It's a very strange thing to be given what you want, what you've wanted for years, in the blink of an eye. Disorientating.

It wasn't a memorable day, nothing special happened. We were in Rome, and I was sat on our balcony, sipping a beer and watching the sun rise. Relishing the night off I'd been given. It seems, to keep the balance, demon activity'd risen with the influx of new slayers.

Kennedy was out doing patrol, Buffy was watching a movie, and I was just remembering.

"I never thought I'd say this Faith, but you're a coward." Kennedy was standing in the kitchen, running her forearm under the tap, rinsing off the blood to reveal a long, jagged slice in her skin. A demon'd gotten lucky, she got in the way.

"What?" I was rustling through the first aid kit for something to put on her arm.

"You're a coward."

"I heard what ya said Junior. Explain."

"What'd you think she'd do if you just kissed her?"

"Hit me. Hard." I passed her a bandage as she turned off the tap and turned to me as she dried her arm.

"You know, for someone who's been living with this slayer connection thing for years, you're not real sure of how to use it properly, are ya?"

"Dunno 'bout you, but I'm not too keen on anyone sneaking peeks in my head. What makes ya think she'll like it any better?"

"Well I'm still a newbie compared, so I can get away with it." She started to wrap the bandage around her arm, her eyes constantly flickering to mine. "Also helps that I've learned to do it without either of you knowing."

"Huh?"

"I'm in you're head right now, but you don't have a clue, do ya?"

"Kenny," I growled, my grip on the counter tightening. "Get outta my head."

"Does she know?"

"Know what?"

"How deep you're in love with her."

I don't think she really knew how fast a slayer could move until that moment. I had her pinned against the wall, my fingers curled around her neck, before she'd blinked. "I told you to get out of my head. Think I was playing?"

I expected to see many thinks in her eyes then, smugness wasn't one of them. Oh there was fear but just a tiny bit curling at the edges. It was as if she knew something I didn't, like she had some kind of power over me. After a second I let go of her and went to the kitchen window to look at the sky.

"I know I'm a brat, but you don't think I'd bring up something this painful without a damn good reason do you?" I heard the tape tearing as she pulled off pieces to secure the bandage around her arm. "If you kissed her, I guarantee she wouldn't hit you. She'd surprise you. She's been holding back as long as you, and she's starting to realise there isn't a good enough reason left to push you away."

"Share the wealth." Buffy's voice pulls me from my memories and I offer her my bottle without thinking. She takes it as she sits down, getting comfy.

Right in my lap.

Turns out Kenny isn't as full of shit as I used to think.

We'd been out on patrol, and it was a heavy one. No serious damage done, although it didn't help that I was almost constantly distracted by Kenny's words. They kept ringing in the back of my head, every single time I watched B at work. She looks so viciously beautiful when she fights. Unleashed. I always thought I'd beat her in a fight, but watching her was like watching the darkness lash out and strike; brutal and majestic at the same time.

When we were back in the apartment, I had to fight to keep my eyes away from her. And she was seriously lying when she said slaying didn't make her hungry and horny. I could feel my pulse, rapid and rushing, as it belted through my head, the soft echo of hers just behind mine. I knew if I locked eyes with her just once, I'd slam her against the wall and just take her.

So instead I headed straight to the kitchen for a beer and some food. I'd downed a whole bottle before she followed in behind me, rustling about in the cupboards as I stood in front of the fridge, seemingly in a search for food.

But in reality I was trying to calm myself enough so I could say g'night later. I couldn't remember being this bad after a patrol in a good long while. And then Kenny's words came back to me; "She'd surprise you."

And as these words sounded, I looked at her. Leaning her stomach against the counter as she tried to get the jar of peanut butter open. There was a slight glistening of sweat across the skin I could see and her hair was a little messed up. She was breathing deeply and even from a side view I could see that her pupil had swallowed almost all of the colour of her eye, except a small sliver. Which looked brighter than it should have had a right to, and just like that, the pulse in my head returned twice as loud, speeding up my own breathing, until it caught her attention.

She stopped fiddling with the jar, as if she'd just realised I was watching her. It looked like her eyes became unfocused before she lowered the jar to the counter and slowly turned her head to look at me. And as our eyes met her own breathing sped up.

'She'd surprise me huh? Let's test that theory'

I hesitated just a second before I rushed her. And I knew she could get out of my way in time, but she didn't move. Just stood there waiting for me to reach her, like our kitchen was miles long and she had to wait longer than the second and a half it took me to reach her.

I lifted her slightly off the floor and slammed her back into the counter. Her hands had lifted and curled around my neck, on instinct, but the moan she let rip wasn't instinct, it was desire at the force I was using on her.

Her eyes opened and I fell into them, a little surprised at the desire she was showing. Not in the slaying effects kind of way. It was pure want that was twinkling in her eyes, and it was directed straight at me.

When I brought our lips together it wasn't the clash of flesh and teeth you'd expect it to be, it was soft, gentle, like a quiet question of if it was ok. Only then did it get a bit more forceful. A fight of lips and tongues as neither of us won the fight for domination, and neither of us really seemed to care. We'd both been wanting this for years, both too wrapped up in other things to think it mattered much.

It did matter. It was all that mattered.

"Tell me to stop." I breathed as I pulled away from those lips just enough to speak. "Tell me no and I'll forget this ever happened. But if you don't, don't think you can use me for the night and throw me away tomorrow morning."

"If you're as good as you say you are, I'll be demanding breakfast and another round." A smirk curled at the corners of her lips, giving her a kind of dangerous look, that bounced around her almost fully black eyes. She tightened her fingers in my hair, jumping up and wrapping her legs around my waist, pulling her eyes from my lips to my own eyes. I think so I could read how deadly serious she was about this not being for one night. And I think she was trying to see if the thought of having just one person scarred me. Whatever she was looking for, she found it. "Now shut up, and kiss me."

And I did. Trust me when I say that the kitchen floor's never looked the same again.