. I assume no responsibility for any offence that may be resulted from this work of fan fiction. Repeat, if you find the basic concept of this fic offensive, don't read it. It's as simple as that - don't read it and whine on about it later. You've been warned.

Notes: This is my second attempt at writing f/f slash fanfiction, and again it regards my favourite coupling - Buffy and Faith. It is a follow-up to 'Waiting', which was written from Faith's P.O.V. This one, of course, regards Buffy's P.O.V. Feedback definitely appreciated. Hope you enjoy!

Summary: Follow-up to 'Waiting'. Buffy loves Faith. But of course, you already knew that.

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Faith and I have a date this lunchtime.

We both like the lunchtime dates. It's probably because our evenings are usually spent battling various hideous monsters and reducing blood-sucking demons to piles of dust that couldn't fit in an ashtray. Not exactly the best time to really enjoy each other's company. And that gets tiring soon, and it's even nicer to be with each other when we have the energy and stamina to really enjoy each other's company…but such thoughts aren't really appropriate to survive Mrs. Campbell's civics class, so I try and replace them with something non-provocative and hope no one saw me squirm slightly.

Of course, I have trig right after this, but hell - odds are, I could be sliced and diced by a creature with antlers and claws next week, so it's not exactly as if I could really give a damn about trigonometry. Not when I have Faith waiting for me, and Faith's taught me things which, although perhaps not quite as educational, are certainly infinitely more satisfying - oh damn! Civics, civics, civics…

I'm in love with Faith, by the way. But that's probably pretty obvious.

She's so…vibrant, you know? She just seems to energise an entire room by her presence. The way she burst into my life so energetically, like an explosion of black leather pants and attitude. Figures that's she'd be the opposite of Angel - he tiptoed his way into the threshold of my life, keeping to the shadows, developing our relationship as quietly and calmly as possible. And Faith goes and kicks down the door. Plus, we rammed a wooden beam through a vampire so old he'd began to evolve into a weird goat-legged thing. Always good for bonding.

I dunno if I ever felt this way about Angel. I loved him, certainly, and part of me always will, but I dunno if it was ever this intense, this deep. I guess Angel and I never truly, deep down, understood each other as much as Faith and I do. When I think of it now, after him, it's kind of obvious. He's two hundred and forty-two years old, after all, and I'm eighteen, he's a vampire and I'm a Slayer, he's a guy, I'm a girl…a lot of differences. Plus, even if I wanted to, we'd have never really got back together - we're too different, and we could never enjoy a proper life together. Plus my friends would never have truly accepted him after last year. We've made our peace, and I hope he's happy for me, but we aren't as close as we used to be.

I honestly dunno what it is about Faith that makes me love her more than my own life, even. Does anyone who truly loves someone know that? We just seem to know each other perfectly, you know? We just seem to know everything about each other, even what the other's thinking. Giles thinks it's because we're both Slayers, and because of the near impossibility of there being two concurrently, we're more psychically attuned to the other - whatever that means. It means we have better co-ordination and teamwork when we fight vampires. Synchronised Slaying. The Chosen Two.

I like that.

Plus, when we first met, I was pretty sullen about the whole Angel-expulsion-running away thing. I mean, I'd just came back, everyone was looking at me suspiciously as if I'd bolt the second they took their eyes off me. There was this big wedge between my friends and me, Giles and Mom had me on a twenty-four seven eyes-always-on-me routine, and I'd had to send my boyfriend to hell and was agonising about it endlessly. Plus, I'd just entered into yet another of my patented relationship disaster areas, so when Faith showed up I wasn't exactly at my most emotionally stable.

And then, Faith was someone who didn't judge me, who didn't doubt or suspect me, who didn't have a load of emotional baggage with my name on it. Someone who I could talk to, someone who listened to me and sympathised with me. Someone who knew what I went through every day, someone who didn't put me on a pedestal then resent me for not reaching their too-high ideals. Someone who knew me as much as I knew her. Someone who, in different circumstances, could have been me, just as I could have been her.

I guess falling in love with her was just the next step. I mean, it's like there's a window into my soul that only she can see and one for her that only I can see. It's like we've been bonded together. I don't like to use the word 'soul mate' much, but if anyone fit that criteria, then Faith would. Perhaps I was just meant to fall for her.

As well as that, in a totally physical sense, she's completely irresistible. As I've learnt, often to our peril, when our many cemetery make-out sessions are rudely interrupted by some vampire jerk wanting to prove he's got the balls to take on the Chosen Two. They usually learn otherwise. Plus, the whole kissing thing often works as a lure for the male vampires - it seems testosterone and the male fantasy about two chicks at it still operates after vampirism. Of course, Giles absolutely refuses to put that into the Watcher Diaries.

Finally! The nightmare ends, civics finishes, and I'm free. With almost indecent haste (as well as everyone in the class, Mrs. Campbell desperately shouting the homework assignments to our backs), I pack up my things and exit into the corridor, heading directly to my locker.

And of course, suddenly Xander's next to me.

"Uh-oh." He remarks, grinning that lopsided grin that's so irritatingly cute. "Someone looks like they're full of pep. Should I be worried?"

"Depends on what worries you." I remark coyly.

"You and Faith going out again?"

"In just a couple of minutes." I reply in that deceptively casual tone that fools no one as to my true feelings, which is I wanna run down the corridor to the front and find her.

"Oh. Is this just a lunch date, or are certain interesting applications of various dairy products going to be a staple part of today's activities?" he asked, his grin effortlessly becoming more lecherous.

I'm sure the force of my glare could melt him into a puddle of horrible red icky stuff on the floor in an instant, would glares be able to do that. The frightening thing is, he has no idea of how right he can be sometimes. Mom's still wondering where that honey disappeared too…

I reluctantly drag myself to the present away from that happy, if sticky, memory, back to where Xander's still smirking wickedly at me. Damn, have to come up with a retort. "And of course, if there were, I suppose you'd volunteer to test them out for us."

At my tone, he adopts a mock wounded expression. "Hey, just looking out for you guys. Anything I can do to help, and all."

I can't help but grin at the puppy-like enthusiasm he has. Seriously, it's great the way that my friends and loved ones seem to have accepted Faith and I being an item. I kinda expected more opposition, particularly from Mom and Xander. But then, I guess that after the revelation that your daughter / best friend fights vampires as a sort of nightly hobby, and has for the last few months been romantically involved with a two hundred and forty-two year old vampire, who lost his soul and became a psycho when you engaged in sexual relations with him, the revelation that your daughter / best friend has realised she's a lesbian and has fallen hopelessly in love with another Slayer comes as a bit of an anti-climax. Of course, the fact that Faith's so irresistibly likeable and charming probably has something to do with it as well. Mom certainly likes her more than Angel. Of course, she'd probably be a lot less placid if she knew what we got up to in the house when she's at work…

It's also great that Xander likes Faith and has no real problems with her. When I was with Angel, he wasn't happy - partly cause I think he jonesed after me himself, and partly because he didn't trust Angel, which he was partially right in thinking, in the end. I never used to like the tension that existed between us whenever Angel was around us or whenever we talked about him, and it's great that there's none of that with Faith. Of course, he probably entertains fantasies of a threesome these days or something. Faith and I have probably added volumes to his fantasy library.

There was a little problem with Willow, but I think she was kinda jealous - when me and Faith first got together, I was kind of absentee friend, but we've made up since then. And Giles actually encouraged us - said it was excellent for our slaying dynamic or something, that an emotional attachment would heighten our psychic connection and would make us more defensive of the other, or something. I guess that's his manner of a blessing. We still smooch in front of him, though, just to make him uncomfortable.

"I'll keep that in mind." I reply to his comment dryly. "See you later?"

"You're coming back? With Faith to go to?"

I narrow my eyes at his implication, however true it is. "Not willingly. Giles has some Slayer stuff he wants to go through with us. Until then, it's Faith and me. And only Faith and me." I add with haste, seeing the beginnings of a smartass remark in his eyes.

He pouts at his denied opportunity. "Fine, be that way. Deny me my fantasy. See if I care. Looks like I'll just have to come up with a really lame cover story for your trig class, then. That'll teach you."

"Do whatever you have to." I reply cheerfully. "See you later. Tell Will, Oz and Cordy I said bye."

"Will do. Tell Faith I said hi. And mention my proposal?" He asks, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"She'll laugh hysterically. Then give you the mother of all wedgies."

He grins. "You're too kind. See ya!"

And with that, he disappears into the rapidly diminishing crowd, heading off to trig. If I wasn't so excited about seeing Faith, I'd pity him. But instead, I pack everything into my bag but the bare essentials and then stuff it into my locker, locking it. I'll pick it up later.

Keeping a watch-out for any teacher who may question my leaving school grounds during the school day - particularly Snyder (not that I'd listen to him anyway, but I don't want to be held up by that little weasel), I walk to the main entrance and walk out. And of course, like always, my breath is taken by who I see, as always.

She's so…beautiful. It's impossible to believe she doesn't see it herself. She's so self-doubtful, deep down, and she's had such a hard life - it breaks my heart to think of all the ways she considers herself inadequate and worthless, and I could just kill the people who've ever hurt her after listening to some of her tearful revelations (which she swears I'm the first to know, and makes me promise to remain silent). Wearing, as ever, a pair of very tight black leather pants (trouser-wise, she only seems to own a wardrobe of black leather, denim or spandex), and a white shirt, when I approach she appears to be deep in thought.

"Hey." I say, trotting down the steps to see her. And the way her face lights up when she sees me is a miracle to behold. As always, it's as if the world disappears in her presence, and she's the only thing to pay attention to. The only thing worth paying attention to.

"Hey." She replies softly, and we kiss gently, not caring who sees us. It's kind of an open secret around school that we're together, and there's always the jerks or the small-minded morons who hate anything different than themselves that have something to say. The rest tend to not bother us, and even that minority of horny jerks, fundamentalists and snotty bitches dim down, probably because they fear what we'd to them if they got on our wrong side. Having a reputation as a delinquent can come in handy, sometimes.

On another note, I get on pretty well with Larry these days, however. Probably expressing alternate lifestyle solidarity. He's not such a bad guy, since he gave up the chauvinist emotional compensation part of his nature.

But even if there was anyone watching us, I certainly wouldn't care, because that kiss is everything I love about Faith, from the deep part of her that only I seem to reach - soft, gentle, sweet, yet with a hint of passion and promise. When we finally break away, I can't keep the grin off my face, and she licks her lips. Probably my lip-gloss - although, we're both pretty hungry, in ways that don't only include food.

"You look…great. In those clothes." I can't help but smile more. She's so cute when she's nervous.

"Thanks. You too look great. Especially in those clothes." I lean closer, injecting a note of sultry promise into my voice as I whisper. "So great, in fact, that I'm thinking of getting you out of those clothes." As I softly take her hand, making sure to brush her fingers just enough to fill me with that little tingle that I get whenever I touch her, she grins wickedly. "Ready to go, babe?" I ask.

"Whenever you are."

I begin to lead her off in the direction of…wherever. It doesn't matter. Burger King, Pizza Hut, Restfield Cemetery…hell, I'd happily live in the North Pole wearing only a thong if she was with me. The little details like where we are and who knows I'm gay don't matter. None of it matters. All that matters is that I'm in love with Faith and Faith's in love with me.

And all's right with the world. Even in Sunnydale.

THE END.