A/N – Ok I had a little old school moment listening to music the other day and this song seemed to inspire a quickFuffy story. Song is by Sheryl Crow, title: "No One Said It Would Be Easy". This is my first attempt at a one shot and at centering something on a song so hope you enjoy. Characters belong to the incredible mind of Joss, I am merely an amateur. Please R & R!

Written from Faith's POV

"It's obvious the trouble we're in..."

Buffy and I have been together over nine months, it was shortly after the battle with the first that the two of us stopped dancing around our connection and got together. At first I thought it was just a passionate release for us both, never thought B would pull for the other team ya know? We just moved in to a small apartment, all of which we could afford since retired slayers doesn't provide much income these days. I work nights tending bar and she waitresses there, we are always together but it doesn't bother us, I'd like to think we wouldn't have it any other way. Giles still calls us in for extreme cases but we wanted the break from slaying as a full time gig and he respects that, plus he can't really face the truth that we are together says its playing with fate…huh wonder why he suspects that. We make a shitty income and most of it is spent on rent, we fall behind a lot and I have to pick up extra jobs to get us by. Buffy and I live pretty meagerly and I know she misses the big Sunny D house with all the space and yard and stuff.

Anyways the Scoobs didn't really approve of her new found love and my new found freedom, thanks Angel for wiping that record, so we moved on…together. Honestly, I have tried to bring them back to into our lives but they still think my motives are sketchy for being with her. The truth is I don't care about anything except her…never have. Even in my darkest times she was always the light inside of me, one I tried to smash out mind you, but it's always been her…and it always will. Worst than their reaction was that from her suddenly present "nonexistent" father who decided he needed to get his two cents in once Dawn told him about us. He drove to Los Angeles just to corner my girl on her life choices…right like he is an expert. Her dad calls every few weeks asking if she has come to her senses, usually she just spats back something insulting and ends the conversation quickly. She retreats to the bedroom to cry where I try to comfort her but usually she just needs her space. Either way she shrugged them off but I know it still burns her up inside. Even at our happiest there is a piece of her who misses them all. She tells me it's ok that it doesn't bother her but I know it does. I wish like hell she wouldn't bottle the pain up all the time, cause I know what happens when the bottle gets too full.

Tonight is like any other, she just got home from a long day looking for a steady job…stupid economy…and I cooked dinner for us before we have to head to the bar for our shifts. It's no big thing for me in fact I'm a pretty good cook and she likes it when I'm all "domestic" as she puts it, a smile comes to my face when I think about the day she said that. She says she needs a shower and I step outside for a smoke. The apartment is really an open floor plan space above some coffee shop in this small town, not a lot of privacy being on the main street but the price was right and the landlord takes cash, so it is what it is. I walk down the back steps with my pack and lighter in my hand. I stroll to the front of the building and sit down on the sidewalk, the air is cooler but refreshing…I always like a little chill in my bones…B says it's because I'm the dark one, hmm another smile. Danny the landlord comes out from the shop and asks me for a light, which I give him. We exchange pleasantries; he's a nice guy think he gets off knowing he has two lezzies living upstairs from his place, but whatever. A couple more words are exchanged and more puffs of our cigarettes taken.

"….When your father pulls up in a Mercedes Benz, he says he just happened to be in the neighborhood"

Then I see him. The headlights of a silver C Class send a shiver down my spine as the car halts in front of me. Danny says something about a sweet ride as we watch the middle aged man exit the vehicle stretching his hands over his head and then turning towards us. He doesn't smile, doesn't say hi just saunters over. My face probably reads my discomfort and Danny probably reads his confusion. He stares almost through me as he reaches the sidewalk but I'm not back down.

"Hmmm…" he says, "Still smoking I see"

I don't dignify him with a response; I know he is picking a fight. "Hank, nice to see you as always" I state simply but he turns to Danny ignoring me.

"Mr. Simon I presume" he asks

"Yea" Danny replies

Hank just nods his head before turning back to me now, "Thought I would drop by and make sure my daughter is ok, can never be sure ya know?"

He is still picking at me but I'm not doing this… not tonight. "We're doing fine…figured you would know that by now" ok so I have to dig back a little.

"But before he leaves he slips the landlord the rent."

He chuckles as he turns back to Danny again, "Mr. Simon I'd like you to have this" he hands him an envelope; I know what it is he has done it before. The look on my disgust on my face only makes him smile more, jack ass. "Please make sure that my daughter Buffy is getting all she needs and if she isn't please let me know"

Danny's a nice guy but he is still a guy so he takes the money willingly before shaking hands and being all macho, and they wonder why I started batting for this team. Hank gives me a last little glare before looking up to the apartment balcony where I turn and see Buffy who apparently witnessed the whole exchange. He gives her a wave but she doesn't move, I can see tears in her eyes and because of our connection I can feel tingles of pain shooting off of her.

I flick my cigarette towards the hood of his car, hitting it like a target as he makes a step towards me. I brace slightly but I'm not afraid of him. Buffy clears her throat loudly and he steps back as do I, I turn my back to him and head back up the stairs. I make it into the apartment and out to the balcony before he has made it back to his car. I wrap my arms around B's back glaring down at him as I stand slightly over Buffy's shoulder, he shakes his head before retreating back into the car and pulling out.

B sighs in my arms and shakes out of my grip, it hurts when she won't let me comfort her. I take another breath of fresh air and head back into the kitchen following her closely. She doesn't say anything, just stands at the counter by the back door looking down at her hands that are white knuckled onto the counter top.

"You say, "It's just a question of eliminating
obstacles" as you throw your dinner out the kitchen door

I ask if she is ok, knowing the answer already. She looks back up at me and then at the dinner on the table. I see a tear fall down her cheek and I move quickly to hold her but she stops me.

"No…" she shakes her head

"B…" I protest

"NO!?!?!" she yells this time picking up one of the plates and tossing it against the wall. The plate shatters against the door frame and food flies everywhere…shit I worked hard on that…never mind not important.

She falls to the kitchen tile and begins to sob. I stand there for a moment not sure if I should approach her again. "Why why does he do that…why can't he let me be happy…we're fucking happy, right?"

Internally I laugh slightly at the way that question was asked, cause I know we're happy and I know we're not. If we could leave all this type of bullshit behind then my answer would be a quick of course we are but I know better…the real world sometimes sucks. I drop to my knees to be closer to her, I lift her face with my hands so she meets my eyes, "happiness is boring" I say with a smirk and she laughs through her tears, "what we have is way better that happiness" and I pull her into a tight embrace. It takes only a few seconds for her to stop shaking with tears in my arms before she pulls back only to dip her head and meet my lips.

"You say, "I know how you try"
But honey, let's eat out tonight"

Kissing B is maybe…no wait it is the most incredible feelings anyone could ever feel. It's too bad I will never let those lips kiss anyone else because the whole world is missing out let me tell you yo! As we separate I stand and she reaches up with her arms like a child waiting to be assisted, of course I willingly accept her plea. As she stands, she looks around at the destruction of dinner. "Damn I'm sorry baby" she whispers against my body as she leans face first into my shoulder.

I laugh, "It's cool B, I'll fix you another plate"

Buffy shakes her head still pressed into my body, "Nah let's go out…we have some extra money now I guess" good she is joking that means she is getting over Hank's antics. I smile and nod at her grabbing her jacket and mine off the hook behind the door. I hand it over and we exit the small apartment heading down the street for a meal out.

"No one said it would be easy
But no one said it'd be this hard
No one said it would be easy
No one thought we'd come this far"

After a hellish night at the pub B and I practically fell into bed, we had the next night off so we could sleep as long as we wanted. I woke up to her snuggled close to me, I would kill…well not kill that's old…but I love these moments, feeling her this close makes it all worth it. All the drama with her family and her friends, it doesn't matter when I see those eyes flutter open to meet mine followed by that smile and then of course her lips pressed to mine…yup all worth it.

"You can't seem to ever fold up a shirt
I bring it up and you think I'm a jerk"

We start off with breakfast and then start working on the apartment, it's a pit with all the working we have been doing not to mention we want to have some people over from work tonight, its gotta get clean. I walk downstairs to the garage and start the laundry then go back up to work on the kitchen. B is cleaning the bedroom and the living room we will both tackle the bathroom…it's a two woman job. After a couple solid hours with our cleaning faces on we collapse on the couch together in front of the TV, I fall asleep instantly and feel B drift with me as we catch some z's before entertaining.

I wake up to the back door closing and see B has grabbed the laundry from out back. I grab some boy shorts and a tank as she walks past and then I hit the shower. I usually shower first cause B takes way longer than me to prepare for a night out or in for that matter. Upon exiting the shower I see B has folded the laundry on the bed must to my distress, she can't do it right. I pick up a button down shirt only to find unwanted creases and frown. She looks at me from across the bedroom with a look of anguish, What?" she asks and I have to laugh.

"B we have talked about this…no folding for you…now I have to iron" I tease but she takes it to heart and calls me a name before retreating into the bathroom and slamming the door. "Damn" I sigh out.

"But I think we're here to stay
I can't imagine it any other way"

The thing about me making B angry is I always want to fix it right away, I can't take it when she's made, even when its more her fault than mine. I spent so much of my life retaliating in situations like that and now all I want is to kiss her and make it better. I slip out of my towel and slowly enter the bathroom, she is already under the running water but I feel her breath as she feels me in the room. I wait for her move, I always do. She pulls the curtain back and looks at me, I stand there speechless trying to convey my apology with only my eyes. She smiles a slight smile and motions to me with her head. I return the smile and step back into the shower with her, see its better to make up right away.

"No one said it would be easy
But no one said it'd be this hard
No one said it would be easy
No one thought we'd come this far"

Later that night, in the early hours of the morning actually our get together is winding down. After a few cases of beer and a few rounds of cards with our new…and much more approving friends…I step out for a smoke with a group as they leave. Buffy follows us down the stairs shortly after and we all say our goodbyes on the sidewalk. I sit down on the concrete curb and Buffy follows reaching her hand into my leather jacket and pulling out the pack for herself. I smile as I flick my lighter and she inhales her new found addiction…thanks to me she says. We sit there in silence until she lies back onto the side walk and looks up at the vaguely visible stars above. She brings the cigarette to her lips and watches the smoke blow up and around her as she exhales. Seeing her contentment I follow her lead and lay back on the cold ground myself. I turn so that my face is looking at hers as she continues to star off into the abyss.

"Sometimes I wonder who she's picturing
When she looks at me and smile"

As she takes her last drag she flicks the cig and turns her head to meet mine. I lean in for a kiss which is willingly returned. I smile against her lips before I pull away knowing that this moment is the right one.

"No one said it would be easy
But no one said it'd be this hard
No one said it would be easy
No one thought we'd come this far"

I flick my cigarette as well and sit up on the corner pulling her up by her hand to meet my position. I say nothing but reach for something else in my jacket pocket. I have wanted to do this since I first met her but I know that she was worth the wait and all the pain, she always will be worth it, that's why I have to do this now. Saying nothing I pull the small silver band from my pocket and slip it onto her finger…

"Oh, and look we've come this far"

The End