”A stubborn mind conduces as little to wisdom or even to knowledge, as a stubborn temper to happiness.”
Robert Southey
Will slowly approached Buffy’s car, as she continued to rant and rave. He stood unnoticed for several moments before he tapped on the driver’s side window, startling her.
She looked to her left with wide eyes. When her gaze met his, a hint of embarrassment flashed across her features from not noticing his approach and for his having witnessed her clearly foolish behavior.
Following a slight shake of her head, Buffy made a shooing motion with her hand, silently instructing Will to step back in order to give her enough room to swing the door open.
“The car won’t start.”
Will’s brow furrowed slightly, since he didn’t expect this was the reason behind her tantrum.
“What do you mean it won’t start?”
“What do you mean, what do I mean it won’t start? It won’t start!” Buffy’s words dripped with sarcasm, which in turn fueled Will’s brusque instruction.
“Try it again.”
Buffy sighed loudly, before turning the key. Just as it had before, the car didn’t turn over nor make any sound at all. With a look of, “I told you so.” she glared defiantly at him.
Will stepped forward, his patience all but gone as he held his palm out silently demanding that she hand over the keys.
“Just get out. Let me ‘ave a crack at it!”
His behavior, especially with the accompanying attitude, instantly caused Buffy’s ire to rise tenfold.
“What, you think I don’t know how to turn a key? The car won’t start. That's that!”
Without a word, Will continued holding out his hand. Buffy yanked them from the ignition and slapped them into his gloved palm. She slid out of the driver’s seat and stood off to the side, allowing him room to enter.
After adjusting the seat for more legroom, Will placed the key into the ignition and turned—nothing. With a growl of frustration sounding from the back of his throat, he tried again. Same result.
“It’s not starting,” Will muttered, his eyes remaining forward not wanting to look at smug expression he knew would be on his ex-wife’s face.
“You don’t say.” Buffy’s face did, indeed, hold the smug expression Will believed it would, and her condescending tone just added an air of self-righteousness.
Will moved his eyes to hers, instantly releasing an annoyed sigh. He hated that look. She would give him the look when she thought she was right and brilliant, and he was wrong and dumber than a box of rocks.
“Yes, oh high and mighty-one! You’re right, like always, huh? Well, if you could take a moment to come down from your high horse, you can hear what we lowly creatures have to say.”
“By all means, peon, speak.” With a wave of her hand, Buffy suppressed a smirk while urging him to continue.
“Oh, thank you, mistress, you are too kind. Anyway, I think the battery is dead.”
“What do you mean the battery’s dead?”
“Huh? What do I mean, what do I mean the battery is dead? It’s dead, deceased, expired, ran down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible … Need I go on?” Will ground out, agitation now replacing his earlier playful sarcasm.
“Thank you, Mr.Thesaurus. I do understand what dead means. I just don’t understand why. I drove all the way up here from LA and didn’t have any problems at all.”
“None at all?” With a shake of her head, he continued, “Well, did you leave the driving beams on all night? That would drain the battery.”
“No, Will, I didn’t leave the lights on. I’m not a complete idiot. And before you say one word to the contrary, I’d think twice if I were you.”
The threatening tone of her voice prompted Will to pretend he locked his mouth with an imaginary key, and adding to the show of not saying a word, he tossed it over his shoulder. Will pondered this for a few moments before coming up with an idea.
“Buffy, do you have jumper cables in the trunk? I can give you a jump, and after leaving the car idling for twenty minutes or so, you can be on your merry way.”
Will’s gaze moved from hers to the steering wheel after saying, “give you a jump.” Despite his earlier agitation, his mind went directly to jumping of a completely different kind. The kind requiring a different type of cable, just like the one ready for action and steadily growing in his now snug denims.
Either completely missing the way his eyes glazed over after his sexual insinuation or the reaction his suggestion had caused to the lower half of his anatomy, Buffy nodded and without a word, turned and headed toward the trunk.
Once she moved, Will slid from the driver’s seat and exited the car. As he followed her, his gaze remained fixed on the beautiful view of her backside. Will shifted his hips, slightly adjusting his erection away from the biting zipper of his jeans before stopping in front of the trunk.
Will’s thoughts remained on Buffy’s pretty posterior and completely missed the conversation she was trying to have with him. He found himself in a daze, hearing the sound of her voice, but not understanding a word she said, before giving himself a mental dope slap, as he tried clearing away all the nasty thoughts swirling around in his mind.
“Uh?”
“Um, I think I left the trunk open.” Buffy’s words rushed from her mouth so quickly, they sounded like a single incoherent word instead of several hurried, muttered ones.
“Care to say that a bit slower. Ya know, for those that don’t speak gibberish?”
“I said…I—think—I—left—the—trunk—open!” Her words now sounded as if she was were speaking to a simpleton and a deaf one at that, since her voice raised once more in volume.
“No need to get shirty, I was just asking for clarification is all. And what do you mean you think? You either did or didn’t. It's as simple as that!”
Will waved his hand toward the trunk, while he squared his shoulders and faced her. Renewed agitation quickly replaced the lust once clouding his mind. It angered him that she was clearly refusing to admit she’d possibly made a mistake, and in fact, it sounded as though she was blaming him for all of this.
“Fine, fine, I know I left the trunk open! I went in there last night, so I could get my gloves and hat. When I closed it, snow must’ve gotten caught in the latch, not allowing it to close properly. Believe me, I didn’t do it on purpose. I don’t want to be here in the first place, never mind extending this hellish visit!” Buffy echoed his tone when she turned from the trunk to face him.
The pair stared at one another for several beats, neither saying all the thoughts—especially the more colorful and down right rude ones— running through their minds. Buffy finally relented after sensing that Will wouldn’t back down. Especially with how angry he looked right now and how it really was her fault. She closed her eyes briefly before taking a deep breath preparing to speak.
“Look, it’s not your fault the car battery is dead. We can fight about this until all the snow around us melts and spring comes, but it won’t change anything. All you need to do is jump me, then I can leave.”
Will looked at Buffy in utter confusion. The first thought he had, Who are you, and what have you done with my wife—well, ex-wife? Before he let his tongue get a hold of this thought and release it, he tucked it away and decided that he shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, especially since this was the third apology from her in less than 24 hours.
Quickly, on the heels of his first thought came the second—She wants me to jump her! A teenager boy’s excited chuckle echoed in his head, causing his slightly deflated erection to spring to life once more. Will began conjuring up all the ways he wanted to fulfill her request, and not in the way she was asking—well, at least not yet.
“…jumper cables?”
After hearing the tail end of an obviously one-sided conversation, Will blinked quickly trying to chase away all the erotic images for the second time in the last twenty minutes. He looked at Buffy, who appeared extremely pissed off: with her hands on her hips and fire blazing in her green eyes. Unfortunately for him, all he could manage was a monosyllabic response, “Uh?”
“Earth to Will…are you listening to me? Sometimes I swear when I talk to you, it's like I’m talking to a wall or something. I talk and talk, thinking I’m having a conversation with you, then I look over and see that stupid look on your face, and I just know you haven’t heard a word I said! It really pisses me off, you know? Well, since I have your attention now, I don’t have any jumper cables in my trunk. Do you have any?”
“No.”
“Care to elaborate? No, you don’t have any jumper cables, or no, you’re not listening to me?”
“Actually…both.”
“Gee, thanks ever so much for that clarification.”
“Your welcome about the not listening to you part. But the part about the cables— I’m actually sorry about that. I loaned them to an elderly couple down the road last week when his ol’ Dodge pickup truck wouldn’t start.”
“Can’t we just take your truck to his house and get them back?”
“No, unlike you, he and the missus went to spread holiday cheer with his family down in San Diego. And before you ask about getting another battery, due to the sleet last night, the roads goin’ down to Running Springs are closed until they can get them properly sanded. Looks like your stuck here until at least tomorrow.”
Buffy’s eyes started to widen with each word. Each word confirmed she was, as he’d said, really stuck there. Without responding, Buffy pulled a blanket from the trunk before slamming it shut. Still silent, she walked past him and headed toward the driver’s side door. She opened it and slid into the seat before firmly closing the door behind her.
Buffy shifted slightly, trying to get comfortable before covering herself with the blanket. She tucked it up under her chin and held it there with her hands, prior to lowering her head to the headrest and closing her eyes.
Will knew this behavior all too well. This was Buffy deciding that she’d “had enough.” When she hit this point, only one thing followed—closing out the world. Will shook his head at how hard-headed she could be sometimes. He knew full-well she’d rather freeze rather than to go back into the house, and it was pointless to try reasoning with her.
He turned from the car and walked back toward the house. Will carefully climbed the snowy stairs, entered the house, and without a second glance, he closed the door behind him, leaving a cold, stubborn Buffy behind.
After removing his boots and jacket, he headed over toward the roaring fire to get warm. While his body soaked in the heat, he looked at the clock on the mantle, 10 am. Despite how angry and determined she was, he knew it was only a matter of time before the cold would make her give in.
Once sufficiently warmed, Will entered the kitchen and put the kettle on. While the water heated, he set out a mug for each of them. He knew it wouldn’t be long now. She’d been out there for twenty minutes, and knowing her like he did, even though she had a stubborn streak a mile wide, her hatred of the cold was far stronger than her annoyance. Even her stubbornness was no match for Old Man Winter.
When the kettle whistled, Will glanced at the clock. Another ten minutes had passed. He had to give her credit for holding out. He noticed the wind had started kicking up about fifteen minutes before, and with no heat in her car, that poor excuse for a blanket and her coat weren’t enough to keep out that type of cold.
Will was removing the whistling kettle from the stove as he heard the front door opening. He noticed her shaking, almost violently, as she pulled off her jacket and boots. Will didn’t acknowledge her presence as he concentrated on his task.
With both mugs in hand, he walked over to where she now stood before the fire. Buffy’s gaze moved from the flames and landed on him. Without a word, he handed her a mug and headed toward and then up the stairs.
Buffy continued to watch him, until he disappeared from sight. Once she heard a door upstairs closing, her gaze returned to the dancing flames in the hearth before slowly sipping from the mug cradled in her hands.
She was grateful Will didn’t say anything to her about her stubbornness and ultimately her having given in to the cold. Surprisingly, Buffy was even more grateful for his remembering exactly how she liked her hot chocolate, little marshmallows and all.
Author's Side Note:
“Ran down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile,” is a Monty Python quote from the Dead Parrot sketch. Thanks to Marilyn for giving this to me!
[Reviews - 205]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 2224 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
No need to adjust your screen, I AM posting another chapter! My muse has been working overtime and there's lots of stuff to show for it! I hope you're as excited as I am!!! As always, big thanks to my lovely betas, Sanityfair and Diebirchen. If it wasn't for these ladies this story wouldn't be half as good as it is. Big Hugs!!!
Chapter End Notes:
I hope you enjoyed.