Title: Taste

Rating: K+

Spoilers: Everything, to be safe.

Summary: Five kisses Dawn never had.

AN: Okay, so, it wasn't my intention to write this as another 'Five Things…' fic, but that seemed to be the only way it would come out. And once again, I didn't come up with this format; I stole it from many other fics all over the web.

Warning: Femslash, but also het.

Xander

Dawn kissed Xander, her first crush, when she was younger, during the height of her infatuation.

He was Dawn-sitting, being funny and sweet, and she leant over and pressed her lips against his.

He tasted salty from the popcorn they'd been eating and his stubble scratched against her chin.

He didn't respond for a moment, and she was unsure what to do, so she just kept her lips pressed against his, not moving. Then he pushed her away gently, and just as gently explained that he was a lot older than her, and that he was with Anya, that he loved Anya, and then he made a joke about Buffy causing him serious bodily harm.

She was mortified, and he was kind. He wrapped an arm around her and promised that everything would be okay.

She was unable to look him in the eye for a few weeks, but she was young, and she got over it.

Tara

Dawn kissed Tara after Tara moved out, she was always trying to make time to be with Dawn, and Dawn was so grateful to be the centre of someone's world for a few hours.

They had been to a movie and had lunch, and ended up in Tara's crappy new apartment. They chatted for a while and Dawn made to leave, stopping to say something encouraging about Willow. Tara hugged her, and then rested her forehead against Dawn's whispering a thank you. Dawn could feel Tara's warm breath against her mouth, and she moved forward just an inch and their lips brushed.

Tara tasted sweet, like the milkshakes they'd had earlier, and her lips were unbelievably soft.

Tara immediately jumped back, apologising even though it was Dawn that had kissed her. Tara was concerned, and she offered Dawn an ear, a shoulder. She thought that Dawn was confused, and she felt guilty. She didn't mention Willow because she didn't believe that Dawn actually felt anything for her, she assumed that it all stemmed from Dawns sudden sexual confusion. Dawn couldn't decide if that was true or not.

Dawn cut off Tara's offers of counsel, said it was an accident, and left quickly while Tara tried to stop her.

Tara tried to approach her a few times about it but Dawn avoided her. Then Tara was dead, and Dawn was staring Tara's lips as they turned blue.

Willow

Dawn kissed Willow when Willow was trying to come off the magic. Willow would stay in her room all day, and Dawn was furious at her, for the accident, for driving Tara away.

One day Dawn decided she was fed up with Willows self pity, and she barged into Willows room with the intention of slapping her again, but then kissed her instead.

Willow tasted sour, like she hadn't brushed her teeth for a while, and Dawn could feel her oily skin against her cheek.

The kiss was angry and Dawn bit at Willows lips, hoping they'd bleed. She pulled back and Willow stared at her like she couldn't grasp what just happened. Dawn growled a warning, told Willow to get over herself, stop moping about, start helping Buffy again, call Tara and beg for forgiveness, and for God's sake have a shower.

Dawn felt satisfied she'd said what she needed and left, Willow still looked stunned.

Willow got better, and then got much, much worse. Then while she was threatening Dawn with death, Willow leaned in close and asked Dawn if she wanted a kiss goodbye.

Spike

Dawn kissed Spike when he was sleeping with Buffy, though she didn't know it at the time. She still had a crush on him then, and Buffy was too busy brooding to keep such a close eye on her.

She went to his crypt and he was sulking about Buffy, drunk enough to offer her a drink.

She drank enough to get tipsy. She stared at him for a moment then grabbed his collar and slammed her lips against his, forcing her tongue in his mouth.

He tasted of cigarettes, alcohol and stale blood and he was colder than she expected.

She pulled away and he looked at her, stunned. But then she saw his eyes shift, saw the desire, the hunger. He was considering taking her, hurting her, hurting Buffy in the process. He was still a monster after all, and Dawn remembered that when she saw that look, and she realised her mistake.

Spike saw the fear, she saw a mix of arousal and disgust cross his face, and he growled at her to leave. She ran home.

Soon after he'd attack Buffy and the world would go to hell. When he comes back with a soul he can barely bring himself to look at her, but when he does she sometimes sees the same dangerous look.

Faith

Dawn kissed Faith unexpectedly when Faith came back to help face the First. The other times she'd seen the Slayer she'd been too young to get Faiths appeal. She got it then. She thinks everyone's wanted to kiss Faith at some point.

Faith had gone outside for a smoke and to be alone and Dawn followed her. They sat in silence, then Faith said something mildly insulting, called Dawn a brat, and Dawn snapped back something, and Faith laughed. Their eyes met and Dawn, for no reason other than she wanted to, kissed Faith. Really, truly kissed her.

Faith tasted like cigarettes and a lip gloss that Dawn either wanted to borrow or just lick off Faith's lips.

The kiss was nice, gentle but firm, exploratory but sensual. Faith pulled back and raised an eyebrow, Dawn shrugged. Faith leaned in, kissed her again, more heated this time. Maybe it was about Buffy, maybe it was because she was offering, and Faith likes to be wanted, or maybe Faith was scared and wanted to be close to someone for a while, Dawn was never sure. She led Dawn somewhere private and took Dawn's virginity with barely a pause.

Dawn was confused, but she didn't regret it, and Faith offered neither an explanation nor an apology.

They went on like it never happened, and that was fine, until before the final battle when Faith pulled Dawn aside, kissed her quickly, called her brat and told her not to die.