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Buffy often occupied her spare time with thoughts of what would happen when Liam first saw her with William. She always imagined it at one of the dances held in town. She would walk into the grand hall with her arm threaded through William's and Liam would spot them from the other side of the room. He would be speaking with some trollop and stop mid-sentence when he caught sight of the pair. It would be absolutely marvelous. She found herself looking forward to the next dance even more than usual with the added possibility of a jealous former lover.

However, things rarely went how she planned them. The 300 pounds should have been proof enough of that. Therefore, it was not in some dance hall where Liam first spied her and her latest paramour but instead while the pair were out in town. William had said something particularly niggling and she responded with a quick-albeit covert-jab to his side with her elbow.

"Oi! What was that for?" he snapped.

"That was for continuing to be the most insufferable man I have ever met," she huffed. "You do realize that I am paying you 300 pounds for this. The least you could do is not irritate me the entire time."

"And you think you're such a ray of sunshine?" She held his gaze, lifting her chin in defiance.

"I'm better than you."

"Pft, where do you get off thinking that? You're one of the most insolent and stubborn women I've met."

"I am not!"

He rubbed his side while he added, "And you have exceedingly pointy elbows."

She went to make some smart retort when someone called her name behind them. She froze, recognizing the voice immediately. William did not sense her hesitance and turned around, leaving her staring in the opposite direction as she tried to settle her madly beating heart.

"Liam, how are you?" William asked jovially.

"I'm fine. Uh, Buffy, is that you?"

She wrinkled her nose a bit before turning and offering him a sheepish grin.

"Hello Liam. How-how are you?"

"I believe he settled that question with a 'fine' before, pet," William said, smirking as he watched Buffy attempt to quell her irritation. She had to dig her fingernails into her palm, but she bit back the smart retort. It would do no good for Liam to think that her and William didn't get along, especially after the little exchange he probably overheard.

"Silly me," she said airily. "Well, what brings you to town?"

"I just had some business to attend to," he said off-handedly, eyes darting between Buffy and William. She could see the confusion in his gaze and was absolutely delighted. "And you?"

"Buffy insisted that she needed a new hat," William filled in. "I obliged to avoid any potential bodily harm. There tends to be flying elbows when she doesn't get her way."

"You're taking her shopping?" Liam asked, his tone bordering on incredulous.

"My lady is one who likes to be bought," William answered with a chesire grin. She felt a strong desire to enact that bodily harm he was speaking of earlier.

"Your lady?" The tone was no longer bordering on incredulous, instead fully there as his eyes went wide. He rearranged his features into one more socially appropriate and bit out, "When did this happen?"

"Recently," William said evasively.

"So, you two are engaged?"

"No!" Buffy cut in hastily. She realized the error of her gut-reaction and added, "This is still so new to us. But William is a very kind man." Even she wanted to laugh at that. "He has been nothing but a gentleman."

"Is that so?"

"Well, we need to be off," Buffy said brightly. "Mother will be expecting us home soon. It was wonderful running into you, Liam. I hope to see you again soon."

He nodded his head and then her and William walked away. She took one small glance over her shoulder, a smile spreading on her face when she found Liam watching them retreat with a look of utter bafflement on his face. She turned back around and grasped William's arm excitedly. She leaned in and enthused, "This is going even better than I could have imagined!"

"Is it, pet?"

"Did you see him back there? Even with you on what has to be your worst behavior, he looked positively dumbstruck! This may be easier than I first thought!"

"What do you mean me on my worst behavior?"

She gave him a look and echoed, "My lady likes to be bought?"

"What? You seem like the gift type."

"And your teasing me in front of him?"

"Suggests an easy rapport," William said stoutly. "My actions back there were strategic, pet. And look how they're paying off."

"This weekend is going to be marvelous," she said, thinking of the upcoming dance. She glanced at him and asked, "You are going, right?"

"Of course I am," he answered. "I can't chance someone else whisking you away."

He winked at her and she rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, William, I don't know how I'm going to stand you until this is over."

"Oh please, you're enjoying yourself. I'm fantastic company."

"Honestly, I have no idea how you rope all of those women into doing those things with you."

"I'm good looking and charming. What else do I need?"

She thought of him and that woman on the balcony. She couldn't believe what she had seen. How could a woman let herself act so wantonly, and in public no less? What would drive someone to that extreme? Glancing at the man beside her, she realized that she had the unique opportunity of being in the company of who might know the exact answer to that question.

"How do you do it?" she asked him after a moment. "How do you make these women act with such little thought for their reputation or future?"

"You make me sound like some lecherous beast," he mused with a smirk.

"I'm serious, William. How do you do it?"

He was silent for a moment and she wondered what he was thinking. After was felt like an eternity he glanced down at her and asked, "Do you really want to know?" She nodded. "It has nothing to do with me."

"Nothing do you with you?"

He shook his head. "All those women, they're looking for some man to make them feel, make them forget. They're begging for it, practically. It would make no difference if it were me or any other man. It's not about love. It's not even about passion. It's about reckless abandonment. Living in the moment and worrying about nothing else."

"Don't they want more?" she asked. She couldn't imagine living so vicariously through pleasure. She would miss out on so much.

"No, they don't."

She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Don't you?"

Something seemed to flash in his eyes for a moment, a vulnerability that she hadn't seen before, but it was gone before she could comment. His trademark smirk was back in place when he retorted, "Pet, some people just aren't made for more. I'm not built for it."

She found something indescribably sad about that.

"You and your Angelus boy, on the other hand, reek of the needing more type," he said.

She smiled slightly, fingers brushing against the sleeve of his jacket. He really was being nice to her, despite her knobby elbows and smart retorts. She glanced toward him hesitantly and said, "William?"

"Yes, pet?"

"I'm sorry for elbowing you before."

He smirked and retorted softly, "No you're not. But thanks for saying it, anyway."

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William went to cards that night for the uncomfortable task of telling the men that he would be putting off paying them for another week. The room was dimly lit, air heavy with the smell of whiskey and cigars. Five men sat around the table, already into a hand of poker.

"Pratt!" a man named Connor called out gruffly. "I see you've decided to grace us with your presence!"

"Sorry I've been absent lately," he said, standing by his usual seat. He didn't sit down as he didn't plan on staying. He couldn't afford to add more to his debt.

"What have you been up to?"

"I've had some other things to attend to," he said off-handedly.

"We've heard," one of the men, Gregory, said. "Courting Buffy Summers, are you? Last I heard she was trying to drag that Liam Angelus to the alter. Terrible fellow, considers himself above cards."

"Ponce," William muttered. "Anyway, I'm not here to play tonight. I just want to let you know that I will bring the 300 pounds to next Saturday's game. It should add a hefty amount to the pot, no?"

"Why don't you settle it now?" Connor asked

William felt his stomach lurch. "I have to sort out a few things first. You will get it next week, though."

Connor shrugged and said, "Next week is fine. We know you'll come through, Pratt. Besides, you know what happens to people who don't pay. You want to sit in for a hand?"

"No, I don't have any money with me."

"We'll cover you for the first hand. What are friends for, after all?"

He hesitated but then took his seat. The man to his right dealt him his hand and he glanced down at his cards. He couldn't believe it. He was holding a royal flush.

"Alright, Pratt, what are you betting?"

He saw that he had a chance to perhaps win back enough to pay off at least part of the debt and then he could pocket the left over sum from his deal with Buffy. He usually played cards with instinct, which admittedly never turned out well, so he decided to appeal to strategy instead. The boys would know he had a good hand if he bet too highly. He'd rather start of low and lull them into thinking his hand was just subpar.

"Fifteen pounds," he said.

"I'll raise you five," Gregory said, pushing chips toward the center of the table. William didn't hesitate before matching the bet and raising it another ten. He did have a good hand, after all.

"Ambitious," Gregory noted.

"I'm just getting warmed up."

The betting continued and William could tell that Gregory had a good hand. It wasn't a sure deal, though, because he could see the perspiration building at the man's hairline. There was a hefty pile of chips in the center of the table when it was time to show the cards.

"Straight, king high," Gregory said with a bravado that didn't match his eyes. William raised his eye brows and then revealed his cards, staying silent as the men leaned forward to study his hand.

"I'll be damned," one of them muttered, finishing it off with a low whistle. "Pratt won."

"Well boys, if you wouldn't mind paying up," William said. The men grumbled unhappily as they shifted in their chairs and pushed wads of money toward him. He counted it while they watched, ecstatic to find himself in the possession of over 100 pounds.

"I think I'm going to call it a night," he said with a wide grin. "Thanks for pulling me in for a hand. Best decision I've made all week."

He sauntered out of the room, fully aware of the five men glaring behind him.


Chapter End Notes:
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