Chapter One – AC Sucks, DC Blows, and Buffy Thieves

There was something about room conditioning that bothered her. Buffy had been sitting in library, idly passing by her free time, for a total of two hours, and it had become even more obvious to her that she had to get out. After Sunnydale had gone down into the earth, she'd looked forward to having a life at least changed, if not new, but things never seemed to work out for her. Cleveland had been new, of course, and there had been multitudes of new people to meet. Buffy had been needed for something other than extreme carnage for the first time in awhile, and it had seemed nice. Calm. Boring.

Two months after they'd started the academy, at the end of a self-defense/offensive training class right before the weekend, Buffy was staying after hours for a work out. Faith had blown off for a fancy dinner date with Robin (and how weird was that?), so she'd opened her locker in search of her gloves. They were right there, hanging on the hook like always. Like always. Suddenly she was wondering if it was all like always. If nothing had really changed, but rather just moved to another hellmouth. And then, there had been the same irresistible urge to get out.

Now, half a year later, she was sitting in a library in London, purposefully reading a spell book upside-down, and trying to hold back her wish to kill the damned AC unit, wherever the hell it was.

It wasn't that it was too cold, or too anything. It just wasn't right; in the wind, there was movement, and opportunity, and you could feel it. But this- this felt like she was waiting all the time; like the air itself was holding her in place, and there was nothing she could do about it. Powerless to her own lack of a life.

Buffy flipped the book closed, and started towards the exit. Then stopped. 'frack.' Putting the book between her knees, she searched her pockets, and then bent to check her tennies. 'fuck'

Tentatively, she walked up to the desk. The librarian/checkout girl was talking on the phone to someone, giggling like a schoolgirl every few seconds. "Um, excuse me." The girl stops talking for a second, deliberates for a millisecond, and then participates in two conversations. "Did you need anything?"

"Yes, I." Feeling someone behind, Buffy looks over her shoulder to make sure it wasn't an axe murdering psycho (or Kennedy), and stops at the sight of the hot and scruffy male smiling at her, and spins back around quick as ball lightning. She tries to ignore the subtle smell of nature that he'd brought with him. Shaking her head slightly, she continues, "I'm really sorry, but I think I forgot my card. Could y-"

"Lost and Found's on the first floor." The girl says, and starts to go back to the phone.

A leather-clad arm instantly grabs it from her, flipping it closed, and the rest of the man follows, leaning close (that smell) so that Buffy's lips were barely a centimeter from his cheek. "You shouldn't interrupt people." Dear fuck, his voice was just as sexy; deep and rough, like he he'd yelled a lot as a teen, and when she turned, Buffy could feel his chiseled jaw move against hers.

Taking her cue (and praying for composure), Buffy continued, "sorry, I-" This time he interrupted, "you don't have anything to apologize for." Raising her right eyebrow (the left never came up on it's own without her looking crazy as hell) even though there was no way he'd see it, Buffy retorted, "I thought you weren't supposed to interrupt people?" "No, not me, her. Pronouns can be difficult, can't they?"

He was still facing the library girl, and she could feel his smirk hard against her own. 'Who knew a smirk could do it for me?' "Now, I think what she was going to ask is if you could check out her book anyways." Smirk disappearing, Buffy nodded, and started to lean forward, but was held back by his right arm coming across her hips and tummy.

The girl had been simmering during all of this, and cut off whatever reaction Buffy could have had. "No, you can't, now GIVE ME BACK MY-" The body, which Buffy could feel was built, shifted to hold it above their heads, as the library girl reached for it, and Buffy instinctively leaned back to watch the sudden movement. 'oh!'

Out of the corner of her eyes, Buffy could see him falter for a second too, but it didn't matter because she could feel him falter. More importantly, she could feel him. She'd been expecting his hard chest, but somehow she hadn't taking into account the other… bit. It was definitely hard.

Somehow, though this didn't quite surprise Buffy, he continued to keep the phone out of the girl's reach. "I, uh, I come her nearly every day, so couldn't you just enter the numbers if I told them to you?" Looking frantic, the girl replied, "I can't; I don't have the password since I'm only a temp."

Despite the number of surprises dropped on her (or rather around her), Buffy had actually been enjoying whatever this was, but she really needed the book for Willow. They hadn't quite gotten around to replacing the libraries lost in the last year of Sunnydale, and Willow had said it was important. "Couldn't you find someone who could", Buffy asked, but she was thinking a completely different route. Because, while she didn't want to be out of these arms, she also really didn't want to be standing inside, pleading for a book.

'I bet it hasn't been checked out in years; besides, it could be dangerous. Right?'

She wanted to do something.

The girl pointed to the phone right as Buffy twisted to look at the guy. With her eyebrows raised, and a smile that couldn't be mistaken in any way on her face, she was surprised the girl didn't call security right then. He looked into Buffy's eyes, his shaggy dark hair falling in front his eyes, and matched her smile. A cell phone thudded onto the carpeted floor in the distance, but they were already far gone by then.

Buffy couldn't stop laughing. Neither could her companion. They had scared off the bum previously occupying the alley, and were now alone, laughing their asses off. A thought struck her. "Did- ha, mmph – did you have a card?" He stopped, stricken, and sat back where thought there was a box. Now she really couldn't stop. "We just stole a musty old book from a library, and you had your card!", she hooted, and then had to lie down on her stomach beside him, because really, what the fuck!?

After they finally calmed down, he looked over and said, "I'm Sirius." "Finally! I thought we'd never stop; I think that was more exhausting than the run." He started laughing again, even harder. Buffy leaned to hit him lightly on his chest, "Don't start again on me; I need to eat at some point!" He quieted, and said, "sorry, it's just; I'm Sirius."

Buffy would later claim oxygen deprivation as an excuse. "Right, and I'm hungry! So why don't I call you Serious, if you'll call me Hungry, all right?" A snort was her only response. "What?" She lay back again, turning her head to look him in the eye that was visible. "You don't understand; I. Am. Sirius." Buffy cocked her right eyebrow and replied, "Yes, well then; You. Are. Mistaken." Another snort was heard, and he had begun to tremble.

Moving away slightly, Buffy reiterated, "WHAT!?" Purposefully breathing in and out to calm himself, he turned to look her right in the eyes and deadpanned. "Nothing Hungry."

Hey Everybody!!

I hope you like my story, and don't hold resentment over my other one! (I will finish it. – Someday) And don't worry, I have a plan for this couple, I mean; who doesn't! Keep on reading, and please please please review, cuz I'm a 'lil low on self-confidence. Or at least when it comes to my creations.