A/N: I’m proud to announce that Little by Little (the revamped version) has received 3 nominations at the Love’s Last Glimpse awards for Best WIP, Romance, and Fantasy. I also got a nom for Best Author and nominations for another one of my AU stories, This Girl, That Boy. Big, huge thanks to my secret nominator!

Chapter 14

“How about that one?”

“Too poofy.”

“Oh,” Willow sighed, convinced that no dress would suit Buffy. They had been looking every Saturday for a dress for what felt like ages.

”How about—what’d you find?” Willow came up behind Buffy as she stood with a hand covering her open mouth.

“It’s so beautiful,” Buffy whispered.

“It’s the one, sweetie. Go try it on.”

Buffy flashed Willow a huge smile and then ran to the dressing room.

‘Ah…looking for wedding dresses.’ Willow got misty-eyed at the memory of shopping with Joyce to pick out her gown.

‘They are so different.’

Willow had to admit that mother and daughter planning to marry the same man was cause for concern in the beginning, until she saw Buffy and William together.

She and Oz spent Halloween with the couple. Willow played her typical supportive role, but she was working undercover. After seeing Buffy give William mooneyes and then seeing William return the glance, Willow knew that there was something strong between the blondes.

“Psst! Hey Willow come here!” Buffy poked her head out of the dressing room. “You’ve got to see this!”

“Oh, Buffy! It’s perfect! Joyce would’ve been so proud of you.”

“You think so?”

“I know so. She’d be so happy to see you like this. William’s lucky to have struck gold twice.”

“You think I’m golden?” Buffy laughed, twirling in front of the mirror.

“Of course you are sweetie.”
***

“Buffy, can you get that?”

“Sure!” Buffy wiped off her hands and grabbed the phone. “Hello? Summers-Giles residence. Buffy speaking.”

“Hello, Buffy.”

“Hey, Giles! How are you? How are your glasses, nice and clean?”

“Um, yes my glasses are—quite nice. Er, I was wondering if Will was available?”

“He is. He’s just in his studio. I’m cooking dinner.”

“My son is letting you in his kitchen unsupervised? Is he insane?”

“Hey, I’m a cooking genius. Oh, he’s coming now. Bye!”

“Who is it?” William whispered as he walked into the kitchen.

“Giles.” She whispered back.

“I’ll pick up the office phone.”
***

“Hey, dad.”

“Hello.”

“You alright? You sound weird.”

“Oh, yes. Darla asked me to call you. Drusilla’s in the hospital.”

“Dad, I--.”

“Wait, just hear me out first. Drusilla’s in the hospital because she tried to hurt herself. She has been committed, Will. Her doctors believe she should see you because you’re all she talks about. They believe that maybe you can reach her since no one else can. I even went myself a few days ago. The poor girl’s a wreck.”

“Dad, I just got settled here. Buffy and I are…Dad, I want to marry her. I want to give her mom’s ring.”

“William, aren’t you moving things just a little too fast. I understand that you clung to Buffy after Joyce, but you’re still mourning…”

“This isn’t just a phase. I’m not going to stop loving her when I forget Joyce—which is impossible as she will always be with me—but I can’t have her now, can I? I love Buffy, dad. I have never felt so sure of anything.”

“Well, William, then maybe coming back to England will be best for you--.”

“I’m not coming without Buffy.”

“Will--.”

“Let the doctors dance about for a while, have them look for someone else to play Dru’s mind games. If there isn’t any alternative, I’ll come back. Later. With Buffy.”

“Okay, do what you must. I’ll call again soon.”
***

“That sounded not so good.”

“It wasn’t.” William watched as Buffy cleared off his desk so she could set his plate of food down. She sat on his lap so she could face him. “How much did you hear?”

“Not much. Here, taste.”

William opened his mouth, too frazzled to worry about Buffy poisoning him with her awful cooking. “Wow, pet, that actually tastes good.”

“Hey, I’m a good cook…Does it really taste good?”

“You let me be your guinea pig? You didn’t even have the guts to try it first?”

”Tell me what Giles said.”

“He wants me to go back to England.”

“Why?”

“Dru. She was committed.”

“Well good for that loony. What does that have to do with you?”

“I guess the docs think she needs me.”

“That’s too bad for her because I need you more. She had you before and the skanky ho abused you. Oops. Finders, keepers, blahty blah. Mine.” Buffy closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around William’s shoulders and resting her forehead against his neck. “Besides, you promised that you won’t ever leave me.”

“And I keep my promises, sweets. I’m not going anywhere until you can come with me, pet.”

“Then I’ll watch over you like a hawk and if Dracula girl comes close to my William, I’ll peck her eyes out.”

William chuckled, holding Buffy close. “I am yours, Buffy,” he whispered into her hair. “Dru doesn’t hold a candle to you.”
***

Buffy rested her head under his chin as he stroked her hair. “William, do you ever wish that we would’ve just stayed in England?”

“Sometimes.”

Buffy sat up and looked into his eyes. “If you want to go back I understand. I won’t like you being near Drusilla, but I trust you.”

“Thank you.” William brought her in for a kiss. “But I’m not going without you.”

“But the next vacation time will be Thanksgiving and that’s only a four-day weekend.”

“What about Christmas, pet?”

“That’s awhile away, but I do have about a month off.”

“Okay. That settles it. We’ll go back for Christmas.”
***

“There’s something else I need to tell you.”

“Like what?” Buffy asked as she piled up their dirty clothes.

“It’s dad,” William sighed deeply. “Buffy, he doesn’t approve of us. He thinks we’re moving too fast and--”

“Giles too?” Buffy held back her tears. “Xander.” She ran her hands through her hair and turned to face William. “Are we moving too fast?”

“I think we’ve been moving at a brilliant pace. Maybe a bit sluggish in the beginning, but at least we’re going somewhere.” He cupped her face with his hands. “We’ll get there little by little; we’ll take it day by day.”

“I love you.”

“And I love you, sweetheart. More and more every step of the way.”

“I don’t want to wait anymore. When am I getting my proposal?”

“Soon.”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Don’t make me wait too long.”

“I’ve never been a patient man, love.”

“Good and you’d better not start to be one now.”
***

“What are you doing?” Buffy asked as she walked into the darkened room.

“Trying to think up a masterpiece.”

“What’s it going to be about?” Buffy sat next to him on the floor. He was lying on his back and staring up at the ceiling.

“Don’t know.”

“How about stupid dads?”

“Oh, you caught that, did you?”

“Yeah, you’re easy to read,” she said, lying down. “Give him time.”

“I don’t want to. I’m tired of waiting.”

“I always like stories about characters on a road to redemption.”

“Huh?”

Buffy closed the gap between them, moving against William’s side. “For your masterpiece—it’s going to be a story, right? I like when the hopeless try to change.”

“Hmmm. I’ll consider that. Read any good books lately?”

“Just school related junk. I can’t wait ‘til Christmas, then I can read what I want.”

“Christmas…”

“I want to go back. We’ll just have to prove to Giles how great we are together.”

“Just like how we showed the whelp?”

“Well, that’s different…”

“No it isn’t.”

Buffy sighed deeply. “I guess it isn’t. But William, I ran away from Xander. I ran off to live with you. I avoid seeing him. Hell, I will walk around campus twice so I can miss when his classes get out.” Buffy rolled on her stomach and rested on her bent elbows. “I know it’s immature, but I have a better excuse than you. I’m eighteen and Xand’s my friend, no blood relation. Don’t run away from Giles. You have at least one living parent, take full advantage of him.”

“When did you get so brilliant and reflective?”

“It must be all the tea you have forced me to drink.”

“And you really want to go back.”

“Yes, I do. I also have this funny feeling that I may get my engagement there.”

“Oh, is that right?”

“Yup.”

“Oh, my all knowing Buffy, will you leave any surprises for me to give you?”

“Maybe. Let’s get off the floor; there is a reason why God made comfy beds.”
***

“Move it to the left…no your other left.”

“You mean right, right?”

“Huh? No that way.”

“I can’t see you, pet, lifting heavy stuff here.”

“Fine, ahhh, towards me…to the left. Perfect!”

“Great, now I have somewhere to sit.” William wiped his brow and sat in their new wooden swing. It was large, big enough to fit three people comfortably. “Oh, hell.”

“What?”

“This bloody swing gave me a splinter.”

“Really?” She looked at his finger and hissed. “I’ll get the tweezers and a needle.”

“Needle? I don’t need one of those.” His face scrunched up as he tried to tear out the splinter with his teeth.

“Stop playing with it!” she yelled as she headed into the house. “Give me two seconds!”
***

”I’ve got a plan, honey. I got you some water. Drink that while I work on your finger.”

“I don’t want any fucking needles.”

“You’re the biggest baby. Okay, take a deep breath for me…”
***

Buffy stroked his hair as his head lay in her lap. “Thank you for the swing.”

William grunted in response.

Buffy rocked them slowly back and forth, her feet flat on the ground. The swing was facing their tiny yet overflowing garden. Buffy decided long ago that the garden would be symbolic. It was their first project as a couple and Buffy thought it was reasonable for her to use the progress of the healthy greenery as an omen. If the trees had died or if her vegetables had been stricken with disease, she would’ve been convinced she and William were doomed.

“Buffy?”

“Hmmm.”

“Why haven’t you kissed my thumb yet? It won’t get better until you do.”

“Because you’ve had it in your mouth for the last thirty minutes.”

“So, are you afraid of my cooties?”

Laughing, she took his injured thumb to her lips.
***





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