The Boarder

SUMMARY: AU. After William's mother dies, he moves to America where he takes up a room at Angel and Buffy's home. He had wanted to make a new start and instead finds forbidden love. Set in 1881.

William's background is the same as on the show, except that he doesn't meet a vampire after the party. Buffy and Angel are both human.

This is in response to spikeprop's challenge: "Angel is dating Buffy, but finds himself helplessly drawn to the nerdy William. He struggles with his feelings and with his sexuality. Can take place in high school, or out of school. must be NC-17.Angel must end up with William. William should act like "william." As little Spike-tendancies as possible please."

I modified it so that Angel is still in love with Buffy and William falls for her too. I didn't want Buffy to be left out. I guess I relate too much with her (plus as a woman, I want to know that the two hot men getting it on are still attracted to women.)

DISCLAIMER: Even though these characters are barely a shadow of what they were on the show, I still don't own them. They belong to Joss Whedon and co. Please don't sue me.

* * *


1881

"Your room would be in here." Buffy opened the door to a small, tidy room. The man quietly appraised it, looking from the simple bed to the sturdy desk. She pointed to the wall on the right. "You'll notice there's a fireplace, so you should be warm."

Adjusting his glasses, he nodded. "This is sufficient." Turning towards her, his eyes quickly adverted to he floor. "If I could, I would like to move in right away."

Angel won't have a problem with him, she thought amused. "My husband needs to meet you first. I'll show you the rest of the house." Buffy lead him to the hallway and stopped outside the room. "Our room is across from yours."

"What is in this room?" He pointed to a room next to his.

"That's the nursery." Buffy wistfully looked at the door. "We're hoping to have children someday."

The man smiled. "How long have you been married?"

"Five years." Buffy frowned, but shook it off. She didn't need to burden him with her worries. "You're from England?"

"London." His eyes danced, and Buffy caught her breath when he looked right at her. "America sounded exciting. They call it the Wild West for a reason, right?"

Buffy laughed. "You'll need to go further west. This is New York, not the frontier."

His cheeks pinkened, and he looked to the ground again.

Buffy touched his arm. "Hey, I wasn't laughing at you. I just thought it was amusing." She bit her lip and said softly, "I've never been there myself. Actually, I've never left this city."

"I've never left Europe before I came here a week ago."

"Are you planning to go back home?" Buffy led him down the stairs.

"I don't have anything left there. My parents have both passed on."

Buffy turned to him. "I'm sorry. You never married?"

He gave her a wry grin. "No. I have not been very successful in that area."

He turned, concealing his face, and walked around the living room. What a sad man, she thought. Buffy hoped that he would be luckier in this country.

The front door creaked open, and Buffy's heart swelled. She hurried to the door, laughing. "Angel!"

Her husband gathered her up and twirled her around. Buffy took off his hat, revealing his dark hair. He placed her back on the ground with a kiss. Looking over, he noticed the other man. "You're here about the room?"

The other man tentatively stepped forward. "Yes, I am Mr. Summers."

Angel interrupted him. "Call me Angel, and you can call my wife Buffy."

"I'm William." William held out his hand. "I am very pleased with what I've seen so far. If I may, I would like to move in as soon as possible."

Angel ignored Willam's hand. "You're in the wrong neighborhood. The well to do live on the other side of Washington Square." Angel walked away from him and poured himself a drink.

"I would rather live here." William straightened up and walked to stand next to Angel.

"I see. You lost all your money. Gambling?" Angel looked down to him and raised his eyebrow.

"Angel, as long as he can pay the rent, I don't see why he can't stay here." Buffy was surprised at his reaction to William. She thought his shyness would ease Angel's apprehension about renting a room to a stranger.

Angel led Buffy to the other side of the room.. "He's one of those." His tone was quiet. "I don't know why he's in this neighborhood, but I don't trust him."

"But I do. You haven't seen some of the men who've come by here. I wouldn't even let them in the house. William said he wants a change, and he has references," she whispered.

"He could have been lying."

"We need the money."

Angel looked pained, then nodded. "I'll give him a chance." Walking over to William, he said, "You said you could move in as soon as possible?"

* * *

William set his trunk down inside his new room. He still couldn't believe that he was here. His neighbors back home thought he was mad for selling most of his possessions to move to a foreign country where he didn't know anyone. But, after his mother died of consumption, he couldn't stand to live in the house where he grew up anymore.

There wasn't anything there for him, either. His peers had made fun of him his entire life, so he really didn't have any friends. He didn't mistake the kindness that people offered after his mother's death for real kindness. After a week, they stopped visiting. They were only doing what was expected of them. His mother had had friends, but they secretly thought that she had babied him too much. William knew this, because one of them had acknowledged it.

William was tired of their society. America sounded like a good place for a new start. Most of his money was held in banks. He brought one trunk with him on the boat, carrying only the things he couldn't bear to leave behind. His plan was to buy anything else that he might need while he was in America. William didn't want to live with people like those he left in London, so he choose a middle class neighborhood.

He hadn't understood Angel's reaction to him. After living most of his life being rejected by others, it hurt when Angel dismissed him. He seemed like someone with whom he could get along.

William hoped that he would get over his awkwardness around Buffy, though. It would do no good for Angel to see him blushing and stammering every time she was in the room. It wasn't that she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, though she came close with her long blond hair and bright eyes. It was the fact that she was a beauty who talked to him that left him for words.

The chime of the grandfather clock told him that it was eight o'clock. It was just two hours ago when Angel told him that he could move in that night. It was already dark when he went to the hotel to get his things, but he wasn't worried. His stomach growled, and he remembered that he hadn't eaten dinner that night. Buffy had said that he could have anything in the kitchen, but he had to make it himself if late, so he made his way down the stairs to the kitchen.

Pushing open the kitchen door, he caught Angel and Buffy in a heated embrace. Angel had her pushed against the counter and seemed to be devouring her. In all his life, William had never seen a kiss that blatant. Her leg was sliding up Angel's side. He could see the pale flesh of her knee.

"Oh," he said, surprised. When Angel broke away and turned his darkened eyes towards him, William blushed. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Are you hungry?" Buffy straighened her clothing and glanced at William. Angel grinned at him, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We were about to eat. You want to join us?" Angel opened the cupboard and threw Buffy a loaf of bread and some cheese.

"I would like that." William sat down at the table and to pla plate of food from Buffy.

"We usually don't eat this late, but I was too busy showing you the house to start dinner on time." Buffy sat down next to Angel.

They ate in silence for a few minutes. The two of them appeared to be as hungry as William.

"So, William, what do you do? Do you have a job?" Angel asked from his seat across from William.

William smiled. "I would like to work for one of the libraries here." He had heard that there were some big libraries in the city.

Angel raised his eyebrows. "A library? You like to read?"

"Oh, very much so." William noticed that Angel was looking at him strangely. "Do you?"

"Sometimes. I read "Dr. Jekyll And Mr Hyde" last month. Have you read it?" Angel had a small smile on his face.

"No, I'm afraid I don't care for horror stories."

Angel shrugged. "I guess it's not everybody's cup of tea."

"What do you like to read?" Buffy tilted her head to the right.

"Shakespeare, mostly." William looked at his food and took a deep breath. "Some poetry," he mumbled.

"Did you say poetry? I like poetry." Buffy was smiling when William looked at her. "Have you ever written any?"

William hesitated. "I used to, I don't anymore." He waited to for them to laugh at him. People had always laughed.

"Really? Can I read some of it?" Buffy seemed eager.

William's face felt hot. "They're not any good. That's why I stopped writing." He shook his head.

"Oh, I'm sure they're not that bad. Please?" She begged.

"No," he said, firmly.

Buffy was pouting. Instead of being irritated that she wouldn't let it go, he was fascinated with her lip. It was just sticking out, waiting for him to take it between his teeth and suck it into his mouth. Gulping, he looked at Angel instead.

Angel's eyes narrowed. "What happened? Some girl shoot you down after hearing your poems?"

William's heart pained. Remembering the laughter, the look on Cecily's face when she told him that he was beneath her, he scrabbled to stand up. "Something like that. If you would excuse me, I really should get back to my room, " he stammered and left the kitchen.

He really was tired, so leaving the table wasn't just an excuse to stop discussing his poetry. Hopefully, they wouldn't ask him about it again. That night had been painful. He had cried in a barn for hours, finally coming home to his worried mother. That was when he stopped writing. His mother had said that she missed hearing his poems, as he had always read them to her. He told her that he knew she was just humoring him, and he decided that he needed to find something else to occupy his time. That something turned out to be taking care of his mother, because she took a turn for the worse, gradually growing weaker, until she finally died. Oh, how he had wished he could have done something to make her well again.

Turning down the lamp, he settled into the bed. Sleep immediately took over. Dreams of Cecily mocking him came, but then she turned into his mother. His mother was mocking him, calling him limp.

"A good son would have done something to help me," she sneered. "It's your fault I'm dead."

"No, I did everything I could. Doctor Gull said nothing else that could be done," he cried.

She stepped up to William about an inch from his face. "You want me weak so you can feel strong. You'll never be a real man."

William shoved her away, causing her to fall onto the ground. He immediately tried to help her up, but she was so cold. She couldn't get up, because she was dead.

William awoke sweating and sitting upright. It took him a minute to remember where he was. He exhaled, and laid back down, trying to relax. A faint, low moan come from outside the room. It sounded like Angel, and William thought that maybe he was ill. He hoped that Buffy was taking care of him. Then, he heard another, higher pitched moan. Is she ill, too?

"Oh, Angel...yes." Buffy could be heard saying.

William caught his breath and was immediately aroused. They weren't ill at all. He had always been told that ladies didn't like that sort of thing, but it sounded like Buffy was enjoying it very much. The thought of Buffy writhing in pleasure excited him.

William remembered the lust in Angel's eyes earlier in the kitchen, and he could clearly imagine Angel getting his pleasures from Buffy. He felt himself grow harder. Embarrassed, he was glad that nobody could see him right now.


TBC