Chapter 4:
Saturday Night…
“You know, I’ve been thinking, maybe we should consider getting that puppy Matt wants.” Buffy said in bed later that night while painting her nails.
William, who was lying beside her with his nose buried in a book, scrunched up his face in confusion. He gave her a sideways glance and saw she was not looking at him, just continuing to paint her thumb nail a light pink color, oblivious to the crazy stare she now receiving. All day long she had been like this, saying random ideas that were a little extreme… a little non-Buffy. William thought the weirdness would have stopped with their moment in the office, but it seemed to carry though the rest of the night…like at dinner…
‘I think I may dye my hair back to it’s an original color, what do you think?’ she asked over the quiet dinner table.
William’s fork paused in mid-bite. His eyes traveled up and across the table at Buffy, watching her poke through her salad, moving the tomatoes around and jabbing at random lettuce leaves. When she got the feeling that her entire family was staring at her, she finally looked up to see that they indeed were.
William sat up in bed, shut his book, and leaned back against the headboard with his arms crossed over his chest. He didn’t look at her just yet, his mouth was too busy acting like a fish—opening and closing, being unsuccessful with forming words at the moment.
Buffy sat her pink nail polish down on the nightstand and blew lightly on her wet nails.
“His birthday is coming up in September…could be an early gift or something…” Buffy continued on about getting a puppy.
When Buffy took one final blow at her nails she looked up and saw William staring forward, looking as if he was going to say something but at the same time thinking very hard at choosing his words—at one pointing mouthing something to himself.
“Will?”
“Wait! Wait!” he held up a hand, stopping her from continuing on, “My mine hasn’t reached the point where you are yet.”
“What?”
William once again held up a finger, telling her ‘give me a minute’. At the gesture, Buffy’s confused stare had turned into an irritated one. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest and waited.
“Okay…” William nodded and turned to face his wife, “I have now entered the crazyland that you have been visiting all day long…” he waved his hand, motioning back to her, “As you were saying.”
”If you are going to be all funny about it forget it.” She muttered, leaning over to her nightstand to get a magazine so she can ignore him for the rest of the night.
“I’m the bleeding funny one? Me?” William exclaimed, “Do you know what words actually came out of your mouth a minute ago? Because you said ‘dog’…you want to get a dog…a dog that for two years straight had been off the table at getting. The kids automatically go to me now because they know the answer will be a dead ‘no’ from you.”
Buffy took a page corner and flipped it with a snap. She certainly was going to engage in conversation if she was going to get lectured.
“Buffy?” he nudged his foot underneath the covers to hit her leg to get her attention.
Buffy looked up at him with narrow eyes and kicked him back underneath the covers a bit harder than he did.
“Oww!” he whined and kicked her with the same strength she used.
“Oww!” she shouted when his foot came in contact with her shin.
“Can you please talk to me—“
William was cut off when he was blindsided by a shove that caused half his body to tumble to the side and out of bed. The only part of his body that stayed on the bed was his feet.
“Bloody hell woman.”
Uncaring, Buffy raised her neck up to see him down on the floor. “You deserved it.” She said with a sigh and looked back down at her magazine.
“Buffy what—“
”Night…” she said as she shut off the lamp on her nightstand, threw her magazine on the floor, and curled up under the covers, leaving William to navigate his way back into bed in the dark.
Buffy stared at the wall and listened to William make his way off the ground and turn on his lamp on his nightstand.
“Buffy?”
”She’s sleeping.” She whispered, “Shh…”
”Luv…” he started to use his warning voice that he often used with the kids, “Want to be a dear and tell me why the bleeding hell you just did that?”
Buffy sighed; she knew he wouldn’t give up until they talked this out. They both followed the common rule for married couples: don’t go to bed angry. She shifted off her side and laid down on her back, forcing herself to look at him.
“I’m sorry okay?” she said quickly, and then thought up an excuse “I’m PMSing….”
“No, no, no…you aren’t getting out of this with that one.” He said as he pointed a finger at her. “You used that last week.”
”I’m pregnant?” she smiled as she came up with a different excuse.
“I hardly doubt that…but it would explain your weird behavior today.” William noted, “You’ve been secretive for a while now and I’ve let it go, giving you space...but pushing me off the bleeding bed was the final straw, so spill. I know something is bothering you.”
With that, William sat on the bed and waited. Buffy looked down at the puffy comforter and started to pick at a lose thread. She didn’t know how to begin—should she start with Cordelia and Angelus, the motorcycle he sold the other night, or the whole ‘whatever happened to Spike’ matter?
”Babe…come on…can’t be this complicated.” William whispered gently as he rubbed her leg on top of the covers.
‘Oh honey, you don’t know the thoughts that run through my mind’ Buffy thought to herself.
“It’s…it’s just a mid-life crisis or something…” Buffy started, which wasn’t technically a lie. “Cordelia’s separation just made me think of us and—“
”And how you’re lucky you get to kick me off the bed every once and a while?” he smiled.
Buffy rolled her eyes, “I’m sorry okay…you made me mad, poking fun of me and all.” She nudged her foot and hit him lightly on the leg.
William bit his lip and shook his head; his wife sure did drive him crazy sometimes. Getting into her head was tough sometimes; it was like monkey’s trying to open a jar. With a sigh he got up and crawled into bed beside her.
“You’re a onion love.” He said as he grabbed her and held her close to him under the covers. Buffy smiled and ran her hand up and down his torso.
“Onion?”
“There are layers upon layers of you that I can never find without crying myself mad in the process.”
”Umm…sorry?”
William told her to think nothing of it and kissed her forehead.
”Xander told me you talked to Anya about this whole Cordelia and Angelus thing.” Buffy’s hand froze on his stomach and she tensed up. “Something about being bored?” He noted her stillness, knowing he touched a nerve with her.
“Ya…Angelus said he was bored with Cordelia.” Buffy said quietly, “It was the reason he left.”
William snorted, “That nit can’t keep his balls still huh? Now I feel kind of sorry for Queen C.”
“Ya…”
”Doesn’t explain still why you’re acting funny though…changing your hair color? A dog? Are you the bored one now?”
Buffy ripped herself out of his arms and sat up. “What?! No…I’m not bored…I would never never never be bored.”
”Whoa….love…” William was taken back a bit; he noticed that she looked physically upset at the question that he thought was merely innocent.
“I’m not bored.” She said again.
”Whoa…calm down. I just thought you would be because you’re cooped up all day long with kids and you gave up your job a year ago.” He said as he sat up too and placed his arm around her back.
Buffy let out a deep breath and her heartbeat went back to its regular pace. He didn’t hit the nail on the head but he was close, he just got everything all mixed up and the complete opposite. William though SHE was the bored one, that being a mother for seven years had worn her down a bit. He thought the dog and hair were for her and not for him. It gave Buffy a little bit of reassurance that William wasn’t thinking about his quiet and not so exciting life as being a teacher--that those thoughts weren’t popping into his head ever minute.
“I’m not mad love…if you want to do something different we can get a dog if that makes you happy.”
“I’m fine William. I-I just wanted your opinion on the hair thing…it was a random idea, and the dog thing…well, maybe I changed my mind. Can’t a girl change her mind? It has nothing to do with my happiness it was merely for the family. I don’t want to be the party pooper and all.”
”You’re not. I was actually started to agree with you on the dog thing.” William said.
They both lied back down, Buffy still being held close to William’s body.
“You were?” she whispered.
“Ya…don’t really need a dog…got my kitten right here.” He said with a smile and squeezed her close.
TBC…