Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That Joss guy and some corporate folks have all the rights, and dammit, they just aren't sharing. Kinda rude if you ask me. "For What I Need" is by some James Marsters guy. Maybe you've heard of him…

Rating: NC-17 (Very NC-17. This is very much not for the young and/or prudish. So if you fit into one or hey, both, of those categories, turn back now. This is your warning right here…)

Spoilers: It's an AU, so none. Really don't think any of this happened on the show. If it had, they would've had to move it to at least Cinemax…

Author's Note: This isn't a straight PWP, but I doubt there will be much of a plot to it anyway. Just an idea that popped in my head and wouldn't go away. So don't go looking for some deep meanings and themes, 'cause they ain't there.

Dedication: For my favorite diva, 'cause I know she needs a little something to make her smile right now…

Feedback and Archiving: Feedback is a beautiful, wonderful thing. I accept it with glee… I usually allow archiving, but do be so kind as to ask my permission first. Unless you already have something else of mine, in which case you have my permission, so go at it! Email: addie_logan@yahoo.com

Shameless Website Plug: I have a newish website that is really quite pretty. See it here: http://www.dark-desire.org/blood


*** *** ***

I'm goin' swimmin' now
Get up your stream, baby
Gonna get wet, yeah

For what I need
What I need
Is you, baby

Yeah, I'm goin' climbin' now
I'm gonna get high
Up your peach, baby

For what I need
What I need
Is you, baby

I don't care what you put in my way
Not ever since I met you
Now I'm like a heat-seekin' missile, baby

For what I need
What I need
Is you, baby

Well, I'm goin' walkin' now
(The only problem)
Up early on that road
(I said the only problem is)
To get home to you, baby
(If I don't get to you, I think I'm gonna go insane)

For what I need
What I need
Is you, baby

I don't care what kind of hole is in the ground
I don't care what kind of ocean is between you and me
No, baby, I ain't gonna go half way
I'm gettin' to you
Watch out...

*** *** ***

Buffy Summers was bored. Really, really bored. And hating her parents. Ever since that fire in her high school gym—which she still swore could've been caused by cigarette-smoking mice—they'd been plotting a way to make her suffer, and boy had they found it.

She'd wondered why in the world they'd send her all the way to England to live with her father's second cousin. She had relatives they could ship her off to right there in California. Why go to all the trouble to banish her to another country with some man she'd never even met?

Because he lived miles away from any mischief she could get into, that's why. If her parents were going to ship her off to England, the least they could've done was found a relative that lived somewhere near a city. She could see herself in London. There was shopping to be done there. But here? She'd had to go twenty miles to find the nearest party, and it sucked. She recognized several of the girls as being from her class, but she didn't want to as much as ask them for a pencil never mind hang out with them all night.

And the guys… They weren't any better than American guys as far as she was concerned. Sure, they weren't crushing cans against their heads and did their harassing of the weak with accents that to Buffy made them sound cultured, but it was the same sort of hazing she'd seen go on a thousand times back home. From the sounds of it, they were currently in the process of mocking someone for his attempts at poetry.

Buffy shrugged it off and headed for the beer again. At least there was that to keep her occupied…

Buffy got her drink and was headed back towards the party when she stopped, hearing a conversation going on in one of the adjoining rooms. Too bored to keep herself from snooping, she peaked around, noticing the conversation in question was between Cecily Underwood, a schoolmate of hers, and someone she was pretty sure was that oddly quiet boy who lived next door to her. Seeing him at a party at all surprised her. She was certain he stayed locked up in his house all day.

Buffy's eyebrow arched as she heard him speaking, realizing he was laying his heart out there for Cecily. She winced, waiting for the inevitable rejection. Three…two…one…

"I do see you. That's the problem. You're nothing to me, William. You're beneath me."

Buffy couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the guy. Apparently he had not gotten the "Cecily Underwood is an ice bitch from hell" memo. She figured it would be better for him in the long run, though. The only thing worse than being rejected by Cecily was being the man she named "Toady of the Week."

Cecily flounced out of the room, ignoring Buffy as she brushed past. William remained on the couch where they had been sitting, looking devastated. Buffy glanced back towards the party, then sighed, feeling a compulsion to try to cheer the poor guy up. "You know she's a total bitch, don't you?"

William's head shot up at the sound of Buffy's voice, and he wiped at his eyes, calling more attention to his tears than hiding him the way she assumed he was most likely trying to do. "Excuse me, Miss… Not to be rude, but I would rather be alone."

"Just thought you should know—about Cecily. Consider it neighborly advice."

William frowned. "Neighborly?"

"Yeah, You live next to Rupert Giles, don't you?"

"I do," William replied with a nod. "And you are…?"

"I'm Buffy Summers. Rupert's like my third cousin or something. My parents pawned me off on him, so you and I—we're neighbors."

William blushed slightly. "I am sorry for my behavior, Miss Summers. I have neither formally introduced myself to you or…"

"Hey, chill," Buffy said, cutting him off. "I haven't exactly been making with the formal introductions either. And I just wanted to give you a little heads up on Cecily."

"Did…you just hear what happened?" William asked. Buffy nodded, and he turned even redder.

"No, it's okay. She made herself look way more like an ass than you did," Buffy said with a smile, coming over to sit beside him. "And really…" She lowered her voice conspiratorially. "If you give any credence at all to graffiti on the bathroom walls, she just saved you a shitload of money on creams and pills."

William stared at her blankly. "Creams and pills?"

Buffy suppressed the urge to laugh. This guy really was an innocent… "She's probably got an STD, William," she said bluntly.

Buffy hadn't thought it was possible for William to get any redder, but he quickly proved her wrong. "I don't…I…" He looked down at the floor. "I don't believe it's proper for a lady to discuss such things."

"Good thing I'm not a lady then. You wanna dance?"

William looked up sharply. "I…I shouldn't. I need to be getting home. Mother will worry."

Buffy didn't know if she wanted to roll her eyes or pat him on the head. He was just so adorably pathetic. "Look, I'm here for another hour until my cousin's driver comes to get me. I'd like to spend it dancing."

"I'm not…I don't…"

"Cecily's out there mocking you with her friends right now. The best thing you can do is just hold your head up high and let a woman as damn hot as me bump and grind all over you for a bit. Then we can leave together, and that'll be enough to show them all."

William's eyes widened. "Miss Summers! That would lead them to believe that…"

"Um, that's kind of the idea. Trust me, it'll show them all. And it's Buffy."

"I…I can't. It's inappropriate, and…"

Was this guy for real? It was like he'd just stepped out of some cheesy Victorian novel what with all the propriety and stuff. "Aw, come on, Billy. Live a little."

"It's…it's William," he protested as she grabbed his hand and dragged him out to the party and on to the dance floor.

Buffy turned herself in his arms, grabbing his hands and placing them on her hips as she gyrated to the music. His face was the very picture of embarrassment and misery. But what was going on a little lower told a completely different story. Some part of him was definitely enjoying this.

She could hear Cecily's group of fools whispering behind them, and it only made Buffy grind more, deciding she might as well give them a show.

William's hands stayed on her waist, but she could feel them trembling and had no doubt he was probably sweating on her, too. It was obvious he'd never had his hands on a girl in his life, and instead of being the turn off Buffy had always assumed that would be, it was making her decidedly hot. Back in California, she had tended to go for older guys who brought the most experience to the bedroom. Her mind ran through a list of all the decidedly naughty things she could teach this innocent and her brain threatened to melt on her right then and there.

The song blended into another one, and she didn't stop moving. Her hands trailed down to William's ass, and she gripped it, surprised and delighted to find just how tight it was. His clothes were loose and obviously meant to hide everything, but she would bet good money that there was one hell of a bod under there.

Buffy nearly moaned as she felt William begin to move with her. Tentatively at first, but then more as she pulled him closer. They were so close now as to be practically dry humping on the dance floor, and Buffy felt him pressing intimately against her. She'd left her ruler at home that night so she'd have to skip getting an exact measurement, but from the feel of things, Cecily had passed up on quite a package.

She looked up, trying to see into his blue eyes through his glasses. There was fear there, but Buffy was delighted to see that it was mixed with lust. Oh yeah, she could definitely have some fun with this one. She was tempted to just drag him from the room and rip his clothes off right then, but she had a feeling that would only scare him. Seducing shy virgins took more finesse than that.

Or so she'd heard…

Instead, she leaned up and licked his neck slowly, making William shiver against her. She glanced out of the corner of her eye, making sure Cecily was watching before pressing her lips against his ear as if she was whispering something, then she led William outside.

As they walked away from the house, Buffy saw William shiver and wondered if it was from more than the chill in the air. Fear seemed to be dominating his expression now, and Buffy decided she better hurry up and make with the small talk if she didn't want him bolting. Her ride wasn't there yet, and she wanted to use this opportunity to talk to him a bit, lay the groundwork for her seduction.

The very thought of her plan made Buffy want to giggle insanely. She wasn't sure what shocked her more, the fact that she'd thought of it or that she was seriously planning on going through with it. But she was feeling nice and relaxed, the buzzing in her body and her brain telling her that it was a simply wonderful idea.

"Kinda surprised you're here," Buffy said. "You don't seem like you'd be much of one for parties."

"I…um…" He was back to the blushing and stammering. "I came because I wished to see Cecily."

"Figures," Buffy thought. "I don't know what you see in her," she said. "Cecily's a total hobiscuit. Besides, she's got bug eyes, and they're kinda creepy if you ask me. You could do a million times better."

William sighed. "It doesn't matter anyway. Women aren't interested in me."

"Um, hello? Woman right here. Was me grinding against your crotch not obvious enough interest?"

William turned the reddest she'd seen him all night. "I didn't…I've never…I was not behaving like a gentleman."

"God, you are just too cute for words." Buffy saw a car pull up into the drive, and sighed as she realized her ride had gotten there early. She stood up on her toes and kissed William's cheek. "I'll see you around, handsome."

She walked away from him, making sure her hips were swishing as she did. She glanced over her shoulder once to see his hand against the cheek she'd just kissed.

"Oh yeah," Buffy thought. "This is going to be fun."

*** *** ***

It was dark in his house when William got home, and he was glad to know his mother had gotten herself to bed. He'd been gone later than he had intended, and he was afraid she would be up, worrying. He wasn't sure he could face her right now…

His mother had always been diligent in teaching him right from wrong, determined to raise her son to be a gentleman. She had never discouraged him from dating. As a matter of fact, she was the one who had urged him to make his feelings known to Cecily. She knew William was lonely, and had told him that he didn't need to feel as if he had to dote on his mother despite her often ill health.

What she would not approve of is what he had engaged in that evening with Miss Summers. Allowing himself to touch a woman in such an inappropriate manner… He was certain that she'd been able to feel his body's reaction to her, and the very thought of it made William feel humiliated. He had lost all control, letting him behave like a barbarian in front of a young woman. He was certain she did not think him the gentleman at all.

He went to his bedroom, hoping some sleep would help him put aside the events of the evening. He froze as he walked into the room, his eyes zeroing in on what he could see across from him. It was her, the girl from the party—Buffy. And she was naked.

William's mouth grew completely dry, his cock straining in his trousers for attention. He knew he should turn away, should close his blinds and go to bed, but his first glimpse of a nude woman had him glued to the spot.

Buffy stood in front of the mirror, regarding her tanned, toned figure. Her hands traveled up her sides to her breasts, and William whimpered, his hands aching to be the ones grasping the perfectly-formed globes. She tweaked her nipples, the look of pleasure on her face clear even from William's distant viewpoint.

She fondled her breasts for only a moment more before she turned around, climbing on the bed on all fours. She propped up the pillows, leaning against them as she lay on her back, spreading her legs wide. William swallowed hard, still unable to move, unable to stop watching the show.

One of Buffy's hands traveled down between her legs, her hips bucking as she began to finger her hairless pussy. A moan tore from William's throat, and he felt himself almost come in his pants right then and there. What she was doing was so dirty, but William knew he was worse for watching. She thrashed on the bed, arching into her fingers as her other hand roughly pulled at her nipple.

Almost under its own accord, his hand stole to the front of his trousers, unzipping them and then popping the buttons on his boxers to release his cock. He stroked himself in time with her movements, until her hips shot straight off the bed, her mouth falling open in a cry William couldn't hear.

He panted as Buffy rolled over and clicked off the light beside her bed, making her room dark again. With shame, William looked down, realizing his left hand was now covered in his own fluids. He was horrible—a regular pervert! He'd spied on a woman and gotten off on it. How could he have done something so dirty? If Buffy found out what he did, she'd surely have him arrested…

William got a tissue from the box beside his bed, cleaning himself off before finding some clean boxers to sleep in.

Back in her room, Buffy drifted to sleep with a smile on her face, hoping William had enjoyed her show.

*** *** ***

Don't worry, I'm still working diligently on all my other fics, this one just wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it. I've gotten a good bit written for it already, so if it gets a good response and people seem to be interested in it, I'll post another chapter this weekend.

Please Review!

The first thing Buffy did the next morning was run to the bathroom and throw up every bit of the contents of her stomach. She felt horrible and was seriously wondering what had ever possessed her to drink that much. She blamed it on the boredom.

And then she remembered the other things the boredom had driven her to do…

"Oh my god," Buffy said as she leaned against the sink in the bathroom, staring at herself in the mirror. What had she done? As if dancing with that poor guy the way she had hadn't been enough, what she'd done when she'd heard him come home…

She blushed, horror and mortification creeping up on her. He probably thought she was the biggest hobag ever. She leaned in with a whimper, her head resting against the mirror as she waited for the floor to open up and swallow her.

Much to her chagrin, it didn't. She was still standing there and the night had not managed to make itself magically disappear. She stood up straight again, groaning as she did.

There was only one thing left to do. She'd have to avoid William at all costs so as not be reminded of her humiliating behavior. Shouldn't be too hard. He only lived next door to the place where she'd be living for the next seven months while she finished out the school year…

Buffy whimpered, wondering if it was still too late to sign up for the French Foreign Legion.

*** *** ***

"William? Dearheart, are you going to sleep the morning away?"

William woke to a gentle tapping on his door and the sound of his mother's voice on the other side of it. As he came fully awake, the events of the night before came flooding back to him, and he flushed in embarassment. Would his mother know the horrible things he'd done?

"William? It's getting late, my darling. Are you all right?"

"Just…just a minute, Mother!" he called, getting out of bed and finding his robe, wrapping it around himself. He took his glasses from his bedside table, putting them on before answering the door. "Good morning," he said, unable to look his mother in the eye.

"Good morning." His mother regarded him for a moment, and William swallowed, wondering if she was about to condemn him for the sins he had committed the night before. Instead, she reached up, stroking his cheek softly. "Oh, my sweet boy—did it not go well with the Underwood girl?"

William shook his head. "No. She…she isn't interested."

"It's her loss, William. You're a very good boy—too good for her," his mother assured him.

William merely nodded, Cecily's cruel words from the night before still taunting him. You're beneath me…

"I hope this was not too forward of me, but Mr. Giles has a cousin about your age staying with him for the next several months, and I told him you would be willing to show her around our town. If that would be acceptable with you."

William's heart leapt into his throat. How could he manage to spend time alone with Buffy after what he'd done the night before? "I'm sure that the girl would much rather spend her time with someone other than me, Mother. I'm not very good company."

"Nonsense," his mother replied. "You are wonderful company, William. Any young woman with any sense in her head at all would love to spend the day with you." She smiled at him, a twinkle in her eye. "I've yet to meet her myself, but I've heard she's quite the beauty."

"I…I don't think I should. I would be imposing."

"No, you wouldn't. William, I won't force you, but I do wish you would do this. I appreciate all you do for me, but you can't stay confined to the house with your old mother all the time. You need to spend time with people your own age. This could be the perfect opportunity for you to get out into the world."

William racked his brain for what he could tell his mother, but all he could think of was "I can't see her because last night I wanked off while watching her pleasure herself in her bed," and that was not something he was about to admit to his mother. He nodded, hoping he didn't regret this later. "I'll do it."

"That's wonderful! I'll call Mr. Giles now and let him know that you'll be over this afternoon to pick her up."

William's eyes bugged. "This afternoon? As in today?"

"Yes. Did you have other plans?"

"Not exactly…"

"Then I don't see any reason why you should put it off," his mother said. She kissed him on the cheek. "Get dressed and then come downstairs and eat, darling."

William gave his mother a nod before she turned and walked down the hallway. One thought kept going through his head.

He was royally buggered.

*** *** ***

Buffy could not believe this had happened to her. Giles had insisted she go into town with William, telling her that staying in her bedroom all day was not appropriate behavior. Her parents had wished for her to make "healthier" relationships than the ones she had had back home, and he was convinced that the quiet, unassuming William was the perfect person to facilitate that.

She had a theory he just wanted her out of his house for a while, but she kept that one to herself…

So she was sitting in the passenger's seat of William's car, trying to ignore that metaphorical elephant sitting in the backseat. William's hands were gripping the wheel tightly, his eyes staring straight forward, and Buffy slumped. He'd barely said two words to her since they'd left, and she didn't even want to begin to speculate as to what he probably thought of her.

She took a deep breath, deciding the best thing she could do was clear the air a little. It was obvious now that her avoiding him plan was not going to work, since her cousin apparently thought they should be the best of friends or something. She took a deep breath before stating quickly, "I was drunk last night."

William gave her a brief sideways glance. "Oh."

"I'm really sorry if I embarrassed you or something. I didn't mean it. I was just, well, really, really drunk."

William's heart sank at her words. She hadn't meant it… Of course she hadn't. It had merely been the alcohol. He'd been crazy to think for even a moment that it had been anything else. He was William the Bloody Awful Poet, laughing stock of everyone he knew. Women weren't interested in him, especially beautiful, sensual ones like Buffy Summers. "I assumed as much," he said, keeping his eyes on the road and not daring to look at her again. She'd be able to see the tears forming in the corner of his eyes, and he couldn't stand to hear her ridicule him. "Women certainly never react that way to me on purpose."

Buffy heard the pain in his voice and wanted to kick herself. "That isn't what I meant. God, I tried to smooth this over, and I just fucked it all up."

William blushed at her course language. "It's…it's really quite fine, Miss Summers."

"No, it isn't. I was a total slut puppy last night. And I am pretty sure I remember asking you to call me, Buffy…"

"Right, Buffy. And last night was not your fault," William said. "It was I who was too forward."

"You? Please? I dragged you onto the dance floor and practically molested you." Buffy decided to feign complete innocence about what had happened once they'd both returned home. This part was difficult enough.

"I should not have touched you in such a way. It was inappropriate. And I should've known that you would never normally been attracted to a man such as myself and left you alone. I apologize."

Buffy frowned. There he went again, cutting himself down. Certainly Cecily's rejection alone couldn't have done that to him… "No, don't apologize. You did nothing wrong. And I never once said I'm not attracted to you."

The car swerved slightly before William regained control and straightened it back in the lane. "You…you shouldn't tease, Miss Su…Buffy."

"I'm not. I don't know what's wrong with the women in Merry Ol' England, but you're a major hottie." The words had left Buffy's mouth before she'd had a chance to think about them, though now that she did, she realized they were certainly true. He seemed unaware of his hotness, his hair and clothes giving that away, but with his tight body and chiseled features, he was certainly good looking. And those eyes… A girl could get lost in those.

His grip on the steering wheel tightened. "I…I don't believe anyone has ever told me such a thing before."

Buffy smiled slightly to herself. She'd written her "Seduce the Virgin" plan off as the thought of a crazy drunken woman, but suddenly the idea was starting to have a sober appeal as well. This guy was in a serious need of a self-esteem boost, and the best way she knew to do that was to fuck his brains out. She was being a humanitarian, really.

The fact that she got to see the body she just knew he was hiding and ride that huge cock she'd felt pushing into her the night before was simply an added bonus.

"Well, then you must hang out with a lot of blind people," Buffy said. "'Cause just those cheekbones alone of yours are damn yummy."

The cheeks in question turned a deep crimson, along with the rest of his face. "We…I…this conversation isn't appropriate,"

Buffy fought the urge to roll her eyes. Him and his ideas on what was "appropriate." She was going to have so much fun throwing those out the proverbial window… She smiled to herself as they made the rest of the drive in silence, plotting her next move.

*** *** ***

"Oh god, stores," Buffy said as they pulled into town. "I haven't seen one of those in weeks."

"So it's true that all you American women do is shop?" William asked as he found a parking space.

Buffy glanced beside her and saw the corners of his lips tugging upwards in an almost smile. "Why, William, are you teasing me?"

The blushing quickly returned, and Buffy wanted to smack him upside the head. "I…I apologize. I didn't mean to…"

"William, really. Chill. Tease me all you want. I'm a big girl. I can handle it."

"Still, I shouldn't have. I'm sure you have many hobbies, and…"

"And I love to shop. So let's get out and do some, okay?"

William nodded, getting out of the car. He immediately hurried to her side, opening the door and holding it for her. "Well, aren't you sweet," Buffy said, giving him a genuine smile. "American boys are rarely this polite."

William looked down at the pavement. "My mother taught me to be a gentleman."

"She did a good job," Buffy said. He shut the door behind her, and Buffy linked her arm with his. "Come on, I feel like doing some damage with my father's platinum card. Funny how he managed to send me away and give me guilt money at the same time. I guess it was a way to appease both his personalities."

"Your…your father really sent you away?" William asked as they walked towards the first store Buffy saw.

"Both my parents actually."

"Why…why would they do that?" William couldn't imagine someone not wanting their children around. The thought of his mother ever sending him away made him feel cold inside.

"They were sick of all those prostitution and drug charges."

William stopped, his jaw dropping. Buffy looked back at him, laughing. "Okay, this time I'm teasing you. I was having some problems at school. They thought I'd do better in a more 'disciplined' environment."

"Oh."

They resumed walking to the store, Buffy hitting the racks as soon as they were inside. She glanced over at William, wondering what sort of clothes would turn him on the most. Would he be the type to go for skimpy and obvious, or would he prefer something that he could take off piece by piece, slowly revealing her to his eyes. She doubted he even knew, being the virgin he was, and decided she should go with both. They could experiment…

She pulled a small, red halter from the rack, looking it over. She was about to put it back when she noticed William staring at it, his eyes slightly glazed over. Buffy grinned to herself as she turned to him, handing him the couple of other items she'd already pulled. "Would you hold these for me? I like this shirt, but I'm not sure it's my size. I want to try it on."

William nodded as he took the clothes, his ability to talk apparently gone elsewhere. "Thanks!" Buffy said, sauntering towards the dressing rooms. William followed her diligently, sitting on a bench outside and waiting for her.

Buffy emerged a few minutes later, the scrap of red material barely covering her chest and mid-section. "So, how does it look?"

William was grateful that he'd set her clothes in his lap, as the sight in front of him gave him an immediate and raging hard-on. "It…it looks good," he said, his voice almost a squeak.

"Oh this one is sooo coming home with me," Buffy thought. "Thanks! I'll go put my other shirt back on now."

"O…okay."

When Buffy came back out, she noticed that William was still struggling to get a hold of himself. She knew the nice thing would be to back off a little, but she didn't want to be nice. She wanted to be naughty. "I can take those back now," Buffy said, holding her hands out for the clothes.

"No, I've got them," William insisted, keeping them in front of him.

This was almost too easy, but it wasn't taking any of the fun out of it, Buffy decided. Instead, it made her want to up the ante. Buffy walked over to a lingerie display, William following her without seeming to realize where she was going. When it dawned on him, his face flared up again.

"What do you think?" she asked, turning around and holding up two pairs for his inspection. "The silk or the lace?"

She'd expected a comment about how that was not an appropriate topic for discussion, but it seemed that his ability to think—let alone speak—was now gone. He started at the two thongs she was holding his mouth opening and closing like a fish. "I could use some help here, William," Buffy said, suppressing her grin.

"I…I don't…they're both…oh god…"

Buffy shrugged. "Fine. Both then." She tossed them on top of the pile he was holding, watching as his eyes zeroed in on them. She gave him points for still being able to stand upright. She turned back to the display, going through the different pairs of panties, until she pulled out another one. "Ooh, these are the kinds that tie on the sides. Wish I'd had these with my ex. He was forever just ripping them off. I went through more underwear that way." She tossed a couple pairs onto the pile.

William trembled, closing his eyes and trying to think about anything but the fact that an absolutely gorgeous woman was shopping for skimpy underwear right in front of him. Was she trying to kill him? Certainly she had no idea what sort of affect she was having on him, and William just knew that she'd be horrified to know how hard this had made him. He was such a pervert.

When he opened his eyes again, Buffy was holding up a red G-string. "You know, I've heard the argument against these things. People say what's the point of wearing any underwear if it's not going to cover anything? But I say, what's the point of covering anything if you're just going to pull it right off?"

William's eyes bulged, and Buffy wanted to laugh. She knew she was being pretty damn close to evil, but she couldn't help it. This was too much fun. And it wasn't like she was just being a tease. She fully intended to go through with what she was tempting him with. She tossed the G-string on to the pile, then turned, spotting a pair of jeans. "Ooh…wouldn't my ass look great in those?"

William coughed, the pile of clothes he was holding almost falling to the ground. Buffy made her way over to the jeans, and William followed, wondering if this was some sort of test, and if it was, how could be ever hope to pass?

*** *** ***

William had insisted on carrying her bags out of the store as they left, and Buffy wasn't sure if it was because he was just being a "gentleman" or because he still had a raging hard-on. She imagined it was probably a little bit of both.

Buffy froze as she looked across the street, seeing Cecily Underwood and her gaggle sitting in front of a café. They spotted Buffy with William and quickly dissolved into a fit of giggles. Buffy's eyes narrowed, feeling the urge to march right across the street and scratch out the other girl's eyes. She'd hated Cecily from the first day of school, her constant snide remarks enough to drive Buffy insane.

Without giving it a thought, she turned and grabbed William, kissing him hard. He froze, making a muffled sound as he struggled for a moment, but Buffy held on tightly to him, refusing to let him break away. He soon gave in, his lips becoming soft and yielding beneath hers. She forgot all about Cecily, her only thoughts centering on the man she was kissing now. She seriously doubted he'd ever kissed a woman before, but he seemed to be a natural at it—much better than many of the more experienced men she'd been with.

She coaxed his mouth open with her tongue before finding his and gently massaging it with her own. William paused for only a moment before he gave into the French kissing, one of his arms going around her waist. Buffy knew without a doubt that there was something very sensual under his shy demeanor, something almost primal. She thrilled at the thought of awakening it, of being the first woman to touch the beast she was certain was inside him. She moaned into his mouth, pushing herself against him as she had when they were dancing.

William groaned, the small woman in his arms setting his every nerve ending on fire. His lungs burned for air, but he didn't pull away, the taste of her too intoxicating for him to give it up.

When they finally did break apart, William and Buffy were both panting, their eyes locked on each other. With a small smile, Buffy reached up, adjusting his glasses. Her hand lingered on his face for a moment as she traced the edge of his cheekbone. She glanced over his shoulder to see Cecily, definite anger on her face, and was that—jealousy? Buffy smirked to herself. That would show the bitch…

"So, you up for some more shopping?"

William nodded, not trusting his own voice, but knowing at that moment, he'd follow her anywhere…

*** *** ***

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter. Please keep it up!

Buffy leaned against the door to her current home, batting her eyelashes coquettishly at William. "Would you like to come in?" she asked, doing her best to leave as little room for interpretation to her meaning as possible, even to someone as new to the sexual world as William.

"I…I shouldn't. Mother will be expecting me to come home. I've…I've left her too long already," William said, looking away from Buffy's sultry expression.

"Are you sure?" She leaned forward, pressing her hands against his chest. "I could…model my purchases for you."

William thought of the numerous undergarments in the bags he was still holding and his mouth went dry. "I…I need to go home." He thrust the bags towards her. "It was a pleasure spending the afternoon with you, Miss Summers. I do hope you have a pleasant evening."

Buffy mentally cursed at the return of his formal tone as she took her bags. She'd been sure he'd take her up on her offer. Dammit. "I had a good time, too, William. I'd like to do it again sometime."

William stared at the ground. "Yes. That…that would be nice. Well, um, good bye, Miss Summers."

"Buffy. Bye, William." William hurried off to his own house, and Buffy blew out a deep breath. "Well, fuck."

*** *** ***

"William, did you have a nice time with Miss Summers?"

The sound of his mother's voice made William stop in his tracks. He had been walking right past the parlor without telling her as much as hello, something he'd never done before. What was wrong with him? He'd always been such a good boy, such a good son. He took long, deep breaths, willing his body to calm down as he went into the parlor. "I did, Mother," he said. "She is a very nice young lady."

His mother smiled. "I'm so happy to hear that, William. I would very much like to meet her. Do you think we should invite her for tea?"

William paled at the thought of Buffy in the same room as his mother. "I…don't know. She's American. They don't drink tea," he said, coming up with the quickest excuse he could.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to invite her. Be polite. You should ring her tomorrow, see if she would be free next weekend."

William nodded, knowing he couldn't tell his mother no. Hopefully, Buffy would refuse and it wouldn't be an issue. He cleared his throat. "Do you need anything, mother?"

"No, I'm fine. I was about on my way to bed, actually. Going to turn in early tonight. I'm quite tired." She started to stand, and William was immediately at her side.

"Here, Mother, let me help you."

She patted his arm. "You're a good son. I'm a very lucky mother to be blessed with such a child."

William tried not to think about how disappointed she'd be if she knew of his behavior over the past couple of days as he led her up to her room.

*** *** ***

Buffy was beyond frustrated. Her day with William had gotten her more worked up than she'd been in a long time, and she had no outlet for any of it. She hadn't even brought her vibrator with her… She lay on the bed, sweaty from the attempt to finger herself until the tension went away, only to find that it merely took the edge off. It wasn't nearly as exciting as it had been the night before when she'd known William was watching her…

He was going to have to give into her soon. He was a seventeen year old boy, after all. Hot girl (and she knew she was hot) flaunting her body in front of him, he'd have to go for it. No guy was that virtuous, no matter what Mother said…

She sighed, her patience already at its end. It had been over a month since the last time she'd gotten laid, and a girl could only take so much. That gorgeous man next door better be fucking her brains out soon. Otherwise she was pretty sure she'd just combust.

*** *** ***

William woke suddenly, his eyes widening at the vision before him. Buffy was naked in his bed, the moonlight streaming in from the window, illuminating her beautiful body. "What…"

She put her finger to his lips, silencing him. "Shh…Just take me, William. I can't wait anymore. I need you."

William felt powerless to deny her. He nodded and rolled over, her body now pressed beneath his. "William…" Buffy moaned breathlessly. "Make love to me, please. Oh, please!"

William drove into her, crying out as he did. Buffy clung to him, saying his name over and over as he pushed in and out, begging him not to stop. She told him that she needed him, that she wanted him, that he brought her so much pleasure. He felt more like a man than he ever had before as he pounded inside of her until she cried out, her body arching as he'd watched it do the night before.

Calling her name, William released himself inside of her, his body trembling in pleasure. Spent, he rolled them over, wrapping his arms around her and feeling…

Nothing.

His eyes opened and he realized he was alone. It had been nothing but a dream, albeit one that had left him with quite a mess in his pants. He sighed, cursing himself for not being able to stop thinking such thoughts about Buffy as he got out of bed, heading towards the bathroom to clean himself up.

*** *** ***

Buffy could hear Cecily before the brunette even walked into the room for their first period class the next morning. She turned to the girl sitting in the seat behind her. Willow Rosenberg was one of the boarding students at the school, able to be there because her huge brain had earned her a scholarship. She was also the only other American Buffy knew, which had made her bond quickly with the girl. At least they shared slang…

"Okay, I'm about to say some really weird stuff, so just go with it, please?" she said softly to Willow.

"Weird stuff? Like…?"

Cecily was in the room then, coming towards her seat near Buffy and Willow. "His cock was like huge!" Buffy said, ignoring the way Willow's eyes bugged. "I mean, oh my god it was like riding a horse. I don't think I've ever come that hard in my life."

"I'm, um, happy for you?" Willow said, not sure how she was supposed to respond.

"I mean, wow," Buffy continued. "I am sooo sore this morning. I might have to fake cramps when it's time for gym class, 'cause I can barely walk."

Cecily sat down, giving Buffy a glare. "Have a good time this weekend?" she asked, her phony tone making Buffy want to slap her. Instead, Buffy kept her perky smile and leaned over towards Cecily.

"I want to thank you for turning William down this weekend. If you hadn't done that, well, I wouldn't have had the best couple of nights of my life!" Buffy grinned brightly.

Cecily's eyes flared, her mouth drawn tight. She said nothing to Buffy as she turned around, facing forward again. Buffy smirked to herself, mouthing "tell you later" to Willow before turning around herself.

*** *** ***

Willow found Buffy almost as soon as the lunch period began and plopped down at the table with the blonde girl. "Okay, so what was that in first period?"

Buffy ignored the question, poking at the brown, lumpy substance on her plate. "I don't think this is food. I think it's some sort of demon come to suck out my brains."

"Then you better eat it before it has a chance," Willow replied. "What was that with Cecily?"

"She's a bitch," Buffy said, stabbing the brown lump with her fork. "She was really rude to my neighbor at a party this weekend, and I felt like sticking up for him a bit."

"So you didn't really, um, do what you said you did?" Willow asked, her face beginning to match her hair. "'Cause you were a little limpy when you left class…"

Buffy smiled brightly. "Wasn't that a nice touch? I thought that was a nice touch." She frowned again and began to dissect her lunch with her knife. "No, no sex with the neighbor this weekend. Though not for lack of trying. God, Wills, I practically threw myself at the guy and he's all 'I had a pleasant time, Miss Summers.' Gah."

"Miss Summers? How old is this guy?" Willow asked.

"Seventeen, same as us," Buffy replied. "But I swear, he thinks he's like eighty. I mean, the guy's standing there with a handful of my underwear, and he doesn't jump me. What's up with that?"

Willow coughed. "Your…your underwear?"

"We went shopping." Buffy took a bite of her food and made a face as she swallowed. "Ugh. Worse than I thought it would be. Anyway, we were in town together this weekend, and I'm standing there in the store picking out the skimpiest panties I can find, and then we get back home, I offer to let him see the damn things on me, and he leaves! What is with that?"

"Um, maybe he's gay?" Willow offered.

"Nope, not gay. Guy was sporting major wood. He just didn't have the decency to stick it in me."

Willow turned even redder. "May…maybe he's not into casual sex," she said, not able to look Buffy in the eye.

"Please. He's male. They're all interested in casual sex."

"And he's not…seeing anyone else?"

"Nope," Buffy said, shaking her head. "Honestly, I don't think he's ever had a girlfriend. Man has no idea what a hottie he is."

"So he's, um, a virgin?" Willow whispered the last word, as if she was cursing and didn't want an adult to hear.

"Definitely."

Willow cleared her throat. "I'm not exactly an expert here 'cause hey, virgin myself, but, um…maybe you came on too strong. Scared him."

Buffy frowned. "Scared him?"

"Yeah. I mean, if he's all shy and stuff and he's never been with a girl, and suddenly there's this really pretty one who wants him… I'd be scared in his place."

"Huh." Buffy poked at her lunch with her fork again. She hadn't thought of that. She figured she could just make him such a drooling pile of need that he'd forget all about his shyness and jump her desperate bones. Did she need to go about this a different way, a slow sort of seduction?

Although not too slow, 'cause dammit, she needed to get laid.

Buffy smiled up brightly at the other girl. "Thanks for your advice, Willow."

Willow's brow furrowed. That had been advice? "Um, you're welcome?" she replied. She wondered for a moment what exactly was going on in Buffy's head, but decided she didn't really want to know.

*** *** ***

William stared at Buffy as she stood outside his door. She was wearing that red halter top from the day before and jeans so tight they looked painted on. While his mouth seemed unsure of what to say, his cock certainly knew what it wanted, immediately standing up at attention.

"Rupert went out for the evening, and he gave the servants the night off, so I'm like all alone in that big house over there and really, really bored," Buffy said with a perky smile. She twirled the end of one of her low pigtails, watching how William's eyes zeroed in on the movement. "You like, wanna come over and keep me company?"

"Keep you company?" William repeated, his voice cracking.

"Yeah. We could, I dunno, watch a movie or something. It's just such a big, old house, and I've never been alone in it before." She made her eyes wide, batting her eyelashes. "I'm a little frightened, William."

Despite knowing that he should stay far away from this vixen that could make him achingly hard with just a look, the chivalrous side of William couldn't refuse that request. "Just let me…tell, Mother."

"Okay. I'll wait," Buffy said casually, trying to refrain from doing a happy dance.

William disappeared into the house as Buffy waited patiently in the foyer until he came back, smiling at her. "Ready to go, pet?"

Pet? Oh, Buffy liked that… Much better than "Miss Summers," that was for damn sure. Unless maybe the "Miss Summers" involved her in a leather outfit holding a paddle… She shook her head. This was no time to be thinking about bondage fun. She had a slow seduction to perform.

*** *** ***

Will Buffy's plan of "slow seduction" work? Guess you'll have to wait until next chapter to see!

Please remember to review. And a big thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far. I'm shocked and flattered to see the response this fic has gotten. I started it on a whim and never expected so many people to like it. Thank you!

William was surprised when Buffy actually put on a movie the way she'd suggested. He'd half expected her to try to rip off his clothes the second they were alone, and he wasn't sure if he was disappointed or relieved when she didn't.

His mind said relieved. His cock argued otherwise.

Buffy sat on the other side of the couch, her eyes glued on the large screen of the television. She hadn't said anything to him since the movie started, but William kept glancing over to watch her. She had her knees tucked under her, and she was leaning forward in such a way that it gave him a rather nice view of her barely-covered chest. The dream he'd had the night before popped into his mind, and he flushed in both desire and shame.

About halfway through the movie, Buffy yawned, stretching her arms over her head. William swallowed as he saw her shirt ride up, exposing the bottom of her breasts. His cock jumped in his trousers, and he picked up one of the throw pillows from the couch and put it in his lap.

Buffy noticed that with a small grin. It looked like her plan was working. Time to up the ante… She slid over, resting her head on his shoulder. With wide, innocent eyes, she looked up at him. "Is this all right? I'm sorta sleepy."

"I…I could leave if you want. Let…let you get some sleep."

Buffy shook her head. "No, this is good."

William swallowed, forcing his eyes towards the movie and not the great view of Buffy's cleavage he was currently getting. He clutched the pillow tighter.

After a few moments, Buffy yawned again, this time maneuvering herself so her hand landed beneath the pillow and on top of William's erection. She didn't look at his face, hoping she could make him think that she was oblivious to what she was touching.

William fought to keep his breathing patterns steady with Buffy's hand resting in his lap. He wanted to thrust up, to feel her warmth cupping him, but he fought his body's urges. It would be highly improper for him to do such a thing, and Buffy would have every right to slap him and order him from her home.

Buffy felt him trembling beneath her hand. Taking a deep breath, she began to rub him softly, praying that he didn't bolt. He didn't, only letting out a shuddering breath, followed by a small whimper. Deciding it was now or never, Buffy reached up and unzipped his trousers then dipped her hand in to unbutton the front of his boxers.

William gasped as he realized what she was doing. "Buffy…you shouldn't…"

"Shh…Don't think about it, baby. Just let me make you feel good." She pushed the throw pillow onto the floor as she pulled him out into her hands, her eyes widening at the first sight of his cock. It was just as big and thick as she'd suspected, and her mouth watered. Knowing she wouldn't be satisfied with just giving him a hand job, Buffy leaned down, her tongue swirling around his large cockhead, already leaking with precum.

"BUFFY!" William yelled, his hips shooting up and pushing his cock further into her mouth. He knew he should be horrified at what he was doing, should pull away from her right now and apologize for defiling her in such a way, but it felt too good. Her mouth was so warm and wet, and the way she was sliding it up and down his thick member, moaning as her tongue swirled around him was driving him around the bend.

Then she reached down and pulled out his balls, squeezing them tightly in her hand and he bucked up, his orgasm hitting him with a force he'd never experienced before. He came so hard the world seemed to darken around him, and all he knew was the pleasure Buffy had given him.

He sat on the couch trembling, his dick hanging limply from his open pants. Buffy smiled slowly beside him, wiping the rest of his spending from her lips and chin. Her tongue came out to lick her cum-covered fingers and she moaned, her eyes closing in an expression of pure bliss.

"Buffy…I…we shouldn't have…oh god."

Buffy opened her eyes, taking in the sight of the man beside her. His cock was already hardening again, and the way his glasses sat crookedly on his face turned her on more than she ever would've imagined. Forget slow. She'd gone slow enough for that night. It was getting late, and she still hadn't felt him inside of her. "You wanna fuck me, William?"

"Oh yes…" He shook his head. "I mean, no. I need…I need to go home."

"What you need, is to stick your dick inside me," Buffy said bluntly. "Trust me on this one, buddy. You are wound way too tight."

"I…" William straightened his glasses. "We shouldn't continue. What we've already done tonight has been highly improper."

Buffy grinned. "Which would be the fun part, silly." She tucked him back into his pants, even as he hissed at the confinement. "Come on. Your first time should be in a bed."

"Wait. I…I don't know if I want this."

Buffy arched an eyebrow. "You know you want it, William."

He sighed. She was right. He did know that. Even after what she'd done to him, his cock was still throbbing. "I don't know if we should. It isn't…"

"Proper. Yeah, yeah, I heard you like a million times," Buffy said, rolling her eyes. "You gotta live a little, Will. What if you die tomorrow? A huge bus could come out of nowhere and smack you down. Do you wanna die a virgin?"

William frowned. He'd never thought of it that way before… "I…I don't know."

"Come on. Seize the day." She winked. "And while you're at it, seize my hot little body."

William swallowed. He wanted Buffy, and by some miracle he still couldn't quite fathom, she wanted him, too. Why shouldn't he? Was propriety really that important? Who would it hurt to give into his body's basest desires? "Oh…okay," he said, looking down at the floor.

Buffy fought back the urge to break into a cheer, knowing that would probably only scare him. Instead, she took his hand, leading him back to her bedroom. She could feel his body trembling, and the way his head was hanging down he looked more like a man being led to the gallows than someone about to get laid. She wondered for a split second if this was really going to be worth it. What if he was so nervous that it went badly?

Then she remembered how he'd responded to the blow job she'd given him a few minutes ago and decided that was impossible. She just knew there was a very sensual man in there waiting to be awakened. And she was the one who got to do it… The prospect made her positively giddy.

Buffy brought him into her bedroom, shutting the door behind them. She let go of his hand then, turning on a small lamp beside her bed before going over to the window and drawing the curtains. She tossed a look over her shoulder. "Wouldn't want anyone being able to look in."

William paled. "Buffy, I…"

Buffy chuckled. "It's all right. I know you watched me that night, William."

He gasped, his mortification clearly written on his face. "Buffy, I'm so sorry. I never meant…

"It's okay. I wanted you to. You think I normally frig myself with the curtains open like that?"

William blushed. "I…I still shouldn't have. It…"

Buffy walked back over to him, putting her hands on his chest. "Hey. Don't. It was a show, William—for you. You liked it, didn't you?"

Looking down, William nodded.

"Did you touch yourself? Did watching me make you come?" Buffy asked, her voice low and husky.

William shivered, lust warring with his embarrassment, and he nodded again.

Buffy leaned in and nipped his earlobe. "Good." Her hands went to the buttons of William's shirt, undoing them slowly before pushing the cotton off his shoulders. She went slack-jawed at the sight of the chest now bared to her. She'd thought he probably had a great body, but this was like chiseled marble standing in her bedroom. She felt light headed, bells and whistles going off in her mind. Jackpot!

She'd stopped, staring at him, and William had no idea what her internal monologue currently consisted of. Instead, his insecurity made him assume her mind had taken a turn in the opposite direction. "I'm…I'm sure I'm not as attractive as men you've…known…in the past. If…if you want to turn off the lights, I'll understand."

Buffy's eyes shot up to look at his face. "Huh? Do you, like, own a mirror, 'cause damn. You're freaking hot." She ran her hands down his perfectly-formed six pack abs. "Do you work out?"

"I…I like to stay in shape."

"And boy is it a nice shape." Buffy grinned, licking her lips. "Come on, let's get that gorgeous cock of yours back out." She reached down to take off his pants, this time letting them fall all the way to his ankles. She knelt in front of him, taking off his shoes and socks and guiding him to step out of his pants and boxers. Buffy looked up, her breath catching at the sight of him completely naked in front of her. Unable to help herself, she took hold of his penis, sucking it into her mouth.

"Oh GOD!" William yelled, the feel of her heat around him completely unexpected. His hand came down, taking hold of one of her pigtails, and Buffy moaned. He tasted so good… Like liquid sex rolling around on her tongue.

But then she reminded herself that she wanted him fucking her, and she pulled away, rising to her feet. She placed her hands against his chest and guided him over to the bed, pushing him down as the back of his knees hit the mattress. William slid up to rest against the pillows, his gaze no longer turned away from Buffy.

Buffy gave him a slow smile as she undressed, a thrill rushing through her as she watched him watching her, his eyes darkening with lust. She reached up, pulling the bands from her hair and shaking it out before she came down on top of him, straddling his waist. To her surprise and delight, his hands went to her hips, gripping her tightly. Buffy grinned. "Like what you see?"

"Oh yeah," William replied, his voice taking on a new quality that she hadn't heard before. His need was growing stronger than his trepidation, and Buffy was thrilled. Something told her this was going to be one hell of a ride.

She reached down and grasped his cock, starting to guide it inside of her before he stopped, grabbing her wrist to still her. She looked up at him, frowning. "Is something wrong?"

"Protection?" he asked softly, his voice trembling.

Buffy felt herself warm even more towards him at his concern. "I'm on the Pill. And I'm clean as far as disease go, I swear. But if you don't want to…"

William shook his head. "No, I trust you."

Buffy leaned down to kiss him softly, moaning as his tongue came to meet hers. There was so much passion in this man that it made her heart ache… She pulled back up, licking her lips to catch the lingering taste of him. "Ready?" she asked.

William nodded. "Yes."

Buffy lowered herself onto his cock, moaning at the way he filled her. Even as wet as she was, she was having a hard time taking him all, his length and girth both stretching her limits. Determined to have all of him, she pushed her hips down, crying out as he slid the rest of the way in.

William closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm himself. He'd never felt anything quite like this in his life. He'd thought her mouth had felt good… "Oh. Buffy…" he said softly, reverently.

Buffy didn't think she'd ever felt quite like this before. The look on William's face was one of tortured bliss, and the beauty of it made her want to cry. She wanted to stay just like that, to cradle him inside of her forever, but her body was driving her to move, to set the age old rhythm of lovers. She leaned down to kiss him quickly again before she pulled up, starting a slow pace. William groaned, his grip on her tightening.

Soon, she was moving fast, William's hips thrusting up to meet her. He was trembling, his eyes shut and his jaw tight, and she knew he was fighting to hold off his orgasm. She was already close herself, the tension she'd been feeling since she'd danced with him at the party flaring to almost unbearable proportions, and her hand went to her clit, her fingers rubbing it hard as she desperately sought her release.

William's eyes opened and he caught sight of her hand on her pussy. Moving one of his hands from her hip, he pushed her hand away, replacing her fingers with his, instinct taking over in his need to bring her pleasure as well. The first touch of his fingers to her clit was electric, and Buffy let out a loud keening wail, her hips bucking sporadically.

Then it hit her. The orgasm that had been building since the moment she'd first touched him slammed through her, and she screamed at the top of her lungs, her back arching. She felt William coming inside of her, his cock spasming as he called her name, shooting his thick cum into her body. The sensation set her every nerve ablaze and another orgasm rode the tail of the other one, making her shake uncontrollably until she collapsed against him in a heap.

She was vaguely aware of William's hand stroking her back as she returned to herself. She was still trembling, the aftershocks not seeming to want to die down. "Is…is it always like that?" William asked shakily.

"I…It's never been like that for me before," Buffy admitted.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You…god, that was fucking incredible."

William chuckled, the after effects of the orgasm he'd just had making him feel giddy. "It was. You're…you're amazing, Buffy."

Buffy lifted her head, smiling at him as she stroked his cheek. "Aren't you glad you said to hell with propriety?"

"Bloody hell, yeah."

Buffy laughed, rolling over so she was curled up at his side. "I knew…I knew it would be good, but I didn't…I had no idea how good."

"Me either." William ran his hand down the side of her face, grazing the edges of her long, blonde hair. "Buffy?"

"Hmm?"

"Was…was that just a one time thing?"

"I don't want it to be," Buffy replied. And she really, really didn't. She wanted to fuck this man in a million different places, a million different ways. She'd looked past the exterior no one else cared to even give as much as a second glance to and found herself her own personal Adonis. If he wanted rid of her now, he'd have to pry her off…

"Me either," William said. "I…I want to get to know you better."

"I want to get to know you better, too."

"And I also want to have sex with you again. A lot." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, William blushed, and Buffy laughed, glad to see that what they'd just done hadn't completely killed all of his adorable innocence.

"Me, too."

William kissed the top of her head, and the two of them were silent for a long while, content to just hold each other as they basked in the afterglow.

*** *** ***

Still enjoying the story? Please review! A few minutes of your time totally makes my day.

William didn't want to move. He'd never imagined that being with a woman could be like this, could make him feel so at peace. He'd always assumed that if he ever did find himself in bed with someone, he'd only manage it bollix it all up and make a fool of himself.

Yet Buffy had seemed to enjoy being with him. He'd given her pleasure during the act, and afterwards she'd told him she wanted to do it again. And she liked him. Actually liked him. A beautiful, sexy, intelligent woman liked him. It was almost too good to believe.

But he couldn't stay with her now, no matter how much he wanted to just fall asleep right there with her in his arms. His mother would be waking him early in the morning to get ready for his tutor, and he didn't want to have to explain to her why he was in the neighbor's bed instead of his own. "Buffy?" he said softly.

"You need to go, don't you?" Buffy asked, the sudden tenseness of his body cluing her in to what he was thinking.

"I'm sorry, pet. I want to stay the night with you, I really do, but…"

Buffy propped herself up on his chest so she could look at his face. "It's okay. I understand. But we'll see each other again tomorrow, right?"

"Oh, absolutely."

Buffy kissed him softly. "Great. I'll be looking forward to it." She leaned in and licked his neck slowly, making William moan. "Although if I think about it too much, it's just gonna get my pussy all wet."

"Oh god," William groaned, his cock twitching.

"Are you sure you have to leave right now?" Buffy asked, running her hands up and down his growing length almost absent-mindedly. "It's not too late, you know. We could go again. If you're up for it, that is."

William's eyes darkened. Suddenly, he rolled them over, his cock pushing into her in one hard stroke. Buffy cried out in surprise, her hips bucking. William froze then, paling as he realized what he'd done. "Buffy…I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean…I don't know why I…" He started to pull out of her, his head hanging in shame.

Buffy wrapped both her arms and legs around him tightly. "Don't…don't go," she said, panting. William's sudden move had surprised her—especially coming from him—but it had also turned her on. She'd wanted to see the sensual side he kept buried beneath the surface, and she wasn't about to push him away now that she had. "Fuck me, William," she moaned. "Fuck me hard."

Delighted that his unplanned move hadn't gotten himself thrown from Buffy's bed, William did as she asked, pistoning in and out of her. He watched her as she writhed beneath him, noticing the changes in her expression depending on how he moved. When he twisted his hips a certain way and changed his angle, Buffy's eyes widened, a scream erupting from her.

"OH FUCK THERE!"

William made sure to hit the same spot inside her with every thrust, loving the sounds it was pulling from Buffy. Her fingernails were scoring his back, and he noted that he was enjoying the bit of pain, though he was too far gone for that to bother him at the moment. Instead, he propped his weight on one arm before reaching the other between them, rubbing her clit as he had the time before, remembering how it had made her react.

Buffy jerked beneath him, her hips slamming into his. Her nails dug deeper into his shoulders before her entire body went rigid, her inner muscles clamping down on his cock so hard that it made William's head spin.

"OH GOD YES, WILLIAM—WILLIAM!"

It was the last scream of his name that sent him over, and he erupted inside her until all he could do was collapse in a sweaty heap. He trembled, his head resting at the crook of her neck, his brain barely functional. Hearing a woman scream his name like that—it had been more than he'd ever even allowed himself to hope for.

He didn't realize he had tears in his eyes until he lifted his head and Buffy wiped them away with her thumb. He blushed then, ducking his head again. "I'm…sorry. You must think I'm such a git, being weepy."

Buffy shook her head, her throat constricting. She'd moved this beautiful man to tears… Unable to speak, she pulled his head down to hers, kissing him softly. When they broke apart, she ran her hand across his cheek. "So beautiful," she told him. "Amazing."

"No, pet, you're the one who's beautiful. I'm…I'm nothing. Not even worthy enough to be here with you."

Buffy gripped his shoulders tight. "Don't say that. Don't ever say that. And certainly don't think it. If other people can't see you, William, then it's their problem—not yours. I've only known you for a few days, and already I've seen more kindness and warmth in you than I ever have in anyone else. You've got such a good heart. I'm honored to get to touch even a part of it."

"Oh, Buffy, it's all yours," William said, his eyes tearing up again. "My heart, my soul—it's bloody all yours."

Buffy leaned up and kissed his cheek, tasting the salt of his tears. "William…you take my breath away," she whispered.

William captured her mouth with his again, resigning himself to the fact that it would be quite late indeed before he got home.

*** *** ***

The house was dark when William returned, and he crept up to his room, taking only a moment to check in on his mother and make sure that she was all right. He felt a small amount of guilt for going off that night to do what he'd done with Buffy, but he couldn't really make himself regret it. For the first time in his life, he'd felt truly wanted. Even if in the light of day Buffy wanted nothing to do with him—which a part of him was almost expecting—he'd never wish it hadn't happened. For one night, she'd given him what he'd spent so long searching for.

As he started to dress for bed, he noticed a small bulge in the back pocket of his trousers. He reached in, a smile crossing his lips as he pulled out Buffy's panties. She must've slipped them in there when they were kissing good night, the little minx… He knew it was dirty, but he couldn't help but raise them to his nose, breathing in her heady scent. He'd never imagined a woman could smell quite like that, and it was intoxicating. He'd wanted to bury his nose in the source of that glorious scent, but he hadn't, unsure of how Buffy would react to that. Maybe next time he could build up the courage to ask her if that would be all right.

Next Time… Oh, he hoped there would be one of those. She said there would be, but a woman as amazing as Buffy…he wouldn't blame her if she came to her senses and realized she could do much better than him. But in the meantime, he'd hope for a little more time to drown in her beautiful paradise.

Lines of poetry swam through his mind, but he was too tired of make sense of them then. His body ached in all sorts of places, and all he wanted to do was crawl in his bed and sleep. He'd prefer it if Buffy was there in his arms, but he'd settle for her panties tonight.

William stripped down to his boxers, frowning as he realized they'd gotten stained at some point that night. He knew he should get a new pair, but he was too worn to deal with walking across the room and getting them from his dresser. Instead, he tossed them into his hamper and climbed into the bed, amazed to find how much he liked the feel of the blanket against his bare skin.

Buffy's panties were still bunched in his hand, and he brought them to his face, inhaling deeply one more time before he drifted off to sleep with a smile.

*** *** ***

"William? It's time to wake up, darling."

William's eyes opened and he groaned, the idea of being awake not appealing to him in the least. His body ached in a way he wasn't familiar with, and all he wanted to do was go back to sleep.

"Sweetheart, your tutor will be here in an hour and breakfast is almost on the table."

He woke a little more then, realizing where he was. He was lying naked in bed with a woman's panties wadded in his grip and his mother was knocking on his door trying to wake him up. He heard the doorknob start to turn and his eyes popped open. "I'm…I'm awake, Mother!" he said quickly. "Just…just about to get into the shower!"

"All right, dear. Breakfast will be on the table when you're ready."

"Thank you, Mother!" William breathed a sigh of relief as he heard his mother walk away from his door. She'd probably have a heart attack if she saw him in his current state.

The fact that his cock was currently the most awake part of his body wouldn't have helped matters in the least. Buffy's scent was still on her panties, and it was affecting him just as strongly as it had the night before. He buried his nose in them, shivering. He could still remember the feel of her, under him, on top of him—surrounding him.

William wanted to touch her again now. He'd thought his body had ached for her before… Now that he'd had her, the desire was nearly unbearable. He knew he needed to get out of bed, take his shower, get dressed, and join his mother for breakfast, but the throbbing of his cock was too much to be ignored. He'd always thought of masturbation as something dirty—sinful—but he wasn't listening to that part of his brain as he wrapped his hand around his cock.

He realized with a start that he still had a hold of Buffy's panties, and they were now sliding up and down his penis and he jacked himself off. It made the act even more depraved, but he couldn't stop. The silk felt too good running over his aching erection, and the knowledge that the skimpy undergarment had once been on Buffy's body made him even harder.

"Beating off with my panties? You are one dirty little boy."

William sat straight up, his eyes wide as he turned to see Buffy standing beside his bed. "What…how?"

"Climbed in through the window. There's a tree right outside, great for that." She pulled off her shirt.

"What…what are you doing?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Fucking you. Duh," she replied, slipping off her shoes and pants.

"We…we can't. M…Mother is downstairs."

"Didn't seem to bother you a second ago when you were pulling your own chain," Buffy said, climbing up on the bed. "Don't worry, I'll be as quiet as a little mouse." She took his hand off his cock and sunk her body down in its place.

"OH GOD!"

Buffy shook her head and clucked her tongue. "See, now you're the one who's being loud. We can't have that." She pulled her panties from his hand and pushed them into his mouth.

William's eyes widened. It had been bad enough to wank off with the panties, but this… This had to be very, very wrong. He could taste her on the silk, and much to his surprise, it was turning him on. How perverted was he?

Apparently very perverted, because it wasn't long until he was coming hard inside of her, moaning behind the panties still shoved in his mouth. Buffy bit her lip and whimpered, arching her back before she slumped forward, panting against his chest. After a moment, she sat back up, pulled the panties from his mouth, and kissed him. "Good morning."

"G…good morning," William said, swallowing. "Why…why did you just do that?"

Buffy shrugged. "Woke up horny. I mean, I'm also sore as hell, 'cause damn we went at it like crazed weasels last night, but I still wanted you again."

"Sore?" William frowned. "I hurt you?"

"Oh, baby, don't look sad about it," Buffy said, kissing him softly. "It's a good kind of sore. A 'my boyfriend's got a humongous cock' kinda sore."

"I…" William stopped, blinking. "I'm your boyfriend?"

"Shit," Buffy thought, realizing she'd broken her cardinal rule of dating. Always let the man verbally define the relationship first. She'd learned all too well in the past that what she thought the situation with a guy was often was not the same thing he believed it to be. She'd thought William would be different with all his innocence and sweetness, but maybe she'd been wrong. Even the nerdy guys had to be keen on the idea of a friend with benefits, right? "I…it just slipped. I mean, you don't have to be my boyfriend if you don't want to be. I wasn't…" She looked down.

Her sudden nervousness startled William. Buffy had been nothing but confident from the first moment they'd met. But now it seemed as if that confidence only applied to the physical aspects of their relationship. He cupped her cheek. "I want to be your boyfriend, Buffy. If you'll have me, that is."

Buffy looked up again, smiling. "I'd…I'd like that." As soon as it had appeared, the shy girl was gone, replaced by the confident vixen who'd seduced his pants off before he'd had a chance to blink. "Okay, I need to go get ready for school, and you need to shower before you go downstairs because you so smell like sex."

William sniffed, wrinkling his nose. "That's what that is?"

"Yup." She leaned in and kissed him deeply before getting off his lap. She was limping slightly as she gathered her clothes and dressed, and while he did feel concern for her, William also experienced a flood of manly pride as he realized he was the one who had done that to her. After years of being tormented for not being enough of a man, he loved the thrill he felt from knowing just how much of a man he could be for Buffy.

After she was dressed again, Buffy kissed him one more time before climbing out the window with a wink. William flopped back on the bed, wondering how he was going to get through the day without spontaneously combusting thinking about Buffy…

*** *** ***

"You were still over at the Giles residence when I went to sleep last night, William."

William looked up sharply at his mother's comment as they sat together at the breakfast table. "I'm sorry, Mother. We were watching a movie, and we lost track of time." William tried not to wince at the almost lie. It was technically the truth, wasn't it?

"It's quite all right, William," his mother replied. "I'm happy to see you spending time with someone your own age. Though I would prefer you to get to bed earlier on weeknights. You seemed to have quite a difficult time getting up this morning."

William struggled with his blush. Oh, he'd had no trouble getting up at all… "Buffy and I will keep better track of the time from now on," he promised.

"So you will be seeing her again?"

William nodded. "Yes." He couldn't help the smile that formed. "I really like her, Mother."

His mother smiled in return. "Oh, William, that's wonderful! Have you spoken to her about it? Do you know of her feelings?"

"Yes, I have," William said, his mind drifting back to his conversation with Buffy earlier that morning. "She likes me, too."

His mother was practically beaming now. "Then she must be a very intelligent young woman. So do I get to meet her soon?"

William swallowed. Would Buffy behave herself in front of his mother? Certainly she wouldn't do any of the things she normally did in the older woman's presence. But then again, he'd never been around Buffy when she wasn't doing something sexually provocative. "I'll talk to her about it."

"William, is there some reason why you don't want me to meet her?"

"No," William insisted quickly, not wanting to say anything that would make his mother frown on his relationship with Buffy. "It's just, well…" He cleared his throat. "It's so new with her, and I'm not sure how serious it is for her yet. Introducing her to you already might scare her off."

"All right. I can understand that," his mother said. "But I want to meet her soon, William."

"You will, Mother."

"Good." She reached over and patted his hand. "Now eat your breakfast."

*** *** ***

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"Up for a study break?"

William looked up from the textbook he'd been reading when Buffy climbed in his window. "Someone's going to see you doing that," he said.

Buffy pouted. "That's the hello I get. I'm hurt."

"You…you just shouldn't sneak in here like that," William said, closing his book. "It might make people think…"

"That I'm sneaking into your room to fuck your brains out?" Buffy asked perkily.

William blushed. "Well, yes."

Buffy shook her head. "You are something else, you know that? Just this morning, I caught you with my panties around your dick and then proceeded to fuck you—while using said panties as a gag, I might add—and yet you still manage to blush at the thought of someone speculating about what we might be doing up here."

William turned redder. "It…it's proper for a young woman to be sneaking into a gentleman's room in such a manner."

Buffy rolled her eyes, walking over to the bed and pushing his books off of it. "Baby, when are you going to get it through your head that I don't care about proper?" She got up on the bed, kneeling in front of him. "Now are you happy to see me or not?"

"I…I am, but…my mother is home and awake. You…you shouldn’t be here like this."

"Like what?" Buffy asked. "I'm just sitting here. Fully dressed and everything. And besides, your mother was home this morning, too."

"Yes, but I didn't use good judgment this morning," William said, wishing his cock wasn't already responding to her. He shouldn't do anything with her when there was a chance his mother could catch them. "And I know you're not planning to stay fully clothed."

Buffy's eyes widened, her mouth forming an "O." "William! You naughty boy! What are you suggesting—that I would only come to you with sex on my mind? And here I thought you wanted me for more than my body!"

"Buffy…I…I didn't mean to assume…I…"

Buffy broke out into a fit of laughter. "It's just too easy with you. Silly boy, of course I want sex. Now strip."

"We shouldn't. May…maybe later. After mother has gone to bed."

"But Willlliam," Buffy whined. "I'm horny noooooooow."

William closed his eyes as a shiver ran through him. He'd always thought himself to be intelligent, prided himself on the fact that even if he didn't have looks and social skills he at least had a brain. But when Buffy was around, it seemed like he didn't even have that anymore. He was hers completely, nothing but a quivering mass of desire, desperate for her touch.

"So, you feel like learning how to eat pussy?"

William's eyes snapped open at her question. "What?"

"My pussy. Wanna eat it?" Buffy asked with a smirk.

William turned his usual shade of deep red. He wasn't sure he understood Buffy completely, but he did enough to know it was something dirty. "I…I don't know."

"Well, then we'll just have to find out." Buffy stood and started to remove her clothes. When William did nothing but stare, she put her hands on her hips. "This is a naked party, William. Clothing is not allowed."

William swallowed, licking his lips as he stood and began to disrobe. Buffy smiled as she got on the bed, lying down with her legs spread. "What…what am I supposed to do?" he asked.

"Put your head between my legs," Buffy instructed, the mischievous twinkle that William had come to both love and dread in her eyes.

He nodded, climbing shakily to the bed. He remembered his desire from the night before to smell the delicious scent that had been on her panties straight from the source, and he thrilled at the idea of getting to do so even as he was filled with trepidation. Putting his mouth there. That sounded quite improper indeed. But Buffy had done the equivalent for him, and he'd enjoyed it. Would she experience as much pleasure as he had?

William settled himself between her legs, looking down at her bare pussy. Even after having sex with her the night before and that morning, he still hadn't really gotten a chance to get a good look at this particular part of her anatomy. It wasn't quite what he expected, with all the folds of pink, delicate flesh. Yet, like the rest of her, it was far from unattractive. "You're beautiful here," he said softly, the words coming from his mouth almost unbidden.

Buffy looked down at him. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. "And your scent…it's intoxicating."

Buffy shivered. Could this man get any better? He had abs of steel, a cock that would make a horse jealous, and he wasn't turned off by getting up close and personal with her womanly bits? She wondered if maybe she'd died on the way to that party and this was Heaven. She could be quite happy right here for all eternity. "Go ahead, baby," she said, arching her hips a little.

"I'm…I'm not exactly sure what to do," William admitted.

"That's okay. Just take some time to explore," Buffy told him. "Touch me with your fingers. You've already proven you're good at that. And I'd love for you to use your mouth, but some guys don't like the taste, and I won't force it on you."

William nodded, telling himself to just not be so shy. Buffy wanted him to do this. And he'd done a good job with her so far. Why should he be afraid?

"Because you could make a wrong move and make her never want to speak to you again, you git," chided his inner voice. He shook his head, trying not to listen to it. Buffy was waiting for him to make her feel good. Tentatively, he ran his index finger between her folds, smiling slightly when he heard Buffy whimper.

"That's good, baby. Touch me some more."

He ran his finger up and down, feeling warm liquid come from her as he did. He remembered feeling the same thing whenever he'd been inside her, and he took a deep breath as he decided to ask about it. "You're….you're wet down here."

"Mmm…yeah," Buffy said, practically purring. "It's 'cause you're making me hot."

"So…it's not…always wet?"

Buffy gave him a saucy grin. "It is when you're around. But no, not always. Not like this. Means I'm horny."

"Oh." William remembered there had been damp fluid on her panties and assumed it must've have been this. He recalled the faint taste of it when she'd shoved those panties in his mouth, and wanted to know what it tasted like fresh. And Buffy had said she wanted that, too... He stuck his tongue out tentatively, pressing it against her.

Buffy whimpered at the light contact. "More, baby. Lick me."

William was emboldened by her encouragement, and he pressed more of his tongue against her, moaning at her taste. Buffy bit her lip to stop herself from crying out, keeping her vocalizations down to tiny mewls and whimpers as William licked her in earnest. When he pushed his tongue inside her, her hips shot up before she could control them, her hand going down to grab his hair.

William's eyes opened in surprise at Buffy's sudden reaction, but he took it as a sign that she was enjoying what he was doing and didn't stop. Her fingers were tugging at his hair, but it didn't bother him. Instead, he found he kind of liked it, much as he had when she'd scratched him with her nails before. He lapped at the inside of her hungrily, making near-guttural sounds as he did. Her taste and scent were driving him wild. It was like pure essence of Buffy, and he couldn't get enough.

Buffy thrashed on the bed, William's enthusiasm more than making up for his lack of experience. She'd never known a man to be this into giving oral sex, and it was driving her crazy. He had her so close, her body tense, waiting for that final push. "My…my clit…" she said between pants. "Lick it, baby."

William pulled his tongue out of her, hearing her whimper as he did. She'd told him to lick her clit, but he could tell she'd liked having something inside of her as well. Deciding to improvise, he slid his finger inside her pussy as he moved his mouth up. He reached out with his tongue, looking for the nub he'd felt under his fingers the night before, and licked it, flicking back and forth as he slid his finger in and out of her.

Buffy groaned, her grip on his hair tightening. "M…more…" Buffy begged. "Another finger. And…and curve them up…"

William did as she said, his fingertips pushing up against the roof of her pussy as he did. Buffy bit her lip so hard she drew blood as she came, arching into his mouth. Her body shook violently, and when she finally flopped back to the mattress, she felt boneless.

"Holy fuck," Buffy panted. She looked down at William who was now kneeling between her legs, licking his lips. "You're good."

"I…I am?" He pushed his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose. He thought it would probably be safer for them if he took them off when he was with Buffy, but he wanted to be able to see her clearly. She was so beautiful…

"Oh, yeah. You eat pussy like a pro, baby." She smiled at him, shivering at the sight of his disheveled appearance. She'd mussed his hair but good, and the curls were more prominent than usual. She held her arms out. "C'mere."

William moved up beside her without protest. "Yes?"

"Wanna play with your hair," she told him, her fingers immediately working their way through the tresses.

"Why do you want to do that?" William asked, though he was arching into her touch like a cat. "I have horrible hair."

"No you don't," Buffy said. "I mean, yeah, you could use better styling tips, but it's not a lost cause. These curls have some definite merit. Just need to work with them some."

"I…I don't think so."

"I do," Buffy said. She gave him puppy dog eyes. "Let me do your hair?"

William couldn't tell her no—not when she was naked, flushed from orgasm, and looking at him like that. "Okay."

"Great! I'll make an appointment with my stylist."

"What?!"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You said I could do your hair."

"I said you could do my hair."

"But the stylist will do a better job," Buffy argued. "I mean, do you really want to let me near your head with scissors?"

"I don’t know. It doesn't seem…"

Buffy rolled her eyes before sliding down his body, taking his cock in her mouth. She sucked eagerly for a few minutes before pulling up, crossing her arms over his abs and resting her chin on them.

William looked down at her, wild-eyed and obviously confused. "Wha…"

"Go see my stylist?"

"Yes, anything you want…" William promised. He pushed his hips up. "Please Buffy…"

Buffy grinned as her mouth engulfed him again.

*** *** ***

William watched Buffy as she lay on his chest, her eyes closed and a contented smile on her face. "Happy, luv?" he asked softly, brushing her hair away from her forehead.

Buffy's smile grew. "Mmmhmm. You fuck good."

William chuckled, dropping a kiss on top of her head. The sex they'd had after the blow job she'd given him had been incredible, but this… Having a woman so content to lay there in his arms made him happier than he'd ever remembered being before. "Buffy?"

"Hmm?"

"Do…do you think if I change my hair, people will stop teasing me as much?"

Buffy opened her eyes, looking at him now. "Maybe. Could be a start."

William sighed. "I'm so tired of being an outcast, Buffy. I…I know my poetry isn't very good, but when they mock it…"

Buffy vaguely remembered hearing some of the guys in Cecily's group tearing into someone who had written poetry back at the party. That had been William? Her heart broke to think of this poor, unassuming, gentle man being subjected to that. "Oh, honey. Do they do that a lot?"

He looked down and nodded. "All…all the time. It's why Mother started getting me a private tutor. I…I couldn't get through a day of school without…without them teasing me."

Buffy's stomach turned. If it had been bad enough for his mother to pull him out of school, it had to have been more than teasing. "How bad was it?"

William swallowed. It embarrassed him to think about the things that had been done to him, how often he'd been the object of ridicule and torment. Would Buffy think less of him if she knew? Would she finally realize how much better than him she was? "It…it was bad."

"Did they hurt you?"

William nodded, a lump forming in his throat. He didn't want to tell her any more, didn't want to tell her how they'd hit him, laughing when it made him cry. He'd never been able to take it, never been able to be tough.

Buffy pulled his head to her chest, stroking his hair. "We can show them, William. We can show them what you can be."

"How?" he asked, looking up.

Buffy smiled softly at him. "Well, you already get major bonus points for having such a damn sexy girlfriend. I mean, snagging someone like me just screams cool." She winked at him, and William smiled, relaxing a little. "And as an added bonus, I'm also like the fashion queen. Let me take you shopping after we get you hair done. A new wardrobe, maybe some contacts—you'll be like a new man."

William looked down. "I'm not sure how you can stand to look at the man I am now."

"Don't do that. Please," Buffy said. "I'd like you just as much if you stayed this way. You're a very good looking man, Will. But you don't—accentuate your accents. You've got a great body, but you hide it with the type of clothes you wear. And while I do admit, I find your glasses quite sexy, they hide those beautiful eyes of yours. You won't really have to change anything about yourself to be totally model-gorgeous, babe. You just need to learn to show off what you've got."

"I…I can try."

"Trust me, William. You've got major assets." Buffy grinned, pinching him on his behind. "Emphasis on the ass."

William chuckled softly. He knew Buffy was just placating him, trying to cheer him up because he'd gone and acted like an enormous git around her again, but it still warmed him to know that she cared enough to at least pretend he wasn't a helpless case. He pulled up, kissing her. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being kind to me."

Buffy's heart clenched. He was grateful for simple kindness? She felt a surge of protectiveness towards the man in her arms. He may not believe that he had the potential to become a major hottie, but she knew he did. She'd show those people who had been mean to him, especially that bitch Cecily. Let the skank know exactly what she'd passed up on.

Buffy smiled to herself as she made her plans for William.

*** *** ***

Thoughts? Reactions? Please review!

I've had several people compare Buffy to Faith in this fic, and I just wanted to say that that's not what I'm going for at all. Yes, Buffy's a little more "wild" in this fic and she is sexually experienced, but I don't see it being in a Faith-like way. For one, Faith would most likely not care for William's feelings in the way Buffy does or want to continue a relationship with him after sleeping with him. Think Faith's tryst with Xander… Also, there is canon support for Buffy acting this way with William/Spike in particular—balcony sex, handcuffs, things Spike couldn't spell… So yes, this Buffy is sexually aggressive, but I don't think I've portrayed it in the love 'em and leave 'em way that Faith is.

William's brow furrowed as his cell phone rang. He only had the thing in case something happened with his mother when he was away and he needed to be reached immediately. It rarely ever rang at all, and his mother was upstairs at the moment, so…

His eyes widened. He'd given Buffy the number… Glancing down the hall to make sure his tutor wasn't coming back yet, he clicked it on. "Hello?"

"Hey, baby. Whatcha doin'?"

"I'm supposed to be reading," William said.

"You alone?"

"For the moment," he told her.

"I'm alone, too."

"Where are you?" William asked. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"Yep. But I started thinking about you and it got me all horny. So I had my teacher write me a bathroom pass. I'm in there right now with my fingers in my pussy."

William coughed, his face flaming even as most of his blood seemed to run straight to his cock. "Wh…what?"

"You heard me. My fingers are in my pussy, and I'm fucking myself with them. There's three in there. Almost as thick as your cock, but not nearly as long." Buffy moaned. "I miss you so bad."

"I…I miss you, too."

"Talk to me, baby," Buffy pleaded. "I need to come…"

"I…I don't know what to say," William admitted. He prayed his tutor didn't decide to come back now.

"Can…can you touch yourself?" Buffy asked.

"No," William said. "Not here."

"Go some place where you can."

William swallowed. He knew he should just tell her now wasn't a good time and get back to his studies. Instead, he got up, walking towards the bathroom on shaky legs. "Just a minute, pet." He heard Buffy whimper on the other end of the phone and walked faster, locking the door behind him once he was safely in the bathroom. "Okay."

"Take out your cock, William. Rub it for me."

He did as she asked, holding his penis in one hand and the phone in the other. "It's…it's out."

"Are you stroking it?"

William slicked his hand with the moisture that was already leaking from the tip of his cock and began to pump his hand up and down. "Yes."

"Mmm…Makes me so hot just to think of that, baby," Buffy purred. "Does it feel good?"

"Yes…" William let out a deep breath. "Wish…wish it was your…"

"My pussy?" Buffy supplied for him.

"Yes."

"Say it, William. Say you wish you were fucking my pussy."

William's mouth opened, but he couldn't speak, the thought of the words making him red. "I…"

"Say it…please…I need you to talk to me. I'm frigging myself so hard right now, but it isn't enough. I need you to make me come, William…"

William took a deep breath. "I…I wish I was fucking your pussy." The words sounded so strange coming from his mouth, but at the same time, they gave him a thrill, making his cock jerk in his hand.

"Mmm…William. I wish you were fucking my pussy, too. You've got such a big cock, baby. Fills me up, makes me cream like crazy."

"Oh, Buffy," William whimpered. "Love…love being inside you. F…feels so tight."

"Uh! William! Tell me more!"

"You're…you're so hot, luv. Like…like warm, wet velvet."

"OH GOD!" Buffy moaned loudly into the phone. "Keep…keep going."

"I…I love it when…when you're on top." William pumped himself harder, his arousal increasing his bravery. "I...I love to watch your…your tits." Buffy moaned at the word, and he kept going. "The way they bounce…want to be tasting them right now, Buffy."

"Uhn…I…I want that, too. I want to ride you. Want to lean over while I do and let you suck on my tits so hard…"

"Buffy…want…" He paused as he felt his balls tighten. "I'm gonna come, Buffy…"

"Oh, yeah… Me, too, William. Gonna come right now. OH FUCK!"

William shot into his hand as he heard Buffy's orgasmic cry, leaning against the sink for support.

"William?"

He panted, trying to get his bearings again. "Yeah?"

"Gotta go, honey. Been gone too long already. Wouldn't want them sending out a search party. Thanks for the help."

"You're…you're welcome," he replied, still slightly dazed, but wondering how she could manage to sound so normal after what they'd done. She sounded as casual now as if she'd called to ask him to go to the store and pick up a loaf of bread…

"See you later, babe!" The line went dead, and William let out a deep breath, staring at his spendings in one hand and his cell phone in the other. The things Buffy could make him do… Just a few days ago, he was a virgin who knew nothing about sex at all, and now he was sneaking off in the middle of his lessons to have a wank in the bathroom while he talked dirty to his girlfriend on the phone. He sighed, realizing that Buffy could probably get him to do just about anything—anytime and anyplace.

"Oh bloody hell."

*** *** ***

Buffy stared across the way into William's bedroom, frustrated that he wasn't there. He hadn't been in his room at all since she'd gotten home from school three hours ago. Where the heck was he? Their little phone sex session in the bathroom hadn't been nearly enough for her. She needed him inside…

She swore under her breath when there was a knock at her door. Her cousin was on the other side, phone in his hand. "It's your father," Giles said, handing it to her.

Buffy sighed. "Can you like, tell him I'm dead or something?"

Giles gave her a smirk. "I would, but then he'd come for the funeral…"

"I doubt it," Buffy grumbled.

Giles frowned. "I can tell him you're asleep if you'd like." He'd found it a little odd that a cousin he'd met only a few times years earlier had asked him to take his daughter in in the first place, but he'd agreed, never being one to turn his back on a family member in need. But since the girl had come to stay with him, he'd noticed a good bit of animosity on her part towards her parents, her father especially. He wondered if it really were best for her to be out of that environment…

"Won't work. He'll demand you wake me up," Buffy replied with a sigh. "Might as well just deal with him. I mean, it's not like he can really yell at me. I've been here. Not a lot of misbehaving to be done." Aside from deflowering the hot neighbor boy…

"Right then. I'll be downstairs in my study," Giles told her as Buffy took the phone. She shut the door behind him, turning the phone on as she went to sit on the bed.

"Hi, Daddy," Buffy said in her best perky voice.

"Hello, Buffy. Your mother wanted me to check in on you."

Buffy rolled her eyes at that. If her mother cared so much, why wasn't it her calling? "I'm fine. My grades are fine, my behavior is fine, everything's fine. Thanks for the phone call, we'll talk next month,"

"Buffy…" her father said in a warning tone.

"What, isn't that what you wanted to know?" Buffy snapped, the fake perkiness fading from her voice. "If I've been doing anything to sully your precious reputation? Well, I haven't. You've stuck me out in the middle of nowhere with a virtual stranger. Apparently that's what it took for you to get a good daughter."

Her father's heavy sigh was clear over the line. "Your mother and I did what was best for you."

"Sure you did," Buffy said. "I was sent away from my home with love and affection."

"Look, young lady, after the stunts you pulled, you should be glad that all we did was place you in an environment with fewer distractions."

"Oh, so that's what you're calling it?" Buffy snapped. "You know, maybe what I needed wasn't less distraction, but a little more parental attention. Ever think of that, huh?"

"Oh, don't you dare try to blame this on me and your mother. Do you have any idea the trouble your behavioral problems have caused us?"

"I dunno…did it make Mom's monthly prescription bills go up?"

"This is precisely the sort of attitude that makes me glad you're in England now, Buffy."

Buffy sucked in a breath. "Well, I'm glad I'm here, too!" she yelled before clicking off the phone. She let it drop down to the bed as she buried her face in her hands, unable to stop the tears that came to her eyes.

*** *** ***

William came into his bedroom, completely unprepared for being tackled by Buffy. He let out a muffled cry as she attacked his mouth with hers, her arms wrapping tightly around him. Soon, she was pulling him towards the bed, tearing at his clothes.

"Buffy?" William asked softly, realizing she'd said nothing to him at all. Usually, she would've started teasing him by now, playing with him in that way that he couldn't help but come to love.

"Just touch me. Please. I need…I need you."

He looked down at her face, seeing the red rims around her eyes. "Buffy, have you been crying?"

Buffy responded by trying to kiss him again, but William held her back. "Tell me what's wrong."

Buffy shook her head. "I don't want to talk. Please. It's not because of you. I…I just need you touching me."

William didn't know what to do. It was obvious she was upset, and he felt like he should be comforting her, helping her feel better about whatever had made her sad. But she was telling him she needed to be touched. Should that be what he did to comfort her? He was at a loss when it came to sexual relationships, having no idea what to do other than what Buffy had already shown him. If she thought sex would make her feel better, then did that mean it's what he should do for her?

Deciding Buffy did know better than him when it came to this sort of thing, he lowered her back on the bed, kissing her as he did. Buffy moaned, clutching to him as their tongues dueled. Her hand slid between them, hitching up her skirt then going to the front of his pants. Almost before William could realize what she was doing, she'd taken hold of him and guided him inside of her tight heat.

William pulled away from her mouth and groaned as she clenched around him. "Oh, Buffy…"

"William," Buffy said in a breathless whisper. "Yes…need…needed this all day."

"Me, too, pet," William said, sliding in and out of her slowly.

"Fast, baby. Want…want it fast."

William quickened his pace, willing to give her whatever she needed. She panted beneath him, clinging to his shoulders in near desperation. She hadn't been like this any of the other times, and William found himself worrying a little even though his was having a hard time forming rational thoughts.

Buffy had always been so in control whenever they were together, in charge even in the throes of passion. But now… She reminded William of an animal that had been spooked. He tried not to focus on it, tried to keep his mind on the task at hand. She wanted him inside of her. She'd told him it was what she needed…

Neither of them said anything, the only sounds in the room that of their heavy breathing punctuated by grunts and moans. Finally, Buffy went rigid beneath him, her body arching and trembling as her mouth fell open in a silent cry of pleasure. William pumped his hips a few more times before spending himself inside of her.

William rolled them over, holding Buffy against him. Suddenly, she started to cry again, and he held her tightly, stroking her back. He felt helpless and lost, wishing more than anything that he knew what was wrong so he could make it better. Buffy was obviously hurting, and he wanted to make it stop. He didn't like the idea of her in pain.

"Sweetheart?" he said softly after she'd been crying for a while. "Can you tell me what's wrong?"

Buffy sniffed. "It's nothing really. It's silly," she replied.

William wiped a tear off her cheek. "What is it?"

"I just had a fight with my dad on the phone is all. It's no biggie," Buffy told him. "I don't know why I'm getting so emotional over it. I'm just being silly."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Buffy smiled at him, though William could tell it was forced. "I'm fine, really."

William leaned in and kissed her forehead. "I'm going to go downstairs and tell my mum I have a headache and I'm going to bed early, okay? You stay here."

Buffy nodded, glad he didn't want her to leave. "I'll wait for you."

"Good," William said, kissing her. He started to pull up, but Buffy took hold of his arm, stopping him. "What is it?"

"You've got 'just been fucked' hair," Buffy said, reaching up and combing it out with her fingers. She smiled as she pulled away. "There. Better."

"Thanks, pet." William stood and tucked himself back into his trousers, refastening them before he left the room.

*** *** ***

William was glad his mother hadn't pressed him at all when he told her he wanted to go to sleep early. She'd insisted he take a couple of Tylenol for his head, but she hadn't questioned him or thought his story to be suspicious.

"That's because she trusts you, you wanker," he thought as he made his way back upstairs. He'd never really hidden anything from his mother before, and he hated the way it felt to lie to her. But Buffy needed him tonight, and he didn't think his mother would approve of a woman sleeping in his bed.

When he got back to his room, Buffy had taken off her clothes, leaving them neatly folded beside the bed. She was under the covers, lying on her side with her hand tucked under the pillow. The lights were off, and the only illumination of the room was the sliver of moonlight coming in between the curtains, falling on Buffy's golden hair. She was beautiful, like an angel fallen to earth, and William could hardly believe that she was really there, in his bed.

He undressed and climbed in beside her, pulling Buffy into his arms. She clung to him tightly, her head buried against his chest. He took off his glasses, reaching over her to place them on the nightstand before settling in, pressing a soft kiss against Buffy's temple.

"It's okay, sweet. I'm here."

Buffy sniffled against him. "I don't want to be alone."

"You're not. You're not alone, Buffy. I've got you." William could feel her tears against his skin, so he kept holding her, not knowing what to do except to rub her back softly, trying to let her know that he wasn't going to go anywhere. Eventually, she fell asleep, and William pressed his lips against her forehead, closing his eyes and breathing her scent in deeply.

"I'll never make you be alone," he promised softly before drifting off to sleep himself.

*** *** ***

So there is a teensy bit of a plot there. And a little angst, though I promise it won't get too heavy. And for those of you just here for the smut, there's gonna be plenty more of that, too.

Okay, I'm going to address some of the comments I've been getting about Buffy's behavior and language. First off, no she didn't curse like this on the show. But hey, it was on network television. She and Spike whispered "nasties." I'm not thinking that was "Oh, Spike, my darling, make love to me now!" And as for her focusing on sex—two reasons for this. One is her past, which as you can see in this chapter I've begun dealing with. For the second one, let's review the author's note: "This isn't a straight PWP, but I doubt there will be much of a plot to it anyway. Just an idea that popped in my head and wouldn't go away. So don't go looking for some deep meanings and themes, 'cause they ain't there." I said it in the beginning, folks. This fic is raunchy, and it's basically erotica (re: porn). So if that isn't your cuppa, then don't complain to me, because it's not like I didn't warn you.

None of this is to say that there won't be further emotional development between the two or that love won't blossom. Because hey, it's me. If you've read any of my stuff in the past, you know I always throw in some warm fuzzies. I'm a big fan of the Spuffy love. But a lot of this fic is William discovering his sexuality with a very sexually open Buffy. So yeah, raunchy sex scenes and usage of the word "fuck." I'm not going to change that because that's the sort of story this fic is. If you don't like that, I'm sorry, but it's the kind of story I decided I wanted to try, and I'm not going to just up and make it something else.

Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing. I do appreciate hearing from all of you, even the ones who aren't particularly happy with where I've taken this.

William woke to find Buffy still in asleep in his arms. She looked so peaceful and it warmed him to know that she hadn't rolled away from him all night.

His heart clenched, and he knew without a doubt that he was falling in love with this girl. He was certain that almost anyone would tell him it was too soon, but he didn't care. The poet in him was rejoicing to have finally found someone who looked at him the way Buffy did, and he couldn't bring himself to call it anything but love.

But he knew he couldn't tell Buffy. What if it frightened her off? Certainly she didn't love him in return. Why should she? She was beautiful, and William doubted she had any trouble attracting lovers. Why would she give her heart to someone like him? She wouldn't, and William knew it would be greedy of him to even entertain such a notion. He'd already taken too much by finding pleasure in her body. To ask for more… He wouldn't dream of it.

When Buffy's eyes opened, she looked at him in confusion for a moment before stretching her arms. "You're probably thinking I'm a total freak right now, aren't you?" she said.

William frowned. "No. Why would I think that?"

"I went all wiggy on you last night," Buffy said. "I'm so sorry. You don't need all my drama."

"It's fine," William said, stroking her cheek. "I'm just glad I could be here for you when you needed me, sweetheart. If you have to cry, I'd rather it be in my arms than alone."

Buffy stared at him, her mouth opened slightly. William began to worry, wondering if he'd said something wrong. Had he exposed too many of his feelings to her? He was afraid Buffy was going to get out of the bed, but instead, she kissed him, pushing his fears aside for the time being.

Soon, she'd rolled them over, straddling him and impaling herself on him. Buffy threw her head back as she rode him, her eyes closed. Without his glasses on, the image of her wasn't clear, but it was still enough to make William moan. She was beautiful, his Buffy, like a goddess bouncing on his cock.

She grabbed his hand, pulling it to her and centering it on her clit. William responded immediately, rubbing her hard until she cried out in orgasm, slumping against him. Her hips kept moving, but William needed more, his own orgasm just out of reach. He flipped them over, driving into Buffy with his full strength. She cried out in surprise, but clung to him, holding him tightly as he brought himself to completion.

"I need to go home and ready for school," Buffy said after a few minutes of silence.

William pulled up, letting her get out of the bed. She didn't look at him as she dressed, and he felt fear grip him. "Buffy?"

"Hmm?"

"Are…are we okay?"

Buffy looked up then, seeing the fear in his eyes. She walked back over to the bed, sitting on the edge of it and taking his hand. "Yeah, we're good. I know…I know I'm being weird. I'm sorry. I'll be better later, I promise."

"Pet, if you need to talk…"

Buffy shook her head. "I'd rather not." She leaned in a kissed him. "See you later?"

"Yeah."

William sighed as Buffy disappeared out the window wondering if he'd already managed to start driving her away.

*** *** ***

Buffy groaned internally as she saw Cecily approaching her in the hall. She was anything but in the mood to deal with the other girl. That morning had already been bad enough, letting William see her that needy and clingy. She knew from experience that that was the quickest way to make a guy loose interest, and it surprised her just how much that thought scared her where William was concerned.

"Good morning, Buffy," Cecily said, fake smile firmly in place. "Still giving poor William pity shags?"

Buffy snorted. "I'm the one who should be getting the pity. God, I am so freaking sore. I mean, the man has got some serious stamina. A girl can't take it that hard all the time." She smiled, resting her hand on Cecily's shoulder. "But why am I bothering to tell you this? I'm sure you already know how rough it gets keeping your legs open all day."

Cecily's smile dropped and she glared at Buffy before walking away. Buffy rolled her eyes, walking towards where she saw Willow down the hall. "Can I just kill Cecily Underwood?" Buffy asked the redhead. "I mean, get enough character witnesses in, I'm sure they'd rule it a justifiable homicide."

"I don't know," Willow replied. "She is pretty popular."

"Oh, I wouldn't call her friends," Buffy said. "Just everyone else she's ever come into contact with."

"Well, in that case, yeah, sounds do-able," Willow replied. "What did she do?"

"Continued breathing," Buffy muttered. She sighed. "I guess I should actually be grateful that she was such a bitch to William 'cause it turned out to be good for me, but every time I think of her saying those things to him that I overheard, I just see red."

Willow shrugged. "It's 'cause he's your honey. It turned out better for you, but that doesn't change the fact that she hurt him. Makes your inner protecto-girl rear up."

"I supposed. I do…care about him." Buffy swallowed. "So much it scares me a little, Wills."

Willow frowned. "Scares you?"

"Yeah. Guys leave, Willow. I mean, even if you actually do get to marry them and start a family, it isn't long until they're banging the secretary. Love doesn't exist. All there is is lust, and the only chance you have of not ending up completely alone is hoping that you can keep that going strong."

"Buffy…"

"I have to go," Buffy said, starting to walk off. "I'm going to be late to class."

"Buffy!" Willow frowned harder as Buffy disappeared into the crowd. "We're in the same first period…"

*** *** ***

Buffy sat with her chin on the windowsill, watching William's bedroom. It was the second day in a row that he wasn't there when she got home from school, and she was not in the mood to wait around. She was about to go hunt him down when she heard her bedroom door open, and she grinned widely as she turned and saw that it was William. She hopped up, running to him and throwing her arms around him.

William chuckled, returning the hug. "Miss me?"

"Uh huh," Buffy replied, kissing him. "How'd you get up here?"

"Mr. Giles let me in. Is…it all right that he sees me coming to visit you?"

Buffy shrugged. "Don't see why not. You're not like my deep, dark secret or something. And I've kinda gotten the impression that as long as my grades stay up like my parents keep insisting, Giles doesn't really care what I do." She grinned. "Or who."

"He did make a point to tell me he'd be all the way on the other side of the house in his study with the door shut," William said.

"Oooh…sounds like it's naughty fun time then."

"Are you sure you're all right?" William asked. "I've been worried about you since this morning."

"I'm fine," Buffy said. "Told you I would be later. I'm right back to my normal, perky self." She emphasized her claim with a bright smile.

"Buffy…"

"Hey, wanna try something new?" Buffy asked quickly.

"New?" William asked.

"Yep." She leaned in, her mouth against his ear. "I was thinking maybe you could fuck my ass." William sputtered in response, his eyes widening comically, and Buffy smiled, knowing she had successfully distracted him.

"I…that…" William didn't know what to say. He had been vaguely aware that that was possible, yet he'd never given it any thought before. It seemed so dirty…forbidden. Would he even like such a thing? And more importantly, would he disappoint Buffy if he said no?

Buffy pushed herself against him, delighted to notice that even with the wary look on his face, he was hard. "It's even tighter than my pussy, baby," Buffy said, making her voice husky.

William trembled. How could he turn down anything this woman suggested? "Show me, Buffy…"

Buffy took his hand and led him over to the bed. "You nervous?"

"A little," William admitted.

She lay down on her side, beckoning for William to join her. "It's all right. We'll go slow. Take our time."

William nodded, moving in next to her on the bed. Buffy pressed up against him, pulling his mouth to hers. She could feel him relaxing as they kissed, and she sighed happily against his lips. This was good. She felt safe like this. With William, she always knew the score.

Her hands went to the buttons of his shirt, undoing them as he trailed his lips from her mouth to her jaw. As Buffy exposed his chest, she ran her fingernails down the alabaster skin, grinning as he hissed when they grazed against his nipples. She did it again, harder this time, and William bucked his hips into hers. With a saucy smile, Buffy dipped her head, giving one of his nipples a slow lick, reveling in William's groan.

William had had no idea it would feel so good to have a woman playing with his chest. He felt Buffy's teeth clamp around his right nipple, giving it a gentle tug and he cried out, thrusting against her.

Buffy licked the spot she'd just bitten to soothe it. "How'd that feel?"

"G…good," William replied.

"You like it when I bite you?"

"Y…yes."

Buffy grinned and bit down again, harder this time. "Oh god!" William cried, trembling. "The…the other one, Buffy."

Buffy fulfilled his request, making a mental note for later as she did. Boy likes a little pain with his pleasure… She pulled up then, making quick work of the rest of his clothes so she could see his beautiful body laid out before her. She licked her lips, hungry for him. William gazed up at her, his eyes dark with need behind his crooked glasses.

Then he smirked. It was a look Buffy had never seen on his face before and it made a rush of moisture hit her panties. "I think you're a bit overdressed, pet," he said, the smirk still firmly in place.

Buffy jumped up from the bed, wasting no time in stripping. "So, you ready to put it in my ass?" she asked with a smile.

"I'm ready to put it anywhere you'll let me." Almost identical expressions of surprise appeared on their faces, William as shocked as Buffy that something like that had come out of his mouth. But then Buffy was back with him on the bed, kissing and licking his neck until William moaned.

"Buffy…need…need you, kitten. Need to be inside."

Buffy groaned. "Kitten" was a new one, and she immediately declared it her favorite of the pet names William had called her so far. She leaned across him, opening the drawer of her bedside table and pulling out a small bottle.

"What's that?" William asked.

"Lube," Buffy replied. "My ass isn't quite as wet as my pussy. Make it hurt less."

William's brow furrowed. "It's going to hurt you?"

"Only in the fun way," Buffy replied with a wink. She stroked his hair gently. "You're pretty big, so it's probably going to hurt me a bit going in, but don't worry, okay? I'll be all right. Just follow what I tell you to do."

William nodded. He didn't like the idea of hurting her, but it was obviously something Buffy wanted. And he had to admit, he was curious.

Buffy flipped open the top of the lube, squirting the clear liquid into her palm. She reached down and grasped William's cock, sliding her hand up and down, coating it with the lube. William moaned as she did, then gasped as he felt a warm tingling sensation on his cock. "What…what is that?"

Buffy held up the bottle so he could see the label. "Creates a gentle warming sensation on contact. You like?"

William nodded. "Feels…feels good."

Buffy put a bit more of the lube on her finger, reaching behind her to coat her puckered hole before closing the bottle and dropping it to the bed. She positioned herself over William, grasping his penis at the base and pushing herself down. She hissed in pain as the thick head slid inside, biting her lip.

Only an inch inside her, and already the sensation was incredible, but William felt his pleasure being tempered by Buffy's obvious pain. "Sweetheart?"

"I'm…I'm good," Buffy said, sliding down a little further. "Just…gonna take me a minute. Can you hold still?"

William nodded, hoping he could. It felt good, and his instinct was to thrust up, but his desire not to hurt Buffy overrode everything else. He gripped the sides of the bed as he waited for her, his knuckles white with the strain, but he didn't move.

Finally, Buffy had him inside, and she slumped down against his chest, panting. "How's that feel?" she asked.

"Really good," William told her. He kissed the top of her head, trembling. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I…you're the biggest guy I've ever been with. Takes some getting used to."

William couldn't help the grin that spread across his face at that. While he hadn't exactly had a lot of experience looking at other men's penises, William had always suspected his was larger than average, and he liked to hear Buffy confirm it. Made him feel as if maybe he did count for something as a man…

And then she pulled up and started to move, and William couldn't think about much of anything at all. The only thing he knew was the pleasure of being inside Buffy's tight ass, his cock sliding in and out as she moaned and whimpered.

"Put…put your fingers inside me," Buffy said as she bounced on him, her breasts moving in a way tantalizing enough to make William's mouth water. He slid his hand between their bodies, finding her wet pussy and entering her with two fingers.

"Uhhhh…" Buffy moaned. "Now…my clit…Flick it with your thumb." Buffy groaned as he did, her movements on his cock speeding up.

Unable to resist her breasts any longer, William leaned up, sucking one into his mouth. Buffy grabbed his head, holding him there, urging him to keep suckling. The sounds she was making now were nearly animalistic, and William's entire word narrowed to her, to his need to come and to make her come.

Remembering how it had felt when she'd done it to him earlier, William bit down on her nipple. Buffy's eyes snapped open, her body shaking violently as she screamed in release, still frantically humping William's cock and fingers as her orgasm broke into multiples. William broke away from her chest as he came, grabbing her hip with his free hand as he vocalized his pleasure in an almost growl. Spent, he collapsed against the pillows, Buffy flopping forward with him.

"Oh my fucking god," Buffy said when she could speak again, her voice weak from screaming.

"That about sums it up," William mumbled, his mouth against her hair.

Buffy felt his cock slide out of her, and she shivered. Her ass was decidedly sore, but she couldn't really find the energy to care. She figured that could probably be credited to the multiple orgasms she'd just had. And here she'd spent all this time thinking those were a myth…

She tried to stretch, wincing a little as she did. The rigorous activities she'd engaged in over the past couple of days were catching up with her, and what she'd just done with William hadn't helped that much at all. What she needed was a nice, long soak in the Jacuzzi tub she had in her bathroom.

Her lips curled up in a smile as she decided that that soak wouldn't be alone. She looked up, meeting William's eyes. "How do you feel about taking a bath?"

*** *** ***

Thanks for all the support I got last chapter. Glad to know that so many people do like where I'm taking this and are willing to stick it out.

Also, remember where I said this one was going to be sorta short? I was thinking when I started it, it was going to be about ten chapters long. Well, seems like I was way off base. I'm still not seeing epic, but I think it's going to be longer than my original estimate. So hopefully you won’t mind this being a bit longer…

Please review!

Buffy leaned back against the side of the tub, a moan escaping from her mouth. "This feels sooo nice," she said, her eyes sliding shut.

"It does," William agreed. "I have muscles I didn't even know were there until they started aching."

Buffy giggled. "Welcome to the exciting world of fuck-a-thons." She opened her eyes again to see William grinning back at her. Then his expression changed to something else as he ran his tongue over his teeth in a way she was pretty certain could be classified as porn. She gave him a sultry smile in response, reaching across the tub with her leg and gently rubbing his chest with her foot.

William looked down at the cotton-candy-pink colored toes, unable to resist pulling them to his mouth. He kissed the tips of them before sucking on them, smiling around the digits as Buffy moaned. She'd never had a man do that before, and she hadn't imagined that it could feel so good.

She pulled her leg away from him before coming to the other side of the tub, straddling his waist. "Every little thing you do turns me on," she told him, pressing kisses against his neck.

William groaned, pushing himself up against Buffy's hot center. The feel of the warm water around his aching erection was a new sensation for him during sex, and one he was definitely enjoying. Then Buffy slid down, taking him inside, and the heat he felt then was even more exquisite.

Water sloshed out of the tub as she rode him, but neither one of them seemed to care. William watched Buffy as she moved up and down, squeezing him with her internal muscles. The more he did this with her, the more he wanted it, craved it. He'd found his mind drifting to her almost constantly, and when he wasn't inside her he was desperate to get there. His need for her consumed him.

Suddenly, she stopped, sliding off on him, and William clutched at her arm, wide-eyed and panting. "Where…"

"Just want to try something," Buffy told him. "Turn a bit." She helped him maneuver to the side of the tub so he was facing one of the water jets and she came down again, straddling him backwards. She positioned herself so the stream of water was hitting her clit, making her head fall back against William's shoulder as she moaned.

Slowly, she started to move on him again, and William took hold of her hips, guiding her. The water from the jets was rushing around them and Buffy was making the hottest little noises, spurring William on. He moved his hands up, stroking her sides before coming to rest on her nipples, massaging and pulling on them as she frantically moved on his cock. His balls tightened, and he could tell she was close, too, the signs of her impending orgasm ones that he'd become familiar with over the past few days. He leaned in, whispering in her ear, "Come for me, kitten. Show me I can make you feel good."

Buffy followed his command with a shout, arching against him and into the hands still on her breasts. William pushed his hips up hard, splashing water all over the floor as he released inside of her, moaning her name.

Buffy whimpered, struggling to reposition herself, the feel of the rushing water now too much on her over-sensitive clit. She stayed in his lap, facing him now, her head resting on his shoulder. William wrapped his arms around her, keeping her close. He loved how she'd do this, stay in his arms even after they'd finished, obviously still wanting to be near him. It meant so much to him that she was willing to share this with him.

William heard Buffy chuckle, and he reached up, pushing her damp hair away from her face. "What's funny, luv?"

"I was just thinking about how I thought I was going to be bored out of my mind the whole time I was here. I'd probably be about to snap if I hadn't met you."

William wondered if that's what he was to her—something to keep the boredom at bay. It was something he could be for her, was willing to be if it meant it would make her happy. He certainly couldn't give her what he was sure most other men could, but he could do this. "Happy to oblige, pet."

"Mmm…you've been very…obliging." She kissed him, and William moaned against her lips, still holding her tight.

*** *** ***

"The West Coast has the sunshine
And the girls all get so tanned
I dig a French bikini on Hawaii Island
Dolls by a palm tree in the sand."

William leaned against the door jamb of Buffy's bathroom clad only his boxers, smirking as he watched Buffy singing to herself as she dried her hair. She was wearing a pale green silk robe that stopped high on her thighs, giving him a great view of her tanned legs.

"I wish they all could be California girls…"

William smirked. He'd heard that song before, though he'd never given it much thought or attention. His feelings had certainly changed as of late, and he could see the allure. If all the girls in California were like Buffy, then it was a sentiment he shared completely.

She flipped her hair over, drying the underside of it, and William walked over to the bed, lying down on it and watching her through the open door. Her bottom was barely covered by the material of her robe, and he licked his lips, adjusting himself in his boxers as he thought of what she'd let him do earlier.

He wasn't sure if he'd ever felt this relaxed in his life. He propped his hands behind his head, smiling. Buffy was incredible. The things she did to him…the way she made him feel. He couldn't get enough.

William turned slightly, noticing something poking out from under Buffy's bed. It looked like a notebook, and out of curiosity, he bent over and slid it out. His heart clenched as he saw what she had doodled on the back, a lump forming in his throat.

Buffy & Angel 4-Ever!

He shoved the notebook back under her bed, not wanting to look at it anymore. Suspecting he wasn't anymore to her than a tryst and knowing it were two completely different things apparently. He wondered who Angel was, deciding he must be a lover she had back in California.

Someone she wanted to be with forever…

Tears stung at his eyes, but he refused to let them spill over. It wasn't as if Buffy had promised him her heart. She'd given him her body, and he'd like to think her friendship, but she'd never stated he'd be getting anything else. He was just someone to alleviate her boredom while she was stuck so far away from home—and Angel. William wondered what the other man was like. He was sure Angel was strong, handsome, popular—all the things William wasn't.

He stood up, finding his clothes and starting to dress. He couldn't be there anymore, not for the time being anyway. It hurt too much thinking about Buffy loving another man while she was touching him. He needed to regroup, deal with the pain before he was with her again.

Buffy came out of the bathroom, frowning as she saw William fully dressed and obviously about to leave. "You have to go?" she asked.

"Yes. Mother's expecting me home for dinner."

"I was thinking maybe we could do dinner together," Buffy said. "Maybe you could call her and…"

"No."

"Oh…okay. Can you come over later?"

"I don't think so."

Buffy swallowed. "Tomorrow?"

"I'll see. Probably."

"Okay." Buffy went to kiss him, but William pulled away, going to the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Buffy."

William shut the door behind him and Buffy stared, stunned. What had happened? He'd been so warm only a few minutes earlier and now he was leaving without even giving her a kiss goodbye. She sat on the edge of her bed, fighting tears. He couldn't possibly be getting bored with her already. She'd done so much to keep him interested. Hadn't it been good for him?

His sudden coldness cut her deeply, and she wracked her brain for what she'd done. The sex had been incredible. She'd come harder with him that day than she ever had in her entire life, and she knew he'd enjoyed it, too. So why did he want to leave?

She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and saw William in his bedroom. He never looked her way, only closing the curtains so she couldn't look in.

Something inside of her broke then, and Buffy curled up on the bed, clutching the pillow that still smelled like William and crying.

*** *** ***

"William, sweetheart, are you coming down to dinner?"

William stared up at the ceiling above his bed. "I'm not hungry, Mother," he called.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes."

The doorknob turned, and his mother entered, frowning. "William, why do you have the lights off? Is your head bothering you again?"

"It's not my head…it's my heart," William thought. "Yes," he told his mother.

"My poor boy," she said, brushing her hand over his forehead. "Do you believe you're coming down with something? Do you need to see the doctor tomorrow?"

"No. I'm just tired."

She patted his hand. "You just stay in bed in the morning. I'll tell your tutor you're under the weather."

William nodded. "I just want to go to sleep now."

His mother kissed his forehead. "Okay, dear. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will."

William rolled over, when she was gone, facing Buffy's house. He had closed the curtains, knowing it would hurt too much to see her right then. He was telling himself to get over it, that nothing had really changed. He'd known that morning that she didn't love him and he knew it just as much now.

And despite the pain, he still wanted her…needed her. He could remember what it felt like to fall asleep with Buffy in his arms, and he ached for that now. Seventeen years of sleeping alone, and one night with her had him hooked.

He knew if he had any pride at all, he'd end things with Buffy. He didn't need to stand in for Angel. If she was using him to keep her warm when she was an ocean and a continent away from the man she loved, then she could just as easily find someone else. But William couldn't. Even if he had only a short time with Buffy and knew she'd break his heart as soon as she was on a plane headed back to California, he wanted that time. It was better than nothing, wasn't it? So what if he was being used when he was enjoying it, too?

Though knowing he didn't have Buffy's heart when she'd already captured his hurt more than he ever could've imagined.

He sat up when he heard his cell phone ringing, frowning as he took it from his bedside table. He'd thought for sure he'd turned it off, and as he saw Buffy's number appear on the screen, he contemplated pushing the power button then. But his finger took a detour right before he did, hitting the green "send" instead. "Yes?"

"William?" Buffy was sniffling, and William knew she'd been crying. Immediately he felt like a git.

"What is it, Buffy?" he asked.

"I'm so sorry. For whatever I did. And…and I'm sorry for not knowing what it is, too. I…I should pay more attention. But I could tell I upset you, and I'm really, really sorry. Is it because I'm too clingy? I…I can give you space. I won't come over crying like I did last night again. I'm really sorry I did that. I know you don't want my emotional crap, and I wasn't being a very good girlfriend then. I'm…I'm not trying to make you feel trapped, William, I promise."

Buffy's babbled apology made William's estimate of himself go from git to right royal git. He'd never imagined her interpreting his behavior quite in that way. "No, sweetheart, don't think that," he said. "I'm not upset about last night at all. You can always come to me if you need to. I was happy to hold you."

"So…so why did you leave? What did I do? Please, William, tell me what I did wrong, so I won't do it again."

What could he tell her? That what she'd done was love another man? How could he blame her for that when she'd made no pretenses of being in love with him? "You didn't do anything, Buffy. I just…I was starting not to feel very well, and I thought maybe I was coming down with something. I was afraid you'd catch it."

"Oh." Buffy paused. "You know, if you were going to give me germies, I think the anal sex would've already covered that."

William blushed bright red. "Yes, well, I suppose…"

"How are you feeling now?"

"A little better. I think maybe I'm just tired," William replied.

"Well, you have been rather active these past few days."

"Yeah. I'll…I'll just get some rest tomorrow. My mother told me to stay in bed, that she'd call the tutor and tell him I'm not feeling well."

"Sounds good. I'll come over after school and see how you're feeling." Buffy stopped for a moment, then added quickly, "Unless you don't want me to. Not saying I have to come over, just if you want me there."

William almost told her it was fine, to come over as soon as she could, but then he realized there was a chance Buffy would actually use the front door this time, which meant she would most likely meet his mother, and he didn't think he was ready for that, especially not after what he'd found out that evening. "I'm not sure what I'll be doing then. If I'm feeling better, I might be catching up on my studies."

"Oh."

The disappointment in Buffy's voice made him wince. He didn't like making her sound like that… "I'll come over there tomorrow afternoon. Would that be all right?"

"Yes. If…if you can."

"I'll be there, sweetheart.

"Okay. Well…good night, William."

"Good night." William turned off the cell phone with a heavy sigh, knowing sleep wouldn't come easy for him that night.

*** *** ***

There's one of those darn plot things sneaking up on me. They always do that! I tell myself not this one, nope, smut all the way, and then bam—plot. But don't worry, I am still very much with the Spuffy love and don't plan to be all evil author.

Review please!

Buffy pushed her food around on her lunch tray, a scowl on her face. "These peas are gross. They're all smooshy."

"Actually, they're mushy," Willow said. "It's a British thing."

"I miss American food," Buffy said with a sigh. "Give me hard, freakishly bright green peas any day." She pushed her tray away, scowl still firmly in place.

"Buffy, is there something wrong?" Willow asked.

"I hate mushy peas," Buffy grumbled.

"Besides that," Willow replied. "You've seemed…off today."

"I had a fight with William." Buffy frowned harder. "Maybe. I think I did. I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"He just…got weird all of the sudden. Things were fine one minute, and the next, he was rushing out. Didn't even kiss me goodbye. And then I called him last night and tried to ask him what I did wrong, and he said nothing, but then when I asked if I could come over after school, he said no, he'd come by and see me if he didn't have studying to do."

"But you two didn't argue or anything?" Willow asked.

"Nope," Buffy replied. "The only thing I can think is the other night I had a fight with my dad, and I went over to William's all upset, so maybe he thinks I'm needy girl. But he seemed okay yesterday afternoon. He came over to see me, and we had sex, and then we took a bath, and that was nice, but then… I was in the bathroom drying my hair, and when I came back to the bedroom, he was dressed, on his way out the door, and being all cold. I can't figure out what happened between him leaving the bathroom and me finishing with my hair."

"He said you didn't do anything wrong?"

"Yep. He said he wasn't feeling well and he was afraid I'd catch it."

"So that's what it is," Willow said. "Probably why he was acting all funny on the phone, too."

"Willow, we'd had sex twice. If he's got a bug, I'd already caught it. Besides, he didn't seem all that sick a few minutes before," Buffy said. "He fed me a line. That's never a good sign."

"I'm sorry," Willow said with a sympathetic look. "I wish I knew what to tell you."

"I'll just have to make him want me more. Remind him why he should be with me. I mean, if he's getting great sex all the time, he's going to want to stay."

Willow frowned. "Buffy, shouldn't he want to be with you because he, well, likes you? Not just the sex."

Buffy looked down at her plate. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Okay. It's just…" Willow took a deep breath. "It's just if you're having sex with him just because you think you have to…"

Buffy looked again sharply. "No! It's not like that at all, really. I love being with William. It's amazing. With I'm with him, it's like…it's like everything else just melts away. I just have to make sure he keeps thinking the same thing about me. I've learned about men now. I won't make the same mistakes I made in the past."

"What happened in the past?"

"So have you started on that history paper yet?"

Willow took that very obvious hint. Apparently romantic history was off limits when it came to Buffy… "Yep. Started last night."

"Overachiever," Buffy said with a teasing smile. "When you finish ridiculously early can I use the books that you most likely checked out from the library before anyone else could get their grubby little paws on them?"

Willow chuckled. "Sure thing."

"Thanks," Buffy said with a smile, her dark mood seeming to have suddenly passed. "You're the best."

*** *** ***

Buffy's face brightened as soon as she saw William walk through her bedroom door. She bounded up from her bed, running to him and jumping into his arms. Surprised, William still managed to catch her, supporting her as she wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him deeply. "You came," she said when she broke away.

"Told you I would," William replied.

Buffy lowered her eyes. "I know. I was just…afraid you'd be studying late."

William gave her a smile. "Couldn't stay away from you, kitten. Did you miss me?"

"Uh huh. Wanna see how much?" Before William could respond, Buffy had slid out of his arms and to her knees, opening his pants and reaching in to pull out his already hardening cock. It twitched and grew in her hands as she stroked it, and Buffy felt relief flood through her to have him back. She'd been terrified all day that he wouldn't be here, that she'd ruined everything and lost this amazing man from her life. But he was there now, with her, and she was going to do everything she could to make sure he stayed there.

Buffy swirled her tongue around the head of his cock, looking up at his face as she did. She loved the expression of tortured bliss he wore now, loved that she could bring him to this so easily. And it sent an extra thrill through her to know she was the only woman who ever had…

He was babbling now, clutching at the back of her head as he begged her for more, less—she wasn't sure even he knew. Her name was a prayer on his lips, and he trembled beneath the hand that clutched at his thigh for support. She pulled him further into her mouth, forcing down her gag reflex as she swallowed around him, making his left had shoot out to brace against the wall as the other hand continued to cup the back of her head.

She noticed that he did nothing to force her movements. Even in the haze of the pleasure she was giving him, he never pushed her further, never tried to force her to take more. His hold on her was gentle, considerate, and it made her want to please him even more. She moved her hand from his thigh to his balls, rolling them in her palm and listening to the way it made him moan. Buffy knew he was close, and found herself almost craving the taste of him on her tongue, desperate for the tangible proof of what she could bring him. She sped up her movements, one hand twisting around the base of his cock while she sucked the rest in and out of her mouth.

William called her name when he came, pushing against the wall as he trembled, releasing into Buffy's willing mouth. He slumped when he was spent, his breathing erratic as Buffy rose to her feet, licking her lips. She ran her hands through his hair, reveling in the softness. "I love doing that for you," she said. "Love making you come."

Her sultry words had William growing aroused again already and he picked her up, making Buffy squeal. He carried her to the bed easily, her slight weight posing no challenge for his strong arms. The simple act had her swooning, even as he dropped her onto the mattress, soon covering her body with his. William kissed her deeply, the taste of himself in her mouth not turning him off in the slightest. He doubted anything about Buffy ever could.

He slid down her body, stopping at the hem of her skirt. She hadn't changed since she'd gotten home from school, and William suddenly understood the appeal of school uniforms. Her white knee socks and patent leather shoes were unbelievably sexy, and he groaned as he flipped up her skirt and found a red lace thong. The fact that those panties were beneath an outfit so demure only turned him on more.

Despite how much he loved her panties, he slipped them off her body, what lay beneath them calling to him even more. He grabbed her by the backs of her knees, lifting her legs up and hooking them over his shoulders. He wasted no time in latching his mouth to her clit, two fingers sliding inside of her as he did. Buffy let out a keening yell of surprise and pleasure, thrashing beneath him as William quickly brought her to orgasm.

The feel of her body trembling in pleasure only spurred William on more, and he added another finger as he pushed them quickly in and out of her, his tongue continuing to lap at her flesh. Buffy's eyes rolled back into her head as she shook, her fingers clawing at the bedspread. She saw stars behind her eyelids as William brought her off again with no signs of stopping. She screamed until she was hoarse, her entire world focused on near-excruciating pleasure, until blackness consumed her and she went limp.

When she came to, William was lying beside her, concern on his face. "Are you okay?"

Buffy nodded, her body still shaking lightly. "You…oh…wow."

"You lost consciousness for a moment," William said. "I…I got a little worried."

"It…it was good. You…you made me come so hard I blacked out. I…oh god."

Assured now that he hadn't done any sort of permanent damage, William smirked. "Any of your other lovers ever do that?"

"No," Buffy admitted. "Only you."

That was what William had hoped for, what had spurred him to bring her to orgasm again and again. She may not love him the way she did Angel, but he could bring her pleasure. Angel wasn't there to touch her, only William, and he was determined to make her forget all about the other man, at least for a little while. "Want to be inside you, Buffy." He said, pulling her against him. "Want to make you scream my name."

Buffy whimpered, pushing her body against him. "Want that, too, baby."

William stood, kicking off his shoes as he pulled off his shirt. As he reached down to his trousers, Buffy started to take off her own clothes, but William shook his head. "No. Keep them on."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. William wanted to fuck her in her school uniform? Wasn't that kinky… She raised herself up on her knees, giving him a saucy grin as she decided to test him and see just how much he wanted to play. "Why? 'Cause I've been a naughty girl?"

He curled his tongue over his teeth the way she'd first seen him do in the bathtub the day before and Buffy shivered. Was he even aware of the fact that he was doing something so damn sexy? "You've been the naughtiest, baby," he replied huskily.

Buffy crawled her way to the side of the bed before pulling herself back up on her knees and bracing herself against his chest. "Maybe you should spank me then."

William's eyes widened even as his cock twitched at her suggestion. She actually wanted him to spank her? He wasn't sure what surprised him more—the fact that she wanted it or that he wanted to do it to her. "You have been very naughty," he said, barely recognizing his own voice. "Seducing me the way you did."

"Oooh, I have," Buffy said, thrilled that he was going to play along. "You should punish me."

"Only way you'll learn," William said with a smirk.

Buffy took his hands and pulled him back down so he was sitting on the bed. He grabbed her then, and she squealed, biting back a giggle. Dominant William was turning her on like crazy, and she wanted so badly to feel the sting of his hand against her ass. He pushed her skirt back up again, tucking the bottom of it into the waistband to keep it out of his way. Buffy pushed herself up slightly, and William groaned at the sight of her tight bottom, his cock hardening almost painfully despite the fact that it hadn't been that long since he'd come in her mouth.

William ran his hand across the smooth skin, noting for the first time that she had no tan lines, the skin here just as golden as the rest of her. "You've got a beautiful arse, luv," he told her, his touch still gentle.

Buffy trembled. God how this man could turn her on… "William…" she pleaded, her hips gyrating.

William hissed as she rubbed against his erection, his hand coming down for a light smack. Buffy whimpered. "Harder…spank me harder…I've been sooo naughty, William."

"Better teach you a lesson then," William said in the husky tone that Buffy was quickly finding herself addicted to. His hand came down with an audible crack, and Buffy moaned, bucking against him.

"M…more…" she begged, wriggling in his lap.

"Such a bad little chit," he said, spanking her steadily as he spoke. "Since that first night. Rubbin' up against me like you did when we danced. And then that show you put on for me when you got home, you bad, bad girl."

Buffy whimpered, her bottom beginning to sting from the spanking. But still she arched into William's hand, the heat from her ass seeming to set her pussy on fire, too. "I was…" she said. "I was so bad."

"An' teasin' me like you did in that store, too. You knew what you were doing to me, you little minx. Gettin' my cock all hard, makin' me desperate for you." He gave her a particularly hard spank, and Buffy moaned, tears coming to her eyes. "That how you do all the boys? Tease them with the promise of your hot lil' body, or was I special?"

"Sp…special," Buffy replied, writhing in his lap. "Want…wanted you. Wanted you so bad."

"Am I the only one you want, Buffy? Am I the only one you let inside your tight lil' pussy?"

"Yes!" Buffy cried out, her body shaking in pain and pleasure. "Oh god, William, only you!"

He lifted her up then, positioning her on her hands and knees on the bed before sliding behind her, driving in in one stroke. Buffy cried out as he took her from behind, raining more smacks on her bottom as he did. She came as he pulled out and pushed in with a hard, firm stroke, her arms giving out from under her and making the top half of her body collapse against the bed. William clutched her hips, driving into her like a man possessed until he came, her name escaping his mouth as a roar.

They slumped together on the bed, William having just enough of his ability to think left to avoid landing on top of her. Buffy whimpered, rolling over to curl up at his side. He could see part of her ass still exposed, and he swallowed at how red it was. Calmer now, William realized how much he'd lost control, and he felt ashamed. He'd let the jealousy he'd felt since seeing Buffy's name paired with someone else's drive him, making him behave like an animal. "Buffy…I'm so sorry," he said, dropping his head.

Buffy looked up at him, her eyes still slightly glazed. "Huh?"

"I…I lost control of myself. I…I don't know what came over me."

Buffy snuggled closer to him. "Whatever it was, let it come out again some time. I mean yeah, sitting down's gonna be a little rough tomorrow, but it was sooo worth it."

"You…you liked it?"

"William, I asked you to. Do you think I would've asked you to spank me if I didn't get off on it?"

"I…I was afraid I got carried away."

"You did get more into it than I expected," Buffy admitted, "But that was a totally pleasant surprise. You're freaking hot when you get all grr."

"'All grr?'"

"Yup. Your voice gets all rough and you have the sexiest damn smirk. That alone is about enough to make me come."

William kissed the top of her head. "So I didn't hurt you too much?"

"Nope." Buffy smiled, sighing in contentment. He certainly didn't seem like he was going to run off anywhere now, and the possessive streak he'd shown while he was spanking her thrilled her to no end. He did still want her. The day before must've just been a glitch. He'd been tired, not feeling well like he'd said. She was still able to turn him on.

"Good. I don't want to hurt you, Buffy. Not really, anyway."

"I know," Buffy replied. "It's why I trust you to do those things to me, William."

William smiled at that, warmed by the thought that she did trust him at least. That was something. "Kitten?"

"Yeah?"

"I…I am good, aren't I?"

Buffy reached up and stroked the side of his face, loving the way he leaned into her touch. "You're the best lover I've ever had." She'd spoken those words before, although this was the only time that they'd been said with complete sincerity. Before, it had always been to stroke the man's ego—and more than once while she was stifling a yawn. But not with William. The passion and intensity that lurked behind his shy exterior was incredible, enough to send her into orbit every time.

"You…you really mean that?"

"I do. For one thing, you're the only man I've ever been with who has gotten me off every time we've had sex, and with you it tends to be more like over and over again. You're also the only man to give me multiple orgasms and the only man to make me actually pass out from pleasure. You're incredible."

William smiled, her words affecting him strongly. He liked knowing he was good at this, knowing he was man enough to do those things to Buffy. He had no doubt that her other lovers had more experience and better looks than he did, but he was the one that could do those things to her she'd just listed.

Buffy looked down, hoping what she was about to say wouldn't scare him, but also unable to keep herself from telling him. Wrapped up in his arms now, it was too much what she was feeling to keep buried. "I've…I've also never felt as close to a man as I do with you. When…when we're together, I just…I…I feel so connected to you."

William felt a lump grow in his throat. She couldn't actually mean that, could she? Could she honestly feel the same thing that he did every time he made love to her? He didn't know what to say, afraid if he spoke he'd give too many of his feelings away, so he just pulled her closer, holding her tightly in his arms.

Buffy frowned at his silence, but didn't push it. He may not have said anything in return, but he was still holding her, so she hadn't driven him away. She said nothing either, deciding instead to just enjoy the feeling of being near him.

*** *** ***

Please remember to review. I've had a hard time getting the last few chapters ready in time to keep up with the daily posting, and I could really use the encouragement!

William stared at the door in front of him in fear, wanting nothing more than to turn and bolt. "Remind me again why I agreed to this?"

"Because I had your cock in my mouth at the time," Buffy replied perkily.

"Oh. Right. Now I remember." William trembled for a second as the memory came rushing back.

"Go inside, you big baby," Buffy said. "You're just getting your hair done, not having a limb amputated."

"I…"

"I'll let you spank me again."

"Right then," William said, pushing open the door. "Stylist it is."

Buffy rolled her eyes. Men were so damn easy.

"Buffy! Cupcake!" exclaimed a man wearing what William was sure was the brightest green suit he had ever seen as he ran up to the pair, arms outstretched. He embraced Buffy, the two of them air kissing beside each cheek.

"Oh, and this must be William," the man said. "You were right, honey, he is completely scrumptious."

Buffy giggled. "Isn't he? William, this is Lorne, my stylist."

"Pleasure to meet you," William said.

"And polite, too!" Lorne said, shaking William's hand. "Why oh why are all the good ones straight?"

"And here I thought they were all gay," Buffy replied with a smirk.

"Only the truly magnificent ones," Lorne said. "Like moi." He clapped his hands. "So, what did we have in mind for William today?"

"I was hoping maybe we could discuss it," Buffy said, "I have some ideas, but I'm not sure. I wanted your advice."

"I don't have any say in this, do I?" William asked.

"No," Buffy and Lorne replied in unison, ignoring William's whimper.

Lorne reached out and started inspecting William's hair, a serious look now on his face. "It's got potential. These curls are going to give us some trouble, but I am a miracle worker, as you know, and I have no doubt that I'll be able to make them be nothing but an asset. How do you feel about some color?"

"Color?" William asked, swallowing.

Buffy and Lorne both ignored him again. "I was thinking about it," Buffy said. "Maybe a little lighter?"

"William, go have a seat in that chair right over there while your sweetie pie and I explore color choices," Lorne said, pointing. William sighed, but did it anyway, knowing there was no way he was going to convince both of them to just let him go.

He could see Buffy and Lorne reflected in the mirror in front of him, huddled over a stack of fashion magazines discussing what to do to his head as if it were as important as the Invasion of Normandy. William attention moved to his own reflection, and he frowned at what he saw. He didn't really think much could be done about him, but he supposed he was willing to let Buffy try.

Then a new fear entered his mind and he almost panicked. What if Buffy and Lorne did whatever makeover they were cooking up behind him and Buffy saw how it didn't make him look any better? What if she'd only been putting up with him for the time being because she thought she could make him attractive?

Suddenly, Lorne was up and on his way to the back. "Where's he going?" William asked as Buffy walked over to him.

"To mix up the stuff for your hair. We're gonna bleach it."

William blanched. "You're going to what?"

"Not all of it. Just the tips," Buffy said, patting his shoulder. "Lorne and I agree it'll look damn sexy on you."

"Isn't that a little…extreme? And I don't think my mother would like it."

"If you don't like it, I'll tell Lorne to fill the color back in, okay?" Buffy said. "But do this for me? Please?" She gave him her sexiest pout.

William sighed, knowing he couldn't resist that lip of hers. Apparently she knew it, too… "Fine. But if I hate it, it's going back to normal."

Buffy's pout immediately changed into a smile. "Great!" She kissed his cheek. "You're going to look hot, Will. I promise."

"I doubt it," William grumbled. "Unless Lorne's back there mixing some magic potion that's going to turn me into an entirely different person."

"Hey. Would you knock that off?" Buffy said. She gestured towards the mirror. "Look at yourself. Can't you see what you are?"

"A complete loser?"

"Stop it! Dammit, William, you've got to have some confidence in yourself. I can't have all of it for both of us, okay?" Buffy said. "You're not a loser. You're a kind, smart, handsome man."

"And might I add just plain tasty?" Lorne announced walking back into the room. "If I didn't think our little Buffykins would put me in a world of hurting, I'd be all over you like frosting on a cupcake."

William blushed bright red, starting down at his hands.

Buffy patted William on the shoulder. "Lorne's really good at this. I was thrilled to find him when I moved here. I was afraid my hair would totally suffer once I left L.A,"

"As if I'd allow that to happen to someone with hair as gorgeous as this," Lorne said, running a hand over Buffy's head. "Your girlfriend's got amazing hair, William."

"I know," William said, his tone becoming almost reverent for a moment. Buffy realized then that it was something he'd already noticed about her, a trait he'd secretly admired. She'd always assumed men noticed her obvious body parts, but her hair? Aside from when she flipped it, how much attention did they give it?

The look William was giving her right now was telling her that he'd given it quite a bit.

Lorne set down the bowl of dye he'd mixed in the back, "Okay, we're going to give you a little trim before I start with the color. And then I'll teach you what to do with these curls of yours, honey cakes."

William nodded, knowing even if he tried to argue, Buffy would just give him that pout, and he'd be agreeing to anything.

"Great!" Lorne exclaimed with a smile. "Let's get this show on the road."

*** *** ***

"What do you think, lemon drop? Aren't I a miracle worker?"

William stared at himself in the mirror, running his hand through his hair. It was shorter, though not too much, and Lorne had used some sort of gel to "add definition to the curl." About two inches from the tips of his hair were bleached blond, and he found that, surprisingly enough, he liked it. "It looks good," he said.

Lorne grinned. "And how about you, cupcake? Do you approve of your man's new look."

Buffy wrapped her arms around William's waist from behind, kissing his shoulder. "Oh yeah. You did an amazing job, Lorne."

"Well, I am the best," Lorne replied. He pulled a bag off the counter, handing it to William. "This is shampoo, conditioner, and styling gel. Style it like I showed you, and get Buffy to help you if need be. Don't be a baby about it. Remember, real men do style their hair. And as for the shampoo, don't you dare use anything else. You don't want to face the horrors of brassiness. Got it, lamb chop?"

William nodded, taking the bag. "Yeah. Thanks."

Buffy linked her arm with William's. "Thanks so much, Lorne. I knew you'd do a great job."

"But of course. You two kids off for some shopping now?"

"Yep," Buffy replied. "I can't wait to get William into something that shows off that lickable ass of his."

William sputtered his blush quickly returning. "Buffy…"

"Well, it is!" Buffy said. "Wouldn't you say so, Lorne?"

"Oh yeah. I can tell even in those slacks he's wearing now that you could eat a meal off that thing."

William looked down. "Thanks," he mumbled, not knowing what else to say.

Lorne patted Buffy's shoulder. "Well, you two crazy lovebirds head on out, why don't you? Have a good time."

"We will," Buffy said with a smile, her arm still hooked with William's as she led him out of the shop. As soon as they were outside, Buffy stopped, turning to look William in the eye. "You do really like it, don't you? Because if you don't, you don't have to say you do just to make me happy."

"I do," William replied. "I'm surprised that I do, but yeah, it looks good."

Buffy grinned. "I'm happy. It looks great, baby. And I told you it would."

"You were right."

"Always am," Buffy said, giving him a quick kiss. She took his hand, pulling him towards the car. "And now it's off to wardrobe…"

*** *** ***

William trailed behind Buffy as she pulled things from racks, periodically holding them up to him before making her decision of whether or not to keep them in the pile or put them back. She said nothing, only making either a face of approval or extreme distaste. Finally, she seemed to be satisfied with what she had as she led him over to the dressing rooms, sifting through the pile of clothes she'd made until she thrust a few articles at him. "Go put these on."

"Yes, dear," William muttered, earning him a slightly dirty look from Buffy. He sighed and took the clothes from her, going into the dressing rooms. When he came back out, Buffy was sifting through the clothes again, focused on the task of putting together possible outfits. William cleared his throat, and she turned around quickly.

Buffy's jaw dropped, her eyes widening. His normal loose slacks and button-down shirt combination had been replaced by tight black jeans, a black t-shirt, and a dark blue silk overshirt, perfectly complimenting his eyes. The t-shirt looked almost painted on, outlining every one of the muscles on his chest, and Buffy had to fight to keep from swooning.

"I look bloody ridiculous," William muttered. "This stuff's too tight."

"No!" Buffy said, surprised she was able to get her mouth to work. "You look…wow. William, you look great. I mean, I knew you would, but…whoa. If I didn't think it would get us arrested, I'd so have sex with you right here."

"I don't know, Buffy. It all seems like such a radical change," William said.

"But isn't that what you wanted? A change?"

She had him there. He had said he wanted a change, and this certainly was one. But he couldn't shake the feeling that it didn't look right on him, like he'd slipped into someone else's skin. "I feel like I'm playing dress up, and that's what everyone's going to see. Stupid wanker William trying to act like he's something other than a git."

"Um, no," Buffy said. "You look like a really hot guy in some damn sexy clothes." She moved closer to him, pressing her hands against his chest. "Clothes I really wanna rip off."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. You look good, baby. Really, really good. Trust me on this one."

"Somehow I doubt that's even possible."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "There you go again, completely unaware of your own hotness. But then again if you did know, you might go out and find someone better than me anyway, so maybe it's good you're all clueless."

William frowned. "Buffy, I wouldn't do…"

"Here," she said, handing him another stack of clothes. "Go try these now."

"I wouldn't cheat on you, Buffy," he said softly. "You don't…you don't really think I'd do that, do you?"

"Of course not," Buffy said, though the look in her eyes did little to convince William that she meant it. "Now go. Try on clothes."

"Kitten…"

Buffy put her hands on her hips. "I'm getting impatient. That makes me cranky. And believe me, you do not want a cranky Buffy on your hands."

William decided not to push it. Buffy had a tendency to shut down on him, avoiding certain topics, and this seemed to be one of them. But it didn't matter now, not really. He wouldn't cheat on her, so it was a non-issue. He kissed her softly, trying to reassure her the best he could without words. "I'll be out in a minute, pet."

"I'll be here," Buffy replied with a smile.

William kissed her one more time quickly before going into the dressing room.

*** *** ***

"You're going to blink them right out."

William froze, giving Buffy a look of worry. "Is that possible?"

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. I've never worn contacts. But the way you're blinking like crazy, it wouldn't surprise me." She reached across the table, taking his hand. "Just don't think about them. You'll get used to them."

"I didn't expect to walk out of there today with the things. Figured he'd have to order them."

"Apparently you have a common prescription," Buffy replied. "And hey, he gave you those kind you can just wear for a few weeks and then trash, so you won't even have to think about them for a while. Instead, you can just think about the fact that you've finally got your gorgeous girlfriend on an actual date."

William smiled at that. "Yeah, I guess I do." He'd been thrilled when Buffy suggested they stay in town after they'd finished their shopping and have dinner together. As much as he loved spending time in bed with her, the idea of an actual date excited him, too. It made their whole relationship seem more real, as if she really was his girlfriend.

Buffy ran her thumb over the top of his hand. She'd had a good day with William, enjoying his company. He looked amazing, her top rate makeover skills certainly being put to good use. She'd still found him attractive that afternoon when they'd set out, but now… His new look seemed to fit the man she'd been discovering in her bed so much more. She'd watched him come out of his shell, transform from the shy, stammering virgin who she'd practically had to drag to bed to the man who had held her over his knees the day before. The way he looked now reflected that, and she was proud of herself.

"Stepping out on William already? That was quick, Buffy."

Buffy turned quickly, Cecily's voice pulling her out of her thoughts. She glared at the brunette now standing beside their table. "Okay, first off, who the hell told you you could interrupt our dinner, and secondly, this is William, you idiot."

William turned towards Cecily and her jaw dropped. "You look…different," she said

"Yeah," William said with a disinterested shrug. "You look about the same. Any reason you came over here?"

Cecily tried unsuccessfully to hide her embarrassment. "It just…appeared as if Buffy was being unfaithful. I was merely looking out for you, William."

William arched an eyebrow. "How thoughtful," he said flatly. "She's not and you're interrupting."

"I'm…I'm sorry," Cecily said, backing up. "Well, enjoy your dinner."

Buffy gave Cecily a saccharine smile and a tiny wave, and Cecily turned around in a huff, walking off. As soon as she was gone, Buffy started laughing, unable to contain it any longer. "Oh my god, that was hilarious."

"She actually didn't recognize me," William said, shaking his head. "I didn't think I looked that different."

"You don't," Buffy said. "She's just a total moron. Trust me, I have to see her every day. God, I bet she is so pissed off right now."

William chuckled. "She did look rather embarrassed." He smiled across the table at Buffy, feeling a great swell of joy that she was the one he was sitting with instead of Cecily. How had he ever thought that he'd had feelings for Cecily? Must've been because he hadn't yet met—and subsequently had his world turned upside down by—one Buffy Summers.

"She totally noticed your hotness, by the way," Buffy said, watching for William's reaction carefully to the observation that the woman he'd once pined for had been checking him out. It had been clear to Buffy that Cecily had not been surprised just to see that it was in fact William sitting there, but that it was William looking like that.

"She can notice all she wants," William said with a shrug. "She already missed her chance." He squeezed Buffy's hand. "I found someone better anyway."

Buffy gave him a shy smile that William was unused to seeing on her face but liked all the same. "Better, huh?"

"Much."

"And you admit that you're totally hot?"

William frowned. "What? I never said that."

"It was implied when you didn't argue that Cecily wasn't checking out your hotness."

William gave her a dirty look. "Oh, you're a tricky one."

"And this is news how?"

He shook his head, chuckling lightly. "Guess it's not. Thank you, Buffy."

"For what? Tricking you into agreeing that you're a hottie?"

"No." William lifted her hand to his mouth, kissing it softly. "For thinking I am," he told her. "For treating me like I am. For just…well, for everything. This week has been the best week of my life, and it's all because of you. You make me so happy, pet. More than I can even begin to tell you."

Buffy looked down, the shy smile coming back. "You've made me really happy, too."

William kissed Buffy's hand one more time before setting it back at the table, smiling at her warmly.

From across the restaurant, Cecily Underwood watched the couple, her eyes narrowed.

*** *** ***

Yes, that was a sex-free chapter. But hey, there was lots of fluffy Spuffy goodness, and that's something, isn't it?

Please remember to review. It keeps the muse in a daily update frame of mind…

Almost as soon as they were behind the closed door of her bedroom, William and Buffy were on each other, kissing desperately as they tore at each other's clothes. They started towards the bed only to tumble to the ground, Buffy clinging to William as he surged inside of her, taking her there on the floor. She'd enjoyed spending the day with him, but she'd missed this so much, her body aching at being near him but not having him inside.

And the desperate way he moved above her now told Buffy he'd been feeling the same thing.

"Oh Buffy, my goddess…" William gasped as he moved in and out of her welcoming heat. "Spent all day wanting this…wanting you."

"William!" Buffy cried as a hard thrust struck just right inside of her, making her tremble. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she lifted her hips to meet his every push down, grinding herself against him. "God, yes, like that. Just like that, William…make me come…"

"Buffy…" William panted, his muscles straining. Buffy thought he looked so beautiful like this, barely restrained, fighting to hold on to his last bit of control. She dipped her head down, latching her teeth on to his nipple, and he made a sound akin to a growl as he pushed her hips down into the floor with his, his cock jerking as he came inside of her. Buffy screamed his name, her orgasm coming seconds behind his.

William trembled against her, his head resting on her chest. Buffy stroked his newly-bleached hair, cooing to him softly, telling him how good he was, how he made her feel. She'd never wanted anyone with the intensity that she wanted William, never had any other man get under her skin quite the way he did. From that first moment, he'd had her entranced, had become the center of her world, what consumed her every thought. She couldn't get through the day without him, sometimes feeling as if she could die just from not having him there in her arms.

Buffy sucked in a breath as it hit her. She loved him. In only a week's time she'd managed to fall for this man who was so unlike anyone she'd ever met before. She'd let her guard down, and he'd made his way into her heart remarkably fast. Cold fear gripped her, and she held on to William tighter. What would he say if he knew the truth? Would he tell her they were too young, that he wasn't ready to be tied down and all her feelings could do was trap him? The thought of him leaving her made her ache deep in her heart, and she couldn't stand the idea of going through that pain again.

She hadn't wanted to fall in love, hadn't wanted to put herself in a position to get hurt again. But it had happened all the same, and she knew there was no going back. All she could do was hope that she did better this time, that she was able to keep William the way she hadn't been able to with the last man who had held her heart. She held on to William tightly, as if she could physically make him stay in her arms forever.

William felt Buffy trembling and pulled up, looking down at her to see tears in her eyes. "Are you okay, luv?" he asked softly.

Buffy nodded. "I'm…I'm sorry. That was just…intense," she said.

William kissed her forehead before pulling up, getting to his feet only to sweep her up into his arms and carry her over to the bed. He put her down on top of the blankets, climbing on the bed beside her, gathering her into his arms and holding her against him.

*** *** ***

Buffy watched William from the bed as he got dressed. "I wish you didn't have to go."

"Me, too, kitten, but I don't think my mother would take to it too well if I stayed out all night."

"Parents do tend to wig about that sort of thing." Buffy stretched. "Well, if they're the sort of parents who care, anyway, which I've gathered your mom is." She rolled over, propping herself up on her elbow. "So, do I get to meet her anytime soon?"

William paused, his boots in hand. "Maybe. She's…sick a lot. Not really up for company."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that…"

"She has good days and bad days," William said, sitting on the edge of the bed to put on his shoes.

"Well, if she has a good one, I'd like to meet her. If that's okay, anyway."

"I'll talk to her about it," William said, leaning over to give Buffy a kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow, pet."

"All right, William." She smiled softly. "I'll be dreaming about you."

William smiled back. "I'll be dreaming about you, too."

*** *** ***

William was surprised to see his mother sitting in the parlor when he got home. "I thought you'd be asleep by now," he told her.

"Got caught up in what I was reading," she said, patting the cover of her book. She regarded William for a moment. "You've changed your hair. And are those different clothes than you were wearing earlier?"

William looked down. "Buffy took me shopping and to get a haircut."

William missed the small smile that crept to his mother's lips. "Buffy must really like you then. Fixing a man up the way a woman likes is usually a sign she plans to keep him around."

"I…I don't know," William said, shifting uncomfortably. "We haven't really spoken about it."

"Trust a mother's intuition, William," she replied. "And Buffy did a lovely job. You look very nice."

"You aren't upset?"

"About what?" his mother asked with a frown.

"The hair…the clothes…" William replied. "I thought you might not like them."

"You look fine, dear. Nothing so radical as to cause your poor mother a heart attack." She smiled and patted the spot beside her on the sofa. "Come here. I have something I need to tell you."

William did as his mother asked, sitting down beside her. "Is everything all right? You aren't feeling ill again, are you?"

"Oh heaven's no. I've been feeling quite well recently. It's about your cousin Wesley. His wife Winifred gave birth to their first child this evening."

"That's wonderful," William said. "I'm sure they're quite happy."

"They are. But Winifred is nervous. You know how she is, always wanting to have everything perfect. She's afraid that she's going to do something wrong, and I agreed to come and stay with them for a few days, help her learn how to care for an infant."

"Are you sure you're up to it?" William asked. "Taking care of a baby can wear you down, and…"

"William, I just told you I'm feeling fine. And I'd love to spend some time helping Winifred and Wesley with the baby. It will only be for a few days—a week at the most. Will you be all right here while I'm gone? I'd rather not stop your lessons…"

William nodded. "I'll be fine, mother."

"Good," his mother said with a smile. "I'll be leaving in the morning." She kissed William's cheek before rising to her feet. "When I come home, I'd love to meet his young woman of yours."

William swallowed. "I'll…I'll ask her about it."

"Please do."

"You should get some rest, Mother, if you're going to be heading out in the morning."

"I'm going to bed now." She ruffled his curls. "You should be toddling off yourself. You were with Buffy until quite late—again. I'm sure you're tired."

The smile on her lips was almost teasing, and William blushed a little before shaking it off, deciding he was imagining things. "I'll go soon, Mother."

"Good. Sleep well, my darling, and I'll see you in the morning before I leave."

"All right. Good night, Mum."

"Good night."

*** *** ***

When William went over to Buffy's the next day he found her sitting on her bed, talking on her cell phone. She told whoever it was to hold on for a moment, covering the receiver as she addressed William. "It's my friend Willow from school. We're talking about a project we're doing together. Can you give me a few minutes?"

"Yeah, sure," William said.

"Thanks," Buffy replied, going back to the phone call.

William looked around her room, making his way over to the book shelf, curious to see what sort of things his girlfriend liked to read. He noticed most of it was school books with a few fashion guides and other sorts of things he'd expect to see in a teenaged girl's room. On the top of the shelf was an assortment of trophies, mostly for cheerleading and gymnastics, while a few were—surprisingly to William—for ice skating. There was also a jewelry box sitting beside a pink, stuffed pig. He picked up the pig, frowning as he inspected it. It was obviously old, well worn. He wondered how long she'd had it, and then had his question answered as he noticed a framed picture of a little blonde girl holding a much younger version of the pig. Written beneath the picture in a child's scrawl was "Me and Mr. Gordo." William chuckled at the image of little Buffy, noticing the same mischievous glint in her young eyes as was nearly ever-present now.

He put down the pig, his gaze trailing down to the first shelf. He noticed a book slightly larger than the others with a dark purple binding and the words "Hemery High School" emblazoned down the side in bright yellow letters. He glanced back at Buffy, finding her still engrossed in her phone conversation with Willow, and pulled the book from the shelf. He set it beside Mr. Gordo, flipping it open to the first page—a collage of high school students engaged in school spirited activities. Buffy was right in the center, a bright smile on her face as she stood on the apex of a pyramid of cheerleaders.

William flipped through, noticing that Buffy managed to grace a majority of the pages, seeming to be everywhere in the school at once. She was the Prom Princess…the Fiesta Queen…the organizer of the Spirit Week Parade. And by her side was almost always a tall boy with dark hair whose head was frequently encircled by a bright pink heart. William swallowed, realizing who it had to be. Angel…

He kept flipping through the book, learning that Angel was also the star player on the Hemery High football team as well as the frequent lead in school plays. Handsome, athletic, and apparently not afraid of the limelight. Everything William was not…

He found Angel's picture in the Juniors section, again circled by a pink heart, this one with an arrow poking out from either end. His full name was listed as "Liam Angelus," but the "Angel" in his last name had been highlighted—again in pink. His stomach turned, but he felt compelled to flip to the back, searching for what this other man had written in Buffy's yearbook. The message was simple, but it was enough to drive the point home to William that Buffy's heart belonged to another.

Buffy—my love forever and always. Angel

It stood out like a bright red stain amongst the myriad of wishes that Buffy "have a great summer" and promises of "see you next year." Love forever and always. William shudder, closing the book and putting it back on the shelf.

He didn't move again until he heard Buffy end her conversation and call his name. He turned towards her, hoping his pain wasn't clear in his eyes. Buffy was smiling at him, and he forced himself into the now, to hold on to the moment where Buffy was looking at him like he was her everything. It was just an illusion, something that wouldn't last, but it was something that he could remember when he was alone and she'd gone back to the man she really loved.

"Sorry about that," Buffy said. "The project isn't due for another two and a half weeks, but Willow's a super over-achiever. She has to have everything done way early, like she's afraid the apocalypse is going to hit before she gets it finished or something."

"It's all right," William said, forcing a smile. He ran his hand through his hair. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Okay." Buffy frowned suddenly. "It's not a bad something, is it?"

"No, it's not bad." He walked over to the bed, sitting beside her. "My cousin's wife just had a baby, and my mother agreed to go stay with them for a few days and help her out. I'm going to have the house to myself."

Buffy's first thought was to wonder why his mother was too sick to meet her but apparently not too sick to go visit relatives, but she pushed that away. It wasn't like William was purposely trying to keep her away from his mother. That was just her being paranoid. She moved closer to him, putting her hand on his knee. "And what exactly do you plan to do about that?"

"I was thinking maybe one or two of those mornings I could wake up not alone," he replied with a slow grin.

The look on his face made Buffy's insides turn to jelly. She wasn't quite sure how shy William had turned into the sexually confident man looking at her now, but she certainly wasn't complaining. "You can have me any morning you want me," Buffy said. "Same goes for the nights."

"Good," William replied, pulling her into his arms and kissing her hard. She was here with him now, not Angel. His was the bed she'd be sleeping in.

He just had to keep reminding himself of that…

*** *** ***

I almost didn't get this chapter post-ready tonight, but everyone was so good with the reviews, I wanted to make sure I did. It means so much to me that so many people are enjoying my story, and I wanted to let you know I appreciate it.

Please review!

William looked down with a smirk, deciding this was the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Buffy smiled around his cock, sliding it lazily in and out of her mouth. He reached down and stroked the side of her face. "So beautiful, Buffy. My gorgeous girl."

Buffy moaned her approval, making him hiss in pleasure at the vibrations it produced. The feel of her mouth and tongue on him was exquisite, but he wanted more—wanted to be inside of her. "Come here, baby," he said, crooking his finger.

Buffy trembled, more than happy to oblige as she slid up his body and onto his cock. "This what you wanted?" she asked, bouncing up and down leisurely.

"Yeah…just like that, sweetheart," William replied. "So good…"

Buffy leaned forward, placing her hands on his shoulders before sliding them down, grazing his chest with her nails. William groaned, thrusting up into her. He didn't think he could ever get enough of this. He could spend eternity buried inside Buffy's tight heat, and it would never be enough.

But he didn't have eternity. He had at best a few months before she graduated from high school and went back home to the States. Then she'd be in someone else's arms and he'd never get to touch her again.

With a growl, William flipped them over, the slow pace of their lovemaking disappearing. He grabbed Buffy under her knees, pushing her legs up towards her head as he drove into her. Buffy cried out in surprise but reached up to hold on to him and he plunged into her with hard deep strokes. "You're mine, Buffy," he said, his voice rough. "Mine."

"Yes!" Buffy cried, her body shaking. "I'm yours, William. I'm yours, I'm yours…" His thrusts were hitting deep inside her, and it didn't take her long to spiral over the edge, screaming his name as she came, the clamping of her inner muscles pulling William along with her.

William rolled off of her, lying on his back and panting heavily. Buffy looked over at him. "What was that all about?"

"Huh? What was what all about?"

"You suddenly went all caveman on me. Not that I'm exactly complaining, but what brought it on?"

Now that he'd calmed down, William felt a little ashamed of his actions. "I'm sorry, kitten. Don't know what came over me."

Buffy nestled against him. "Don't be sorry. I told you before I like you like that. All growly and possessive. I mean, I think I'm not really supposed to, this being the twenty-first century and all, but I do."

"As long as I didn't hurt you," William said.

"No, not at all." She smiled, pressing a kiss against his bare chest. "Did you miss the huge orgasm I had, 'cause damn, that was a good one…"

William chuckled. "I did notice that."

"So no need to worry. I'm all good." Buffy nuzzled against him, a contented smile on her face. "I'm really looking forward to falling asleep in your arms tonight, Will."

"Me, too," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"I liked the way it felt sleeping here with you before. It made me feel…safe, warm." Loved her mind added, though Buffy wouldn't let herself voice it. What they had going now was too good for her to say anything to drive William away.

William ran his fingers through her hair. "Glad I can make you feel that way."

"You make me feel lots of ways," Buffy said. "All of them good."

"You, too, kitten," William replied. Well, all good except the jealousy that made him fuck her like an animal, but he decided to leave that part out.

Buffy looked up at him. "Are you hungry?"

William chuckled at the suddenness of her question. "A little. Are you? Do you want something to eat?" Buffy nodded and William kissed her. "Wait here. I'll go see what I can find in the kitchen."

"Okay," Buffy said with a smile, moving so he could get up. She watched him slip on his jeans and a t-shirt, glad that he was still wearing the clothes she'd picked out for him. And not just because they looked damn good on him…

William leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "Be back in a few, pet."

"I'll be waiting for you."

"Then I'll be quick."

*** *** ***

When William came back to his room, he found Buffy sitting on his bed wearing nothing but the blue silk shirt she'd picked out for him the day before. Her hair was as rumpled as his sheets, and he didn't think she'd ever looked quite as desirable as she did in that moment. She looked so entirely his. He wanted to say to hell with lunch and throw her back down on the bed, but she'd said she was hungry, and he couldn't go neglecting his girl.

"Is turkey okay?" he asked, handing her a plate with a sandwich and chips. Buffy nodded, taking it from him.

"Yep. Thanks, honey."

"Couldn't let my girl go hungry." He winked at her. "Have to keep your strength up."

Buffy smiled at him, taking a bite of her sandwich. They ate together there on his bed in comfortable silence. William smiled softly at Buffy, feeling lucky just to be sitting there with her. For right then, she was his.

"So is it just you and your mom?"

William blinked, Buffy's question taking him by surprise. "Um, yeah. My father died when I was little."

"Oh. I'm sorry, William. I didn't mean to…"

"It's all right," William said. "It was twelve years ago. I barely remember him. It was a car accident. Killed him and put my mother in a coma. The doctors didn't think she was going to make it. It's why she's still sick a lot now. Did…it did a lot of damage to her. They said the fact that she recovered like she did is nothing short of miraculous."

Buffy looked down. "I'm glad she did," she said softly.

"She told me…she told me she wouldn't let herself give up. Said she couldn't die and leave me alone."

"She sounds like she really loves you."

"Yeah, she does. I love her, too." William cleared his throat. "What about your parents?"

"Ugh, them," Buffy said with a snort. "My father cares more about his precious money than he ever has about me, and my mother barely remembers my name half the time. Probably from the fact that she's drunk more than she's sober."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Buffy."

Buffy waved her hand dismissively. "It's no big. I really don't care one way or another about them. So my parents don't love me? It's not like it's the end of the world."

William could tell by the look on her face and her body language that she meant anything but what she'd just said. "Buffy…kitten, if your parents really don't love you, well, it's their loss. How they could possibly not love you is beyond me. It's so easy to do."

Buffy looked up sharply at that. Had William just said… Suddenly he was up, stepping away from the bed. "I…I forgot to get anything to drink. I'll be back."

Buffy stared at the door as he shut it behind him. She couldn't have interpreted that right. She was just hearing what she wanted to hear. He'd only meant that it should be easy for parents to love their children, not that it was easy to love her specifically. Because William probably didn't love her. And even if he did, what did it matter? It certainly didn't mean he'd stick around for long…

She picked up a chip, scowling at it before she popped it in her mouth.

*** *** ***

William stood beside the refrigerator, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down. How could he be so stupid with all but telling Buffy he loved her like that? He had her here, in his home—in his bed—and he was saying things that could drive her off.

"Wanker," he muttered to himself, letting his head fall against the wall. The last thing he needed was to be his normal poncey git self, pour his heart out, and have Buffy run off. After all, that had worked so well when he'd tried it with Cecily…

With a heavy sigh, William turned back to the fridge, opening it up and searching for something to drink.

*** *** ***

William looked down beneath him, watching as Buffy writhed in pleasure. She was still wearing his shirt, something about the sight of it on her turning him on. Her feet caressed his calves as she wrapped her legs around him, keeping his body as close to hers as she could get it.

She'd been quiet when he'd come back to the room, both of them eating the rest of their lunch in silence. William had been worried that he'd ruined everything and that she was going to leave, but when he'd kissed her, she'd responded, letting him pull her down to the bed.

He didn't know how he'd survive when he didn't have her anymore. He still wasn't sure how he'd made it the past seventeen years… He sped up his pace, reveling in the sounds of pleasure he was pulling from her. She whimpered and moaned, her nails scraping his back. Her eyes were closed, her head thrown back, and William knew she was lost.

She was beautiful—and she was his for now. He wanted to tell her what he had almost admitted earlier, the three words he knew would change everything fighting to let themselves be heard. He brought his lips down to hers, kissing her hard in an attempt to stifle the vocalization of his feelings. Buffy's body was his, but not her heart, and he had to force himself to remember that.

Buffy broke away from his mouth, gasping as she came. William continued to thrust until he followed her over, moaning her name loudly.

Together, they collapsed in a heap, the silence following their heated coupling seeming almost like a moment of perfection. William held her close, running his hands through her soft hair. "Every time," he heard Buffy say softly. "Every time it's like magic with you."

Her breathless words echoed his own sentiments, and he held her tighter. He wanted to freeze the moment, to stay there in it forever. It was so easy to pretend in the time right after, when Buffy stayed so close to him, as if she wanted to hold on to the intimacy of what they shared as much as he did. For a few minutes, he could almost image she loved him, too…

"Can we just stay like this forever?" Buffy asked, her eyes closed and a smile on her face. "This is nice."

William smiled, his heart leaping to hear her thoughts so closely mirroring his own. "It is, pet. I like holding you like this. Feeling you near…"

"Mmm. You've got the best arms in the world," Buffy said, her words followed by a yawn. "I'm sleepy. Think you wore me out. Mind if I nap for a bit?"

"No, go right ahead. Could probably use a bit of kip myself."

Buffy opened one eye. "Does that mean you want to sleep?"

William chuckled, the vibrations going through Buffy's body and making her shiver. "Yeah, kitten, it does."

"Don't know why you can't just say that. You crazy English and you're inability to speak…English."

William shook his head. "We did invent the language, you know."

"And yet, you can't speak it with your silly words," she said, both eyes closed again.

"It's you Americans who butchered it."

"Nope. We…perfected it."

"You're off your bird."

Her eyes opened. "See? Off what bird? When was I on a bird?"

"You, sweetheart? Probably never."

Buffy gave him a dirty look, slapping lightly at his chest. "Jerk."

William kissed her forehead. "You're cute when you're pouty. Makes me want to shag you all over again."

"And there's another silly word. Shag… Sounds like you want to give me a bad haircut from the 70's."

"Do I need to demonstrate the meaning of that word?" William asked with an arched eyebrow. "Because I can assure you, it has nothing to do with hairstyles."

"Down boy. Sex later. Sleepy now."

"I'm going to hold you to that, pet," William said in the tone of voice that he'd only recently developed but always made Buffy tremble.

"Good. 'Cause I can assure you that once I've gotten my 'kip' I'll be up for some more 'shagging.'"

William laughed. "Sleep tight, princess."

"You, too, sexy," Buffy mumbled, nuzzling against him as she drifted off to sleep.

*** *** ***

Feed my muse…Leave a review.

The first thing William noticed when he woke up was that Buffy was no longer beside him.

The next was that he couldn't move his arms and legs.

He struggled a bit, noticing he'd somehow managed to become tied to the bedposts. And Buffy…

Buffy was perched on the end of the bed giving him a grin that would've made him nervous even if he did have use of his arms and legs. He looked up then down, noting that his hands and feet were both bound with some of his neckties. "What…what are you doing?" William asked.

Buffy shrugged. "I got bored waiting for you to wake up. So I decided to find a way to keep myself busy."

"Tying me to the bed?"

"For starters." Buffy crawled over to him, straddling his thighs. "You know, this is really a nice view."

"I…I'm not sure how I feel about this, Buffy," William said, his nervousness clear in his voice. He'd done a lot of things with her already that he'd never thought he'd ever do before he met her, but this was something new, unexplored territory. Could it be pushing his limits too much?

"He does," Buffy said, her gaze traveling to his rapidly hardening cock. "And I think he likes it." She leaned down, blowing over the tip and making William hiss.

"Kitten…touch me. Please."

Buffy ran her finger up his length before pulling back, sitting up again. William looked down at her, already breathing hard. "Buffy…"

Buffy looked at him with wide, innocent eyes. "What? I touched you, just like you asked."

William bucked the best he could with her straddling his legs and all his limbs tied. "More…god, Buffy, please…"

"Begging already, huh?" Her smiled turned wicked. "I sooo love the sound of that. So you want me to touch you, do you?"

"Yes. Buffy, baby…" William was already achingly hard, her teasing making him forget his nervousness and uncertainty almost immediately. All it took was a look from Buffy, and he was desperate for her. And now that he couldn't just reach out and take what he wanted…

Buffy leaned forward again, running her nails down his chest, making sure to press down a little harder at his nipples. William bucked, whimpering softly. "Is that where you wanted me to touch you?" William shook his head frantically. "Where then?" Buffy pulled up before trailing her nails this time down his taut thighs. "Here?"

"No…Buffy…"

Buffy put her hands on her hips. "You know, William, I'm afraid you're not being very clear. How can I know where to touch you if you don't tell me where?"

William shot her a look then that made Buffy tremble. His eyes were dark, barely contained passion clear in their blue depths. "You know where, Buffy."

"Tell me," she said huskily.

"My cock. Touch it."

Buffy grinned. Seemed like he was taking to this as well as he had everything else… She ran a finger lightly around the tip, making William groan. "Something wrong, honey?" she asked with feigned innocence. "You told me to touch your cock, and that's what I'm doing. Is it…not enough?"

Her teasing was driving William crazy, making him desperate to thrust inside of her. "No…fuck, luv, I need more."

"Oh! You want me to make you come."

"Yes…"

"Nope, sorry, can't do that."

The look of horror on William's face almost made Buffy break out into a fit of giggles, but she knew that would be a sure-fire way to kill the mood. "Baby…" William said, his tone pleading.

"Can't. You gotta make me come first."

"Well, I would, but I'm a bit tied up at the moment."

Buffy shrugged. "I can work around that." She slid up William's body, positioning herself over his mouth. "Eat me."

William wasted no time in complying, and Buffy cried out, gripping on to the headboard for support. William lapped at her hungrily with his agile tongue as Buffy grinded against his face, moaning in pleasure. She could swear he was made for this, willing to bet good money that it was indeed his calling. He'd been incredible the first time, and every time after he'd seemed only to improve until it took him but a few minutes to send her off into orgasm with nothing but his mouth. She keened loudly as she came, riding out the aftershocks before sliding off of him, panting as she struggled to catch her breath.

She looked over at William, the sight of him making her needy all over again despite the fact he'd just made her come hard. His body was trembling, his eyes glazed, as he licked his lips to capture the last bit of her taste. "Mmm…that was good, baby," Buffy said, rolling over and resting her hands on his chest. "You definitely deserve a reward. What do you want me to do?"

"Fuck me," William said, his voice rough with need. "I want to be inside your pussy."

Buffy trembled at his request, the words seeming even hotter knowing that they were coming from someone who had once blushed at the mere thought of what he'd just asked from her. She loved the man she'd turned him into, loved how she'd helped him discover this sensual side of himself. Quickly, she moved back down his body, hovering over his cock for only a moment before pushing herself all the way down, made more than ready by his tongue.

William called her name when he felt her heat around him, pulling at his bonds in a primal need to feel her skin beneath his fingertips. "Now now, none of that," Buffy said, leaning down and grabbing his hands to still them. "You just stay put and let me have my fun." Buffy pulled up and moved slowly up and down, ignoring William's pleas for more. He was tugging at his bonds, his body shaking with need, and Buffy couldn't help the grin of feminine power that spread across her lips.

Meeting William's eyes, Buffy sucked two fingers into her mouth, wrapping her tongue around them with a moan. She then brought them down to her clit, rubbing herself fiercely until she came with a yell, clenching around his cock. William pushed his hips up as far as he could, but suddenly found the warm haven of Buffy's body gone as she slid off and got shakily to her feet.

"Wha…" William said, unable to fully articulate his question, though Buffy was more than aware of what he was asking.

"Today is the servants' day off, right?" Buffy asked.

"Yes…why…"

"So we're, y'know, all alone here?"

"Yes…Buffy…"

"Just checking," Buffy said before she turned and darted from William's room.

William's mouth opened in shock. What the hell was she playing? "Evil chit," he muttered under his breath, pulling in earnest at his bonds. He smiled slowly as he realized the tie around one of his arms was coming lose, and he struggled until he was able to slip his hand free. Quickly, he untied the other hand, then his feet, then rose on unsteady legs, taking a deep breath to get his bearings. He walked out of the room, his eyes darting as he searched for Buffy. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty," he called, stalking through the empty halls like the cat he was addressing her as.

He heard a giggle followed by Buffy's head darting out for a moment before she disappeared behind a corner. "Buffy…" William called, sing-song. "Better come out now, luv."

"Gotta catch me, Will," Buffy called back.

"Oh, you are so in for it," William replied, following her around the corner. He stalked down the hall before stopping for a moment, glancing around. There was a door on his right and on his left, and he looked between them, trying to decide which one he'd find Buffy behind. The door on the left was slightly ajar, and William smiled to himself, going to the right. If he knew Buffy—which he was willing to wager he did by this point—she wouldn't be behind door number obvious.

He opened the door, finding himself in one of the guest rooms. Buffy was perched on the bed, wearing nothing but a smile. "Took you long enough, lover."

"You are in serious trouble, missy," William said, going towards the bed.

Buffy trembled at the look on his face, but decided to taunt him some more. "Am I, like, supposed to be scared and stuff?" she asked, eyes wide.

With a growl, William pounced, grabbing her. Buffy squealed as he turned her over his knee, his hand coming down hard on her ass. "You were a very bad girl, Buffy," William said, his voice dark. "Gettin' me all worked up and runnin' away like that. Very naughty indeed."

"I'm sorry," Buffy said, although her tone suggest otherwise. "I'll be very good from now on."

"I don't think you will," William replied. "I think you'll keep being naughty until I teach you a lesson." He spanked her again, making Buffy buck against him.

"Yes! Teach me, William. Show me what a bad girl I was to tease you."

William started to spank her in earnest then, raining down hard blows until her bottom was bright red. Suddenly, he stopped, pulling Buffy up by her hair. "On your knees," he ordered.

Buffy immediately complied, falling to her knees in front of where he sat on the edge of the bed. "Suck my cock," William said. "Show me you've learned your lesson."

Buffy gave him a small smile before leaning in, taking him into her mouth as her hand wrapped around the base of his cock. She sucked him until she could tell he was almost at the brink before pulling back, starting to rise to her feet once more. However, before she had the chance to escape again, William grabbed her by the arm, throwing her back on the bed.

"Not this time, baby," he said, shaking his head. "This time you're going to finish what you started." He climbed on top of her, holding her hands over her head with one of his hands as he thrust into her hard. Buffy cried out, her legs going around his waist as William pounded into her. It wasn't long until he roared in completion, pushing her down into the mattress with his hips as he shot inside of her.

"William…" Buffy whined as he rolled off her. "You got me all hot…I need to come again."

William glanced at her, arching an eyebrow. "Can't say I have a lot of sympathy for you right now, pet."

Buffy pouted. "But you got to come eventually," she said. "And I know you had fun."

"True. But you've already come twice. Looks to me like you're ahead of me by one."

"So?"

"So, I don't think you're in any position to be complaining. Besides, you tried to run off again after the spanking. Seems to me like you haven't learned your lesson."

Buffy trembled harder. God, he was hot when he was like this… "You're right. That was very, very bad of me. You better punish me right away."

"You're right. I should." William leaned back against the pillows and closed his eyes.

"Willlliam!" Buffy whined. "Come on…Punish me, please?" She sat up on her haunches, pouting.

William opened one eye. "I am."

"What!? That is so unfair!"

"Innit?" William replied before closing his eye again.

"Fine. If you won't get me off then I'll just go and…"

Before Buffy could finish her sentence, William had bolted up, grabbing her by the waist. "You'll do what?"

"Do it myself?" Buffy squeaked in response.

William leaned in, his mouth by her ear as he spoke in a low tone. "You wouldn't get someone else to do it, would you, Buffy?"

"No," Buffy said, gasping as one of his hands trailed down to roughly tweak her clit. "Only you."

William rubbed her clit harder. "That feel good, kitten? Do you like the feel of my fingers on you?"

"Y…yes…" Buffy panted, her body on the edge of release. "Oh god, William…"

Suddenly, William jerked his hand away, and Buffy gasped. "No! Don't stop! Evil!"

"Turn about, fair play—all that rot," William replied. He let go of Buffy for a moment, only to stand up and grab her again, this time throwing her over his shoulder.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Buffy asked, struggling even though she was really quite fine where she was. This position gave her a great view of his ass…

"You were right. You need to be punished," William said matter-of-factly. "And I think you need a bit of your own medicine."

"Huh?"

"I'm tying you up, luv."

"Oh." Buffy grinned as William carried her back down the hall to his bedroom. Tied up and at the mercy of a possessive and growly William. Oh yeah, she was about to have some fun…

*** *** ***

Wanna see how William gives Buffy a taste of her own medicine? Please review!

Also, to address the frustration over the couple not yet being able to express how they really feel about each other. For one thing, they're seventeen year old high school students. How many of those are there that make the best choices in their relationships? In a lot of ways, they're both kids trying to deal with grown up feelings, and they aren't sure how to do it yet. Also, if they professed their love now and smoothed everything over, the story would be over. Do you want the story to be over? Hmm? I promise you I'm not going to drag you throw chapter after chapter of heart-wrenching angst (not to say it's not going to get rough at all, but hey—gotta have something happen to move the story along) and I'm not the sort of author who likes to end a story with tears. So just sit back and enjoy the ride for a while—it'll make getting there all the more fun.

Buffy let William position her on the bed, face down with her hands bound together, stretched out above her head and her legs spread and tied individually to the posts. Once he had her restrained, he sat down on the bed beside her, his hands gently stroking her back and legs. "You're beautiful, pet," William said, his husky voice making her shiver. "Such a perfect little body."

Buffy trembled, her mind whirling. He'd carried her in here promising punishment, but now he was touching her gently, reverently. "Gorgeous you are," William murmured, leaning down to press a soft kiss against her shoulder blade. He moved his lips to the nape of her neck, brushing her hair out of the way to kiss her there. "Such a sexy little kitten."

William pulled up suddenly, his hand coming down to smack her ass. "And also very naughty."

Buffy cried out, the blow taking her by surprise. How the heck had he figured out to do that? He'd taken to sex like a duck to water, his natural instincts always spot on. She smiled to herself, deciding to see if she could push him just a little further. Every nudge she'd given him so far had resulted in amazing sex.

"I am naughty," Buffy said, glancing over her shoulder at him. "Very, very naughty. I'm not sure your hand is going to teach me enough of a lesson."

William paused, the unsure expression he always wore when she mentioned something new cropping back up. Buffy smirked to herself knowing she'd manage to make that go away soon enough when he got lost in his sensual side again. "What do you mean?" he asked her.

"Well, obviously it wasn't enough in the guest room since I tried to get away before I finished pleasuring you."

"Good point," William said, deciding to see where Buffy was going to go with this. "Any suggestions, luv?"

Buffy's brow furrowed as she pretended to give it a good deal of thought. "Hmm…I think you're going to have to use your belt. It'll teach me a much better lesson."

William coughed. "Buffy…I…I could hurt you."

"Which, as we've discussed before, is part of the fun," Buffy replied.

"I know, but…" William sighed. "That just seems like too much, pet. It could really hurt you."

"We could try it. If it gets too much, I'll say…caterpillar."

"Caterpillar?" William asked, eyebrow arched.

"Safe word," Buffy explained. "Something I'm not likely to normally just shout out during sex. If I say it, it means it's too much and you need to stop. Okay?"

William thought about it for a moment. It was obvious Buffy had let someone do this to her before, and he didn't doubt that she'd let him know if it was too much. "Yeah, okay."

"You'll like it, Will. Trust me. You obviously get off on the rough stuff."

His old blush was back at that, and Buffy couldn't help but smirk. She liked that he still retained that little bit of innocence even with everything they'd done over the past week. "Yeah…guess I do."

"It's okay," Buffy said, shifting a little in her bonds. "I do, too. Not like it makes you a perv." She frowned. "Okay, so it does, but you're in good pervy company."

William chuckled then. "I can deal with that."

"Good. Now get to the spanking. This ass isn't going to get any redder on its own."

William's eyes darted to the ass in question, and he licked his lips. "Right." He cleared his throat before walking over to his closet, opening it and going towards his belts. His hands trembled as he reached towards them, only to pull back. Which one should he use? Was their a certain kind that Buffy liked more than others? It seemed suddenly like a monumental decision, something he had seriously consider.

"Will! Come on, just grab one and come smack my ass with it, will you? I'm getting impatient over here."

He snatched a belt from the rack then, coming back over to the bed in a hurry. "That's quite a bit of sass coming from a woman in your position," William said, his voice dropping.

Buffy trembled. Uncertain William was gone again, replaced by the assertive, dominant version she was growing so very fond of. She glanced at him. "You're right. That was very bad of me. I'm sorry…" She dropped her eyes before adding, "Sir."

William raised an eyebrow at the last word. Sir? He thought about it for a moment before he decided he liked it. "Not as sorry as you're going to be, girl."

"Oh yeah," Buffy thought. "Now things are getting good." "I'm ready for my punishment, sir," she said aloud.

William held the belt in his hands, pushing down the last bits of his nervousness. Buffy would tell him if he did something wrong. He took a deep breath, then raised the belt, bringing it down with an audible crack against her skin. Buffy bucked, crying out at the blow. "Did I hurt you?" William asked softly.

"I didn't say the word," Buffy reminded him. "And you're breaking character…sir."

William swallowed. "Right then," he said before bringing the belt down again. Her bottom was already growing red, dark marks across it from where he'd hit her. When Buffy still said nothing, he brought the belt down twice more in succession. Buffy was whimpering, but she still said nothing that sounded even remotely like "caterpillar." He reached down and rubbed her ass softly, hearing Buffy whimper again at the touch. "How's that, naughty girl?" he asked. "Are you learning your lesson?"

"Yes, sir," Buffy said.

"I don't know if you are," William replied, his voice dropping back down to that husky purr that turned Buffy on so much. "I thought you'd learned your lesson earlier, but you still misbehaved."

"Then you better punish me a little more, sir. Just…just to make sure."

William rubbed her bottom again, noticing that it was warm to the touch. "Have to make sure you learn your lesson," he replied, pulling up and bringing the belt down again. Buffy yelped, her body bucking violently, and William gave her a moment before spanking her with the belt three more times. He looked up to see tears on Buffy's cheeks and he reached out, wiping them away with his thumb. "Are you okay, kitten?" he asked softly.

"Uh huh," Buffy said, nodding. "God, I'm so fucking wet right now, William." She cried out when the belt came down again unexpectedly.

"You didn't call me sir," William said with a wicked grin that made Buffy think for a moment that she was going to come right then.

"I'm sorry, sir."

"Better," William replied. "I think you've about learned your lesson. Just a couple more should do it."

Buffy nodded. "Yes, sir." She gritted her teeth as William spanked her twice more before dropping the belt down to the ground and sitting beside her on the bed, gently caressing her sore bottom.

"You took your punishment like a good girl, Buffy," William said. "I think you've earned some pleasure now."

"Please, sir," Buffy begged, writhing beneath his hand. "I'll be good if you let me come."

William dipped his fingers down, finding her pussy drenched. Apparently she really did get off on this sort of thing… "All right, baby. Want me to fuck you?"

"Yes, please. I want your cock sooo bad."

William grabbed a couple of pillows, pushing them under Buffy's hips to lift them off the bed and give him better leverage. He left her bound as he slipped in between her spread legs, rubbing the tip of his cock against her wet pussy lips. "Beg me for it, Buffy. Tell me how sorry you are for teasing me earlier."

"I'm sorry!" Buffy replied, pushing back against him only to whimper in frustration when she couldn't get him inside. "I'm so sorry…I was a bad, bad girl. I've learned my lesson, and I want you to fuck me so much. Please, William!" She cried out as his hand came down hard on her ass. "Sir!" she amended quickly. "I want you, sir!"

William plunged inside of her then, and Buffy moaned, finally feeling complete again. Her eyes rolled back in her head as he took her hard, the bed shaking with the force of his thrusts. It wasn't long before she was coming, screaming and thrashing, whipping her head from side to side as she squeezed around William's cock, pulling him over with her.

"Holy fuck," William muttered as he pulled out and collapsed beside her on the bed. Buffy tried to respond, but could only manage a wordless mewl of satisfaction.

With a deep breath, William sat up, untying Buffy's arms and legs before pulling her to him, holding her close. "Are you okay, luv?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," Buffy replied. "My ass stings, but I knew that would happen."

"I…I wasn't too hard on you, was I?" William asked.

"No. You were perfect." She kissed his cheek. "You're always perfect."

He blushed under her compliment. "I…I wouldn't go that far."

"I would." She kissed his shoulder. "Today has been a really, really good day."

"It has," William agreed. "I wish we could spend tomorrow the same way, but it would raise too many questions if I didn't meet with my tutor."

"I know," Buffy replied. "But I'll be back over after school. We can have more naughty fun time then."

"Works for me." William took a deep breath. "But right now…"

"Totally spent?" Buffy finished for him.

"Oh yeah."

"Me, too," Buffy said. "I'm not sure I have anywhere near the energy for more sex. And you know, I think that may be a first for me."

William gave her a teasing grin. "Did I break you?"

"Quite possibly." Buffy sat up, groaning a little as she did. "You also made me work up an appetite again. Let's go downstairs and raid your kitchen."

"All right," William said with a chuckle. "Just let me find where you threw my jeans."

*** *** ***

They'd made a dinner out of whatever they could find in the fridge, William discovering that his girlfriend apparently had quite a fondness for cheese. Her eyes had lit up when he'd pulled it out, and he filed it away as one more thing to keep in mind about Buffy—all it took to make her happy was apparently a block of cheddar.

Afterwards, they'd gone into the den, turning on the television. They'd argued over which channel to watch until Buffy had managed to successfully distract him long enough to snatch the remote.

William still said flashing him the way she had had been foul play, but when she'd snuggled up against him to watch the show, he'd no longer cared. Instead, he'd just wrapped his arm around her and held her there.

At some point, Buffy had drifted off to sleep, and William had all but forgotten the television even existed. She'd put his shirt back on before they'd come downstairs, and William smiled to see her still in it. She seemed more like his girlfriend in that moment than she had any other time, wearing his clothes as she slept curled at his side on the couch. He brushed a kiss against her forehead, giving voice for the first time to the feelings he had for her now that he knew she couldn't hear him.

"I love you, Buffy."

William reached over her and picked up the remote, turning off the television before standing and gathering her in his arms, carrying her back up to his room. Once there, he laid her on the bed, grateful that she got to stay there with him that night. Everything felt right when she was in his arms. He stripped off his jeans before joining her, pulling the covers up around them.

Buffy's eyes opened slowly. "William?" she said groggily.

"I'm here, luv. Go to sleep."

"Did you set the alarm?"

"No. Thanks for the reminder," he said, reaching to the clock beside the bed.

"Better set it for a little bit early, so we can have morning sex," Buffy said with a small yawn.

William finished setting the alarm and turned towards Buffy again, gathering her back in his arms. It seemed so natural to be going to bed with her, as if they'd done it every night for years instead of only once in the past week, and then not under the best of circumstances. He ran his hand down her cheek before leaning in and kissing her tenderly. "Good night, sweetheart."

"Good night, William," Buffy replied, nuzzling against him as her eyes closed. She smiled, content to be right where she was.

*** *** ***

Please review. It inspires the muse.

To clarify the note from the previous chapter—it's not going to be heavy angst. A little teeny bit is coming up, but it's really not going to be that much. But personally, I think the strongest relationships are the ones that have been tested by a little adversity…

William groaned when he heard the buzzing next to his ear, turning to glare at the alarm clock before turning it off with an angry smack. He'd been quite happy to be asleep.

"Ugh. I hate morning. It always comes too early," said a grouchy female voice from his side.

The knowledge that Buffy was nestled in his arms became apparent to his sleep-fogged brain, and suddenly the fact that he was awake didn't seem so bad. "Good morning to you, too, Sleeping Beauty," he teased, kissing the crown of Buffy's head.

Buffy grumbled, even as she snuggled closer to him. "Don't wanna get up. It's nice here."

"We don't have to get out of bed for a little while yet, kitten," William said. "You can get some more sleep if you need it."

Buffy rubbed herself against him. "Or you could wake me up."

William grinned, rolling them over so he was on top of her. He kissed her as his hand slipped down her body, pushing up the bottom of his shirt that she still wore before his fingers found her clit. Buffy moaned against his mouth, her hips thrusting up.

"Waking up now, pet?" William asked as he broke away from the kiss.

"Starting to," Buffy said. "Might need a little more…persuasion."

"Yeah? This help at all?" William asked as he pulled his hand away and slid his cock inside of her.

Buffy groaned, her legs going around his hips. "Yeah…" She moaned, moving with him. "Hell of a lot better than coffee."

"God yes," William agreed, moving faster.

Buffy panted, reveling in the sense of fullness she felt when William was inside of her. It was the best way she'd ever woken up, and she wanted to start every day just like this. She called his name over and over, holding him close to her, needing to feel him against her. She dug her nails into his shoulders when she came, hearing him gasp before he followed her over, spilling himself inside of her.

"Buffy," he murmured against her neck, kissing her there softly. "Baby…kitten…my goddess."

Buffy made a sound of contentment, stretching underneath him. She glanced to the side, frowning at the clock. She wanted to stay there, unaffected by the passing of time. But she couldn't, no matter how much she craved staying with William all day again. She ran her hand through his hair. "We should get up."

He looked down at her face, his lips pouting softly. "Don't wanna…"

"I know. Me either. But we have to. School and all that stuff. And right now we're also both in desperate need of a shower."

William's pout turned into a grin. "Can we do that together?"

Buffy knew that was no way she would get to school on time. But who cared about first period when she could be in a small space with wet, naked William. She grinned back. "Oh yeah."

*** *** ***

William knew what he should do. His tutor would be there soon and Buffy needed to get to class. They'd spent a good bit of time in bed that morning, and William knew that the shag they'd already had should be enough for him until later in the afternoon.

But then Buffy stepped under the spray of the shower and practical, logical thought was a thing of the past. He pulled Buffy out of the water, crushing her lips to his. She moaned, gripping William's shoulders. He tore his mouth from hers, his breathing heavy. "I need you—now."

Buffy's legs trembled as she heard the desperation in William's voice. It hadn't been long at all since he'd last been inside of her and already he was craving her again. "Lift me up against the wall," she instructed him.

William did as she asked, Buffy's legs and arms immediately wrapping around him for support. He reached out to brace himself against the shower wall as Buffy slid down, taking him into her body once more.

Buffy clung to him, moaning his name as water cascaded down his back. She filled all of his senses, surrounded him, and William found himself overwhelmed by how beautiful she was. Every bit of this woman was like art to him and he finally understood what had eluded him for so long in his poetry. This was it, the moment of perfection that poets yearned for. There, in the shower stall, cut off from everyone and everything else, Buffy was his entire world, and she was beauty.

She opened her eyes and they locked with his, her gaze never wavering as William continued to pump in and out of her. It was almost too much, but he couldn't break away, couldn't resist the lure of her eyes. Her body trembled, and William pressed harder against the wall, tilting his body for a deeper angle.

Buffy's body shook, her orgasm close, and her eyes began to shut. "No," William said, his breathing coming in harsh pants. "Don't close your eyes. Keep looking at me."

Buffy did as he asked, her eyes locked with his as she came, and the sheer intensity of what he saw in them pushed William over the edge right behind her. They stayed joined together for long moments afterwards, William unwilling to let her go. He wanted again to be able to tell her what she meant to him, but again fought to keep the words back, simply holding her in silence instead.

She'd let him experience what beauty was, and he could let that be enough.

*** *** ***

"And where were you first and second period?" Willow asked without preamble as she joined Buffy for lunch.

"I was with William," Buffy said with a smile. "His mother's out of town, so we spent the whole day together yesterday. It was so great, Wills. I don't think I've ever been this happy with a guy before. And it's not even only the sex. I mean, last night we just cuddled on the couch and watched television, and that alone was enough to make me so happy."

"You guys were alone all day and you just watched TV?" Willow asked.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Of course not. We had just worn each other out by that point with the all-day sex fest."

"Oh."

"But he's incredible, Willow. Everything about him. When I'm with William, I just feel…lucky."

Willow gave Buffy a small, teasing smile. "It sounds like you're in love."

"That's because I am," Buffy said, unable to keep herself from telling Willow the truth about her feelings. She may not be able to tell William, but she was practically floating after the weekend she'd had with him, and she wanted to gush about it to her best friend. "I know it's soon and all, but the way he makes me feel… I haven't been this happy in, well, ever." She paused, worrying her lip between her teeth for a moment. "But then at the same time, I'm completely terrified."

"Terrified? Of what?" Willow asked.

"Of being in love. Again. Didn't work out so well the last time," Buffy replied. "Although he never made me feel quite like William does, which in a way only makes it scarier. William has the power to completely break me. One word from him could crush me."

"But he's worth the risk, right?" Willow asked.

Buffy's smile returned. "Very. And god, I feel so naïve saying this, because I should know better, but maybe William really is different from the other guys out there. Maybe there's a rare breed that's actually decent, and he's one of them." Buffy looked down, giving an uncharacteristic blush. "Or maybe I'm just talking crazy 'cause I'm still on a high from all the great sex."

"Or maybe he's actually a good guy," Willow said. "I mean, they have to exist somewhere, and William sounds really sweet. Have you told him how you feel about him?"

"That I love him? No way! We've only been together for a week. Decent guy or not, that'll send him running."

"Maybe not. Maybe he loves you, too."

"I don't…" Buffy shook her head. "I don't want to push it. Things are going so well, and when you start brining love into the picture it changes everything. I can't take that risk right now. Even if he is as good as he seems, I can't do anything that might make me lose him. If he's ready to start talking about love then he can be the one to say it."

"I guess that makes sense," Willow said with a shrug. "I've never actually had a relationship, so I don't really know much about them."

"Trust me, you wouldn't know that much even if you had," Buffy replied. "I've been with lots of guys and the whole dating thing is still one big guessing game for me." She sighed. "Someone needs to write another one of those relationship guide thingies only, y'know, make it actually helpful. Like How to Read a Guy's Mind 101."

"Again, not so much with the having of relationship knowledge, but I've found that the best way to figure out what's on someone's mind is to ask them," Willow said.

"That only works if they're telling the truth or if their mind doesn't change later," Buffy grumbled.

"Is that what happened in your other relationship? One of those things?" Willow looked down after she spoke. "Sorry. I'm prying."

"It's okay. I don't really like to talk about it, but yeah, that's what happened."

"Which one—the lying or the mind changing?"

"Either. Both. I don't know," Buffy replied. "It just really didn't work out."

Willow knew she should probably drop the subject since Buffy tended to get touchy where her past was involved, but she'd always found herself really intrigued by the subject. Maybe it was because Buffy kept it such a mystery, or maybe it was because Willow knew that it was completely unlike any sort of life she'd ever lead, she wasn't sure which. But either way, it compelled her. "What was his name?" she asked.

"Angel. Well, Liam, but his nickname was Angel. His last name was Angelus, and everyone said he had a face like an angel," Buffy replied.

Willow leaned forward, resting her face in her hands. "So he was handsome?"

"Yeah. He was the most popular guy in school. He was a junior when we met. I was just a lowly freshman, and I couldn't believe that he would even notice me, never mind want to date me," Buffy said.

"But it didn't work out after all?"

"No. Turns out the whole 'Angel' thing—sorta false advertising. But damn, I was so freaking in love with him. Even after I found out he'd been cheating on me with one of my friends, I still forgave him. And up until recently, I was determined to someday get back with him."

"But now?" Willow asked, wanting to continue her experience of vicarious teen drama.

"No so much," Buffy admitted. "The other day, I pulled out an old notebook of mine because I thought it could have some stuff in there that would help me study for a test, and I saw on the back where I'd doodled our names. Buffy and Angel forever, or something like that. Just a few months ago finding that would've had me breaking into hysterics. But it didn't. If anything, it made me think of what a jackass Angel was—and how much better William treats me."

"So that's good, right—finding someone better than Angel?"

"Yeah, it is," Buffy said, her smile slowly returning. "Yesterday we, well, we did some stuff that I doubt you would want to know the details of, but I felt totally relaxed—like I could trust him completely. I never felt that with Angel. Not once. I could never just let myself go with him the way I can with William. I feel like Will's really there with me, enjoying everything in the same way I am. And the way he looks at me… There's so much emotion in his eyes. And they're so blue—like an ocean I could drown in."

Willow giggled. "You've got it bad."

"I know. I've gone all obsesso-girl," Buffy said. "It's a little pathetic. Like Friday in English, I realized that I'd been doodling his name all over my test—and dotting the I's with little hearts. Luckily it was a test on the Romantic period and I convinced the teacher that I just really enjoyed Wordsworth's poetry. And I'll start thinking about and get this really dumb grin on my face—like the one I probably have right now."

"It's not dumb. It's sweet," Willow insisted.

"I don't know. I feel like I'm setting myself up for a heartbreak."

"Maybe not. Maybe you guys will be one of the rare couples that meet when you're young and stay together until you're all old and gray and toothless."

"You really think that's possible?" Buffy asked, a small flicker of hope in her eyes.

"Sure," Willow replied. "And it's so romantic…"

Buffy thought about what it would be like to really get to spend her life with William. Could she even dare to hope for such a thing? She already had no doubt in her mind that she could be deliriously happy with him for years to come. "It would be, wouldn't it? Falling in love in high school and staying together forever…" Buffy's smile widened again, unable to prevent the romantic fantasies that this bit of girl talk had brought to her mind. Part of her was screaming to stop it, to remember Angel and what loving him like this had done to her. But another louder part was telling her how sweet and wonderful William was. The past weekend had been one of the best of her life, and it was because of him.

Buffy let herself hope.

This time it could be different…

*** *** ***

William paced back and forth in front of the door, waiting for Buffy to get back from school. He thought she would've been there already and he was starting to get antsy. He'd been separated from her too long already.

Finally, there was a knock at the door and William ran to it, throwing it open. He saw Buffy standing there in a pair of black leather pants and a red tube top, her hands behind her back, and he almost choked on his tongue. Shaking himself out of his momentary stupor, he gave her a slow smile. "Hey, kitten. Missed you."

"Missed you, too," Buffy said with a saucy grin as she brought her hands around from behind her back, revealing a bottle of chocolate syrup in one and a can of whipped cream in the other.

"Wanna play?"

*** *** ***

I'm sorry this chapter took longer than the others. I wrote over 100 pages worth of fic in just a little over two weeks, and I burnt myself out. I needed to give my muse a little time to refresh. Thank you very much to those of you who waited patiently. To those of you who got on my case, please, bear in mind that I am actually human and not a fanfic writing machine. Posting every day is not an easy thing to do at all, and it got to be too much for me for a little while there.

Please review!

Buffy was beginning to doubt the sanity of her decision to introduce William to the sexual uses of foodstuff. He'd taken his time drizzling the chocolate syrup over her body and now he was torturing her by meticulously licking off every bit. The feel of his tongue on her skin was driving her crazy as he was kept it away from any place that would actually grant her release, choosing instead to work her into a frenzy without giving her ultimate satisfaction.

She'd complain if she was capable of doing anything but whimpering…

With a sigh of relief, Buffy realized he'd finished with the chocolate, but then he grabbed the whipped cream, prepared to start the torture anew. "William…" she managed to gasp, thrusting her hips up.

William gave a low chuckle as he covered one of her breasts with the whipped cream. "Patience, kitten. Good things come to those who wait."

"I want good things now," Buffy whined.

"This isn't good?" William asked with a teasing grin, leaning in to wrap his tongue around her nipple, lapping off the cream.

"Gah! Good…" Buffy replied, arching into his mouth. "Just need…need more good…"

William finished with one breast before moving to the other, repeating his previous actions. Buffy fisted the sheets tightly, her head thrashing from side to side. William pulled up, licking his lips as he made a trail of whipped cream leading down her toned stomach. Buffy cried out as his tongue soon followed, William making his way to the apex of her thighs before stopping.

"William, please…" Buffy begged.

William folded his arms over her abdomen, resting his chin on them. "Need something, luv?"

All Buffy could do was whimper again as she tried in vain to thrust her hips upwards. He knew damn good and well what she wanted, and why he was refusing to give it to her was beyond her. Why wouldn't he just… She paused, a memory coming forward in her lust-addled brain. William tied up, her toying with him as he strained for her to take his cock into her mouth.

Oh he was evil…

"William…don't tease me anymore. Need you so much…"

"I don't know, pet. There's something to be said for teasing. Can see why you had so much fun with it yesterday…"

That gained him yet another whimper from Buffy.

"You need me, don't you baby?" he asked, his voice sounding like a purr. "Need what I can give you, how good I can make you feel."

Buffy nodded vigorously, squirming beneath him. She did, more than anything in the world right then. If he would just…

"Beg me. Tell me how you need me."

Buffy shivered, forcing the words to her throat. "Will, please…need you…need you to touch me, to make me come…please…I'm begging you…"

William pulled up, grabbing the can of whipped cream again. He spread it on Buffy's pussy, making her cry out, her hips bucking with the sudden feel of the cool, wet substance. The next thing she felt was William's hot tongue, licking up the white cream from her skin. Her orgasm hit quickly, but he continued until she was clean again, keeping the aftershocks coming until he pulled up and she slumped bonelessly to the mattress.

She had very little time to recuperate before William had grabbed her legs, lifting them up as he slammed his cock inside of her. Buffy cried out, grabbing his shoulders and holding on. Every nerve in her body seemed over-sensitized from the combination of the tongue bath and the massive orgasm she was still coming down from, and the way he was pounding into her now was making her see stars.

When she came again, her scream reverberated off the walls, and the clamping of her pussy walls pulled William over with her, his cries mixing with hers, filling the room with their sounds of pleasure.

He managed to roll off of her body, flopping to the side, his breathing harsh and uneven. "Bloody hell. That was just one time and I already don't think I can move."

"Me either. Maybe it's cumulative exhaustion from the past week," Buffy suggested. She sighed in contentment. "I don't really mind, though. The sex is nice, but I like this part, too. The afters…"

"Yeah, so do I," William replied. "I like sharing this with you, feeling close to you like this."

Buffy rolled over, her head now against his chest, and William swallowed as he looked into her eyes. How easy it would be just to tell her how he felt for her… It was more of a struggle to keep the words from coming from his mouth than he knew it would be to say them, but he kept silent. Instead he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, wondering if maybe she could feel how much she meant to him.

"William?"

"Yeah, kitten?"

"What do you want to do with your life?"

William frowned, Buffy's question not one he had expected. "What do you mean?"

"If you could have any job in the world some day, what would it be?"

"Poet laureate," William replied with a small shrug.

Buffy arched an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"Yes. I mean, it's never going to happen because I'm a horrible poet, but that's something I've dreamt about."

"That's not the answer most seventeen year old boys would give, you know."

"Yeah, I know." William sighed. "Having new clothes and a different haircut doesn't change the fact that I'm still a complete geek, Buffy."

"I didn't say you were a geek, William," Buffy replied. "Just said it was a different sort of dream to have. But it's kind of cool, actually. Better than say, wanting to get in the fraternity next year in college that gets you the most beer and pussy…"

"No, I suppose that's not really a goal of mine at all," William said with a chuckle.

"So you're not looking forward to all the naked co-ed fun college has to offer?"

"Got all of that I need right here," William replied, giving her a squeeze. Suddenly his expression got sad. "But you won't be around then, will you? School year ends and you're on your way back to the other side of the world."

Buffy hadn't thought about that much since she'd gotten with William. She was so happy here with him, and the last thing she wanted to do was leave this behind to return to her life in the States. She'd never had a single day there that had been anything like the ones William gave her. "I guess," she replied. "I haven't really given it a lot of thought."

"It's your home, though," William said.

Thinking of Los Angeles as home now made Buffy's stomach turn. The only time she'd ever felt home was when she was here with William. "Home is where your heart is," Buffy said softly.

William looked away from her. And he supposed that was where her heart was…

Buffy didn't want to think about not being with William anymore. The stretch of months that had once seemed like a lengthy prison sentence now seemed like no time at all, a blink of her life in which she could be happy. But she didn't want to dwell on it when she was with him, wanting instead to hold on tightly to the little bit of happiness she did have. "I like it here with you," she told him.

William looked back at her. "Really?"

"Well, duh," Buffy replied with a grin. "Have I ever appeared anything but content when we're together? But yeah, I do. I feel…safe with you."

"You are," William said, his hand running down her bare arm. "I wouldn't let anything hurt you."

Buffy wrapped her arms tighter around him. The light mood they'd begun the afternoon with had been effectively squashed, and she wanted it back. She didn't like this heavy feeling that came from dwelling on the uncertain future. She needed a distraction…

Slowly, she slipped down his body, stopping at his limp cock. Her fingers grazed against it, making it immediately begin to show signs of life. "Thought you were shagged out," William said, looking down at her and raising an eyebrow.

"I've rested up." The grin she gave him was one of challenge. "Unless, of course, you aren't…"

William growled, hauling her back up his body by her arms and flipping her beneath him. Buffy's squeal of delighted surprise was muffled by his mouth as it came down hard against hers.

She had her distraction.

*** *** ***

William looked down at Buffy curled against his side and wondered how in the world he was going to be able to sleep when his mother came back home and Buffy couldn't spend her nights in his bed anymore. This was but the third time and he was already addicted to the feel of her against her as he slept.

But then she'd only be next door… His mind trailed to the brief conversation he'd had with her that afternoon about what she'd do after she finished out the school year. Part of him had hoped that she'd say of course she wouldn't go back to California because she couldn't bear the thought of leaving him, but he was smart enough to know that that was a foolish hope. Her life wasn't here. It was there. He was just someone to pass the time with until she got to go back to her home and her real love.

And when that happened, William knew the empty nights that followed would be enough to tear him apart.

William tried to push down the sudden desperate need for her that arose inside of him. They'd made love already before she'd fallen asleep, and he shouldn't disturb her. But he couldn't make it go away. Someday, she'd be gone, and he wouldn't be able to touch her anymore. That thought made something inside him snap, and he rolled her over, plunging inside of her.

Buffy's eyes popped open, her brow wrinkling in confusion. "William?" she asked sleepily.

"Needed you…" William gasped, pushing in hard. "Couldn't wait…"

Buffy groaned, William's deep, powerful thrusts working her into a quick frenzy. He slammed in and out of her, their coupling almost brutal, and Buffy held on to him, her fingernails leaving bloodied crescents in his shoulders.

As soon as he felt her coming around him, William let himself go, roaring with his release. Spent, he slumped against her, his head on her chest. Buffy ran her hand through his curls. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"Yeah," William replied, rolling over and pulling her with him so their positions were reversed. "Just needed to have you is all."

"Oh. I can live with that." Buffy kissed his chest. "Good night again, baby," she said, already starting to drift back to sleep.

"Good night," William replied, keeping her close.

*** *** ***

"Hey, you managed to make it to first period today—on time and everything!" Willow said with a teasing grin as Buffy plopped down at her desk.

"We set the alarm for an hour earlier," Buffy replied. "I'm so freaking tired. I know we should probably sleep more, but the logical part of my brain that reminds me of that tends to get itself bound and gagged by Lust Bunny Buffy whenever William's around." She sighed heavily. "I'm pathetic."

"A little, but it's sweet—lust bunnies and all," Willow said with a laugh.

Buffy glanced to the side, noticing an empty chair that was usually filled by now. "Is Cecily not here?"

"I haven't seen her," Willow replied. "She could just be running late."

"Or maybe she was eaten by a bear," Buffy suggested perkily.

"I don't think there's a lot of bears running around in the area," Willow said.

"It could've escaped from a traveling circus."

"Not a lot of those either."

"Rabid…um, bunny attack?"

Willow giggled. "I think the traveling circus escapee bear was more plausible."

"Either way, I'd be perfectly happy if she didn't show up today. Or, you know, ever."

Willow crossed her fingers on both hands. "Here's to hoping Cecily's been mauled by rabid bunnies."

"Thanks," Buffy said with a laugh.

The teacher walked into the room then, clearing his throat as he did, and Buffy and Willow both turned their attention to the front of the classroom, any further discussion needing to wait until later.

*** *** ***

William opened the front door, fully expecting to see his tutor on the other side.

Who he didn't expect to see was Cecily Underwood. "What do you want?" he asked, his tone cold.

"William, we need to talk about Buffy."

"No, I'm afraid we really don't," William replied. "You made your feelings for me quite clear last week, Miss Underwood. We have nothing further to discuss."

Cecily thrust a thick brown packet towards him. "No, really, William, I think you're going to want to take a look at this."

William frowned. "What is it?"

"The truth about your darling Buffy," Cecily replied. "I sincerely doubt you know the sort of person she really is, William. If you did, you certainly wouldn't be risking your family's name the way you are. And what would your poor mother think if she knew the sort of woman you were associating with?"

"Buffy's a good person, Cecily. Whatever you think you know about her, it isn't true."

"Look in the packet, William. It's all there. Every sordid detail."

William swallowed. Could it really be as bad as Cecily was claiming? He'd known Buffy had been in some trouble in California, but he couldn't imagine it would be something that bad. He'd assumed she'd merely had some trouble keeping up her grades.

His hands trembled as he worked the clasp on the back of the packet, opening it up and pulling out the stack of papers inside.

*** *** ***

Yeah, I know. I'm mean, evil, and cruel. *ducks*

Please review!

"Hey, Buffy, looks like Cecily showed up after all," Willow said, nudging the blonde as they walked together towards their lunch table. "Guess she was just running late today and not actually the victim of a freak animal attack."

"Joy of joys," Buffy muttered. "And I was so hoping for those rabid bunnies." She sat down at the table, Willow taking a seat across from her. Buffy had just started to examine the day's lunch when she noticed Cecily heading towards them. "Oh fuck, she's coming over here," Buffy swore, a sour expression on her face. "The bile that's rising up at the thought of talking to her is just what I needed to make this food even tastier."

Cecily stopped at the table, the smile she wore smug. "Hello, Buffy."

"Hello, Cecily. We missed you in first period today. I was really hoping nothing bad had happened to you," Buffy replied with obvious mock-sincerity.

"Oh, I was quite fine, I assure you," Cecily said. "I simply went to have a little chat with a mutual acquaintance of ours."

"A mutual…" Buffy's eyes grew wide as she realized who Cecily was talking about. "What the hell did you say to William?"

"Oh, I didn't really have to say anything. A picture is worth a thousand words, after all. And those that I stumbled across, well, they're practically War and Peace." She cocked her head to the side, frowning a little. "Or at least the extremely slutty version. And then of course everything that with them… The newspaper articles, the police reports… My, my, Buffy, you were one busy little bee back in Los Angeles."

Buffy paled, her stomach turning. "What did you do?"

"I hired a private investigator to look into your record," Cecily replied with a shrug. "Though I think a lot of that stuff I could've found on my own, since it appears that your father has just enough money and clout for your exploits to make the tabloids. I couldn't have found the police records without the detective, however. Oh, you should've seen the look on William's face when he read those. It was just priceless."

Buffy fought back tears, refusing to give Cecily the satisfaction of seeing her cry. "Why did you do this to me? You didn't even want him!"

"I was merely looking out for William's best interests," Cecily said. "A man of his social stature can't start gallivanting around with some two-bit trollop."

"His what?" Buffy asked, her brow wrinkling.

"Oh, don't pretend you don't know," Cecily said, rolling her eyes. "As if you could be interested in poor, confused William for any other reason."

"Cecily, I really have no idea what you're talking about."

"He's part of the peerage, Buffy," Cecily said, talking to Buffy as if she were a small child. "William's a baron. And no matter how much of a media darling you were back home, you will never be good enough for him. You're nothing but trash."

Buffy couldn't hide her shock. Never once had William mentioned being a baron. Was Cecily even telling the truth? He certainly didn't seem like a baron… Or at least how she would have pictured one anyway. Shouldn't a baron live in a dark, sprawling estate with big stone walls? And shouldn't one dress more…baron-y? If William was a baron, then romance novels and movies had definitely been leading her astray. "He never told me anything about it…" she said to Cecily.

"Really? Never? Huh. Well, I guess he really was just using you then. I suppose he saw that he'd finally found someone slutty enough to give even him a decent shag, and he leapt at the chance. Although now that he's seen the damage that can cause, I'm sure he's ready to go back to a woman more…on his level." Cecily patted her curls.

Buffy's eyes narrowed. "You stay away from him, bitch. You already told him he was beneath you…"

"Yes, well, that was before you somehow managed to work wonders on him." Cecily smiled coolly. "I really should thank you for that, Buffy."

"He doesn't want you," Buffy ground out, barely able to rein herself in. The thought of William with Cecily together made her want to rip the other woman to shreds with her bare hands.

"Oh yes, I think he does," Cecily replied haughtily. "I was the one he loved—remember? The one he pined for, the one he called his muse." She looked at Buffy in disgust. "You were just his whore."

The last of Buffy's control snapped then. She lunged at Cecily, grabbing her by her hair and slamming her head down on the table. "You stay the hell away from him, you fucking bitch. I swear to god, I will make you hurt…"

"Miss Summers! Unhand Miss Underwood at once!"

Buffy swore under her breath as she saw one of her teachers approaching them. More trouble…just what she freaking needed.

"She…she just attacked me!" Cecily exclaimed as Buffy let her up. "It was completely unprovoked!"

"Miss Summers, please gather your things and come with me."

Buffy sighed, grabbing her book bag. "See you later, Wills," she said, following the teacher towards the office.

*** *** ***

Buffy stood outside of William's door, fighting back tears. Her outburst with Cecily had cost her a suspension for the rest of the week, though if her parents found out it could be much worse than that. This had been her last chance, and if she screwed up… Well, she wasn't quite sure what they'd do to her, but she knew it wouldn't be good.

She had to see William. He had to tell her that what Cecily was saying wasn't true—or even if it was that he didn't care about those things she did in the past. "I need to talk to William," she said as the family's butler opened the door to her.

"I'm afraid he is unable to accept company at this time, Miss Summers. He is engaged in his studies."

"I know, but it's really important," Buffy said. "Please. It won't be long."

"There are no exceptions, Miss Summers. You may call again when his tutor has gone for the day."

"Please. I need…"

"No exceptions," the butler repeated. "Good day, Miss Summers." He shut the door in her face, the sound of the lock clicking making a shudder go through Buffy's body.

She couldn't wait for William to be done with his lessons for the day. She needed to see him now, to have him tell her he still wanted her, no matter what Cecily had shown him. With her mouth set in a grim line of determination, she turned around, heading towards the back of the house and William's bedroom.

She climbed up the tree into his window, muttering under her breath as her uniform skirt made that more difficult than usual. Finally, she managed to make her way in, coming to a halt when she saw William sitting on his bed, a myriad of papers spread in front of him.

"Your butler said you were with your tutor," Buffy said.

William looked up sharply at her. "What are you doing here? It's not polite to come sneaking in through people's windows."

"I didn't sneak. I was pretty loud, actually. And you never minded it before," Buffy snapped.

William's jaw was tight. "Now's really not a good time, Buffy."

"Why did the butler tell me your tutor was here?" Buffy asked. "Did you tell him to lie to me?"

William sighed. "I just need some time alone right now, Buffy. Please…"

Buffy's heart clenched. "Cecily was over here. She…" Buffy stopped, marching over to the bed and grabbing a handful of papers, bile rising to her throat as she saw them. Pictures of her drunkenly clinging to men, more than one of whom she barely remembered….detailed accounts of many of her less shining moments…everything she wanted to escape. She threw them back to the bed.

"Is this how you see me? You're going to look at this crap printed by people who don't even know me, and give it value over what you already know about me?" she yelled.

"Buffy…I…"

Buffy didn't let William finish as a new thought came down on her like a black cloud. "Oh god, this is already what you thought of me. Cecily was right. You… Fuck." Buffy felt tears pricking her eyes again, and this time she couldn't keep them back. "This is why your mother was too sick to meet me but well enough to go visit relatives. You didn't want me to meet her. I wasn't good enough to be around your mother—I was just your whore!"

"What?" William stood up, making a move towards her, but stopping with Buffy backed away. "Buffy, I don't think of you as a…like that. If that's what Cecily said, then she was lying. I never said that…never thought that."

"No? Then why did you even keep those?" she asked, jabbing her hand towards the papers still spread out on the bed. "Why were you up here reading them? Why didn't you tell Cecily to get out and take her 'information' with her? It's like you're spying on me, William. If you wanted to know these things, you could've asked. I'm not proud of them, but I wouldn't lie to you."

"Bloody hell, Buffy, what did you expect out of me? Can you tell me if someone handed you a stack of papers that said things like this about me you could just ignore them?"

"Yes!"

"You could look at dozens of pictures of me hanging all over other women, read reports of nights I had that were so wild the bloody police had to be called in—not to mention the arson—and you could just brush it off?" Buffy's only response was a soft sob, her hand going up over her mouth. "It's a bit to process, Buffy," William said.

"You knew I had a past," Buffy said, her hand dropping to her side again. "You knew there had been other men. You knew."

"Knowing in a vague sense and seeing it right in front of me are too different things."

"So what, this is it? You can't handle who I was before I met you, so you're just going to bail?"

"I never said that," William replied quickly.

"You might as well have! It's obvious you can't deal with it."

William sighed. "I'm trying, Buffy, but it's a lot to deal with."

Buffy looked down—looking at his face only made it all hurt more. "Is it because of your title?"

"What?"

"Cecily—she told me you're a baron. Is that true?"

William was silent for a moment before he replied. "Yes."

"So that's what it is? I'm not good enough to be with a baron?"

"I never said that either!" William snapped, making Buffy look up. "Bloody hell, you can make things so sodding difficult! This has nothing to do with my title. I don't give a damn about the title! It's about the shock of seeing my girlfriend like this!" He grabbed a handful of pictures off the bed, throwing them one after the other to the floor in front of Buffy's feet.

Buffy began to cry harder, looking down at the grainy tabloid images. She'd regretted some of her past decisions before, but she'd never truly felt ashamed of them—not until right then. Maybe William was right to look down on her. Maybe Cecily was right and she was nothing but trash… "Just…just tell me one thing."

"All right."

"Did…did you purposely keep me from meeting your mother."

William stepped back, his shoulders slumping. "Yes. But…"

Buffy held up her hand. "No. Stop. That's all I needed to know."

"Buffy…"

"No. I…I need to go…" She turned, walking towards the door.

"Buffy, wait."

"I'm sorry, William," she said softly as she kept walking out, tears streaming down her cheeks.

William slumped down to the floor, letting her go. After all, he'd known it would end sooner or later anyway…

*** *** ***

I know that one was pretty harsh, but please hang in there with me, okay?

Please review!

Buffy sat on her bed, unable to stop the sobs that wracked her body. She couldn't believe this was happening. Things had been so good with William—they'd been perfect. Just that morning, they'd been in each other's arms, and now…

She wished she could bring herself to be angry at William. Everything would be so much easier if she could hate him now. But she couldn't. She couldn't even blame him for his reaction. Of course he didn't want to be with her anymore. He was a baron and she was a drunken slut with a criminal record.

No, she didn't hate William. She hated herself.

The knock on her door startled Buffy and she looked up sharply, wiping at her eyes. "Who is it?"

"It’s Giles. I received a call from your school today, and I'd like to talk to you about it."

Shit… Buffy thought. Just what she needed. She'd lost William and now Giles was probably going to send her back to her parents, who would probably stick her in a convent or something… She got off the bed and walked towards the door, trying to calm herself so she could ask Giles rationally to let her stay.

She didn't manage it. As soon as she saw him her tears started fresh and she began to ramble, her words running together. "Please…don't make me go…I'm sorry. I'll be good now, and I didn't mean to, it's just that Cecily was so horrible, and she said and did things, and I know that probably doesn't matter, but I'm sorry, and I don't want to go back to my parents because they'll probably make me be a nun, and I don't want to and…"

"Buffy, slow down," Giles said, holding up his hand. "I didn't say I was sending you anywhere."

"You're…you're not going to kick me out?"

"No. I merely wanted to discuss with you what happened. Would you be willing to go sit in my study with me so we might talk?"

Buffy nodded, still shaking slightly with her tears. "Okay."

Giles reached into his pocket and pulled out his handkerchief, handing it to her. "Come on. It's all right."

Buffy followed him to his study, wiping her eyes with the handkerchief as she did. When they got into the room, Giles pulled a chair for Buffy before sitting in one across from her. "Now as I understand it, you got into a small altercation this afternoon with Cecily Underwood at school. Can you tell me what happened?" Giles asked.

"Yes," Buffy said with a nod. "See, William…"

"William from next door?" Giles interrupted.

"Uh huh."

"And as I understand it, the two of you have been dating, correct?"

"We were," Buffy said, her face crumpling as she said the words. "I'm sorry…I'm just…"

"It's all right, dear child. Take your time, please," Giles said, giving her a soft, warm smile.

"Thank you." Buffy took a deep breath. "William used to like Cecily, but she shot him down. So then he started dating me. And she didn't care about him at all until I got with him, and all the sudden she just has to have him. So she hired a private investigator to dig up all the dirt from my life in L.A. and then gave it to William, who then got all freaked out about it."

Giles's eyes widened. "Wait…she did what?"

"She hired a private investigator to get information on me to give to William," Buffy repeated. "She had everything…tabloid clippings, police reports…"

"Please hold on a moment, Buffy," Giles said, rising from his seat. He went over to his desk, flipping through a thick address book before picking up the telephone and dialing a number. "Yes, Mrs. Underwood, please." Giles glanced briefly over at Buffy as he waited on the phone, then turned away as he began to speak again.

"Yes, Mrs. Underwood, this is Rupert Giles, the guardian of Miss Buffy Summers. Yes, I am aware of that. No, you listen here, Mrs. Underwood—your daughter hired an investigator to retrieve private information regarding Miss Summers that she then distributed to a third party—without either the knowledge or consent of Miss Summers—with the sole purpose of causing Miss Summers emotional and personal distress. I highly suggest you speak with your daughter immediately to curb any of this sort of behavior in the future, or you will be hearing from my lawyers. I have half a mind to take you and your daughter into court over what she's done already." Giles paused for a moment, listening, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I do appreciate it, Mrs. Underwood. I trust there will be no more trouble of this nature. Yes, of course. Good day."

Giles hung up the phone and turned back to Buffy. "You were saying?"

Even feeling as badly as she did, Buffy couldn't help smiling a little. "Thank you for that."

"It was my pleasure. I've never cared one bit for the Underwoods. Ghastly people, the lot of them," Giles replied, sitting back down. "Now, what happened with William?"

Buffy looked down at her hands, twisting the handkerchief. "I think we broke up."

"You think?"

Buffy sighed. "I don't know. It was just all so sudden. We were fine and then Cecily stepped in, and screwed it all up."

"I'm terribly sorry, Buffy. I know this sort of thing can be quite difficult."

"It hurts so much. I know we hadn't been together very long, but I really, really liked him," Buffy said, finding herself unable to keep from pouring her heart out. "He wasn't like other guys I've dated. He was actually…nice to me. He respected me, but now I guess that's shot all to hell." She sniffled.

Giles cleared his throat. "Well, I can't say I know much about teenage girls, never having been one myself, but I do believe that this sort of thing requires some type of ice cream with a ridiculous amount of chocolate in it. I have some in the freezer if you'd like to continue this discussion accompanied by it."

Buffy looked up. "I'd like that."

"Good." They both stood and Giles looked at her for a moment before reaching out, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Your parents needn't know about your suspension, Buffy. It can stay between us. And as for going back to live with them—my home is always open to you. Even when the school year has ended."

Buffy's eyes widened. "You…you actually mean that?"

"Yes. As I'm sure you have noticed, I never married. I am…seeing someone, but she has already done all the child rearing she wishes to do, and has no intention of remarrying in the near future—not that it's particularly something I want myself. But I have longed to have someone in my life that I can look on in a paternal sort of way, and as I see it, you are in as much need of a parent as I am of a daughter. I believe some sort of arrangement can be made."

Buffy felt her tears starting again, although this time for an entirely different reason. She tried to speak, but found herself unsure of what to say. Instead, she threw her arms around Giles, embracing him tightly. He hesitated for a moment, unused to such a gesture, before hugging her back. "Thank you," Buffy whispered against him. "Thank you so much."

"It is my pleasure to look upon you as family, my dear." Buffy pulled away and Giles smiled softly at her, brushing her tears from her cheeks. "Now, how about that ice cream, hmm?"

*** *** ***

William sat alone in his room, the lights off. He couldn't quite wrap his head around what had happened only a few hours earlier. Had he honestly just broken up with Buffy?

Being without her was the last thing he wanted. All he had wanted was a little time to process seeing those pictures before they talked. Seeing her with other men had hit him hard, bringing out the jealous boyfriend in him, and he hadn't wanted to take that out on Buffy. He hadn't wanted to fight with her.

And hadn't that just blown up in his face? He felt like an idiot, cursing himself for his complete lack of relationship knowledge. He didn't know how to handle these things, didn't know what he was supposed to say or do. Then Buffy had taken everything the wrong way, thinking he judged her for things she'd done before they'd gotten together. He didn't. He couldn't. He loved her too much to look at her that way. It had been a shock, but she was still the same person she'd been that morning, and he loved her just as much as ever.

Buffy, on the other hand, obviously believed he did judge her. She'd accused him of thinking of her as his whore and of wanting to break up with her because of his title. How could she think he'd do those things? Hadn't he shown her that she meant the world to him? He'd tried. But he wasn't very good at these sorts of things at all…

He'd thought that Buffy had enjoyed all the time they'd spent together in bed, but what if she hadn't? What if she felt like he was pushing for it too much, that it was all he wanted out of her? Was that what had driven her to accuse him of thinking of her as a whore? If that were the case… William grew pale, feeling suddenly ill. Had he made Buffy feel that way? He knew he shouldn't have given into his body's desires the way he had. He hadn't shown Buffy enough respect. That had to be why she felt this way about him.

And what could he say to her now? Would she believe that he was willing to treat her the way a gentleman should? Of course she wouldn't. She was probably glad to be rid of him, grateful to no longer have to serve his every base desire. She'd wanted someone who didn't treat her the way those men in the pictures had, and William had shown himself to be no better than them. He had treated her as a whore, not as the love she was.

He wanted to find some way to apologize, but knew there was none. He'd been so incredibly foolish and ruined the best thing that had ever happened to him. He ached all over, his chest clenching, but he didn't try to push away the pain. He deserved it after the way he'd treated Buffy.

William looked over towards her bedroom, seeing it dark with the blinds closed. He wondered where she was, and if she was hurting, too. He knew she probably was, thinking of the horrible way he'd behaved towards her, and he hated himself. Buffy didn't deserve what he'd done to her. She had so much pain in her life already with her parents, and the last thing she needed was him adding to it.

He turned his gaze back to the ceiling, sighing heavily. "You're a stupid git, Will," he said aloud. "A stupid, pathetic git."

All he could do was hope Buffy would someday move past what he'd done to her and find someone who wasn't too much of an idiot to treat her right.

*** *** ***

Buffy woke the next morning feeling off. Her body ached and something just felt wrong. And then it hit her in a rush.

She'd broken up with William…

A minute into her day and she was already sobbing. She was grateful for her suspension. There was no way she could face Cecily today.

"Buffy? Are you awake?" she heard Giles call through her door, tapping lightly.

Buffy sniffled, wiping at her eyes. "Yeah."

"May I come in?"

"Sure," Buffy said, sitting up in bed.

Giles opened the door, giving her a sympathetic look. "I thought I heard you crying."

"I just started," Buffy said. "Granted, I've only been awake for like two minutes…"

"Which do you think would help you more, Buffy? Staying in and keeping to yourself or going out and trying to keep your mind off of it? Perhaps some shopping?"

Buffy looked at him incredulously. "Giles, are you offering to take me shopping? 'Cause that's a scary endeavor…"

Giles took off his glasses, polishing them on the edge of his shirt. "Yes, well, if it would help you to feel better, I would risk it."

"I appreciate it. I really do. But I think this is going to be a curl up in the bed and feel sorry for myself sort of day," Buffy replied.

"All right then. But if you change your mind, do let me know. I'll be in the study. If you need anything at all, ring for me and I'll be here."

Buffy gave him a tiny smile. "Thank you. No one's ever treated me like this before. It's almost like having someone care about me."

"I do care about you, Buffy," Giles replied. "I meant what I said last night. No one should have to feel alone in this world. Be they seventeen year old girls or…very old men."

Buffy snorted. "You're not very old. I mean, you don't have to gum all your food or anything."

Giles chuckled. "Thank you. I do appreciate that." He reached out, squeezing Buffy's shoulder. "Do let me know if you need anything at all. Would you like me to bring some movies up here for you to watch?"

"Ooh, would you? I think I have The Princess Bride downstairs."

"Of course. I'll be back in a moment."

Buffy wiped at her eyes, feeling somewhat better even though the hole in her heart that William had left still ached. But at least she wasn't suffering in solitude. For the first time in her life she felt like there was someone who really cared for her.

*** *** ***

I did warn about angst—repeatedly in fact. So if you've gotten this far, you really don't have that much room to complain because it's not like I just threw it in out of the blue… But like I said before, I won't drag it on for a really long time.

Please review!

William thought he might be going crazy. He hadn't seen Buffy in two days and already he couldn't take it. He couldn't sleep, his bed too large and cold without her in it. He needed to hold her, touch her, kiss her, move inside of her. He was craving sex more now than he had before he'd actually had it, and he couldn't exactly figure out why that was. Shouldn't he have gotten enough in the past couple of weeks that his body would be accepting of a break?

Apparently not.

His bed smelled like her, the lingering traces of the scent of her hair on his pillows enough to drive him insane. It taunted him, reminding him cruelly of what he'd lost. He thought he should perhaps wash them, but he couldn't bring himself to erase what little remained of her. He'd rather have a painful reminder than nothing at all.

He couldn't concentrate on his studies, his mind wandering to the point that his tutor had left early, stating that he wasn't going to waste his time when William clearly wasn't paying the least bit of attention.

The house was filled with her. Every place he looked, he could almost see her, hear her. The time they'd spent here together had been short, but it had been enough to leave a deep impression on his mind, haunting him wherever he went.

It didn't take William long at all to realize he couldn't live like this. He needed Buffy, needed to touch her, to run his hands along her smooth, golden skin. She'd worked her way into his system, into his blood, and she was a craving now—an addiction.

His body told him to go to her and beg her forgiveness until she let him back into her bed, but he knew he couldn't do that. He'd already hurt her enough by making her feel like a whore. He refused to do it any further. He would have to remind himself how to be a gentleman, to curb his needs around a lady, put her first.

Knowing that didn't make it easy to do. He wanted her here with him, if even for a moment, just to see her smile. But no. He'd buggered up everything and he was alone.

William wasn't going to make it like this. He needed to do something—anything—to dull the aching in his heart. He'd thought he could just accept things as they were, that it would be just like it was before Buffy, and maybe he could survive that. But the loneliness and emptiness he felt now were a thousand times worse than anything he'd felt in the past. He'd touched happiness and learned that it really wasn't better to have loved and lost than to have never love at all. At least if you'd never loved at all you didn't know what you were missing.

William knew. And he couldn't live without it. He had to come up with a way to make this hurting stop and fast.

*** *** ***

Buffy had spent all day Thursday and part of Friday in bed. She'd moped, she'd felt sorry for herself, she'd cried her eyes out.

Then shortly after lunch on Friday she'd decided it was time for her to suck it up. Losing William hurt her more than she could even describe, but she'd always bounced back from everything she'd faced in the past. She was strong, a survivor.

There was a party that night and she was going to go. She had no doubt that Cecily would be there, and Buffy was going to show her that it took more than this to keep Buffy Summers down. She wouldn't allow Cecily the satisfaction of thinking she'd broken her.

But that didn't mean that Buffy wasn't going to get herself some moral support. She'd gotten Giles to pull a few strings and allow Willow a weekend away from the school on short notice, and the redhead had agreed to accompany Buffy to the party.

Not that she was happy about it… Willow sat on Buffy's bed, reluctantly allowing Buffy to do her hair and make up. "Parties really aren't my thing," Willow said, her eyes screwed shut as Buffy attempted to apply eye shadow. "They make me really nervous."

"I promise I won't abandon you," Buffy said. "And stop squinting. It's making this really difficult."

"I can't help it! My eyes want to squint when someone comes after them with some pointy thing!"

"It's an eye shadow brush, Wills. It's supposed to be near your eye. Just relax. I'm an expert at this. I used to dream about doing hair and make-up for the stars."

"Really?" Willow asked, trying to make herself relax like Buffy had told her to. "Why don't you want to anymore?"

"I don't know. Just changed my mind, I guess," Buffy replied. "And I'm not living in L.A. anymore, which makes a difference. Not that I couldn't do it in England, too, but it wouldn't be the same."

"I thought you were going back to L.A. after school ended," Willow said.

"I was going to, but I really didn't want to. I was miserable living there. But Giles told me that I could stay with him as long as I wanted to. He even offered to support me through college if I wanted to do school in England."

"Wow. That's just…wow."

"I know. He's such a nice man. I feel really lucky to have him in my life. He's been great over the past couple of days, trying to make me feel better about William." Buffy swallowed as she said his name, the sound of the word making her heart clench. "Okay, now hold your lips like this," she said, pushing down the pain as she demonstrated the expression she wanted Willow to make.

"Like this?" Willow asked as she mirrored Buffy.

"Yep, that's it," Buffy replied, grabbing the lipstick and putting it on Willow. She then handed her a tissue. "Okay, now put it on between your lips and blot." Buffy smacked her own lips together. "Like this."

Willow did what she said before reaching out warily for the mirror Buffy had on the bed. "I don't look like a clown, do I?"

"Not unless clowns got a lot sexier since the last time I was at the circus," Buffy said with a teasing grin. "You look great, Willow. A real dish."

Willow brought the mirror up, examining her face. "I…I don't know if it's really me."

"You're fine. And I promise you it's only for a little while anyway. I just need to show Cecily that she hasn't broken me. Then we can come back here and have a good old fashioned slumber party," Buffy replied.

"Okay. But I'm only doing this 'cause you're like the only friend I have. And also because I think Cecily's a total b-i-t-c-h."

"To put it mildly." Buffy jumped up. "Okay, time for wardrobe."

"Wardrobe? What's wrong with that I have on?" Willow asked.

"Wills, we're going to a party, not an Amish barn raising. Just trust me here. I will not lead you astray."

Willow sighed, getting to her feet. "I'm taking a lot on faith here."

Buffy chuckled. "I know. And I appreciate it. Now come on, let's raid my closet."

*** *** ***

"Okay, I can do this," Buffy said, smoothing down her skirt as they stood outside the house where the party was being held. "I'm perfectly fine. My heart has not been ripped out and smashed to a bloody paste, and Cecily Underwood has no power over me whatsoever."

"Might be a little more convincing if you didn't have that terrified look on your face," Willow said. "Just a suggestion."

"Right. Let's go in." They'd taken only a few steps when Buffy stopped abruptly, turning around. "I can't do this. It's too soon, and my heart is broken, and Cecily is the last person in the world I want to see right now."

Willow crossed her arms in front of her. "Oh no you don't. You got me all dressed up and dragged me out to this party, and we're going in." She pointed to her face. "This is my Resolve Face. Do you know what that means yet?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay, then you know there's no changing my mind. Besides, you were right. You do need to show Cecily that you're fine—even if it's a complete and total lie. She's spent too long pushing people around. It's time someone stood up to her."

"You can be damn forceful when you want to be," Buffy said. "You're a little scary."

"You're darn right I am," Willow said with a nod. "Now march. It's party time."

Buffy took a deep breath, walking with Willow up to the house and knocking on the door. They were let in without question, though all eyes were definitely on Buffy, this being her first public appearance since her suspension. The rumors had been flying since Wednesday, the most recent one having escalated to Buffy trying to stab Cecily to death with her cafeteria fork.

Buffy sorta wished she'd thought of that one at the time…

She didn't let the looks people were giving her phase her. Instead, she held her head up high, acting as if the whispers meant nothing to her. She'd faced much worse from the crowd back in Los Angeles. These people were nothing but amateurs in comparison.

She kept Willow by her side, keeping her promise to not abandon the other girl. She noticed that Willow seemed to be relaxing, seeing her bopping her head to the music a few times. Buffy nudged her friend. "Told you it wouldn't be so bad."

"I can think of a lot of things that would be better," Willow replied.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "There are a lot worse, too." She handed Willow her cup. "Could you hold my drink for me? I'm going to go to the bathroom."

"You'll…you'll be back soon, right?" Willow asked, fear in her eyes.

"Of course. This skirt just squeezes my bladder…sorry. I'll be back so quickly you won't even know I was gone."

"Okay. I'll be right here. In this spot," Willow said. "I'm not budging."

Buffy chuckled. "Whatever you want to do." She made her way through the crowd and down the hall, stopping short when she heard Cecily's voice. The shrill sound cut right through her, and Buffy's insides turned. She'd wanted to show Cecily that she was strong, but at the same time, she was hoping she wouldn't actually run into her at all. Buffy was sure that Cecily would find out she'd come to the party by word of mouth alone.

Buffy took a deep breath, resolving to just walk by the room where Cecily was, hoping the brunette wouldn't even notice her. She'd just gotten to the open door when she stopped short, realizing who Cecily was in there with. Her heart dropped, her legs threatening to give out from under her.

"William, I really do love you. I was a fool before, for what I said to you. I didn't mean it, darling."

Buffy froze, unable to keep walking. William's back was to her, and she waited for his answer, needing to know how he'd respond. Would he accept the advances of a woman who had done to her what Cecily did?

"Cecily, I…"

Cecily didn't let William finish. She grabbed him, pulling him in for a kiss. Buffy felt her world shatter in that instant, and she turned and ran to the bathroom, though her reason for needing to be there had changed. She slammed the door behind her, locking it before going to the toilet and retching up the contents of her stomach.

Soon, she pulled up, wiping at her mouth with a piece of toilet paper before flushing. She couldn't believe this, couldn't believe what she saw. But then again, it made sense. Cecily was the woman William had truly wanted. If he could have her, then Buffy would be nothing to him.

She sunk to the bathroom floor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She wasn't sure how long she'd been there before she heard a knock on the door. "I'll…I'll be out in a minute," she managed to call out.

"Buffy, it's Willow. You've been gone for a while. I came to check on you."

Buffy rose shakily to her feet, going to the door and opening it. "I'm sorry. I just…" She took a deep breath, her body shaking. "I saw William and Cecily kissing."

"What? No way!"

"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes," Buffy replied. "It was horrible. She…she told him she loved him. And then…" She fell over against Willow, crying as her heart broke.

"I'm so sorry, Buffy. I can't believe William turned out to be such a jerk."

"Me either. He seemed like the exact opposite of this. I guess…I guess all guys really are the same."

"Do you want to go home now?" Willow asked. "We can call for our ride to come early, and sit outside while we wait, get some fresh air."

Buffy nodded, pulling up. "Okay."

Willow wrapped her arm around Buffy, walking with her out of the party.

*** *** ***

Please don't yell at me… Just hang in here a bit longer.

If you're all still with me, I'll post the next part tomorrow.

Please review!

William spent most of the day Friday trying to come up with a way to get Buffy back. He rejected every plan that come to his mind, nothing seeming to be quite the right way to convince Buffy that he wanted her for more than sex and that her past wasn't something he was going to let come between them.

Finally, he accepted what he needed to do. In some ways it was the simplest plan, but it also felt like the most difficult.

He had to tell Buffy that he loved her.

The idea had him in a near panic, even as he tried to look at it rationally. He'd already lost her, so it wasn't as if it could really ruin the relationship further. Maybe it would actually work in his favor and Buffy would want his love—would want to stay with him.

And maybe she would throw his declaration back in his face the same way Cecily had.

It was that fear that made William keep hesitating. Cecily's rejection had hurt, but he knew Buffy's would be a thousand times worse. If she laughed at him and mocked his feelings he didn't think he'd be able to take it.

But would Buffy do that? Was that the kind of woman he had spent the past week with, that he had fallen in love with? He remembered all the times Buffy had urged him to believe in himself, to be strong, to stop thinking he was nothing. No, Buffy wasn't at all cold-hearted like Cecily.

Finally, William had his mind firmly set. He would go to her right then, tell her how he felt. Buffy had made him a man

It was time he started acting like one.

*** *** ***

William took a deep breath when the front door of Buffy's house started to open, telling himself that he could do this—that he had to do this. He looked up at the man who had answered the door, taking a deep breath before he spoke, "Mr. Giles—I do apologize for the late hour, but it is important that I speak with Buffy."

Giles had hoped William would come through after all, and he was certain that's why he was there then. He had every bit the look of a lovesick boy desperate to win back the object of his affections. "I'm sorry, William, Buffy isn't here. She's attending a party with a school friend of hers, a Miss Willow Rosenberg."

"Oh," William said, his disappointment obvious.

"However, if you'd be willing to wait a moment, I could ask my driver for the address of where he dropped off the girls."

Hope returned to William's eyes. "Would you?"

"Of course. Please, come in while I make the inquiry."

William nodded, saying a quick thank you as he stepped into the house. Perhaps this night would go well for him after all…

*** *** ***

As soon as he walked through the door, William remembered why he hated parties. It was too loud, too crowded, and he couldn't find Buffy anywhere. He sighed, just about to start asking around, when he felt a tug on his arm. He turned, frowning at who he saw. "Oh. Cecily. It's you."

"William, I must speak with you," Cecily said, biting her lip in a way William assumed she thought was provocative. If that were indeed the case, William found her to be sadly mistaken. "It is rather important."

"I don't have the time right now, Cecily," William replied, pulling his arm out of her grasp.

"Please, William. Don't make me beg you." She grabbed his arm again, pulling him away from the crowd and into another room. "Does this remind you of anything?" she asked once they were alone.

"No," William replied, annoyed. "Should it?"

"It's much like the situation we were in when you first professed your love for me," Cecily said with a coy smile.

William frowned. He guessed the rooms were somewhat similar. "Then it's also much like the situation where you rejected me—like quite a bitch, I might add."

"I know. Oh, how I regret that night!" She paused, looking into his eyes. "William, I really do love you. I was a fool before, for what I said to you. I didn't mean it, darling!"

William stared at her for a moment. Only a short time ago, those words would have filled him delight. Now they only filled him with nausea. How could he have ever thought this woman was anything special? And Buffy had been right about her eyes. They did bulge in a rather disturbing fashion. He frowned. "Cecily, I…"

Suddenly, Cecily had grabbed him and kissed him. William froze for a moment, her unexpected action putting him into shock. But soon he realized what was happening and pushed her away in disgust, frantically wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Cecily's kiss did nothing to him that Buffy's kisses did, the whole experience being not a thing but unpleasant.

"I don't love you, Cecily," William replied angrily. "I don't even like you. I think you're a horrible, selfish person. What you did to Buffy to come between us was cruel. I have never seen anyone so petty in my life. Any feelings I may have felt for you in the past were based on my own personal delusions, and I can promise you I am quite over them."

"Because of that slut Buffy Summers? Please, William!" Cecily screeched. "She isn't good enough for you. You're a baron, William—she's nothing but a whore!"

Cecily's words made a few things click into place for William. "You told the same thing to Buffy on Wednesday, didn't you?" he accused.

"It's the truth, William. If you can't see it…"

William grabbed Cecily by the arms. "Listen to me, you bloody little bint. You stay far away from Buffy," he snarled, his anger clear in his eyes. "She's better than you'll ever be, you daft cow."

Cecily trembled. "William! You're frightening me!"

"I'll do more than that if you ever come near Buffy again," William sneered. He dropped Cecily and turned towards the door.

"You'll regret this," Cecily said, rubbing her sore arms.

"The only thing I regret is being fool enough to believe I cared for you," William replied.

He went back to the party, searching for Buffy. He asked several people, the general consensus being she had been there but since vanished. And something about Cecily and a fork?

After an hour, William came to the conclusion that she had left. Cursing under his breath, he stormed out of the party, determined to hunt her down, even if it took him all night.

*** *** ***

"I'm sorry I'm being so un-fun tonight," Buffy said to Willow as they both sat on Buffy's bed, an assortment of snack foods between them.

"Don't worry about that at all," Willow replied. "You have the right to be sulky-girl right now. I would be, too."

"Still, you're probably wishing you'd just stayed back at school in the dorms."

"Uh, no," Willow said. "This is my first weekend away from that place all year. I would definitely rather be here than there. Besides, you need a friend right now."

"I do. I'm really glad you're here. I'm not sure I could be handling things too well right now if I was alone."

"You don't have to. I'll…" Willow stopped. "Did you hear something?"

"No. Like what?" Buffy asked with a frown.

"Some sort of tapping." Both girls were quiet for a moment until Willow said, "I heard it again."

"Me, too, that time," Buffy said, rising to her feet. "It sounds like someone's throwing stuff at the window." She walked over, opening the curtains and then the window itself, looking out. She gasped when she saw William standing beneath it. "What do you want?" she snapped.

"Buffy, please, I need to talk to you," William replied. "It's important."

The image of him kissing Cecily played over and over in Buffy's mind. "I have nothing to say to you, William."

"Buffy, please, just give me a few minutes…"

"No! Go away, William! I don't ever want to see you again!" She slammed the window shut and pulled the curtains closed.

Willow had come up behind her when she had heard Buffy yelling at William. "Are you gonna be okay?" she asked softly.

"I…I think so," Buffy replied, even as fresh tears were forming in her eyes. "I can't believe he came here. What, did Cecily turn him down again, so he thought he'd try to see what he could get from his old stand by?"

Willow gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm so sorry, Buffy. I really wish William hadn't turned out to be such a jerk."

"Yeah, me, too." Buffy walked back over to the bed, sitting on the edge. "I really thought he was different. He seemed like such a nice guy, and I was really starting to believe that that's what he was. But I guess I was wrong again. Stupid, naïve Buffy, falling in love again even after having her heart ripped out before…" She sighed. "And you know what the worst part is? I still love him. After all of this, my heart should just kick him out, y'know? He's apparently not the man I thought he was, so I should just stop loving him. But I can't. I still want him so badly, Willow."

Willow sat down beside her. "Love sounds rough."

"It is," Buffy said, wiping at her eyes. "It's so tempting to just crawl back to him and beg him to keep me at least a little while longer, but I can't. I did that with Angel, and things only got worse. I have to be strong this time like I wasn't then. I can't allow myself to get walked all over."

"I'll be here with you this weekend, make sure you stay strong," Willow offered.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it. It'll be better having a friend around to keep my mind off of William-y type things." Buffy took a deep breath and let it out. "But would you be disappointed if I was ready to just go to sleep now? I'm worn out."

"Of course I wouldn't," Willow replied. "I'm pretty tired myself, actually."

"Okay." Buffy stood. "I'll walk you over to your room."

Willow got up and followed Buffy out.

*** *** ***

William walked dejectedly back to his house, fighting tears. He was tired of crying, tired of feeling so weak. The tears had seemed to be ever present since Buffy had walked out of his bedroom two days ago and he wished they'd stop. He was feeling pathetic.

He went up to his room, not bothering to turn on the lights as he walked over to his bed and sat down on the edge, facing Buffy's bedroom. The curtains were drawn, closing her off to him. He longed for the days when they'd been open, and not just for the sort of voyeuristic treat Buffy had given him the night they'd met. Everything had seemed brighter with her there, as if the light she exuded pierced through the darkness his life had been before he'd met her. She was radiant, his golden goddess.

"This is the east, and Juliet's the sun! Arise fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who's already sick and pale with grief," William said aloud, his words followed by an almost hysterical laugh. The tears he'd tried to fight off earlier were coming now, and he wiped them away roughly, cursing his heart for breaking.

He saw now that he was an idiot for believing he could simply talk to Buffy and make everything go back to the way it had been. She'd never loved him and losing him seemed to mean little to her. She could still party with her friends. She could dismiss him easily, banishing him from her life without a second glance.

She never wanted to see him again… He'd decided in the beginning that he'd do anything for Buffy, but how could he grant such a request? How could he spend the rest of his life without the woman he loved?

It seemed to be impossible. While he knew that he'd spent much more of his life without Buffy than with, she'd managed to turn his whole world upside down when she'd stepped into it. He couldn't go back to the way things had been before now that he knew the way they could be.

But there was nothing he could do to change it. If that was how Buffy felt, then it was truly over.

William would just have to learn to live without her.

*** *** ***

I want to take a moment to say thank you for the huge response this fic has gotten. I never intended it to become anything like this, planning a short story without much in the way of a plot at all. But instead, it grew into something much more that has seemed to capture not only my attention, but that of many readers. This fic has quickly become my most read and my most reviewed on every website where I post, and I can't tell you how much it means to me that so many people are enjoying this story. I don't think it could've become what it is without the support of so many readers, and I thank each and every one of you for allowing me to entertain you.

"I trust you young ladies both slept well last night," Giles said as he walked into the dining room where Buffy and Willow were having breakfast.

"We did," Buffy replied, though it was far from the truth. Even with as tired as she'd been, Buffy had found sleep almost impossible after the events of the night. She had tossed and turned, finding any sleep at all only in short, fitful dozes.

"Did William find you last night?" Giles asked. "He came by around nine o'clock, asking for you. I told him you were at the party."

"He was there," Buffy replied. "But he didn't find me—he found Cecily."

Giles gasped slightly. "Cecily Underwood? Are you certain? He seemed quite determined to speak to you specifically."

"Well, apparently that was before he got all lip-locky with Cecily," Buffy replied. "Because that's what he was doing there."

"Are you positive that's what you saw?" Giles asked with a frown.

"Yes. It's not really something I could forget, Giles," Buffy replied.

"I'm sorry, Buffy," Giles said. "If I had any idea William was going to do that, I never would have sent him. But he seemed so desperate to see you…"

"It's not your fault," Buffy told him. "You had no way of knowing William was going to be such a…" Buffy frowned. "Well, such a seventeen-year-old boy."

"Still, I am sorry. I'm sorry that you're hurting."

"Thanks, Giles, but I really am doing okay. And Willow and I are going shopping later, so I can just spend these blues right away."

Giles had been around long enough to recognize the lie for what it was, but he let it stand for the time being. "All right then. But if you need me for anything, I am here."

"I know."

He patted her shoulder. "I have some work to do, but you can call me if you need to. Have a good day, both of you."

"Thanks Giles—you, too."

Giles walked out of the dining room, his brow creasing as he tried to figure out exactly how William had gone from standing on his doorstep desperate to see Buffy to kissing Cecily.

Something didn't add up.

*** *** ***

"William, darling, are you in here?"

William rolled over at the sound of his mother's voice on the other side of his bedroom door. He guessed it must be Sunday since she'd called and told him that was when she'd be back, though the past couple of days had been pretty much a blur. He said nothing, not wishing to speak to anyone.

"William? Sweetheart?" The door opened, his mother poking her head in. She gasped when she saw her son, hurrying over to the side of the bed, sitting down. "Are you all right?"

"Not particularly," William muttered.

"What happened? Are you ill?"

"Maybe. I don't know."

His mother looked him over, taking in his disheveled appearance and red-rimmed eyes. "You've broken up with your girlfriend, haven't you?"

"She never wants to see me again," William replied. "Never…"

"Oh my poor boy," his mother said, reaching out to stroke his hair. "What happened?"

"I don't know. She thinks I thought something that I don't think at all, and I tried to explain, but she wouldn't listen, and now she's just gone…" William replied, a lump forming in his throat.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I know she meant a lot to you. And that the two of you were…very close."

William sat up, looking at his mother in suspicion. "What do you mean by that?"

"William, Kathleen found a pair of women's underwear in your sheets quite a few days ago when she was doing the wash. I assumed they were not yours."

William blushed a deep red. "Mother, I…I'm sorry, I didn't…"

"Dearest, it's all right," his mother said with a small smile. "I'm not going to lie and say it puts me at ease thinking of my teenaged son in a physical relationship, but I'm not so naïve as to think such things don't happen. I was young once myself, you know. I was seventeen when I met your father…"

William's face went from red to pale. "Mother! Please!"

She held up her hands. "All right, I won't say anything else. Just letting you know you weren't really pulling anything over on your mother, young man."

The blush returned. "I didn't mean for things to get the way they did with Buffy. It just…"

"Happened. I know, William. I do need to ask, though—did you use protection?"

William squirmed slightly, unable to believe he was actually having this conversation with his mother. And how was she saying these things with a completely normal expression? "Yes, we did. Buffy uses birth control pills." He looked away from her as he spoke.

"At least you were being responsible. That's the most a mother can really hope for, I suppose." She patted her son's leg. "When did you break up?"

"Wednesday. I tried to find her Friday and tell her how I feel, hoping I'd get her back, but she didn't want to listen. Didn't even want to have me around."

"What did you do?"

"I upset her, I guess, but she misunderstood what I was saying and wouldn't let me explain."

"If it was a misunderstanding, can't you just talk to her, tell her what really happened?"

"Tried. She wouldn't let me." William sighed. "She's not interested in me, Mother. Not anymore. There's a boy back in California, I suppose she still has feelings for him."

"Did she tell you this?"

"No."

His mother frowned. "So how do you know?"

"I just know. I really don't wish to talk about it."

"William, honey, I really believe you need to speak to Buffy, see what you can do to straighten all this out."

"I tried! She won't listen. How can I talk to her if she won't have anything to do with me?"

She pushed his hair away from his forehead. "Try one more time, William. Perhaps she has softened in her anger towards you."

"I've tried enough. I knew she wouldn't stick around anyway. Why should she? I'm just poor, pathetic William the Bloody Awful Poet."

"You are far from pathetic."

"You have to say that 'cause you're my mum," William muttered.

"No, I don't. And I'm not. I'm saying that because I'm the mother of a wonderful boy. And really, I do think you should try to speak to Buffy again."

William looked away. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. How are Winifred and Wesley?"

His mother frowned, but decided not to press the subject any further. The boy could be as stubborn as his father sometimes…

*** *** ***

The first thing Buffy noticed when she showed up at school Monday was how many people looked at her and laughed. She had looked in the mirror before she'd left the house and knew she didn't have anything embarrassing on her. So why were they doing that?

She got her answer when she walked into the building. The halls were covered in papers—photocopied police reports, tabloid stories, and pictures. She snatched one picture off the wall of her in a particularly compromising position and tears formed in her eyes before she crumpled it into a ball, throwing it to the ground in anger. She marched over to her locker, stopping short when she saw what was written on it.

Whore. In bright, red letters.

"Look over there, it's Slutty Summers," she heard someone sneer from behind her. "I heard she was a porn star back in the States."

"I heard she's a total nymphomaniac and tries to have sex with every bloke she sees."

"I bet she has all sorts of diseases."

Buffy refused to turn and look around, even as the girls burst into a fit of giggles. She opened her locker and got out her books before shutting it back and walking with her head up high to her first class.

They would not break her.

*** *** ***

Buffy hadn't been in her first class of the day very long at all before she was called to the office. She sighed, preparing to pack her bags for another suspension—or expulsion. If history had taught her anything, it was that the school administration would always place the blame on her, even when in fact, she was the victim.

She stopped short, her eyes widening, when she walked into the headmaster's office and saw that Cecily was there as well. The headmaster looked up, waving Buffy in. "Please, Miss Summers, have a seat."

Buffy did as she was told, inching to the far side of her chair so she could be as far as possible from Cecily. Just being in the same room with the brunette made her feel ill.

The headmaster cleared his throat, leaning slightly forward with his hands clasped on his desk. "Now, I know that you're both aware of the incident that occurred this morning regarding a redecorating of our halls."

Cecily flipped her hair. "I certainly don't see why I have to be here for that. If Buffy feels the need to advertise her 'talents' in our school…"

"Silence, Miss Underwood!" the headmaster snapped. Cecily slunk back in her seat, fear obvious on her face now. "You are here because surveillance tapes from last night clearly show you not only as the culprit of this heinous, inexcusable prank, but also breaking into the building in order to do it. These are actions we will not condone at our institution. Furthermore, your continued harassment as well as tendency to display personal, private files—that you no doubt obtained in an unacceptable manner—pertaining to Miss Summers has put you and your family in a position to face serious legal action, which would bring nothing but negative attention to our school and distraction to the other students."

"It…it was just a joke!" Cecily protested. "It wasn't a big deal."

"It was cruel, Miss Underwood," the headmaster snapped. "Some jokes are simply not humorous, and this is one of them. What you have done to Miss Summers is horrendous, as is your complete lack of remorse. The qualities you have displayed are not ones that we look for in the girls we educate here. There is an officer waiting outside to escort you to gather your things and then off of campus. You are not welcome back."

Cecily gaped. "I'm…I'm expelled?"

"Yes," the headmaster responded simply.

"You…you can't do this! I'll never get into Cambridge with this on my record!"

"You should have thought of your ambitions before jeopardizing them all with your unintelligent actions, Miss Underwood. It appears that your continued torment of Miss Summers was more important to you than anything else, and you shall now pay the price for such behavior. You are dismissed."

"No! This isn't fair! Buffy attacked me last week, and she only got a three day suspension! How can I get expelled for this?" Cecily screeched.

"Last Wednesday was Miss Summers' first disciplinary problem since arriving here, and in light of recent events, I have no doubt in my mind that she was provoked. This is far from yours, Miss Underwood. Now please, you can either leave campus under your own power or you can be forcibly removed. It's your choice."

Cecily stood up, flipping her hair haughtily. "Fine. I'll leave." She turned to Buffy, her face and voice menacing. "Don't think I'll let you get away with this."

"Miss Underwood!" the headmaster exclaimed. "That threat you just made to Miss Summers is noted should her guardian, Mr. Giles, decide to pursue legal actions regarding your continued harassment of Miss Summers."

Cecily blinked. "What?"

"Means if you don't leave me alone, we're going to sue your skanky ass," Buffy replied with a smug smile.

"And under such circumstances, the matter of breaking into the school may merit further attention," the headmaster added. "In which case, time in jail may be a very real possibility."

At that, Cecily said nothing more, simply paling as she hurried from the office.

"Well, I can't say that didn't just make my morning—'cause it did—but can I ask why I was called to the office?" Buffy asked once Cecily was gone.

"I spoke this morning to Mr. Giles regarding this incident. He said you may wish to be present for the disciplinary actions against Miss Underwood."

"And he was way right," Buffy said. She cleared her throat. "Thank you."

"You were made a victim here, Miss Summers, and for that I am deeply sorry. This is not the sort of environment we wish for our students here. Whatever your problems may have been in the past, you have been an exemplary student since your first day here. Your grades and your attitude have been impressive, and I have noticed in you a kindness that is not present in Miss Underwood or any of her social group. Where they tormented Miss Rosenberg, you have befriended her, bringing out a marked improvement in the girl's mood. These are things we recognize here and reward. Miss Underwood's behavior was nothing above that of a common hoodlum, and that we do not reward. And please, do not hesitate to come to me should anyone harass you further regarding this or any matter. We shall have no tolerance for that at all."

Buffy blinked for a moment. She was a model student? Whoa… "Thank you," she said softly.

"It is my pleasure, Miss Summers. You are a very bright girl, and we are proud to have you here at our fine institution. Now please return to class."

Buffy stood. "Thank you again," she said quickly before exiting the office.

She walked back to class with a smile on her face.

*** *** ***

Buffy went straight to Giles's library after school, finding him there at his desk. "The strangest thing happened to me today," she said, getting his attention. "Granted, this morning as pretty strange finding my life's history plastered to the walls, but after that, I was called into the office to watch Cecily Underwood expelled. Any thoughts on that?"

"I did warn the Underwoods," Giles replied. "See Buffy, I give a rather large charitable donation every year to the school. Should Cecily have been allowed to remain there, those donations would cease."

"You blackmailed the school to get Cecily out? For me? You're like the coolest dad ever!" Buffy exclaimed, running over to Giles and throwing her arms around him.

Giles's smile was almost embarrassed as he returned Buffy's sudden embrace. "Yes, well, I couldn't allow her to continue in such a manner. It was interfering with your education."

Buffy pulled up, slapping him lightly on the shoulder. "Bah. You did it 'cause you wanted to get back at Cecily for picking on me."

"Yes, well, I suppose that may have had something to do with it," Giles replied, taking off his glasses.

"See—the best." Buffy kissed his cheek, making him blush. "Really, thank you. For everything you've done."

"I'm happy to, Buffy. And Cecily did have it coming."

"Boy did she ever." Buffy stepped back. "I'll let you get back to your work now. See you later, Giles."

"All right, Buffy. Let me know if you need me for anything."

"I will."

Giles watched Buffy go, hoping this was only the first of things to get better in her life. The other thing he was wishing would correct itself may take more time, but as of that afternoon, steps had been made. He'd just have to cross his fingers and pray that everything worked out for the best.

*** *** ***

See—I am working on fixing stuff.

I'm going to try this one more time. I have asked and asked people not to hound me about the angst. (Just to clarify this now, I'm not addressing those who write things such as "Oh, this is so sad! Please get them back together soon!" You guys are fine.) Most of you have respected my wishes, and I appreciate that very much. Some of you, however, have not. So here's yet another plea that I'm tired of making—stop whining at me. It does nothing but annoy me. I have this story planned out, and I'm not going to change it to suit your whims. I can't. Many readers request things be added, taken out, or changed in my stories, and I cannot possibly please everyone—so I work to please myself. Personally, I think that stories are better that include a little conflict as it makes the resolution stronger. When I decided that this story was not going to be the short fic I had planned, I had to add some conflict to strengthen the story over all, and I have done this. I don't believe that it is too much, and as the author, I know what it's working towards, and I can assure you, it's not what I believe you're fearing.

Furthermore, a few of you have expressed that should the angst not stop, you will cease to read. While honestly this is nothing short of attempted blackmail, I do have this to say about it—if that is how you feel, by all means, stop reading. I'd love for you to stick it out because I think in the end, you will like it, but for those of you who cannot handle any angst at all or feel the need to tell me that they think the story is no longer as good or they aren't liking it as much anymore, then by all means, for your own sake, don't read anymore. I'm not forcing angst on anyone, and while some people are enjoying it, I realize others aren't. But here's what I ask—don't complain to me about it anymore. If you want to stop reading, stop reading. Don't go off on me about it before you do. It's not appreciated, and I'm beginning to find it rather insulting. I have put a considerable amount of time and effort into trying to tell you a story and have asked for nothing in return. In light of that, you could show me a little more respect than complaints and demands for what the story "should be." The response to this story has been enormous, and because of this I have tried to keep the updates regular and the quality of writing as high as I can, and to be lectured for my efforts makes me feel very unappreciated by certain readers. Stop reading the story if you feel you must, but please, show a little respect for me and my efforts.

That being said, I am very grateful for the ones of you who have hung in there. I do understand that you're all biting your nails over the last few chapters, and I appreciate your patience and your willingness to allow me to tell my story in a way that I believe will be satisfactory for the readers as well as for myself. I promise you, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and I won't let your patience go without reward. Thank you.

William's mother hadn't come to wake him up that morning and he assumed she'd cancelled his lessons for the day. Not that he really cared. He was too miserable to concentrate anyway.

Time wasn't easing his pain. It was only making it worse since the longer he was away from Buffy the more he hurt. He was empty without her, and there was nothing to fill the void she left behind.

He didn't leave the bed all morning, not caring how pathetic that made him. All he had the energy to do was sulk anyway. His mother had come once to try to get him to agree to eat something, but he'd declined. His stomach was too tied up in knots for food.

It was later in the afternoon before his mother came back, this time walking into his room and sitting on the edge of the bed. "William, we need to talk."

"I'll get out of bed tomorrow," he replied, though his voice held little conviction.

"It's not about that. I have something to ask you about Cecily Underwood."

William sat up and looked at his mother. "What about her?"

"Do you still have feelings for Cecily?"

"Bloody hell, no!" William exclaimed. He blushed when he remembered who he was talking to. "Sorry, Mother. I didn't mean to curse."

"It's all right, dear. I'm actually a bit relieved by your enthusiasm. Thought it does make what I heard today somewhat more confusing."

William frowned. "Oh? What's that?"

"Buffy seems to be under the impression that you kissed Cecily at a party last Friday. She claims she saw you."

"What? I wouldn't…" William's eyes widened. "Oh bollocks. Cecily kissed me. I pushed her away, made it right clear that I'm not interested. Buffy saw that? Or the kissing part at least…" William realized that that did make Buffy's behavior a lot clearer. It made sense that she would say she never wanted to see him again if she thought he'd recently been snogging Cecily.

One thing, however, did not make sense. "How did you know that—about Buffy seeing me with Cecily?" William asked his mother.

"That's not important. What is is that you fix this right away. Go over to her house and speak to the girl. Only I do suggest you tidy up a bit first. You might frighten the poor dear the way you look at the moment."

"Gee, thanks, Mum."

"It's only a bit of advice, sweetheart," she replied, patting his leg. "Women tend to like their men a little more—clean. Now you get up and go get your girl back before you turn into one of those lonely middle-aged men obsessed with their mothers, okay?"

William cocked an eyebrow. "What, are you trying to marry me off already?"

"Just looking out for your best interests," his mother answered with a wry smile. "Now up. Stop wasting time."

"What if she won't listen to me?" William asked, feeling his fear returning. "Or what if she's realized over the past few days that she's happier without me."

"William, honestly," his mother said with a heavy sigh. "You're making up excuses and they're not at all helpful. I saw a change in you when you were with this woman. She made you happy, pulled you out of your shell. I'd rather not think about how she accomplished this exactly, but as your mother I can't begrudge the good she did for you. It was obvious the two of you had something strong between you, even watching from the side as I did, and if you're going to let that go because of a misunderstanding, well, I'm going to have to stop telling people how smart my son is."

"I just…she was so upset, and I don't know if…"

"William, get in the bloody shower and then go talk to your girlfriend. Now."

William froze for only a moment before scrambling to get out of the bed and head towards the bathroom. There was no arguing with his mother—not when she had that look on her face.

Anne smiled to herself as she got to her feet and walked from her son's room. Now all she had to do was call Rupert and make sure he let William in, and she knew those two kids would work everything out.

*** *** ***

Buffy sat on her bed trying to concentrate on her homework. She'd been in a good mood for most of the day, Cecily's expulsion brightening what would've otherwise been dark. But now when she was alone, she was unable to keep the thoughts of William at bay.

This was precisely why she hadn't wanted to fall in love again. She'd gone through this before and the aftermath from it had almost destroyed her life. She couldn't let that happen again. She knew she shouldn't have allowed herself to fall for William in the first place, but she had, and the best she could do now was take it as a lesson. No matter how good a man seemed, he would still end up only breaking your heart.

Buffy heard a knock on her door and called out an automatic "Come in" without looking up from her textbook, assuming it to be Giles.

"Hello, Buffy."

Buffy froze, her heart jumping. She'd know that voice anywhere, and it certainly wasn't Giles… She looked up, taking in her first good look of him in days and feeling her body temperature rise. With a shake of her head, she reminded herself that she couldn't want him anymore. "Get out of my room, William."

"Not until we've talked."

"I think I made it pretty damn clear that I didn't want to talk to you anymore," Buffy snapped. "Now get the fuck out."

William's jaw ticked, but he stood his ground, neither moving closer to her or retreating. "No. We need to talk. I think there's a few things that you've gotten wrong."

"The only thing I've gotten wrong was thinking you were worth my time," Buffy replied. She slammed her book shut. "And if you won't leave, then I am, because I can't stand to even look at you."

Buffy got off her bed and started towards the door. Just as she was passing William, his hand shot out, grabbing her by the arm. Buffy looked up at him angrily, trying to break his grasp. "Let me go."

"Buffy, listen to me. You're being ridiculous!"

"Ridiculous! After the way you've treated me?"

"Yes!" William yelled. "Bloody hell, I haven't even done what you think I did, Buffy! All you're doing is thinking the worst of me, never giving me a sodding chance."

"I don't have to give you a chance! You're all the same. Every man I've ever trusted has broken my heart. Why should you be any different?"

"Because I am!" William replied. "I've never done anything to hurt you, Buffy."

"You kissed Cecily!" Buffy screamed. "And don't even try to deny it, William, because I saw you."

"What you saw was Cecily kissing me," William said. "I pushed her away! I'm not interested in her, Buffy, especially after what she did to you—to us. She's nothing to me. You're everything."

Buffy paused a little at that, blinking. "What?"

"I didn't kiss Cecily. She threw herself at me and I turned her down. Told her she'd never be the woman you are."

Buffy gaped, unsure of what to say. Could William be telling the truth? It seemed rather convenient, him claiming that he had indeed pushed Cecily away, only it had been right after Buffy had left. That sort of stuff only happened in fiction, never in real life. "I can't believe you," Buffy said.

"It's the truth," William told her. He turned her so she was facing him, wrapping his free hand around her other arm. "Look at me, Buffy. I'm not with Cecily. I will never be with Cecily. You are the only woman in this world that I want to be with. I need you, Buffy, need you like I need the blood in my veins. I'm dying without you, kitten. Can't sodding stand a day of my life that you're not in."

Buffy felt hot tears pricking her eyes. "I can't, William," she said, shaking her head from side to side. "I can't get hurt again. I can't…"

"You won't. Buffy, I promise you that the last thing I will ever do is hurt you. I'd die before I'd let that happen. You've worked your way into my heart until all that's there is you."

"I can't," Buffy repeated.

In desperation, William pulled her to him, crushing her mouth with his. Buffy's eyes widened, her body staying stiff for a moment before she gave in and melted against, unable to resist any longer. Feeling her grow pliant, William released his grip on her to wrap his arms around her and pull her close.

It didn't take long at all for their kiss to become desperate, their bodies rubbing up against each other as they sought what they'd been denied for these cold, lonely nights. William knew that nothing had really been resolved and that what they should be doing right then was talking, but he couldn't quite get himself to care. Feeling her in his arms made his brain take an immediate backseat.

He broke away from her mouth, panting for air. "I want you, Buffy. God, I want you."

"I want you, too, William," she replied. "I've missed you so much…"

That was all the go-ahead William needed. Talking could come later. He glanced to his side at the few feet separating them from the bed and decided it was too far, pulling Buffy down with him to the floor instead. Their hands tore at each other's clothes until there was nothing left to separate them. "Buffy, can't…" William panted. "I have to be inside now…"

Buffy knew what he was trying to say and agreed. Now was not the time for teasing and foreplay. That could come later when they'd taken the edge off of the raging desperation caused by their separation. She wrapped her legs around his hips, showing him that she welcomed him inside. "I know. I need you, too."

William wasted no more time in sliding in to the hilt, filling Buffy with one long stroke. They both froze at the feeling of being joined again, their eyes locking. He felt his feelings for Buffy rising to the surface, and William knew he couldn't hold them back anymore. He rested his weight on one hand, stroking her cheek with the other.

"I love you, Buffy."

Buffy gasped at his words, seeing them reflected in his crystal blue eyes. It was almost too much, the moment so intense she felt as if she could shatter. Any words she might have said got caught in her throat, and she thrust her hips, desperate to relieve both the pressure in her body and her heart.

William began to move then, his eyes still looking deeply into hers. Buffy found herself almost fighting for breath, both her emotions and his weighing on her. She held on to his arms hard enough to mark him, feeling as if she let go, she'd slip away.

William ducked his head down, his mouth against her ear. She could hear him whispering something repeatedly until it finally pierced her fogged brain. Love you…love you… over and over again. Buffy gasped, bucking beneath him, tears streaming down her cheeks, though she was unaware of them. He made her feel so much.

Buffy screamed when her orgasm hit her, her nails scoring William's pale skin. He followed her over soon afterwards and Buffy continued to cling to him, needing to keep him close, to keep the connection.

Finally, they collapsed in a heap, their ragged breaths seeming almost synchronized as they pushed against the silence in the room. Buffy's heart was beating so rapidly it frightened her as her thoughts whirled through her mind.

William loved her…he'd said the words. Oh god, William loved her, too!

She wasn't sure if that filled her with happiness or dread. He'd said the words…did he mean them? Could she trust him with her heart after it had taken so long to patch it up the last time it had broken? Would she be able to handle it if she accepted his love now and he took it away from her later? She opened her mouth to speak, though she stopped as she caught something out of the corner of her eye.

"William?"

"Yeah?"

"We forgot to close the door."

He glanced up, a chuckle rumbling though his chest as he saw that it indeed was open. "Yeah, we did. Sorry, got a little…distracted."

"It's okay. I think Giles is down in his study anyway."

"Actually, he was headed out when I came in," William said. "Didn't say where he was going."

"Oh."

William dropped a kiss to her forehead before standing up, going over to the door and shutting it. He walked back to Buffy then, picking her up and cradling her in his arms as he carried her over to the bed. Buffy let him, welcoming his embrace as he slid under the blankets with her, holding her close. Her school books slid to the floor, but she ignored them, turning to bury her face against William's chest, breathing his scent in deeply.

Words were still left unsaid on both sides, and they knew it. But for the moment, neither one cared. For the first time in days, they felt complete.

*** *** ***

So how was the reunion? Worth the wait? Please review!

Buffy and William lay together in silence for a long while, neither of them quite ready to give voice to the thoughts running through their minds. Silence was enough for the moment.

William had not missed that Buffy hadn't returned his declaration of love. He hadn't really expected her to, and while part of him was simply relieved that she hadn't reacted negatively to it, he was also disappointed to find that she really didn't love him back. Part of him had hoped for it even as he'd told himself it wouldn't happen.

He was back with her now, but William wondered how long it would last. She didn't love him, and eventually she'd want to be with someone whom she did love. She'd break his heart all over again, and this time it would be for good. He tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer to him.

Buffy felt William's embrace strengthen. She couldn't stop thinking about those three words he'd let slip earlier and whether or not he'd actually meant them. It certainly wasn't the first time a man had claimed to love her during sex, though it was the first time the words came as something other than a shout of orgasmic bliss. Did that give more credence to his words?

What if William only thought he loved her? She knew this was his first relationship and that the feelings of desire were strong on both sides—that much was obvious. Was he confusing lust for love? And what happened when the passion cooled, as Buffy knew it had a habit of doing? Would the love he claimed to feel for her dry up with it?

She couldn't shake that thought, no matter how hard she tried. It was a very real possibility, and one that Buffy found herself leaning towards. He thought he loved her now, but soon enough he'd realize it had been just lust.

Buffy couldn't stand that thought. It cut her deeply, and she reached up to put her hand against his cheek, stroking it gently for a moment before tugging him down for a hard kiss.

William kissed her back hungrily, feeling his erection returning already. It took but a touch from Buffy and his desire was nearly uncontrollable. She pressed herself against him, rubbing her wet pussy against his thigh, and William knew he had to have her again. He'd gone too long without her and his body felt starved. The quick tumble he'd had with her by the door had merely whet his appetite. He pulled Buffy up, rolling her over so she was straddling his waist.

Buffy immediately slid down, taking him inside. Her whole body trembled as he filled her and she leaned forward slightly, bracing herself against his chest. William's hands slid along her thighs and hips, sending shockwaves in their wake.

"Need you to move, kitten," William said, pushing his hips up to urge her on.

Buffy groaned at the desperation in his voice as she started her rhythm, slowly rocking her hips against him. Every nerve in her body was on alert and even this was almost too much for her. The intensity of their coupling was shaking her to her very core, hitting her hard after so many days without him.

William's entire body strained for more. He felt as if he was drowning in her even as he reached to her for something to hold on to. He pushed his hips up harder with every thrust, needing more than the gentle rocking sensation she was creating. He needed all the passion, all the heat. He needed everything.

Soon, he was slamming into her, making Buffy buck upwards with every hard thrust. She cried out over and over, her body shaking uncontrollably. She clung to William's shoulders, not trusting herself to stay upright without support. She could feel her approaching orgasm gathering strength inside of her, tightening her body until she exploded with a scream.

Buffy slumped forward against William's chest, her only movements those of the involuntary aftershocks making her spasm. William flipped them over, hooking her legs over his arms so he could drive into her. Buffy grunted with every thrust, her mind having practically shut down from it all. Finally, William called out, pinning her hips to the mattress with his as he came hard inside of her.

William rolled off of Buffy, lying on his back and panting heavily as he stared up at the ceiling. He'd already had sex with Buffy so many times that he'd lost count, but that… He could barely move now, his body feeling almost completely drained. He was fighting to get his breathing to return to normal, and his heart was pounding in his chest so loudly that he wondered if Buffy could hear it.

Finally, he felt his strength return enough that he could roll over, gathering Buffy in his arms. He pulled her close and looked down at her, only to find her crying. "Buffy?" William asked softly, worry creasing his face. "What's wrong, luv?"

"Not wrong," Buffy replied, her voice weak. "Just so much… You were gone, and now you're here, and that was… God, William, I don't know what that was exactly, but it felt…"

"Intense?"

"Yeah."

William pushed her hair back from her face before brushing away her tears. She looked so beautiful there, even with her hair mussed and her make-up long since gone. "I love you," he said softly.

Buffy tensed in his arms. "William, I…" She looked away. "Don't."

Her response broke his heart, especially after what they'd just shared. "Buffy, please… I'm not asking for anything return, luv, just please don't turn away from me like that."

She looked up slightly, though she wouldn't meet his eyes. "You don't love me, William."

That wasn't at all the response William had expected. "What?"

"You don't love me. You only think you do."

William stiffened. He'd expected Buffy to tell him she didn't love him, not the other way around. "You don't know what I'm feeling, Buffy."

"Yes, I do."

William felt himself growing angry. How could she presume to know his feelings better than he did? "Oh, well then, by all means, enlighten me on what I'm feeling. Do tell."

"It's just the way things have been between us, William—so passionate and intense. And since you've never been in a relationship before, you're…"

William didn't let her finish. He got out of the bed, storming over to his clothes and snatching them from the floor. Buffy sat up, pulling the sheet over her chest. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"Home. I can't be around you right now."

"William, I'm sorry," Buffy said as she watched him dress. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I just don't want you to be confused about what you're feeling."

"I'm not!" William yelled, making Buffy shrink back. "Bloody hell, I know what I feel for you, and it's love. Although I wish it wasn't, considering what a right bitch you've been to me this week. Be a sight easier if I could just bloody hate you."

"How can you say that?" Buffy asked. "You say you love me and then turn around and say that? That should prove my point right there!"

"It's doesn't prove a damn thing except that you're driving me out of my sodding mind! There's nothing I've wanted in this relationship except to be here for you—to love you—and you just throw it back in my face. You don't trust me. You think the worst of me every chance you get." William held out his hand, ticking things off on his fingers as he listed them. "You've accused me of thinking you're a whore and not wanting you because of my class standing. You've accused me of screwing around with a woman I wouldn't touch for anything in the world, and instead of just asking me about it personally in the first place, you jumped to conclusions after catching two bloody seconds of the scene—and followed that up by yelling that you never wanted to see me again. And now you have the audacity to sit there and tell me I don't love you." He threw his hands up. "Bloody fucking hell… Either I do love you or I'm incredibly masochistic to put up with this shite."

Buffy gaped for a moment. "William, I…"

"No. Just don't. I'm tired of this, Buffy. I thought after I found out what had you so upset that I could just explain to you the truth and we could go back to the way things were, but apparently I was wrong. I guess that's because of my completely lack of relationship knowledge, too. How stupid of me." William turned around before halting, facing her again. "You know, I may not have the experience of the men you've known in the past, but no one will ever love you like I do. Ever." He stormed out then, slamming the door hard enough to shake the room.

As soon as he was gone, Buffy's tears broke into sobs. She had never expected William to respond like that. He'd been so angry…

And the worst part was that he was right about much of what he'd said. She never had given him the benefit of the doubt, had never listened to his side. But then again, how could she have done things any differently given her past experiences? Every other time she'd faced something like this, the man had been doing exactly what she'd accused him of. How could she have assumed things to be any different with William? She had to look out for herself, after all.

But if everything William had said was true, them her behavior had been grossly unfair to him. He was right to call her a bitch. She'd been that and more. She realized now that she probably shouldn't have responded the way she did when William had told her he loved her, but she hadn't really been rejecting him like he thought. It was simply something she couldn't just let herself believe. She'd accepted a man's love in the past and he'd turned right around and cruelly taken it back, making it quite clear that he'd never really loved her to begin with. What if that happened with William? What if he realized not too long from then that he didn't really love her at all? That's all she'd been trying to prevent. She just didn't want him to say he loved her unless it was real—and it certainly couldn't be real for him now.

Or could it? Buffy knew without a doubt that she loved him. Was it really so farfetched that he'd fallen just as quickly?

But he was a guy, and they were different from women—at least in Buffy's experience. They could turn their feelings off and on, care one minute and not the next. That's just what they did and it was what she'd come to expect. Even her own father had easily stopped loving her.

But then there was Giles… He had nothing really to gain from taking her in and showing her kindness the way that he had. Furthermore, he'd asked for nothing in return. Didn't that alone fly in the face of all her beliefs about men?

So maybe Giles wasn't like the other men she knew. Maybe he could care about someone besides himself. If that were the case with him, then it was possible that she'd been wrong in her beliefs that all men her like her father and Angel. And if that were true, then it could be real love that William was feeling for her.

He'd never treated her badly. The two times she'd thought he'd done something to hurt her he claimed were misunderstandings. Why shouldn't she believe him?

Because she was afraid. Her past with Angel had done so much damage, made her terrified to trust. Angel had used her and thrown her away, only to then come back and do it all over again. Buffy had been petrified that William would do the same thing, suddenly going from one sort of man to another the way Angel had.

But it hadn't really been sudden with Angel. Buffy knew that now, even if she hadn't wanted to see it in the past. She had adored Angel and that had led her to do things and accept things that she never should have. She'd known deep down that he'd never been faithful to her, yet she'd also let herself be willingly blind in order to stay with the man she loved. The warning signs had all been there—she'd just chosen to ignore them.

They hadn't been there with William. He'd been kind and supportive, never once showing a single sign that he wanted to hurt her. What had happened with Cecily was easily put off on her, as cruel and vindictive as she tended to be towards Buffy.

And the way William looked at her… Angel had never looked at Buffy that way—not once in their whole relationship. William's eyes held so much emotion that it frightened her sometimes. It was raw and intense, pure feeling. It was…

It was love.

Buffy gasped at the realization, her heart beating faster. She'd been so worried about not being loved that she'd missed it when it was right there in front of her. She knew it now. She'd seen it every time he looked at her, felt it every time he touched her.

William loved her.

*** *** ***

William found the house quiet when he returned home, his mother having apparently already gone to bed. It was still relatively early, but it was common enough that he didn't question it. She was tired quite often.

He went straight to his room, his body tense with anger. How could she look at him and tell him he didn't love her? What right did she have to decide his feelings for him?

His frustration boiling over, William swiped an arm across his desk, knocking everything to the ground with a roar. Tears stung his eyes even as his body shook in fury, and he grabbed a glass from his side table, throwing it against the wall so it smashed.

His breaths were coming in sharp, ragged pants, and he knew he had to get a grip on himself. Hoping it would calm him down, he went into the bathroom and stripped off his clothes before turning on the shower as hot as he could stand it.

William stood in the stall, angry tears mingling with the water. He tried not to think of the time he'd spent in there with Buffy, how much she'd made him feel. He didn't care what she said, he knew it was love. Nothing else could feel like this. The lust and desire were certainly present, but that wasn't all he felt. How could she belittle his feelings that way, make it all about his body and not at all about his heart?

Finally, William had control of himself again, and he turned off the water, stepping out of the shower. He grabbed a towel from the rack, wrapping it around his hips as he walked back towards his bedroom. He was drained and needed to sleep. He could deal with things in the morning.

William opened the door, stopping short when he looked into his room.

Buffy was sitting on the end of his bed.

*** *** ***

I'd apologize for ending it there, but I'm really not sorry at all. I just love a cliffhanger…

It's come to my attention that some people reading this fic spend a portion of their day obsessively checking for updates. While I am quite flattered that people like my story that much, I also feel sorry that those of you have to waste all that time. So, here's a reminder about my updates mailing list I have had set up for several months now. As soon as I post, I go over there and send an email letting everyone on the list know that a new chapter is up and where it is. It's not really a chatty sort of list, so it doesn't fill your inbox either. You can either go here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/addielogan/ or, if you're having trouble getting in there, write me an email at addie_logan@yahoo.com and I can manually add you.

Please remember to leave a review!

Buffy heard the shower running in the bathroom when she came into William's room. She almost went in there to join him, knowing that no matter how angry William was, he'd forget it the moment she was wet, naked, and on her knees in front of him.

But that wasn't why she was there. She had hurt William and she needed to try to make that better, not just gloss it over with sex. That could come after she'd given him her explanation…

She sat on the bed, nervously wringing her hands as she listened to the sound of the water. Her heart began to beat faster when she heard the water shut off and knew that William would be out soon. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she had to say to him. She had to do this, had to be strong enough to open up and let William in.

Then he stepped out of the bathroom and all coherent thoughts promptly left her mind. He was still damp from the shower and wearing nothing but a towel slung low around his hips. She stared, gaping. Even after seeing him naked as many times as she had, she couldn't seem to get used to just how gorgeous he was.

"What are you doing here?" William asked sharply, stopping short when he saw Buffy on his bed. "Come to stare at me all night?"

Buffy blinked, coming back to herself. "What? Oh, sorry. You're just all with the wet and naked, and I…"

William's eyebrow arched in annoyance. "Did you have something important to say?"

"Uh, yeah, but… I can't say it with you like that."

William sighed heavily, going over to his dresser and getting out a pair of sweatpants. Buffy swallowed at the quick view she got of his perfect ass as he dropped the towel before putting on the pants. He turned around then, walking back over to the bed and sitting down a little bit away from Buffy. "So if you've got some reason to be here other than to drool, then go ahead and spit out what you have to say."

Buffy gave him a dirty look at that. "I'm trying to apologize. You don't have to be all rude."

"Can't say I'm in the best of moods right now. I don't think I have to tell you why."

"I know." Buffy took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm sorry, William. I was wrong for what I said earlier tonight—and for how I acted about everything that happened with Cecily. I…I was scared."

"Scared?" William asked, frowning. "What were you scared of?"

"You." William's eyes widened at Buffy's response, but she stopped him before he could speak. "But not really you. I just… I was afraid of what could happen with you. My past relationships haven't been with real winners, and it wasn't that I didn't trust you—I just didn't trust any guy."

"But I wouldn't hurt you, Buffy," William replied. "I haven't even done anything to make it seem like I would."

"I know." Buffy sighed. "Look, let me tell you about my first relationship, okay? Maybe then it'll make more sense."

William nodded. "Yeah. Go ahead."

"Okay. Here goes." Buffy took another deep breath, preparing herself. She had never told a lot of this to anyone before, but she hoped that hearing it could make William see why the prospect of loving a man scared her so damn much. "My freshman year of high school, I started dating this guy—Angel," she began. "For the first couple of months, it was wonderful—like a high school fairy tale. We were the 'it' couple, and I was already fantasizing about our wedding, the house with the white picket fence, the two and a half children—all that

"But then he came up to me one day and told me he was tired of me being such a tease. He said he didn't date girls who didn't put out and that if I didn't start acting the way a girlfriend should, then he would find someone who did. I…I was only fourteen and I didn't feel ready. But I was so in love with him. I would've done anything for him, anything to keep him."

Buffy turned away, unable to look at William as she told him what happened next. "We had sex in the backseat of his car after a football game three days later. I could tell Angel wasn't very pleased with me, but I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I was nervous and it hurt. And then he was so frustrated with me that I started crying, and that only made it all worse. He didn't say a word to me when he drove me home and then he didn't even walk me to my door."

Buffy felt the strong memory of all the humiliation she felt that night rush her. Her stomach turned as she remembered getting out of the car and watching Angel drive away without even looking at her, remembered crying herself to sleep and hating herself for being such a horrible girlfriend. It was then that William reached out, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. "It's all right, pet," he said soothingly, kissing the top of her head. "I understand what you're saying to me. You don't have to torture yourself by telling me the rest."

"I can do it," Buffy replied. And in the warm, protective circle of William's embrace, she really felt like she could. "I need to tell you this, let you know where I've been and why I am what I am. Besides—it gets worse."

William tightened his arms around Buffy. Now that he knew what Angel really was, his jealousy was gone, though he also found himself hating the other man even more. How could anyone treat someone that way? And to think it had happened to Buffy… "Go on then, pet. Get it off your chest, yeah?"

"Okay." Buffy swallowed. "I thought it was over after that, but then Angel showed up at school that Monday acting as if everything was just fine. He said that since it was my first time he understood and that I could make it up to him. I did try to, but I still didn't know what to do. I'd get so nervous that I'd pretty much just lie there, and that would only make him angrier. I found out later that he and his friends used to call me 'the starfish' behind my back because he said I was like a starfish, all flat with my limbs spread."

If Angel had been in the room right then, William was pretty sure he'd try to kill him. Instead, he rubbed gentle circles against Buffy's back, letting her know he was there, supporting her.

"Looking back, I don't really blame myself the way I did then," Buffy said. "I remember one time, we were having sex and he slipped out of me. I thought he'd stop and fix it, but he didn't. He just kept moving on top of me, sliding between my legs. I didn't know what I should do, or if maybe it was something he was doing on purpose that I didn't understand. I thought maybe he'd be mad at me if I said anything, but then it just kept going on like that."

"Wait," William said, pulling back to look at her. "Are you telling me that this tosser didn't know the difference between bein' inside that exquisite little pussy of yours and humping your leg?"

"Apparently not," Buffy replied, shaking her head.

"Please tell me you don't still think the bad sex was your fault, 'cause I know I'm not exactly an expert on the subject, but I know when I'm having sex and when I'm not."

Buffy giggled. "No, I don't blame myself now. Kinda the point of that little anecdote. I can look back on it and realize I was sleeping with a selfish, idiotic jackass. But at fourteen, I hated myself for it. I thought there was something seriously wrong with me because I couldn't get into sex. My friends would talk about what they'd do with their boyfriends and about how good it felt, and I thought I was defective or something. I'd keep telling myself I'd make myself get more into it the next time, but apparently such passionate foreplay as telling me 'hurry up and get your clothes off' before climbing on top of me and sweating just doesn't get me hot."

William's opinion of Angel managed to plummet even lower. How daft was he to have a woman as gorgeous as Buffy in his bed and not take advantage of the situation? It boggled his mind.

"So things went on like that for a while," Buffy continued, "Until there was this party. I'd been sick earlier that day and wasn't going to go, but when I started to feel better, I decided to anyway. I showed up only to find Angel with his tongue shoved down the throat of Cordelia Chase, the daughter of one of my father's business partners. I'd known her since we were kids, but apparently that didn't stop her from screwing around with my boyfriend.

"I stood there in front of them, crying and begging Angel to tell me why he'd done this to me when he'd said he loved me. His response? He gave me this cold laugh and said, 'You have a lot to learn about men, kiddo,' and then went right back to making out with Cordelia.

"I was heartbroken. I cut myself off from everyone, barely eating or sleeping. My grades dropped, I was suspended from the cheerleading squad for missing practices—I was a mess. And then I heard that Angel and Cordelia had broken up. A couple days afterwards, there was this karaoke night thing at the school, and I went because I heard Angel was going to be there. He was, and about halfway through the night, he got up on stage and sang to me. It was 'Mandy' by Barry Manilow, only he changed 'Mandy' to 'Buffy.' We got back together that night."

William quirked an eyebrow. "He wooed you back with Manilow?"

"I was like fifteen! I didn't know any better!"

"Still, Manilow… Are you sure he was straight?" William asked.

"Yes," Buffy replied, slapping William's chest. "Now shut up and let me finish my story."

William kissed her forehead. "All right. Tell me more about how your heart went pitter-patter to the sounds of bad 70's love songs."

Jerk," Buffy said, though there was a small smile tugging at her lips. "Okay, so there was the Manilow and the wooing and we got back together. Things were more like they were in the beginning, and I was happy. I was still having a hard time really getting into sex, but I'd done some researchy-type stuff while we were broken up and learned how to fake it. He seemed less frustrated with me when I did that, so I thought he was enjoying it more.

"But then came the next school year, and it turns out I wasn't the only one faking stuff… He told me that since he was now a senior and he had college to think about, he didn't need to waste his time with some lovesick little girl who didn't know the first thing about really pleasing a man. He told me this right in the middle of the cafeteria in front of pretty much everyone."

Buffy paused for a moment, resting her head against William's chest. He'd been so supportive of her through this whole conversation, making her feel better about her past than she had before. "I thought I couldn't live without him," she said. "And I thought…I thought it was all my fault, that I had to change who I was so he would want me. So I tried to prove I wasn't just a little girl like he said I was. I started going to wild parties, drinking and sleeping around. Especially the sleeping around… I was so certain I'd get him back someday, and I wanted to have learned how to please him.

"But I never got him back. He went to college, and the last I heard, he was engaged to Cordelia. And me… Well, I was pretty much on my path then. I was known as a party girl, and that's a hard rep to shake. All the guys knew I was easy, and that's why they were interested in me. That's who I was, Buffy the slut, only good for one thing. Get her drunk and see how quickly her legs open."

William ran his hand down Buffy's hair. "You know I want more from you than that, don't you? You're not just sex to me, Buffy. And if you'd rather we didn't, you can tell me. I don't want you to feel pressured."

"I don't. I do like sex—at least now, and with a man who isn't a total selfish prick." She paused, looking up into William's eyes. "Besides, you love me."

William gaped in surprise for a moment before he began to smile. "So you believe me now?"

"Yes. I'm sorry about not believing you at first. I was being…skittish."

"After what you just told me, I can see why," William replied. "But don't worry now, pet. I won't do to you what he did."

"I know. I really do trust you, William. This is just…it isn't at all what I expected. I'd made up my mind to never fall in love ever again because that had only led to badness in the past, but then you came along and turned all that upside down, and it scared me."

William reached up, cupping her cheek. "You're afraid of loving me?"

Buffy shook her head. "No. I'm afraid of losing you."

"That isn't going to happen, kitten." He gave her a wry smile. "I've become a bit of a Buffy addict, and I don't think they've got a patch for that."

Buffy laughed, the sound warming William's heart. "I think I've grown pretty addicted to you, too."

"Then I guess we're stuck with each other, yeah?"

"Looks like. William?"

"Yes, pet?"

"I love you."

An almost-goofy smile spread across William's face. "Really? You mean that?"

Buffy looked at him sharply. "I just said I did, William. Are you doubting me?"

William blinked. "No! Buffy, I didn't mean…" He stopped when Buffy started to laugh. "Oi! Not nice to scare me like that!"

"Sorry. I couldn't resist."

"Evil lil' chit," William muttered.

"So what if I am? Whatcha gonna do about it, mister?"

"This," William replied, tossing her back on the bed and tickling her sides.

Buffy squealed, wriggling under him. She moved her hands up, trying to tickle him back, only to have William pin her wrists above her head with one hand so he could continue his attack unhindered. "No fair!" Buffy complained even as she laughed and squirmed beneath William.

"Seems fair enough to me," William replied with a smirk. "And I do love the way you're moving." He wagged his tongue between his teeth.

"Perv!" Buffy replied, though her movements continued.

"You made me one," William replied. "I was a right proper boy before you went and seduced me." He stopped his tickling, looking down at her with darkened eyes.

"You were a seduction waiting to happen, Will. I was just lucky enough to get to you first."

William shook his head. "Wouldn't have been anyone else. I think I've been waiting for you my whole life, Buffy."

The conviction in his voice was reflected in his eyes, and Buffy felt herself suddenly tear up. She didn't think she'd known what it was like to really feel until she was on the receiving end of those looks William gave her. "Make love to me," she said softly. "We've had sex so many times, but I don't think we’ve ever done that before…"

"I made love to you every time, Buffy," William replied. "Every damn time." He leaned in, kissing her slowly but passionately. He scooted her up towards the pillows, still not breaking the kiss, keeping his body flush against hers.

They were both panting when they broke apart for air, their eyes locked now that their lips were apart. William began to inch down her body, slowly removing her clothes as he kissed patches of skin he was revealing to his hungry eyes. Buffy moaned, reveling in his sensual touch. Angel may have had more experience, but William was by far the better lover. His nature was innately sexual, his ability to make her melt based on intuition. Angel had been a fumbling idiot in comparison.

Once he had her naked, William climbed back up her body, looking down at her. "You seem pretty responsive to me," he said with a self-satisfied smirk. "Just gotta know what buttons to push. Like this little one here…" His fingers found her clit unerringly, rubbing it with just the perfect amount of pressure. Buffy moaned, arching up into his touch. "That feel good, kitten?"

"Yes…oh, William…so good…"

"Gonna make you feel even better," William promised, his eyes almost black with desire. "I'm gonna slide so deep inside you, Buffy, fill you up. Make you feel it all, baby."

Buffy thrust her hips at his words, desperate for what he was promising her. William kissed her one more time before slipping off his sweatpants so there was nothing between them. "Ready for me, luv?" he asked, nipping at her ear.

"Always ready," Buffy replied, parting her legs to allow him to slip between them.

William propped himself up on one arm, grasping his cock with his other hand and guiding it to her entrance. He slid the tip in and stopped, their eyes locking. "I love you, Buffy," he said, his voice heavy with emotion. "Always."

"I love you, too, William. Always."

He pushed the rest of the way in then, filling her. Buffy wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms around his back, holding her lover close as he moved in and out of her with a slow, steady pace. They took their time in a way they hadn't before, allowing themselves to acknowledge the emotional connection as well as the physical. Buffy could feel William touching every part of her, as if he was erasing the pain of her past heartaches and replacing it with the warmth his love brought her.

He was making her whole again.

"You're everything to me, Buffy," William said, his lips against her ear. "You're my sun, my light—my goddess."

Buffy gasped, her arms tightening around him. She could feel William's pace beginning to quicken, desire taking over. She reached up and cupped his face, turning his head so he was looking into her eyes. "I love you," she mouthed, William smiling softly before mouthing it back.

Their gaze didn't unlock as they continued to make love, even as they came together, cries of mutual pleasure filling the room. It was a moment of perfection for both of them, their emotions laid out, raw and bare, only to have their hearts safe in the hands of another.

William rolled off of her, gathering Buffy into his arms as he pulled the blankets over them. "I love you," he murmured as he pressed a kiss against her hair.

"I love you, too," Buffy replied, a small smile of contentment on her lips.

"Can you stay tonight?" William asked, unable to stand the thought of sleeping alone after what they had just shared.

"I can stay forever," Buffy replied.

William chuckled, holding her tightly. "I can handle forever."

*** *** ***

That chapter was a bit longer than my chapters usually are, but I didn't think anyone would mind… Please remember to leave a review!

Buffy woke up early the next morning, still curled in William's arms, and smiled. After the nightmare of the past few days without him, it was such a relief to be back with the man she loved, especially now that she had the assurance that he loved her, too. Just knowing that made everything seem better, brighter somehow. Her smile grew as she thought about how he looked at her whenever he said those three little words. She'd never had anyone look at her like she was that special before, not even her own parents.

She wanted to be able to see his eyes now, to look into their blue depths. Buffy kissed his cheek, traveling her lips down his jaw to the spot below his ear that always managed to drive him crazy. William murmured and shifted against her, but stayed asleep. Buffy sighed, deciding she'd need to be a bit more…persuasive. Her hand slipped beneath the covers and took hold of William's cock, feeling it jump in her palm. She stroked him to hardness as William began to stir, thrusting against her.

Buffy knew William was awake when his breathing changed. She gripped him harder, waiting until she could feel him getting close before she took her hand away.

William's eyes opened then. "That's a bit cruel, pet," he said, his voice rough and husky from both sleep and desire.

"I wanted to wake you up," Buffy replied with a small grin as she looked into his eyes the way she'd been craving.

"Well, you've certainly managed to do that," William said. "And now that you've gotten what you wanted, what are you planning to do with me?"

Buffy responded with a wicked smile before diving under the covers. William called out as he felt her lips wrap around his cock, Buffy finishing with her mouth what she had started with her hand.

She was licking her lips as she climbed back up William's body. "Like that, baby," she cooed, bringing her mouth up against his ear, nipping at the lobe.

"Always do," William replied, turning his face so he could look at her. "You are so beautiful," he said as he stroked her cheek. "Perfection."

Buffy colored slightly at that, his words of praise having an effect on her that no wanton act could. "I don't think I'm that…"

"I do. And nothing's going to change my mind." William cupped her face, pulling her in for a kiss. Buffy melted against him, her fingers moving into his hair. Every time William kissed her, it made her feel as if she was spinning out of control and she had to hold on to something…

When William broke away, Buffy was panting, her cheeks flushed with desire. "I want to see you at your most beautiful," William told her, looking into her eyes.

"When's that?" Buffy asked.

"When you come." Buffy gasped as William's hand dipped down beneath the sheets to her slick folds, his fingers finding her clit.

William watched her face as he pleasured her, loving the expressions he could bring to her features. "So gorgeous, baby," he said softly as he rubbed her faster, wanting to take her over the edge.

Buffy moaned, clutching on to William's shoulder for support. What he was doing to her now was just another testament to how much more he cared for her than Angel ever had. William had always paid close attention to her reactions, quickly learning how to best bring her sexual satisfaction. He'd never been solely focused on himself, instead taking care to make sure Buffy enjoyed herself as well. He even took delight in her pleasure.

William listened to Buffy's breathing hitch as she drew closer to her release. He stayed transfixed on her face until she finally shattered against his talented fingers, coming with a moan of pleasure. He pulled his hand up as her body's tremors slowed and leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Beautiful," he murmured against her skin. "Bloody beautiful."

Buffy slid back into his arms, resting her head against his chest and listening to the steady thump of his heart. "Can we just put the morning on pause?" she asked softly. "Let it stay right here, exactly like this forever."

"Like being in my arms, pet?"

"Mmmhmm. It's the perfect place." Buffy looked up, making eye contact with William. "I'm not leaving England at the end of the school year."

During their reconciliation, Buffy's eventual return to the States had been something William had tried to push from his mind. Dwelling on that would've ruined the moment. But if she wasn't going back, then he wouldn't have to worry about losing her in a few months. They could stay together after high school, and possibly even make a grab for forever. "You're not?"

"Nope. Giles said I can stay with him and then go to college here in England."

"So we can really stay together then?"

Buffy nodded. "That's one of the definite plusses of this new plan. Right up there with not having to go back and deal with my parents again."

William's smile was wide. " I really do get to keep you?"

"Yep. I'm all yours. Your own personal Buffy."

"Just what I've always wanted," William said, tightening his arms around her. "Pet?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think maybe you could come over for dinner tonight—to meet my mother?"

Buffy quirked her eyebrow. "So I get to meet her now? You're not trying to keep us apart anymore?"

"I wasn't trying to keep you two apart." At Buffy's look, William sighed. "Okay, maybe I was, but I didn't mean anything by it. I just didn't know how to handle this. I wasn't sure how my mother would feel about me having a sexual relationship, and I was worried that if she saw us together, she'd know, and she'd try to put an end to it. It was stupid of me, I know, but I was just afraid of losing you."

"But you're not afraid of that now?"

"Oh, she knows now. And she didn't freak and forbid us from ever seeing each other again, so I guess she's okay with it. As okay as a mother can be with this sort of thing anyway…"

"Your mother knows? How did that happen? Were we too loud?" Buffy asked.

"No. The maid found your underwear in my sheets when she was doing the wash."

Much to William's surprise, Buffy blushed a little at that. "Must've been those ones I couldn't find the other day."

"You lost your underwear and didn't say anything?"

Buffy shrugged. "I thought maybe I just hadn't worn any and couldn't remember. I've been known to do that."

"I've noticed."

"So your mom knows. How did that little chat go?"

"Not the most embarrassing moment of my life, but pretty high up there," William replied. "She didn't flip out, which was good, but sex and my mother are two things I don't ever want to have to think about at the same time ever, ever again."

"Yeah, I can see that. And yes, I'll come to dinner tonight. I'd very much like to meet your mother."

"Good, it's all settled then." William leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. "Now how about we shift the focus somewhere else until we have to get out of bed?"

Buffy responded with a slow smile. "I think I can deal with that."

*** *** ***

"Well, you've sure been in a good mood today," Willow said as she joined Buffy at lunch. "Are you still riding the high of Cecily's expulsion?"

"Little bit, yeah, but there's more than that." Buffy smiled brightly. "I'm back with William."

"Really?" Willow asked with a gasp. "But what about the whole him kissing Cecily the cow thing?"

"Misunderstanding," Buffy replied. "William says she was the one doing the kissing and that he pushed her away. And yeah, there's a little bit of jaded Buffy left in me saying I'm setting myself up for heartache if I accept that and take him back, but I've decided to ignore that voice, 'cause it'll only lead to much badness. William said he didn't kiss Cecily, and that's good enough for me." Buffy's smile grew, and a twinkle sparked in her eyes. "Besides, he loves me."

Willow leaned forward as she exclaimed, "He loves you?!"

"Yep. He said so last night. So now we're back together, and you know what? I'm just going to let that be a completely good thing. We're happy, we enjoy being together, and we're in love—there's no reason for me to be all paranoid. Time to put my past behind me and accept the brightness that is my future."

"Wow. Are you sure you're the same Buffy Summers I met a couple of months ago, 'cause while you do look like her, you certainly don't sound like her."

"I'm still Buffy, just new and improved—and very much in love."

"I'm so happy for you," Willow said. "And I'm happy that William turned out not to be a jerkface after all."

Buffy chuckled. "Me, too. And this is really nice, the whole being in a good relationship thing. It so beats my usual angsting."

"Seems like it. I've never seen you this smiley." Willow pointed to Buffy's plate. "You're not even maligning the mushy peas."

"I know!" Buffy exclaimed. "I'm in such a good mood I don't even care that I have to eat British food!" Buffy cleared her throat. "Speaking of, I'm having dinner with William and his mother tonight."

"Oooh, meeting the mom. How do you think that'll go?" Willow asked.

"Good, I hope," Buffy answered. "William said that she knows we've been sleeping together and that she took it pretty well, so I'm hoping that's a sign that she's okay with me and William."

"She knows? How did she find out? Did William tell her?" Willow gaped at the thought. What sort of teenager let their parents know they were having sex?

"No, he didn't tell her," Buffy replied, shaking her head. "He said a pair of my panties ended up in his sheets and got found on wash day."

"Eep! Wow. I bet William was mortified. I know I would've been…"

"Oh, I have no doubt he was," Buffy said. "He gets embarrassed so easily anyway, and that would make just about anyone want to crawl under a rock. I'm just hoping she's too proper and British to mention anything around me. I've had enough of that sort of meet-the-mother dinners for one lifetime."

"Huh?" Willow asked, her brow wrinkling with confusion.

"Oh, it was a while ago," Buffy said, waving her hand dismissively. "I had dinner with this guy I'd been seeing and his parents, and in the middle of the meal his mother blurted out, 'I know you're sleeping with my son.' Then she started questioning my method of birth control and asking about my medical history—all while we were sitting at the table eating dinner."

Willow's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Yep. It was just like, 'Pass the bread, and oh—you're banging my son.' And then my boyfriend at the time got all upset, and then his dad had to put his two cents in—it was a whole big mess. So yeah, as long as this goes better than that, I'll be fine."

"Wow. I'm hoping it goes better than that, too. That sounds really…unpleasant."

"It was." Buffy took a deep breath before smiling again. "But I'm feeling really optimistic about this. From what William has said, his mother seems really nice, and I'm sure she'll like me. Besides, I'm young and in love so things are all good."

Buffy felt her heart lighten as she made that declaration. After all, it was true—and she couldn't be happier about it.

*** *** ***

Sorry for the delay in posting. My computer started smelling like it was on fire every time I turned it on, so I had to use the world's crappiest laptop while I waited for a replacement part in order to fix the problem. On top of that, I also went out of town for a few days to visit my internetless grandmother. So between the two, I didn't get a lot of writing done.

Also, I had a few people ask if the story was over yet. Just to clarify things, when the fic has ended, I will clearly state that it's over. And just for the record, this isn't the end either. There's still a couple more chapters to go.

Despite her earlier certainty that everything would go smoothly with William's mother, as Buffy stood in the parlor waiting for the woman, she felt that confidence slipping. What if his mother did hate her after all? What if she'd only been calm about the whole panties-in-the-sheets incident because she didn't want to make William angry with her and had decided that the best way to break them up would be by going for Buffy? She could be one of those mothers that retained her shine in her son's eyes by tearing the girlfriend down below his radar…

Buffy took a deep breath, telling herself that was just her old paranoia rearing its less than attractive head and that she really did have nothing to worry about. William's mother would like her.

She smiled when she felt William reach out and squeeze her hand. She looked up and he grinned at her, making Buffy suddenly feel much calmer. William leaned down and kissed the top of her head, whispering a soft, "I love you."

Buffy caressed his hand with her thumb. "I love you, too."

William looked up a few moments later, seeing his mother enter the parlor. He cleared his throat, bringing Buffy over to the other woman. "Mother, allow me to introduce to you Miss Buffy Summers."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Summers," William's mother said, taking her hand as William let it go. "I've heard such lovely things about you."

"It's a pleasure meeting you, too, Mrs.…" Buffy stopped, her eyes widening as she realized she didn't actually know William's last name. How could she never have bothered to find out the last name of the man she loved?

"Oh, you can call me Anne, dear," his mother replied. "I don't believe there's any real need for us to be so formal." She gave Buffy a warm smile.

Buffy found her nervousness had disappeared almost completely. William's mother was nothing like she had imagined. She was younger than Buffy had thought she would be, with blonde hair worn up in a French twist. Her eyes were blue like her son's, and just as bright and alive as his, too. Not at all the old, frail woman she'd expected from how William had spoken about her. "And you can call me Buffy," Buffy replied, returning the smile.

"Well, Buffy, dinner won't be much longer, but it isn't ready yet," Anne said. "Why don't we sit down for a bit, take the opportunity to get to know each other a little better?"

"Okay," Buffy replied, following Anne over to where there were a few chairs and a small sofa. Anne sat on one of the chairs while Buffy and William sat on the sofa across from her.

"The two of you do make such a lovely couple," Anne said, looking over the pair of teens.

"Thank you, Mother," William replied. "Although I believe that Buffy is the lovely part."

Anne rolled her eyes. "He's so modest. Just like his father. That man was absolutely gorgeous, but he never would admit to it." William blushed slightly, and Buffy put her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle.

"Tell me a little about yourself, Buffy," Anne requested. "You grew up in California?"

"Yes. Los Angeles. My father runs a business there," Buffy replied. "But I don't think I'll be going back to stay. I'm much happier here in England." Buffy gave a small glance towards William, the gesture highlighting what the main factor in that newfound happiness was.

"I'm very glad to hear that," Anne said. "And I'm also glad that you've taken so well to our country."

"It really is lovely here," Buffy replied. "It's very different from L.A., but it's been a good kind of different."

"Do your parents know you've decided to stay here?" Anne asked.

"Not yet. I haven't spoken to them since I made the decision. I don't think they'd care, though, to be honest. And Mr. Giles told me I could consider his home my own for as long as I want, regardless of what my parents have to say about it."

A small, almost imperceptible smile crossed Anne's lips. "Rupert is a very kind man."

"He is," Buffy agreed. "It's been nice to have a parental figure in my life that acts like an actual parent."

Anne gave Buffy a sympathetic look. "Trouble at home, dear?"

Buffy shifted, wondering if maybe she was saying too much to someone who—despite what she'd done with the woman's son—was a virtual stranger. Would William's mother look down on her if she knew all the problems with her family? Buffy looked away as she answered, "I don't think it's really home anymore."

"No, I guess it isn't," Anne said. "Well, I'm glad you've found a new home here. You seem like such a nice young woman. William and Rupert both speak so highly of you."

Buffy blushed slightly under the praise. "They may both be a little bias," she said softly.

"You seem darling to me as well," Anne told her, giving Buffy another warm smile.

William looked between his mother and his girlfriend, relieved that everything seemed to be going smoothly. He knew his mother well enough to know that she found Buffy to be utterly charming. He felt slightly foolish for worrying about this meeting, though he did have to admit that he hadn't expected Buffy to act so, well, demure.

The maid stepped in to announce dinner and William stood, helping both women to their feet before escorting them into the dining room.

*** *** ***

It wasn't until after dinner that William discovered the downside to your mother and girlfriend getting along. They returned to the parlor, only this time with Anne and Buffy on the sofa and William in the chair. The two women were chatting animatedly and William found his mind wandering.

Until something his mother said pulled him right back to reality.

"You know, when William was a small boy, he hated to take baths."

William's eyes bugged. His mother couldn't possibly be about to…

"It was such an ordeal to get him into the tub—especially when he'd manage to escape. There was this one time…"

William swallowed. She was! "Mother, I'm sure Buffy doesn't want to hear about that."

"Yes I do," Buffy said quickly. "Please, do go on." She turned to William for a moment, giving him a look that let him know she was fully aware of what she was doing to him.

Evil chit…

Anne cleared her throat. "I had the water drawn, everything ready for the bath, and there's two-year-old William refusing to get into the tub. He stood there at the side, arms crossed, and the most stubborn expression on his little face. Well, I was determined to get him to take his bath, so I went to grab him, only to have William wriggle out of my arms and take off at a mad sprint. He ran right down the stairs and out the front door, all the while screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Now, it wouldn't have been quite so bad, had it not been for the fact that I'd already gotten his clothes off. I think it was the first time anyone in this neighborhood saw a woman chasing a naked, screaming toddler down the road. Mrs. Collins up the street to this day refers to William as 'the streaker.'"

Buffy giggled, glancing over at William, who was now bright red. "Did you ever get him in the tub?" she asked.

"Yes. And by that point, he really did need it. There had been quite a heavy rain that day, and poor William slipped in a puddle, landing right in the mud. Gave me enough time to catch him, though."

"I bet William was adorable as a little boy," Buffy said, giving him a quick smile.

"Oh, he was," Anne replied. "Just precious." She reached out, patting her son's leg, making the blush on his face darken. "I have pictures up in my sitting room if you'd like to see them."

"I'd love to," Buffy said.

"Mum, please… Not the baby pictures," William begged.

"Buffy wants to see them, honey," Anne said as she stood. "It's right this way, Buffy, dear."

William sighed and followed them, deciding he should be there to know just what his mother was showing Buffy—even if the whole experience would most likely border on traumatic.

Anne pulled out the photo albums before settling down on the sitting room couch with Buffy, an album spread out over both their laps. William sat in a chair a little bit away, shifting uncomfortably as he watched them flipping through the pages.

Buffy pointed down to one. "Is that a dinosaur suit?"

William groaned. Hadn't the harrowing tale of his foiled bath time escape been enough humiliation for one night?

"Oh yes," Anne replied, ignoring her son. "William simply adored that suit. We had gone to see a museum exhibition on dinosaurs, and after that, he thought they were just the greatest thing. He wanted to wear that suit everywhere. He even cried when we told him he couldn't wear it to his aunt's wedding. Oh, and sometimes people would mistake him for a dragon, and his face would scrunch up in the most adorable angry expression and he'd stomp his foot and, 'Not dragon! Dinosaur!'"

William whimpered. Why hadn't he stuck with the plan where he kept the two of them apart?

Buffy and Anne had been flipping through the album for a while when the grandfather clock in the hall began to chime. Anne looked up. "Goodness, is it really that late? And both of you with class in the morning. I hate to send you home, Buffy, but you really should be getting some rest. You will come back and visit with me some more, won't you? Perhaps without him, seeing as he tends to be so stuffy." She nodded towards William.

"I would love to," Buffy replied.

"Can I veto that?" William asked.

"No," the two women replied in unison prompting a heavy sigh from William.

"Dear, do walk Buffy home, make sure she gets there safely," Anne said, smiling at her son.

"Of course," William said, taking Buffy's hand and helping her up from the couch.

"I had a very nice evening," Buffy said to Anne as she stood. "Thank you for allowing me to join you for dinner."

"It was my pleasure," Anne replied. She clasped Buffy's hand. "I'm very glad to have met you. I can certainly see why my son is so fond of you."

"And I can see why your son is the fine gentleman that he is," Buffy said.

"Oh, keep her," Anne said, turning to William. "She's good."

Buffy and William both chuckled at that. "Glad you approve, Mum."

"I do, William," Anne replied. "I really, really do."

*** *** ***

"I like your mom," Buffy said as she and William walked hand and hand over to Buffy's house. "She's really nice."

"She liked you, too."

"I'm glad. I wanted her to so badly, and I wanted it to all go smoothly. You mean so much to me, and if your mother hated me…"

"I know." William gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "But she doesn't. Even if I may have to now live out the rest of my life in complete and total shame."

"Those stories were cute."

"But do you still want to sleep with me now that you know of my wild past as a streaker with a penchant for dinosaur suits?"

Buffy laughed. "Yes." She tugged on his hand, getting him to stop with her. "As a matter of fact, I was thinking maybe I'd be joining you later this evening."

William's eyebrow arched. "Oh, really?"

"Yup. Would you be opposed to me climbing through your window in about an hour?"

"Not at all, pet," William replied with a slow grin.

"Good." Buffy gave him a quick kiss. "Because I don't want to have to sleep without you."

"Me either, kitten." William leaned down, meeting Buffy's lips again. She sighed against him, their arms going around each other as they embraced there on her front lawn.

*** *** ***

Buffy stopped short as she crept towards William's window, hearing a noise from behind her. Slowly, she turned around, gasping when she saw Giles. Her initial response was a spark of panic, afraid that Giles had caught her sneaking out and had come to yell at her, but then she saw the look on his face and realized he was just as surprised to see her as she was him.

"Were you sneaking in?" she asked, pointing towards the house.

Giles sighed. "I wasn't exactly sneaking," he replied. "I was merely…quietly entering through the backdoor."

"Uh huh," Buffy said with a small grin, things clicking into place.

"And I suppose you were using the window?" Giles asked, gesturing to the window in question.

"That was the plan," Buffy admitted. "You're not going to yell at me about it, are you?"

"Would be a bit hypocritical of me."

"Yeah, it really would be."

Buffy and Giles stood facing each other for a moment, an awkward silence between them until Giles spoke. "So, um…backdoor."

"Window," Buffy replied.

"Right."

With a nod from both, they parted ways.

*** *** ***

Well, this story that was supposed to be a quick little smutfest has now officially become my longest story. Didn't see that one coming… It is, however, drawing to an end, with one more chapter and an epilogue following this one. I hope you'll continue to enjoy it as it comes to a close.

Please take the time to leave a review!

William was sitting on the edge of his bed when Buffy climbed in through the window. She walked over to him, straddling his legs before meeting his lips for a kiss.

"I missed you," William said as they broke apart for air.

"We were only apart for an hour," Buffy replied.

"A minute's too bloody long," William growled, flipping them so they were lying on the bed with Buffy pinned beneath him. "And it's been hours since I've been inside of you." He dipped his head, kissing her neck.

Buffy gasped, his touch exciting her, though one question remained on her mind after her brief run in with Giles. "William?"

He didn't look up, his lips staying against her skin. "Hmm?"

"Did you know about your mom and Giles?"

William froze. "What?"

"I caught Giles outside sneaking in through the backdoor."

William pulled up, looking at Buffy in horror. "Please tell me you're joking."

"Nope. I'm completely and totally serious."

"He…he couldn't be coming to see her."

Buffy cocked an eyebrow. "It's either that or he's making off with the good silver."

"He was sneaking in just now?" William asked. "When you were coming in?"

Buffy nodded. "I just finished talking to him."

"So he's probably in there now with…with my mother." William made an expression of extreme distaste.

"More than likely."

William pulled up off of Buffy completely, sitting on the edge of the bed again, his head going down to rest in his hands. "Oh god."

Buffy perched up on her elbows. "It's not that big of a deal. Besides, it's sorta sweet."

"Sweet? My mother is having sex!"

"What's wrong with that?"

William looked over at Buffy as if she were completely insane. "It's my mother and it's…" He stopped, shuddering.

"Well, then let's not think about it right now," Buffy said, coming up behind William and wrapping her arms around him. "Let's concentrate on something else." She ran her hands down his chest, leaning in to nip at his ear.

William settled into her embrace, his eyes closing before they popped open again. "I can't," he said.

Buffy pulled back, frowning in confusion. "What do you mean you can't?"

"I mean I can't. My mother's in the house…"

"We've done it with your mother in the house before," Buffy pointed out. "Several times."

"I know, but then she wasn't…" William shuddered again.

"You're not the tiniest bit hard right now, are you?" Buffy asked with a heavy sigh.

William turned and looked at her. "Well I was before you went and killed the mood!"

"I didn't think you'd react to it quite like this."

"So I'm supposed to stay in the mood knowing my mum's getting shagged right down the hall?" William paled as soon as those words were out of his mouth. "Oh bloody hell."

"Do you want to go somewhere else?" Buffy asked him.

"Oh god, yes. Now would be good."

William and Buffy stood, heading towards the door. With his hand on the knob, William stopped short. "We have to pass her room to get out."

"So? I doubt she would've left the door open," Buffy replied.

"I know, but we might be able to…hear something."

Buffy paused, thinking about that for a moment. She could deal with the idea of Anne and Giles abstractly, but she was sure she'd be in the same state William was in now if it became a little more tangible—and audible. "Okay, you've got a good point with that. Wanna learn how to climb out of a window?"

"Anything to get me out of here."

Buffy took his hand. "It's easy. Just follow my lead."

*** *** ***

"It's really not that bad. Just a couple of scrapes," Buffy said soothingly, looking over William's face.

"Bloody tree," William muttered.

"You made it most of the way. Only missed those last couple of branches," Buffy replied. "This is going to sting a little."

William hissed as Buffy dabbed at the cuts on his face with an alcohol-dipped cotton ball. "It was worth it to get out of there, though," he said.

After she finished cleaning his wounds, Buffy reached over and put the cotton ball in the trash before kissing William's cheek, careful not to irritate the scratches. "Is the change of scenery making it better?"

"A little. It's been a very traumatic night, though. Still might need a little more…distraction." William gave her a crooked grin.

"I think I can provide that," Buffy said with a slow smile, dropping down to her knees in front of him. She unbuttoned his jeans, pulling his cock out into her hand. "This distracting?"

"Getting there," William replied. "It might help if you took off your top while you did that." He gave her a small wink.

"Happy to oblige," Buffy said, pulling her shirt over her head. "How about now?"

William looked down at the breasts displayed tantalizingly before him, barely covered by thin black lace. "Much better."

Buffy dipped her head, taking him into her mouth. From William's hiss of pleasure and the look on his face, she was sure that she'd successfully refocused his attention. His thoughts had narrowed now, centered on her and what she was doing to him, and she loved that she was that for him, that she was his world. She knew it went beyond the physical. He didn't lose his interest in her when she wasn't touching him, when she wasn't right there. She was in more than his thoughts. She was in his heart.

"Buffy…"

She looked up as William whispered her name, his body trembling. He was gorgeous, and he was hers. Buffy pulled up, responding to his sudden look of confusion by placing her hand against his chest and pushing him back onto the mattress. She pressed her body against his, leaning down with her mouth against his ear. "I want you inside me now."

William shivered, his arms going around her waist. Buffy pulled up, looking down into his eyes, the blue almost black with passion. The outside world had disappeared for both of them now, only love and lust still existing.

Buffy took hold of the bottom of his t-shirt, pulling it off of his body and revealing his sculptured torso to her gaze. It was a sight that never ceased to amaze her as much as it had that first night when she'd discovered what he'd kept hidden under those loose clothes he used to wear. Pale skin pulled taut over tightly corded muscles, begging her to run her fingers down it, to touch this bit of perfection granted to her. William groaned as she did just that, his hips pushing up against her, showing her how desperate he was for more skin-to-skin contact.

She responded by sliding down his legs, removing his boots before tugging his jeans off, leaving him completely exposed to her. She climbed back up to his hips then, straddling his bare thighs.

William reached up, tangling his fingers in her hair to pull her mouth to his, kissing her until she was dizzy. Buffy panted as he pulled away, the desire in his eyes mirroring her own. Needing him inside of her, she reached down and unzipped her jeans, pushing at them almost frantically until she was able to kick off both the jeans and her shoes. She pulled back up then, William's hands going to her hips as she slid down, taking him all the way inside of her.

Their eyes locked as she rode him, saying more with a gaze than they ever could with words. Buffy moved her hips in a steady rhythm, whimpering with loss every time she pulled up and caused William to slide out almost completely. She needed him inside, needed him there to give her that feeling of completion.

Buffy felt herself nearing the edge already, the intensity of what she felt heightening her pleasure. She bucked up when her orgasm hit, calling William's name as she did. His grip on her tightened, his fingers digging into her hips. Buffy came down panting, but fell back into her rhythm as she saw William was still searching for his own release. His body was tense, set on edge, and Buffy leaned down, whispering in his ear the words she knew would push him over.

"I love you."

William came inside of her then, hard, his hips raising up from the bed, pushing him somehow deeper inside of her. Soon, Buffy's cries of pleasure joined his as his orgasm triggered a second one in her.

Buffy collapsed into William's arms, her head resting at the crook of his neck as he pressed soft kisses against her hair. After a few moments, Buffy looked up, finding his eyes again. "So where do things go from here? I mean, we're really together now, aren't we? I love you and you love me, and we're all official with the whole me meeting your mom thing, right?" She spoke quickly, a hint of nervousness still in her voice that William knew would take time for him to banish completely.

"Yeah, pet, we are," William replied. He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "You're mine now, Buffy."

"You're mine, too," she said.

"I know. For as long as you'll have me."

"I'll always have you, William. I couldn't live any other way. Not anymore." Buffy lowered her head again, resting it against his chest as William's hand came up to rub against her back. They were silent for a while until she spoke again. "William?"

"Yeah?"

"That whole you being a baron thing—it doesn't mean you're going to have an arranged marriage or something does it?"

William chuckled at her question, the sound rumbling through Buffy's body. "No, luv. We are a bit more progressive over here than that."

"Good. Because if you did have to, then I'd probably have to kill her, and it would just be one big mess."

"Somehow I don't doubt that one bit."

"It was all I could do to keep from ripping Cecily's arms off and beating her with them when I saw her touching you," Buffy said. "Only I get to do that."

"Barring that one rather unpleasant experience, you're the only one who ever has," William said, kissing the top of her head.

"Does that bother you?"

"Does it sound like it bothers me?"

Buffy looked up again, needing to see his eyes. "No, but maybe later, you'll start thinking about how you've only had me and wonder if maybe some other girl would…"

William pressed his finger against Buffy's mouth, silencing her. "Won't ever happen, Buffy. When I think about how it's only ever going to be you, it doesn't make me want to be with other women. It makes me feel damn lucky for finding the perfect woman the first time."

Buffy swallowed, his words bringing tears to her eyes. "I love you, William."

William leaned down, his lips almost brushing hers. "I love you, too," he replied before kissing her.

*** *** ***

Sorry that chapter was shorter than the others, but it's then end of the main part of the story, so I couldn't really add another scene to make it longer. There is an epilogue though, so look for that in the next couple of days. I plan to have it done before I leave town this weekend (hopefully).

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please remember to leave a review!

Epilogue

Buffy could still remember a project she'd done her freshman year of high school. The teacher had instructed the class to make a scrapbook depicting what they saw themselves doing after graduation. Buffy had been so sure of her future then. She was going to stay in L.A. and go to cosmetology school so she could be a professional stylist. Angel would already be halfway through college, and they'd be preparing for a future together, the whole marriage-and-kids package.

She hadn't gotten that. Instead, she was living in London, sharing a flat with a man she'd hadn't even known back then. Instead of cosmetology, she'd gone to school for psychology, finding herself more drawn to the subject that she'd ever thought she would be. She was a far cry from the girl she'd been when she'd planned her future out as a high school freshman, but she knew in her heart things had worked out for the best.

Now, she'd just finished her first year at the university, and had almost surprised herself with how well she'd done. Her final grades had been something to be proud of, and she'd decided to celebrate with a passion that had remained with her even when so many other things had changed—shopping.

Buffy looked up from the rack she was browsing, catching the eye of the man that was responsible for much of the good currently in her life. She hadn't been looking for love the night she'd met William, but she'd found it all the same. He'd been the most shy, unassuming person she'd ever met, yet he'd turned her world upside down, changing everything she wanted, everything she needed.

William grinned at her from where he stood, the confidence that was clear in his stance a far cry from what he'd been a year before. Buffy knew she'd made him a man in more ways than one.

It was then that she noticed where he had ended up, and rolled her eyes. "Come back over here," she said.

"I like it here better," William replied, running his tongue over his teeth. He reached on to the rack, picking one of the garments and holding it up. "How about this, kitten?" he asked, his grin turning to a leer.

Buffy eyed the scrap of red lace. "I'm not underwear shopping today, Will," she replied.

"You can never have too many pairs of skimpy panties pet," William said. "Oooh…what about these?" He pulled out a black pair decorated with silver glitter. "Oh, these are nice, too…"

Buffy glanced over, seeing a couple of older women across the store eyeing them disapprovingly. She walked over to William, her hands on her hips. "Knock it off."

William pulled another pair off the rack. "I'd rather take these off of you. Maybe with my teeth." He waggled his eyebrows.

Buffy tried to look annoyed, but couldn't hide the smile that was creeping to her lips. "You're making old people stare at us," she said in a whisper.

"They're just jealous because no one wants to see them in sexy knickers," William replied.

Buffy's nose wrinkled. "Gee, honey, thanks a lot for that mental image."

"Says the woman who let the cat out of the bag about my mother and Giles. You know, I was completely happy living in denial about that."

"Could you get over that already?" Buffy said, rolling her eyes. "It's been over a year. I thought you would've dealt with it by now."

"No. No dealing. Repressing. Much better for my sanity," William replied.

"They are very happy together," Buffy pointed out.

"Yes. Very happy in their completely non-sexual friendship," William said, arms crossed over his chest.

"You are too pathetic," Buffy said, shaking her head.

"Only sex I want to think about is the kind involving you, luv," William replied. He stepped closer to her, his hand reaching out to brush her arm. "Speaking of…" He looked her up and down with a leer.

"Nuh-uh. I wanna shop now," Buffy said, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're just going to have to be patient, mister."

William pouted. "But I'm bored."

"You're like a little boy sometimes, you know that?" Buffy said. He responded by continuing to look pitiful, bouncing on the balls of his feet with barely contained energy. "Okay, how about this," she said with a sigh. "You stay over here and pick out underwear for me while I shop for real clothes. Deal?"

William's eyes lit up. "And you'll wear it for me when we get home?"

"Yes, dear."

"Deal made then."

Buffy smiled as she kissed him, unable to find him anything but adorable. She'd been drawn to him from the start, attracted to the shy, innocent boy she'd found with a broken heart. But the man he'd become—the man she'd showed him how to be—was everything she could ever ask for in a lover.

No, her life hadn't turned out the way she'd once planned.

It had turned out better.

*** *** ***

And that is the end. I hope you enjoyed my "short" fic that somehow managed to turn into a smutty epic…. (Still not sure how that managed to happen. Silly muse.) Thanks to everyone who stuck with me through the whole thing, bumps in the road to Spuffy love and all. I know I lost some people along the way, and I really do appreciate those who were willing to see it through to the end.

Even though it's the end, please remember to review—let me know if you enjoyed it all the way through!

To everyone celebrating one holiday or another this upcoming weekend/week, I wish you a very happy holidays. And since this will probably be my last post until January, Happy New Year as well!

Thanks again for reading! This fic was a lot of fun to write, and I'm glad so many people enjoyed it! Thanks!