The sudden realization of how awkward it was to be the only one kissing hitting her like a splash of cold water, Veronica pulled back. The older girl had such a frozen, shocked look on her face. Licking her lips, trying to assess the situation, Veronica tried to come up with a way out – with honor and dignity, if at all possible. But as she took a breath in to try and make some kind of argument or excuse, she heard a choked sort of sound… Buffy’s face was trying to suppress a grin, and had not been entirely able hold off an onslaught of laughter.
“Wow… I think I just found reason number four hundred and thirteen to date someone older.” Buffy chuckled, bringing a finger up to her lip before pulling it away to look at it. “They certainly know how to kiss better.”
“Objection,” Veronica cut in, her relief palpable through her indignation.
“To what?”
“Uh – your wide generalization!” she scoffed playfully, smacking Buffy’s hand away from her mouth, “I’m guessing manners aren’t among the first four hundred and eleven, though?”
“Excuse me?”
“Well, it’s just polite to kiss back – ”
“Oh, polite? You want to talk about polite?” Buffy mocked, though still smiling, “Since when is forcing affection on someone polite?” Veronica was shocked that she only started blushing now. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
“Hey – you admitted it! Don’t forget, you said want –”
“But was pointedly not followed by take-have, Mars.” Buffy’s forearm now rested on Veronica’s un-injured shoulder, and the younger woman was glad that the smile was still playful – despite her slightly accusatory nature.
“Well, I still say it doesn’t count.”
“What doesn’t count?”
“Well, if you can’t back it up - it doesn’t count,” Veronica insisted, keeping her tone competitive, “I mean, I’ve kissed a few people older than myself, and I was ready to just accept your argument – but you di-Mmm!” Veronica was silenced… Reason #413 confirmed.
Like, seriously confirmed.
Buffy’s kiss was, to state the obvious, very different. There was a softness, a sort of slowness – like she knew it was better to take the time to do it right than try and rush to the good parts… it was all good parts. And though she’d not expected it, kissing someone her own height kind of had it’s advantages – an unexpectedly even playing-field, leaving them to duke it out for control of the kiss based purely on their ability to leave the other one’s head swimmy… Buffy was winning. And for once, Veronica was really enjoying someone getting the better of her at something. Buffy seemed to bring that out pretty often.
Veronica could feel Buffy’s other hand slowly sliding up towards her right collarbone, a finger playing at the edge of her bandage. Veronica slid her thumbs into the belt-loops at either of the older girl’s hips, trying to tug her closer - and finding herself being drawn forward instead as Buffy deepened the kiss. She could feel the blunt teeth pulling at her lower lip just as the slightest pressure was applied to the scrape at her neck. The whimper that managed to escape was certainly pleasurable – the only issue she took with it was how utterly submissive she sounded even to her own ears.
“Withdrawn,” she gasped as Buffy pulled back. When her eyes opened, she did not see the shit-eating grin she’d expected, instead a glazed-eyed kind of nervousness. “… Buffy?”
“Yay for me,” Buffy’s voice was distant, her gaze still on Veronica’s lips. She shook herself out of it, the grin slowly making its way across kiss-swollen lips. “I love winning.”
“I’m not ready to concede defeat.” Veronica said, still slightly short of breath. The grin grew.
As Veronica leaned forward, she rested her forehead against the older girl’s temple and felt her sigh. The world had not ended; this was a good sign. Her thumbs were still woven into Buffy’s belt-loops, lightly clutching her hips in her palms, a vague sense of the other woman’s knees at either side of her own. Despite the fact they were no longer kissing, no longer moving save their breaths in and out, Veronica couldn’t help but notice her attraction to Buffy had yet to plateau this evening.
Her pulse had not slowed down, though her breathing had; remaining shallow. She was glad Buffy hadn’t noticed.
“It’s getting early and you must be exhausted,” Buffy mumbled gruffly, obviously tired herself, “And you and I need a little space.” She said slowly, though her hand still soothed over the bandage at Veronica’s neck. Her teeth clenched, but Veronica forced herself to put on a smile – knowing that if she argued Buffy would merely become convinced of her own opinion… they were stubborn in very similar ways.
Buffy finally pulled back, resting her hands on the younger girl’s elbows, whose hands were still at Buffy’s hips. She was not letting go just yet. Despite everything Buffy smiled, looking worn out. “If in the morning you plead intoxication because of those antibiotics,” she joked, “I warn you now – I will not be laughing.” She stood up and walked towards the back of the apartment, Veronica trailing behind her.
As they entered Buffy’s bedroom one after the other, Veronica couldn’t help the fluttering in her stomach as the older girl led her to the bed and sat her on it. Gazing down at it, she noticed that it was not a full-sized bed, but a single. Looking up, she found Buffy rummaging around in her closet. When she turned around, she had an armful of blankets and spare pillows. Her smile was sad and Veronica knew she must’ve done a bad job at hiding her disappointment.
“Take the bed, you’re wounded,” Buffy insisted, “I’ll take the couch.”
“Besides,” Veronica mocked playfully, “It’s not like there’s room to spare.” She said, patting the tiny bed. Buffy’s smile was not embarrassed.
“The place came furnished,” she defended, “Besides, as previously stated – I was not looking for someone to keep my sheets warm… Willow was, so she got the ‘grown-up-sized’ room. I drew the line at the Jurassic Park themed bed-sheets though –I got rid of those.” Veronica smiled but couldn’t bring herself to laugh… she was actually very shocked at how disappointed she felt, the night ending this way - especially considering how their being reunited began. Buffy tucked everything under one arm,
“I’ll come wake you in the morning – what time do you need do you need to be out of here by?”
Veronica suddenly realized that it was a Sunday night – she had classes tomorrow. “Uhm, my first class is at noon but I should probably –”
“Meet Mac on her way out of Willow’s class so she knows you’re still alive?” Buffy guessed. Veronica made a grumpy sort of face at being so predictable, but it dissolved as Buffy just smiled at her, brushing some hair away from the younger girls forehead with a few fingers. They remained until they moved to hold her chin in a soft grip, Buffy leaning down to place a chaste but certainly lingering kiss before leaning up again.
“If the smell of coffee doesn’t wake you then I will.” Buffy stopped in the doorway to turn around again, “You know where everything is in the bathroom; toothbrush, shampoo, gauze?” Veronica nodded. They both smiled slightly as Buffy shuffled back to the small couch in the living room.