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Oh, we're up to the double digits! Here we are, at chapter 10 and I have no clue how long this could be. :)

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If You Were to Wake Up is nominated at Cavemen vs Astronauts Awards
--Best WIP
--Best AU
--Best Angst
--Best Spike Characterization Please vote!!
Chapter 10

She thought about it in the shower, while she dressed, and at the kitchen table. As Jamie plucked all the marshmallows out of his cereal, Buffy rubbed her temples and tried to think of something other than William’s lips mingling with her lips.

“Jamie, love, don’t do that.”

“I’m not doing anything bad, daddy,” he answered sweetly. “Mommy—she’s not eating at all. Her cereal’s gonna get soggy.”

“You don’t need to tattle, mate. Your mummy doesn’t have to eat if she doesn’t want to.”

“You want my marshmallows, Jamie?”

“Eh, pet…”

“Oh, come on. It’s Christmas Eve.” Buffy scooted her bowl over and Jamie smiled widely. He bounced in his chair and hummed happily as he stuck his fingers into her cereal.

“Fine, healthiness be damned, but let’s at least keep up our manners. Jamie, what do you say?”

“Thanks, mom!”

“You’re welcome, honey,” she answered with a sigh.

“Your head still hurts, Buffy?”

“It’s not so bad. I just feel like I have a little sledgehammer working away on each temple.”

“You should eat. Want me to fix you something?”

She looked at William for the first time since he left her panting after the kiss. His eyes were full with concern and she couldn’t stop herself from feeling touched. “No thanks. I’m just not hungry now, but give me an hour or two…”

“What about some toast? I’ll get you some toast.”

“William--.”

“Go lay on the couch.”

“I don’t need to, I haven’t even been awake that long--.”

“Go rest, pet,” William urged, giving her a wink. He reached across the table to place his hand on hers. “I’ll tend to you in a minute.”
***

With her eyes closed, Buffy listened to the kids babble. She dozed off and woke when William sat on the edge of the couch.

“How’s your head?”

“Not good. Go away, I’m sleeping.”

“Open your mouth.”

She expected toast, but two pills were popped into her mouth. “Wait, but I just--.”

“Now take a drink.”

“Coffee?” she asked, giving the mug a suspicious look.

“Drink it.”

“I don’t like coffee.”

“Don’t make me force you, pet. I made it just how you like it. Extra cream, extra sugar.”

“Extra sugar?” She wrinkled her nose, but took a swallow.

“What do you think? It’s good, yes?”

“It’s…alright.”

“Knew you’d have a change of heart,” he said tenderly, using a little finger to tuck a few strands of hair behind her ear.

“Hey, um, where’s my toast?”

“You still want toast, love? I just fed the kids their lunch--.”

“Are you serious? You let me sleep that long? What time is it?”

“Did you have somewhere else to be?”

“Well…no. But you didn’t need me to watch Joy, o-or to do the laundry?”

“Nope, I had everything under control. In fact, I still do. The troops are upstairs and fast asleep. You’ve got to love naptime.”

“Oh,” Buffy replied, pouting into her coffee. She finished half of the mug and put it aside. “Well, it’s good to see that I wasn’t missed…”

“Oh, come on. Now, pet--.”

“W-what’s for lunch? It smells good.”

“Leftover chicken and vegetables from a few nights back,” William answered, lifting a brow, amused to see Buffy on edge. He seemed to notice that she didn’t know where to rest her hands so he took them into his own.

“So, we, uh, actually eat vegetables in this house?”

“It’s hard to believe, I know.” With a soft chuckle he kissed the top of her left hand and then the top of her right. “Usually you’re the strict one about food pyramid and all that.”

“That’s why Jamie was so shocked when I let him eat my marshmallows?”

“That’s right.”

“At least they were little marshmallows…I mean, they are teeny, tiny little things…”

“It’s fine, Buffy. A day or two off the wagon won’t hurt.”

“Do I cook for you guys? With Riley, I never…I can try to cook. I can make instant rice a-and sandwiches. I’m a pro at opening cans and I helped my mom make the meal for Thanksgiving once—if I had a good cookbook…”

“After tomorrow you can pick out as many cookbooks as you’d like.”

“After tomorrow?”

“Well, I wouldn’t send even my worst enemy out shopping on Christmas Eve. Even after Christmas is awful, but if you want to go…”

“After my visit to the doctor?”

“Well, that’ll be fully up to you.” He opened her fingers and kissed her palms. “I wouldn’t mind knowing what went wrong, and I can’t help but fret a bit. What if something else happens? What if your headache’s from more than a hangover?”

Buffy swallowed and stroked his knuckles with the pads of her thumbs as she thought of something to say. “William, please don’t think about that. I feel fine. I know it’s hard, but you can’t dwell on all that might or could happen. It’ll drive you crazy and…just don’t, okay? I feel fine, and I know a hangover when I’ve got one.”

“You’re not just saying that?”

“No.”

“Then I’ll try my best,” he said. He gave her hands one final squeeze before placing them gently in her lap. “I’ll heat up our lunch and if you like, I’ll help you fix dinner tonight.”

“Before we make the swing set?”

He nodded, and picked up her mug of coffee. “Want some more?”

“Maybe later.”

He smiled a little smile and started to lift his body from the couch, but stopped halfway and turned to give Buffy a kiss.

When they broke apart, neither said a word. William headed for the kitchen and Buffy waited a beat before following.
***

Buffy enjoyed their lunch together. She found William both funny and charming, so she didn’t hold it against him when he had trouble keeping his hands to himself. Above the kitchen table, his fingers accidentally brushed hers and under the table, their feet accidentally met more than once. She wasn’t at all surprised when his body collided with hers at the sink.

“So sorry, love,” he purred after the “unintentional” collision. “I just don’t know what’s gotten into me today, but I seem to be overly clumsy.”

She didn’t move, refusing to shy away as he boldly pushed into her backside. “I’ve been waiting for you to trip and for your lips to accidentally fall on mine for the past hour.”

“You don’t say…well, sweetheart, if that were to happen, I highly doubt it’d be an accident.”

She snorted and rolled her eyes as his arms snaked around her waist. He kissed a line along her neck, causing Buffy to lean back; happy that he was there for support when her legs became limp.

“William, um, I don’t remember giving you permission to do all this unnecessary touching.”

“Unnecessary? God, I can’t think of anything more necessary than touching my…my…eh, pet, who are you exactly?”

“Buffy. I’m just Buffy.”

“Okay, Little Miss Just Buffy, what are you to me then?”

“You think I can answer that?”

“It’s a complicated question, mmm?”

“It’s a very, very complicated question.”

“Oh, I’m sorry--.”

“Don’t…don’t be sorry.” They stood quietly, joined together, and then Buffy continued. “All I know is that I’m officially off the high horse you accused me of being on earlier. I want to be happy.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“And…I’d like for you to be happy too. Since your point about us not being able to be just friends was proved—and then some—I guess…well…God, this is going to sound stupid, but would you settle on being my boyfriend?”

“Your boyfriend?”

She closed her eyes briefly, hearing in his voice that he was holding back a laugh. “Do not make me sock you, William. With one jab from my elbow I could have you on the ground and--.”

“My God, I love you—to pieces, I swear—but you’re too bloody violent. Too much for your own good.”

“Well,” she said through clenched teeth, “the more you make fun of me, the more violent I get.”

“Make fun of you?” He finally released a string of deep, rich chuckles. “I’m not--.”

Before he could finish, she squirmed in his arms. “And to think I actually wondered why I didn’t want anything to do with you when we were partners! Here I try to talk to you—I give you the stupid crumb that you’ve always bugged me about and—and you laugh at me?”

“Oh, honey--.”

“Don’t you ‘oh, honey’ me!” She broke free from his grasp and twirled around. “This is not the time for nicknames! I’m trying to be serious here!”

“Just calm down, pet—eh, Buffy. Let me speak. You’re blowing this way out of proportion.”

Her face scrunched in anger, burning from embarrassment. She knew he was right and that just made her cheeks turn a deeper shade of crimson. “I don’t want you to explain.”

“You don’t—then what would you like me to do?”

“I…I don’t know! I’m being stupid, I know that. I should just go lock myself upstairs.” She started out of the kitchen, but William pulled her back. “Don’t,” she said, looking at the floor. “Don’t talk to me, don’t look at me. I’m going crazy.”

“You are not crazy. I shouldn’t have laughed, but I couldn’t help it. I wasn’t making fun of you.”

“I know.”

“No, no, I don’t think you know.” He guided her chin up and kept a hand around her wrist. “I laughed because you’re…well, you’re insanely cute, Summers,” he said, wrinkling his nose in mock-disgust. “I thought I was thrown back to high school where this unbelievably striking, insecure--.”

“Are you trying to make me feel better? Because calling me insecure is not gonna cut it--.”

“Hush. First you’re asking me to be your boyfriend like a meek little thing, then you’re back to your old self as you threaten to, what was it? Elbow me to death?”

“I could do it, you know.”

“Ah, yes, I do know, I know very well, and I hope—no, I plead that you’ll spare me from your vicious elbow.” He smiled, but it faded when Buffy failed to share his grin. “Oh, love…Buffy, you’ve got to know that I didn’t mean to make fun of you. There was no malicious intent behind my laughing. I wouldn’t deliberately hurt your feelings.”

With a sigh, he released her wrist and used the free hand to cup the other side of her face. “I love you. Did you really think I’d turn you down?”

“I…”

“Not another word. You don’t have to answer. I would be honored to be your boyfriend. Honored.”

Buffy took a deep breath, and her body seemed to deflate. As air rushed past her lips, wetness gathered in her eyes. “Damn it, William, have you always been like this?”

“I’m not sure if that that’s a compliment, but I’m afraid so.”

“Oh, it’s a compliment.”

“Aw, pet, the last thing I wanted to do was make you cry. Shall I—let me get you a tissue.”

“I’m not crying, and don’t you dare move.”

“Alright, you going to use my sleeve to wipe your tears then?” he teased once she buried her head into his shoulder.

“No,” she sniffled. “God, was I this much of a mess when we got together on the first time around?”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

“Oh, that’s…absolutely?”

“If it gives you some solace, I wasn’t much better off.”

“So, we were both unstable?”

“Pretty much, and some might say we still are, I suppose that’s why we get along so well.”

Buffy grinned at that, stepping out of his arms. She wiped her eyes with her hands and after a minute, a Kleenex was pushed into her hand. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

“So…where do we go from here?”

“I was thinking that we’d wake the kids, because if we let them sleep all afternoon…that, and the Santa-hype, they won’t catch a wink tonight.”

“Maybe you should be taking a nap if you’re planning on screwing the night away.” She stopped, her eyes widening slightly, horrified when she realized what she’d said. “Okay, you do know that I was totally talking about the swing set, right? A-about construction?”

“Of course.”

Buffy tried to keep her face void of emotion as he smirked. “I’m…I’ll be upstairs.” She turned on her heel, but once again, William brought her back. “William…”

“It’s okay, just wait for me?” He took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “We’ll wake ‘em together, alright?”
***





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