Reflection of Love

Title: Reflection of Love
Author: Pattyanne snapkik@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: None of the BtVS characters belong to me.
Feedback: Love some, thanks!
Rating: Up to NC-17
Summary: Buffy inherits a house and finds an antique mirror in the attic, a mirror that was once owned by William Cathcart over a hundred years ago.

Part six....


"Thank you," she said, responding to his complimentary words. "That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me."

"Oh, I can't believe that," William replied, forcing away his embarrassment at being caught staring so brazenly.


Her apparent disregard for his rudeness was making him feel much more at ease about the incident, although it wasn't helping the physical reaction he was having. He suspected that as long as she stood before him half undressed, that state of affairs was unlikely to change.

As badly as he wanted to conceal it from her, to turn away from her shining eyes and knowing smile, he couldn't make himself do it. What if he did...and she disappeared?

No. He would suffer through it as best he could and pray that she wouldn't notice his problem.


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


Since she couldn't think of any other way to kick things off, Buffy decided to fall back on tried and true methods.

"So," she said, bundling up the blanket that had fallen from the mirror and plopping down on it, "tell me about yourself."

He only hesitated a moment before copying her action, sinking down to the floor on his side of the mirror.

"I...I don't really know how to begin."

"Okay, that's understandable. I mean...this IS a pretty freaky situation. Makes sense that you'd be thrown for a loop."

He looked almost comically perplexed. "I understand 'freakish situation', but...'thrown for a loop' ?"


"Well...it's slang," Buffy explained. "It means that this thing that's happening is so...bizarre...that it's natural to be somewhat...somewhat..."

"Befuddled?" he offered.

"That's as good a word as any."

"And do all Americans in 2004 speak in this manner?"

"Pretty much, yeah. Anyway," she continued, "how about if we take turns asking questions and get to know each other a little better?"

William nodded agreeably. "A sensible suggestion."

"Right. You start."

"Oh, no. Ladies first," he insisted.

Figuring that he would probably die of shock if she asked him what was REALLY on her mind, Buffy began with easy, non-aggressive inquiries. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-six. And you?"

"Twenty-five. Got any hobbies?"

"Well, I don't know that I'd refer to them as hobbies, but I write poetry...sometimes...and I sketch, mostly landscapes, and not very well."

They sat and conversed for a good half an hour, exchanging questions and answers. For the most part, the questions were kept light and impersonal, making Buffy anxious to cut to the chase.

"See how easy this is?" she asked, smiling when he did. "So," she added, trying to sound casual when she asked her next question, "have you...got a girlfriend?"


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

It wasn't difficult for William to determine the gist of her question, even though the term 'girlfriend' was unfamiliar.

"Not...precisely," he said evasively.

"A handsome guy like you? I'll bet all the girls are after you."

His cheeks flushed, William shook his head. "I can assure you they're not."

"Come on," she coaxed. "There must be someone special. Someone YOU like."

Blushing all the way to the tips of his ears, he ducked his head a bit. "There is one young lady that I have...admired. But she has no interest in me."

"Well, how do you know? Have you told her that you like her?"

"You mean...have I spoken plainly of my feelings?"

Buffy nodded, surprised when she saw him swallow hard, as though trying to dislodge something painful from his throat.

"What's wrong?" she asked, pretty sure she already knew. "Was she mean to you?"

Buffy could feel the hair on the back of her neck prickle with irritation. The thought of some stuck up Victorian Miss Priss being unkind to this sweet and gentle young man made her wish there was something she could actually do about it...something like a good, old-fashioned cat fight would do nicely.

For his part, William was beginning to regret ever having said anything to Cecily in the first place. He now felt that he had gotten over her with such unseemly haste that perhaps his feelings truly hadn't been all he'd thought them to be.

"Not...not until recently," he explained haltingly.

"And it didn't go well?" Buffy pressed.

He shook his head, staring at the floor, uncertain as to how much of his humiliation he wanted to reveal. If he admitted to Miss Buffy what a fool he'd made of himself, she might also want nothing to do with him.

Even though their acquaintance was of decidedly short notice and limited to the boundaries the mirror imposed on them, making it impossible for them to ever do more than converse, he was oddly unwilling to say anything that might make him seem unpleasing in her eyes.

"Well, if it wouldn't be too nosy to ask...what did you say to her?" When he looked up with startled eyes, she quickly added, "I was just wondering...I mean...maybe I can help. You know...give you a woman's perspective on where you might have gone....wrong?"

"Oh, I...I couldn't impose upon you like that," he demurred. Buffy couldn't believe what she was doing. Was she actually going to give a guy that SHE liked tips on how to attract other girls? How stupid was THAT?

Still...it wasn't as though she could have him anyway. Not through a pane of glass and a hundred year plus separation in time. As attracted as she was to William Cathcart, it would be mighty selfish behavior on her part to withhold any help she could possibly provide.

**Sometimes doing the right thing really sucks!**

"You're not imposing. I want to help," she said, hoping she sounded more sincere than she felt. "So, you came right out and told her how you feel about her?"

Unable to see any way out of it, William sighed and nodded.

"What did you say?"

After a long pause, his face hot with embarrassment, he said, "I wrote her a poem describing her beauty and declaring my...admiration."

Buffy stared at him, her mind reeling at this little nugget of information. She'd never heard of anything so poignantly romantic. The closest SHE'D ever come to having a man praise her in verse were the prefab rhymes found on the insides of greeting cards.

What kind of moron was this woman, anyway?

Did she have any IDEA how many women would give a year off their life to be in her shoes?

"Well...what did she say to you about it?" Buffy asked, her protective instincts getting riled up all over again.

"It was more what she DIDN'T say," he admitted. "I'm afraid she considers me...beneath her."

"That BITCH!" Her hand flew up to clap over her mouth, but it was too late. The word was out, and couldn't be taken back. Horrified at what she'd said, she looked at him through wide eyes.

What must he think of her? He was accustomed to being around ladies who probably never uttered ANY sort of profanity, and here she had all but shouted one. Worse, she'd insulted the girl he admired, the one who had inspired him to write poetry about her.

Now he would probably hate her, would look at her in shock and disgust, would think of her as a low class, foul mouthed piece of trash, a gutter dwelling little...

Her silent litany of self abuse took a screeching right turn when she saw the look on his face. He didn't appear to be appalled or revolted in any way. He actually looked very....amused!

In fact, he looked to be trying not to laugh out loud.

Amusement aside, Buffy tried to mend fences.

"Oh, I'm really sorry," she said, ashamed of her outburst. "I don't know why I said that, but...but I shouldn't have. It was...it was rude and mean, I know. I just...it pissed me...made me angry when I heard what she'd said to you."

The smile that graced his handsome face was the sweetest she'd ever seen. How any woman could resist this shy and charming young poet was completely beyond her.

She wanted so badly to be able to hold his face between her hands and kiss the lovely curve of his lips, to pull away slowly, opening her eyes to find that his were still closed, to wait for them to open and gaze into hers as she leaned forward for another...lingering...

"Please, don't feel you need to apologize," he said, jerking her right out of her daydream. "I daresay, I found it quite amusing. I do so enjoy the brash way you express yourself."

Well, that was something anyway.

"I guess it's pretty different from what you're used to," she replied, tucking her hair neatly behind her ears.

"Very different," he agreed. "That's what's so wonderful about it."

Relief flooded through her. "So...you're not mad at me for insulting what's-her-name?"

William laughed a little. "No, of course I'm not. And your offer to help is very kind."

"Help?" She'd totally forgotten about that!

"Yes. You offered to give me a...how did you put it...a woman's perspective on what I might be doing wrong in regards to Cecily."

Cecily? So THAT was the bitch's name!

"Yeah. I did say that, didn't I?"

Buffy didn't know why she sounded so dejected. The situation hadn't changed. She couldn't have William.

But she didn't want Cecily to have him either, damn it!

Chiding herself for her dog-in-the-manger attitude, she pasted a bright smile on her face.

"I said it...and I meant it! We'll get you on the right track with good old...."

"Cecily," he supplied helpfully.

"Yeah, her. And...and who knows? Maybe she really does like you, too," Buffy said, trying to sound encouraging about that possibility. "Maybe, she was just nervous...or shy."

**Or maybe, she's a great big bitch!**

"Sometimes girls...when they like a boy...don't always know how to let them in on it. Especially back in your day when everybody is so....repressed."

"Repressed?" He tilted his head, a gesture so charming that she nearly missed what he was saying. "Is that what you think?"

But there was no missing the look in his eyes! Even behind his glasses, they seemed darker and more intense all of a sudden, and they were pinned on her in a way that made her body sit up and take notice.

**This is unbelievable. He's just LOOKING at me and it's getting me hot.**

What had happened to the bashful and blushing young man she'd been talking with?

The only thing she could conclude was that there was quite a bit more to William than she'd imagined. Victorian gentleman he might be, but there was an obviously deep seated core of natural sensuality that he probably wasn't even aware of, and it was beginning to break through the barrier of his reserve.

Buffy wanted more than anything to help it along. All she needed to do was figure out how.

TBC....

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