William watched Buffy aimlessly wander around the wine cellar. It was obvious she had no idea what she was looking for and that the wheels were turning in her mind. He was waiting, for he knew that when she found the words, she was going to smite him.
“You’ve turned into quite the lush lately, love.” Okay, so he just could not wait much longer to get the ball rolling.
Her head snapped to him. “You’re one to talk. How many times have you gotten drunk?”
“Gee, I wonder what could have driven me to it,” William said, patronizingly.
“That’s funny considering you’ve now driven me to the same thing. I guess I learned it from watching you.”
William could not help the grin that was tugging the corners of his mouth.
“What are you grinning for?” she demanded, incredulous.
“Arguing with you has always been one of my favorite pastimes,” he admitted.
“You’re bent,” she said, disgusted.
“Yeah, but it got you off, didn’t it?”
“Did it?”
William’s good humor faded. “Not even funny, pet.”
“Well, I guess Faith can let me know. Unless of course she’s so loose it’s like sticking your dick in a well.”
“I. Am. Not. With. Her.”
“If you think that she’s going to raise my niece, you’ve got another thing coming!”
“And if you think that git is going to raise her, you’ve got another thing coming!”
“I’m not with him!”
“I’m not with her, you stupid bint, but you won’t listen to me even after I’ve said it a thousand times!”
“Why is she here? Why did you bring her this weekend huh?” Buffy asked, poking him hard in the chest.
“Ow, that hurt!” William bellowed. “She came here so you can sign those goddamn papers. Side bar: You’re not leaving the country.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re not taking Ella out of the country. You want away from me, fine, you stay here and I’ll stay there, in London, but you’re not leaving the country.”
“I just can’t get away from this place, can I?” Buffy said, throwing up her arms in exasperation.
“What you mean is that you want away from me, and I will be coming on the weekends to be with Ella. You will be free to leave if you so wish so you don’t have to deal with me.”
“How generous of you,” Buffy said sarcastically.
“Well, seeing as I know how you can barely stand the sight of me, I figured I was helping you out.”
Her eyes widened. “Me? It’s you, that can’t stand me. It’s why you’ve moved on to—“
Grabbing her shoulders, William shouted, “I am not with her and I don’t want to be with her!”
“Then why is she acting like you’re together? What, you still holding out that I’ll give it up one last time to you, William? Well, you know, maybe Riley would like to have a go with me--”
Buffy never did get to finish that sentence because the next thing she knew, William’s lips had crashed onto hers and he had enveloped her in a mind-bending kiss that was sure to rob her of everything.
She reveled in it for the briefest of moments, letting herself forget whom, what, where and whys of the situation; she just felt. Moreover, as William’s hands moved down her back onto her bottom, she let herself be felt to.
“Stop,” she pushed him away. “You are unbelievable you know that? Do you do this in the courtroom too? Anytime opposing council brings up a point you don’t agree with, instead of shouting objection, do you grab them and kiss them senseless?”
“No, but now that you mention it that might be a great new strategy,” he chuckled as he made his way back over towards her.
“What are you doing?” she asked as she folded her arms across her chest and stepped away from him.
“Trying out my new found strategy,” he moved in towards her as though he was a lion stalking his prey.
Any more steps back and Buffy’s back would be hitting a wall. “No, I will not be your mock trail, William, so you can go back upstairs and do the real thing with ‘Miss Best Meat I have Ever Had in my Mouth’. “
His roar of anger made her jump. “How many bloody times do I have to say it? I. Am. Not. With. Her. Never have been, and never will be. We work together that’s all.”
“But what about the dinners and the romantic weekend away?” she asked. “I have eyes William! She’s sexy, beautiful- and from everything I have seen this weekend- more than a sure thing.”
“The dinners are a business arrangement that’s all, and the weekend away, well, that’s your fault.”
“My fault? My fault? What the hell have I done to invite the Queen of Sluttonia here?”
“She came here so you could sign the custody papers. Papers, need I remind you, that you requested.”
She could see for the briefest of moments the hurt in his face at the mention of the custody papers.
“Well, she has been here more than six hours and no papers have been sighted, a hell of a lot of cleavage, but no papers. Maybe the two of you have been too busy.”
“I. Am. Not. With. Her. When are you going to get that though your thick skull? What is it going to take to convince you?”
“Why not William? Going soft in your old age? Maybe she is too strong for you,” she continued thoughtfully, narrowing her eyes. “We both know first-hand how much you love your women to be weak and vulnerable. Not so easy to leave in the morning with a note when they will chase after you to find out why.”
She was out of line but she did not care. In fact, she had left caring about six stops back. She wanted to lash out and be angry because if she held onto the anger, she would not have to make way for the desire that was coursing through her.
“No,” he said, running a hand through his hair and shaking his head. He almost sounded defeated. “Is that what you really think of me? I am not with Faith because I don’t love her. I can’t love her.”
“See? You admit it. You are not able to love any one else.” She felt some weird sense of relief at his words, it was not that he did not want to love her, he just did not know how.
William took a trembling breath and met her eyes. “I can’t love her Buffy. Not now, not ever. I can’t love her because I love you.” At that point, her relief turned into absolute shock.
Buffy shook her head, “No, no, no. You can’t!”
William looked at her despairingly, “Is it so awful that I do? Does it make your skin crawl to know that?”
“No, it’s just that…it’s just that…” Suddenly the dank and cool wine cellar felt hot and constricting. Fanning her shirt out, she started for the stairs.
William grabbed her arm, pulling her back. “We need to talk about this! You’re not running out on me this time, Buffy.”
“I can’t breathe!” she shouted. “I need…air.”
“Fine, we’ll get out of here and then we are going to talk. Do you understand me?”
”Yes,” Buffy whispered and William led the way up the stairs.
Pushing on the door, it did not give way.
“What’s going on?” Buffy asked.
Turning the handle and pushing, shoving and then finally, hitting his shoulder with the door did not budge it. “Faith you crazy bird, let us out!”
“What do you mean?” Buffy asked gravely, realization dawning.
William turned to her and smirked. “Guess we’re gonna have to have our chat right here, Buffy.”
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