Willow's Room at Buffy's House, Sunnydale, California, March 2003

[brat_inslayage]

Just when Kennedy thought she could handle any minor evil the Hellmouth had to throw at them, it went and did things like drop a Frophla demon into the middle of last night's training patrol. So that had been fun. No, really, it had been fun-- just challenging, by which she meant she'd gotten tossed into a park bench. Also completely gross, because those things were slimy.

She'd tried to shake it off, no big, just some bruises and a little aching, nothing that was going to keep her from putting the girls through drills this morning, but by midday she was really feeling it, even after a shower. By evening... yep, still feeling it.

"Oh god," she groaned as she walked (okay, that was generous since it was more like awkward shuffling) back into Willow's room and collapsed onto the bed. "I'm losing my edge. What happened to the days when I could get thrown into walls and stuff and just walk it off?"

She glared up at the ceiling, lower lip sticking out in a slight pout. "I'm getting old. This sucks."

Okay, so she was playing it up a little bit.

Willow	"Does talking to the ceiling help?" Willow asked. "Normally it doesn't say anything to me. But that could be because it doesn't like me so it's not so much mute as snubbing."
Kennedy	"The ceiling needs to have better taste then," Kennedy decided, narrowing her eyes at said ceiling. "Though I'm okay with it not talking."
Willow	"Me too," Willow said. "There's already far too many things talking which so should not be." Belatedly realizing now that sounded, Willow hastily added, "I mean in the sense of evils primary and otherwise, not company present or - well okay some of the girls could probably stand to shut up once in a while but you know what I mean. I hope?"
Kennedy	"No offense taken," Kennedy promised; hey, even if that had been the case it wasn't like she wasn't used to people telling her she talked too much anyway. "Although there might've been some pouting if you meant me."
Willow	"I think I could take you pouting more than the ceiling," Willow said, after some consideration. "Not that I want you to be pouty, but if the ceiling pouts that means its got a mouth and then we're back on disturbing nightmare theater."
Kennedy	"Been there, done that, do not want to deal with mouthy architecture again," Kennedy declared. "Which is not as dirty as it sounds, I swear."
Willow	"You had ceilings that talked?" Willow asked. She didn't want to know.
Kennedy	"No, there was a thing with a giant maze once. About as creepy and slightly gross as it sounds." Kennedy shrugged. "Also pretty fun, in a weird sort of way." She grinned over at Willow. "But, again, not something this room needs."
Willow	"I'd say that the room doesn't need a maze," Willow agreed.
Kennedy	Kennedy nodded. "That would be sad. I'd have to yell over the walls at you if I wanted to talk. And that's no fun."
Willow	"Plus it'd be more potential walls to develop talking ability," Willow pointed out.
Kennedy	"I feel safe in saying none of us want that." It was easier talking to Willow lately, but Kennedy always felt a little at a loss without resorting to flirtatious comments, so it was still awkward in its own way. "That is, if you don't mind me speaking for you there."
Willow	"I don't mind you speaking to me here, I can't imagine a maze would be any different," Willow said. "Well there'd be more shouting and greater chance of at least one of us getting lost, but the talking part would be the same."
Kennedy	"If I got lost, would you come after me?" Kennedy asked idly, without thinking.
Willow	"Probably," Willow said. "Assuming I wasn't lost myself or eaten by a wall."
Kennedy	"Good to know." Kennedy propped her head up on one hand and smiled. "I'd be pretty bummed if you got eaten by a wall or something. Also, no getting lost. 'cause that would suck."
Willow	"In which case could you not get lost?" Willow asked. "As long as we're making requests?"
Kennedy	"Well, if you're asking..." Giving a definitive answer was probably a little unreasonable, but being reasonable was inconvenient. "Okay. No getting lost." She poked idly at the mattress. "You'd totally miss me if I did," she teased. A little tentatively, but hey.
Willow	"It'd be horrible," Willow said, teasing a little in return. "I'd have a whole room to myself again. A bed of my very own, even."
Kennedy	"And no one talking at you all night every night," Kennedy added, playing along with one eyebrow raised. "Sounds dire."
Willow	"Nobody snoring," Willow added. She may have been fibbing about Kennedy snoring.
Kennedy	Kennedy let her mouth drop open in totally feigned horror and reached over to swat lightly at Willow's arm. "I do not snore!" Okay, maybe sometimes when she was really tired.
Willow	"Did I say you did?" Willow replied. "Must be a guilty conscience making you think I was talking about you."
Kennedy	"You totally --" Hang on a second. "Okay, busted. Sneaky, Willow. Really sneaky."
Willow	"I have no idea what you're talking about," Willow replied, looking innocent.
Kennedy	"So we're talking about some mystery snoring person, then?" Kennedy leaned a little closer to narrow her eyes playfully. "It's cute when you try to be innocent, y'know."
Willow	"Who said I was trying?" Willow replied, with an innocent look.
Kennedy	"So being that cute is effortless for you, then?" Kennedy asked before she could stop herself.
Willow	Clearly not, if the way Willow gaped and struggled to find words was any indication.
Kennedy	See, Kennedy would beg to differ; she thought this was pretty damn cute, too. "Not gonna take my word for it, then?" she asked, her grin fading into a more serious expression. "Hey, look, if you want me to knock that off..."
Willow	"Knock off your word?" Willow asked. She was still a little flustered.
Kennedy	Yes, Kennedy had noticed that too. "The completely not-empty flattery?" Kennedy suggested, a little flustered herself. Funny, that. "It's just really hard not to notice and everything."
Willow	"It's not what I'm used to," Willow said. Which wasn't a 'no.'
Kennedy	"Given." Kennedy thought she could understand that. Also? It was really hard to look away right now. Just this side of impossible, maybe. Sitting up and shifting closer, easy, but looking away? Not happening. "But you're also not running away, which is definitely a plus, 'cause I'm really getting into this hanging out thing."
Willow	"It might be... something which isn't unacceptable," Willow replied, not making eye contact.
Kennedy	"How not-unacceptable are we talking about here?" That could have been a lot smoother, but she was completely distracted here. Completely distracted, and maybe trying to shift a little closer yet.
Willow	"To a point where nobody's spontaneously combusted yet and maybe we should change the subject?" Willow suggested.
Kennedy	"Maybe--" Kennedy's brain was no longer in charge of her side of the conversation. "Talking could be less of a thing?" Which... well, this could potentially be a really bad idea but she'd pretty much decided there needed to be a lot less tentative and a lot more seizing the day. Just without the elaborate thought process, since she was leaning in to kiss Willow before she could even think all that through.
Willow	Okay, Willow was being kissed. Kissed by Kennedy. And Willow wasn't making Kennedy stop kissing back. This could be problematic.
Kennedy	Was it problematic? Because Kennedy mostly thought that-- okay, thinking wasn't really happening. Going oh my god oh my god in her head, but not exactly thinking, because Willow hadn't pulled away. So if there was any subtle change that happened in the middle of the kissing, she wasn't observant enough to pick up on it. Eventually it occurred to her that she should probably stop at least for a second, just to see what kind of reaction she'd get-- --and nearly fell off the bed in shock. "What?"
Willow	Willow blinked in confusion as Kennedy pulled away. "Are you okay?"
Kennedy	"I don't--" Kennedy had been way more than okay a few seconds ago, but that was before she opened her eyes and realized she was staring at a guy. A strange guy, and this was so not a Fandom thing of waking up one morning in a different body, was it? "What... who are you?"
Willow	"Is this a freckle thing? 'cause - " Willow started to feel not so good. She raced over to the mirror. She saw Warren's reflection staring back at her instead of her own. Forget not so good. Willow felt full on freaked out. "Oh God. Oh god oh god oh god...."
Kennedy	Look, not that this was the first time Kennedy'd ever had to deal with unexpected gender-swap situations, but it had never happened to someone she was kissing at the time before. She'd followed Willow over to the mirror, a couple of steps back, looking warily at the unfamiliar reflection there. "But why the freakout? I mean... who is that?"
Willow	Willow reached up to touch her - his - omgomgomgomgOMG - face. "It's the man that I killed."
Kennedy	So this was what Warren Mears looked like... and Kennedy's gut went cold when she took that thought one inevitable step further and realized that the face they were staring at in the mirror belonged to the man who'd killed Tara. Shit.

[[oh boy here we go. nfi/nfb, ooc-okay. part 1 of 3, and fair warning, the next couple of parts are going to be kind of on the dark and heavy side. based on btvs 7x13, "the killer in me," although this totally isn't how the scene goes in canon because wow with the giant bucket of 'no not doing that.' preplayed with all the thanks to willbedone, who is a rockstar.]]