Author:
Pairing: Buffy/Gunn.
Rating: G.
Setting: Post-"NFA."
Buffy sniffs the roses on their kitchen table. Gunn always makes sure there fresh flowers for her and her therapist says that she needs to take more time out. So she literally stops and smells the roses.
She's been cleaning all day in anticipation of Dawn coming home. 'Home' is a good word now. Home doesn't mean unpaid bills and a flooded basement or a hole in the ground as it once did.
Buffy eyes the vacuum cleaner propped up in the corner. She hates the loud noise of the vacuum and had already decided to leave something for Gunn to do. Giles seems to think that this was a perfectly good day to have him go over the specs for new weapons for the Slayers and help with translations; Buffy swears that it's a conspiracy between the two so Gunn can get out of cleaning the house.
As her hand wipes the sweat off her forehead the doorbell rings. She looks down at her outfit, an old t-shirt of Gunn's, tan capris, and a blue bandana pulling her hair back. At least, she isn't in the market for a man anymore.
"Buffy!" Dawn lets out a squee as soon as the door opens. "I know early. But I thought I'd surprise." Her arms went around her shocked sister.
"But how'd you?" Buffy points to the suitcases pilled high behind the door. Her hand steadies the bandana from falling off.
"Oh, she had a little help." Grinning, Gunn places a kiss on Buffy's cheek as he carries a duffle bag and suitcase inside.
Buffy nods. "Conspiracy. I was right." She smiles at her sister and hugs Dawn again; the feeling of frazzle leaves her and is replaced by relief that she didn't have to facilitate Dawn's official first encounter with Gunn and that they seemed to be getting along.
"And here she thought I was trying to get out of cleaning."
"Okay, Buffy," Dawn wheezes, "hug's a little tight." She takes deep breaths when Buffy releases her.
"So plans for this afternoon, I'm thinking extra hours of shoe shopping." Buffy pauses. "Oh, god, I look horrible."
"At least you don't smell like Doublemeat?" Dawn suggests. "Besides, your super Slayer strength means super fast showers."
"Don't remind me." Buffy rolls her eyes at the thought of flipping hamburgers. Even when Gunn insists on his monthly visit to Doublemeat Palace di Roma, she can barely contain the feeling of sickness at the sight of those yellow wrappers. "So shower, shopping, then coming home to a homecooked meal by my wonderful boyfriend."
"No shoe shopping for me?" Gunn pouts at her; one she knows that is in mockery of herself.
"Last time you just wouldn't take my suggestion that those pumps weren't your color."