This Is How It Goes

Faith thrust her hips forward, pressing almost painfully into the throbbing pulse between Buffy's legs and making her moan. Her hands left trails of blazing heat as they moved under Buffy's shirt, pushing her bra up in a swift, savage motion and cupping bare breasts, ripping a shuddering groan from Buffy. Faith pulled her mouth away and Buffy barely had time to inhale before the other Slayer wrenched her pants down, slid her hand down, fingernails raking across her stomach, and slipped fingers into searing moisture. Buffy gasped and shuddered as thin, strong fingertips stroked and circled her, felt as if they were snapping through threads of self-control.

"Fuck, B, you're so wet," Faith growled, the deep hunger in her voice making Buffy shiver.

"Faith," she groaned. "God, I — please."

Faith's fingers continued caressing her and Buffy bit her lip, moaning with frustration as they stayed soft and outside of her, dancing around where she wanted it most.

"Please what?" Faith asked softly. Her eyes were burning into Buffy's.

"Inside. Jesus, Faith — inside," Buffy gasped, vaguely registering how her voice had turned pleading.

This felt so different. Felt so raw, so jagged, so fucking dirty. She had never begged during sex, had never heard herself sound so plaintive and helpless. It felt as if Faith was tearing her open, leaving her writhing and uncontrolled and vulnerable.

Faith began sliding a finger inside her, slowly, so slowly. Buffy felt her walls clench violently around it, her hips thumping against the tree, a deep, vibrating moan going through her.

"Like this?" Faith asked huskily, leaning closer to Buffy's ear. Closed her mouth and teeth around Buffy's neck and bit down, almost hard enough to break skin.

"Faith," she whispered. She felt like she was falling apart. "I — I need ..."

"Say it," Faith said forcefully, running her tongue along Buffy's neck. She was trembling uncontrollably, desperate for release.

"God — more fingers. Please," she said in a strangled, weak voice, arching her back.

Faith removed her hand and grasped Buffy's thighs, pushing her higher up against the tree and locking her legs around her own waist. She moved forward, her mouth returning to Buffy's neck, fingers suddenly driving deep inside. Buffy cried out loudly, the moan echoing in her ears, ringing through her body. Faith buried herself in Buffy, reaching inside and ripping groans and unidentifiable noises from her throat. Every thrust made her call out in pain and pleasure, every movement of her fingers sent Buffy closer to that achingly deep precipice.

"Do you know how good you feel, how goddam perfect you feel around my fingers?" Faith growled, and Buffy whimpered, clutched onto her, fingernails digging into her scalp, her shoulders. Her voice resounded in her entire body, an echo that made her clench and shiver. "How good it feels to be inside you, to be fucking you?"

"Faith," she gasped, and tilted her head back. "Yes — fuck, yes."

Her hips and back were being shoved into the tree with every thrust. It felt like Faith was crawling inside her, filling her up, stretching her open, making her whole. She felt her add another finger and shuddered at the friction, at that feeling of elasticity, of expansion. She was teetering on that brink, unstable and trembling, and Faith's teeth sudden and sharp on her neck made her surge forward, cry out. It entered into the edge of her vision, that swelling, that piercing, exquisite sensation, and she felt it start from the pit of her stomach.

"You're gonna come for me, Buffy," Faith said, low and rough in her ear, drawing out her name like she was gripping it between her fingers. "You're gonna come hard, and you're gonna come now."

She did. Her body, her mind broke open as the other Slayer's hand sunk and curled into her, as Faith's fingers pressed into the deepest parts of her and brought out something she didn't even know was there. Her orgasm spread through, shattered her, made her melt and cry and whimper and break. It was almost beyond her capacity, almost too intense. And Faith was there, holding her up, holding her in, holding her together. Sounds and liquids and emotions were spilling out of her and she couldn't control them, and she felt Faith there to absorb them, to take them in.

Her legs were so tight around Faith that she was sure they were cutting off her breathing. Her fingernails were embedded in her shoulders, scalp, neck. Every muscle in her body was clenched and rigid, and she waited for it to wash through her, to leave her broken. It faded, and Buffy was left boneless against the tree, unable to feel anything except a tingling in her feet and a warm throb between her legs. Faith was there, hands supporting her legs, kissing gently along her neck. Her heart was still thumping wildly as Faith set her down and stepped back.

Her eyes were still brilliant and huge, dark with lust, her smile feral and hungry. Buffy shivered again. Faith slowly kneeled down, smiling that dangerous smile and keeping eye contact with Buffy the entire time, and Buffy felt her breathing grow ragged as the other Slayer ran hands up her legs. Faith was still staring at her as she took one of Buffy's thighs and threw it over her shoulder, tugging her ass forward so that she was practically on top of her. Faith's eyes looked like small pricks of fire, scalding Buffy's, as she flicked out her tongue almost teasingly.

"Oh," she cried out weakly. "Faith — I don't know if I ..."

"Yes, you can," Faith said quietly, the vibrations from her voice and breath causing Buffy to shudder. "'Cause I'm not gonna stop until you do."

Her tongue moved forward again, sliding more firmly through swollen folds. Buffy arched her back, dug her nails into the tree behind her, and moaned. Faith put her hands on Buffy's ass, suddenly shoving her hips forward and causing her to collide with the other girl's mouth. Buffy's entire body jerked as Faith's mouth crashed between her legs, the sensation so intense it was almost painful. She heard a strange whimpering cry and realized vaguely that it was coming from her.

"Oh, my God," Buffy gasped, as she felt Faith's mouth engulf her.

Her last orgasm had left her limp and drained, and now, thirty seconds later, she felt vibrant and shivering and on the verge of another. How did Faith do this to her? Turn her into a shaking, delirious mess. It felt different this time, too. Everything felt brighter, and at the same time, darker. Like they were tapping into something deep and coarse, exposing it, drawing it out.

Faith's tongue slid down from her clit and slipped inside her, and Buffy sucked in her breath in a strangled whimper and ripped a chunk of bark from the tree behind her as her hand moved to hold Faith's head. Pressed a trembling palm against Faith's hair, almost inadvertently pushing the other girl's mouth deeper, and called out her name. Her hips were bucking uncontrollably, her back arched and quivering, head scraping against the tree. Faith's hands on her ass were trying to hold her in one place, and they grew tighter as Buffy's movements grew almost frantic.

"Faith," Buffy cried out hoarsely, as Faith's mouth molded to her, inside her.

And suddenly, her second orgasm was upon her. Her mouth opened in a silent yell, everything quaking and expanding. Liquid heat poured through her, out of her, and she felt a molten wave of searing light coarse through her. She came with Faith's name on her lips, with Faith's strong tongue inside her, with Faith behind her eyelids, thinking only of Faith. She twisted until she was wrung out, and Faith's mouth left her and she whimpered with the lack of heat and pressure.

Faith got up from her knees and Buffy stood, feeling a slow wave of prickles move across her skin. Her breathing was still ragged and shallow. How could she still want more? The pulsing between her legs was still conspicuously present, and she felt it increase as Faith pressed her into the tree and kissed her. She could taste herself on Faith's lips, and didn't really have the time or motivation to work out if she should be turned on by that.

"B," Faith said in a soft, intense voice, drawing back.

Buffy saw the other girl's hands reach down, unbuckle her own jeans. She found herself reacting on pure instinct, following that trail of heat connecting them, and reached out a hand to help her unbutton them and slip inside Faith's pants. Used her other hand to grab Faith's shirt and whirl her around, flipping their positions and feeling a surge of need, of possession as she pushed Faith into the tree. She wanted her, wanted to take her, her own arousal rising with Faith's. Kissed her and slipped fingers into her panties to reach that place where searing heat flowed out of her.

"God, Buffy," Faith growled. "I need you."

"Need me to do what?" Buffy whispered, and wondered for a split second where this was coming from, how she was feeding off of Faith's energy so hungrily and unabashedly.

"Fuck — fuck me, B. Please," Faith answered, voice full of naked want, weaving her hands through Buffy's hair and pulling her head forwards, and Buffy's stomach clenched with it.

As she wrenched Faith's pants down and began sucking on her pulse point, Buffy reflected that they probably wouldn't return to the library for quite some time.

~ — ~ — ~

It was around two hours later that they finally swung open the library doors and strode in, holding hands. Buffy's entire body felt relaxed, loose, her skin humming pleasantly. Faith would turn to her, eyes dark and smoldering, grinning that lopsided smirk, and Buffy would melt. She had never experienced anything like that in her entire life, had never been possessed by a person or a need so intensely.

"I hope you have two have returned calmer and more prepared to research," Giles said distantly, his attention focused on the book in front of him.

Buffy and Faith exchanged a look, and she bit her lip and flushed at Faith's knowing grin.

"Sure, G-man. Just needed a release, you know? Take our energy out on somethin'," Faith responded, her voice deeper and rougher than usual, her eyes glittering.

Buffy flushed and smacked her lightly as multiple heads raised at her remark.

"Yeah, those wacky vampires — sure are energy-takers," Buffy said hoarsely.

Willow smiled and shook her head, lowering her eyes back down to a book. Xander was blinking rapidly. He jerked his head back down and swallowed.

"We find anything new?" Buffy asked hopefully, as she and Faith sat down at the table, still gently linking fingers.

"If by 'new' you mean the complete opposite," Xander grumbled.

"It's been a glass half-empty kind of day," Willow added unhappily.

"Yes, well, not to interrupt the wonderfully useful demoralizing," Giles began dryly, removing his glasses and taking out his ever-present handkerchief, "but I found a reference to something called the 'Essence of Azazel'."

"Check out the alliteration in that baby," Xander contributed.

Giles spared him one unamused glare before putting his glasses back on and returning to the book. "There's not a very large description here, but I believe it may be a box used in dark rituals."

"Okay. So, who was this Azzel guy?" Buffy asked, frowning. She let go of Faith's hand and leaned forward.

"If memory serves, Azazel was an enigmatic biblical figure," Giles responded thoughtfully. "There are conflicting opinions, but Azazel was generally portrayed as the personification of wickedness, of — of impurity and such." He bent over, began reading furiously. He raised his head after several moments. "It's not a particularly illustrative passage, but this may be what we're looking for."

"Sweet, G," Faith said, and stood up. "You guys do the research thing. I still got some energy to burn, don't wanna disrupt the geek balance."

Buffy gaped at her. She had energy to burn? Buffy was feeling distinctly non-energetic, much like she had just been subjected to ten full-body massages and given an elephant tranquilizer. Where was this limitless store of energy that Faith was tapping into? Was them having sex for, like, three hours against a tree just some sort of elaborate, very vivid fantasy?

Wesley stood up hastily as Faith made a move to leave. "Faith," he said in a loud, self-assured voice. "As your Watcher, I must insist that you stay here and help."

Faith looked at him and Buffy saw something dangerous and dark flash in her eyes. "Well, Wes, as a Slayer who could pummel the living shit out of you, I don't think you're really in a position to be insisting anything."

There was a moment of tense silence as everyone raised their heads at Faith's unexpectedly threatening tone. Wesley looked flustered and a little paler. "That — that is not the -" he began to sputter, but Faith cut him off.

"I'm out, guys," Faith threw over her shoulder as she walked out, utterly ignoring Wesley's attempts at speaking.

Buffy watched the library doors swinging after her, feeling startled and confused. That was surprising, and not in a particularly good way. Faith was generally an anti-authority kind of gal, but what just happened was approaching disturbing.

Buffy turned around, frowning, and met Willow's questioning, concerned eyes. Buffy shrugged at her and smiled weakly, trying to maintain a level of nonchalance while her stomach was churning. Even while she had been standing, Faith hadn't even looked at her, like she was just part of the background. She's just restless, Buffy thought. She gets like that. Nothing to worry about.

The others, after exchanging uncomfortably bewildered expressions, had returned to their books. Buffy glanced at Giles and saw him staring off into the distance, frowning. He shook his head and bent over the book again, and she did the same, trying to ignore the unsettled feeling in her stomach.

"Ah," Giles said softly, after several minutes of silent information-gathering. Buffy glanced up at him. "Yes, here, it mentions Azazel. A figure in Hebrew scriptures, a 'spirit of desolation and ruin,' 'the seducer of men and women.'" He looked up as well, thinking furiously. "The Essence of Azazel would be a perfect ingredient for a dark ritual if this is correct," he mumbled, nodding.

"Okay, so now we know what's inside the box," Buffy said, and then frowned. "Wait, what's inside the box?"

"His essence. Not a physical object, you see. Possibly a — a mass of energy, some magical, intangible force," Giles answered pensively, standing up and beginning to pace. "The Mayor would be able to somehow harness it for the ritual."

"Can we, uh, tangify it? So I can squash it into tiny little pieces?" Buffy asked, leaning forward and frowning.

"Attempting to translate the Buffy-speak, I'm going to assume you mean make it corporeal," Giles said dryly, and Buffy nodded sheepishly. "And no, I don't believe we can." He shook his head, looking frustrated, and continued pacing. "While this does tell us a great deal about the artifact, it doesn't describe how we could destroy it, or if that's at all possible."