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"William, Buffy, over here!" Buffy turned her head to see Willow beckoning to her from across the dance floor of the Bronze. The red headed girl could barely contain her excitement at seeing two of her friends together again. William had his arm draped casually around Buffy's shoulders, her hand loosly entwined with his. They looked comfortable, relaxed, and very content.

When they reached the table occupied by Xander and Willow, Buffy stepped away from William momentarily in order to envelope her friend in a warm greeting hug, flashing her a big smile. Xander remained sitting, looking a little bit pensive, though slightly tougher behind his eye patch. He nodded at each of them in turn.

"Buffy. Spike"

William rolled his eyes. "Why do you insist on calling me that, Whelp?" He demanded of the nickname he had acquired in college, mainly because of the way he used to Spike his hair, though he loved to throw people off and tell them it was for more dark reasons.

All four of them had gone to school together at Sunnydale U, which was where they originally met. William, now 28, was two years ahead of Buffy, though he'd put off his college education for a couple years after graduating high school, due in large part to his lack of motivation in light of his father's return to England (where William had also been born and lived until he was thirteen, when his family had moved moved to the US). So he ended up being a freshman at the same time Buffy was. Yet ironically, they hadn't even met until their senior year, due to the chance happening that Buffy had one day tripped and fallen flat on her face right in front of him. Ever the gentlman, William helped her to her feet, and with the first look into each other's eyes both were smitten, and also saddened by the fact that they hadn't met until just then despite having unkowingly gone to school together for three years prior. The rest, not to sound too cliche, is history.


Both Willow and Xander were the same age as Buffy, who was now 26. She had been the one to introduce William to them back in college.

Xander shrugged. "Hey, I could always fall back on Captain Peroxide, whichever you prefer. I've got a whole bag full of nicknames with your name on it-" Xander paused, "That sounded a whole lot better in my head."

"Um, sure Xand." Buffy smirked wryly at him, taking a seat at the table beside William.

"So, how've you guys been?"

Willow smiled pleasantly. "Oh, you know, same old, same old. A lot with the 'boring and uneventful', not a lot with the unboring."

Buffy nodded and the table fell into a rather uncomfortable silence as no one knew what to say next. Xander, who had been sitting quietly and twiddling his thumbs the entire time, finally couldn't contain himself any longer.

"Hey, party in my eye socket and everyone's invited!" He joked, desperately trying to lighten the mood. The response he received was three blank stares, eyebrows raised in question. "Maybe I should just not talk" He thought aloud as the table lapsed into another moment of awkward silence which Buffy could no longer bear.

"Look, you guys, I'm sorry I haven't really seen you a lot lately. But it's just that things with William and I . . ." As she spoke his name she discreetly squeezed his thigh under the table before she continued, "Have been, well, you know . . ."

"We know, Buff," Xander interjected, trying to assure her. Willow nodded emphatically in agreement.

"Yeah, we understand you had to do the whole, fixing - or, mending thing . . . .Which, I must say, seems to be working like a charm." She added.

William grinned. "Yeah, Red. S'been going great so far," He said, though his eyes were fixed in a loving gaze on Buffy the whole time. He raised her hand to his lips, planting a gentle, affectionate kiss on the side of her wrist, and Buffy flashed him a dazzling smile as he did so.

"Aww, look at you two, all cuddly wuddly." Willow commented.

Xander snorted at that, before catching himself and shaking his head in despair. "I really need to get a girl." He mumbled under his breath. Willow patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"Me too."

Everyone shifted uncomfortably in their seats, completely silent as the tension around the table seemed to multiply. "Oh, come on," Willow continued, "It's not like you guys don't already know I'm gay."

William looked completely blind-sided. "Whoa, back the truck up. Red's gay?" He asked, "What happened to dog boy?"

Willow shook her head slowly. "Oz and I broke up a long time ago. Like, ancient history. As in past tense. And- and that's when I realized, 'Hey, gay here!'"

"Wow, I have been gone," William muttered with a slight shake of his head.

"Well, I'm gonna go get some drinks. Anyone want anything?" Xander offered, to which everyone politely declined. "Right. I'll just go then and - be, gone." As he walked off, Buffy cast Willow a puzzled look, to which she merely shrugged, waiting until she was sure Xander was out of earshot.

"He's Mr. Grouchy today" She explained. "He asked out one of the bartenders here. Faith, I think. Or, some, stupid sounding name," she said in defense of her friend, "But anyway, she made big with the rejection, so that's why Xander's Sir Mopes-A-Lot lately. I think he might be in need of a little ego TLC."

"Poor guy," Buffy muttered in sympathy. "Well, if there's one thing I'm good at, it's stroking," William looked at her in amusement, lips curled into a smirk. "I really just said that, didn't I?" Buffy's face flushed as she realized what she had inadvertantly said, simultaneously elbowing William in the ribs to wipe the smug look off his face, she clarified, "Egos, I mean. I'm good at stroking egos. You know, making people feel better." She shook her head. "Why do I even bother talking?"

William chuckled. "I find your big mouth endearing."

"Big mouth?" Buffy glared at him, aghast.

"Of course, I mean your wonderful, lovely mouth that I can't help wanting to snog every second of the day." He quickly amended, slowly leaning in for the kill.

"Um, hey. Hi. Still here."

Buffy and William looked rather sheepish as they had managed to completely forget their friend was still at the table.

"Sorry, Wills." Buffy apologized.

But Willow's attention suddenly seemed to be elsewhere as she stared over Buffy's head, looking towards the entrance to the Bronze.

"Oh, hey, It's Tara!" She exclaimed, her face suddenly lighting up.

They turned to see who she was indicating, noticing a timid looking blonde girl with a shaky smile on her face waving back at Willow.

"And who's Tara?" Buffy inquired.

"Just a friend." Willow answered automatically, perhaps a little too quickly as she shrugged off Buffy's intimation. Buffy raised an eyebrow. "What?" Willow demanded

"Oh, nothing," Buffy responded innocently, trying to act nonchalant. "Go tell your just-a-friend we said Hi."

As Willow shuffled off to greet Tara, Buffy turned to face William, absent-mindedly playing with the fine hairs at the nape of his neck as she did so. "You ok?" She asked

"Fine," He responded quickly, offering a genuine smile. "Why do you ask?"

Buffy watched as he grasped her hand again, seeming transfixed as his thumb drew erratic patterns over her pulse point.

"You've just been kind of quiet tonight." She explained, and he halted his movements.

"Been thinking, pet."

"'Bout what?" Buffy rested her head on his shoulder and listened as he sighed contentedly.

"Us."

"Oh," Buffy responded lamely, suddenly tensing. "And?"

"No need to fret, luv," He soothed when he felt her muscles tighten under his arm. She sat up to look at him and he met her gaze, pushing a strand of golden hair from her face, his fingers lingering over the smooth skin of her cheek, and Buffy's eyes slid closed of their own volition as she savored his caress. "Things have been goin' great, wouldn't you say?"

"Mmmhmm" Came the soft response, her eyes still closed as his fingers now traced the contour of her lips.

"You happy, kitten?"

"Mmm . . " Was all she could muster as she suddenly felt his warm breath on her cheek.

"So am I." As he said this, his lips ever so gently brushed against her own, in the barest of touches. A small sigh of contentment escaped her throat and she realized that lately, it felt like she was forever holding her breath until she could kiss him again, constantly waiting for that familiar awakening of desire his mouth was sure to promise.

Buffy yelped in surprise when she suddenly felt herself being yanked onto his lap, his mouth never losing contact as he deepened the kiss while simultaneously guiding her legs so that they were straddling him, needing to feel her as close as humanly possible. Sliding his hands down her back, he cupped her rear and drew her even closer to him, groaning with satisfaction as his arousal grinded against her warm center. She wrapped her arms around his neck, fingers weaving through his platinum curls and when she opened her mouth to invite his tongue inside, she swore she could hear him purring.

While their tongues danced, Buffy slowly gyrated in his lap, and once again the fact that they were still in a very public place became a moot point. They were oblivious to anything going on around them, any bystanders fading away to nothing, completely forgotten.

But the moment was quickly lost due to a rather obnoxious cough.

"Ahem?!"

They flew apart, Buffy practically jumping back into her own seat as they realized a rather disturbed looking Xander was standing right in front of them, drink in hand. And this time, Buffy's face wasn't the only one that was red. William looked beyond embarassment as well, both of them feeling like teenagers who had just been caught parking in the back seat of a parent's car. They'd been so lost in the heat of the moment that they were practically about to have sex in the middle of the bronze. Not exactly the most intimate of places to do such a thing.

"Sorry to interrupt-" Xander paused, "Actually, no, not sorry. Look, I'm glad you guys can't keep your paws off each other, really I am. But humping like bunnies in the middle of the Bronze-"

"Sorry." Buffy and William spoke in unison, not wanting him to finish that statement.

Xander sat down at the table. "Hey, apology graciously accepted." He said in a peace offering, and his expression softened. "Hey, I really am happy you two worked things out though. You deserve it." He stated sincerely. And he meant it, he was happy for his friends, though it didn't stop him from feeling bitter about his own love life, and the fact that he was scorned by pretty much every woman he pursued.

But something suddenly caught his eye, a cute little blonde in a short skirt, beckoning to him from the dance floor. Xander's heart leapt into his throat as he looked to his right, then his left, not quite registering the fact that it was him to whom she was directing her attention. But when he turned towards her once again and noticed her eyes still fixated on him, he pointed at himself incredulously.

'Me?' He mouthed in disbelief. She laughed and nodded. 'Yes you,' She mouthed back, crooking her finger at him in a "come here" gesture. Xander jumped up as though his seat were on fire, eager to get to the dance floor. "And suddenly things are looking up," He said with a grin as he scurried over to the waiting blond.

"Well, here we are, alone again." William said after a moment, looking rather smug, and Buffy glared at him.

"Don't you even start." She suddenly lowered her voice, whispering harshly, "I'm not really up for giving half of Sunnydale a free peep show tonight." Will held up his hands in surrender.

"Fine, then. I'll keep my hands to myself. Promise." He sat on his hands, effectively preventing any potential advances on his part.

"That's my guy." She grinned, planting a chaste kiss on his cheek. "I have to go to the bathroom," She declared after pulling back. When she stood from her seat, William pouted.

"And leave me here all by myself?" He gave his best puppy dog eyes.

Buffy waggled a finger at him. "Doesn't work on me, mister." His pout only grew deeper. And he certainly looked delicious when he did that, his blue eyes wide and sparkling, features looking so cute and boyish, that lip protruding ever so slightly, just begging to be kissed . . . .Buffy quickly shook herself out of it, throwing him an accusatory glare. "Hey, I can't help having to go to the bathroom!" stating the obvious, "I won't be long" She assured him. William snorted.

"That's what you bleedin' women always say."

"You are so gonna get it for that little comment," She scolded. "And I will be back in a minute."

As she turned to walk away, William worked at lightning speed. Before she could even register what was happening, he had wrapped an arm around her waist, catching her by surprise and causing her to lose her balance and stumble into him, an opportunity of which he gratefully took advantage and crushed his lips to her for a very brief, but deep, mind-numbing kiss.

"One for the road." He grinned once he broke away.

"You, are so bad!" She accused, stepping out of arm's length.

"What can I say, baby. I've always been bad." Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, ok, Big Bad." She muttered sarcastically.

She made her way toward the bathroom, weaving through the crowd of people and completely unaware of the eyes that followed her every move, glaring daggers at her.

As she neared her destination, she was suddenly halted as she smacked straight into a broad, solid chest, yelping in surprise as the culprit seemed to have materialized right in front of her out of thin air.

Buffy slowly lifted her head to see whom she had run into. She gasped in surprise as she realized who it was.





A/N: Sorry, another cliffhanger. I'm evil, I know. But hey, at least I admit it, LOL. So, I wonder who that could be, hmmm . . . . it may not be who everyone thinks it is though.

And some of the dialogue in this chapter belongs to Joss Whedon and Co. I just can't resist throwing in a few of my fave quotes though! Anyway, I hope everyone is still enjoying the story! And thanks for all the responses to the A/N, especially: dreamgirl4eva, shelly, PK, Kimber, msperfect, and Caitie.

I've finally decided what to do with Angel, though it won't actually be resolved for a few more chapters. Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: Bint, Kimber, jenny, Caitie, Amanda, melissa, and ace.

I love all the feedback - you guys are great!!!! :)





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