Well, this got a little away from me. Much longer than I ever anticipated, I'll be posting it in three parts. The first tonight and then the next two parts spread throughout the week. Plus my other story for eurydice72's William Ficathon should be up tomorrow.
Enjoy!

Title: Doomed to Make Mistakes
Author: Sharvie
Pairing: William/Buffy
Rating: NC-17
Summary: William is thrust into the present by a spell gone wrong.
Timeline: Post "Doomed"
Written for: lucky021 as part of eurydice72's William Ficathon, who requested Romantic Angst. Xander being nice, though reluctantly. Tara understanding when no one else does. William frightened and aroused by something kinky.
A/N: I’m usually Angstgirl, but for some reason the funny just wouldn’t stop coming. So it is a lot less angsty then anything I have ever written. Sorry about that. However, I’ve met all the other requirements quite nicely…er maybe. Depends on your definition of Kink. *g* Also my new shiny Spander obsession wouldn’t leave me alone, so we have whole bunches of Xander to play with.
Disclaimer: Not mine, wish they were
Beta: Big thanks to crazydiamondsue, for putting up with my constant shenanigans and for never complaining when I chain her to the computer to await my beck and call. * wink*
Feedback: Love some, thanks


Doomed to Make Mistakes


It was a simple spell.

Or it was supposed to be.

Xander just couldn’t take it anymore. Spike wouldn’t shut up. One minute he was thrilled he could fight again and he’d be begging to go on patrol, next he would tell them he was evil and then turn around and drive Xander around the bend with insults and the cycle would start over. And no matter how many times he complained, Giles refused to take the vampire back.

He asked Willow what she could do. Her answer: a spell. And she said it was simple, no problem.

No problem? Yeah, right! This wasn’t a problem – it was a disaster.

It was just supposed to keep him quiet, more subdued, and less of a nuisance but oh, no, it couldn’t be that simple. Once he had Spike tied to the chair, he used the phone upstairs to call Willow over. Spike didn’t have enough time to wonder why Willow was stopping by that late at night before a light sprinkle of some sleeping dust was covering him. After a few choice curse words Xander wasn’t too familiar with, the protesting stopped.

Of course there was the hullabaloo and the chanting, followed by fireworks and the light show which all ended up with an unconscious vampire and a good night’s sleep. Willow said the spell would take effect overnight and to be prepared for a kindlier, gentler Spike in the morning.

But he was so not expecting what he saw when he woke up.

Because that wasn’t the vampire tied to his orange, broken down chair, it was someone else. He looked remarkably like Spike, except for the hair and clothes, and why was he wearing a long sleeve dress? He was asleep, perhaps still under the powder’s effect, and tied to the chair in the exact same way Xander had tied Spike the night before. Which gave Xander some time to figure this out.

He called Willow to come over immediately but she must have already left for class because the machine picked up, so he left a message. Then he sat, waited and thought. Somehow, it had to be the spell. Oh, Willow and he were in for it, big time.

Or maybe not! Spike could have slipped out, found some guy who looked just like him, put him in a dress, and tied him up down here, therefore ensuring escape…yeah, not likely.

He knew this was somehow his fault, it was the spell he and Willow worked on Spike last night. He just didn’t want to face the truth.

It was then that the man started to stir. Xander quickly got up and pulled on the first shirt he could find and jerked a pair of black sweats over his boxers. The man came awake with a jolt, taking in his surroundings with eyes as wide as saucers. They settled on Xander and he knew with just that look, that this really wasn’t Spike. Those eyes showed a fear Xander had never seen directed at him before. Even all the demons and vamps he had managed to kill never saw him as a threat.

Whoever this was, he was terrified of Xander and no matter what spell Spike might be under, that would never happen.

Xander swung his arms up in an ‘I surrender’ or ‘We come in peace’ gesture. He really wasn’t sure. He just wanted to make sure the guy knew he wouldn’t be hurt. Of course, that would probably be more convincing if he wasn’t standing next to a man tied up and not untying him.

“Um, hi?” Xander gave a tiny wave.

And then the screaming started.

*~*

Xander was now running up to Giles’ courtyard at break neck speed. After Spike-lite, as he chose to call him, having no alternative, woke up and started screaming, Xander quickly doused him with more sleeping potion, watching as the tied man tried to shake it out of his sleep-tousled hair like a sheep dog. In seconds, his new guest, that just happened to be tied up in his basement – no sir, officer…this isn’t at all what it looks like – was out cold and Xander was out the door.

He ran all the way to Giles’ in the hopes of finding Willow or leaving a message for her. He was about halfway there before he realized it would have saved him time, trouble and a few side splints if he had used the phone, but then that was what reasonable people did. No, he had someone tied up in his basement that was once a vampire and now wasn’t, he was far from reasonable.

It had never bothered him to tie-up Spike before. The guy deserved it, after all the years of hell he put them all through. But this guy wasn’t Spike and it left a bad taste in his mouth, or that could be the Cheetos working their way back up.

Rounding the corner with Giles’ apartment in sight, Xander slowed to a walk and tried to calm himself down. “Calm. Stay calm. Need a plan. Find Will.” Good, on our way to a good start. “Reverse spell. Forget this ever happened. Yup, sounds about right.”

He knocked on Giles’ door and scrubbed his palms through his hair, trying to make himself look somewhat less crazy. After a few minutes, Giles opened the door wearing a bathrobe and a holding a mug of steaming hot tea, with an incredibly perturbed look on his face. “Xander? What on earth are you doing here at this hour?”

“Oh?” Xander looked at his watch and moaned. It wasn’t even seven o’clock yet, but with all the insaneness of what happened this morning, he’d forgotten. “Ummm, I was just wondering if you’d seen Willow, but I’m guessing not! Unless, there’s something you’d like to tell me,” he waved at the slightly askew robe. “Something that I should know about? But then I’d have to kill ya.” Xander tried to laugh but it sounded fake even to him.

“Xander,” Giles sighed, “was there something you needed?”

“Willow. I need to find her. Thought maybe I’d leave a message for her here.”

“You could have called.”

“Yes,” he mumbled, “that would have made more sense.”

“Is everything alright? There’s nothing wrong, is there? You seem very…unsettled.”

“No! Nothing wrong here. All’s right as rain. I’ll just be moseying on. You’ll tell Willow to call me right away, if you see her that is…not like she’d be in there now?” There was that fake laugh again. Damn, I thought I’d learned to lie better than this.

Giles looked a little hesitant to let that end the conversation. Usually, when one of the Scoobies banged on his door early in the morning, it meant possible apocalypse. So to leave with only getting a simple message probably confused him.

“Are you sure?” Giles asked.

Xander started walking backwards to escape any closer scrutiny, “Yup, no worries. Got to be going to work now. See you later!” He quickly turned and ran out of the quad, leaving Giles to wonder what evil entity had possessed that boy now.

*~*

Xander really did have to work. Luckily, his supervisor at the construction site seemed to like him; it was the best job he’d had in awhile. Now he just had to be sure he didn’t lose it, he had to be on site in less than an hour. He didn’t want to be late, but he couldn’t stop himself from going back home and checking on the…what? Man? Vampire? Hostage?

The thought made him cringe. When did he become some crazed captor? How had the spell brought this man into Spike’s place? Was it Spike or some version of him? He was over a hundred-years-old; he might have looked like that a long time ago. He couldn’t have been bleaching his hair forever. So did that mean…no. That couldn’t have been what Spike was like as a human. No way! They had all thought Spike was evil and sadistic before becoming a vampire. Hello, William the Bloody isn’t William the Cuddly, but in his basement, tied to his chair, was a guy that didn’t look like he’d hurt a fly. Much less eat half of Europe.

Xander took in a deep breath to steady his nerves, and walked around to the door leading the basement from the outside. His fear about what he’d find inside made him think twice before trying the door and he made his way back up to look inside the tiny windows and peered inside.

His stomach curled in horror at the scene inside. Whoever the man was, whatever he once was, now tears streamed down his face, chest heaving as he sobbed while trying to undo the ropes keeping him captive. Xander could see red rope burns covering his shins and thighs where the weird dress had ridden up, revealing skin, and his fingers and forearms were scratched and bleeding from constantly trying to reach the knot tied behind the chair.

Xander wasn’t sure what he was more afraid of. That he could be the cause of this man’s pain, or that he was just about to go down there and cause more. He just couldn’t risk him escaping. He hadn’t figured out who he was, how he got here, or what it all meant.

He slowly made his way back to the door, not wanting to do this but knowing he didn’t have a choice. He gripped the door handle, took a steadying breath and quietly opened the door, not wanting to upset Spike-lite any more than he had too.

Xander watched as Spike-lite immediately froze when he realized he had returned. He brought his head up, and stared, bright blue eyes wide and slim body coiled tight in terror. Xander’s stomach rolled.

He took a few steps towards his captive and cleared his throat, afraid to say the wrong thing. “Umm, hey. So, did you sleep well?” Good one.

Spike-lite flinched back into the chair, closed his eyes tight and whispered, “Why have you brought me here?”

“I didn’t mean to. It just happened, sorta by magic,” Xander released a nervous chuckle but it only seem to make Spike-lite more uneasy. And he really needed to find out who this was. He didn’t have a lot of time.

“So,” Xander continued, “what’s your name?”

“Wi-lliam,” he couldn’t stop a sniffle as it escaped and absently wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

Huh, should have figured. This really must be Spike before he was…Spike. “So, when-” Xander stopped himself. It might not be a good idea to reveal too much, especially about time-warping vampires that were no longer vampires. Just get the basics, so Willow could work out what went wrong later, and go. “Where are you from?” God, he sounded like a tourist guide. Tour the Hellmouth, slay a demon, win a free t-shirt!

“Why…wh-what do you want…with me?” William stuttered over his words, body quivering slightly.

Xander realized he’d have to put William at ease or he was going to have a heart attack. Huh, Spike had a heart. Who knew?

“Listen, I don’t have a lot of time.” He started to walk towards the chair, to check on the knot and make sure it was secure. “I just came back to check on you – ”

“We don’t have anything!” William blurted out, body straining against his bonds.

“Huh?” Xander stopped dead in his tracks.

“Mother and I,” William quickly continued, “We live by reputation alone! You’ve made an error! The ransom would scarcely meet your needs. Surely you see now, there is no longer a reason to hold me. Please, release me.” Stressed beyond his limits and emotional drained from his shameful confession, William slumped into the chair, lowering his head. “Please,” he whispered, eyes raised to look at Xander beneath his lashes, “release me.”

Woah! Huh? Ransom? Mother? Ha! Spike was a mamma’s boy! Oh, he was so gonna hear it when he got back. Xander was enjoying a little mental payback when he heard muffled cries and looked down to see William trembling as once more the tears flowed freely down his face. Whoops! Wrong guy to be gloating over.

Xander kneeled down, in the hopes of seeming less threatening. Who’d have ever thought I’d ever need to worry about that? “Listen, I know you’re scared. But I don’t want to hurt you. I just need some more time.”

William eased a little, “How much time? Mother…she needs me.”

Xander resisted the urge to chuckle, “Tonight, I promise. We’ll have you back where you belong, no problems.”

“But wh-why bring me here at all?”

Xander sighed, “It was a mistake. One big, giant mistake.”

William seemed hesitant but nodded slightly, “Can you…please untie me?”

“Uh, no.” Xander moved quickly and jumped behind the chair, out of William’s possible reach. But William hadn’t moved, instead he went ridged in fear as Xander stood behind him. Xander tried to not let it bother him. He hated the fact he had to hurt this guy who obviously was very different from the killer they all knew. He worked quickly, tightening the loosened knot and then reached for the bag of sleeping dust.

When William saw the bag, he started to struggle once more, blue eyes widening, filling with tears. “No, please! Please stop! I’ve done nothing!”

Xander shuddered as he watched his captive kick and grind his skin uselessly against the bonds. “I know.” Words that felt alien in his throat fought to the surface in a whisper, “I’m sorry.”

Then, not being able to look anymore, he shut his eyes tight and quickly doused his captive in dust. He stood still, eyes clamped shut, head bowed, breathing hard, listening as William’s struggles and cries slowed and then stopped.

When had he become a bully? How was he going to be able to look himself in the mirror when all this was over? Why did he have to become the bad guy?

In anger and frustration he lashed out, punching a fist size hole into the wall. He used his free hand to wipe absently at a tear rolling down his cheek, feeling numb and useless. And not at all like a good guy at the moment. William didn’t deserve any of this.

He’d really managed to screw up big, this time. He just hoped that one day, he’d be able to forgive himself.

*~*

Buffy quickly walked down the halls of Sunnydale U, barely escaping a confrontation with Riley after their class. Luckily, a student had needed his assistance and when Riley’s back was turned she’d bolted for the door.

She’d kissed Riley a few days ago, and while Riley was all kinds of cute, the feeling of doom returned soon after and she was currently doing her best to avoid him. She’d been so adamant that they not start anything, and then she goes over and kisses him? She was confused about the whole thing. That didn’t bode well for how he was feeling.

So she tried very hard to be the last person in the class and the first out. She just didn’t want to get into it with him again. The last thing she needed was a guilt trip or more of him trying to convince her that they would be the perfect couple, working side by side, fighting demons. Did he not understand the dangers he was in? Or the danger his inexperience put her in? It just would never work, now all she had to do was tell him that.

She was sure he knew something was wrong, stealthy she was not. But there was no way she could be with him, not if he chose to interfere in her work. Xander, Willow, Giles – they all knew the score, but Riley was a loose cannon and if she stayed with him, someone would get hurt.

With her classes done for the day, she made her way to Giles’. Maybe some big evil was brewing and needed to be put down. At least that way she could work off some of this tension. She strode in, not bothering to knock. “Giles!” she called out, dropping her book bag in the desk chair. “Tell me that some big bad is in need of a good killing!”

Giles walked into the living room, “Sorry to disappoint but the world is not in peril today, but I’m sure if we give it some time…”

“Oh great,” she muttered, as she plopped onto the couch. “I was really hoping you had something for me to kill.” She started picking at her peeling fingernail polish.

“I’m afraid not, but-”

Buffy looked up at that, excited. “But? There’s a but?”

“Xander was here, very early this morning.”

She deflated, “And this is world-in-peril stuff, why?”

“He was acting…” he stopped, searching for the right way to describe Xander’s behavior, “stranger than usual.”

Buffy’s eyebrows rose, “So, we’re talking, what? Hyena possession, mummy girl obsession, what?”

“That’s just it. I’m not sure.”

“Well, what did he want?”

“He wanted to see Willow.”

“Giles, I think you’re off your game. How exactly is this strange?”

“It is just a feeling that I had. It would probably be wise to investigate a little further.”

Buffy was skeptical but it wouldn’t hurt to stop by Xander’s place and see him. She hadn’t spent as much time with him as she’d like recently and missed him being around. “All right. I’m on it. But I think you’re seeing big bads where there is just…Xanders.”

Giles ignored her quip. “You said you wanted something to do.”

“I said ‘something to kill’. There is a difference.”

Giles pursed his lip in disapproval. Not wanting a lecture, Buffy quickly gathered up her bag, “Alright, I’m going. I’m going.”

*~*

Buffy knocked on the door leading to the basement of the Harris household for the third time. She normally would have assumed that no one was home, since no one was answering, but she could feel someone inside. There wasn’t any noise, but her skin tingled just a bit. Someone was in there but they weren’t coming out. Xander might be sleeping. Maybe whatever had gotten into him early had worn him out.

Now she was really curious. She walked up the steps and knelt down by the tiny windows and glanced inside. What she saw just didn’t make any sense. There was someone tied up in Xander’s basement?

Buffy pulled back and shook her head, trying to clear the image. Then she bent down and looked again. Nope, it was real. There really was some guy tied up down there. What in the world are you up to now, Xander?

She stood up, brushed off the dirt from her designer skirt and strode down to the door again. She tried the handle but, of course, it was locked. Heaving a sigh and a silent apology she broke the lock and walked inside.

The man was sleeping, head resting against his shoulder, crumpled hair covering his forehead. She noticed several scrapes on his fingers and arms and rope burn that traversed his legs in all directions. His face was red and puffy; it looked like he had cried himself to sleep. What was going on?

“Hey,” she nudged his shoulder slightly. He didn’t respond.

She gave him a little more of a nudge and when he didn’t respond a second time she took a better look around. Now she noticed dust of some kind in his hair, lap, all around the chair. She rubbed the substance between her thumb and forefinger and thought it seemed familiar but couldn’t quite place it.

After a few more tries, it was obvious he wasn’t going to wake up. She called Giles and asked if he could come and pick them up. As much as she loved Xander, this basement was kind of creepy. It was giving her the wiggins. She noticed a new hole in the wall and wondered how long it had been there, then saw the strange powder surrounding the edges. Whatever had happened here, it wasn’t good.

She started to undo the knot. It was then that he started to wake up. She came back around, one hand still working the knot while the other brushed his hair out if his face. He was groggy, blue eyes unfocused and glazed, a small trail of drool made its way down his chin. If she wasn’t so unsure of what was going on, she would have thought he looked adorable.

“Hey,” she cupped his cheek with her free hand, trying to raise his face, “can you tell me what happened here?”

He wasn’t meeting her eyes. Instead they traveled around the room in circles. Buffy realized the dust must have been a potion or drug of some kind. Something to keep him out of it, subdued.

She undid the last of the knot and took his shaking hands in hers. “You’re safe now.”

“No,” his voice was raspy and his head bobbed as he tried to meet her eyes, “he will come back. You must not be here.”

“Who? Who did this? Was there more than one of them? Was there a tall dark haired guy with you? He’s a friend of mine.”

“An oaf!” he instantly became agitated. She had to hold him down, his equilibrium was off and he almost fell out of the chair onto the floor. “The lowest of the low! A scoundrel that does not listen to reason.”

“Oaf? How big was it? What did it look like? Did it take Xander?!” Oh no, what happened? If some ugly oaf thing has eaten Xander? Please Xander be alright.

“Only me.” He fought against her arms, body bending halfway into her lap. “But you must leave this place. It is not safe for a young miss such as yourself.”

“Don’t worry about me, I can take care of myself.”

At that he raised his head, a look of awe on his face, “Are you an angel?”

She chuckled at the irony. “No, just a girl.”

“Not just a girl. A vision. My savior.” He closed his eyes and nestled into her embrace.

“Yeah,” she chuckled, “sounds like someone’s had a little too much of…something.” She wanted to pull him up but there was something about the way he curled into her, body half on and half off the chair, nose burrowing into the crook of her neck, that just made her want to keep holding him. For a moment she allowed herself the feeling, holding him, stroking his back and running her fingers through his disheveled hair, also hoping it would calm him.

But then the moment was gone. “Come on,” she stood, letting him balance himself against her, “let’s get you ready to go. Where are your clothes? And why are you wearing a dress?”

*~*

Xander was feeling a little bit better about everything. He’d had a good day at work and had formed a plan to handle William. This was all going to work out. And work out for the better. No more Spike. Where was the bad in that? And William seemed like an okay guy. It’d be nice to have another man around again. Now, all he had to do was convince the guys, and especially Giles, that this was a good idea.

But in the mean time, he’d have to make it up to William. He really felt like a shit, it just wasn’t natural to watch another man cry. So to make it up to him, he was going to break the rules and do something no longer allowed in the Harris household. If he got caught, it wouldn’t be pretty. If he didn’t, he was off the hook. His parents would blame each other.

Sneaking in the front door of the house, he quickly made his way to the kitchen and quietly rummaged through the pantry, picking out a diverse selection of food and snacks, hoping to find something that William would like. Once he had his arms full, he headed downstairs.

The bag of chips on the top of the pile made it hard to see around, but he stealthy made it down to the basement. Stepping up to the shelf behind the orange chair, he started talking as he set the food down. “I grabbed a lot of food. I figure you haven’t eaten anything today and must be starving. Hopefully, I grabbed something you’d like. Covered all four food groups. Sugar, salt, fat, and candy.” He threw a bag of chocolate covered nuts into the chair, thinking it would land in William’s lap, instead, it bounced off the seat and landed on the floor with a plastic crunch.

He turned at the sound and looked down into the chair. It was empty. Nothing remained but the tangled ropes sitting in a pool of sleeping dust.

William was gone.

*~*
 

Part 2:

“I don’t know, Giles. He didn’t tell me.” Buffy wandered in from the kitchen carrying a bag of cookies.

“He didn’t say anything about what this demon looked like?”

“He just started saying something about it being short and stupid. So maybe it is a small demon. No big. I can take care of that.” She bounced lightly on the couch and popped a cookie in her mouth, mumbling around it, “Maybe that-ish what came throo thawall.”

“Well, did he give any indication why he was confined at Xander’s?”

She swallowed. “He could barely talk at first. He was really shook up. There was this powder. I could swear I’ve seen it before,” she paused briefly, trying again to conjure the memory. “Anyway, it was all over him and the hole in the wall. Plus, he was totally out of it, like he’d been drugged.”

“Now we just have to find Xander.” Giles sifted through a stack of books and picked out one labeled Miniature Demon Species. “Well, we’ll see if he can spot what it was in here. Hopefully, once we find it, we’ll have some clue as to what it was doing in Xander’s apartment.”

“If this small demon thing has hurt him…well, it won’t be a quick death. Have you heard of an Oaf? Is that like a troll?”

Giles seemed surprised. “He called it an Oaf?”

Before Buffy could respond, William emerged from the bathroom, having taken a bath and put on an old set of Giles’ clothes. His hair was unruly, and he shuffled slowly into the main room, head bowed, hand rubbing the back of his own neck. Buffy and Giles went to the hallway to meet him. He instantly curled into the wall furthest from Giles, causing Buffy and Giles to pull back. Giles gave Buffy a quick nod and went back to the desk, trying to look unassuming.

Buffy wasn’t sure how to approach him. They stood in silence for a second and then, “Cookie?” She held he bag out triumphantly, with a bright smile.

A tentative smile graced his lips as he reached for the bag. “Thank you. You’ve b-been most kind.”

She watched as he brought the cookie to his mouth and gently nibbled the edges. “No, like this.” She picked another cookie out of the bag and popped the whole thing in her mouth, chewing loudly.

The innocent, childlike gesture let William relax and he popped the remaining part of the cookie in his mouth, mimicking her chewing method.

Buffy wasn’t sure what to make of him. Cute, for sure, sweet, and obviously gentle. She wasn’t sure if his meekness was from whatever he’d been through or if he was always this way. It would probably be good to get him talking, so that they could figure this all out and find Xander.

“So, William…right? That is what you told me?”

“Yes, miss.”

“Please, call me Buffy.” She led him to the couch and tried to have him sit down next to her. He resisted, taking a furtive glance in Giles’ direction. Buffy saw Giles give a kind nod and then William sat down. She’d be sure to ask Giles about that later.

“So, William, can you tell me anything about what attacked you?” She set the cookies between them and pulled out another, this time eating it a bite at a time.

He looked afraid to talk about it, tensing and darting quick looks around the living room, as if he did talk about it that might just conjure the demon.

“It’s okay. You’re safe here.”

“Mi-Buffy, I do not wish to discuss it. It was a dastardly matter, and one which I wish to put behind me. But, I must return to my home. This dwelling…it is quite puzzling.” He looked to Giles, maybe in hopes of getting transportation.

Buffy brushed her fingers over his hand, trying to regain his attention. They’d take him home as soon as they knew what happened to Xander. “We’ll take you home soon. Where do you live?”

He pulled back gently and shied away, his face taking on a pinkish color. “Buffy…I…it would not be appropriate – ”

“Oh, well, I didn’t mean you needed to give me specifics. General direction would be good, though.” She now realized William really was always this shy.

He quickly relaxed and said, “North of London.”

Buffy coughed on a cookie in surprise. Okay, maybe getting him home would have to wait.

“London! What are you doing here?”

He closed his eyes as a shiver raced through him. “I…I do not know. Ransom perhaps. He simply said it was a mistake and I believed him.” He spat the word out, anger flaring for a second before he continued. “Then he…he….” William started to tremble and to calm him Buffy grabbed his hands and rubbed them gently.

“It’s okay. We’ll get him. He won’t hurt you again.”

William nodded but quickly stood and went to the bookshelf. His head bent, he swiped at his eyes, clearly trying to hide his discomfort. She wanted to give him some time and used the opportunity to talk to Giles, still at the desk. She whispered, “We aren’t going to get anything out of him, Giles. He’s too upset.”

“Yes, I can see that.” Giles continued in hushed tones. “North of London? What is he doing here?”

Buffy watched William as he ran his fingers over the items on Giles shelf. He seemed most interested in the books, the newer ones, and paperbacks especially. His hair was tangled, and he occasionally huffed to remove it from his eyes.

“I don’t know,” she turned back to Giles, “long flight?”

“Oh, very funny.”

“Well, I don’t know!” she whispered. “That’s your job, to figure this stuff out. I just hit things…really hard.” She ended on a pout and turned to look at William again.

His shoulders were hunched as he became completely entranced with the items on Giles’ shelf. He knocked over an incense holder and immediately began scooping the powder to put it back, taking quick, guilty looks to make sure he wasn’t seen. And then cringed when he realized he was. Buffy smiled, hoping to show him it was okay. He smiled back and relaxed again, once more focusing his attention on the shelf.

Buffy knew this kind man was earnest, shy and completely lost. Her heart went out to him. How could anyone hurt such a tender and gentle man? Anger surged through her. She hated the fact that in order to fix this and find Xander, she’d have to ask him questions that he didn’t want to answer. She wished it could be simple but nothing ever was. She needed answers.

“William?”

He glanced at her, now once more composed, eyebrows raised in question.

She walked over to pull him back to the couch but something caught his attention and he looked back to the shelf, going completely still. She followed his eyes, looking around his shoulder to see what had him so thoroughly enraptured. He raised his hand, holding what was in it out to her, and fingered a small, shiny plastic bic lighter.

Buffy saw his confusion but couldn’t understand what he was trying to convey, “What? William…what is it?”

She heard Giles come up behind her and knew he had noticed the change in William.

William never acknowledged either of them. His breath quickened as he brought the lighter up to eye level and used his thumb to flip the switch back. Flame sprouted up. He instantly threw the lighter against the wall and jumped back from it as if it burned him.

For a second no one moved and then William bolted from the apartment before Buffy could stop him. She didn’t want to just tackle him to the ground. William was traumatized enough as it was.

“Wha…? Wait!” she called after him. “Giles?” Buffy started for the door.

“Go, go. I think I might have a lead. Calm him down, then check back here.”

She nodded, grabbed her jacket and ran after William.

*~*

Buffy couldn’t understand what had set him off. So it was a stupid lighter, it wasn’t like Giles smoked, it was just used to light candles and incense when they did their spells…and now that she thought about it, that might have been what set him off. She had no idea what had happened to him. For all she knew, he had been a virginal sacrifice. She chuckled at the thought and shook her head to clear it, but with how hard he had blushed just from her asking where he lived, anything was possible.

She didn’t have to run far. She found him crouched under a street light, hugging his legs to his chest, his head bowed down to his knees and his fingers tangled in his hair. She approached slowly, not wanting to spook him, and crouched next to him.

“William,” she whispered. “What happened?”

He raised his face. It was obvious he had been crying again. “I am s-sorry. Such an outburst,” he cringed, “was not very b-becoming of a gentleman.”

She smiled and rubbed his arms, trying to soothe him. “It’s alright. You’ve been through something really freaksome. You’re allowed an…” she paused at the odd word, “…outburst.”

“But…everything,” he looked up to the street light above them, “is all so peculiar.” He met her eyes, his bright with yet unshed tears. “It is clear that I do not belong here.” He lowered his head. “Maybe I have gone mad?”

“No, you aren’t…mad. You’re just a little…weird.” She gave a little shrug but continued to stroke his arms.

He laughed at that, “I appreciate your efforts but-”

“No buts, buster,” she interrupted. “Come on.” She stood and held her hand out for him to take.

He started at it but made no move to take it and then lowered his head. “Where? I do not think I’d like to return to your guardian’s accommodations.”

“My what’s what?” Buffy could barely understand him. It was starting to frustrate her.

“There were oddities,” he paused, “I…I just wish to be alone.”

“Well, we are fresh out of alone. Until I find out what happened to you and Xander, I’m afraid you are stuck with me.”

William drew back, “Oh, no! Buffy, you misunderstand me!”

Well, color me shocked. “William,” she sighed, “I seem to misunderstand you a lot.”

He withdrew into himself, looking shamed. “I am terribly sorry. I do not intend to cause you distress.

Buffy mentally kicked herself. Great, cause the poor guy more pain. She knelt down and sat on the curb next to him, “You’re not.”

He looked up, brow creased in confusion.

“Really,” she assured him, “no distress here.”

“But surely-” he started to protest.

“Surely nothing,” she interrupted. “Let’s go,” she stood, taking hold of his hand and gently trying to get him to rise, “we should get inside.”

He resisted, “But where shall we go?”

“My place.”

William jerked his hand away, completely flustered, “Th-that is highly inappropriate! Your guardian-”

“Why do you keep saying that?”

“The gentleman whose wash I used, he would not agree-”

“Oh, Giles!” Buffy remembered the nod Giles had given him and realized what she needed to say to get him to agree. “He said it was fine. Perfectly acceptable behavior.” She added a head bob for reassurance.

He seemed skeptical, his eyebrows raised in surprise. But with a gentle nod, he got up and brushed off his pants. “I must look a dreadful sight.”

Buffy took a good look at him. He had dirt covering his legs from where he had been sitting on the curb and his shirt was rumpled from running. His hair was even more disheveled, after having his fingers buried in it and running through it in aggravation. He was so obviously completely unsure about what to do. Buffy decided a little humor was needed and maybe some good old-fashioned ego boosting.

“Well, I think you look cute.”

And the award for the most shocked expression goes to…

William froze in place, body half bent over, hand still in mid-air, his blue eyes wide and mouth hanging open slightly.

Yup, adorable.

“Buh-uhh-” William stuttered.

Buffy laughed, taking his hand in hers, “William, you’ve got to take it easy. Relax, live a little.” She pulled him upright and sidled up to him, placing her hands on his chest. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you. I promise.” Raising up on her toes, she placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

William closed his eyes and shuddered as a gasp escaped his lips.

Buffy pulled back, unsure of what she had done wrong. “You alright?” She was just playing around, she hadn’t meant to hurt him.

William stepped back and hunched over slightly, grabbing the street light behind him for support. “Y-yes,” he said, voice deep and heavy.

Buffy was still worried, “You look-”

She paused. William was concentrating on her, head bowed slightly but up enough that his intense, dark blue gaze could bore into her. His skin looked flushed, she could see tiny beads of sweat forming on his forehead and his breathing was ragged, it started to make her pulse jump in time to its rhythm.

“William?” His sudden change of mood surprised and excited her. One part of her was nervous but the other felt electrified by his hot gaze.

“I was wrong,” he panted.

“Wrong about what?” she whispered.

“Not my savior,” he breathed, voice rough as he eyed her up and down. “My damnation.”

“Huh? Your wha-”

She was cut off as he abruptly grabbed her around the waist and pulled her hard against him, covering her mouth with his and thrusting his tongue inside. Buffy was shocked but didn’t pull away. She knew she wasn’t in any danger. And William wasn’t doing anything she didn’t like.

It was interesting to see the difference in him after only one kiss. She couldn’t understand how he could have changed so fast. She relaxed, knowing that if it was something otherworldly, her Slayer senses would be ringing a very loud bell but all that fell away and she was left knowing that his reaction was solely from her kiss. She let herself fall into his embrace and kissed him back, waiting for that feeling of doom when it all would fall apart again.

But it never came.

She delighted in the feel of his hands holding her in place as he ground a very hard erection against her. Bringing her hands up to his hair, she lightly tugged at the rumpled strands, directing his mouth around the way she wanted. Gently nipping at his lips and playfully tonguing them to keep them at bay, she teased him, only to surrender mere seconds later and capture them once more.

But as much as she was enjoying herself, she knew that this, whatever intensity they had between them, wasn’t enough to make a relationship work. She had to let him down gently, before things got too far out of control.

“Wait, William,” she weakly tried to push herself away, but he held on, “we have to stop.”

“Why?” His gaze never faltered from her lips.

“This, us, it can’t work.” She knew she really didn’t have his full attention but pressed on. “You live in London and I live here and I really don’t have the time for a long distance relationship.”

He nodded as if he understood and she breathed a sigh of relief, even though inside she felt empty and disappointed. Her fingers itched to hold him again, wanting to seek out skin between the buttons of his shirt but she held back.

“What was it you said earlier?” he asked, attention now once more on her eyes.

“Uh, I said a lot of things…”

He covered her lips with a finger, “Live, a little.”

The breath caught in throat. She couldn’t believe she was hearing her own words used against her. From his lips, the way he made them sound…they were completely different. She had meant for him to relax and have a bit of fun. But he made them sound reverent, so much more poignant and meaningful. A philosophy to live by…

To live. Being the slayer was a one way ticket to a short life, so why not do the things she wanted to do? Live, because you’re going to die.

William was holding her close, arms tight around her body, she could feel his hardness pressing into her hip and the look in his dark eyes was almost feral. She watched as his tongue snaked out and licked his top lip, tasting her on himself. Her stomach clenched in excitement, she felt her pulse quicken and her skin heat up. With just a look, William had her on the verge, teetering on an edge that was still so new to her. Living, with him, it was all sounding pretty darn good.

“Well, then, what are we waiting for? Dorm. This way.” She easily broke free from his embrace, ignoring his gasp of surprise and then grabbed his hand, turned, and started down the street towards the campus.

*~*

They quickly made their way through the town and campus, not paying much attention to anything but each other. Due to the brisk walk that mostly consisted of holding hands and furtive kisses, William had calmed down and was reverting to his shyer self.

Once reaching the dorm, Buffy lit a few candles and turned off the lights. William entertained himself by perusing the end table that she shared with Willow. She hoped he wouldn’t find anything that would set him off again, but to make sure, she kept a close eye on what he was finding as she continued to set a romantic mood in the room.

Then she saw him run his finger over the edge of the slightly pulled out drawer. She couldn’t remember if there was anything in there he shouldn’t see. His brow furrowed in confusion at something inside and Buffy’s jaw dropped as he reached inside and pulled out her vibrator.

He used both hands to turn it all around, exploring along a plastic vein in the side and then reaching the bottom he found the rotating knob. Buffy moved quickly before he could turn it on, making him jump as she ripped it out of his hands.

“Wha-what is that?” he hopped back, hitting his legs against the bed and needing to grab onto the end table to steady himself.

“Uh, nothing. Just a toy.” She hid it behind her back.

“Was that…that your phallus?” William was breathing heavy, finger pointing and eyes darting to see behind her back.

“My what?”

“I have read, but…but never imagined…” he murmured, casting his eyes down and looking into his upturned palms as if he could still see the object in them. A smile slowly made its way to his lips as he straightened and then gracefully lowered himself onto her bed. William leaned back, hands on either side of his hips, a small smirk replacing his smile. “Why, Miss Buffy. Does your mother know?”

“My mom? Eww, no!”

He chuckled, “Good, then we will not be disturbed?”

Buffy finally understood that he was making fun of her. “Why, you…I outta…” She playfully threw the vibrator at his chest, where it bounced off and rolled into his lap.

He looked down, showing smugness at the inferior object. He picked it up, fingers going around the shaft, “I think we shall not be in need of this.” Not taking his heavy, dark gaze off of her, he tossed it onto the table.

Buffy couldn’t believe the change that had come over him. One minute he was shy and scared, the next an absolutely shameless flirt. Either way he was adorable but it was only when he watched her as he did now, that her mouth watered and her body tingled.

“Oh, really?” She sauntered into his slightly spread thighs.

“Yes.”

He raised up, meeting her body with his hands and running them lightly over her waist, just missing her breasts on each pass.

“Wondrous,” he whispered.

Impatient, she took his hands and placed them over her breasts, letting her head roll back and listening as his breath sped up.

“You are a hellcat,” he chuckled, squeezing the mounds gently.

That made her remember something he said earlier. “Damnation, huh?”

He flinched and removed his hands, remorse evident. “Oh, forgive me, Buffy.” William dropped his head, contrite, ready to accept his punishment.

Buffy hadn’t meant to make him feel bad. They really had to work on their communication skills. Well, there is one thing I know he’ll understand. She quickly jumped on the bed and straddled his waist.

He raised his head, eyes wide. “Buffy?”

She started unbuttoning his shirt quickly. “Get ready to ride the one-way Buffy train to hell.”

William marveled at her sitting on his lap, his hips twitching involuntarily into her. Instantly his smirk was back. “Take me there,” he growled as he grabbed her and flipped them over.

She couldn’t help the girlish giggle that escaped as he pushed her into the mattress. He was almost animalistic as he spread her thighs wide to fit between them. He slid in and brought one of her legs up, pulling it roughly around to encircle his hip. His other hand was working its way up under her skirt and tangled in her panties as he tried to pull it off her, even with his own body in the way. Meanwhile his mouth was all over her face and neck, darting from one part to the next, trying to get everywhere all at once. She finally brought his lips to hers and their tongues met in a frenzy, panting into each other’s mouths.

William took her breath away, she moaned incoherently, calling for him, wanting him everywhere. She fought with his clothes, ripping the shirt from his body when she missed the last few buttons. He raised up briefly to help her and then was back down, thrusting one hand in her shirt, the other reaching under her and pulling the panties from her. Buffy sat up, still kissing him and grabbed her camisole, throwing it across the room as William worked his pants down to his knees, despite her legs tangled with his

They were locked together in passion. She had never felt anything quite like it before. It thoroughly took control and she was just caught in the whirlwind, hanging onto William for life. His smell, his taste, he completely enveloped her.

It barely registered that they were now completely naked, thrusting wildly against each other. Her wet core slid against the straining erection that rubbed between their bodies. Some part of her realized that they needed protection and fast. She wanted to live a little, not become a statistic. She reached into the draw, never taking her attention from him, and rummaged hastily until her fingers felt a plastic square.

She reached between them, taking his cock in her hands and started to slide the condom on. He shivered and thrust deeply, misunderstanding.

“Wait…wait!” Buffy shrieked.

William pulled back, body shaking, voice strained, “What?”

She quickly finished and lined his erection up to slide in, “Now.”

“Now?” he hesitated.

“Yes, now!” She grabbed his arms, bringing him back on top of her and then ran her hands down his back. She thrust up, pushed down on his hips and directed him inside her.

Buffy relished in the feeling of him pushing his way inside. She arched back, closing her eyes and held on tight as William rocked his hips. The frenzy from before was gone, replaced with languid kisses smothering her face and gentle fingers carding through her hair. She rode the wave as he worshipped her body, every touch a supplication, every moan a prayer.

He whispered in her ear, “Oh, Buffy…my love, my angel, oh…Buffy.”

It was all so much, so fast. His adoring words and soft hands drove her over the edge much too quickly. He followed, calling her name and gripping her tightly to him. As the tide left her behind, she could hear his heart beating rapidly in his chest and feel his warm breath on her face as he panted. She pushed his fallen hair off his forehead and stared into his dazzling blue eyes, sparkling in mirth. His face was alight with the most adoring, boundless smile.

It might have been the afterglow but she’d never felt so alive. She couldn’t wait to experience life with this man. This beautiful man would never abandon her and leave her wanting a life she could never have. He’d give her everything her heart desired. Unfortunately, there was the long distance separating them but somehow they’d make it work. She was sure of it.

Not wanting to lose the moment, she leaned forward and captured his swollen lips in a tender kiss, trying to convey her feelings in that one perfect moment. William closed his eyes and moaned into the kiss, letting her take the lead.

Buffy heard a noise at the door but dismissed it as neighbors, continuing to explore William’s mouth with her tongue. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the neighbors.

It was Willow.

*~*