Title: Practice Makes Perfect

Author: Alan Hitchen

Feedback: darkmere2000@yahoo.co.uk

Archive: http://www.realmoftheshadow.com/alan.htm

Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Pairing: Cordelia/Harmony

Rating: PG-13

Information: A belated entry for Dan's challenge 'Cordelia's Longing', in which Cordy has a secret crush. This is my take on how she acts on those feelings.

"Bye, Aura, see you tomorrow," said Cordelia Chase, dismissing her acolyte with a curt wave of her hand. Then, turning her attention to the shorter girl hovering expectantly by her side, she spoke again: "Need a lift, Harm?"

Harmony Kendall nodded eagerly. "Are we going shopping?"

Cordelia let slip a barely audible sigh of irritation. "Get in the car," she ordered, "and be careful, I've just had it detailed."

A short ride later they arrived outside Cordelia's house.

"This isn't the Mall," Harmony observed with undisguised disappointment.

"Harm, are you my best friend?" Cordelia interjected unexpectedly.

"Yes," Harmony agreed. "Friends forever. We both swore."

Cordelia couldn't help but inwardly smile at the memory of that earnest kindergarten moment of a million years ago, but then she pressed on in complete seriousness.

"Good. I need a favour. A kind of favour only a best friend can ask a best friend."

"Er, okay," Harmony replied hesitantly, "what's the favour?"

"I'll tell you in the house."

In the bedroom Harmony sat on the bed as Cordelia, after a long and unsettling pause, suddenly came to the point. "Harm, can I kiss you?"

Confusion creased the blonde's pleasant features, this wasn't at all what she's expected. Then confusion turned to shock as Cordelia's words sank in.

"Are you telling me that you're gay?" she whispered in horror.

"No! I'm not telling you that!" Cordelia bridled. "Do I even look gay?" she challenged.

"Well, your nails are kinda short. I hear that's how you can tell if a girl is a lesbian, it's genetic or something."

"It's not genetic. It's not lesbian. It's an expensive French manicure! My nails are the perfect length, which is entirely my point."

"What is?"

"Perfection. You know the phrase: You never get a second chance to make a first impression?"

"Yes."

"And that I have a date with Bobby Jones this Saturday?"

"We've talked about nothing else all week," Harmony confirmed.

"Well, I'm worried about the kiss, alright. It has to be perfect and I'm not sure it is. So I'm asking if I can practice with you."

Harmony shifted uneasily. "I don't know, Cor, it still sounds kinda gay to me."

"Okay, that's fine," Cordelia reponded airily. "If that's how you feel, I can always call Aura. I'm sure she won't mind being my new best friend."

"What? No, no, don't do that," Harmony panicked. "I'll do it."

"Thanks," said Cordelia with a reassuring smile. "Look," she sat down next to Harmony and grasped her hand, "all I want is to kiss you, and for you to tell me if it was good or bad. That's all."

"Okay," Harmony nodded. "I can do that."

"Right then," said Cordelia, rising to her feet. "Stand up. Now, you've just walked me to my door you've thanked me for a wonderful night out. You move closer, but not too close, allowing me the choice to close the gap. Then I kiss you. Gently at first, just giving you a taste, then coming back for more to make that perfect first impression. Okay?"

"Are you sure this isn't gay?"

"Of course it isn't. We're just practicing and you're Bobby, remember?"

"I'm Bobby, right."

Harmony did as she was told and discovered, much to her surprise, that kissing Cordelia wasn't as bad as the thought it would be. Living in the shadow of her more glamorous friend she hadn't had much experience with boys. The few she had been with, Cordelia's rejects mainly, had been clumsy and grabby and gross. But this... this was amazing! Cordelia was soft and warm and tender, and she made Harmony tingle all over. So it was quite some time after the kiss had ended that she realised that Cordelia, now looking worried, had asked her a question that she had not yet answered.

"Was I that bad?" Cordelia repeated.

"No," Harmony said quickly. "No, no, no. Not bad, good. Great, even. You're the best kisser ever," she gushed.

"Glad to hear it. So," Cordelia asked innocently, "would you mind if we practiced some more, just to make sure?"

"No," said Harmony, suddenly eager to continue, "I don't mind."

Cordelia gently guided Harmony down onto the bed. "We'll be more comfortable here," she explained, then kissed her again.

Thrilled by the success of her strategem Cordelia became bolder, and began to use her tongue. She was so pleased when Harmony began to copy her and respond in kind that she recklessly let her fingers roam where no straight girl should go and found that Harmony didn't mind a bit.

"Hmm, that was nice," Cordelia purred half an hour later. "Now, what about the Mall, do you want to get that bracelet you were admiring the other day?"

On Sunday morning, as she lay in bed examining the bracelet that Cordelia had so generously bought for her, Harmony felt strange. She'd always been envious of her friend's success with boys, but now she felt jealous of them in general and Bobby in particular. She knew Cordelia wasn't like that, she'd said so. But was she? And how could you tell anyway, surely her nails were far too long for her to be a lesbian?

Elsewhere, Cordelia was also wrestling with her emotions. Bobby was a real catch and the date as gone exactly as planned. But even as she was kissing him she was thinking of Harmony and how she could arrange to kiss her again.

That wasn't supposed to happen. It was all just a silly crush that she'd dealt with by acting on it. Problem solved, or so she thought. But then, as she imagined Harmony's lips once again on hers, she came to a decision.

"Practice makes perfect... and I guess I do need a lot of practice," she grinned, and reached for the telephone.