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After the End Has Come and Gone	By : addielogan Category: AtS/BtVS Crossovers > Het - Male/Female > Buffy/Spike(William) > Buffy/Spike(William) Views: 4670 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-1
- 2-2
- 3-3
- 4-4
- 5-5
- 6-6
- 7-7
- 8-8
- 9-9
- 10-10
- 11-Epilogue
- 5
- 6
- 7
When Buffy woke the next morning,
Spike was gone. Her initial response was panic, a hundred terrible thing that
could've happened to him running through her head. She forced herself to calm
down, getting out of the bed and walking outside the motel room.
She found Spike sitting on the
curb, staring up at the blue sky. She paused at the sight of him covered in
sunlight. "No flames, I see," she said after a moment.
Spike jumped, then turned around.
"No. But I think I'm a little burnt." He gestured to a slightly red
arm.
Buffy frowned. "How long have
you been out here?"
"Not long. I guess it's just
been so long since my skin's seen the sun�" He looked away from her,
staring down at the asphalt beneath his feet.
"Come back inside, Spike.
You're pretty red as it is, and trust me, a bad sunburn is not a pleasant
thing."
"William."
"Huh?"
"William. I'm William."
"Spike, what�"
Spike turned to look at her again,
his eyes narrow slits. "I told you, it's William. Stop bleedin' calling me
Spike!"
Buffy blinked. "Okay, William�
What's wrong?"
"What's wrong? What's wrong?
Are you daft?"
"But you're human now. That's
good, right?"
"Honestly? I don't know."
"Spi�er, William, come
on inside, okay? You're toasted enough as it is."
William stood. "If it'll get
you off my case, fine."
Buffy was a bit surprised at how
much his harsh tone stung. "I was only trying to be helpful."
"Well, you've helped
enough."
"What is that supposed to
mean?"
"It means that you should've
just let whatever that was finish me off."
"But then you'd be gone
completely! Being human might take some getting used to, but at least you're
still here."
William gave her a snide look.
"And let me guess, you're not ready for me not to be here yet."
Buffy didn't like the way he threw the
words she'd used so long ago back in her face. "Why are you doing this to
me? I'm trying to be as supportive as I can."
"Oh, there's a first."
"Dammit, I am so not in the
mood for this," Buffy snapped. "I've spent the past year under some
freaky demon brainwash that kept me away from everyone I care about. I do not
need you throwing a fit on top of it."
"Throwing a fit? Is
that what you think I'm doing? Bloody hell, Slayer, I've just been through a
rather unpleasant life-changing experience here. I'm sorry if I can't just suck
it up and help you through your problems until you're tired of me again."
"I didn't ask you for any
help."
"Good, because I'm not going
to give it." William sighed. "Look, there's really no point in us
hanging around each other anymore. Why don't you just call whoever can come and
get you, and then I'll just leave you be like you asked me to five years
ago."
"You can't do that!"
"Why not?"
"Spike�" She sighed
heavily at the look he gave her. "William, something made you human. We don't
know what exactly, and we don't know how stable it is. The Watchers Council can
take a look at you and�"
"Oh, who? Andrew? I don't
fancy your little friends pokin' an proddin' me any, all right. I'd rather just
go my own way."
Buffy placed her hands on her hips.
"No."
"No? You can't tell me what to
do."
"I can make you stay."
"And how exactly do you plan
to do that?"
Buffy grabbed William by the arm,
dragging him back inside the motel. "Like this."
"Get off me, Slayer,"
William snapped, pushing her away. Buffy flew backwards, landing on her back in
the parking lot. William looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry�I didn't realize
I was still that strong."
Buffy stood, rubbing her sore back.
"Apparently, you're not as human as it looks." Her brows knitted in
worry. "You need to come back with me. We don't know what happened to
you."
As much as he hated to admit it,
William knew she was right. "Fine. But as soon as we figure it out, I'm
gone again."
"Fair enough."
William walked behind Buffy into
the room, sitting down on the bed. Buffy started towards the phone when she
heard him speak softly.
"I don't know what I'm
supposed to do."
Buffy turned, looking at him.
"What do you mean?"
William looked up, and the helpless
expression on his face tugged at her heart. "I don't remember how to be
human, Buffy. In the past five years, I guess I got used to the whole souled
vampire bit." He swallowed. "Remember when you said that I couldn't
be a human and I couldn't be a vampire?"
Buffy blushed a little, remembering
exactly which night it had been that she had said that. "Yeah."
"Well, vampire with a soul I
could do. There's only one other one, so I wasn't really supposed to fit any
sort of mold, y'know? And I could have that spark of humanity, but not really
have to be human. After I got used to it, it just made sense."
Buffy sat down beside him.
"But you wanted to be human again. You told me. Back in LA, you told me
about the Shanshu prophecy, and how you wanted it to be about you and not
Angel."
"That was then." William
sighed. "I didn't really want to be human, Buffy. I wanted to take what
Angel wanted. And I wanted you."
"And now?"
"Just make your phone
calls," William replied, turning away from her.
Buffy decided not to push him anymore.
She went to the phone, dialing a number she knew from memory.
"Giles, it's Buffy."

***
*** ***
"Buffy! I thought you'd never
talk to me again!"
Buffy hugged her younger sister
tightly. "Nothing could keep me away from you forever, Dawn."
"Not even brainwashing demon
cults?"
Buffy smirked. "Nope, not even
that."
"Hey, nibblet. You've
grown."
Dawn looked up, a huge grin
spreading across her face. She ran to Spike, embracing him almost as tightly as
she did her sister. "Didn't expect to ever see you again either,
Spike," she said softly.
"Guess I'm like one of those
annoying house guests you just can't ever get rid of. And it's William
now."
Dawn pulled away. "Giles said
that Buffy told him you're human now."
William shrugged. "More or
less. We've figured out that I'm still stronger than the average bloke, and my
senses, while not as acute as they were, aren't as dull as they could be
either. But I'm reflective, sun-proof, and no longer require blood to
live." He frowned. "Well, other than that pumping in my veins as we
speak that is."
Dawn smiled. "That's great.
You can live a totally normal life now."
"Yeah, totally normal. Listen,
bit, your sis and I have to meet with Giles and some of the new Watchers and
figure out what happened to me. Catch up later?"
"You bet." She hugged him
again. "It's so good to see you again."
"You, too."
"I'll come by and talk to you
later, too," Buffy said to her sister. "Despite all the creepy
demonic brainwashing, I did miss you."
Dawn chuckled. "Good to
know."
Buffy gave her sister one more hug
before leading William to the Watchers.

***
*** ***
"Could you describe this
ritual again? With more detail perhaps?"
William sighed heavily.
"Sorry, Rupert, but with all the being chained to the wall and having my
demon ripped out of me, I didn't tend to file much away for later use."
"I saw a little," Buffy
said, trying to get the attention away from William. She could tell from the
look in his eyes that all this attention from the Watchers was really just
making him want to bolt. "The demons were in a circle, with one on the
center. He had the knife with Spike's blood, and he was letting it drip to the
ground. When I broke the circle, whatever was happening to Spike stopped."
"Did you hear anything that
they said?" Giles asked.
Buffy shook her head. "I was
knocked out for most of it."
"I heard one thing,"
William said quietly. "Let that which powers him, power us."
Giles took off his glasses, rubbing
them with a handkerchief. "And you say you retained your strength and
enhanced senses?"
"Some of it, yeah."
Giles placed his glasses back on
his nose. "This is a good start. The Council and I will do research, try
to determine what was done to you."
"And reverse it?"
Giles took off his glasses again,
looking at William with surprise. "You wish to become a vampire
again?"
"I want to be what I
was."
"The Council is not in the
habit of creating more vampires," one of the other Watchers replied.
William glared at him. "I'm
not in the habit of sitting around with a bunch of Council wankers, but I'm
making an exception."
Buffy could see Giles about to
comment and decided to preempt any further argument. "William and I have
both been through a lot these past few days. Why don't we just call it a day,
and you can start on that research?"
"I trust you can show Spike to
one of the guest rooms?" Giles asked.
Buffy noticed the way William
bristled at Giles's use of his other name. She didn't understand why being
called Spike suddenly bothered him so much, but she decided to placate him
rather than argue the point. "Yes, I can show William to one of the
guest rooms." Buffy could tell by the way that Giles resumed his lens
cleaning that he had gotten her point. She placed her hand on William's arm.
"Let's go."
William pulled away from her.
"Okay."

***
*** ***
William sighed when he heard the
knock at his door. He wasn't in the mood for company, but after several
increasingly louder knocks, he figured whoever it was wasn't going away. He
opened the door, relieved to find it wasn't one of the Watchers. "Hey,
nibblet."
"Hiya, William. You mind if I
come in for a bit?"
William shrugged. "Might as
well. Not like I have much else to do."
Dawn walked in, sitting on the
couch on the far side of the room. "Looks like they set you up in one of
the nicer guest suites."
William shrugged. "Beats the
places I've been staying in. So why are you hear instead of with your sister?
You haven't seen her in a year."
"And I haven't seen you in
five." Dawn patted the spot beside her on the couch. "Come on. Sit
down and tell me all the exciting things you've done since LA."
William sat. "Not much to
tell, really. Just wandered a lot, trying to find a place where maybe I could
settle for a while."
"And yet you ended up back
here with us."
"I'm not staying here, bit.
This is just until the Wanker Council figures out what happened to me."
"You know, the Watchers aren't
so bad anymore. Giles has worked hard to keep the same problems the last
Council had from resurfacing. I'm studying to be one."
William looked at her askew.
"You? I figured you could do something more with your life than be a
bleedin' Watcher."
"But it's what I want."
"And I guess it makes big sis
happy."
"Buffy knows we need all the
Watchers we can get, especially since the Chosen One has become the Chosen
Army�"
"How many Slayers do you have
running around these days?"
Dawn shrugged. "We have a
couple hundred here, but there's others around. Some are stationed in specific
areas around the world, and some girls chose to just stay home, try to lead a
normal life. Buffy wanted to give them that option. She doesn't want anyone to
ever be saddled with the weight of the world again, the way she was."
"Yeah, I remember hearing a
lot of her complaining about that."
The were silent for a moment before
Dawn spoke again. "So what about you? How are you liking the whole human
thing?"
"I'm not."
Dawn looked at him with surprise.
"Why not? Having problems dealing with the prospect of mortality?"
"Not really. I've died twice.
It's not so bad. It's just�" William sighed. "It's nothing."
"No, it's something. What is
it, Spike?"
"Please, nibblet, don't call
me that."
"Buffy said you didn't want
anyone calling you Spike anymore," Dawn said with a frown. "Why? Is
it because you feel guilty about torturing people with railroad spikes and
don't want to be reminded?"
William chuckled. "Actually,
no. The bloke I did that to had it coming anyway." He smirked. "No,
it's just, well, I'm not Spike anymore."
"You look like Spike."
"Yeah. Maybe I should lay off
the peroxide."
"No! I mean, um, your hair's
really cool. You should totally keep it."
"Well, if it makes you
happy�"
Dawn could tell he was trying to
change the subject. "But what did you mean when you said you weren't Spike
anymore?"
"I don't know, it's just,
well, Spike was who I became after I was turned. Now that I'm not a vampire
anymore, I'm just plain old boring William."
"You are so not boring,"
Dawn said. "And even if you're not a vampire anymore, you're still not the
man you were before you were turned. I mean, you have over a century more of
experience."
"You didn't know William.
He�I�I was pathetic."
"You don't have to be who you
used to be. All you can be is who you are right now." Dawn gave him a
small smile. "You don't see me trying to stick myself into locks these
days, do you?" That got her a laugh from him, which is what she had hoped
for. "But seriously, you don't have to be that William. And�and you don't
have to be Spike either if you don't want to be. Just give it time. You'll find
who you are now."
"Where did you get so
insightful, bit?"
"College, I think."
William gave her a smile.
"I'll think about it. I've got a lot going through my mind right
now."
"Understandable." Dawn
stood up. "I have to go. I'm supposed to meeting with Giles in a few. Just
wanted to stop by and see how you're doing."
"Thanks. I appreciate
it."
"Can you do me a favor
later?"
"Depends. What is it?"
"Go talk to Buffy. She's
worried about you, but she isn't sure if you want to see her. She thinks you're
upset with her."
"I'm not upset with her, I'm just�"
William stopped, unsure of what it was he was feeling. "If you see her
tell her she can come by and talk to me if she wants. I don't really fancy
wandering around this place. Might run into someone irritating."
"Andrew keeps looking for
you."
"Case in point."
Dawn giggled. Then she walked over
to William, hugging him tightly. "You'll be okay, Will.

And talk to Buffy. She's missed you, you know."
"Yeah, she tends to say things
like that sometimes."
"William, Buffy�"
William held his hand up. "Don't.
Your sister and I, we're complicated. It's one of those things you can't really
understand unless you're in it, and even then it's confusing."
Dawn nodded. "I understand. I
have to get going before Giles gets all twitchy. I'll see you later."
William ruffled her hair. "See
you, bit."

***
*** ***
Buffy stood outside William's door,
her hand poised to knock. She dropped it again, sighing. She wanted to see
Spike, but at the same time, she had no idea what to say to him. So much had
changed in the past five years, for her and, obviously, for him as well. They
couldn't go back to what they had been, and Buffy wasn't even sure if she
wanted to. She was too old, too tired to start those games over again.
Suddenly, the door flew open,
bringing Buffy back to the present. "Are you going to stand there all
bloody day? I could hear you fidgeting, and it was driving me up the
wall."
"I'm sorry," Buffy said.
"Can I come in?"
"Might as well."
Buffy stood nervously in the room,
not sure of what to do. She'd never felt this unsettled around Spike before.
Even during their less than healthy relationship, she'd known basically what to
expect from him. Now, when she looked at him, it was almost as if he was a
stranger. "How are you feeling?"
"Not dead."
"You're the only person I've
ever talked to who makes that sound like a bad thing."
William chuckled. "For me, I
guess it is. There's so much about being human I'd forgotten."
"Like what?"
"Just the little things that
make you alive."
Buffy realized then what made him
look so different to him. He looked lost. None of the cocky self-assuredness
she'd come to associate with Spike. He hadn't looked like this since she found
him in the basement of the high school, trying to claw his new soul out.
"Hey, it's getting sort of late in the day. Do you want to get something
to eat?"
"Buffy Anne Summers, are you
asking me out on a date?" His tone was teasing, but Buffy could see the
nervousness written all over his face.
"Just a couple of old friends
catching up over dinner," Buffy said with a smile. "Come on. I know a
place that has those fried onion things."
"If I didn't know any better,
I'd say you were trying to bribe me."
"Maybe I am."
"Well, if you are, it's
working."
"So are you ready to go
then?"
"Yeah. Not like I have an
unlimited amount of time to wait around these days."
Buffy just nodded, not wanting to
push that subject. "Let's go then."

***
*** ***
William held a fried onion petal in
his hand, studying it. "You know, I haven't really thought about food in a
long time. I mean, there were things I liked to eat, but I didn't need them. It
wasn't like if I went any length of time without real food I was going to
starve. But now, eating isn't just for pleasure anymore. I have
to." He popped the onion in his mouth.
"Does it take the fun out of
it?" Buffy asked.
William swallowed. "No.
Actually, food tastes better now. I mean, I thought these things were good
before, but wow. I was missing out on at least half of the flavor."
"I know it was a totally different
situation, but I remember what it was like, when I was first alive again. I
didn't want to be. Even in that short period of time, it was like I'd gotten
used to being dead, and then suddenly, I was part of the world of the living
again. It felt wrong, like I didn't know how to live anymore. But then I
realized life just is what it is." She gave him a warm smile, echoing the
words he'd sung to her years before. "It's living."
William smirked. "Easier said
than done, pet."
Buffy could see that he was still
unsure of himself, but around just her, he was starting to relax. She smiled,
hoping that he could soon snap out of the funk he'd slipped into when he'd
become human again. Despite everything that had gone on between them over the
years, the last thing she really wanted was for him to be unhappy.
"There's so many things you can do now that you never would've had a
chance to do before," she pointed out.
"Like what?"
Buffy's brow knitted as she tried
to think of something. "Well, you can probably father children now."
William's face managed to grow a
shade paler. "Bloody wonderful. Really, Buffy, can you imagine little mes
running around? I don't think the world could handle it."
Buffy laughed at the sudden image
of bleach blond toddlers in leather coats that popped into her mind.
"Maybe they'll have a mother with strong enough DNA to cancel you
out."
"Gee, thanks."
"But seriously, you can go in
the sunlight, walk into people's homes completely uninvited�hell, you could
start breaking into people's houses in the middle of the afternoon now."
William looked at her for a moment
before laughing. "And I could always take up fence building now. No more
fear of tripping and staking myself."
"See! There ya go. A million
opportunities are opening up for you."
William reached across the table,
squeezing her hand. "Thank you, Buffy."
"For what?"
"For trying."
"Is it working?"
"Not really, but I do
appreciate it."
Buffy stroked his hand with her
thumb. "Your skin is warm, and I can feel your pulse," she said, her
voice almost a whisper.
"It's still all so strange to
me. At times I have to remind myself that I really do need to keep
breathing."
"You can do this, you know.
It'll take some getting used to, but you will. And you're welcome to stay here
as long as you need to until you sort everything out."
"Thanks for the offer, kitten,
but I think I'd like to leave sooner rather than later."
"You keep saying that, but
where are you going to go?"
"I've lived without your help
just fine for years."
"But you're not a vampire
anymore. You can't live the way you used to."
"No, now I don't have to worry
about being in before daybreak."
Buffy pulled her hand away from
his. "I'm serious. We really don't know anything about what happened to
you. For all we know, you could start deteriorating or something."
"Well, thanks for that happy
image. But I didn't say I was leaving now. I can stick around until I have a
more solid picture of what those wankers did to me. But after that, there's no
reason for me to be here. I've done my part for the whole Slayer Army
thing."
"But we could use you
around," Buffy said. "You're a good fighter, and you've proven
yourself useful time and time again."
"Funny, five years ago you
couldn't wait to get rid of me."
"I was wrong."
"What? Run that one by me
again, Slayer, because I could've sworn you just said you were wrong about
something."
"No need to be a jerk about
it," Buffy muttered. "Yes, I was wrong. Everything was just so
emotional then, it was a mess. Being around you confuses me, throws my life
completely out of balance. I thought it would be easier if we went our separate
ways."
"But it wasn't?" William
asked hesitantly.
"No. I�I missed you. A lot. In
some ways it was even worse than when I thought I lost you in the Hellmouth. I
knew you were somewhere, but I couldn't get to you. And I knew that I'd pushed
you away."
"You abandoned me,"
William said, his voice hard, but tinged with pain. "You threw away any
chance we had and just walked away. And you couldn't even tell me yourself. You
had Angel tell me you were gone and not to come after you. Angel! Do you
know how badly that hurt, girl?"
"I'm sorry. I never wanted to
hurt you. I thought it would be better."
"Being without you is never
better. Yeah, it hurts like hell being with you, but I'd rather ache in
your arms than ache alone."
Buffy looked up at him, her eyes
wide and slightly damp. "And yet you want to leave again."
"Do you love me, Buffy? Did
you ever love me?"
"Spike�William, you
were in my heart, are in my heart, and you always will be, it's just
that�"
William held up his hand.
"Don't. That's answer enough."
Buffy stared down at her plate.
She'd meant to have a nice dinner with an old friend, maybe cheer him up a
little. She should've known with the two of them, that would never be possible.
They ate the rest of their meal in
silence.

***
*** ***
Buffy and William stood outside the
large manor where the new Watchers Council had their central headquarters.
They'd barely said anything to each other since they'd left the restaurant, and
now neither one knew what to do.
"I guess we should just go
in�" Buffy said, breaking the awkward silence.
"Yeah, I guess."
Buffy wasn't sure what made her do
what she did next. She reached up, kissing William gently on the cheek. When she
pulled away, he looked at her, clearly surprised. "Buffy�"
Buffy could almost still feel his
skin against her lips. He'd never been warm to the touch before. Suddenly, she
wanted to know what it was like to kiss his lips, to feel his breath mingle
with hers. Unable to push down her curiosity, Buffy kissed him, her lips hard
and desperate against his. William hesitated only for a second before wrapping
an arm around her waist and pulling her flush against him.
Buffy knew she was repeating her
same mistakes with him all over again, but at the moment she didn't care. Her
body remembered everything he'd ever done to her, and she found herself craving
it. "I want you," she whispered into his ear.
Buffy could feel William shiver at
her words. "I want you, too. I always want you, Slayer�" William bent
down, kissing and licking right below her ear, and any cautionary thoughts
Buffy still had went out the proverbial window.
"Let's go inside."
William nodded, forcing himself to
pull away from Buffy long enough for her to open the door. He wasn't sure where
tonight was going to lead or even why she was suddenly throwing herself at him,
but he didn't want to analyze it. Where Buffy was concerned, he found he was
never quite able to say no. "Where to, pet?" William asked once they
were inside.
"Your room. I'm in one of the
cottages outside the main building, and I really don't think I can make it that
far." Buffy wrapped her arms around him, pulling him to her again. She
kissed him hard, and William wondered if he'd even be able to make it as far as
up the stairs.
Buffy pulled away, her breath
coming in short pants. "Let's get up there before anyone sees us."
William nodded. Buffy had always
been one for secrecy where their relationship was concerned, and he hadn't expected
her to have changed any now. He walked up the stairs with Buffy close behind
him. As soon as they were in his room and the door was shut and locked, Buffy
was on him again, tearing at his clothes in near-desperation. William felt
himself grow nervous, and he couldn't quite place his finger on why. Then, it
came to him.
He pushed Buffy back a little, but
kept his hand resting gently on her arm, letting her know he wasn't stopping
things. "I've never�I've never done this as a human," he admitted.
Buffy's eyes widened.
"Seriously? I mean, before you were turned you never�"
He shook his head. "No. I
wasn't exactly popular with the ladies, so to speak."
Buffy reached up, running her hands
through his hair. "So in a way, this is almost like your first time."
William chuckled. "Something
like that."
Buffy winked. "I'll be
gentle."
William grabbed her around the
waist, pulling her hard against him. "Don't you dare." He kissed her
roughly again, his nervousness fading as he was bombarded with her soft scent
and the feel of having her in his arms again. This is what he dreamt of every
night, what he yearned for. Even if he was sure she'd run off as soon as it was
over, William didn't care. He still wanted her as much as he ever had.
Buffy backed away slowly towards
the bed, unbuttoning her shirt as she went. William watched, his breathing
growing ragged. He could feel his skin warming, his heart beating heavier in
his chest. Buffy dropped her shirt to the ground as she reached the end of the
bed, then bent down, removing her shoes before standing straight again, her
hair flipping as she did. She unbuttoned her pants and slipped slowly out of
them. William felt his mouth grow dry just as his palms dampened. His body was
reacting in ways it never had before in all the years he'd lived as a dead man.
Buffy lay back on the bed, dressed
in nothing but a white lace bra and a matching thong. Though it had been five
years since he'd last seen her like this, William thought she looked as
beautiful as ever. She propped herself up on her elbows, giving him a seductive
look. "Aren't you going to join me?"
William smirked at her, running his
tongue behind his teeth. He pulled his own shirt off over his head, then walked
to the bed like a cat stalking its prey, climbing up to her from the foot in
the bed. He stopped at the apex of her legs, reverently pulling down her thong.
He paused for a moment, taking her in with new, human eyes. He bent down,
unable to keep from tasting her. Buffy moaned, digging her fingernails into his
shoulder. He hissed, his body more aware of the pain of those shallow cuts than
it ever had been before. He relished it, the intensity of everything he was
experiencing making him feel more alive than he had since he'd first become
human.
"Please�I need you inside me
now."
William looked up, briefly
examining the expression of torturous ecstasy on Buffy's face. He stood to
remove his boots and jeans and felt suddenly cold, despite the raise in his own
body temperature. His body rebelled against the loss of Buffy's heat.
As soon as he'd stripped, Buffy
held her arms up to him, and William felt his heart beat faster. He moved
quickly, wasting no time slipping into her arms or into her. Buffy cried out
when he entered her, holding him against her tightly. William's eyes widened
and he gasped, the pleasure that was assaulting him more exquisite than he'd
ever felt before. His entire body was on fire, and all he could do was plunge
into her over and over again.
William could feel his heart
beating rapidly in his chest, and he knew instinctively that it was beating in
time with hers. His overheated body was covered in a light sheen of sweat, and
he had trouble regulating his breathing. The feel, the taste of her was the
most familiar thing in the world to him, and yet he was experiencing it all as
if it were brand new. He heard Buffy's breath hitch, and then she cried out,
gripping his shoulders with bruising force. William let himself go then, giving
into the new sensations until they pulled him over the edge.
When it was over, he rolled with
her, cradling her against his chest. Shakily, he kissed the top of her head as
he tried to get his breathing to go back to normal. Buffy said nothing, just
resting against his chest, staring forward.
"What are you thinking,
pet?" he asked after a moment, fearing the worst kind of answer.
"I'm just listening to your
heart beat," Buffy replied. "It was beating really fast, but it's
slowing down now." William reached down and took her hand in his, and
Buffy entwined their fingers. "Was it different for you this time?"
she asked.
"Yeah. I thought it was good
before, but�I really felt alive, Buffy."
"Well, you are."
"I know."
Buffy gave him a lazy smile.
"Starting to think it's not so bad?"
"Maybe not," William
replied with a smirk. He looked down into her eyes and felt his heart skip. He
knew then that he still loved her just as much as he ever had. He fought back
the urge to tell her, not wanting to spook her. She was in his arms now, and he
wasn't going to ruin it. "There is one drawback, though," he said.
"I'm tired now."
Buffy laughed. "I knew one of
these days I'd wear you out."
"I guess I'll have to drink
more milk, or eat more green veggies, or something."
Buffy smirked. "Possibly. But
I'm okay with you being tired right now. I'm tired, too."
"Are you staying?"
"For now, yeah. I don't think
my legs are working."
William frowned a little. He wanted
her to tell him that yes, of course she was staying, because where else did she
belong but in his arms? But he'd known Buffy long enough to know better. He
reached down, pulling a sheet over the two of them. Buffy cuddled closer to
him, a contented sigh escaping her lips. William ran his fingers through her
hair, deciding to do what he'd always done with Buffy, and just be happy with
what he had.

***
*** ***
Sorry for the huge gap in posts,
but it's been a hectic couple of weeks, and I got a little plot bunny
whispering in my ear, telling me to start another fic as well. But I promise, I
will work on finishing this one!
Review Please!
- 5
- 6
- 7
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After the End Has Come and Gone