Kara and Poppy pushed open the clear glass double doors and walked into the gallery arm in arm. Constantine trailed behind them, carrying his girlfriend's wrap. They were greeted by an enormous image of the first Buffy's face, rendered in shades of gray except the scar running through her lip, which was painted bright red. The name of the exhibit was painted beneath: A Shadow Fell Across Her Face.
Poppy did a double take in front of the sign.
“She's like you,” Poppy said, tilting her head, slightly.
“Maybe in the eyes,” Kara said with a shrug.
Their heels clicked on the bamboo floor and echoed off the stark, white walls. They went through the long hallway toward sounds of polite murmuring from the main gallery. They turned the corner and entered the large space. Other art lovers were milling about, holding glasses of wine, all wearing black or white.
“Was there a dress code?” Kara whispered.
Poppy took out her phone and pulled up the advertisement for the event, scanning it nervously.
“Shit, yeah, I'm sorry. But it was only a suggested one, not required, so they won't escort you out,” Poppy whispered.
“It's nice to know fascism is alive and well,” Kara mumbled.
“I think it's nice when companies impose standards. Casual wear was getting disgusting. In Europe people dress up to go out, it wasn't like that here until they started improving standards. I mean, you always look lovely, Kara, but what if someone had decided to show up to an event like this wearing jeans,” Constantine said, scoffing out the last word. Then his eyes went wide and he covered his mouth with his hand.
“Right, and it's the artist, too,” Constantine said, inclining his head toward a fellow slouching in the corner, “you think he heard me?”
The man with the bad posture was Billy. He was wearing a pair of black jeans frayed at the cuff and a white, silk t-shirt. His black boots looked old, but someone had polished them to gleaming. His nails were also black and he was fingering a silver ink pen.
Kara stopped.
He looked up, saw her staring and dropped the pen.
Billy was walking toward her and she noticed he moved differently than Spike. He didn't seem to be checking the exits or sizing up the other people in the room to see if he could take them down. Even as a human being there was a violent tension in Spike's carriage. Will's gestures were free of that coiled menace, like someone who'd grown up never having to fight his way out of a situation. Other than his gait, the two men were remarkably the same; both had silver hair and bright, blue eyes. Will had high cheekbones, but the rest of his face was a touch softer. Over his left eyebrow instead of a scar was a black cuff piercing the middle.
“Great, he definitely heard me,” Constantine said just before Will reached their group.
Will was standing in front of her after all of these years, his forehead wrinkled and his eyes shining. His lips were doing that thing where they looked drawn up for a kiss. She worried he might think she was stalking him or, at the very least, being a nuisance. Kara tried to speak, but all she could manage was a squeaky sigh.
“Do you want to go back to my place, kitten?” Will asked.
Kara nodded.
Will stretched out his arm, splaying his fingers. Kara watched the muscles in his forearm shift as she took his hand. The contact of his skin on hers sent a flush through her body and she knew Will felt it, too, by his smile.
As he led Kara from the room, Poppy began to follow them. Constantine lightly caught her wrist.
“Why didn't you tell me she knew him?” Constantine asked with a groan.
“She doesn't, we have to stop her—“
“Come on. She's not the type to go home with a man she doesn't know, no matter how well he draws.”
Poppy shook his grip loose.
“So you're saying he's the big secret?”
“Didn't you see the way they looked at each other?” Constantine asked.
“I...shut up,” Poppy said, folding her arms.
***
Kara wasn't sure what was happening, or even if it was real. Billy was holding her hand and she hadn't thought that was ever going to be possible again. She knew inviting her to his house wasn't something done out of politeness to an old friend and for the first time Kara felt hopeful about her prospects with him. They walked for about a block to a renovated, red, brick row house. They went up the steps and Will fumbled through his pocket until he produced a key. He seemed focused on unlocking the door when he tilted his head up and smiled at her.
“Like the hair a lot,” he said, pausing with his hand on the doorknob.
“It felt right. Your piercing looks good,” she said, nearly touching the piece of jewelry before withdrawing her hand.
“It felt right, too,” he said.
Billy pushed the door open and they entered his flat.
He flipped a wall switch and the overhead Tiffany light came on, illuminating a plastic-wrapped, black, Queen Anne-style couch with scrolled, silver feet. It was the only piece of furniture in a space otherwise filled with unpacked boxes. Billy gestured vaguely toward the disordered living room with a swipe of his hand.
“Sorry, still moving in. Kitchen's all fixed up, though, if you're feeling peckish,” Will said as he set the lock. Having finished his task, he seemed at a loss as to what to do with his hands. He finally put them on his hips, but it seemed almost like he was posing.
“I'm not, but thanks. How long have you been in Pittsburgh?” Kara asked.
“Day before last. Tara's coming next week to help me settle in,” Will said.
“Did you know I was here?” Kara asked, smoothing her satin skirt. She'd worn it because red had been Will's second favorite color when they were young, and she didn't own anything black.
“I thought you might be. I felt it more than anything,” Will said, quietly, having as much difficulty finding a place to rest his eyes as he had his hands.
“Me, too. I mean about tonight, but I wasn't sure if it was just me wanting to see you,” she said.
He glanced up at her.
“Buffy—“
“It's not Buffy anymore. I'm Kara now,” she said.
He sighed and his shoulders seemed to get closer to the floor.
“I'm sorry.”
“Don't be. You're not Billy anymore, either. We've both changed.”
“You're right. There's a pull between you and me, but it doesn't have to be like it was before.”
The four feet of floor in between them seemed to triple in size.
“What do you mean?” Kara asked.
Will looked into her eyes.
“I'm not expecting anything from you.”
“But...what if I want you to expect something?”
Kara stepped toward him and put her hands on his waist, right above the spot where his own were resting. She moved deliberately, keeping her eyes on Will's until the last moment when she caught his mouth up in a cautious kiss. His eyes fluttered closed and his hands went to caress her jaw. The delicacy soon gave way to need. She whimpered as their tongues wove. Kara grabbed a handful of hair, tugging it sharply. He half laughed, half moaned, the sound vibrating in his chest. She broke the kiss, holding him like a puppy at the scruff of the neck.
“You still like that?” she asked.
“Oh yes,” he said, the words no louder than an exhalation, “is that all you remember?”
She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his. He closed his eyes, too and they nearly fell into another kiss.
“I remember everything,” Kara said.
He touched her face with the tips of his fingers, tracing the contours of her cheek.
“And you still want to be here?” he asked.
“It's been killing me to stay away,” she said.
Their lips met again and they delved into each other. During the course of the kiss Kara unconsciously pushed Will until his back was flush against the door. Her hands slipped under the sleek material of his t-shirt and wandered over his bare skin. His whole body was shaking when their mouths snapped apart.
“Are you alright?” she asked.
He nodded yes, his chin nearly touching his chest.
“Want to show you something upstairs,” Will said.
She wrapped her arm around his waist and they ascended the wooden staircase to the second floor. There were three doors, one open and clearly leading to a small bathroom. Will went to the door on the left and they entered what looked to be his bedroom. It was in slightly better order than the downstairs. The bed was made up with red sheets and there were no boxes on the floor. Beneath a large window at the end of the room was an onyx colored dresser. Kara walked over to the place where he slept and sat down. On the white wall across from her hung a huge, mirror in an black frame carved with curly cues and fleur-dis-lis.
“You can watch yourself while you're in here. That's kind of naughty,” she said.
“The novelty of having a reflection again hasn't worn off, love,” he said. Kara felt embarrassed and crossed her legs at the ankle. Will sunk down beside her, his hands in his lap. He studied his fingers as he spoke.
“I love you, I tried not to, but you're part of me,” Will said, his voice cracking, “you're in my soul, doesn't matter what you call yourself or how you look. Was yours the moment our eyes met.”
She brought his chin up so he could see her face.
“Will, I love you, too,” Kara said. She kissed him tenderly and he lowered her onto the bed before stretching out next to her. Kara let her hands rest on his shoulders. Will dragged her dress to her waist and skimmed her hips with trembling fingers. Her stomach was bubbling with nerves as he touched her white, lace panties.
“I don't have any protection, love,” Will said.
“It's alright, I'm on the pill.”
“So you've done this before?” he asked, with a half smile, giving her an Eskimo kiss.
“Not since you,” Kara struggled for words, looking into his eyes as though she could make him understand without them, “I hoped—”
He shook his head .
“Doesn't matter.”
“It does, though. I don't feel comfortable...I can't be like this with anyone but you. I need you to know how much this means to me,” Kara said.
“I do know. There hasn't been anyone, there's no one else for me. I passed up chances to date and, you know, be with other girls, but it was no good without you. You're it for me and I promise, Kara, tonight won't be like last time. I won't hurt you,” Will said.
“I know you won't,” Kara said.
Will hugged her, his breath hitching and his eyes wet. They undressed each other carefully as though turning the pages of a book made fragile with age. Each gesture revealed part of a story that was nearly lost. Their naked bodies were glowing reflections in the glass before them; their movements like the flickering of candle flames. Will looked so much like her memories of him, though his body was much less the polished weapon Spike's had been. Overall, the lines of his form were softer, just as hers were.
“You're so beautiful,” she said, as she laid beside him, her touch purposeful over him.
“Not disappointed?” he asked, his eyes shadowed by a rippled brow.
“Are you? I mean, I look even more different than you do.”
“God no! Love every part of you,” he said, kissing her lips.
They caught up on the intervening years by caressing every novel bit of flesh. Will suggested a game of show and tell, starting with the jagged scar on his left shin.
“That happened just after I left. Simon saw I was pretty low with missing you so he took me camping in Brighstone Bay on the Isle of Wight. I tripped over one of the tent stakes and landed on a broken bottle.”
“Oh!” Kara said, descending on the spot with kisses. He laughed.
“It was a long time ago, all better now. What about you?”
“Mine's more embarrassing,” she said.
Kara rolled onto her stomach and showed him the cicatrix on the top of her leg.
“I fell off the pyramid when I was cheerleading the homecoming game my senior year. I caught myself on the edge of the bleacher on my way to the ground.”
He slowly licked the faded mark until he reached her ass and then bit the plump swell. Kara moaned and wiggled, trying to inch the cleft between her legs closer to his mouth. Will grabbed her hips and held her fast to the mattress as she writhed.
“Ah, ah, kitten. Much more to see. Don't you want to know what happened when I took a tumble off my half-sister's skateboard?” he asked, mirth evident in his voice.
“Well, yeah, but you're all with the yummy distraction,” she huffed theatrically. He let her go and Kara flipped onto her side, her grin betraying her playfulness. Will crawled beside her so they were facing. He angled his jaw up, pointing to a white line under his chin.
“Three stitches.”
“Impressive,” she said, stroking the old injury before kissing the spot. Her fingers traced the curve of his throat before giving way to more wanton caresses. She was taking the measure of him; consuming the feel of his chest, his waist and the firm ridge of his hip. His pupils had nearly blotted out his iris by the time Kara's fingertips skimmed over his crinkly, silver pubic hair. The coarse curls provided contrast to his smooth skin. He sucked in air when she touched his erection. Kara wrapped her hand around his cock, giving it a firm squeeze. He bucked into her hand and moved closer until he was moaning against her cheek. Kara lifted her leg and slung it over him while continuing to stroke him off. Wordlessly, Will's hand found her clit and his fingers began to rub over the slippery flesh. A hushed cascade of vowel sounds, Oh's and Ah's were rising from her mouth.
Will slid a finger inside her, making Kara feel overfull even though she was so wet the moisture was glossing her upper thighs. They touched each other like that until Will whispered: “We should stop, before I come.”
“I want you to. I'm yours,” she whispered.
Just before his orgasm overtook him, Will jerked his hand from between her legs. Will held his breath as he came with a thick thread of semen surging against her stomach. Kara kissed the corner of his parted lips and felt tears pressing on the back of her eyes. He'd retained that habit of holding his breath through two deaths, she thought. Kara scooped up his cum with the flat of her hand and licked it off without thinking of how vulgar it might look. She only wanted to taste it because it was his. Will watched her with round eyes until she was done.
“Sorry, was that kind of gross,” Kara said, as she took in his expression.
“Are you mad? That's the sexiest bloody thing I've ever seen,” he said.
“Well, it's still early,” Kara said, smirking.
Will tackled her and they were kissing luxuriously. His skin was so hot and she couldn't restrain her grateful tears anymore. Billy was alive and untainted.
They'd both been saved.
He tore himself away from her mouth and began setting a path of kisses down her throat, toward her breasts. She wiggled away.
“Just want to kiss you,” she said.
“Come on kitten, let me taste you, get it soft and wet so I can slide inside you,” he said.
“But smoochies are so nice,” she said. Kara remembered how good he could make her feel with his tongue, but she felt embarrassed to let him please her that way. It made her feel so vulnerable.
He chuckled and smiled down at her.
“You're always like that—“
The smile broke into a frown as he remembered it was actually their first time.
“Please, love,” he whispered. She closed her eyes and nodded yes. Will knelt between the v of her legs, pushing them further apart. She squirmed as he stared at her open pussy. He brought his tongue to the sensitive flesh, lapping at her clit. Kara's self-consciousness receded as she watched him. Will was burrowing his nose deeper against her labia and his eyes were rapturously closed. The way he uncoiled his body was so sexy. He was grinding his cock against the mattress in time with each suck of his mouth and with each thrust the sides of his ass contracted. She wanted to grab each round, muscular half and drive him deep inside her.
Will eased his finger into her and the walls of her vagina felt vacuum-pack tight. He stretched her, gradually wedging in another finger and keeping his tongue in play to soothe her pain. When she'd get close to orgasm he'd slow down, keeping her right on the edge. It felt like he manipulated her pussy for hours before he finally stopped, leaving her dizzy and wanting.
“Do you want me, kitten?” he asked, cocking his eyebrow and panting over her prone form.
“Please yes,” she said.
Will covered her with his body and then brought his mouth to hers. They kissed, tongues tussling, while he teased the sore opening of her vagina with the sleek head of his cock. Then they were looking into each others' eyes.
“Take a deep breath for me, love,” he whispered.
She did.
“Now exhale,” he said.
When she did, he pushed into her. The penetration ached, but she didn't feel like she was being ripped open like the first time. He was looking down at her with such adoration, the ecstasy transforming his face.
“Tell me when to move,” he said.
Kara nodded. She felt his weight on top of her and began dragging her hands up and down his back. Kara grabbed his ass and pulled him forward. Will started rocking against her and the friction felt so good. More than good. The pain and pleasure were mingling sweetly, informing one another until she threw her head back, whispering: “More.” Will increased the pressure and her legs spread further. She lost herself to the sensation and her delayed orgasm throbbed through her.
“Fuck yeah, just like that, love. Come for me,” Will sighed in her ear.
Will slowly withdrew and then laid next to her. Kara hoisted herself onto her side and nuzzled his chest.
“I love you so much,” he whispered.
“Love you,” she said.
As she drifted off to sleep, Kara realized it had taken her two lifetimes to feel such a sense of peace and well being.
***
Kara awoke in Will's arms with a fresh day shining through the window. His breath was making a snuffly purr that was intensely adorable. She went to the bathroom, came back and listened to his heartbeat until he awoke.
“Hmmh?” he asked.
“Good morning to you, too,” she said with a sleepy smile. His grin spread like warmth over his face and his puffy eyes twinkled.
“Hello, love,” he said with a stretch, “give me one minute and then I need to show you something”
“I thought you showed me last night,” she said, giving his nipple a lick. His chest hopped like she'd jolted him with electricity.
“Oi! Something else,” he said, giggling.
Will got up and took his own trip to the bathroom. He returned and they lingered beneath the blanket, kissing. Kara realized she had no idea when the comforter had materialized on top of them, probably after she'd passed out. When he was finally able to dredge her from their shared comfort, Will went to the dresser and plucked out a white t-shirt. He tossed the top to Kara and she caught it with one hand. She examined the tag and nodded with mock appreciation.
“Wow, one hundred percent cotton. This was definitely worth getting out of bed for,” Kara said.
He rolled his eyes at her and then pulled on a pair of boxer briefs he'd taken from the bottom drawer.
“It's not a t-shirt, silly bint,” he said, poking the tip of his tongue between his teeth.
“Since we're both up-up I should probably call Poppy and let her know I'm still alive,” Kara said.
“Come with me first,” Will said.
Kara stood up and walked to Will. He took her small hand in his larger one and together they went across the hall to the closed room. Before they breached the threshold, he made a point of looking her in the eye.
“I didn't lie to you, before, I mean. I did write every day.”
“You wrote me?”
Kara's brow contracted for an instant and she shook her head, trying to puzzle him out.
“That's how the drawing started. I was better at making pictures...well, you'll see for yourself,” he said, turning the knob and opening the door.
The room was full almost floor to ceiling with piles of black sketchbooks. Will went to the nearest pile and snatched one from the top, flipping it open. She stood beside him and looked on with wonder at the scene depicted in a simple cartoon.
Billy was labeled with an arrow. He didn't look just like her friend, but he had the general feeling with the exaggerated cheekbones, blue eyes and wavy, light hair. In that particular adventure, he was watching television with a little thought bubble that said, “I am bored.”
“I'm sorry I never showed you before, love. After awhile I thought maybe you'd moved on from us.”
“Kind of impossible seeing as I kept dreaming of you. I didn't last night, though. Maybe now the nightmares will stop. They always got better when we were together, Billy.”
Kara leaned in and kissed him sweetly on the mouth. When it ended he held her and nuzzled her neck.
“I want you to stay with me.”
“You mean move in?” she asked, pulling away from the embrace. He cocked his head and pursed his lips.
“To start. I still want to marry you, if you want that.”
She grinned, the expression chasing away the rest of her lassitude.
“I do. But I want to read my letters, first,” she said.
So they spent the rest of the day becoming reacquainted with each other in every, single way.
[Reviews - 47]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 1993 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
This is the conclusion to the story, and there is no story left in me. Hopefully, if Brick Frog can find some time I will be posting the conclusion of "The Secret of the Boy You Never Kissed," very soon.
Thanks to the lovely Sanityfair for her editing skills and input.
Thanks to the lovely Sanityfair for her editing skills and input.