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Special thanks to Edgehead for the lovely banner and to Cordykitten for letting her know that I was in need of a pretty


Author's Chapter Notes:
Wow! thanks for all the reviews. I'm so glad that folks are enjoying this softer and gentler Spuffy story. William is pretty adorable right? Anyway, please keep those reviews coming. :)

Artists: Anyone feel like making a story banner? :)
Two hours later William sat starring at his reflection in the hair dresser’s mirror. He looked at his much shorter hair and tried to process Buffy’s suggestion. “You think I should what?” He asked bewilderedly.

“Lighten it.”

“Men don’t color their hair.”

Buffy laughed. “Maybe not in England, but in California it’s not such a big deal. Besides, I want you to really lighten it, that’s not girly; its kind of punk.” She grinned knowing that would help. She’d checked out his CDs in the car; lots of punk bands. It was harder stuff than she typically went for, but kind of cool and it had definitely given her some ideas for his makeover. He still didn’t look convinced.

“Look it’s totally not a big deal. If you don’t like it they can dye it back.”

William looked over at the hairdresser for affirmation. She nodded. He looked back at the mirror. This whole thing made him feel a bit ridiculous; he’d already let Buffy pick his glasses and talk him into buying jeans and tee-shirts that he thought were too tight. Then there was the haircut. He was about to shake his head 'no' when she spoke again.

“I think it’ll look sexy.”

He was a goner, he acknowledged while nodding an okay to the hairdresser.

**********************
She’d been right she decided an hour later as she watched the hairdresser show him how to use gel to spike up his now almost white hair; it did look good. In fact, it looked even better than she’d expected. William was going to drive the girls at school crazy with his new look. That was point, she thought, right. You wanted to help him fit in better. She wasn’t sure why the thought bothered her so much now though. She frowned for a moment. You’re just worried because he’s so shy and you want to be a good friend she told herself. That was it, she decided, looking back at William. “All this shopping has me starved. How about I show you where to get the best pizza in Sunnydale?”


William gaped. She wanted to spend more time with him? He couldn’t believe his luck. Could she actually be interested in him? He pushed that aside. She had a boyfriend, he knew it, had seen them together. He couldn’t compete. She was just being nice. Gorgeous and nice, he thought, she’s a goddess. “Pizza would be good.”


William waited for Buffy to sit and then took his seat on the other side of the booth. He looked up at her with a pained expression. “I feel like everyone is starring at me.” He whispered fervently.

Buffy smiled. “They’re just checking you out. Sunnydale doesn’t get a lot of new kids; you’re like fresh meat.”

His jaw dropped. “What if I…that is I’m...umm…not so sure I want to be meat.”

Buffy laughed at his horrified expression. “You don’t want girls to check you out?” She giggled for a second before freezing. Oh, she thought, I hadn’t even considered that. She leaned over the table. “William, are you gay? I mean it’s cool if you…”

“What?” He shouted in shock. Noticing the attention he had drawn, he quickly lowered his voice. “No. I’m…I’m not very successful but...” He sighed, closed his eyes in embarrassment and whispered “I like girls.”

Buffy ignored her feelings of relief and scooted around to sit on the same bench he was. He moved to make room but gave her a startled look. She smiled. “If you’re going to keep whispering than I’m going to have to sit closer.” She giggled. “I kind of like this…” she gestured to the two of them “sitting like this. It makes it feel like we have some kind of big secret, and now we can check out people together.”

William wondered if it was too soon to be in love with her. He’d had a crush since the moment he’d seen her, but he hadn’t really known her at all before this afternoon. Now he knew that she was kind and friendly and more than a little bossy and that she giggled a lot and that when she smiled at him he felt more alive than he had ever felt in his whole life. Oh yeah, he thought, I’m done for.

“So if you like girls, what’s the problem with getting checked out?”

“I was really hoping for more of a blending in look than a standing out one; I don’t really like to attract attention.” He looked at her apologetically.

She nodded. “I get it, but you’re going to have to attract attention to get a girlfriend. Besides, you were standing out before, just in a less hot way.”

William reeled. Was she saying that he was hot? “Girlfriend?” He asked weakly.

“Don’t worry, I’m going to help. I’ll be like your own personal little cupid.” She beamed.

A half an hour earlier William was praising his newfound luck. Now he was sure he’d found hell. “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you doing all of this? What difference does it make to you if I have a girlfriend or odd hair?”

Buffy frowned. “I…I thought…I just thought we’d be friends. Don’t you want to be my friend?”

“Of course I do, but why would you want to be mine?”

She shrugged. “I think you’re nice. Why do you want to be my friend?”

Because you’re a radiant goddess who controls my very soul, he thought dramatically. “Because you’re…nice. You’ve been very kind.”

Buffy giggled. “You keep forgetting this all started when I walloped you in the head with a Frisbee.”

“It’s true. You do have a bit of a violent streak.”

Buffy looked up at him startled and swatted at his arm. “Take that back” she demanded playfully.

William laughed and ducked away from her pretend punches. “Very well, I’ll take back my comment that you’re violent because you’re hitting me.”

Buffy giggled. “So it’s settled; we’re friends?”

“I’d like that very much.”

********************

Forty minutes later William pulled up in front of Buffy’s house, put the car in park and hopped out. Buffy watched him walk around the front of the car with a confused expression before realizing that he meant to open her door for her. She giggled when he did and couldn’t help but think that a girl could get used to this sort of thing. She smiled a thank you and bounced out of the car.

“I…thank you Buffy…you…” William shook his head. He really wasn’t sure what one was supposed to say under these circumstances.

Buffy gave him a big smile. “It was fun right?”

He nodded.

“Good.” She glanced towards her house. “It’s getting kind of late; I should go in. I’ll see you Monday ‘kay?”

William nodded again before answering quickly. “Yes!”

“Cool”

William watched as Buffy ran over to the front door. She stopped briefly before going in to turn and give him a quick wave. He raised his arm to wave back, but she was already inside.

William got in his car and drove the short distance home, trying to process the whirlwind of a day he’d had. He turned off the car and pulled the bags containing his new wardrobe out of the trunk.

His mother’s voice called out as he opened the front door. “William? Oh good. Can you come in here and help me with this dear?”

He cringed. He hadn’t yet considered his mother’s reaction to what Buffy called his ‘new look’. With a sigh he placed the bags on the floor in the foyer and headed towards her voice. He found her standing on a chair in the dining room trying to hang up a picture. “Mum.”

She spoke again without turning. “Here, can you grab this side? I know I should have just waited until you came home, but I…” She turned towards him slightly and froze.

William stepped forward and grasped the picture frame before she dropped it. He placed it smoothly on to the hanger and made sure it was straight before looking back towards her. He reached out his hand to help her down. “That bad?” He asked with a cringe.

Anne gave him a small smile and tilted her head to give him a considering look. “It is certainly different. I don’t believe I ever expected you to have white hair before I do, but…no, it isn’t bad.” She nodded. “Actually it is rather striking. It would seem that your young lady has an eye for these things.”

William quickly shook his head. “Not my girl mum; she has a boyfriend. She was just being nice.”

“Hmm I see.” She nodded.

Catching the glint in his mother’s eye, William shook his head again. “Really Mum, I think she just felt sorry for me.”
At that Anne laughed. “Sweetheart she spent the whole day with you. Certainly even a nice girl wouldn’t have done that if she hadn’t found you to be charming company.”

William laughed. “You’re the only one that finds anything about me charming, and as my mother you really have no choice.”

Anne reached over and ruffled her son’s now shockingly light hair affectionately. “That is not true; I was simply blessed with the world’s most brilliant and handsome son.”





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