Buffy checked herself in the mirror for the umpteenth time, hurriedly applying a coat of mascara while she awaited William’s arrival. She wore a three-quarter length black dress with an asymmetrical hemline, form fitting above the waist and slightly flared on the bottom half so that it swooshed about her legs, flowing gracefully with her movements.
Originally planning on gathering her hair into an elegant up-do, she instead opted to leave her hair down, golden waves framing her face, because she knew that was what William always preferred.
At 6:00 sharp, Buffy heard the telltale knock on the door. Grabbing her purse and shawl off the table, she quickly moved to open the door, excited and slightly nervous at the prospect of going on a first date all over again. Buffy swung the door open and grinned when she saw William’s eyes practically pop out of his head as he looked her up and down, the sight of her almost taking his breath away. He was tongue-tied, speechless.
“Hello, Will,” Buffy said, her voice coming out more seductive than she had originally intended. “Is that for me?” She indicated the single red rose he held in his hand. He seemed to snap out of his daze then and presented the flower to her, a smile playing on his lips.
Buffy accepted the offered flower and sniffed it appreciatively, touched by the thoughtful gesture. “Thank you, Will. That was sweet,” She stood on her toes to give him a kiss on the cheek, quickly wiping off any traces of lipstick she left behind. Standing back once again to admire her, William finally spoke.
“Wow, pet, you look . . .” He paused, at a loss for words, “Beautiful isn’t a strong enough word. Amazing, incredible, smashing, gorgeous . . . .” Leaning in close, a mischievous grin on his handsome face, his husky voice whispered directly in her ear. “Delicious.” Buffy giggled and smacked him playfully on the chest.
“Down boy,” She teased, flashing him a coquettish smile. He curled his tongue behind his teeth suggestively, not even trying to hide his ogling.
“I love it when you wear your hair down,” William remarked after a moment, reaching out to run his fingers through the silky strands, “I’m one lucky bloke.” He met her gaze, and for a moment she was lost in the shimmering pools of his eyes that exuded such adoration for her. It was like he had her under some sort of hypnotic spell, as she couldn’t bring herself to look away.
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” Buffy finally commented, pausing to smooth the blue fabric of his shirt approvingly, feeling the hard muscles of his chest flex under her touch. She noted how the color of his shirt perfectly accented his eyes, making the blue even more striking than usual. Her date was definitely drool-worthy, there was no doubt about that. Though Buffy had always been very aware of that fact, often witnessing the death glares she received from jealous females.
‘And he’s all mine,’ She thought, licking her lips as she prided herself on that fact.
“Shall we, kitten?” William asked, interrupting her thoughts. Buffy smiled brightly at him as he held out his arm to her, which she gratefully accepted, looping her own arm through his.
“We shall,” She responded, allowing him to lead her out of the building.
“You chariot awaits, milady” William gestured grandly with his free arm, indicating his car as they approached.
“The DeSoto!” Buffy exclaimed in recognition, “You still have it?”
William nodded. “Yep. Left it with Clem when I went to England.”
He opened the door for her and waited until she was fully settled before closing it behind her and jogging over to the driver’s side of the car. After William buckled his seat belt, started the engine, and turned on the radio, he reached over and laced Buffy’s fingers with his, resting their joined hands on the bench seat between them and earning a heartfelt smile from Buffy.
During the ride, William peeked at her out of the corner of his eye as they neared their destination, raising his eyebrow with an amused smirk every time Buffy cast him a curious sidelong glance, completely oblivious as to where they were going, though William refused to give anything away.
However, when they finally arrived at their destination, Buffy immediately recognized the fancy restaurant as the place where they had their real first date. She smiled as a wave of happy memories flooded her mind, fondly recalling how nervous she had been when the incredibly hot mystery man with the platinum hair and sexy accent asked her out, wondering why he was interested in her of all people. Remembering how she had marveled over how they instantly clicked, their conversation flowing effortlessly as though they had known each other for years.
Buffy was pulled from her reverie when the valet opened her door. She waited as Spike handed over the keys to his beloved DeSoto, before escorting Buffy into the restaurant.
Once they were seated, Buffy leaned her chin on her hand, gazing at William, the dim lighting the romantic atmosphere provided causing shadows to dance across his handsome face. William gazed back at her.
“What’s on your mind, pet?”
She hesitated briefly before answering, “I was just thinking . . . .Why did we let things get so out of hand, Will? Why didn’t we catch the problem sooner? With us, with everything?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know, luv. I guess we were so caught up in our own grief that we were too blind to see.”
Buffy chuckled, “Well seeing as I’m half blind, I guess I was at a bit of a disadvantage,” She said, trying half heartedly to tell a joke that William obviously didn’t get.
“Sorry, luv, didn’t mean it that way”
Buffy patted his hand across the table and offered a lop-sided smile, “It’s ok, Will, I didn’t take it that way. It was a joke.” She paused, “Though obviously not a very good one.” The wry smile faded as she clasped his hand, her espression growing somber before she continued, “That night that you left, I should have never said those things. I never thought of you as a pathetic drunk, Will, or your father for that matter. He helped out so much after the accident, and . . . .” Buffy trailed off and averted her eyes. William shook his head.
“Let’s not keep dwelling in the past, Buffy. That was part of our problem in the first place.” She nodded in agreement.
“You’re right,” A sigh, somewhat of relief, “So, then, where do we go from here?”
William drew in a breath, “Well, like we said before, we take things one step at a time. See where it leads us. And look, we’re already making progress. You’re taking another big step here too, allowing yourself to open up to me.” He paused for a minute to reach for his glass, “A toast” He declared suddenly.
Buffy raised a brow in question, “To what?”
“Our future.”
Buffy smiled at that, and instantly raised her glass to join in the toast, “To the future it is, then,” She replied, clinking her glass with his. She tilted the glass to her lips, letting the bubbling liquid slide down her throat and effectively ease the last of her apprehension about their date.
When Buffy set down her glass, William stood up and walked around the table, holding out his hand to her invitingly. “Care to dance, pet?” He asked. Buffy nodded enthusiastically, taking a moment to remove the white napkin from her lap and replace it on the tabletop before placing her tiny hand in his larger one.
“I’d love to.” She responded. William raised her hand to his lips, lightly kissing the back of it as she stood up, before leading her to the dance floor.
They turned to face each other, and Buffy stepped forward, lacing her left hand with his right one and placing her other hand lightly on his shoulder. She sighed with contentment when she felt his arm wrap around her waist and draw her flush against him, their joined hands fit snugly between their bodies, resting against William’s chest. They began to move together as music filled the room.
Oh, my love, my darling,
I've hungered for your touch a long, lonely time,
And time goes by so slowly and time can do so much.
Are you still mine?
Buffy felt like she was floating. Suddenly, all the other couples on the dance floor melted away and it was just the two them in the whole world, time itself seeming nonexistant. She laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes, letting the music wash over her like a prayer, hearing the truth in the lyrics along with the steady beating of William’s heart. She felt his chest rise and fall with his breathing, and she realized there was no place else she’d rather be. The hand that had rested on his shoulder now played absentmindedly with the curls at the nape of his neck as she reveled in these thoughts.
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me.
Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea
To the open arms of the sea
Lonely rivers sigh, "Wait for me, wait for me"
"I'll be coming home, wait for me!"
William rested his cheek against the top of Buffy's head, and as he breathed in her familiar scent he almost wept at the rightness of having her back in his arms. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment, pressing a kiss into her hair and tightening his arm around her waist, never feeling like she was close enough.
As they continued to sway to the music, Buffy raised her head to meet his eyes, and he gazed back into her glistening emerald, his own eyes shining with love and adoration. Buffy felt lost in a whirlwind of emotion as he slowly stroked his hand up and down her back, sending shivers down her spine.
Oh my love, my darling
I've hungered for your touch, a long, lonely time
And time goes by so slowly and time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me
When the final notes played and the song ended, their lips met in a gentle kiss, igniting the fire all over again. It was brief and soft, as they were in a public place, but left a yearning inside of them, flaring the passion and sending shivers throughout their bodies. When the kiss ended Buffy felt like warm honey was pulsing through her veins, her lips tingling as though begging for more. She felt complete.
They walked back to their table, hand in hand, to finish their meal and see what else the night had in store for them
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that night
"Now where are we going?” Buffy asked impatiently, absolutely drunk with excitement and sounding like a whiny kid shouting ‘are we there yet?' during a family road trip.
William grinned, “Wouldn’t you love to know,” He squeezed her hand. “Patience, luv.” Buffy pouted in response, giving her best puppy dog eyes, and William chuckled. “We’re almost there, pet. I promise.”
When William pulled the car over by a secluded area of the beach, Buffy frowned, thoroughly puzzled. She didn’t even register that William had left the car until her door was pulled open, a hand held out to herin invitation. “Will?” Buffy began, “Where . .”
“Trust me” William simply said. Buffy nodded, and without further questioning, placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her where he wished. Together they climbed a beaten path that led up the side of the hill that rose just above the beach, coming to rest at the top where William spread out a blanket he'd brought from his car, gesturing for Buffy to sit.
Buffy obeyed, gazing up at the array of stars plastering the night sky and momentarily forgot to ask exactly what they were doing here. William sat next to her in silence, instantly noticing that she was shivering slightly in the cool night breeze. He didn’t hesitate to shrug out of his jacket and wrap it around Buffy’s shoulder’s, for which she thanked him kindly, pleased with the thoughtful and gentlemanly gesture. Unable to resist, she leaned in for a quick kiss.
After a moment William pulled back.
“C’mere pet,” He said, patting the space on the blanket in front of him. Buffy complied, happy to oblige, and settled herself in between his long legs, leaning back against him. William wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his cheek against the side of her head.
Once she was comfortable, William spoke. "Look over there, luv," He requested, pointing across the bay and waiting until Buffy followed his indication. “See the carnival going on over there?" Buffy nodded, seeing the bright lights and crowd of people off in the distance. “Well," William continued, "It’s been going on all week, and every night they set off fireworks from the pier at exactly 9:00, which begins-“ A loud boom interrupted him and he jumped as a bright flash of light filled the sky. “Now, apparently,” William finished, while Buffy watched the display in awe.
“It’s beautiful,” She breathed. Bursts of light illuminated the sky, and William pressed a kiss to her temple and tightened his arms around her waist.
“Not as beautiful as you, kitten” He murmured. She snuggled back further into his chest and sighed contentedly, feeling almost sleepy in her state of relaxation. They sat together in silence, neither wanting the night to end, though they both knew it had to eventually.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Well, here we are.” Buffy stated when they reached the apartment door. She turned to face William. “I had a wonderful time tonight Will. Thank you, for everything.”
“No, thank you,” He responded sincerely, “I had a wonderful time too, just being with you.”
Buffy looked between him and her door, uncertain. “Well, I’d invite you in, but we all know where that would lead, and we’re trying to take this slow and all, so-“
She was silenced when William placed a finger to her lips, chuckling, “I understand, pet,” He cupped her cheek and bent down, tilting her head toward his, “Now gimme a kiss and we’ll call it a night.”
“Mm, happy to oblige,” Buffy said, her eyes fluttering shut just before their lips met in a tender kiss.
When they finally parted, she licked her lips and smiled brightly at him. “You know," She began, "I don’t think I’ve said it yet since you’ve been back, but I do love you. Very much.” William smiled back at her in response.
“I know, kitten,” He answered softly, “Love you too.”
William waited as she fumbled with her keys, wanting to make sure she got inside safely for the night. But when she turned towards the door, she knitted her eyebrows together and placed her hand on the knob, a sense of dread creeping up her spine when she pushed the door open without having to use her key. She frowned, suddenly feeling very uneasy.
William immediately looked concerned when he noticed her change in demeanor. “What’s wrong, luv?”
Buffy shook her head, “My door, it’s unlocked. I never leave it unlocked.” William looked at the ajar door, then back at her, nodding solemnly.
"Stay behind me, then. I'll just go in first, look around, make sure everything's OK."
Fear gripped her as William entered the apartment first, Buffy following close behind. When he flicked on the light, everything looked completely normal. William turned to Buffy, who shrugged and shook her head, indicating everything seemed to be in its place.
William searched every room with Buffy right behind him, looking for any traces of an intruder and coming up empty. When they were satisfied that everything was OK, William turned to her and rubbed his hands up and down her arms soothingly.
“Looks all clear, pet," He said.
She shook her head sheepishly. "Musta just forgot to lock the door, I guess." She shrugged, though still not convincing herself. As long as she could remember, she had never forgotten to lock that door.
"You gonna be ok, pet? Maybe I should stay tonight?" She raised an eyebrow at him, “Just to make sure you feel safe” He clarified. She shook her head.
“Thanks, Will. But I’ll be fine. I’ll double lock the door,” She responded.
“You sure, luv?” She nodded.
“Alright, then. Sweet dreams, Buffy." He bent down and kissed the side of her neck teasingly. "Don’t let any Big Bads get ya.” He added, smirking at her.
She chuckled, “Goodnight Will,” Leaning up to steal one more kiss before he left. Buffy went to bed that night feeling elated, praying the whole thing hadn't been a dream.
Though as she tried to get some sleep, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that had permanently settled in the pit of her stomach.
A/N: Sorry for the delay in update, and I know this may not be the best written chapter, but my weekend was really busy, plus I had a major case of writer's block, lol. I wanted their "first date" to just be romantic, which is why I used "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers because, in my opinion, it's one of the greatest love songs ever written. *sighs*
And I know, another semi-cliffhanger. But I promise that the mystery will be unraveled soon enough.
And thanks to everyone for the BDay wishes, and for all the reviews, especially BuffyandSpikeForever, Caitie, melissa, Kimber, dreamgirl4eva, Bint, Demonica Mills, and Sevvy_O
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