What If? - WttH/TH

What If?
Welcome to the Hellmouth/The Harvest
by Kayla

Disclaimer: My universe. Mine! But, Joss'characters. Most of 'em, anyway. :)

Notes: In case you care, I've situated Sunnydale about where Santa Barbara is located. And yes, William is the human version of Spike. :)

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"What!" Rupert Giles stared at the phone in shock.

"You heard me, Rupert. I can't take it anymore! He's coming to live with you." Julia's voice sounded tinny over the line, the overseas connection not exactly the best.

"Julia, this isn't really the most opportune time. I am in the process of moving, you know."

"Look, Ru, he's your child too, and..." there was a hitching breath, "I just don't know what to do with him. I can't...I can't deal with this."

"Deal with what? Julia!"

"I put him on the plane this morning, he's scheduled to arrive at the airport in Portland tomorrow afternoon at 2:34." Julia's voice grew softer. "I'm sorry, Rupert. I hate to...foist him off on you like this. I know it's not convenient for you."

Rupert sighed, feeling a headache well up behind his eyes. "Julia...can't you at least tell me why? This is a bit of a shock, you know."

"I-I know. But I can't...I can't talk about it now."

"Great. Bloody great. Julia, I haven't even seen the boy since you took him and left me 8 years ago. We barely know each other! A few letters and the occasional phone call do not a father/son relationship make."

"Look, he needs you, Rupert. He needs his father! I can't be that for him. It's...it's best this way."

Rupert groaned, reaching for a pack of cigarettes. He tapped one out, lighting it up and taking a deep drag on it.

"You're smoking again, aren't you?"

"Bloody hell yes, I'm smoking! What do you expect from me?" Defiantly, he took another drag.

"I thought you quit."

"I did." He inhaled again, then stubbed the remainder out. "Julia, I'm due at my new post in a week. Couldn't this have waited a bit?"

"No!" Julia took a deep breath. "No, it couldn't. I'm sorry, Rupert. Truly I am. Besides, this will work out fine. You can get him enrolled at that school in...where was it you were going again?"

"Sunnydale, Julia. It's in southern California."

"That's right. Sounds like a splendid place, Ru. I'm sure he'll love it there."

"Julia..." Rupert hesitated, then continued, "I don't...I've not had much practice being a father, Jules. I don't know if I can do this."

"Have faith in yourself, Ru. You'll do fine." There was some muffled conversation in the background. "Rupert, I have to go now. I'm late for a meeting. Don't forget, 2:34!"

"Jules, I--" There was a click as the line disconnected. Groaning, Rupert dropped the phone, not bothering to hang it up. "Bugger it all," he muttered, looking around the shambles of his apartment. Packing boxes were stacked along the wall, waiting to be filled with the multitude of books and assorted knick-knacks he'd accumulated over the years of his stay in the states. "Bloody awful timing. Damn it!"

~~~~~~

Rupert made his way through the bustle of the airport. "Sorry," he muttered as he bumped into someone. "Oh pardon, do excuse me." He suppressed a snarl of annoyance. Damned bloody Yanks!

Finally, he made it through the crowd, and looked up at the listing of incoming flights. He couldn't hold back a groan when he saw that the flight he was waiting for was due to be about an hour late. He rubbed his temples tiredly. What with scrambling to get most of the packing done, then rushing to make it to the airport on time, he'd managed to build up quite the headache. And now, to top things off, he would be forced to wait in this...madhouse!

Sighing, he once more pressed through the crowd, heading over to the terminal where his son's plane was scheduled to arrive. He dropped down into a chair, staring uninterestedly at a television that he couldn't even hear due to the noise level around him. Still, it was something to do.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the plane arrived. Rupert stood, awaiting his son's exodus from the terminal. When he saw him, though, he stood in shock.

He had pictures, some of them quite recent. But in none of them did the boy look like this!

Quite frankly, the boy looked absolutely...wretched. His light brown hair hung limp and tangled, blue eyes were dim and appeared sunken due to the dark circles under them. Pale, thin form more suitable to a starving waif. He looked like someone's malnourished, abused puppy. One that had been tossed onto the street after being beaten.

Christ, Julia. Why didn't you say anything? Swallowing hard, he stepped forward.

The young man looked up, eyes flickering slightly in recognition. He gave a polite nod. "Da," he acknowledged rather impersonally.

Rupert nodded back. "W-William." There was an awkward pause, then he cleared his throat. "Well, best pick up your luggage, then."

~~~~~~

"Well, this is it. For the next few days, anyway. Sorry about the clutter." Rupert motioned for William to enter, and the boy did so, glancing around with only mild curiosity. "I suppose you can store your luggage out here; it would be rather pointless to unpack anything but the essentials."

William shrugged and hauled one of his bags across the room, dumping it unceremoniously against the wall. Rupert followed suit with the two smaller bags that he was carrying.

Rupert frowned at what really was a small amount of belongings for a sixteen year-old boy relocating to a new country. "Are these all your things?" he asked.

William settled himself into an armchair, curling his legs up under him. "Most of it," he answered briefly. "Mum..." he paused, jaw clenching. "Mum said she'd send the rest once I 'get settled'." He sneered as he mimicked her words.

"I see." He sighed. "Do you...want to talk about it?"

"No." William glowered at him, crossing his arms defiantly.

"Ah. All right then." Rupert nodded. "Well, I believe there's still a bit of food left in the kitchen, you're welcome to make yourself some tea if you wish. I just need to make a few calls." He walked slowly into his bedroom, fighting urg urge to make a hasty escape. He closed the door an, picking up the phone, dialed a number that had become familiar with him over the last few weeks.

After a lengthy conversation with the manager at the apartment complex that he was moving to, he was able to change his lease to cover a two-bedroom place instead of the single bedroom apartment he'd originally signed for. The rent increase wasn't too terribly high, which was a relief, but thing were most likely going to be a bit more cramped than he'd planned.

Having completed his call, he left the bedroom, walking out to find William sitting at the table eating a bowl of tomato soup. The boy looked up as he approached.

"I, um, thought I'd get something to eat," he told Rupert quietly.

"Sensible idea. I'll join you." He fetched himself a bowl and filled it with the remainder of the soup. As he ate, he observed his son curiously. The boy looked positively exhausted, an impression emphasized by the giant yawn he was unable to hold back.

Rupert cleared his throat. "I'm sure the flight tired you out. Why don't you have a nap in the bedroom while I get back to packing up out here."

William nodded, picking up his now empty bowl and carrying it over to the sink. Yawning again, he shuffled into the other room.

Rupert shook his head. Finishing his own soup, he sighed and got back to packing
~~
~~~~~~

William flung himself onto the couch with a tired groan. His father joined him, handing him a steaming cup of tea. "Thanks."

Rupert nodded. "I must say, I forgot how tedious this moving business was. You were a great deal of help getting everything in here, William."

William blushed, looking at the floor.

Smiling, Rupert looked around his -- their new apartment. It had taken the better part of two days to get everything carried in, unpacked, and arranged satisfactorily. He'd also arranged to have another bed delivered for William's room, since he only had the one, and wasn't about to spend another night on the couch. "Well, we have almost a week before the school year starts. I suppose we'd best go in tomorrow to get you enrolled."

"Oh. Yeah." William didn't appear to be too enthusiastic about this. The prospect of starting over in a new school, where he didn't know anyone, was daunting. And if anyone ever found out about...

"William?"

He glanced back up at his father. "Yeah?"

"Your mother never mentioned exactly why she felt it best for you to come live with me. Did you want to talk about it yet?"

His face immediately closed off. "No," he replied bluntly.

"Ah. Well, then." He sat there uncomfortably, sipping his tea.

After a moment, William relented with a sigh. "Look, Da...it's just...I don't want to talk about it now, ok?"

"Of course. But William? Whenever you feel comfortable, I'm here to listen. I won't judge."

William snorted. He shifted on the couch, finally jumping to his feet. "I'm...I'm going to go to bed now. I'm still really tired."

Rupert nodded, and watched his son move quickly to his bedroom, closing the door firmly behind him. "What happened, William?" he whispered sadly.

~~~~~~

"Just meet me in the library after classes, all right?"

William nodded, then watched his father make his way through the bustle of people into the school. He stared down at the class schedule in his hand as he began to walk determinedly through the crowded halls. Not looking where he was going, he bumped into another student walking by, and his armload of books went cascading to the floor. He stammered out an apology to the girl, who shot him a dirty look before continuing on her way. With a sigh, William bent to gather his things.

A broad hand entered the scope of his vision, picking up one of his folders and handing it back. William took it gratefully, tilting his head up to thank his benefactor. He froze, tongue-tied.

"Got it? Hey, you're new here, aren't you? I'm Xander."

William gulped, staring fixedly at Xander as the other boy continued to hand him his scattered belongings.

"Hello? Anyone there?" Xander felt a twinge of worry as he received only a blank stare. He waved a hand in front of glazed eyes.

William blinked, then blushed furiously, wrenching his eyes away from Xander's face to stare at the floor as he fumbled around for the rest of his things. "Um, I'm W-William," he finally answered.

Xander grinned. "Cool accent."

They stood, and William fidgeted nervously as he avoided meeting Xander's gaze.

"Hey, need any help finding your classes? You look kinda lost."

"Oh, I...um, I was..."

"Here." Xander deftly plucked away William's schedule, scanning it. 'First period, History, room 126. That's just down the hall." He handed the schedule back, laying a hand on William's arm and guiding him to the right classroom. With another wide grin, he said, "Here you go. Good luck!"

William watched as Xander moved away, trying to get his breathing back under control. He looked down at his arm, which still burned with the impression of Xander's hand. He closed his eyes. Not again. Don't let this be happening again.

His eyes popped open again at the sound of a throat being cleared beside him. He flushed as he realized he was standing in the middle of the doorway, blocking it quite effectively. Quickly, he went inside, making his way over to an empty seat.

~~~~~~

The bell for the end of class rang. While other students laughed and chatted with their friends as they exited, William quietly gathered his books together.

"Hi, you're new, aren't you?" came a bubbly voice next to him. "I'm Cordelia Chase." A slim hand was held out to him.

William took it hesitantly, giving it a quick shake. "William Giles," he answered.

"Oh, wow, you've got an accent! That is so cool! Where are you from?" Cordelia walked in step with him as he left the room.

"England."

"You know, I've always thought accents were sexy." She batted her eyelashes at William, who remained oblivious to her flirting. She frowned, but shrugged. "Well, the important thing to remember about coming to school here is, you gotta hang with the right people. You stick with me, and I can get you into the cool crowd. Otherwise, you might end up with the losers." Her smile became predatory. "Speaking of losers..."

William gave a small smile to the girl at the water fountain. It disappeared, though, as he listened to what Cordelia was saying.

"Willow. Nice dress! It's good to know you've seen the softer side of Sears." All this was said with the same smile plastered on her face.

William looked at Cordelia, confused.

Willow took a step back, glancing down at her dress. "Uh, we-well, my mom picked it out," she said timidly.

"No wonder you're such a guy magnet." Her expression turned nasty. "Are you done?"

Willow looked at the water fountain, then back at Cordelia. "Oh." She backed up, turning and hurrying away.

William frowned as he watched her go.

Cordelia rolled her eyes, turning to face William. "You wanna fit in here, the first rule is: know your losers. Once you can identify them all by sight, they're a lot easier to avoid," she said with a laugh.

William just stared at her, not quite believing what had happened. He shook his head. "Um, I...I have to be going. I don't want to be late."

"Oh. Sure. Maybe I'll see you at lunch then." Cordelia sighed as she watched him walk off, a dreamy expression on her face.

~~~~~~

It was finally lunchtime, and William made his way out to the courtyard. He spotted the girl from the fountain sitting nearby, and made his way over to her. "Um, hi. Willow, right?"

She looked up from her lunch, startled. "Why? I-I mean, hi. Uh, did you want me to move?"

"What? Oh, no." He moved around to the other side of her, sitting down. "I'm William, by the way."

"Hey, William."

"Actually, I was wondering if you might be able to help me with a few subjects. I'm not familiar with some of this, and I heard that you were the one to ask for help. For tutoring."

Willow brightened noticeably. "Oh, I could totally help you out. Like, if you have sixth period free, we could meet in the library."

"Ah." He looked away, uncomfortable.

"Is that not good? There's a new librarian this year, and he won't mind. He's really cool. I heard he used to be a curator at some British museum." She paused. "Or the British Museum, I'm not sure." She continued cheerfully, "But he knows everything, and he brought all these historical volumes and biographies, and am I the single dullest person alive?" She bit her lip.

"Oh, no. Not at all. I just...I already knew that."

"Really?"

"Um, yes. He's...well, he's my father."

Willow blinked. "Oh." Cocking her head, she said thoughtfully, "I guess that makes sense. You're both English, and new, and--"

"Hey, you guys busy? Are we interrupting? We're interrupting."

William caught his breath as the boy from earlier -- Xander -- hopped over the ledge to sit between him and Willow. He barely even noticed the other person who joined them.

"William, this is Jesse and that's Xander."

Xander smiled. "Aw, me and William go way back. Old friends, very close."

William tried not to imagine being 'very close' to Xander, forcing himself to focus. "Um, it's, uh, it's nice to meet you."

Jesse sat. "You know, we wanted to welcome you, make you feel at home...unless you have a scary home."

William sat there, bemused.

Xander leaned in closer. "So, tell us about yourself. What do you do for fun?"

Jesse broke in, "Do you have any dark, painful secrets you'd like us to publish?"

William could almost feel the blood drain from his face. "Um...no. Nothing very interesting at all. Really."

~~~~~~

Rupert looked up from his books. "Ah, William, you're early. Done already?"

William shook his head. "No Da, I have this period free, I'm meeting someone here to study. Willow."

"Willow. Yes, delightful girl. Quite intelligent too, so I've heard." He smiled at his son fondly. "Do I detect a bit of interest, here?"

William's face closed off. "No." He frowned, stepping away from his father.

Rupert blinked. "Oh. Well, I didn't mean to offend you. I simply thought that you might appreciate a bit of privacy."

"And why would you think that?" William asked harshly, eyes narrowed. "You don't know anything about me."

"Well it's certainly not for lack of trying on my part. You can be remarkably uncommunicative when it suits you." Rupert couldn't fathom what had gotten the boy so worked up.

"What do you want me to tell you?" William hissed angrily. "You want to hear all my deep, dark secrets? Want to know all about why I don't want 'a bit of privacy' with Willow? With any girl?" He panted, fingers clenched hard on the books in his hands. "Shall I tell you about how I'd rather dream of all the cute boys I've seen today? Is that what you want to hear? That your son fancies blokes?" He snorted. "Why the bloody hell do you think Mum washed her hands of me?!" He slammed his books down and spun around, stalking out of the library.

Rupert stood there for a moment, astounded. Shaking himself, he hurried after his son. "William..."

As the doors swung shut, Xander crept out from between some stacks of books. He stared at the door, eyes wide. "Woah," he whispered.

~~~~~~

William sat on the couch, bouncing his leg nervously. He knew he was in trouble. Besides the fact that he'd sworn at his father, he'd also ditched the rest of school, hurrying back to the apartment before he managed to break down and start bawling in public.

Oh yeah. He was in trouble. He just hoped his father wasn't the type to get too 'physical' with his punishments. Although, his mother did seem to be drawn to that sort of man...

He gulped hard as he heard the doorknob turn, cringing down into his seat. He would have hidden out in his room, but experience told him that doing so usually only got him in even more trouble.

~~~~~~

With a weary slump to his shoulders, Rupert entered his apartment. He hadn't been able to catch up with William after the boy's...announcement and subsequent departure from school grounds, and had been forced to return to the library for the remainder of the school day. He could only hope William had decided to come home instead of running off somewhere.

He glanced around, briefly closing his eyes in relief when he saw a tuft of hair peeking up over the top of the sofa. He straightened, calmly making his way across the room, were he set his briefcase down on the floor. He stared at William for a long moment, not saying a word.

William slouched down even further under the weight of his father's stare. He brought his knees up, wrapping his arms around them and partially hiding his face. He refused to look up.

Rupert sat at the other end of the sofa, steepling his fingers together in front of his face as he calmly regarded his son. "Well," he began softly, "I really do think we should talk now."

William ducked his head down even more, tousled hair hiding his face from view. "I'm sorry," he whispered hoarsely.

Sighing, Rupert reached out to brush the hair away from William's face, freezing when the boy flinched violently away from him. "I'm not going to hurt you," he assured the boy in a soft tone before gently completing the movement, exposing William's pale face. "William...talk to me. Please."

Sniffling, William shrugged slightly. "'Bout what?" he muttered.

Rupert smiled. "I don't know. How about your mother? Or if you'd rather, what about how your classes went." He chuckled lightly. "Maybe you'd like to tell me about all the cute boys you met today." He had certainly been surprised, to say the least, by the revelation of his son's...inclinations. But he wasn't about to let a thing like that interfere with his relationship with the boy.

William flushed. "I...I didn't mean..." He sniffled some more as tears welled up in his eyes. "I can't help it," he told Rupert in a broken voice. "I-I try not to, but I can't..." He gasped in a lungful of air. "And Mum, she found out, and went off her rocker, and I wasn't even doing anything. We just kissed a little because I wanted to try it, and he was really cute and he liked me, and then she saw us, and-and..." He swiped a hand across his runny nose. "I just..." His voice was a mere whisper, laced through with dejection. "I didn't want you to hate me too, Da."

Determinedly, Rupert scooted closer to William, pulling the unresisting boy into his lap, arms wrapped firmly around him. "I don't hate you, William. Nothing you could ever do would make me hate you."

William relaxed against him, burrowing his face into the fabric of his coat. "You're not...disgusted? That I'm q-queer?"

"Your...your sexual preferences, whatever they may be, have no bearing on how I feel about you. I may not have a lot of expertise in parenting, but I'm certainly not going to-to put conditions on my love for you."

"You...love me?"

Rupert snorted. "Of course I do. And I won't have you talking about yourself like there's something wrong with you, understood?"

William nodded, smiling tremulously. "Yes, sir."

"Good. I'm glad we have that settled." He continued to hold his son, rocking ever so slightly. After a moment, he tilted William's face up, wiping at his tear-stained cheeks. "So," he said with a smile. "What's all this about cute boys?"

~~~~~~

Lunchtime again. William sighed in relief, glad for the break from classes. It was only his second day here, and it was lasting a lifetime. At least he felt somewhat more comfortable around his father, now that his big secret was out. He couldn't believe how calm and understanding Rupert had been, especially since his mother had ranted, raved, and practically disowned him when she'd walked in while he and Brian were...experimenting. It's not like they'd even had any clothes off or anything!

"William!"

His head jerked around, and he saw Willow waving at him, smiling cheerfully. With a matching grin, he made his way over to her, pulling out his lunch as he sat down. "Willow. Um, sorry about yesterday, I--"

"Oh, no problem. Mr. Giles...I mean, your dad, he said you went home early 'cause you weren't feeling well. That's totally understandable. We can make up for it today...I mean, if that's good for you. Is that good for you?"

"That's fine. Thanks." There was something about Willow's perky babbling that drew him in, making him feel at ease. His eyes sparkled happily as he watched her gesture emphatically as she spoke. Once he realized that she didn't even really need a response, he took a bite of his sandwich, nodding as he listened intently.

"Hey, and we meet again!" Jesse jogged up to them, flopping down into an empty seat. "Oh god, you will never believe it. She talked to me. Cordelia actually talked to me!" He sighed, a dreamy smile fixed on his face.

"I don't think 'You're standing in front of my locker, loser' actually counts as conversation, man." Xander joined them, ducking the swat Jesse aimed his way. "Hey guys," he said to the others.

Wil swallowed his mouthful of food hastily. "H-hi Xander," he replied, a slight flush staining his cheeks. He ignored the strange look Xander gave him, fixing his gaze on the remainder of his sandwich.

Xander shook himself. "So, who's up for a night at the Bronze?"

"Bronze?" William looked up at him questioningly. Oh god, he's got such beautiful eyes...

Xander blinked, momentarily frozen by the clear blue eyes that seemed to gaze at him...adoringly? He looked away, clearing his throat. "Y-yeah. Um, it's uh, it's a club across town. The club. It's pretty cool."

"Yeah, they've got great music."

"I'm up for it." Willow brushed her hair behind her ears, grinning at William. "So? Gonna join us?"

"Oh. Well, I'll have to ask my father, but...it's sounds like fun." He peeked over at Xander from beneath his bangs.

Xander swallowed. "Well, on that note, there's, uh, this...thing that I'm...supposed to be doing. So...catch you later!" He stood, quickly making his way back into the building, oblivious to the startled looks his hasty exit prompted. He was too caught up in a whirlwind of thoughts.

He was looking at me. Not, like, normal looking. Like, the way Jesse looks at Cordelia. And he's gay. And he keeps watching me. And he's gay. And he's always blushing when I'm around. And he's gay. He leaned against a wall, dragging in deep, calming breaths.

Chill out, Xand-man. You're probably just imagining things. And so what if he was checking you out? You're a very handsome guy, totally worth checking out. It's not like he's gonna jump you. Xander frowned. I don't think. He shrugged. Besides, if he were a girl, I'd definitely be doing some checking out in return. He's got great eyes. And those pouty lips that girls would kill for. And the cutest ass, all tight and curvy and--Ah! I was not looking at his ass! He banged his head back against the wall.

I am so not thinking about a guy's ass. Oh god, what's wrong with me? He let out a tiny whimper. Control, Xander. Get yourself under control. Girls. Soft, bouncy, gropable girls. And breasts! You like breasts, don't you? He straightened, scolding himself harshly. No more checking out of male anatomy. Even if you do want to find out just how soft his hair really is. He smacked himself, drawing several odd glances from nearby students.

Chuckling nervously, he resumed his trek down the halls. Girls. Lots and lots of girls...

~~~~~~

William paced his room, waiting for his father to get home from the meeting he'd gone to after school. He really wanted to go to that club with Willow and the others, but knew he'd need to get permission first. He hoped Rupert didn't have any sort of objections to this sort of thing. His mother would never allow him to do something so crass as visit one of those 'breeding grounds for trouble' as she so eloquently put it. No, her son told to stay firmly ensconced at home studying, so he could keep his grades up, get into Oxford, become a raging success in his field of study, then eventually settle down with a girl she picked out for him and raise a set of lovely, perfect children that would be a credit to their bloodlines.

Guess my being a poof rather cut into those plans, didn't it? Wil smiled humorlessly, still able to hear his mother's screech of absolute outrage and horror when she'd walked in on him and Brian. Not that the sounds we made were exactly manly. Best classified as shrieks, I'd imagine.

Still, his father seemed to be a fairly easy-going type of person. And he was making an effort to befriend his estranged child, so he probably wouldn't choose this moment to go all domineering and strict on him Probably.

Hearing his father finally arrive, William took a deep breath to compose himself. Leaving his room, he quietly made his way out into the living room. "Da, I was..." His voice trailed off when he saw that no one was there. "Da?"

Rupert stuck his head out of his bedroom. "I'm sorry, did you call me?"

"Yeah, I um..." William glanced down at the floor. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Oh, well all right. Just give me a moment to change and I'll be right out."

"Sure." William groaned as his father disappeared again. He sank down onto the sofa, head in hands. "Just bloody well ask him, you ponce. The worst that could happen is he says no." He waited nervously for a few more minutes until Rupert came back out.

Rupert examined his jittery son, hiding an amused grin. "Now," he said, making William jump slightly, "you wanted to speak with me about something?"

William nodded. "Oh, yes, I uh..." he trailed off.

With a wry shake of his head, Rupert went into the kitchen. "Why don't you help me make dinner while we talk?" he suggested.

William stood hastily, following his father. "What are we having tonight?"

Rupert's voice was muffled by the refrigerator door when he answered. "Well, I thought we'd do a terribly American thing and have -- ah-hah!" He emerged, brandishing a package of ground beef. "Hamburgers!" He moved to the stove, tearing open the plastic wrap and forming patties. "Could you get the skillet? It's in that cabinet down there."

William carefully eased his way past Rupert and found the skillet, setting it on the stove. The burgers were soon sizzling merrily, and Rupert turned his attention back to William. The boy in question busied himself with opening the package of buns he'd retrieved from the breadbox. "Da? I was wondering...could I, um, go out with some people to a club tonight?"

"Tonight? Well, there is school in the morning, and..." Rupert saw how William's face fell in disappointment, and continued, "and I suppose if you don't stay out too terribly late, and have your homework finished before you go, then it would be all right."

William blinked, then turned to stare at his father. "Y-You mean it? I can go?"

"Certainly. Just try not to get into too much trouble, all right?" He smiled gently. "I'm joking."

"Oh." William gave Rupert a hesitant grin that soon stretched across his face. "Thanks, Da," he said softly.

Rupert reached out and gave William a one-armed hug, then cleared his throat. "Get the plates, why don't you," he said in a gruff voice.

At the table, Rupert watched in amusement as William tried to eat his burger neatly. It was doomed to failure, however, what with the ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and tomato slices adorning it.

Finally, William gave it up, contenting himself with not making too much of a spectacle of himself.

"So, who are you going to be going with?"

William swallowed, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Um, well I'm going to meet Willow and a couple of friends of hers. Um, Jesse and X-Xander."

Rupert raised an eyebrow as William stumbled over that name, his cheeks picking up a deep red hue. "I see." He watched as William ducked his head down, intently examining his dinner. "Ah yes, Xander. I do believe I've seen him; he has the distinction of being one of the few students who has actually used the library on occasion." A bite of f slo slowly chewed and swallowed, then, mischievously, "So, is he one of the 'cute boys' you mentioned?"

William choked on his mouthful, grabbing frantically for his glass of milk. He gulped it down, avoiding his father's knowing stare. When he'd regained a small part of his composure, he peeked up. With a tiny, bashful smile, he said quietly, "He is rather...pleasant looking."

Rupert chuckled. "Well, I'm sure you'll have a very enjoyable evening."

William just smiled dreamily as he finished his burger, mentally counting down the minutes until he'd see Xander at the Bronze.

~~~~~~

William walked through the noisy, crowded club, doing his best not to jostle too many people. He scanned the floor, relieved when he saw Willow sitting in a stool at the bar. He carefully made way way over.

Willow looked up from her drink, a huge smile appearing on her face. "William! You made it!"

Taking a seat next to her, William smiled back. "Yeah, Da said it was fine as long as I don't stay out too late."

"Cool." She bounced in her seat as she spoke. "Hey, want somethin' to drink? Lots of sugary, caffeine goodness, great for the soul." She waggled her own soda at him coaxingly.

William quirked an eyebrow, refraining from pointing out that she seemed to have consumed enough caffeine for the both of them. Instead, he just nodded, and was soon served with a drink of his own.

William watched him sit, absently sipping at her drink while she nibbled at some peanuts from a bowl on the counter. "Anyway, Xander should be here soon." Her face softened as she said his name.

William noticed, and felt a pang deep inside. He tried to hold back a look of despair as he asked, "So...you and Xander. You're...together? Like, dating?" Of course they are. He's a gorgeous, funny guy; why wouldn't he be with a great girl like Willow? What, you thought he might be waiting for you or something? Git. He was so caught up in remonstrating himself that he almost missed Willow's response.

Willow shook her head. "Oh no, we're just friends. We used to go out, but...we broke up."

William blinked. "Oh. Um...why?"

Seriously, Willow answered, "He stole my Barbie." At his incredulous expression, she giggled. "We were five," she explained.

Letting out a breath that was pure relief, William nodded in understanding. "Oh."

"I-I don't actually date a whole lot...lately." She shrugged, trying not to seem too upset by that, but her casual attitude was a bit forced.

William scooted his stool closer. "Why not?"

Willow blushed a little. "Well, when I'm with a boy I like," she told him, "it's hard for me to say anything cool, or-or witty, or at all." A bashful grin. "I-I can usually make a few vowel sounds, and then I have to go away."

Snorting softly, William mumbled under his breath, "I know how that is."

"What?"

Will cleared his throat. "Oh, I uh, um...it can't be that bad."

Nodding, Willow gazed at him earnestly. "No, it is. I think boys are more interested in a giro cao can talk."

He smiled at her. "I think you can talk just fine," he informed her definitively. "You have a lovely voice, and you're quite intelligent, too."

Willow laughed and punched him lightly on the arm. "Well hey, you're pretty smart yourself. Just...gotta get the hang of Americanized stuff." She shrugged. "Besides, the whole dating thing? It's probably easier for you...since you're a guy and all."

William glanced down at his drink uncomfortably. "Yeah. Really easy."

"I mean, sure you seem a little shy. But you are kinda cute, and with the accent and everything, you'll probably have lots of girls after you." She perked up. "Cordelia seemed to like you a lot." Then her facll. ll. "Um, not...that that's necessarily a good thing."

William gave a shy grin. "I wouldn't want to steal her away from Jesse, after all."

Willow clapped a hand over her mouth as she burst into a fit of giggles.

"And how's my Wills tonight?" Xander came up behind Willow, slipping an arm around her shoulders to give her a hug.

William caught his breath. Briefly, he imagined that Xander was speaking to him, calling him that name in his husky voice. He sighed then, letting his eyes surreptitiously travel down the length of Xander's body.

Xander released Willow, peering out the corner of his eye at William. Is he staring at me? Oh god, he's staring at me, isn't he? Nervous, he took the Willow method of defense -- random babble. "Hey Will, how's it hangin'--er, goin'? Oh wow, wouldja look at that. Will and Wills; two of you! You don't mind if I call you Will, do you? Because I can stop if you don't like it or something. That's cool with me. And look, you guys have drinks! I'm thirsty too. I'm getting a drink. You want anything? No? Be right back." He hurried off in search of the elusive beverage.

William stared after him, baffled. He glanced back at Willow. "Does he do that a lot?"

Willow's forehead wrinkled. "Usually only when he's really nervous or upset, but I don't know what could have happened to get him in a mood like that. Huh." Then she winced.

"What?" He twisted in his seat to see what Willow was staring at.

Willow sucked a breath in as the scene unfolded. Jesse walking confidently -- for him -- up to Cordelia, presumably to ask her to dance. Being shot down rather brutally. "Ouch." Willow nibbled her lip, aching for her friend as she saw him staring forlornly after Miss Popularity when she flounced away with her groupies. "Poor Jesse." She nodded, determination written on her face. "This calls for chocolate. And maybe some judicious brainwashing. But definitely some chocolate." Standing, she looked over at William. "Be back in a sec. Don't panic, I can see Xander on his way back here now." She gave him another smile, then headed off to drag Jesse out of his wallowing.

William forced himself not to turn and look as Xander moved toward him. He gulped about half his drink, trying to quell the flock of butterflies that seemed to have taken residence in his stomach.

"Back again. Man, good drinks are hard to find around here." Xander chuckled as he stood next to Willow's vacated seat. "Hey, where'd she go?"

William pointed to where Willow had dragged Jesse over to an empty chair, seating him and plying him with chocolate obtained from questionable sources.

"Oh. Run-in with Cordy?" Xander shook his head, tsking. "Guy has seriously got to get past this phase before he ends up permanently traumatized by rejection."

William frowned slightly. "Why?" He flushed as Xander stared at him. "I-I mean, don't you think that...maybe, well, opposites could attract?"

"Not that opposite. She's evil, I tell you."

William stared at his hands, clutched around his glass. "You can't help who y-you're attracted to," he whispered. He felt his cheeks grow even warmer with the weight of Xander's eyes on him.

"Um, no. I...guess not." He stared at William, transfixed. He looks so cute all red and embarrassed like that. Embarrassed. Bare-assed. I wonder--ack! Now it was Xander's turn to blush as he frantically drank down his soda. Weakly, he took Willow's seat, determined to get his brain firmly under control.

~~~~~~

William trudged tiredly into the apartment. He mumbled a greeting to his father, who was sitting nonchalantly on the couch reading in an attempt to make it appear as if he weren't waiting up for his son. William just stumbled past him into his room and collapsed onto the bed. He managed to kick off his shoes and squirm out of most of his clothes, wriggling his way under the covers.

He yawned. It had been a pretty decent night. He didn't think he'd made too much of an idiot of himself in front of Xander, and once Willow had plied Jesse with liberal amounts of chocolate and dragged him back to some semblance of happiness, they'd all had a blast just talking and taking turns dancing. With Willow, of course. It was still fun, though. And William tried not to imagine what it would be like to have Xander dancing with him, brushing up against him as they moved.

Curling around his pillow, William fell asleep with a smile on his face.

~~~~~~

William tossed and turned in his bed, punching his pillows in frustration. He looked up as the door opened.

"Trouble sleeping?" Rupert asked.

William sighed and nodded.

Rupert walked over, sitting on the edge of his bed. He reached out a hand to push the hair away from William's face. "Shhh. Just close your eyes. Relax."

William sighed and did as he was told, sinking down into the mattress. Warm lips brushed lightly across his forehead as fingers continued to comb gently through his hair. Then a mouth pressed against his own, tongue snaking out to trail over his lips.

William's eyes flew open, and he stare up in amazement at Xander, who loomed over him wearing nothing but a goofy grin.

"I know how to relax you," he whispered, bending down for another kiss.

William moaned, letting his mouth fall open to admit the questing tongue. He reached up to tangle his hands in Xander's hair, pulling the other boy down on top of him.

Xander pressed his body to William's, his larger form covering him like a blanket. He nudged William's legs apart, slipping a thigh between them.

William gasped and arched up, rubbing his cock demandingly against smooth, lightly furred flesh. He used his own tongue to map out the interior of Xander's mouth, twining it about its mate.

Xander reached between them, grasping William's pebbled nipples between his fingers, pulling and twisting at them to provide a delicious torment. Every time he brushed over the sensitive peaks, William whimpered into his mouth, begging for more.

William rocked his hips over and over, the friction on his cock making him burn with need. "Please!" he gasped out. "Xander!"

"My Will. So beautiful." Xander nibbled at Williams’s earlobe as he spoke, his words sending warm puffs of air into the other boy's ear, making him quiver in ecstasy.

"Yes...yours, Xander. Want you so much." He pressed feverish kisses along Xander's collarbone as he continued to hump up against his thigh. There was a hardness pressing against his belly, leaving a damp, sticky trail. With a breathless cry, he wrapped one of his legs around Xander's waist, shifting to bring their erections into alignment. A shudder went through his entire body.

"That's it, Will. Cum for me. Cum for me, my sweet William." Xander thrust down against William, plastering their bodies tight together, cradling the smaller boy in his arms as their bodies moved together sinuously.

With a small cry, William bucked upward, his orgasm bursting out of him as Xander continued to whisper husky endearments in his ears. He felt a warm splash against him, smiling in satisfaction as Xander groaned out his name when he came, then collapsed onto him. He hugged the larger body to him, refusing to let go. "Stay. Please...stay."

"Always. My Will."

The words tickled at his ears, and William fell into a deep sleep.

~~~~~~

Waking, William blinked, eyeing the fuzzy room in confusion. He stretched and sat up, growing stiff at the odd sensation surrounding his groin. In trepidation, he lifted the covers, letting out a mortified groan when he saw his underclothes plastered to his genitals, dried semen flaking off the fabric.

Blushing furiously, he leapt out of bed, tugging the soiled garment off and bundling it up before stuffing it under a few other dirty items in his clothes hamper. God, I can't believe I just did that! He hastily donned some fresh clothes before hurrying to the bathroom, where he proceeded to shower and remove any trace of his...indiscretion. This is so bloody embarrassing! Oh dear lord, don't let Da find out about this. He seriously considered volunteering to do the next load of wash just to make sure Rupert didn't discover the glaring evidence of such an intensely private and potentially humiliating incident.

But...he could still feel those strong hands skimming over his body, the heated torso sliding against his, the taut, firm muscles that his own fingers had caressed. And mostly, the thick, hard length of the other boy shoved up against him, branding him with its trail of fluid...

Ruthlessly, William turned off the warm water, gasping as he was doused with the resulting icy stream. He glowered down at his erection, which slowly shriveled. Stop thinking about it! He repeated that over and over as he finished his shower and raced back to his room.

Rubbing at the gooseflesh that covered him now, he slowly dressed for school. He wondered how he was going to make it through breakfast having to stare across the table at his father, while inside, he just wanted to crawl back into bed and try for another dream.

~~~~~~

William frowned as he walked past group after group of people huddled together, whispering furiously. Distracted, he bumped into someone, spilling his things. With a sigh, he knelt to collect them.

"We gotta stop meeting like this." Xander grinned as he handed William a book, then blinked in confusion as the other boy turned beet red, not meeting his eyes as he took the item back. Then he shrugged and helped William finish. "Hey, did you hear?"

William shook his head, a lock of hair falling over his forehead to obscure his eyes. "Hear what?"

Xander gulped, eyes wide. He slowly reached a hand out to the bit of hair, itching to brush it away and reveal luminous blue eyes once more. He snatched it back unnoticed, however, when he heard Willow Jes Jesse coming up behind him, chattering non-stop.

Willow latched onto Xander's arm. "Did you guys hear? It's awful. One of the girls found a body stuffed in her locker!"

William inhaled sharply. "A b-body? A dead one?"

Jesse nodded excitedly. "As a doornail. Cool, huh?"

Willow smacked his arm. "It's not cool, it's awful! How would you like to be killed and stuffed in a locker?"

Grinning, Jesse replied, "Well, it was in the girls locker room...Ow!" He rubbed at his arm. "Watch it, I bruise easily!"

Willow rolled her eyes. "Anyway, all the gym classes today are canceled, so I'm gonna spend that period studying in the library. Anyone wanna join me?"

Xander chuckled and made a little cross with his fingers. "Back! Back evil fiend! Tempt me not with your heinous ways!"

William giggled softly at Xander's antics, earning him a wide grin from the other boy. It was almost like the grin Xander had given him in that dream, right before...

"Are you ok?" Jesse stared in fascination as William again acquired a deep red hue.

"Hey, leave him alone. It's seriously wiggy to have dead people popping out of lockers, you know. It probably didn't happen to him much back in England." Willow slung an arm around Williams’s shoulders, shooting Jesse a glare for his insensitivity.

Xander stroked his chin, deep in thought. "You know, actually, it's rather disturbing how often stuff like that seems to happen around here--Ow!" Now it was his turn to rub his arm and shoot Willow a dirty look.

"You're gonna scare him off. Stop it!" To William, she said, "Ignore them, they tend to talk before they think...or talk instead of thinking."

Xander gasped, clutching at his chest. "Oh, you wound me!"

Jesse followed suit, swooning dramatically. "Cruel, cruel wench!" he cried, a hand slung over his forehead.

Willow sniffed haughtily and, nose in the air, proceeded to drag William down the hall with her, away from the insanely laughing duo.

~~~~~~

"So, does that really happen a lot?"

Willow glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. "What, them acting like total dimwits? Frequently." She giggled.

"Um, that too. Actually, I meant about the bodies. You...get a lot of that?" William held the library door open for her, motioning her to go ahead of him.

"Thanks." She blew a strand of hair out of her face. "Well, kinda. I mean, people tend not to dwell on it too much, but...weird things happen here. Not just here at school, that's a given. But...Sunnydale has its seamier side."

"That's not exactly what one wants to hear about the town one has just moved to."

"Yeah, I can imagine it's not very reassuring." She set her books down on a table. "Hi Mr. Giles!" she called.

Rupert's head popped out from behind a row of books. "Ah, hello Ms. Rosenberg. What brings you here so early?"

Willow shrugged. "Dead body. Gym canceled. Free period. Studying."

Rupert blinked. "I...see. Ah, William, hello," he greeted his son with a soft smile.

"Hi, Da," William responded.

"Well, I'll let you two get back to your studying while I finish shelving these books." He cleared his throat, then disappeared into the stacks once more.

Willow sighed as Rupert left. "Your dad is so cool," she told William. "He's not all nosy and in your face. I mean, it must be pretty weird to have your dad working where you go to school." She blushed a little. "He's not that bad looking, either."

William choked, then went into a fit of coughing. When he recovered, he gaped at Willow. "You're...you're not serious!"

"What? He's pretty decent for an older guy."

"He's my father!"

Willow rolled her eyes. "Well, it's not like I'm planning on dating him or something. I was just saying..."

"Don't...please." He shuddered, ignoring Willow's giggles. "Books. Study. No talking about...that. Or thinking. Or ever, ever bringing it up again."

Willow shook her head, a huge grin on her face. "Fine," she conceded with a sigh. "You're such a baby."

William stuck his tongue out at her, pulling back sharply when she made a grab for it.

"Watch it, buster," she warned with a mock glare.

~~~~~~

"I'm going now, Da." William walked past Rupert on his way to the door.

"Is your homework finished?"

"Da!" he protested. "It's Friday, I have all weekend to do that!"

"Well, there's no sense in leaving it for the last minute." Rupert gld atd at his pouting son, and grinned. "I'm joking, William. Go. Have fun. Don't see anything too scary."

William smiled back and gave him a wave goodbye before slipping out the door.

~~~~~~

William met Willow on the way to the theater, and they walked together. "What are we going to see?"

Willow shrugged. "Jesse and Xander will probably want something awful and bloody. I'm pushing for sweet and romantic. We'll probably compromise and see something funny instead."

William blinked. "That's an...odd compromise."

"Oh, not for us. Trust me. You haven't even seen odd."

Smiling, he asked playfully, "Should I be scared?"

"Oh, petrified." She bounced as they neared the theater. "Oh look! There they are!" She dragged William with her as she hurried over to the other boys.

Willow's prediction proved to be true. After a friendly debate over the merits of gory horror versus sappy romance, they came to the decision that comedy was the way to go. They managed to purchase their tickets, raid the snack bar, and make it into the auditorium where their movie was playing just as the previews started.

Xander and Jesse immediately headed for the front row, but Willow hung back. "Oh, come on guys!" she hissed. "You always make me sit down here. I wanna go up to the top row."

"It's too far away," Xander hissed back. "You don't get the same experience."

"I also don't get a major crick in my neck!" Her arms crossed. "I'm not outnumbered this time," she warned, eyes narrowed.

"If I may interrupt," Jesse broke in. He pushed his way between them. "Could we settle this before we get thrown out? Or...why don't we let William pick?"

William blinked as all three turned to him. "Um..." He shrugged uncomfortably. "We can sit in the middle?"

"Ah, the man with a plan." Xander slung his arm over William's shoulders. "Willow, lead the way."

They filed up the steps and found themselves seats, settling down as the lights dimmed. Snacks were hastily distributed, then traded around when Jesse complained that he hated jujubes and somebody had better switch with him.

The movie proved to be a hit, leaving the boys weak with laughter, and Willow giggling breathlessly. Afterwards, they decided to swing by the ice cream parlor for yet more sugar before heading home.

As a group, they strode down the nearly deserted sidewalk. Xander managed to engage William in a spirited discussion on whether or not pistachio ice cream was better than walnut fudge, with Willow egging them on.

Jesse added the occasional comment, but mostly just listened in rapt fascination. Suddenly, he stumbled, catching himself on a wall. Looking down, he noticed his shoelace had come untied, tripping him up. With a sigh, he bent to tie it again. By the time he stood and brushed himself off, the others had moved far ahead, not having noticed his pause.

He hurried to catch up, breaking into a slow jog. As he rounded a corner, he nearly crashed into the girl standing there.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking. You're ok, aren't you?"

Jesse grinned at the pretty young woman. "Sure, everything fine here. How about you? Anything broken?"

"No, I'm all right. Um, I am a bit lost, though. I'm...new to the area."

Jesse was eager to be helpful, especially to someone as sweet as this girl seemed to be. "Well, I can point you in the right direction; where are you trying to go? Oh, I'm Jesse, by the way." He held out a hand.

“Darla" A slim, pale hand met his in a cool grasp.

~~~~~~

Xander glanced back, pausing. He cut Willow off as he asked, "Where's Jesse?" They all looked back at the dimly lit sidewalk behind them, swallowing hard. "Jesse?" three voices called as one.

There was no answer, and William shuffled nervously. "I...I have a bad feeling. I think we should go back."

"Right." Xander grabbed one of Willow's hands in his own, and she in turn took hold of William. Hastily, they began to backtrack their route.

A few minutes later, they had found no sign of Jesse, and Willow was on the verge of tears. Then William turned sharply, pointing at a nearby alley. They all held their breath, listening.

A muffled yell caught their attention, and they surged forward. The scene they came upon left them gaping.

"Jesse!?" Willow choked out, wondering who the blonde girl that had her friend pinned up against the wall was, and where Jesse had met her, and why they were making out here.

It was Xander who saw the panicked look in Jesse's eyes, and he grabbed hold of the woman's shoulder. "Hey, lady, get off!"

The woman tore her head away from Jesse's neck, wheeling around. Bloody fangs greeted the trio, and yellow eyes burned with malice. Willow covered her mouth before she could shriek.

"What the fuck--?" Then Xander shook himself. "I said, back!" !"

William searched the alley, finding a jagged bit of broken crate and hefting it menacingly. This earned him a venomous hiss from the...creature, who narrowed her eyes in brief consideration before releasing Jesse, shoving him toward Xander before racing off.

Xander caught his friend, holding the shaking boy as he watched the creature disappear into the shadows.

"Jesse, are you all right? What happened?" Willow rushed forward, checking Jesse over for injuries.

Jesse nodded, then winced, reaching for his neck. He heard Willow gasp when he pulled away bloody fingers. "She bit me," he said in a voice tinged with disbelief and a touch of hysteria. "I was just trying to help, she said she was lost. Then she dragged me into this alley, turned all freaky-looking, and bit me. What the hell was that thing?"

"Um, guys?" William waited until they looked at him. "I think we should get away frore. re. Inside somewhere, and get a bandage or something on Jesse's neck."

Jesse gave a weak nod. "Man, I'll vote for that plan. Someone help me up?"

~~~~~~

The group stumbled into the ice cream shop, Xander and William propping Jesse upright while Willow hovered protectively. It was interesting how none of the patrons currently in the shop even looked at them askance, behaving as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

Willow bit her lip, brow furrowing as she studied Jesse, who was holding a hand clamped over his neck. "We should get that fixed."

"I'll take him to the lavatory to clean up," William volunteered. "You and Xander should find us a table and...act normal."

"Wait a sec, shouldn't we report this or something?" Xander glanced at his friends quizzically.

"Woah. No way man! Do you have any idea how much trouble I'd be in if my parents got a call from the cops? Huh-uh, no thanks!" Jesse's face was set stubbornly with his refusal.

"Jesse. Come on." William smiled at the others, then dragged Jesse to the restroom. Once inside the small room, he grabbed a handful of paper towels and wet them under the faucet.

Jesse watched for a moment, then hopped up onto the counter. He picked distastefully at his shirt, which had acquired a small bloodstain near the collar. With a shrug, he pulled the shirt off over his head and soaked the spot under the stream of cool water.

"I'll get that." William took the shirt and set it aside for the moment, then tilted Jesse's head back. Carefully, he dabbed at the blood-encrusted bite, apologizing softly when Jesse hissed in pain. Finally, he stepped back and looked at the wound. "Well, I haven't any bandages, but it's stopped bleeding, and if you keep your collar pulled up, it shouldn't be too noticeable."

"You think?" Jesse twisted around to look in the mirror, wincing at the livid bruising that surrounded the twin punctures. "I dunno. Looks kinds obvious to me."

"Well, there's not really any other choice, you know," William commented softly. He threw away the soiled napkins, then pulled out some new ones and began to work on Jesse's shirt.

Jesse studied William intently as the other boy scrubbed at his shirt. "So, William."

"Hmm?" William continued with his task, listening to Jesse distractedly.

"You like Xander, don't you?"

William's arm jerked, knocking painfully into the wall. Hissing, he rubbed it, trying to calm his racing heart. "Um, well, yes. I mean, I l-like all of you."

Jesse sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but not the same way. You look at Xander like he's dipped in Hershey's syrup and you're a starving chocoholic."

William flushed a bright red. His hands shook as he smoothed out the damp but mostly clean shirt. "I...I d-don't know what you m-mean." He refused to look up.

"Bullshit." That made William's head snap up incredulously, and Jesse glared at him. "Don't lie to me, William. I may be an idiot sometimes, but I'm not blind."

A look of utter desolation washed over William's face. His legs collapsed, and he slumped to the floor. He wrapped his arms around his knees and started to rock gently.

Jesse hopped off the counter and knelt next to him. "Hey, what's wrong? It's ok. I mean, I'm not gonna get all phobic on you just 'cause you have the hots for a guy. Come on, talk to me."

William sniffled wretchedly. "I didn't mean to," he whispered brokenly. "I just...he...it's..."

Jesse slung an arm around his shoulders. "Dude, chill. It's not the end of the world. I mean, at least you didn't have some freaky chick gnawing your throat out tonight!" He snorted with laughter. "Now granted, Xander wouldn't be my first choice for fantasy material, but...each to his own."

With a groan, William tilted his head back. "You don't understand. Just seeing him makes me feel..." He sighed, a dopey smile flickering into appearance.

"Crushing on the Xand-man, huh?" Jesse smiled. "Well, you could do worse I guess. At least you don't have a thing for Larry."

William looked confused. "Who?"

"Eh, the requisite school bully. Has the whole dumb jock thing goin' on."

"Oh. No, it's just...him." Another sigh, this one with a note of sadness. "But...Willow likes him too, and they've known each other a lot longer. Plus she's a girl. Why would he want me?"

"Dude, just between us, those two are not gonna hook up." He stood up, grabbing his abandoned shirt and slipping it back on. "She's like a sister to me and Xander. He'll never see her as girlfriend material. Besides, them as a couple?" He shook his head. "Talk about your bad ideas! Willow's too stuck in the hero worship phase, and Xander...well, I don't think he's as uninterested in you as you think he is."

William wiped at his nose as he stood. "W-what do you mean?"

"William, my friend...the boy was totally checking out your ass at the theater tonight!"

William blinked, then blushed again.

"Word of advice? Don't rush him. He's not used to people liking him, other than me and Willow. And he's definitely not used to people liking him, if you know what I mean. Just...keep giving him those shy little looks you do so well." With a huge grin, he slapped the other boy on the back, herding him toward the door. "Oh, and a little ass wiggling probably wouldn't hurt, either," he advised as they left the restroom.

~~~~~~

Willow and Xander looked up from their mega-banana-splits as the other two came up to their table. They both scooted down, and Jesse sat next to Willow, leaving the vacant spot beside Xander for William.

Xander firmly ignored how the pinkish tinge lingering on William's face seemed to make him glow, and instead examined Jesse. "Hey man, nice bruise.”

Jesse smiled and tenderly prodded the discolored skin. "Think I can get away with calling it a hickey?"

Xander rolled his eyes and snickered.

"Looks more like you were mauled." Willow squinted closely at the mark. Once she had assured herself that Jesse was relatively fine, Willow smiled and handed him a spoon. "Here, I got mine without nuts since you're allergic."

Xander grinned and shoveled a mouthful of ice cream topped with hoards of peanut bits into his mouth as he tossed William a spoon as well. "Dig in” he managed after he swallowed. "I got extra Hershey's syrup."

William almost cursed his fair complexion as he felt himself blushing yet again. Absently, he wondered if he'd ever get that reaction under control. He tentatively dipped his spoon into the sweet concoction, darting a glance across the table. Jesse was staring at him with a mischievous look, waggling his eyebrows as he stared at the chocolate sauce dripping off William's spoon. Giving the other boy a halfhearted glare, William defiantly shoved the spoon into his mouth.

Somehow, Willow and Jesse managed to finish theirs first, and got up to dispose of their trash. William and Xander each gulped down their last mouthful, then eyed the lone maraschino cherry. "Mine," William claimed quickly, and went for it. But Xander had the same idea, and the two laughed softly as a brief spoon war ensued.

"Quit goofing around you guys," Willow admonished good-naturedly. "We'll be waiting by the door."

Xander took advantage of William's momentary distraction and scooped up the cherry. He popped it into his mouth, chewing it with a blissful look on his face. When he finished, he smirked at the glowering boy next to him. He stuck out his tongue. "Ha! Stole your cherry!"

William's breath caught, and he froze in his seat. He watched all laughter fade from Xander's face. When Xander inched closer, he swallowed hard.

Xander could hardly breathe as he stared at William, watching as those pale eyes darkened with some nameless emotion. He licked his lips and leaned toward him.

"Guys! Come on!"

Willow's voice broke the spell, and they sprang away from each other, completely flustered. Quickly, they scrambled out of their booth and over to their companions.

Willow was completely oblivious to what had happened, but Jesse had to restrain himself from pinching the redhead. He had been sure something was about to happen. Then he shrugged. Better it not happen in public the first time, he supposed. But if he had to, he'd find a way to lock those two into a room together. A small room.

~~~~~~