For two o'clock in the morning, there sure are a helluva lot of people in this place. The walls are brick red halfway down and beige the rest of the way, which I know was a stupid color to choose because I can see miniature fingerprints throughout the shop, like the ones they took when I turned myself in, only not quite so dark. The tabletops are striving to be the same brick red only with a bluish tinge that makes them horribly mismatched and a little hard on the eyes. I try not to pay too much attention to this, but it's better than thinking about where she could be right now... cause she's anywhere but across the table from me.

The guy in the corner with the cheap spraypainted guitar and beeswax dreadlocks keeps studying me as if he's busy writing an "ode to Faith", but whatever he keeps strumming out sounds too much like Smoke on the Water to be original or worthwhile. Then there's his doting tree-hugging girlfriend in her SeaWorld t-shirt and their sleeping rugrat under the table. They haven't had coffee in front of them since I walked in, so what the fuck are they doing in a coffee shop? Hopefully not playing for money.

Then there's a biker (the non-motor kind, you know? The type in little green and black spandex shorts that always look anorexic), reading a newspaper and looking out the window every few minutes to make sure his Klein with the three padlocks is still securely attached to the bike rack.

And finally, a vampire. Gotta have them on a hellmouth, right? He's sleeping in the corner which seems a little out of the ordinary, so I keep my eye on the fucker in case he gets up and begs for a good dusting. Maybe Buffy would just waste one like that, but I prefer a little bit of spontaneity... which obviously she appreciates to a degree as well since she is over an hour late in meeting me. If only she had a pager or something, then that way I could `beep' her and leave a message saying "help there's a vampire in the coffee shop". Too bad he was turned at the ripe young age of 90 and the guy hasn't got much fight in him. I wouldn't be surprised if he never gets the energy to go out and feed, just lays around and does crossword puzzles, falling asleep in a chair and dreaming about mini golf or The Price is Right.

I get up and order another "americano", that's what they call normal coffee. You can't just order a regular no-nonsense black coffee with a little packet of sugar here, no, they had to go and make that complicated and Italian sounding. So instead I drink four "Americanos" tonight, still waiting for Buffy and thinking that it's a good thing this place is open 24 hours. If it had been a bar I'd been sent home long ago, and then I'd probably worry. Fuck my soft bleeding heart for turning to sentimental mush - I guess that came with the redemption.

That's when the door swings open and her presence is announced by little jingling bells. Seems appropriate for her. "You're a little late, I was about to go back to the apartment." I say when she sits down. Yeah, I have my own apartment. This one is a lot nicer than the shithole in Sunnydale, but it still has a weird smell that I can't quite adapt to and the family on my floor has a noisy dog that keeps me awake during the day, which I hate. "Why? So you could go to sleep? It's not dawn yet." B says to me with a hostile undertone, so I know immediately that something must be wrong. She looks up at me and crinkles her nose. "You've got to learn to stop sticking everything in your mouth."

I don't know what she's talking about. Then I look down and realize that I've been chewing on a plastic fork for god-knows how long. The little tongs are all bent to hell and broken in a couple of places, I wonder if I swallowed the pieces? That's disgusting. I have no idea where the damn thing came from, either... but I bluff. "Just hungry I guess, and this place doesn't have food." I say to her with a shrug, dropping the fork on the table.

She takes a drink of my coffee, her tight little lips closing around the lid, and I can't help but stare at them. I want those lips. I want to know what they taste like, I want to know what it feels like to suck on them, I want to know what it feels like when they suck back on mine. I feel a rush of heat moving up my thighs and slaying or no slaying, I'm already horny as hell.

"So, I thought you had some all-important thing to tell me." I say with a dissatisfied sigh.

Buffy stops drinking the coffee and makes a half-pout... oh those lips... now they're moving... she's talking to me... fuck, what is she saying? "... but we didn't find anything in the books about it, so Giles thinks that it might just be some kind of myth that was passed down from generations long ago in yesteryear or something Giles-y like that. It would help so much if Anya were here, she could help us with this." I feel a twinge of sadness at the mention of Anya, it hurts when you lose someone who fought alongside you, and she seemed like a decent enough girl. Then I realize that B is waiting for me to say something. "Well maybe we could find some other books, you know? There's a whole new world of books and shit here in a new city, right?" This was the best thing I could come up with to say, since I still had no clue what we were talking about.

For a moment she just stares at me and I'm certain that she's about to tag me for not listening. Then suddenly her eyes light up. "That's a great idea Faith; I can't believe none of us thought to look at what books are here in Cleveland. Well I bet they have all sorts of demon hunters here that we don't even know about, and libraries..." she keeps rambling on but I tune it out again and breathe a sigh of relief. I'm really good at faking it. Not "it" it, just faking other `it's. I'm so happy that I go back to chewing on the fork, it takes my mind off Buffy's lips.

Four thirty six am, and no vampires to be found. Damn it sucks moving into a town where 9% of the teenage female population is slayers. I never thought that I would say this, but I kind of hope another hellmouth opens up again, maybe in Australia, that would be a nice place to spend a couple of months. Of course since Australia IS on the other side of the world, do you suppose that would make it hell's ass and not its mouth? I think about this for a couple of minutes while we walk in the dark.

"...but it's like I never really even cared about him, and I don't know for sure if he cared about me, or if he just wanted my body..." She's been rambling on about Spike for twenty minutes. I'm tempted to ask her why she talks about him all the fucking time if she didn't care about him, but I keep my mouth shut and wonder if hell's ass would have a toilet, and if it did, would it flush clockwise or counter-clockwise?

"...maybe it's kind of like what you said about Prin-I mean uh, Robin Wood. You know, how you just wanted to have him there because life was dangerous and it made you feel safe, remember that? You said it on the bus, after, after he died." Now I'm listening and I give her a little smile to let her know that she didn't hurt me by bringing it up. Hopefully she saw it, but I'm not sure because I can barely see her with the way the moon is hiding right now. "Yeah B, I thought that would be it at first, but it didn't make me feel any safer in the long wrong so there you have it, I guess. It's not like the guy could throw punches any better than me, truth be told I probably could flatten him pretty easily in a fight."

B laughs a little, it sounds like relief.

We take a few more steps, and I'm struggling for something to say. The silence feels very awkward now especially since there's nothing to look at, and we've only dusted one vamp all night. "So where are all the vamps tonight?" I think aloud.

"Maybe there was a raging kegger and they all got drunk and passed out somewhere." She suggests.

"No that can't be it, I would have smelled the beer from any street in Ohio."

"Slayer senses." B mumbles, and I flash her a grin that I KNOW she had to see this time.

"Nah," I say, stepping towards her and elbowing her gently, "beer senses. They start out strong and fade as the night goes by." Surprisingly enough, she laughs, which I wasn't expecting. "Is that something else you developed in the past few years, kind of like the oral fixation thing?"

There are those words again.

"I don't think so, B. I probably picked up on the beer thing before I met you, which seems kind of weird now that I think about being fifteen and knockin' bottles back three nights a week. But at the time I didn't think I was too young, ya know?" "Yeah I know."

Silence again, and that weird feeling like I've got to say something. Was it always this awkward when we would patrol? Oh yeah, now I remember... it was worse, way worse. I had that monstrous crush on her and I could barely control my hormones, and I thought I was the coolest fucking thing since Frito chips and Beastie Boys, so I'd stutter and practically beg for her attention, constantly worrying about every little thing. Shit, I'm glad I don't do that anymore. "So..." B says, swinging her arms. "We might as well get to bed, I don't think we're going to find anything by walking through this park and that cemetery three more times. Anything that was here will be gone in an hour when the sun rises."

"You can go ahead if you want, but I've got nowhere else to be, babe." I pull out a cigarette and fiddle with my zippo before lighting up. I can tell she's trying to say something in reply, but she's hesitating.

"If you want you can come back to the triplex with me, we could watch Bram Stoker's to get into the mood."

Now here's the point when my jaw drops enough that my cigarette literally falls out of my mouth and hits the grass next to my shoe. I must have stopped walking, my brain doesn't work enough to process that mental image and move my legs all at once. Yes, that mental image... of watching sexy vamp movies with too much cleavage and plenty of gratuitous homoerotic scenes, then having B climb into my lap and replay it all in slow motion on her perfect little blue couch. "Oh god Faith that's not what I meant." She says before I have a chance to plead innocence. B rolls her green eyes and shakes her head. "I meant in the mood for SLAYING, you enormous pervert. You know, slaying vampires? That thing that we do together?" That thing we do together? The things I'm picturing her doing to me seem plenty ideal, although there are no vampires involved. I try to cover my ass. "You're the pervert," I protest, "I just stopped because I heard a funny noise."

"Yeah whatever, I think all that plastic fork you chomped on went to your head."

She's still about ten feet ahead of me so I'm talking to her ass now. Not that I mind it, I'd just rather be... fuck, why am I thinking about her like this again? I thought I was over it! "Hey B," I call out, jogging to catch up. "What's an oral fixation, anyway?"

She flips me off.

"No I'm serious, what is it?"

"It's what you've got, pervert, and I'm not playing this game with you."

Now I'm confused, but I can't see her eyes to tell if she's joking. I reach out and grab her arm, spinning her around to face me, but it's too dark to read the expression she's returning. All I can see is how soft her face looks, and her blonde hair seems to be a little curlier, wilder tonight. I know she's beautiful even in the shadows. "I'm serious B, I don't know what it is. I'm not real good with the fancy-ass words and such, so just give me a break here because I've been dyin' to know ever since the first person said it to me back in pen."

She pauses. "Oh come on Faith... you know what it is." Now she's acting kind of funny, like she's nervous or something. But I don't say anything, and just wait for her to finish.

"You know..." she continues, avoiding my gaze. If only the moon were shining bright enough, I'd bet my ass her cheeks are beet red now. "Like... well you know what oral sex is... of course you know what oral sex is." Oh this is too priceless. I take a step closer, shortening the gap between the two of us and swaying back and forth. "You bet I do B... why are you so nervous?" Oh I'm evil.

"I'm not, peckerhead."

Hehe such a fiery little slayer she is.

"Oral means your mouth," she continues, still looking at the ground while I lean closer, "or something to do with the mouth. And fixation is when you're obsessed with something... you know... fixated on it?" I'm so close to those lips... I can feel her breath on my face. Suddenly what seemed like a funny way to tease her about being embarrassed has turned into the closest that I've ever been to kissing her and my heart is beating like mad. With her slayer hearing, I know she can hear it, because I sure as hell can, it's ringing in my ears. Buffy has stopped talking now and she is looking straight at me, either into my eyes or at my face, I can't tell just which even when we are this close. The pounding is getting louder now, and more fluttered... I think maybe that's the sound of my heart freaking out before I realize that no, it's two separate heartbeats - hers and mine echoing rapidly in my mind. I'm shaking when she grabs me, grabs the back of my head and pulls me downward. So unexpected as her lips meet mine that I don't even have the chance to answer my own questions about how they taste or what it feels like to suck on them. My only thought is that they feel hot and soft before I'm being pushed violently down into the grass, the dew soaking through my shirt and feeling cold and wet, while Buffy's body is so, so hot in contrast.

There's no time to think or react, she is on me like an animal, straddling my waist and sucking up and down my neck. I'm so tempted to ask why, ask what she is doing, ask why she is doing it with me of all people, but I don't want to stop her, it feels too good. I have to get my mouth on her, I have to taste her skin. I start by kissing her again, this time prolonging it and allowing her tongue to probe mine erotically before I suck it just enough to make her moan. Oh god... that's Buffy's tongue... I can hardly believe it. And her moaning... it's surreal. It's like the greatest dream I ever could possibly have, and the only dream that I've never had while asleep, and now it's perfectly true.

She pushes herself up, hovering over me and breathing roughly. Her chest rises and falls over my face... just adding to the places I'm dying to taste - but there isn't time for that now.

"Faith..." she moans breathlessly, "Faith please... I want you... please." I prop myself up on my elbows, getting close enough to lick her earlobe slowly. "Please, what?" I whisper.

"I... I want to feel your tongue... please... please oh GOD!" Her reaction to me driving my thigh up to press hard between her legs. I can feel her wet all the way through her thin khaki pants and my blue jeans. She really is horny for me.

I lick her earlobe again. "Maybe I should just let you beg. I like the way you're doing it right now."

She whimpers in reply. "Please, Faith..." Buffy's hands travel down my shoulders and she squeezes my breasts through my tank top with both hands, tenderly, but still letting me know that she wants me. Her body presses down further and I feel her start to rub her crotch against my thigh.

"Tell me how bad you want it B." I growl. I grab her ass and pull her against me even harder until we're rocking back and forth, stimulating each other through our restrictive layers of clothing.

"I want it so bad... Faith... I've wanted it all night..."

I slide my hands up underneath her t-shirt and let my fingertips graze over her solid, tight stomach. "Keep going..."

She lets out a long moan before continuing. "I... I've wanted you for so long... I know you can feel it, I know you can... can smell my lust when you're slaying with me... don't torture me, please? Please lick me..."

"Where, B?"

Now there's so much friction I swear I'm about to come. Her whole body rubs perfectly against me, I don't know how much longer I can hold out, but listening to her beg is well worth it. She takes my hand firmly and slides it down her body until it's between her legs, and she shudders, breathless. "Here..." she manages to say.

In a forceful motion I jerk the fabric of her pants, tearing them open instantly. It catches her off guard a little but I know she doesn't mind. Without wasting a moment my hand makes its way inside her panties. I can't see them but they feel a little like satin and I bet they are pastel blue or maybe even pink. I slip in a little further, feeling her curls against my fingertips... I should have known that she wouldn't be shaved. Her breath catches in anticipation and now I really can smell how badly she wants me, the scent filling the air around us and making my legs begin to shake. I want her so badly, but more than that I want to make her come.

I push my hand in all of the way and my fingertips make contact with B's dripping slit, and I DO mean dripping. She moans so hard at the touch that it's practically a scream, and if there weren't any vampires out tonight, there may be in a few after they heard that. I don't give a fuck, Buffy feels incredible, and she wants it enough to beg.

Without giving it a second thought I pull her pants down to her knees and grab her ass, pulling her roughly up my body towards my face. She's kneeling over me in just the little satin thong, drenched with her musty scent... shaking with the need to release in my mouth. My mouth... Buffy in my mouth. The thought is unbearable, I can't tease her any longer, I have to taste every inch of skin between her legs. She breathes out my name and shudders once more... I grab her underwear and slide them down to where her pants already are around her knees - they seemed too cute to just rip off. There is only enough light for me to see that she is glistening while wet for me, and I don't wait for anything now, leaning up to catch her clit with my tongue, causing her to lose her balance and fall on my face. It's perfect. My hungry lips wrap around her supple skin and I suck gently while she shakes so hard it feels like she's riding my mouth. Her fingers tangle through my hair and she pulls my head harder into her, moaning out my name over and over again. Sweet juices drip out of her and down my chin while I suck her clit farther into my mouth, flicking it with my tongue. I can feel her coming before she's even there- even her screams are beautiful and I ignore that it hurts a little to have her riding my face so hard because I know I'm just going to fuck her even harder than that.

"Oh Faith... yes... oh yes Faith... harder... ohhhh yes... I'm coming... I'm..." Buffy lets out a raspy scream and throws her head back as she goes over the edge, coming in my mouth, coming for me, coming because she wants me. She doesn't stop right away either, her body keeps on releasing while my tongue continues to flick at her clit as fast as I possibly can. I can't tell if she's having one orgasm after another or just one long continuous one but I don't care, she sounds amazing screaming my name like that. My tongue begins to feel sore and I try not to stop, but she collapses in an instant, clearly done and unable to hold herself up any longer. B rolls to her side and lies beside me in the grass, both of us trying like hell to catch our breath.

"So is that what you... meant... B?" I ask, panting.

She can't even form a response; she merely makes an "hmm?" sound.

"About me always putting things in my mouth?"

B giggles softly, she probably doesn't have the energy for anything more. "I don't know if you're always doing it, so much as I'm always noticing it."I freely smile to that, because I have to admit, having an oral fixation really did turn out to be a fantastic thing.