Buffy looked out the window to her small apartment with disdain. She hated this place, but her job as a waitress didn’t afford much choice in homes. Her mom had been hounding her to find a new job, and therefore, a new place to live. Buffy loved the idea, but as she had found out in the past month, it was better said then done. She had taken to scanning both the job ads and the housing ads in the daily paper. She had found many great apartments that way.

Great apartments that she would be able to rent in say, 50 years. She was about to give up when a section caught her eye. It was almost never in the paper anymore, so she was mildly interested. Buffy scanned through the ad quickly. Mid 20’s male seeking 2 flat mates to share expenses and large flat. Utilities split 1/3, rent $225 per person. Male or female. 555-3202, 3529 #202 West End AVE, Sunnydale. Apply by phone or in person. Ask for William.

Buffy was more then a bit surprised. She re-read the ad, and looked out the dingy window again. She paid almost $400 for this dump, and had to add on top of that a ridiculous amount for gas and electric. Phone was an extravagance that she had given up on nearly a month earlier, to say nothing of cable TV. She looked at the address again. It wasn’t the prettiest neighborhood, but it was a good deal better then this district. She tugged at her lip, and finally her mind decided it was at least worth checking into. It was cheaper then where she was, and so long as the place wasn’t a dive, it would be worth having roommates.

She glanced once more at it, and her brow quirked at the word Flat instead of Room. Odd, she thought. Maybe he’s British. She went into her bathroom, and pulled off her pajama’s, and pulled on a thin red sweater. She quickly pulled on a pair of jeans, and then tugged a brush through her long hair. She didn’t have to work until later that afternoon, so she had plenty of time to stop by.

Buffy locked the door as she left, though she knew she really didn’t have much worth stealing. She hurried down the steps, and came out into the slightly chilly mid-morning, and she stopped to glance at her watch. She had just enough time to get to the bus stop before the right bus would arrive. Buffy walked briskly towards the stop, and waited for the West End bus to arrive. It would drive towards the nicer neighborhood, and from there, she could walk to the apartment.

Her eyes drifted casually from person to person on the bus, but she made certain not to make eye contact. Buffy finally just looked out the window and watched as the landscape got better, and the dingy dirty area melted away to clean side walks, and nice buildings. Finally, the bus came to a halt, and Buffy quickly made her way off of it. As she did, Buffy glanced down at the paper in her hand, and made her way towards the right section of the road.

It wasn’t far from the bus stop, which was a bonus in Buffy’s non-driving mind. The apartment was up on the second floor, but there was a door buzzer to let people in. She looked over the names scrawled in the small places next to the numbers, and she ran her finger down, looking for apartment 202. She found it, and next to it, rather than a name, there was a black line slashing it out. She titled her head to the side for a moment, and then quickly buzzed the number before she lost her nerve.

“Yeah, what is it?” A grouchy voice growled through the intercom a few moments later.

“I’m stopping by because of the ad in the paper? For a roomie?” Her voice was hesitant at first, but she shrugged it off, and pushed away the nervous butterflies in her belly. There was silence for a moment, and Buffy was beginning to wonder if she was already to late to apply.

“Oh, right. Come on up, then. First door on the left up the stairs.” There was a loud buzz as the door was released, and Buffy walked up the steps. The door was already open, and a tousled bleach blonde head was sticking out of it. “Right here, ducks. ‘aven’t got all day.” Buffy blushed and picked up her dragging feet, and quickly made it to the stop of the stairs.

“Hi, my name’s Buffy, and you are William.” She held her empty hand out towards him, and he quickly shook it, and showed her in. His hair was mussed from sleep, and she could tell from his blurry eyes that she had woken him. She glanced back down again to her watch, and felt better that it was already 10:30.

“Yeah, that’d be me. So, needing a place to stay, then? Rent’s $225, utilities will come out to about $60 a month total after it’s split, and that includes basic phone, internet, cable, gas and electric. You’re the first to apply, so you can have your pick of the loft or the bedroom that’s left. Loft’s bigger, but there’s no walls on the one side, so it can be pretty open.” He gestured upward, and Buffy’s eyes glanced towards the ceiling. The loft had a waist high wall running along the open side, and a set of stairs going up. There was also a sky light over top of it. He was right though; it wouldn’t afford her much privacy.

“So, you want?” His voice brought her eyes back down to his, and she noticed for the first time that his eyes were a bright blue, like the sky.

“I… can I look around first? I can already say it’s better then where I live now, but…well, I’ve never had a room mate.” William nodded briefly, and pulled her through the apartment. To the left of the entry was a small kitchen. It looked clean, but it also looked very unused. “This is the kitchen, but I’m hardly ever here for a meal, so not sure just what you’ll find here. Anything that’s in there is left over from my old flat mates.”

Buffy nodded as she walked through, and opened a few of the cupboards. She was surprised to see he had quite a few dishes and cooking pots. She smiled at him, and moved on towards the dining room. There was a mismatched table with 3 odd chairs, none of which were the same. On the surface, there were sheets of music scattered about. He shrugged a bit as he shuffled them together into a semi neat pile. She went over and looked at the top one, and sat her newspaper down to pick up the half filled sheet.

“I write songs, you’ll find these everywhere.”

“Oh, alright.” She spoke softly and moved on towards the living room, which wasn’t overly large, but still, better then her current place. The sofa was covered with a blue sheet, and an old green recliner sat in a corner. The TV looked to be brand new, with an entire entertainment set up around it. Guess I know where his money goes, she thought. He led her through a short hallway, and pointed out the large bathroom, and his own bedroom.

Coming to a stop before the last door in the hall, he opened it to a semi furnished room. There was a dresser with empty drawers sticking out, a striped bare full size bed, and a small nightstand. She walked in and glanced into the closet, which was a walk-in. Buffy turned and noticed that William’s eyes were on hers. He glanced away quickly, and a bored look replaced the strange one he had been wearing.

“I guess I just need to see the loft, but… I’ll take the lease. It’s about ten times better then the place I’m at now.” She brushed past him, and walked towards the stairs in the living room. She stopped and glanced behind her. He was still in the bedroom doorway, his back to her. She could tell his muscles were tense, but he shook his arms out before turning to again catch her eye. Buffy felt herself blushing slightly before she made her way to the loft. Up there, it was filled partially with odds and ends.

William came up behind her, and glanced around. He had forgotten that Dru had left so much stuff when she had taken off. “It mostly belongs to one of the old flat mates. They’ve been gone so long; I don’t think they plan to come back for it. If you want anything in there, you’re free to it. If you want the loft, we can go through the junk, and toss whatever isn’t needed. Oh, there’s also a garage, but I have kind of gotten used to it. Do you drive?”

Laughing, Buffy shook her head no. “Buffy and cars equal bad things. We are very unmixy.” She started walking around, and saw that there was some furniture up there, and lots of boxes of clothing. Without really glancing through it, she went over to look over the top of the waist high wall. She looked up, and saw it was only a few feet from the top of the wall to the ceiling. Maybe I could hang some cloth there, she thought. “I think I’ll take the loft. It’s kinda neat up here. Plus, I’ll have room for all my own junk.”

William smiled as he nodded, and brought her back down the stairs. He rummaged through the computer desk, and brought up a lease agreement. “I just need you to sign this, so the office has a record of it, and so that you know all the rules.” His eyes rolled when he said rules, and he smirked as he handed her the lease. She chuckled softly, and quickly went through the lease before signing at the bottom.

“So, pet, when you moving in?” His accent was more pronounced now, and she glanced up at him from the lease with a smile.

“As soon as I can contract help. I have a month-to-month agreement where I am, so I don’t need to worry about it, but I’d like to be out by the end of the month, so I don’t have to pay double rent. I… do I have to pay double rent? When do you need rent?” She was suddenly worried, knowing she wouldn’t have enough money to cover two payments yet. He noticed the look on her face, and smiled.

“No worries. You can move in now. Rent’s not due till the 5th of the month.” He said softly, even though he knew he had been planning to ask for rent up front. Oh well, he figured. He needed the flat mates, and beggars can’t be choosers. “What kind of help is it that you need, exactly?”

“Well, I think I’m going to get rid of all my bigger furniture, since it’s rather ucky, so I’ll need help getting it out of the apartment, and over to Good Will or something, and then I’ll also need help transporting boxes. One box at a time on the bus could take a long time.” Cursing himself even as he offered, William mentioned quickly that he could help transport boxes at the very least.

“Oh, no, that’s alright. Xander has a truck for work, so I’ll just force him into slave labor. So long as I provide pizza, he’ll do it.” Without thinking why, he felt a bit of a twinge at the obviously male name.

“Xander?”

“Oh, yeah, Xander’s a friend from high school who still lives in town. Most my friends went away for college.” He nodded, feeling slightly relieved.

“Ah, ok. Well, pet, any time you want to move in, you’re welcome to. I work midnights over at the plastics factory, and 3 afternoons a week, I help out at my uncles shop down town, so I’m really not here all that much, but if you warn me ahead of time, I can try to make sure I’m here. Oh, while I’m at it, here’s a key for you. It works on the main door as well as the flat door.” He dug around his key chain, and pulled off one of the two spares. “If you think you might lose it, make a copy or two, but don’t pass it around, please. I had a mate who felt the need to share his key with just about every friend the bloke ever had. Came home to a house full of strangers on more then one occasion.”

“Oh, that’s no problem, I really only hang with Xander, and sometimes go to a movie with some friends from work, but really, I usually just stick around home.” She smiled somewhat shyly towards him, and then walked towards the door. “I’ll stop over before I move in, ok? I don’t have a phone, so I can’t call to let you know, but I’ll make sure you know first. I’d also like to thank you. This helps out a lot. It’s so much nicer then my hole, and like two-thirds the price. Anyway, I’ll be back in a day or two.” She shook his proffered hand, and they parted, both Buffy and William with a smile.

After Buffy left, William smiled despite the early wake up call, and walked towards his table to write some lyrics down that she had inspired in him. He noticed her newspaper on the table, and flipped it open to read. He came to the want ads, and noticed she had several circled, with a few of them crossed off. He glanced through the few she had crossed off. None were anything good, and none were all that great paying, so it made him wonder just what she did now. He also noticed she had gone through a few apartment ads, none of which were in a good area, and all of which were dirt-cheap. He suddenly felt very glad he had placed the ad when he had. He didn’t want to think about her in any of those neighborhoods.

********

Chapter 2

Buffy got back on the bus smiling, and headed towards the downtown area. She had several jobs she wanted to check out today for a second job, and she didn’t have much time to look. It was when she neared downtown that she realized that she had forgotten her newspaper back at the apartment. She rubbed her face wearily, and got off down town. She knew where at least two of them were in the area, so she sighed in resignation, and walked towards the shops. The first was a small clothing store that catered towards older women, and the second was a gag shop that sold magic stuff.

Buffy stopped at the clothing shop first, and started to go in, but she ended up walking past it. She really wanted to check out the magic shop first. The window was filled with black satin and white gloves, along with two red roses. Buffy paused to glance in the window before entering, and then she made her way into the small fragrant shop. Several candles could be seen glowing from the entranceway, giving off a pleasant scent. She smiled as she walked the rest of the way in.

A young blonde woman walked up to her with a pleasant smile, and her soft voice lilted as she quietly talked. “Hi, welcome to the Magic Box. My name is Tara. Is there anything I can help you find?”

“Um, actually, I saw an ad in the paper, looking for part time evening help. I was wondering if it had been filled yet?” Buffy tried not to sound to hopefully for the job, but couldn’t suppress the slight look of disappointment when she asked if it had been filled. She glanced around the room before her gaze fell back on to Tara’s. Tara smiled reassuringly, and shook her head.

“No, it hasn’t been yet. If you would like, I have an application for you to fill out. You will need to speak with the owner first, but you are the first nibble we’ve gotten on the ad yet, and we’ve had it in the paper for 2 days now.” She walked towards the counter, and brought out a sheet of paper, and an ink pen. Smiling again, she handed them to Buffy. “You can fill them out here, if you would like, and Mr. Giles can talk with you as soon as you are done.” She left Buffy alone to fill in the paper work, and the only thing Buffy paused on was her new address. She left it blank for now, and finished filling the paper out.

When she was done, Buffy handed the paper to the pretty young woman, and waited for her to take it into the back. Tara was back in a few moments, and smiled at Buffy. “You can follow me back if you would like now.” Buffy smiled nervously as she walked into the back room. She was shown into a small office where an older man was sitting, a pair of glasses perched on his nose as he read over her application.

“Ah, Miss Summers, have a seat. I just need to…” He trailed off as he finished reading the application, and Buffy could tell that he was fairly absentminded. She sat quietly waiting while he finished it. When it was finished, Mr. Giles sat the paper down, and pulled his glasses off. He pinched the bridge of his nose slightly, and cleaned the lenses before placing them back on. “Miss Summers, you left your address blank. Can you explain that?” He was afraid the answer would be that she didn’t have one, but he could hope.

“Actually, I have an address, but I just signed a new lease about an hour ago, and I forgot to ask the guy what his address was. I... actually, if you have today’s paper, it was in there. I can get it from the paper.” Mr. Giles nodded as he watched the young woman in front of him. He glanced about the mess of paper and books on his desk, and located a newspaper. He handed it to her, and she smiled sheepishly while flipping to the back.

“Here it is…3529 West End Avenue, apartment 202, Sunnydale California.” She put the paper down, and looked back up at him. “I also didn’t put a phone number down, but that’s in here as well, do you…?” She trailed off and looked at his puzzled expression. “Mr. Giles?” She asked tentatively. Mr. Giles blinked and looked at her. He laughed to cut the nervousness, and smiled.

“Yes, Miss Summers, a phone number would be nice. Though...I fail to see how the number in the paper would be yours, if you are renting, don’t you get your own number?”

“Well, it’s a room mate situation. The guy had a spare room and a loft, so, he’s already got a phone number, and that’s the one I’ll be using.” She smiled, and looked down for the number. “The number is 555-3202.”

“Ah, yes, that would be why the address was so familiar. You’ll have to forgive me; I was lost in trying to locate the address in my mind. I do believe you must be renting in with William, Miss Summers? Am I correct?” His expression cleared from the weirdness, and a smile lit on his features as he looked over at her now. “Did he send you in for a job, or was it the paper?”

“You know William? How bazaar is that? And, anyway, I got the ad from the paper.” She felt a bit easier, hoping that her association with William would help.

“He’s my nephew. He works here with me a few afternoons a week. Now, I suppose we should continue on with the interview. I need help in the evenings, 2 days a week, and on Saturday during the day. The hours would come out to about 15 or 20 a week, and the pay is $7.15 an hour. Pay is weekly, and there is also a 20% discount on anything you find in the store that you like. Do you, ah, have any knowledge of Magical items?”

“Um, not... really. Is that going to be a problem? I mean, I learn fast. I can figure most of this stuff out fairly quick. I… I really need a second job. I haven’t had much luck in finding one, and I promise, I work hard, and I never call in.” Her voice was slightly pleading towards the end of the rambling. “And, you don’t really care about something like that. I’m sorry, I’m nervous, and I tend to ramble on when I get nervous.”

Mr. Giles nodded as he listened, and he jotted down a few notes at the end section of the application. He smiled at her when she stopped. “No, it’s alright. I like to get a feel for the person, and people can be so fake when they do interviews. Well, I think I have everything I need here. When can you start?”

“You’re giving me a job?” Buffy’s stunned reply came quickly, before she could stop it.

“I believe you can do a good job here, so yes.”

“I… I can start tomorrow. I work at a diner most days, but I’m usually out by 5. I can be here by 5:30, ready to go.”

“That would be perfect, Miss Summers, William works tomorrow, so he’ll be able to help train you.” Mr. Giles stood up, and held his hand out towards her. “Welcome aboard, Miss Summers.” Buffy squealed and stood up. She held her hand out and shook his hand.

“Oh, god, thank you. I really appreciate this. You won’t regret it, I promise. And please, call me Buffy.”

*********

Buffy was smiling as she got in to her dingy apartment that night after her pick up shift. Working the dinner shift had improved her tips, and she had walked out with almost $60 in tips for the 6-hour shift. She told them that she was going to be moving over the next couple of days, and gave them the address she had copied down from the paper. When she got home, she found Xander’s truck sitting out front, and she quickly let herself in.

“Hey, Xan? Where you at?” She kicked her shoes off as she walked into the small living room. A moment later, Xander came out from the bathroom, holding a magazine under his arm.

“Hey Buffster. Thought I’d pop out and see about bronzing it tonight. You game?”

“Xander, I wish I could, but I really need to pack, and get sleep because I have to start moving into my new fabulous apartment, AND start my new job tomorrow!” She squealed as she stared to bounce from side to side.

“Whoa… did you say sleep?” His eyes were twinkling as he asked that, knowing she would go nuts at him for ignoring the obviously new situation.

“Xander… focus. I got a new job, and such an awesome new apartment. The only down fall is that there’s a roomie, but he’s not so bad.”

“Again with the Whoa… HE?” Xander gave her his patented ‘disapproving-big-brother’ look as he crossed his arms over his chest, and his legs set a bit wider. “I don’t think so, Buff. This is a big, resounding, NO.”

“Xander, I already signed the lease, and you start moving me in by this weekend. Don’t worry; you’ll like the place. I have a loft, and it’s bigger then my bedroom and living room put together. Hey, idea! Do you still want out of your parents place? Cause he’s got a room open still, or did, this morning. That way, you could move in too, and be all protective-big-brother from the inside!”

“But… wait, how much does this place cost?” Xander wasn’t real sure about moving yet. There was something comforting about living at home still, even if home was dirty, gross, and filled with drunks.

“It’s only $225 a month, and split utilities. William said it would be around $60 a month for that. The place is in a good neighborhood, and you have wanted me out of this one for a while now. We can call over there, but he’s probably at work.” Buffy went into the kitchen to grab something to drink, and ended up screeching as a cockroach skittered across the floor. Xander came rushing in and stomped on it before it could disappear again.

“Alright, I’ll help you pack. Maybe you can as tomorrow about that extra room. I’d feel so much better if you weren’t there alone.”

Buffy was running late already, and hurried towards the bus stop. She still had on her uniform from the diner, but she had clean clothes in the backpack slung over her shoulder. She glanced at her watch, and groaned. She was going to have to wait for the next bus, which would make her even later, and on her first day, too. She and Xander had stayed up until nearly 2 am packing things up, and marking things to go to the Salvation Army and Good Will. She was keeping her bed, and her kitchen table, which was a fairly nice one her mother had gotten her.

The bus was finally coming up the street, and Buffy sighed in relief. She stood and waited for the bus to stop, and when it did, she quickly entered, and flashed her bus ride pass. Buffy made her way towards the back, and sat down for the 10-minute ride towards the shop. Her thoughts were scattered, flittering from Xander to William to her new job. So much had changed in just one day, and she was happy that she had over ruled her head and checked the apartment out. Now, she was just hoping that the second room was still open.

Buffy was pulled from her revere when the bus came to a stop a block from the magic shop. She hurried through the doors, and jogged down the street at a quick pace. She glanced at her watch as she came through the door, and saw that it she was only 10 minutes late. She hurried towards the back, and smiled apologetically at Tara when she passed through.

“Hi, Buffy. William’s in back in the office, he said to have you go straight back.” Tara smiled as Buffy walked towards the back, and dropped her backpack on a table. She walked quickly over to the door of the office, and knocked.

“Yeah, come in.” William said as he went over the paper work in front of him. He glanced up, and smiled when he saw Buffy standing there. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a bun, with small tendrils hanging loose around her face. Cor, I forgot how pretty she is, he thought. He straightened up in the chair, and forced his mind off of her looks. He glanced at the clock just to the side of the door, and put a disapproving frown on his face.

“You’re late. Is this going to be habit?” Buffy blushed, and William was struck again by how pretty she was. She quickly shook her head, and smiled sheepishly.

“I got let out late at the diner, and then the bus was late, and… I’m sorry, no it isn’t going to be a habit.” She watched him with hopeful eyes, and started to tug at her lower lip with her teeth.

“It’s alright, just try to make sure that you call if you are going to be running late. Uncle Rup can get anal at times. I won’t even mention this one.” He dropped the frown, and replaced with a smirk. His eyes are so blue, she thought, as he winked at her playfully. Buffy relaxed visibly after that. “You plan to work in that uniform?” His eyes traveled down the short orange dress, and ended up on her legs. He tore his gaze away from the shapely legs, and looked up at her face.

“No, I brought a change of clothes, but I thought it’d be best to let you know I was here before changing.” Buffy knew her face was tinged a pale pink from his lingering gaze on her legs, but she tried to push it away, and ignore it. He quickly nodded, and pointed behind her, to a door just outside of the small office.

“You can change in there, then just let me know when you’re done.” He smiled warmly at her, and she again found herself to be blushing as she backed out of the room. Buffy stumbled into the wall, and her blush became worse, before she finally turned and ducked quickly from the room. She grabbed her backpack on the way through the room, and locked herself into the small employee bathroom.

Buffy looked at herself in the mirror, and whimpered softly at the sight before her. No wonder he was staring, she thought, I look like a greasy wreck! She pulled the elastic band out of her hair, and it dropped limply against her face. Pulling her hands through it, she whimpered again, and ended up braiding it back from her face, and wrapping it up into a bun at the nape of her neck.

Turning from the mirror in disgust, she took off the day-glow uniform, and pulled on a simple pair of jeans and a gauzy blouse. Buffy spritzed herself with body spray, to hopefully at least mask the scent of fried meat like product, and left the room. William was shuffling through some storage shelves in the room, and turned to smile at her. “All set to learn the how’s and why’s of magic?”

“I have to warn you up front, I’ve never done anything with anything you guys sell here, so I don’t know how easily I will learn, but I intend to try, at the very least. Oh, I was also meaning to ask you, did you rent out the other room yet?” She smiled up at him, trying to keep focused, and keep her eyes off of his very blue, very intense eyes. I wonder what they would look like in the throes of passion, she thought idly, oh, God, what am I thinking! She found, to her amazement, that her eyes were again focused on his.

“No, haven’t had any serious nibbles for it, either. Why, you know anyone who needs a place?” I imagine her skin is as soft as a flower petal, he thought, before stopping himself, and focusing on the conversation at hand. Her hand came up, and brushed a stray hair away from her lovely face, and William very nearly groaned.

“My friend, the one I mentioned, Xander? He was looking for a place to stay, and I mentioned that there might still be another room available. Anyway, I kinda mentioned I’d have him pick me up from here tonight, and then I could show him the place, and if there was still a room, he could talk to you. Is that all right?” Buffy was fidgeting, she knew she was, but it went hand in hand with her rambling. It happened when she was nervous, which she was right now.

“Sure, pet, that’s fine. Shop closes up at 10, but Tara is here until then, and we can cut out a bit early with no worries. What time is he nabbing you at?” William wasn’t to sure about taking on her friend as well, but at least it wasn’t a boyfriend. He cursed himself inwardly, and swore once more that he wouldn’t be doing anything with Buffy, anyway. He had learned THAT lesson the hard way with Drusilla, and was still paying for it. No, he would keep his emotions in check, and stay single, or at the very least, date someone else.

“He should be here around 9. I wasn’t sure when I got out, and most shops close at 9, so I figured that was a good bet.”

“Sounds fine to me, now, let’s get to work. We’ll wow Uncle Rup yet.”

*********

William unlocked the door, and waited while Buffy walked in with her friend. He had been studying William since arriving at the shop, and it was starting to grate thin on his nerves, but he also got the feeling that Xander was just being protective, and William could hardly fault the man for that. After all, Buffy was moving into a stranger’s apartment, taking on a room mate, and doing it all with a person she had met twice now. He stepped to the side as the two passed into the hallway, and Buffy led the way up the stairs towards the apartment.

She pulled out her own key triumphantly, and unlocked the door. She was snooping through the place when William came in, and Xander was looking around with a slightly impressed look, that is, until he noticed William. Then, it turned into a bored and disinterested look. William held a chuckle in, and removed his leather duster, placing it into the coat closet near the door.

“So, follow me, Xander, and I’ll show you the room quickly, then I need to get going. I work nights as well as the shop.” Xander nodded, and followed behind William, while Buffy wandered her way up to her own loft. She noticed that a lot of the stuff was cleared up a bit, and she started going through some of the boxes. A few minutes later, she heard William telling Xander the prices, and heard him agree to the lease. She went back down the stairs, and saw Xander signing the lease.

“All set?” She asked the two men, who both nodded in return.

“So, I need to get going, but there’s a bunch of stuff in the loft that I told Buffy she could go through, and see if she wanted any of it, so feel free to stay as late as you guys want. I’ll see you tomorrow at the shop Buffy.”

“Yeah, sounds great. We’ll start sorting the stuff now.” Buffy went over and gave him a quick impromptu hug, and then pulled back far faster then either of them had wanted. William found himself staring into her eyes again, then blushed, and looked away. “Thank you, very much. We both really appreciate this.”

William just nodded, and disappeared into his room, cursing his own promise as he walked. She was so soft, he thought, why can’t I just bury her in my arms, and keep her there?

Buffy watched him walk away, and held a sigh in check. How is it I don’t even know this man, but want nothing more then to spend the night wrapped in his arms?

Xander looked at both William and Buffy, and couldn’t help but wonder just what might happen between the two. The only thing he could hope, was that William wouldn’t hurt her when it did happen. He turned away, so that Buffy wouldn’t notice him watching.

AN: First off, thank you guys SOOO much for all the wonderful reviews! I absolutely positively adore them! Next, the one review that mentioned Giles in chapter 1, I am sooooo embarrassed. Yes, I did accidentally leave him in that part, but I have since changed chapter 1, so that his name isn’t used by Buffy. Anyway, moving on, here we go, a foray into part 4!

Xander and Buffy sat surrounded by boxes up in the loft. Perched on Buffy’s head was a wide floppy hat, complete with the most hideous combination of green and orange feathers. A purple feather boa was draped around her shoulders, and a pair of large rhinestone studded sunglasses were perched on her nose. Cuban music was playing in a small cd player they had uncovered, as well. Xander was bopping his head to the unusual beat.

“Ok, I don’t know what kind of woman this chick was, but daaaamn…” Xander’s voice broke through over the obnoxious music, and Buffy started to laugh.

“Well, there are a few things I think I’ll keep, but wow, most this stuff could get shipped to a small country, and never brought back.” Buffy stood up, and tossed the feathered confection from her head, and brought forth another box. In this on, the theme was red and black, and the first thing she pulled forth was a long ankle length red and black velvet jacket. “Hmm… this is kinda cool. Wonder just how much she used to spend on clothing alone.” Buffy slipped the jacket on, and spun around.

“Nice Buffster.” Xander looked over at her, and grinned lopsidedly while sporting a pair of heart shaped day-glow pink sunglasses. Buffy glanced at him and started laughing, then looked back in the box and found a black cowboy hat, complete with a sparkly rhinestone band, and a bright red glitter covered star on the side. She pushed it onto her head, and dug some more.

Near the bottom of the box, Buffy found some papers bound together with ribbons through the punch holes. Buffy sat down on a bright red beanbag chair they had uncovered, and started to read through the pages feeling only mildly guilty as she started.

The moon, it sings for you, my dark princess. It calls to me, and urges me to keep you forever, that I may never do anything to hurt you, or push you away. Dru, I love you now, and forever more will. Stay by my side, and I will always find a place in heaven. Be my girl? You’re little Spike

Buffy stopped reading, and put the sheets down, not eager to find out who Spike was. She turned to find Xander sorting through some books he had found. “Xan, maybe we should clean this mess up, and sort what we actually want to keep, and pile the rest up for William to go through.” She stood up, and started tossing the crazy clothes back into boxes, but kept out the feather boa. She tossed it onto her small pile, and put the clothing boxes up against the wall. She tucked the letters into the top of one of the boxes, and closed it tightly.

They finished organizing, and got all of the boxes down to the main floor, and stacked them up in the dinning room. Buffy had kept a nightstand, the red bean bag chair and a desk that had been up there, along with some odds and ends clothing pieces that she thought would look outrageous for Halloween. Xander hadn’t found much of the girl’s things that he wanted, except for the radio and a few books. It was past midnight when they had finished cleaning up, and locking the door behind them.

“I have tomorrow off, wanna help me move some stuff in? We can move your stuff in tomorrow night, too.” Buffy asked Xander, while getting into his truck. They both decided to have him spend the night, and they would get going early in the morning. The only thing Buffy wanted to make sure of, was that they didn’t show up at the apartment to early, so William could sleep in a bit. She smiled when she thought of him, as she got ready for bed. He was so nice, and that accent! She thought to herself as she slipped between the covers on her bed. Buffy ended up falling asleep with a smile on her face.

*********

Xander’s eyes flew open as he jumped up from the couch. His heart was racing a mile a minute, and he had yet to figure out why. His vision cleared from the sleepiness, and he found he was staring into Buffy’s smiling face. She was sitting on his lap looking like it was Christmas morning.

“What in the devil was that for?”

“Get UP! It’s almost 9, and I want to get going! We need to get rid of furniture, and get everything moved!! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” Buffy had perfected her ‘get-Xander-to-agree-to-anything’ voice years ago, and it held just the slightest bit of whininess, just right for serving it’s purpose. Xander whined, and pushed at her until she fell on her butt on the floor. “Hey! That wasn’t very nice!”

Xander smirked and looked down at her. She was so cute when she was mad at him. When he had first met her, he had gotten a large crush on her, but they had grown into a comfortable friendship that he wouldn’t change for anything. Besides, he had his eye on a girl who had just moved next to his parents. Cliché and all, he liked the girl next door, Anya.

“You gonna sit on your butt all day, or come help me move your stuff?” He smirked at the outraged look on her face as she stood up, her nose coming to just barely the top of his chest. Buffy glared at him, and then her hands flew to his sides and started tickling him. “Hey, that’s so uncalled for! Besides, I’m sooooo much better at it!” Xander was squirming around, but his own hands managed to find her sides, and she started doing her own squirming.

*********

It was nearly thirty minutes later when they had gotten showered, and ate breakfast. Buffy was sitting in the middle of her bare living room, and looking at the furniture. They had decided to first ask a few of Buffy’s neighbors about the stuff, and then take what was left to the Salvation Army shop right down the road. Xander was knocking on doors then, while Buffy finished placing her few pictures and knick-knacks into the box in front of her. They only filled half the box, so she would have room to put the stuff from the kitchen as well in it.

Xander came back with the single mom who lived right next to her, and brought her into the living room. “Hey, Buff, whatcha getting rid of, again?”

Buffy looked up and smiled, while brushing the bangs from her eyes. “Everything except my dresser, my bed, and the kitchen table set. There’s the entire living room set, and an old des, and a small dresser in my room that you can look at. The only thing is, I want to get it out today. But yeah, just look around, and let us know if there’s anything you need.”

Buffy disappeared into the kitchen with a wave, carrying the small box in her hands. She had started to pack up the dishes two nights ago, so those were all set to go, and now all she had left to pack was the stuff hanging on the walls, and the meager amount of food in her cupboards. She took the wall clock down, and placed it near the box, so that it could go on top, then took down the pictures of fruit her mother had gotten for her. Soon, the kitchen was packed.

Walking back to the living room, Buffy saw that Xander had cleared out an end table, and the old magazine rack. She walked towards her room, and found that the small dresser was also gone, and she smiled. She was glad it had gone to someone who could use it. Her bed had been stripped of its linen’s that morning, and she had her dresser drawers out of it, waiting for it to be moved as well. Soon, all of her stuff would be out of this tiny apartment, and the only thing she could think was, good riddance!

Before to long, Buffy and Xander were loading the last of the furniture into the back of his truck to take into the shop. The apartment seemed so empty without her things, and so incredibly dirty and gross feeling. While feeling good for leaving the place behind soon, she felt bad for whoever would come next to this pit. She shook off her thoughts when they pulled into the parking lot.

The guy inside was a big help, and soon they were back at the apartment, and this time, loading Buffy’s things into it. It was nearly 2 pm when they finally pulled into the parking lot of their new place, all of Buffy’s belongings squeezed into the back end, and a few bags in the cab. She was squished down onto the seat as they parked the truck, and Xander had to get out and let her out of her side. She tumbled from the truck with duffle bags.

“Nice co-ordination, Buffster!” His voice was gleefully teasing as he poked towards her sides. They went up to the security door, and rather then just entering, buzzed the bell. It took a few moments before William’s voice came over it.

“Yeah?”

“Hi William, I’m here with my stuff.”

“Oi, right. Need some help?”

“You wouldn’t be wrong,” Xander replied for her. The door buzzed open, and they went in with the duffels, and met William on the way out with a loose black sweatshirt on. He waved, and disappeared out the main door. Buffy took all of her bags up to the loft while Xander and William lugged the bed, dresser, and kitchen table in.

Before to long, she had her furniture set up in the loft, and she was laying on the bed staring up at the ceiling while Xander and William were busy doing the male bonding, beer drinking thing in the kitchen. Buffy would be spending her first night here, and was looking forward to it. Xander had decided to wait until the upcoming weekend to move in, so that he wouldn’t have to work around his own work schedule. He had already roped both Buffy and William into helping.

Later that night, as Buffy was unpacking her things and placing them around the room, William came up to the room, and leaned against the wall at the top of the stairs. He silently watched her for a few minutes as she placed small figurines on a wooden shelf, and a small stuffed pig next to the items. On the lowest shelf, she placed the few books she owned.

His eyes traveled over her face, and down the slope of her neck. He held his smile of appreciation in check and reminded himself that she was a flat mate now, and therefore, off limits. He forcefully dragged his gaze from the top slope of her chest. Without saying a word, he padded silently down the stairs again, and shut himself away in his room to take a breather.

Buffy came breezing down the steps, and walked into the kitchen that morning. She woke up when Will had come in from work, and went down for their morning coffee. It had been nearly a week since she had moved in, and with the exception of a few small mishaps, they had quickly grown accustomed to sharing their living space.

Xander had moved in just a few days ago as well, but he didn’t get the idea behind the morning coffee. To him, it was precious hours of sleep robbed from him, so he just put a pillow over his head, and shut out the noise of his roomies talking in the morning. Buffy walked into the kitchen, and started the coffee maker, and then got out their mugs and the flavored creamers they both loved. William was an Irish Mint person, whereas she was a Double Chocolate person, though it wasn’t uncommon for them to use both.

“Morning breath, ugh!” Buffy swigged some orange juice from the carton, and was just pulling it from her lips when William came back from his room.

“You are so busted! I knew it was you, drinking my juice and all. Man’s got to have his own things, doesn’t he?” His words sounded stern, but the twinkle in his eyes gave away that he didn’t mind nearly as much as it sounded. Buffy found herself blushing, nonetheless. She capped the juice, and stuck it in the fridge.

“Get over it, we split groceries, bottle blonde.” She giggled and ducked past him to take the freshly brewed pot of coffee out, and fill their mugs. William came up behind her, and stuck his head over her shoulder to look down at the coffee. Buffy found herself having a slight problem pouring it after that. He could feel his warm breath on her neck and ear, and just the breath was sending shivers down her spin. She forced herself to steady, and finish pouring the glass.

“Give a girl some space, why don’t ya? You want me to accidentally spill hot scalding coffee all over myself?” Inside, however, Buffy was reveling in the nearness. He smelled slightly sweaty, but with an underlying musky maleness. Buffy kept her mind in check when she turned to hand him the coffee. He stood close, his nose only an inch or so from hers, and the look in his eyes was hard to read. She thrust the mug at him, forgetful of the scalding contents, and the hot liquid splashed onto her wrist.

“Ow! Move it, you big oaf!” William stepped back quickly, and took the mug from her hands, and sat it down on the counter. Buffy was busy cursing him, coffee, and heat, when he pulled her by her uninjured hand to the sink, and ran some water. He pried the hand from her mouth, and shoved it under the luke warm water. “You couldn’t have just moved, could ya? Just had to make me spill… Well, next time, it’ll be you I spill it on!” Her curses grew silent as the painful throbbing finally started to let up, and she kept her eyes down on the angry splash of red on her wrist.

“Sorry bout that, pet. Didn’t realize you were gonna turn around so fast.” It was a lie, and he knew it, but bloody hell, he wasn’t about to admit she had caught him off guard in the grips of a fantasy, induced by the clean vanilla scent her hair wafted. He quietly stepped back, and watched as she let the tepid water moved gracefully across her sin.

Buffy continued to curse softly under her breath, talking mostly to herself, though she did look up to glare at him twice. William couldn’t quite contain the smirk on his face as he peered at her over the top of his cup of coffee. A moment later, she turned off the water, walked over towards the table, and pulled out a chair. She curled her leg up under her bottom and sat down, one leg drawing lazy circles on the floor with her big toe. Will stared down at the toe, and then traced it back up the slim tanned leg, to where her baggy shorts started.

Tearing his gaze from the lovely leg displayed before him, he let his eyes drift towards hers. “How was your night pet? Learning the shop sufficiently?”

Buffy was busy pouring her cream into the coffee, making it a milky color, and started to stir it. She glanced up at Will and smiled a bit. “I think I’m beginning to understand just how many wacky people there really are in Sunnydale. If I don’t know some of the things yet, they mostly do, and can point out the correct ones. Anyway, it’s getting easier. And, I got paid yesterday! My first ever totally splurgable check! Plus, day off today from the dinner.” She was practically beaming, and her mind was filling with all sorts of things to do, shopping top on the list.

“So, then, what’s the plan for today?” He sat up on the counter, and slowly kicked his legs back against the cupboard. His coffee was gone, and he was wide-awake. He knew he would be for hours, but he loved their time together in the mornings, so he would just drink it, and talk with her, regardless of the caffeine affect.

“I’m thinking shopping this morning, and then getting my hair cut this afternoon. Maybe even colored. I haven’t decided if I’m brave enough for that yet. Sleep for you?”

“Actually, I’m thinking I need to get some shopping done, so maybe we could do it together?” He strived to keep the hopeful tone from his voice as he casually looked towards her. She nearly groaned herself from the cute boyish smile on his face.

“I suppose we could. When you wanna leave?”

“Now?” Spike asked. Buffy glanced down at her clothing, and shook her head quickly.

“No, I would rather attract guys, not repel them.” Specifically you, she thought.

“Pet, you couldn’t repel them if you had bright green hair, and red polka dots on your face.” Especially me, he thought. She started to laugh, and just rolled her eyes at him as she hopped up from the chair and placed her mug in the sink.

“Fine, fine, give me ten minutes to change, and I’ll be down.” She disappeared around the kitchen corner, and up the steps, eager to get shopping.

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

“Oh for the love of- Hurry up and pick something out already!” Will was growing exasperated with her incessant need to try everything on two and sometimes three times. Though, he found no fault in getting to judge some of the outfits. She had tried short skirts, long skirts, tub tops, tank tops, and something called a camisole, though to his apparently untrained eye, it looked a lot like a tank top. Jeans came flying from the dressing room, and landed at his feet in defeat. Sighing, Will bent down and snatched em up, then handed them to an irritated looking sales lady.

“I’m hurrying! It’s just that I don’t get to buy new stuff often, so I got into the habit of being very choosey and practical. It’s hard to get used to the idea that I can pick anything I want, and get it.”

“Then bloody well pick up everything you want, and let’s get out of here. I feel like nancy-boy vibes are going to pick me out and invade my very strapping and obviously manly body! They only pick the virile ones, you know!” Will started to pace back and forth, his hands folded together behind his back as his eyes focused on the pink carpet under foot.

“Spike?” A soft feminine voice called out from behind him. His heart just about dropped to the floor when he heard it, and turned grudgingly around to look.

“Drusilla. I had heard the circus was back in town. They let you out for some fresh air, or did you break out of your cage?”

“Like you’re one to talk-” Drusilla ended the phrase mid-sentence, and took a deep breath. “Look, I hate fighting, so can we just stop?”

Behind the Dru, Will saw the dressing room door open, and Buffy stepped out wearing an impossibly short jean skirt, and a black gauzy peasants blouse that sat off her shoulders. The sleeves tucked in at her wrists, but then bellowed out and hung to nearly her knees on the under side of her slender arm. “Will, whatcha think? I think I like, but…” She trailed off and turned to look in the three-way mirror. She twisted and turned, looking at her body from all angles.

Smirking, Dru turned her attention towards Buffy. She glanced over at Will and noticed the small telltale smile he wore as he let his eyes drift slowly and adoringly over Buffy. “So, whose the new ho?” Drusilla asked quietly to Spike. “And when did you stop using the name Spike? Why Will?”

Buffy turned and looked back at William, and saw his eyes were turning away from her, towards the dark haired beauty standing to the side of him. She slowly walked over. Buffy felt odd in the pit of her stomach, and started wondering just who this girl was.

“Will? Do you like?” She asked softly when she reached their sides. Drusilla focused her sharp hawk-like eyes on the blonde in front of her, sniffed slightly, and turned her attention back to Will. William’s eyes drifted back towards Buffy, and he began to open his mouth to reply.

“Yes, Will… Do you like?” She drawled out softly, emphasizing the name Will as she talked. Will’s eyes went sharply back to Drusilla’s, and they peered sharply into her own innocent looking orbs.

“Buffy, pet, I love it. Why don’t you go get ready, and I’ll meet you outside. I need a fag badly right now.”

“But Spiiiiiike, aren’t you going to introduce me to your little girl?” Buffy’s eyes went to Drusilla’s at the mention of the moniker Spike.