The beginning

Getting his text she stopped typing, holding her breath as she read the message. Moving up from her chair she made a rather loud noise, making everyone look her way, but she was too busy looking at the screen. Typing as fast as she could while packing her stuff together in her backpack.

[Buffy:] I'd love to help
[Buffy:] Address?

She put on her coat, wrapping her scarf around her neck to keep her warm. She moved outside, shuddering at the cold as she headed towards the address he had sent her, knocking on the door and ringing the door bell.

[Buffy:] I'm here

He noticed that she stopped typing as his message was read, feeling a little anxious, maybe feeling as if he had overstepped. He let the phone rest on his lap as he started playing with the cat, letting her scratch him as he teased her with soft tickles. His phone buzzed and he feared the worst. He read the message and exhaled in relief as he read her message. He sent the address, feeling a soft tingle in his stomach as he giggled a little to himself.

When his phone buzzed again he had gotten up at the sound of knocking and the doorbell, frowning a little as he guessed it couldnt be anyone else than her. He was wearing a rather casual baggy loose shirt that revealed a little more of his marks around his collarbone but at the same time he did sort of look like some persian prince or a pirate - He liked the shirt though. He opened the door, “Hi, come in and get warm,” he said, opening the door fully for her to enter as he figured it was too cold to be talking outside. “The kitchen is warmest of all the rooms,” he said as he made a small smile at her. He was sure she was prettier than he remembered her to be.

Buffy felt a little nervous, standing there in front of the door she wondered if she should turn around. Go home. Listen to all the things her aunt had told her through the years. But as soon as the door opened and she looked in to those green eyes she felt her heart beat faster once more. Part of her wanted to crash in to him, let them collide and become one like two black holes swallowing each other up until nothing remained, however she just stood there for a while. "Hi," she said with a smile on her lips, moving inside she took off her coat and scarf, hanging it on one of the hangers he had. She looked over her shoulder, sending him a grateful smile as he said the kitchen was the place with the most heat. She moved out there, with his guidance, and looked around for a bit, moving to the heater by the window. "Why does it have to be this cold all the time?" she chuckled a bit, mostly speaking to herself. She leaned against the heater, closing her eyes briefly as she tried getting some heat in to her body before she felt ready. "Now, let's check on that smelly cat," she chuckled, looking at Baal with a teasing smile.

He felt his heart gallop in his chest with small yet deep thumps as he had looked into her eyes. As she remained, he was just watching her face a little mesmerized in the moment till she moved inside. He closed the door, watching her take off her jacket as he caught her scent. She had a nice smell, but he felt like a compliment would be out of place, so that one he kept in his mind. She moved to the kitchen and her smile over the shoulder could melt his heart right on the spot if he’d let it. He chuckled, stepping out in the kitchen as he heard her comment about the cold. Maybe it wasnt helpful that he wasnt dressed as if it was cold. “The heater is a little unreliable, but it’s decent enough,” he said with a shrug, leaning down to pick up the cuddly cat as he walked over to Buffy. He held her in his arm like was it a baby, presenting her at the fenix’s words. “She’s a clean one. Well, as clean as stray can be. She smells quite nice today compared to other days,” he said as he hadnt really dared to force the little lady in a bath. One thing was her being cuddly now, but she might become a vicious monster as soon as her soft fur touched the water.

"Unreliable or not, it gives off heat right now," she said with a satisfied sigh, moving her cold limbs a bit to warm them up. She was wearing a simple pair of jeans with a tight fitted shirt and an oversized cardigan. As Baal carried the cat to her she chuckled, wiggling her fingers above it's paws to tease it a bit before scratching it's head. Then she looked at him, frowning as she felt a little confused. "I thought you wanted me to come by because she was dirty?" she said, raising an eyebrow at him. Had he tricked her in to coming over? Even if that was the case, she wasn't mad, because she had wanted to see him. She looked at his green eyes, feeling her heart beat increase once more, chuckling a bit before she looked at the cat. "Have you named her yet?" she then asked.

“That’s a relief,” he chuckled with a warm smile. Why did he feel like he had missed her company so dearly? Texting on the phone had pushed the feeling away so it was just now that he was certain that he had felt it. He liked watching her play with the cat before scratching her behind the ear. The cat seemed oddly welcoming to Buffy but maybe it was because she was resting comfortably in Baal’s arms. Or maybe she just really liked the fenix from the get go, Baal couldnt figure it out. He shrugged at her question, pinching his lips shortly, “I.... kind of just wanted to see you. But she does need a bath either way, smelly or not,” he said with half a smile, being quick to jump from his confession to the point. It felt nice to admit but exploring further into what he could admit wasnt something he felt too fond of doing. He shook his head at her question, “No. Cant find a fitting one,” he said as he send her a uncertain smile, “Names arent my strongsuit, so I’ve just called her cat,” he admitted, feeling silly to say it out loud.

Buffy bit her lower lip as he confessed, looking at the cat before turning her eyes up to greet his. She felt her body gain heat a little quicker with him around, but perhaps that was a side effect of her heart beating so fast when she saw him. "Only kind of wanted to see me?" she asked in a teasing manner as she looked into his soft green eyes. Buffy wet her lips, not really realizing how it looked, before she turned her eyes back on the cat in his arms. "Well, she looks like a fierce alley cat," she said, a small chuckle let her lips as the cat seemed to started purring. "But I think it would be fun to call her something unexpected," she said, her lower lips shooting forward in her pouty thinking face. "Perhaps you're a Belinda? Or are you a Karen? Oooh what about Wilma?" she chuckled, just spewing out some random names.

“Dont tease me like that. It was enough to lure you over, alright?” He said with a scoff that sounded more like a subtle chuckle. He had hoped she would let it slide but of course nothing would slip past that pretty nose of hers. His eyes automatically watched her lips as she wet them, his own seperating a little as he made a deep yet quiet sigh to calm himself. He nodded at her words, turning his focus to the cat as he smiled faintly, “She’s a tough one out there, but she really just wants to cuddle,” he said, caressing the purring cat gently. He was always so gentle with her. He frowned a little as Buffy thought it should be something unexpected. Her suggestions made him laugh but in a heartily way as he found it endearing, “Wilma? I could already begin to imagine the confusion in whoever that asks her name, only to be presented with Wilma,” he said, wrinkling his nose with a jestful smile. “How about. You tell me something you like?” He suggested, placing down the cat as he spoke to Buffy.

Buffy shrugged. She guessed he was right, because she had practically just went straight in to his arms. She felt her cheeks blush a bit, but it wasn’t really a reaction she thought about. What she thought right now was how his hand had felt in hers back at the market. However the talking about the cat helped distract her a bit. Laughing with him, she shook her head, mostly because she could imagine how it may look and sound. He placed the cat down, letting it walk between their legs as he asked Buffy for her opinion. “Well I like simple names ...” she said, looking at him as her fingers started to itch. She wanted to reach out and touch him, but she somehow kept herself from doing it. “Something like ... Juno,” she said, looking down at the cat with a smile on her lips. She squatted down, petting the cat gently as it seemed to meow at her, making her chuckle. “Juno ... You like that name?” she asked, making the cat promptly meow, a faint laughter leaving her lips.

The more he got to know her, the less he noticed how drawn he had started feeling to her. It had more turned into a natural feeling as if it was a normal thing to feel - The want of wanting to touch her cheek and feel her soft skin, the wonder if it truly was that soft. He tilted his head at her answer, nodding as he smiled. Simple names seemed more like something down his alley, though it might even be too complicated for him to deal with. But thankfully she was quick in bringing up a name from her mind, saving him from the embarrassment of taking too long to think.
Juno. He did like that name, looking at her talk to the cat with what most would describe as heart-eyes, feeling like his heart was as light as it could be in the moment. He tilted her head, nodding a few times, “Juno,” he said in agreement as he kneeled down to them, scratching the cat behind the ear. He turned his eyes to Buffy, looking less courageous at what he was about to say, “Bath-time,” he said with what would sound like it was a hard task at hand. He looked back at the cat that was now deemed to be named Juno, smiling a little hopeful, “Hope she doesnt think ill of me for doing this to her,” he said as he lifted the cat to get back up on his feet. “Do you want to hold her?” He asked. Regardless of her answer, he’d lead them out to the bathroom with a rather big and pretty tub considering that the building barely had heating. He turned on the water, making sure it was warm but not too warm.

Buffy smiled at him as he squatted down beside her, agreeing that the name was something that fit. The notion of bath time made her chuckle as she moved to her feet, nodding at his question. She held the cat in her arms, it's paws resting against her chest as it's eyes looked directly at her face. Moving with Baal she looked around the bathroom for a bit, smiling to herself as she liked the look of it. "Are you ready Juno?" she asked the cat with a gentle smile, taking off her cardigan and just letting it drop to the floor. The top she wore underneath sitting rather close to her body, it showed off the slender figure she had, before sitting down in front of the bathtub. Slowly she lowered the cat in to the water, it making a desperate meow and a hiss from the water hitting it's fur. "I know, I know, it's not nice," she cooed the cat, gently stroking the parts of it's fur that was still dry. She managed to get the cat in to the water, slowly starting to pour water over it making it whimper. Buffy frowned, clearly not liking the cat reacting like "Could you hand me some soap?" she asked, looking at Baal with a smile.

She was focused on keeping Juno in the tub, because it seemed like the cat was eager to jump out at any chance she would get. As she felt Baal move closer, it was like she forgot for a second where she was, feeling her heart skip a full beat as she felt his chest against her shoulder. Swallowing as he said he got the bottle, she just looked at Juno. There was nothing wrong with how she felt, she knew that, but there would always be the faint nagging of her aunt speaking of the vile daemons. However Baal didn't seem like that. He didn't seem like the evil creature that she had been warned against. In fact he made her heart flutter and her stomach be filled with butterflies. She made sure to slowly cover the cat in water by cupping her hand and pouring it over the cat. Then she grabbed the bottle, feeling her fingers briefly touch his, making her look in to his soft green eyes. Her eyes fluttered, looking back at Juno as she poured a bit of soap in to her palm. "Can you, uhm, hold her still?" she asked, knowing the cat was already a bit squeamish.

She felt her breath halter a bit as she kept her body from reacting. It was hard not doing what ever she felt in the moment. She couldn't help but chuckle a bit breathlessly at his question, opting to keep her eyes on the cat as she gently massaged in the soap. "No, I think she despises us," she said with a small giggle. She moved her hands over his holding the cat. Her lips separated as she looked at him, leaning closer to him as she felt herself breathless once more. She looked to his lips, biting her lower lip gently as she seemed to ponder. Leaning even closer, she loosened the grip of the cat, her hand touching his more gently as she felt her breath heavy and slow. That was before the cat saw it's chance to escape, jumping up and in between them before running off in to the apartment. Buffy blinked for a second before she stumbled to her feet, running after the cat. "Juno, come back here!" she demanded, following the cat with wet fur and soap spreading on all the floors.

Buffy cornered the cat, grabbing it and pulling the wet animal in to her arms. Her top getting soaked in the process, but she had a hold over Juno now. She looked at Baal, and she had a feeling like something could've happened if it hadn't been for Juno's decision to make a run for it. She walked to him, looking up at him her lips separated as to say something. However she couldn't find her words to describe what she really wanted to say, so instead she looked down, taking the cat back to the bathroom. If he followed her in she would simply sit down on her knees again, placing Juno back in the bath. It started hissing again, making Buffy sigh. "It's alright, I just need to get the soap out, then it's over I promise," she whispered to the cat in a pleading tone. Her heart was still racing, wanting to go back in time to where she and Baal had a moment. If it was a moment. She wasn't sure as she cleaned off the soap from the cat's fur. Her top was soaked, sticking more to her skin than before, but she didn't really seem to notice.

Buffy got Juno cleaned off, placing the cat on the towel in Baal's arms. She felt that maybe the moment had passed. That it was just one of her instinctive ways of wanting to twist her own fate. Then she once again felt mesmerized by the way he wet his lips, she just looked at them. The curiosity came back, moving closer to him once more, however this time it was only her hand. Her fingers stretching to touch his jaw, running her index finger down and along one of his black swirls. Lips separated she felt herself breathless once more. "For what?" she replied as he thanked her. She let her hand fall down, resting on the towel that Juno was wrapped in, feeling her heart beat so fast in her chest that she could barely keep up with it's rhythm.

Buffy couldn't say anything and it seemed he couldn't either. She kept sitting on the bathroom floor after he went away with Juno, running a finger lazily across her lower lip. She couldn't help let her mind wander a bit, closing her eyes as she tried imagining him closer to her. What would his breath feel like against her skin? How would his hands react to her body? But what took up most of her wandering brain was how his lips would taste. Would they be sweet like a piece of candy or would they be savory like salt? She sighed, shaking her head a bit as she moved to her feet, looking herself in the mirror before she groaned under her breath. Her shirt was basically see through right now, and the water was slowly turning cold. She took off her shirt, hanging it over one of the towel hangers before she grabbed her cardigan, wrapping it around herself to cover up. Then she went to drain the tub, watching the dirt from Juno run down the hole. Taking a deep breath she joined Baal in the living room, seeing Juno rubbing her snout against most of the furniture to dry off. "Do you think ... You got a shirt I could borrow?" she asked, feeling a little out of her comfort zone.

He just stood there watching the cat, when his mind should have been focused on keeping Juno off the furniture, he much rather thought of her face when they had been so close at the tub. The what if of had he just grabbed her face with such gentle caution and leaned closer and closer, till he couldnt. He turned at the sound of her voice, looking at the cardigan before he nodded and walked past her, in a mumble he managed to say “Of course” as he moved around her, seemingly almost scared to be close. He went to his bedroom, grabbing a big woolen shirt that he knew was comfortable despite how it looked. He came back into the livingroom, offering the shirt to her as he tensed his jaw a little. “I... ummm.. that, feeling that uh... I felt in the bathroom. You felt it as well?” He asked a little nervously as he tried to smile but it was only faintly - What if he was just making a fool of himself, thinking of something that wasnt possible.

As he walked past her she only barely heard his mumble. Had she done something wrong? It suddenly felt like he was trying not to get close to her, the way he looked at her almost seemed pained. She took the shirt, looking at it with a faint smile on her lips, feeling the soft fabric between her fingers. Then he spoke, a question she felt she knew the answer to by heart. "Describe the feeling," she said, not confirming nor denying that she felt something. She wasn't going to just give in that easily. She took a step back, turning her back to him as she dropped her cardigan on his couch before pulling the large shirt over her head. It was rather long for her build, reaching about the middle of her thighs. Then she turned around, looking at him as the shirt sat a bit off the shoulder.

He wasnt even sure where to lead the conversation with his question. His mind just sort of ran on autopilot and he could just hope that it wasnt going straight for the crash course. He thought about the words as all thoughts stopped as soon as she dropped her cardigan, he knew he should have looked away but he couldnt, not right away. He got a glance of her soft skin, making his breath tremble a little as he finally mustered to look away. “The uhmm... tense feeling, like electricity in the air,” he said, a confused expression on his face as he walked closer to her as she turned around. He lifted a hand, placing it on her barren shoulder as he felt her skin against his palm, “Like I’m being pulled to you,” he admitted, looking from his hand to her eyes.

"Oh," she said in a soft voice, turning around to see him move closer, feeling his hand against her skin made her sigh, his next words making her return her gaze to his soft green eyes. "I didn't feel that," she confessed, reaching out to touch his cheek, her thumb running across his lower lip as she thought about her words. "I felt a pull - but I'm sure it wasn't electricity; It felt more like strings pulling at my fingers to reach out for you," she confessed, sighing as she looked at him. She looked at his lips as she touched them so gently. "Like gravity, pulling me closer to you, like a force just pushing me to my edges because I want to follow what my body wants, but you don't seem to want that," she said, feeling her voice break a little at her last sentence.