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Author's Chapter Notes:
Three stories now...I think I'm masochistic lol.
Chapter One


"Will, this is going to be great!" Buffy exclaimed as she took hold of her best friend, William Giles' hand. William smiled nervously at her as she pulled him up the winding wooden staircase, his blue eyes darting around and taking in everything around him. Buffy beamed brilliantly at him, her green eyes sparkling and her blond hair bouncing with each step. William brushed his honey brown curls from his eyes and tried not look as fearful as he felt.

Landing on the third floor, on the all season porch with windows all around
and blue flooring, Buffy knocked on the door and a man with dark hair and
a moustache came to the door. He wore jeans and a t-shirt and he smiled at
Buffy. "Hey Buffy, how you doing?" he asked, and Spike noticed how deep
his voice was.

"Hi Mike, I brought my roommate with me. Well, hopefully anyway," she
laughed easily and gestured towards William. "Mike, this is William,
William, this is Mike."

Mike held out his hand to shake Williams hand and reluctantly he let go of
Buffy's hand, hoping he hadn't been death gripping it. Course, she would
have said something if he had been. It wasn't like Buffy to not be vocal.

"How ya doin' William?" Mike asked abruptly and yet politely.

"G-good, thanks," William nodded and shook his hand. Mike had a firm
grip. William just smiled.

Buffy giggled and Mike looked at her sternly, yet he had amusement in his
eyes. "What?"

"You, all serious," she replied.

"I'm trying to be serious here Buffy. You don't get this side of me very
often—"

"If at all," Buffy grinned.

Mike chuckled. "Let me show you around William."

"Can I?" Buffy piped up.

"Well, Buffy, I am the landlord—"

"Please? You can tell him anything I miss okay?"

Mike smiled warmly at her and gestured for her to start.

"This is obviously the kitchen," Buffy told him.

"I'm not sure if the stove and the sink were a dead give away or not, but I
know how Buffy doesn't want you to be confused," Mike said seriously.
William was catching on that Mike's jokes were very deadpan and said in a
serious tone though it was clear he was joking. For the first time since Buffy
had whisked him away that day, William smiled a real smile.

Buffy stuck her tongue out at Mike.

"Now, now Buffy. Toni would be upset if she saw you do that," Mike said
sternly, pointing at her.

"Leave your wife out of this Freeman," Buffy tossed back, but then she
laughed and grabbed Williams hand once more. "Let me show you the living
room."

She walked five feet and onto carpeting. Two windows at the far wall and
cream walls greeted them.

"Living room. Oh, and here's another door," she explained and walked to
the right, opening a door and gesturing outside. "We can put our shoes and
stuff out here if you want," she grinned. Who knew Buffy would get so
excited about the placement of shoes. William supposed that when you
made the rules of where your shoes could go and WOULD go, you got
excited. He supposed she would be trudging through the place with her
shoes on just to make up for all the years she'd had to take her shoes off as
soon as she walked in the door at her parent's house.

Turning and walking out of the living room, she made an immediate right
and entered into what appeared to be a bedroom. Four cream walls and a
window at the front. "And look, William, drawers built into the wall so you
don't have to bring a dresser and conserve space if you wanted." She then
led him across the kitchen to another bedroom, a larger one with four
windows straight across the wall across from them. "Check out the closet
space!" she exclaimed and flung open two sliding doors to reveal a huge
closet.

"I take it you've already claimed this room due to the enormous closet
then?" William asked, smirking.

"No. Though it would make more sense since the other room doesn't have
a closet, but we could share the closet space. . . or we could flip for this
bedroom, its really okay William. Whatever will make you comfortable so
that you like it here---"

"Buffy, pet, it's all right. Slow down, I could take the smaller bedroom. I
don't have as much stuff as you do anyway," he patted her hand gently.

"Does this mean-?" she asked hopefully.

"Is there a bathroom or am I expected to pee out my window?"

Buffy burst into laughter. "It's right around the corner from this bedroom.
It's even got a tub."

"Very nice."

"And we have a washer and dryer in the kitchen in case you missed it.
There's a little nook in the corner, so they're kind of set back."

"Even nicer."

"William, do you want to take it? Will you live with me?" she asked,
squeezing his hand in anticipation.

Like he could deny her anything. They'd been best friends since she saved
him from bullies shoving him in a locker sophomore year in high school. The
leader of the bullies had been her current boyfriend at the time on top of that. Now they
were fresh out of college in which they'd commuted together and were just
starting to get their feet wet in the ‘real world'. They'd pinky swore as
teenagers that they'd do it all together and so far they had. And even
though William was petrified, not loving the whole aspect of change so
much, he knew it was time and knew that Buffy was the person to do it
with.

"I'll live with you Buffy," he told her softly.

Letting out a squeal, Buffy threw herself in his arms, squeezing him tightly
and jumping up and down. A difficult feat while embracing another.

"I take it he said yes then?" Mike asked, coming into the room.

"He did!" Buffy exclaimed excitedly and disengaged from William.

Mike held out his hand again and William took it more firmly this time.
"Welcome to your new home," Mike said and smiled. "You can move in
next weekend if you're ready. All I need is first and last for now and you
can pay me security next month or we can split it up over a couple months.
Just let me know," Mike said all business again and released his hand.

"I—I think over a couple months would be good for me," William said,
glancing at Buffy. Buffy nodded agreeing with him.

"Great. Now, Buffy told you that nothings included right?

William sent Buffy a withering look. "She failed to mention that."

"I wouldn't worry," Mike told him, "for heat in the winter, you've got the
heat from the first two floors helping you out, so you won't pay much at all.
Plus, you have gas. Less expensive than electric. You have your own
washer and dryer and it's only six hundred a month for rent."

"That she did tell me."

"You can paint and do whatever you want in here, not a problem as long as
its painted back to white or cream or whatever that color is before you
leave. You have the parking spot closest to the house, or you know, on the
street. The trash goes out on Tuesdays, but the guy on the second floor,
Andrew, usually takes it out to the curb and then someone brings it back.
You can leave rent right in the mailbox at the first floor at the first of the
month."

"Quiet neighborhood?" William asked.

"Very. The more you circle out of here, the louder it gets, but my
grandfather owned this place, he lived on the first floor and I've been
coming here since I was a kid. I inherited the place from him when he died.
I know most of the people in this area and it's a good neighborhood."

William nodded and looked down at Buffy who was smiling so bright, she
outshone the sun. Brushing his hair away again from his eyes, he beamed
back at her. Anything to make his Buffy happy. Plus, this would be good for
him. He needed it, they needed it. Time to be all ‘growed' up as Buffy would
say. He'd been hoping to move closer to home, like in the same town, in
Newport. Buffy chose Providence. Which wasn't that far away, but still . .

"Welcome home, William," Buffy said warmly.

"Indeed," William said softly, reality starting to set in.





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