Title: Sweet
Sixteen
Author: Pattyanne
[email protected]
Disclaimer: None of the
BtVS
characters belong to me.
Feedback: Love some, thanks!
Rating: Up
to NC-17
Summary: AU. William and Buffy are
teenage neighbors meeting for
the
first time.
Once again for Deb, because she's so
very
nice and she deserves it.
Part twenty
five...
~~~~~~~~~~
"Children, behave...
That's what they say
when we're together
And watch how you play
They don't understand,
And
so we're..."
~~~~~~~~~~
"You sound pretty sure about all this,"
Willow
said.
Anya nodded. "I've been thinking about it for a long
time," she said. "It seems right that it should be
tonight."
"Are
you scared?"
"A little bit. But I'm more scared of losing Xander,"
Anya
said, her voice quiet. "Guys have needs....you know. I
don't want him
to go and get them satisfied somewhere
else."
"He wouldn't!" Willow
said firmly.
Buffy was the first one to ask the obvious
question.
"Well....where are you going to go?"
Anya opened her evening bag and
pulled out a
small piece of paper. "I made a reservation at the
hotel
down the road, The Chandler Arms."
"Oh! William and I went there!" Buffy
said without
thinking.
Both the other girls looked at her with their
mouths
slightly agape.
"For dinner!" Buffy added quickly. "There's a
really nice
restaurant in the lobby, and...and he took me to dinner
there. That's all. Really!"
Wanting very much to change the subject,
she glanced
into the purse Anya was holding. "What....what are those?"
she
stammered, although she knew perfectly well what she
was seeing.
Her
friend giggled and blushed, extracting a small package
from her bag.
"Condoms," she whispered.
Willow gasped loudly. "Where did you get
them?" she
squeaked. "Did you...you went into a store and BOUGHT
them?
Ewww..."
"What do you mean 'ewww'?" Anya asked. "How else can
you get
them? Geez, Willow."
"Well, it's just...just that.." Willow stammered,
her
cheeks turning as red as her hair. "I always thought
that...you
know...that the boy would get those
things," she added in a
whisper.
Anya just shrugged. "Hey, it's a modern world," she
said,
snapping her bag closed. "And a girl should be
ready to share the
responsibility for having safe sex."
"Uh-huh," Buffy said doubtfully. "So
where did you buy
them?"
Now it was Anya's turn to blush. "I didn't,"
she finally
confessed. "I found them in my mother's
dresser."
"Ewwwww!" both Buffy AND Willow exclaimed, horrified at
the
notion of anyone's mother having a need for contra-
ceptives.
"Your
mother?" Willow asked, making a face.
Anya nodded and rolled her eyes.
"Don't remind me."
"But what if....what if she...you know...needs
them?"
Buffy queried. "What if she asks you where they went?"
"That
won't happen," Anya said. "It's been a year
since my dad left and the men
aren't exactly beating
down the door."
"A year?" Willow whispered.
"What if they've...ex-
pired?"
"Condoms don't expire," Anya stated,
taking on the air of
someone who knew all there was to know about a
subject,
then losing it instantly. "Do they?" she asked, turning
to
Buffy.
"How would I know?" Buffy asked. "I've never
even....really
seen one."
"Check the label," Willow advised.
Before Anya could open her purse again, the door to the
lounge swung
open and three girls walked in. "Hey, Anya,"
one of them said brightly,
"Xander wanted me to ask you if
you'd fallen in or something."
Anya
sighed and made a face. "Sweet," she muttered. "I
may just change my mind
about my....plans."
After she'd left, Buffy and Willow exchanged glances.
"So," Willow began hesitantly, blushing again, "you
and
William....you aren't....I mean, you haven't....you know.."
Her voice
sank to a bare whisper. "...done it?"
"No," Buffy whispered back, shaking
her head for em-
phasis. "Have you and Oz?"
"Uh-uh. I mean...we've
done some things...but not that."
"Us, too." Buffy took in a deep breath.
"Do you think she's
right about this being....a good night for
it?"
Willow shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it
depends."
"Yeah....I guess."
After a short silence, an unspoken
agreement to drop the
whole subject made itself known and they left the
bathroom
to return to their dates.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Running just
as fast as we can
Holding onto one another's hand
Trying to get away into
the night
And then you put your arms around me
And we tumble to the ground
and you say..."
~~~~~~~~~~
"Are you all right?"
Buffy
looked at William and smiled. "Sure. Why do you
ask?"
His face was
concerned. "You look a little flushed," he
said. "Is it too warm in here for
you?"
She swallowed hard, trying to control her blush. "Maybe
a
little."
"Do you want to go outside? Get some fresh air?"
Did she?
At this point, she wasn't quite sure WHAT she
wanted. Everything she'd
thought herself so certain of
seemed to be peeling away, layer by layer,
leaving her
confused and a little scared.
Anya's announcement of her
intentions had stirred
up all the deeply buried longings that Buffy had
been
dealing with since meeting William, longings that she'd
THOUGHT were
being satisfied....for her, anyway.
But what about for him? Was he REALLY
satisfied with
the 'pretend' lovemaking they'd been indulging in?
He'd always seemed to be and never pressured her to
do anything
more, something she'd been grateful for.
**Guys have
needs...**
Anya's words kept echoing in her head.
**I don't want
him to go and get them satisfied
somewhere else...**
William would
never do that. She was as certain of it
as she was of her own
name.
**Boys reach their sexual peaks at 17...**
She wondered if
that was really true. And, if it was,
when did girls reach theirs?
Personally, she felt like
she was going to explode from the pressure of
her
need for William, felt it on a daily basis in
fact.
"Buffy?"
His hand was cool on her skin, his thumb
stroking
the curve of her cheek.
"I'm all right," she said quickly,
smiling for him.
"You sure? Do you want something to drink?
"Okay.
Yes, that...that's a good idea."
His own smile widened as his eyes
searched hers
for the answer to her jittery demeanor, but he said
nothing
more about it and took her back to their
table.
"Be right back," he
promised.
"I'll be here."
She could see Oz and Willow out on the
dance
floor. The music was slow and soft, and they swayed
gently to its
beat. Xander and Anya were nowhere
to be seen, and she wondered if they had
already
ducked out and were on their way to the hotel.
A quick glance
at the wall clock showed that it was
only a little past nine. The dance was
officially over
at midnight, and the limousine was then going to take
them
back to Revello Drive, where they'd all decided to
have a moonlight swim and
then go out for breakfast.
The girls had made arrangements to spend the
night
at Buffy's house, while the boys would stay in the
pool
house.
Now, she wondered if Anya and Xander would be
back before it
was time to leave, or if she'd have to
try and explain Anya's absence to her
mother in the
morning.
The thought of trying to come up with a
believable
story for her mother, who was no slouch when it came
to
ferreting out a fib, was beginning to give her a headache,
and she suddenly
wished that Anya had chosen another
night to lose her virginity, a night
where she, herself, wasn't
going to be indirectly involved in the cover
up.
~~~~~~~~~~
"I think we're alone now
There doesn't seem
to be anyone around
I think we're alone now
The beating of our hearts is
the only sound..."
~~~~~~~~~~
She was so deeply immersed in
her thoughts that
she didn't at first realize that William had returned,
jumping slightly when he touched her shoulder.
"Oh! Thank you," she
said, a little breathlessly, as
she accepted the glass of punch he'd brought
her and
took a sip. "That's good."
"Buffy...what's bothering you,
love?" He was beginning
to look seriously worried as he sat down beside her.
"Aren't
you having a good time?"
"Of course I am," she said without
hesitation. "It's
wonderful. You're wonderful." Looking into his eyes,
so
filled with love and caring, knowing it was all there for
her, made her
heart thud faster in her chest. Impulsively,
she slipped her hand behind his
neck and tugged him
down. "Kiss me."
His body turned and he scooted
his chair closer to hers,
his lips dropping a soft kiss on hers that
lengthened and
deepened. By the time he pulled back, they were
both
feeling the effects.
"Tell me something," he whispered, his
breath stirring
a strand of her hair.
"I love you."
He smiled.
"I love you, too...but that's not what I
meant."
"Oh," she giggled.
"Sorry. What did you mean?"
He hesitated for just a moment, then looked
into her
eyes with serious intent. "Tell me what's on your mind.
Is it
because Angel and Cordelia are only a few tables
away? Is it making you
uncomfortable?"
"No." Her answer was truthful. She hadn't even
noticed
them until he'd brought them up.
"Because if it's bothering
you...."
"No," she said again, shaking her head. "I don't care a
bit
about them."
"But something's bothering you?"
She hesitated a
fraction too long. "Not really."
"Buffy..."
"It's nothing to do
with us. I swear." She held up her
right hand, 'witness stand'
style.
His eyes searched her face, seeking and finding re-
assurance.
But it wasn't enough. "Let's go outside for
a few minutes," he said, pushing
his chair back and
standing up, then tugging her to her feet.
He
didn't give her a chance to agree to or decline his
proposal, pulling her out
through the double doors and
towards the front
exit.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Look at the way
We gotta hide what we're
doing
'Cause what would they say
If they ever knew, and so
we're
Running just as fast as we can
Holding onto one another's
hand..."
~~~~~~~~~~
Buffy followed along after him, holding up
the
front of her dress with her free hand to avoid
tripping over
it.
William led her out the main doors, then steered her
towards a
small garden area at the outer edge of the
building. There were several
outdoor patio tables set
up for the afternoon lunch crowd, and the entire
area
was circled with a fragrant display of rose bushes in
a rainbow of
different colors.
Guiding her to the farthest edge of the garden, he
made
her sit down on a glider swing.
Buffy waited for him to start
questioning her more
pointedly, but he didn't say a word; merely sat
down
beside her and placed his arm around her shoulders,
pulling her up
against him.
She was the one to break the silence. "Why did we
come
out here?"
"I just wanted to be alone with you for a while," he
replied,
dropping a soft kiss on top of her head.
"Oh," she smiled,
snuggling closer. "That's a good reason."
Oddly enough, now that they
WERE completely alone,
she began wanting him to try and coax answers out of
her. "About the way I was...inside," she began.
William said nothing,
just continued looking at her.
"Don't you want to know why?"
"Yes. If you want to tell me."
All of a sudden, she wanted to do
just that. Wanted
to unload the huge and heavy secret she was
struggling
with and have him help her sort it out.
Unfortunately, it
wasn't her secret to tell.
But the urge was too strong to be denied.
There were
things she needed to know, and telling him that secret
would
open up a dialogue.
Trying to wriggle around it without giving anything
away, she turned on the swing, meeting the deep blue
gaze that always saw
through her to her soul.
"Do you ever think about....about sex?" she
asked.
"Constantly," he said, grinning widely.
The comment brought
a bit of lightness with it, making
her laugh and push at his chest. "Come
on...I'm
serious."
"Yeah, me too."
"William!"
"Well,
you'll have to be a little more specific," he
said. "What part of sex are you
referring to?"
"The...the having of it."
"Is this really what you
were thinking about?" he
asked.
"Partly," she
admitted.
Tilting his head, he gave her a speculative look.
"The
'having of sex'. With you?"
"Uh-huh. Yes."
"My answer
still stands."
~~~~~~~~~~
"Trying to get away into the
night
And then you put your arms around me
And we tumble to the ground and
you say..."
~~~~~~~~~~
There was only one way she could think of
to get
the answers she needed without embarrassing
herself. "I have this
friend...."
Unlike most people who used this particular dodge,
her
claim was legitimate.
The corner of his mouth turned up, but all he said
was, "Yes?"
"And she's...she's planning to...she's planning
the...the having of sex."
The slight smile he'd been wearing
disappeared. "She
is?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "It's the first time for
her and
she....."
"When?" he cut in, suddenly looking quite
serious.
The question caught her off guard. "Well...um...tonight,
she
thinks."
William swallowed hard. "So...so your 'friend' thinks
she's
ready for that?"
"Yes. See, they've been together for a while now,
and
she thinks...she's afraid that she might lose him
if they don't start doing
it soon. She says that...that a
boy has needs...and she doesn't want him to
go some-
where else to...to get rid of the needs. But I don't
think he
would do that. And...and is that really a good
reason for her to have sex,
even if it's just part of the
reason."
"Well...."
"She loves
him a lot, and he loves her, so...so it's not
JUST because she's afraid of
losing him. She said that
she really wants to, since they've been going
together for
like...two years now, and she made a reservation at
the
hotel...and I think they already left to go
there."
"What?!"
"So...he has needs, and she has them, too." Now
that
she'd gotten going, she couldn't seem to stop. "What do
YOU think?"
she asked. "Does it sound like she's doing
the right thing for the right
reasons?"
William was struck dumb for just a moment.
"Do
you?"
"Before I answer that," he said quietly, "is there any
chance in
the world that you're actually talking about
us?"
Buffy's brow
furrowed. "No."
"Oh."
"But sort of."
"Sort of?"
"Not
about going to the hotel and having...it. Just...it
made me think...what
about YOUR needs? You're a
boy...and you're seventeen. Are you
peaking?"
"Am I doing WHAT?"
"Peaking. She said that boys have
their sexual peaking
when they turn seventeen."
"Who
said?"
"An....my friend."
"All right," he said quickly, holding up
one hand to
stop any further flow of nervous words. "I think I've got
it.
I don't know whether or not it's right for your friend. I
guess that's
something everyone needs to decide for
themselves."
Buffy nodded,
hanging on his words.
"But as far as MY needs go, then yes...I have
them.
'Course I do." He reached up and tucked a strand of her
hair back in
place. "After all....I'm madly in love with a
very beautiful girl. I want to
make love to her all the time.
And," he added, pulling her closer, "she
satisfies all my
needs."
"Really?"
"Yes. I can wait until OUR
time is right." He kissed her
lightly. "And I promise not to peak before you
do."
~~~~~~~~~~
"I think we're alone now
There doesn't seem to
be anyone around..."
~~~~~~~~~~
All the little tiny doubts that
had been stabbing at her
drifted away, and she could have kicked herself for
ever
having them in the first place.
She should have known better
than to compare William
with other boys. He was completely different from
the
rest of the immature bunch who only thought about
one
thing.
"So...." He kissed her again, a bit longer this time.
"Now
that we've cleared the air...do you want to go somewhere
and satisfy
a few of our needs?"
Well....maybe not COMPLETELY
different!
~~~~~~~~~~
"I think we're alone now
The beating of
our hearts is the only
sound..."
~~~~~~~~~~
TBC....
(No.....not quite yet.
They need to 'bake'
a little more first, no cookie dough analogy
intended)