Chapter 23
While wishing that the days would go by faster so she could see William again, Buffy had been so lost in her daydreams of William that she hadn’t noticed she wasn’t alone in her room until she felt the feather-light caress on her lips. Surprised and scared that anyone could dare to enter her room and kiss her, she opened her eyes at the same time that she pushed the person that was looming over her with all her might, making him stumble backwards.
“Back to this so soon, love?” He smirked as he staggered to regain his balance, taking in her widened eyes, her parted lips and her heaving chest and noticing the change in her demeanor as soon as she recognized him. “If I’d known this was the reception that awaited me I would’ve—” He was interrupted mid-sentence when Buffy suddenly threw her arms around him and began peppering his face with kisses.
“You’re back,” she said in between kisses. “Oh, God, I missed you so much.”
The last two days had been awful for her; she’d been afraid that it had all been a dream or even worse, a lie concocted with the sole purpose of making her Aimée and William’s laughingstock. Her sister hadn’t admitted that there had been anything between them other than a friendship, but after watching them together she wasn’t sure that was true, although she couldn’t bring herself to ask William about it. She had never been so afraid of the truth before or of her reaction to knowing that truth, mostly because she wasn’t sure if she was strong enough to give up whatever it was that existed between William and her. But he was back in her arms now and he felt real enough. He felt real and she had fled into his arms and kissed him like a trollop and what would he think of her now?
‘Now that’s more like it,’ Spike thought as he enjoyed her ministrations, beginning to reciprocate only to find himself kissing the thin air a moment later. “Wha—huh?”
“I’m so sorry, I-I shouldn’t…what are you going to think of me now?” Buffy bit her lower lip as she walked backwards to her bedroom’s door, her eyes filling with tears of despair while she thought that William would certainly be repulsed by her impulsiveness. Didn’t her mother always tell her that a well-bred woman should never initiate any kind of approach, romantic or not, with a man? Oh God, she’d ruined it all now, hadn’t she?
“And I repeat - huh?” William said, completely baffled by Buffy’s reaction. Aside from Aimée who was in a class all by herself, he didn’t have much experience with young, inexperienced, well-bred girls, but surely Buffy’s reaction couldn’t be normal? How was he going to think anything else other than she was an angel, particularly after that reception? ‘And maybe you should be saying that to her instead of to yourself, you git!’ He rolled his eyes inwardly as he approached her once more, softening his countenance as much as he could so he wouldn’t scare her off, while placing his hands over her shoulders effectively pinning her to the door. She looked ready to bolt at the least provocation and that just wouldn’t do, especially after having to spend one week apart from her.
“What’s the matter, love? And what’s this nonsense of what am I going to think of you now?” he whispered, lowering his head to lay a kiss on her cheek. “What am I going to think other than you’re an angel, my own little angel. Why was I going to think otherwise?”
“Y-you don’t think ill of me because I-I kissed you?” She eyed him warily, not sure what to make out of his reaction.
“Is that what’s gotten you uptight all of the sudden?” He chuckled, relieved that it was such a simple thing and not that she’d decided that she didn’t want him any more.
“My mother says that men don’t like it when women initiate any kind of approach with them,” she said huffily, pouting at the fact that he seemed to be making fun of her for her beliefs.
“Oh, pouty! Look at that lip... gonna get it... gonna get it...” he murmured huskily as he leaned over to capture her lower lip between his lips, nipping and sucking on it, before he took full possession of her mouth, intent on making her forget all about her crazy beliefs with his kisses.
“Buffy, Buffy, Buffy,” he chanted, moving away from the temptation of her lips to gaze adoringly into her green eyes. “I don’t want a poseable doll as my wife; I want an equal, a partner, a mate if you will. I don’t want you to do things because you think that’s what’s expected of you, I want you to do them because you want to do them. So if you feel inclined to kiss me to death or to brandish a candelabrum at me,” he said, his eyes twinkling with mischief at his memory of their first encounter, “please feel free to do so. I’d love to see my fiery nun make an appearance every once in a while.”
“B-but mother said that men—”
“I’m not like other men, love; I’d hoped you’d noticed that by now.”
“And what if you do not agree with what I want to do?”
“Well, then you can convince me that what you want to do is what needs to be done.”
“Convince you, how?” She lifted an eyebrow at him, still unsure at the turn this conversation had taken. All that William had told her went against everything she’d been taught by her mother or even the nuns at the convent and she wasn’t sure that she had what it took to be the woman he wanted her to be, even if she actually wanted to be that woman.
“I’m sure you’ll think of something once the opportunity arises, love,” he said, smirking when she blushed prettily under his heated gaze. He looked around her room and saw a chaise longue near the French doors on the other side of her room. “Come, let’s sit for a bit.” He took one of her hands in his and pulled her towards the settee.
He helped her sit but didn’t join her, all his prior bravado disappearing under a sudden wave of nervousness over what her reaction would be to his proposal.
“I-I brought you a gift,” he began bashfully, almost blushing under her curious stare.
“A gift?”
“Actually two gifts,” he said, pulling a white pearl necklace from his pocket.
Buffy let out a delighted gasp as she looked at the beautiful necklace, extending her right hand to touch it carefully, almost as if she was afraid it would disappear if she wasn’t cautious. “This is for me?” He nodded, feeling mildly relieved by her reaction. “It’s so gorgeous, William. Put it on me, please?”
He moved forward, kneeling in front of her, while she pulled her hair up so he could secure the necklace around her neck, pulling away slightly to see how it looked in her.
“How does it look?” she asked.
“Beautiful, almost as beautiful as you,” he said adoringly, placing a small kiss on her lips, before taking a deep breath. “Hmm, do you know Mr. Rupert Giles?”
“Oh, yes, I do, he’s a very nice man.” She nodded.
“Well, he…he offered to give me his last name and I accepted.”
“Oh, that’s so wonderful, darling, I’m so happy for you.” She beamed at him, not even noticing that she’d used a term of endearment, but he noticed and it warmed him to the bottom of his soul.
Aside from his mother, nobody had ever referred to him as ‘darling’ or any other endearment. Never before had anyone cared enough to be so genuinely happy because things were actually working in his favor for once. If anything, it made his resolution to straighten up his life stronger and make this woman, this angel his wife. He wanted to be better for her, he wanted to be worthy of her.
“Buffy?”
“Yes, William?”
“I-I know I don’t have much to offer to a woman like you, aside from myself and my love; hell! I don’t even have a last name for the time being, but when I do, when I return from what will be my last trip… will you…will you do me honor of becoming my wife?” he said, drawing an antique gold ring out from his pocket and showing it to her.
“Your wife?” Buffy’s eyes filled with tears, happy tears this time, as she looked from him to the ring and back to him again. He wanted to marry her? ‘Her, not Aimée, her.’ He seemed sincere, could she take the chance to believe in him? “Are you sure?”
“Never been like this for me, love. You’re all I bloody think about. Dream about. You’re in my gut…my throat…I’m drowning in you, Buffy, I’m drowning in you. Ask anyone that knows me, they’ll tell you I’m a changed man. My crew is probably ready to build you an altar right now, since I was so lost in my thoughts of you this week that I didn’t even mind them teasing me mercilessly over it. Please, please say yes and make me the happiest man on Earth?”
“Yes, of course it’s yes, William,” she said, deciding to follow her heart and hoping for the best, as she extended her left hand to him. He took her hand in his and placed the ring on her finger, kissing it immediately after.
“This ring belonged to my mother; it’s the only thing I have left from her and now it’s yours, my love.”
“Oh, William, I promise I’ll cherish it forever,” she said, no longer able to contain her tears or the happy smile that seemed to be a reflection of his, especially after that last affirmation and the way he was looking at her. How could she doubt him when he was giving her such a wonderful proof of his sincerity?
“You look so beautiful, so radiant dressed like this.” He devoured her with his eyes, taking a few strands of her hair in his hands and pulling her softly towards him to kiss her once again.
* ~ * ~ *
Aimée’s room
She didn’t know what was worse, having to spend all that time with Angel and his dear mother or having to listen to her own mother giving her ‘the talk’ about how to endure her marital duties or realizing that when her wedding night came there wouldn’t be anything to show for her virginity.
Oh God, what was she going to do now? She’d just die if Angel noticed and if he did, he would surely ask for the annulment of their marriage and there was no way that she would allow for that; it couldn’t happen.
Hopefully Teresa would have an idea of what she could do, otherwise she’d be lost.
tbc
I had thought I was done with the fluffy Spuffy, but it seems my muse isn't done with it, yet. Hope I didn't put you off the story with so much fluffyness. *sighs*
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you, Vette, jt, Amelia-Jane, DaniD, spikestheman, jenny, SarahandJamesFanatic, Devin and Klai, for reviewing the last chapter and MarzBar for the quick and thorough beta. I’m sorry for the delay in posting this chapter, but I’ve been very busy lately. Oh, and Vette? I hope you don’t mind that I used one of your suggestions in this chapter. ;)