Second Chance: Perfection
by Slayer Tash
Rating: R

Disclaimer: I don’t own these characters they belong to Joss Whedon, I just like to enjoy the occasionally.
Spoilers: Up to the premiere of Season 6 Buffy wise.
Author's Notes: At this point we change to Buffy's POV and it takes off from the date.

Nervous, yeah I have been nervous before. Save the world from an apocalypse nervous, sleeping with Angel for the first time nervous, will I beat Cordy out for Homecoming Queen nervous. None of them compared to this feeling I have standing at her door trying to summon the courage to knock. I have taken on vampires and demons and they seem like nothing, this is the moment I have been waiting for on the other side of this door is my girl, my Faith and my world has just changed. I don’t want to be anywhere else right now. Okay maybe on the other side of the door with her but I mean my place in the world…you got that right?

So I do I knock and I hear her.

“I will be 5 seconds B.”

It will be the longest 5 seconds of my life and then I begin to panic. Will she like what I am wearing? What if she has changed her mind? I did book the restaurant didn’t I?

Then the door opens and all thoughts and basic motor functions desert me.

Amazing…fucking delicious even. She has totally taken my breath away.

[The New Guy Premiere Dress for imagery]

“B?”

That’s me, I feel myself smile...at least I think I am smiling.

“Buffy are you okay?”

“Uh so hum you good huh fuck” I manage to get out.

She is looking at me with this bemused look on her face “And in English that would mean?”

“You look amazing” I breathe.

She looks down at herself “I went shopping, I didn’t think leather pants were really the clothes of choice for our first date.”

“I like…it is you.”

“Really? I feel like a fucking moron.”

“Faith trust me you look gorgeous, hence the gibberish and my lack of ability to function for a good 10 seconds.”

She smiles that unmistakable Faith smile and I feel my insides turn to mush. Oh yeah loving her is the best fucking feeling in the whole entire world.

“Well if I look gorgeous then you look fabulous.” She said.

[Movieline Awards Dress]

“I have to admit I panicked when I got home and saw all I had were pants and tops. I had to go shopping. This is so a last minute job.”

“You did an amazing job.” Another smile.

“Thankyou” I manage to whisper.

“You ready to get going?”

“Yeah” I step back and she walks out and locks the door behind her.

I have no idea how I made it to the restaurant. I was too scared to even talk and I gripped the wheel so hard my knuckles lost all colour.

Faith must have been just as nervous because she spent most of the trip looking out the window normally I can’t shut her up.

We take our seats and are given menus.

“This place is wicked cool B.”

“Mom took Dawn and I to dinner here not long before she died.”

“She had great taste B. She was a cool babe your Mom.”

“I know, I had no idea this place existed. Totally blew our minds that Sunnydale had an oceanfront restaurant.”

“You are cool with being here?” She reached over and took my hand.

I nod and smile “It’s just a restaurant right.”

“I dunno some places have memories and it makes them more than what they really are.”

“How sad does that make me!”

“It isn’t a sad thing B.”

“Do you have any places like that?”

“Of course I do, I may be the bad girl but I do have sentimentality.”

“You know one of my places I think it is only fair I know one of yours.”

“The Bronze.”

“And do I get to know why?”

“It was the last place you and I were okay with each other. It was the last place where we were just Faith and Buffy having a dance blowing off some steam.”

I sit and think for a minute “Aren’t we Faith and Buffy now?”

“You are gonna make me explain it all aren’t you.”

I grin “Not on an empty stomach I’m not.”

She opens her menu and begins reading.

*****

As soon as I walk into the kitchen the next morning I am assaulted with questions.

“How was it? Did you kiss? What was she wearing?” Was a mess of Dawn and Willow and that was all I could make out.

“Did she do the happy monkey dance of love with you?”

“Xander!” I say playfully slapping him on the arm.

“Did she swoon in here? I think she swooned” Willow said grinning like a four year old.

I open the fridge and grab juice.

“You haven’t answered any questions!” Dawn said.

“Need juice” I groan.

She hands me a glass as I turn. I feel all three sets of eyes on me as I pour the juice slower than I would normally.

“Oh come on!”

“Dawn” I warn, I forgot how much she liked to whine.

There was a knock on the back door.

“It’s open” Willow calls out.

Faith sticks her head in “Hey.”

I feel my lips curl upwards goofy grin ensuing I am sure.

“Faith hey” Xander says as she come in and closes the door.

Faith ignores him and looks at me “Hi.”

“Hey.”

“Breakfast?”

I nod and hold up my juice “You want?”

“The juice no.” She says smiling.

“Sleep well?”

“I did yeah.”

I put the juice down and walk over to her and we hug.

“We are still on for today right?” She asks.

“Yeah why?”

“I said I would be by at 9 to grab you.”

I look over at the clock then back at her “Sorry I have been in a bit of stupor since our goodnight kiss. I don’t even remember getting home.”

“So you two did kiss” Dawn said.

We both turn and look at her.

“Oh hey guys I didn’t know you were here” Faith said.

“Kind of standing here when you opened the door Hewitt” Xander said.

She looks at him “Shouldn’t you be at work Harris?”

“Yes he should” Willow said.

“What about you Will?” I ask.

“We don’t open until 10.” She said looking hurt.

“Dawn why aren’t you at school?”

“Same reason you aren’t twit…it is Saturday.”

“Whatever” I turn back to Faith “I will be back in 5 minutes okay.”

“Sure wear something comfortable.”

I run upstairs and get dressed in ¾ Olive Green Capri pants and pull on a white fitted singlet. I do a quick brush of the hair and teeth and run downstairs and slip on my Doc sandals, which I had kicked off in the den the night before.

“I’m ready” I burst into the kitchen.

“What are you guys up to today?”

“No plans, just a car a full tank of petrol and a picnic lunch” Faith said.

“Party of two?” Dawn asks hopefully.

Faith looks at me and I shrug.

“Nope plenty of room for another passenger.”

“Thanks Faith, I will just get changed” Dawn said running out.

I walked over to Faith.

“Is that okay B?” She asks quietly.

“Fine” I say taking her hand and lacing my fingers between hers “Come with me.”

I lead her into the den.

“Are you okay about Dawn, I kind of just wanted it to be us.”

“It’s fine” I smile leaning up to kiss her.

She softly kisses me back and I snake my arms around her neck pulling her in deeper. I feel her hands on my back gently kneading it.

I open my mouth and we deepen the kiss, her tongue playing with mine.

Oh yeah kissing her is the best fucking feeling in the world.

*****

I trudged into the Magic Box, my shirt was torn and my skirt ruined. I knew I had about a thousand cuts and bruises all over my body.

“Demons just don’t seem to have manners anymore” I begin “I got jumped, I mean here I am minding my own business at 4 o’clock in the afternoon in broad daylight might I add.”

I can’t see anyone anywhere.

“Willow?” I call out.

Silence.

“Shit this is never good…. WILLOW!”

I walk over to the basement door and open it.

“WILLOW.”

Still no fucking answer.

I slam the door and grab my cell and dial Faith.

I can hear a faint ringing come from the back of the store. I let it keep ringing and follow it out into the training room. Her phone is sitting on her jumper in a pile on a training mat. I hang up.

“Faith?” I wander around back into the store “FAITH.”

I am beginning to panic and I can feel tears stinging my eyes.

“Xander” I dial him.

“Hey Buff.” He answers.

“Xander something is wrong, I walk into the Magic Box after being attacked by a demon in broad daylight and nobody is here” I get out in one breath.

“Okay first things first calm down.”

“Xander No Willow, No Faith. I do not intend on calming down at anytime.”

“Heya B” comes from behind me and I scream.

“Buffy?” Xander says.

I turn and see Willow and Faith.

“Never mind they are right here in front of me.”

“See I told you there was no need to panic.”

“Uh huh, Bye” I hang up “Where the fuck where you guys?”

“Are you okay B? You seem wicked freaked.”

“And your clothes.”

“Yeah B I thought I was the trailer trash around here.” She smiles.

“That is not funny” I say the tears spilling out down my face.

She comes over to me and puts her arms around me “I’m sorry the joke wasn’t that bad.”

“It wasn’t the joke” I bawl.

“What was it then? Tell me baby.”

I look at her “This demon attacked me on my way here and I come in and start to tell a story and nobody was here. I called for Willow and she wasn’t here, so I tried to call you and I find your phone but no you. I started to panic cause I thought something had happened to you, then I called Xander and all he did was try to calm me down. Then you come in and you are okay.”

The whole time I talk her hands are on my back gently rubbing trying to calm me down.

“Are you okay?”

“No!” I start crying again.

“Oh B.” She hugs me again and lets me cry.

I put my arms around her “I don’t want you to die.”

“I am not gonna die B.”

“I thought you had.”

“But I didn’t, calm down.”

“Buffy, Faith was just helping me take a heavy box out the back for rubbish collection.”

“I didn’t know that!” I keep bawling.

She pulls back and looks at me “That demon has shaken you up hasn’t he?”

“Maybe” I nod a little.

“Want me to take you home, get you cleaned up?”

“Yeah” I nod wiping my eyes.

“Okay I just have to grab my jacket and phone.”

She rushed off.

Willow was looking at me.

“Sorry Will. I didn’t mean to freak out like that. The thought of Faith being hurt in any way just freaked me out a bit.”

She nods but doesn’t say anything.

“You ready B?”

I nod “Seeya at home Will.”

“Whatever.”

Faith ushers me out and we go back to her place.

“I thought you were taking me home.”

“You are hurt and here is closer.”

“They are just cuts, some of which are probably already healed.”

“I want to make sure everything is okay, your little outburst back there was not normal.”

We walk into her bathroom and she puts the toilet lid down “Sit” she commands.

I do.

“Take your top off.”

“Gee aren’t you the romantic” I say sarcastically pulling it off.

“Okay call me old fashioned but B no bra?”

“It’s not like you wear them all the time.”

“Yeah but I also don’t work in a high school with rampant hormonal teenage boys who I have no doubt in saying check you out every chance they can.”

“Please Faith that is crap.”

“You remember Xander right…your best friend the guy who thought about sex no matter what was happening.”

“Are you jealous?” I smile wryly.

I hear her snort. I turn to face her.

“You are!”

She looks at me then turns back to the medicine cabinet “I am not jealous.”

Her cheeks have gone bright red, I can’t believe it she is embarrassed.

I get up and take the shredded skirt off I notice a long gash on the inside of my left thigh.

“Shit.”

“What?” She says not looking over.

“Look” I say spreading my legs apart a little.

She looks and if possible goes even redder.

“You okay?” I ask.

“Uh yeah 5 by 5.” She holds out disinfectant and cotton balls.

“Can’t you do it?”

“B you can reach it.”

“But it will sting I’d rather shut my eyes and let you do it when I am least expecting it.”

She hands me a towel.

“What is this for?”

“To cover yourself over.”

“Are you uncomfortable Faith?” I press myself against her.

“No, god B.” She steps back.

“Well then what?”

“Nothing sit down and I will do it.”

I sit back down on the toilet and wait. She kneels in front of me and wets the cotton ball with disinfectant.

She dabs gently “I am sorry B.” She says as I wince a little.

“It’s okay, I am just baffled as to how he scratched me there.”

“It looks like it was pretty deep, but is starting to close up already.”

“Okay.”

She cleans it up a bit more than she begins blowing on it to dry it off. I swear I almost came then and there.

“Uh Faith” I say with my eyes closed.

“Yeah.”

I can still feel her breath on my leg “Um…that felt good.”

“B that is sick.”

I open my eyes “Reverse the situation Faith, I am kneeling between your legs blowing on your thigh see how you react” I get up and walk out of the bathroom.

“Buffy.” She follows.

“What?”

“I was cleaning a wound how is that sexy?”

“No matter what you do it turns me on. You can just be sitting there researching and I want fuck you senseless, you have no idea how hot you are and how hot you make me.”

“I know how it makes you I can smell it.”

“Well why call it sick then, it is a natural part of life!”

“I have never been with another woman before.”

“And the thought of it makes you sick gee aren’t we going to have wonderful and varied sex life.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Well tell me what it is like then.”

“It is this nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach, I want to touch you, I want to be with you but I don’t know if you will like it or if I will hurt you.”

“It is new to me as well Faith, I am gonna be flying blind as well.”

“Well what do we do?”

“See what feels good and go from there.”

*****

Since our little talk a few days ago Faith had seemed more comfortable around me, I never pegged her to be nervous she was always sex on a stick. Make out sessions had been pretty tame till that talk and to think I was the aggressor was a total mind fuck, it was like roles had been reversed.

We were lying on her bed after patrol that night. She was going over some plans.

“Faith do you think we have changed?”

“What do you mean?” She said turning and looking at me.

“Well you are shy about all this sex stuff when you never have been before.”

“That’s because it is different now.”

“It’s not just sex.”

“In a sense yeah. All I have had is sex well apart from that night I was you and I did the diddy with Beefstick, he scared the shit out of me with all his ‘I love you’ crap that he spurted and the ‘I have to protect you’ bullshit. I don’t know if I can do that with you without messing it up.”

“When I say I love you does it scare you?”

“No, I am just scared of screwing everything up.”

“You focus on trying not screw up and most probably you will.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” She sits up.

“I don’t mean it that way” I move behind her “I meant that if you think you are gonna do something wrong you generally talk yourself into doing it unconsciously. When I say you I don’t mean you personally.”

“Oh.” She said softly.

I place soft kisses on her neck “I feel that in a way you and I have changed places, I seem to be the aggressor and you are just coming along for the ride.”

“This is all new, I want to make sure everything is perfect. You deserve perfect.”

“I have perfect right here between my lightly tanned athletic thighs.”

I feel her laugh quietly.

“Plus it isn’t just about what I want or deserve. You are part of this too and whatever I can do to make things perfect for you I will do it.”

“I know nothing is perfect even though I talk about making it all perfect. I just want you to know I am gonna do everything I can to make it as close to wicked perfect as I can.”

I take my hand and place it under her chin and make her face me gently. She looks into my eyes and I can see love and passion and desire.

“Mission accomplished” I say before kissing her.

She kisses me back her tongue taking the lead and I follow.

She twists in my arms and I lay back on the bed taking her with me, kisses becoming more urgent and heated. I slide my hands up the back of her top and draw little circles on her warm flesh. I move my thigh between her legs. She breaks the kiss and looks at me a little breathless.

“I love you B.”

I kiss her swollen lips “Always loved you F.”

Things intensified pretty quickly, tops removed and pants quickly followed.

Both of us exploring and testing, doing what felt right. It was amazing.

As we came calling out each other’s name I could only think of one word…Perfect.

...continued in Changes and a Big Bad...