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"Willow, he KISSED ME!" Buffy exclaimed, waving her arms about. "I don't think you're quite getting what I'm saying here."

Willow stared at her friend, slightly amused. "You keep waving your arms
around like that and you're going to fly away."

Buffy dropped her arms. "Why do I get the impression you're not
surprised by this?"

"Because I'm not."

"Oh."

"Yeah, ‘oh'," Willow smiled. I'm rather impressed really that it's William
who made the move. Although I suppose it was only a matter of time," she
finished, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

Buffy rolled her eyes and plopped down on the couch. "Is this where you
start to tell me that you've always known?"

Willow shrugged. "I could skip that part."

"Thank you. I've heard it enough thanks."

"Who else has been saying it?"

"My mother. Riley."

Now Willow's eyes widened. "Riley said it too?"

"Yeah, go fig."

Willow laughed. "Oh God you must really have it bad if Riley Finn even
noticed!"

Buffy smirked. "What are you trying to say Wills?"

"That either you're most definitely wearing your heart on your sleeve, or
somehow Riley's powers of perception grew. The guy wasn't exactly the
brightest bulb on the tree back in the day."

Buffy nodded, "He really has grown."

"So now does William know yet that he has a girl and that you guys truly
are just friends?"

Buffy started to squirm. "Not exactly."

"Why not?" Willow demanded.

"Because I'm still unsure about what's going on with him and Dru."

Willow chuckled, "So until you're sure, you have no qualms about making
him stark raving mad with jealousy."

"When you put it that way you make it sound bad."

"Because it is!"

"Hate the game, not the ‘playa'" Buffy giggled.

Willow looked at her sternly. "Buffy that's awful. You're not some guy
screwing around. William's your best friend and the guy you happen to be
in lo—"

Buffy jumped up and held up her hand. "STOP!"

Willow looked up at her confused. "In the name of love?"

Buffy glared at her. "Very funny."

"All right, I'm going to bite. You won't tell Riley, and I can understand that.
But just why ARE you afraid to admit it or even say it or anything
concerning that word?"

"Not anything concerning that word. I can say I love you Wills. I can say I
love my mom and 80's music and the color blue and—"

"All right, all right. I get the point. You can say you love. But why can't you
say you love William?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"Just that. I guess by putting voice to it, it's like—"

"Admitting it?"

Buffy rolled her eyes, "Well, yeah. And it's –"

"Giving in?"

"See, you know already."

"Buffy, it's not like it's some guy off the street. It's William. You know he
thinks the world of you, you know he would do anything for you, you know
that he'd follow you into a snake pit if you said it was the best thing for
him."

"That's just it," Buffy said softly, sitting back down. "Except for the snake
pit thing though. Even William –and Spike—has his limits."

"So it's the fact that he would do anything for you that has you afraid?"

Buffy nodded. "I don't want to disappoint him. I don't want to hurt him.
I've always been the one that protected William. I always looked out for
him and kept the bullies at bay. What will protect him from me if I admit –
and then I advance--?"

Willow walked over to her and sat down next to her, her face a mass of
concern. "Buffy, William is a big boy. He knows how to take care of himself
and most of all – he knows you. You wouldn't do anything to hurt him, not
intentionally anyway."

"What if I did one day? Then I'd lose him."

"Not necessarily. Relationships and friendships are all about working
through the tough times and realizing that mistakes will be made, but that
nothing is broken that can't be fixed if two people really care and love each
other. And it might not be you that messes up. It could be him. You just
have to roll with the punches. Right now, the only one being bullied is
yourself, by yourself."

"Have I interrupted a womanly moment here? Should I go out and come
back again so you can finish this Lifetime moment?"

Both girls' heads snapped up to see William coming into the living room.

"Think we could get a bell for you as part of your new look?" Willow asked
dryly.

"Did you hear anything?" Buffy demanded, worriedly.

William grinned. "Why? Talking about me, pet?"

Buffy snorted. "You wish."

"You're right," he grinned.

Buffy's eyes widened and Willow chuckled. "I like the new look by the
way," Willow commented.

"Thanks, Red," he patted his hair. "Took Buffy a while to get used to it."

"Yeah, seems she hasn't been doing change very well huh?"

"No, but she's adjusting. Along with me. It's a learning experience for both
of us," William told her.

Buffy stood, "Check it out ‘SHE' is still in the room so maybe you can stop
talking about me as if I'm not here."

William chuckled, "Sorry pet," he came over and tapped her nose. "What
time do we have to be at Riley's again?"

"Eight."

"All right. You want the shower first?"

"Uh, no. You can go."

"All right. Maybe in the future we should consider conserving water, " and
he grinned saucily trailing a finger down her bare arm, causing goose
bumps to form in its wake.

Her eyes widened at the implication and a shiver went through her as
Willow burst out laughing. William chuckled and sauntered away as she
turned bright red.

"You see what I mean?" Buffy demanded of Willow as soon as William was
out of ear shot. "He's out of his mind!"

Willow laughed, "Yep, and all for you."

*******************************************************************
While Spike liked Willow well enough, he really wanted to be able to spend some time alone with Buffy. He wanted to be able to touch her again and make innuendos that would send her cheeks flaming -- preferably without an audience. He supposed that the party would not exactly be conducive to his plans, but he also figured it would be an excellent time to let Finn knew just who Buffy belonged to. She would not take kindly to that, so he would have to find time alone with Finn, but he'd find other ways to stake his claim.

When they entered Finn's apartment, the door opened by a very drunk
man who deemed himself the ‘door greeter' a little to cheerfully, Spike felt
himself start to shy away inside. Parties like this were not his usual forte.
He preferred quiet settings to the boisterousness of a party. Belligerent
fools dawdling around and laughing at things no one else understood but
them was not his idea of a good time. It was bloody annoying. It was in
crowds like this that Spike felt most protective of Buffy, and bitterly
reminded him of those days he would make himself the resident wallflower
while Buffy flitted around like a busy bee, working the room and gathering
up a few followers for the night. Every once in a while, she'd come to him,
seeming to recharge her batteries before heading off again. William would
watch with envy he tried to squelch and long to join her and be the one to
bask in her warmth. The one comfort he had was that it was he she always
left with. Small comfort to the sometimes stack of papers with phone
numbers she would gather by the end of the night. Inevitably, she tossed
out more than she kept.

He wasn't the same anymore, he told himself. He had every right to be by
her side. He was not beneath her, he was part of her. And, as he was
battling himself and all his inadequate feelings, Buffy had started to rush
forward to seek out Riley. Following instinct unlike the way he would
usually squelch it, Spike reached out and grabbed her arm, drawing her
back to his side.

She looked up at him in question.

"I want to see the old boy myself. With you," he told her.

She nodded slowly, and tried to release her arm from his grasp. Spike
instead swept his hand down her arm and grabbed her hand in his.

He watched Buffy look to Willow, seeming unsure of what her next step
should be. Willow merely nodded and grinned. "Let's go find him then," she
said.

For this, Spike had to thank Willow. She knew and understood. She
accepted it and supported it. He just wished Buffy would follow suit now.

Buffy led them, naturally. Some things would never change. Spike noticed
however, that she didn't seem to know where she was going exactly.

"Pet, you haven't been here?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "First time."

Relief swept through him and he squeezed Buffy's hand. She looked up at
him.

"What?"

He smiled, "Nothing just. . . Thank you."

"For what?"

"I'll tell you later."

She knit her brows together and then shrugged.

"Hey! You made it!" It was unmistakable voice of Finn. Not much could
erase that voice. He'd heard it enough times reverberating through his skull
as he'd taunted him behind a closed locker door.

Spike's eyes narrowed as he zeroed in on the oversized beefcake. He'd
bulked up more, if possible, but not much else had changed on him. Buffy
said he'd grown up. Well, that remained to be seen didn't it?

"William?" Riley asked, gaping at Spike.

"It's Spike now," he amended.

Riley grinned, "Buffy had said you'd changed a few things. How are you?"

Spike eyed him warily. "Fine."

"Listen man, I totally understand not exactly welcoming me like we're old
buddies and whatnot, but that was high school. I was dumb in high school.
It's over now, think we can just build a bridge?"

Spike glanced down at Buffy and tugged her closer to his body. He looked
back to Riley, his eyes telling the other man that he could forget the past as
long as he left Buffy alone in the future.

Riley grinned. "Great," he said before turning his attention to Willow.

Buffy looked up at Spike, "Did you guys just have a moment?"


Spike grinned and tapped her nose. "Yep."

"What was it about?"

Leaning closer, Spike released her hand and brushed her hair back from
her shoulder and whispered huskily in her ear. "You."

She pushed at him slightly and looked up at him slightly indignant and
mostly aroused. "I'm going to get a drink," and she started off. He grabbed
her hand again, and tugged her back to him. "What now?" she demanded.

"Not without me, Buffy. Tonight I get to spend the night by your side, do
you understand?"

"Will—"

"Do you?"





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