Title: Do You Love Me?

Author: Myinnerme

Drabble-athon: At Dylan Femslash Yahoo Group - Theme Set One: Magic

Summary: Sometimes you just have to ask this question…. (F/B?)

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon and all creators of BTVS own these characters except the ones I create.

A/N: A million thanks as always to Electra for beta'ing and suggestions. :P

"I'm not sure about this Will."

"Buffy, it'll be fine. Stop worrying."

"But this isn't my style," Buffy spoke over the club's loud music.

"Phftt," Willow waved a dismissive hand. "The last time you had a hint of style, you romped around with a vampire. And we all know what a disaster that was."

"Willow!" she glared with mix of wounded-indignation.

"Sorry," Willow gave a modest smile. "But it's the truth though," she mumbled into the last of her drink.

"You know I can still hear you, right," Buffy pointed out, reaching down in her own nearly empty glass to crunch on some ice.

Willow refocused her thoughts. Buffy's present what-can-barely-be-termed-a-relationship, not her past ones, was up for discussion.

"All I'm saying Buff, is that it's not going to hurt him. The potion will flush out his system the next time he goes to the bathroom. No, hear me out first," Willow raised a hand up and Buffy closed her mouth.

"You wanted to know if Mark could really love you so you don't waste your time in a dead-end relationship. Well, I can make it happen. This potion will cut through all the sweet and gooey and bring out what's deep in his heart whether he's consciously aware of it or not. And the beauty of it is he won't even remember saying anything to you."

"Somehow it feels wrong and like cheating," Buffy scrunched her nose. "Maybe part of growing into something meaningful is the element of surprise."

Willow fought the urge not to be tetchy. If she'd had this stuff before she started dating Kennedy, she could have saved herself two years of unnecessary heartache.

"You can honestly tell me Buff; looking back at all your relationships, if you knew from the beginning they would be a waste of your time or their love wouldn't last or it really wasn't love at all, would you still have pursued them?"

"I…" Buffy trailed off as her head filled with past conquests.

"See. That's exactly what I'm saying," Willow knowingly nodded to her friend staring pensively into the sea of dancing bodies. "You deserve to find someone who truly loves you for you, faults and all. Not someone who's going to try and change you into who they want you to be. Or, only sees you for that quick roll in the hay."

Buffy thought of Angel, and then Parker, then Riley, and then back to Parker…

"Okay. So how does this work again," she looked back at the red-head.

Willow smiled triumphantly as she reached into her purse. "While you distract him, I'll pour this into his drink," she held up a small bottle of clear liquid for Buffy to see. "Once he drinks it, you can ask him if he loves you. If he does, you can then ask him if he wants to spend the rest of his life with you. He won't be able to lie, so you'll know if you should end it all before it really begins."

"So it's a truth serum then," Buffy surmised.

Willow simply stared incredulously at her for a long moment until Buffy shifted a little uncomfortably.

"Haven't you been listening to anything I've told you these last few days? This is so much more than sodium pentothal. The ingredients alone, not counting mixing it with the right spells to get the proper balance, is near impossible to find. Do you know how hard it is to get Gimp Root? Gimp Root, Buffy," Willow threw up exasperated arms. "This plant only blossoms after a Mac-Fall. And then, there's—"

"Hi Girls," Mark flopped into the booth next to Buffy.

"Hey you," Buffy smiled brightly back at him. She wanted to fall at his feet in thanks for interrupting Willow.

"Finished dancing?" Willow asked, hiding the tiny bottle.

"Yep. Had to plead with Faith to give me a break. God Buffy, you never told me she liked to dance so much," Mark blew out a breath.

"That's our Faith. The dancing diva," Buffy grinned. "Where is she anyway?" She keenly looked around. Since the fall of Sunnydale, she and Faith had patched up all their differences and become really good friends. Like two peas-in-a-pod.

"Treating everyone to the next round of drinks," Mark offered.

"That's nice of her," Buffy wistfully remarked.

"I thought so too," he agreed. "She's a great gal."

"Who's really thirsty?" Faith stepped up to the booth balancing a handful of drinks.

"I am," Willow held her hand up.

"You in school or something, Red," Faith sat next to her with a playful smirk.

Giggling, Willow accepted the Cosmopolitan. It was a pretty red color and yummy, and it was her third one for the evening.

"And for you Girlfriend, thought you may like to have Sex on The Beach this time." Faith passed over the cocktail with a bounce of her brows.

Buffy flushed and then took a huge gulp.

"Damn B! If I'd known sand and sea was your thing, I would've made Giles move us to the Caribbean." Faith chuckled and everyone else joined in when Buffy choked as her face reddened even more.

"You two crack me up with the teasing," Mark grinned, accepting the drink Faith gave him. "When I first saw you two together, I thought for sure there'd be no hope for me. I mean, two hot women like yourselves, who seem crazy over each other and act more like a couple. Frig, how can a guy compete against that? But I guess I was wrong because ya'll are just really great friends and I'm now dating you," he gave Buffy a downy smile.

"Well here's to being wrong," Faith lifted her glass to offer a toast.

"WAIT!!" Buffy reached across and almost slapped the drink completely out of the brunette's hand.

"Buffy! What the hell?" Faith mopped at the small spill.

"…I, uh, I just need another drink to toast with," she rushed out.

Faith quirked a pointed eyebrow at Buffy's more than half-full glass of fruity goodness.

"Oh, yeah, right," Buffy followed her gaze. Lifting it, she swallowed down the rest of the contents to the surprise of the bemused onlookers.

Covering her mouth from the small burp, Buffy looked up shyly, "Can you get me a new drink now?"

"I'll get it," Mark volunteered after a stretch of silence ensued as three pairs of eyes watched Buffy twitch nervously.

"No. Let Faith get it," Buffy grabbed his arm in a vise grip.

"You and me are having a talk later," Faith stood up.

"I'm counting on it," Buffy gave her a big grin.

Shaking her head, Faith left the table.

"Buff, what are—"

"Give me the potion Will," she shot out her hand.

"What potion?" Mark asked curiously.

"But he's right here."

"Who's right here?" Mark questioned, looking around the room.

"I don't have time to explain. Just hand me the potion Will," Buffy frantically insisted again.

"I don't understand you sometimes Buff," Willow mumbled, reaching into her pocket to pass it over.

Snatching it, Buffy popped off the top and drained all its contents out into a small tumbler of dark liquid on the table.

Looking on in shock, Mark started to ask, "Why are you—"

Buffy's hand clamped over his mouth.

"Mark, I like you. You're a really nice guy. But if you utter a sound within the next ten minutes, I'm gonna take you outside and beat you senseless. Do I make myself clear?"

Fearful eyes stared back at her as he anxiously nodded in understanding.

"Buffy, is all that really necessary? And you do know that that was—"

"Same applies to you Will. Well, not the beating senseless part cause I could never do that to you. But could you just trust me on this," Buffy asked pleadingly.

"Fine," Willow ceded "But we're going to have a long talk tonight."

"It'll have to be after our talk," Faith announced, sitting back down.

Buffy was up to something. Faith had spent what seemed like a lifetime secretly studying and coveting everything about her. And truth be told, she would gladly spend an eternity doing so. She was the leading authority on basically all of Buffy's moods and expressions, and the look the blonde was sporting earlier and for the last few days screamed she was being plot-y. Faith intended to find out what scheme her slaying partner and her witchy-bud had been cooking up.

"Here's your drink, B," Faith gave a wide smile. She knew the key to making Buffy spill the beans and sing like canary was Double Mocha Madness Ice-cream. She was putty in your hands after a few spoonfuls. Faith had bought a carton just this morning and hid it in her mini fridge, hoping to corner Buffy tonight when they got home.

"Thanks Girlfriend," Buffy returned a sweet beam of her own. "Now. A toast to new beginnings," she lifted her glass.

"I thought we were toasting to being wrong," Faith looked at Mark for verification.

Mark turned to Buffy, then back at Faith, shrugged and lifted his glass without saying a word.

"Whatever," Faith mumbled. Clinking her glass with the raised ones, "new beginnings," she slugged down the JD and Coke.

"So Faith," Buffy waited until she set down the now empty tumbler, "Do you love me?"

THE END