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The layover is too long to spend in the airport, so they find lodging for the night. But Faith takes one look at Buffy's face upon seeing their beds in the tube hotel and proclaims she's starving and has to eat right now.
Two platters of sushi and bottles of sake later and they are singing their way back, Buffy is flushed and smiling. Faith hopes it will be enough.
But two hours later she hears a whimper and she finds herself crawling in next to the other woman. Buffy's eyes are wide open, her grip crushing as she finds Faith's hand. "I'm sorry," she says. "I tried."
So they gather their packs and head out into the night. Faith thinks a little slaying will help, but the only cemetary they find is for the victims of the atom bomb.
It's crowded, barely any space between the markers. Quiet.
Only after does she realize she's been holding Buffy's hand.
Kachemak Bay State Park, Alaska
The rumors that brought them here seem to be unfounded. There is no water monster eating campers, but there are a lot of mosquitos.
Faith brings the hammock inside, hangs it from the rafters of their cabin. She gives a couple of experimental tugs before climbing in. Sleep comes fast, muddy trails and insect bites forgotten as she is lulled to sleep by the wind in the trees.
She awakes when Buffy joins her, all hot skin and elbows and bug spray. "Jesus, B. Get your own hammock." She's aiming for pissed, but the tone comes out pissy instead.
"Don't wanna," is all Buffy says and her arms go tight around Faith as the hammock swings wild. It takes about five breaths to slow, to adjust to their combined weight and by then they are both asleep.
Ginnie Spring, Florida
The waters are murky. Like everything right now. Faith is starting to wonder if this fearsome creature exists, because they never find anything. If she didn't know better, she would start to question if Giles had an ulterior motive in sending them on this trip.
The motel room is musty and Faith wrinkles her nose as she opens the door. "I'm back!" she yells back to the bathroom as she puts their dinner down.
Buffy comes out, one towel around her body, another around her hair. Faith's eyes narrow. There were only two towels.
But she is distracted by the gleam in Buffy's eyes as she spies the pizza. "Civilization at last!" she crows. And when Buffy moans around that first bite, her eyes closed in ecstasy, Faith decides she needs a shower too.
She grabs the towel from Buffy's head and ignores the startled "Hey!" that the slamming of the bathroom door cuts off. She doesn't breathe in the scent of shampoo and girl and Buffy from the towel. But she wants to.
Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland
They have followed the water creature's trail to this island, but have only found festival, song and drink. The fires dance behind Faith's closed eyes as she carefully navigates her way from the door to the bed.
Buffy is already gone, curled around her pillow, breath soft and steady. Faith mirrors her position in the small bed, stops herself from reaching out and smoothing back tumbled blond locks.
The kiss was heady and strong. They'd had a lot to drink and the dancing had them both over-excited, blood running hot and fast as the crowd around them churned.
Faith is surprised about how normal it felt, how right. She reaches out. The fires are still burning.