William lifted the brunette and put her back onto her feet, laughing. “I do have company, pet.”
“Well so you do – my apologies ladies.” She slung her bag on the couch and shrugged off her jacket.
“Faith, meet Buffy and Willow. I’m tutoring them in History. Buffy, Willow, meet Faith – my very dear friend.”
Buffy smiled tightly. Very dear friend, my ass.
~~
“Hell – it’s like 95 degrees outside and you’re doing a tutoring session?” Faith was looking incredulously at William. “Oh, and hello by the way.” She beamed at Willow and Buffy who were in turn, looking slightly incredulous at her.
Buffy couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Faith, William’s friend was dressed in a white tube top, indigo denim cutoffs and skyscraper heels. She practically oozed sex and she was oozing it all over William. She looked down at her lemon sundress, embarrassed at how young she must appear.
“I’m afraid studying doesn’t stop for a heatwave.” William said with a tight smile, willing Faith to go unpack. “Besides, it’s been like this for over a week now.”
“It’s a Friday night and you’re chaining these poor girls to the History books.” Faith shook her head. “Please tell me that isn’t how you usually spend your nights, Will? Chaining up teenage girls.” She winked at William who coughed loudly.
No, I usually spend them dreaming of chaining Buffy to my bedposts… He visibly flushed as she playfully punched him in the arm. “Look, I’m sorry to interfere with the merriment you have planned but it’s hardly a way to welcome your oldest and dearest friend is it?” She raised an eyebrow, pointedly.
The way she said friend made Buffy’s shoulders tense.
“I thought you were getting in later tonight, that’s why!” William exclaimed. If truth be told, he had never been more relieved to see her, even if she was a little early. He usually visited her, due to the fact her Mom lived five doors down from his Aunt Amy in Brooklyn, but he decided that a visit to his place was long overdue. She’d never asked if she could visit but her joy at receiving the invitation made him feel almost guilty he hadn’t invited her sooner.
Faith laughed. “And here’s me thinking it’d be a nice surprise. Look, I’m gonna go take a shower whilst you release your hostages. Then we can go out and play, yeah?”
He cast a sideways glance at Buffy whose eyes were practically bugging out of her head at the exchange. Maybe Faith’s idea wasn’t a bad one after all… “Oh, alright then. Considering you asked so nicely.”
Faith pulled out her tongue as she picked up her bag and slung her jacket over her arm. “You don’t have to thank me girls – I’m just doing my bit to salvage your social calendars. Besides, a night with tall, blonde and boring probably doesn’t figure high on the list of things to do before you die.” She winked at them and swatted William’s bottom as she walked past.
“Oi!” He couldn’t help but smirk at Faith’s brazenness. She was a law unto herself. And she had certainly done a good job of riling up Buffy who was now directing a daggered stare at him.
“Friend huh?” She wasn’t happy.
“Leaving now.” Willow edged round them and closed the front door quietly behind her as she left.
“What’s your problem now?” William sighed.
“She is my problem.” She put her hands on her hips. “Friends don’t grope your ass.”
“Just like neighbours don’t flaunt themselves at their bedroom windows. She is nothing to you. She is nothing to do with this.”
“And what is this?” She hissed.
“This is you acting like a brat because you can’t get your own way. This is you trying to be a grown up in the real world when you should be studying for your History exam on Wednesday. This is me, getting on with my life and forgetting the fact that any of this… us… happened.”
“Oh, I get it. Now Slut-O-Rama has arrived on the scene, you don’t want me anymore. And don’t try to tell me it’s not true.” Her eyes welled with tears.
He gripped her arms then, pulling her face into his. “Buffy, you are seventeen years old. I may want you, I may lay awake night thinking of how much I’d like to have you… but I can’t. It’s wrong and it can’t go on. It’s making me insane. And the fact that you seem determined to seduce me doesn’t make me think any better of you. It just reminds me of how young you actually are.”
Buffy turned her head, as though she’d been slapped. His words had hit home and she realised at that moment how stupid she’d been. “You’re right.”
“What?” His brow furrowed, his voice surprised.
“You’re right. I know what you’re saying makes sense. I really do. I’ll leave you alone if that’s what you want.” Her voice cracked.
“No, don’t be so bloody daft! I’m just asking you to cut out the games, the innuendo… I still want to tutor you Buffy. I want to help you pass this year and I want to be your friend. You know you can talk to me about anything.” He rubbed his hands up and down her forearms trying to soothe away the pain he was causing her.
She looked back at him then, searching his eyes for a hint of hope. What she saw was good intentions and genuine concern. It softened the rejection she had been stung with but served only to break her heart when she realised exactly what she had thrown away by acting so stupidly. “Thank you.”
“What for?” He smoothed her hair back from her face, the sight of tears tracking down her cheeks almost undoing his resolve. This wasn’t about lust now, this was something else. Why did it feel like his heart was snapping in two?
“For being so understanding and for being so nice to me. You don’t have to. We can forget the whole thing.” She stepped back, bending to collect her bag and Willow’s that she had discarded in her hurry to escape. “It’ll be like it never happened.”
“No, it’ll be like two adults who have overcome a misunderstanding… a difficulty even… who are not going to let it effect their friendship.”
She smiled then, a half smile but a smile nonetheless.
William felt a wave of calm sweep over him. He was getting through to her at last.
“Yeah. I like the sound of that.” They stood staring at each other. A few moments feeling like an eternity. “You’ve released your hostage, William.”
The door clicked shut behind her.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Well guys, a HUGE thanks to all the responses I got for the last chapter, the arrival of Faith seemed to cause quite a stir with you as much as it did with Buffy!!
Generally, you guys seem happy with the development AS LONG AS THERE IS NO GRAPHIC SPIKE/FAITH. And can I please take this opportunity to reassure you all that there will NOT be anything of that variety occurring in this tale! I admit, there may be some history here but to all intents and purposes, they are now just good friends.
I DID put a Spike/Other warning on the chapter as I did with the other Buffy/Other chapters.. I can tell you now, that the warnings aren't on the main story as this story isn't plotted ahead, it's at the mercy of the muse... and I didn't feel that the actual involvement of these characters (as they are not central to the story and nor will they gain such status by sleeping with either Spike or Buffy) would cause any major distress.
I used these warnings as indicators to help prepare you all for what you were about to read without giving the plot away but can confirm in both cases Faith and Angel are serving as plot devices to create tension and conflict rather than as actual barriers or visual distractions to the main coupling :) I will continue to use these warnings chapter by chapter to alert you to any Angel/Faith appearances but they will not be of any graphic variety.
I hope this note will put any anxious minds at rest!
I will ask that you trust me (as I to have the same anxieties about ?/Other couplings in specific 'ship fics) and hope that you guys will keep reading and enjoy the ride!
I'm thrilled that overall, you guys are still sticking with this story and that Faith (although the cause of some anxiety) has been well received! She's going to be entertaining!!! :D
Generally, you guys seem happy with the development AS LONG AS THERE IS NO GRAPHIC SPIKE/FAITH. And can I please take this opportunity to reassure you all that there will NOT be anything of that variety occurring in this tale! I admit, there may be some history here but to all intents and purposes, they are now just good friends.
I DID put a Spike/Other warning on the chapter as I did with the other Buffy/Other chapters.. I can tell you now, that the warnings aren't on the main story as this story isn't plotted ahead, it's at the mercy of the muse... and I didn't feel that the actual involvement of these characters (as they are not central to the story and nor will they gain such status by sleeping with either Spike or Buffy) would cause any major distress.
I used these warnings as indicators to help prepare you all for what you were about to read without giving the plot away but can confirm in both cases Faith and Angel are serving as plot devices to create tension and conflict rather than as actual barriers or visual distractions to the main coupling :) I will continue to use these warnings chapter by chapter to alert you to any Angel/Faith appearances but they will not be of any graphic variety.
I hope this note will put any anxious minds at rest!
I will ask that you trust me (as I to have the same anxieties about ?/Other couplings in specific 'ship fics) and hope that you guys will keep reading and enjoy the ride!
I'm thrilled that overall, you guys are still sticking with this story and that Faith (although the cause of some anxiety) has been well received! She's going to be entertaining!!! :D
Chapter End Notes:
*peers at readers from behind couch* Was that ok?