Disclaimer: Not mine. Dammit.
Spoilers: Mild season 5 spoilers
Premise: Alternate season 6. Forget everything you know about how Spike and Buffy met.
Distribution: Just let me know!
After trying to nail her new trick of throwing her stake in the air and catching it behind her back, Buffy gave up. It wasn't so much a trick as a boredom chaser. Lately the vamps just didn't want to come out and play. For the past two weeks, it had been dead quiet in the cemeteries, and not just in the obvious way. It gave her a feeling of foreboding. Nothing good ever came of change on the Hellmouth. As long as there were vamps and demons for her to kill, Buffy felt safe and normal. If there weren't, she was just a strange girl with a wood fetish who liked to spend too much time in cemeteries.
She was just about to call it a night when she saw a man slouched over, sitting on a headstone. 'Good spotting, Buff. If he'd been a snake he'd have bit ya. Or worse, a vamp. Well, no, vamps I can handle. Snakes, not so much.' She shook herself out of the internal musings to make her presence known to the oblivious man. He'd have been vamp bait, had there been any vamps to bait. "Hey, guy! Dontcha know it's not really safe in cemeteries late at night?"
He startled at her voice and spun around. 'Good one, mate. If she'd been a snake she'd have....' His own musings trailed off when he saw her. Petite and bouncy. And a little too comfortable in the odd environs. He shook his head. "Ah, well, could say the same to you. Little flit of a thing, you are." He gave her a warm smile as he slid the book he'd been reading inside his jacket pocket.
Buffy couldn't help but smile. 'Wow, what a cutie! Great accent. And look at those eyes. Pretty blue.....the glasses don't even make him look dorky. Who'd have known there was a guy who could really pull off glasses.....'
"Uh, you alright there?" He quirked a scarred eyebrow up.
Buffy blushed. "Oh, yeah. I just.....well, I sort of come here often.....uh, that doesn't really sound good, does it? Um, I just mean, I'm pretty familiar with the local folks, and I haven't seen you around before. You new to Sunnydale?"
The man stood and walked toward her. She marveled at the feline grace in his movements. He stopped a few feet in front of her. "Yeah, got here a couple of weeks ago."
Buffy nodded, trying not to be too obvious in casing this way hot guy. It was lucky for him that she was so absorbed; it allowed him his own perusal of her taut little body.
"And, uh, how do you find our little haven?" Buffy gave him a big smile. 'Why am I fawning over this guy like he's the high school quarterback?'
He shrugged and looked around as if he were evaluating. "Not too bad. Definitely seen worse. It's got nice...." He looked at her as he cocked his head to the side and pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth. ".....scenery." 'What are you doing, ya git? She's far from the first pretty face you've seen here.'
Buffy blushed redder, if that were possible. "Um, well....."
He stiffened. "Then sometimes the scenery gets downright ugly."
Buffy's eyes flew to his face, shocked at what he was implying. When she found he wasn't looking at her, but beyond her, she sighed, then turned on instinct.
Two vamps were making their way towards them, looking for all the world lucky bastards who had stumbled upon a couple of snacks.
"Oh yay! Finally!" Buffy exclaimed, then turned back towards the man who was giving her a strange look. "Um, ok, I know this will sound weird coming from a 'little flit of a thing', but you really need to go."
He frowned, then a smile slowly crept across his face. "Well, believe it or not, I think I can handle myself. Probably as well as you can."
"Uh, look, I'm not sure that you understand what exactly is about to happen here, so really, really, I gotta recommend that you skedaddle to somewhere that's not here."
He now had a cocky grin on, keeping a wary eye on the approaching vamps. "Can't rightly call myself a gentleman if I just leave you to the wolves, can I?" He quickly slipped off his glasses and put them in a case he pulled from his coat's inner pocket pocket.
"These aren't wolves, ok? They're much worse than wolves. They're....." She shook her head, searching for an answer.
He brushed past her and called over his shoulder. "Dust?"
As soon as the larger vampire engaged the man in a fight, Buffy shrugged her shoulders and went after the smaller one. The scuffles were brief, and when the dust settled, quite literally, she cast a questioning look to him.
He smiled. "I guess this means you're the Slayer?"
She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. "And this would make you......?" She let the question hang between them.
He gave a little chuckle. "Unique?"
"Ok, so you're saying you, what, just woke up one day with these.....powers and abilities?" Buffy looked at him incredulously.
"God's honest truth, luv. Sorta came out of nowhere. And for quite a while, well.....it was a little disorienting. Wasn't exactly into fighting for good right off the bat. Took me a few years to really find my place."
"How long have you been this way? I mean, had these powers."
"Some years now. Sometimes it feels like a century."
Buffy shook her head. "So let me get this straight. You were just this regular guy, then bam, you've got superpowers?"
He nodded his head. "That's the long and short of it, yeah." He slid further back on the sarcophagus they were sharing, giving himself a more full view of her.
"Huh. You know, I've heard about these supposed 'Powers That Be,' but I never figured they'd just smack some normal guy upside the head with this stuff."
"Well, who knows the how or why.....I've long since stopped trying to figure that out."
"So now you're in Sunnydale? Explains why I've been so bored with my work lately. I'm surprised I haven't run into you sooner."
He shrugged. "Lotsa cemeteries in this town. And I had heard there was a Slayer here. Was beginning to think it was a myth. But like I said, lotsa cemeteries. We probably just missed each other a few times."
"Wow, so this is like, your calling or something? You do this full time?"
"Every night."
"How do you, well, I mean, do you have a day job?"
He chuckled. "I have another job, yeah. Very flexible hours. I come and go as I please."
Buffy frowned. "Is it illegal? Cuz if it is, don't tell me. I don't want to know."
He smiled. "Not illegal. Kind of a.....bouncer, if you will."
"Oh, well, that's not illegal. And kinda makes sense. You think they'd hire a girl bouncer? Cuz it's gotta beat flipping burgers."
"Unfortunately, I think I'm enough bouncer for them. Sorry, luv."
Buffy shrugged. "Ah, you just gave me a fleeting hope that I wouldn't go home smelling like reprocessed meat every night. No big."
"You don't smell so bad from here."
Again, Buffy blushed. "Oh, well, I kinda took a shower before I came out here. I've learned that the vampires can smell me coming from a mile off, and they've equated the Doublemeat smell with getting dusty. So they tend to avoid me when I'm oh-so-aromatic."
He cocked his head and smiled at her. It made her a little uncomfortable. She felt like he was either picturing her with her clothes off or wondering what she would taste like. And the contexts of those thoughts together made her blush even more. He, on the other hand, thought she was about the cutest thing he'd come across in a long time. 'Start thinkin' with your bloody brain, pillock.' "Uh, ya know it's kind of late. I need to make an appearance at work. Usually all it takes for things to stay settled."
Buffy couldn't help the little laugh that escaped. "Just your presence strikes fear into the patrons?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Something like that. And am I getting the impression that you doubt that?"
Buffy shrugged. "Ah, well.....I mean, I don't mean any offense, but.....well, you're an awesome fighter and you have the super power bonus, but just to look at you. Not sure there's a lot of.....intimidation in your....look."
He frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Buffy sighed. "Look, I don't even know you. It's not really my place, and I'm really not in the habit of criticizing people I just meet. Irregardless of right now."
He nodded. "I'm William. You're the Slayer. Now we know each other. So what's so 'unintimidating' about me?"
She shook her head. "Look, all I meant was.....well, you got the.....intellectual look going on. The glasses, mainly. And you were reading when I first saw you. Kind of oblivious to the world. Not something that made me go, 'I better watch out for this one, he looks like a bitchin' demon fighter.' That's all I meant....." 'William.....gotta file that away.'
His look softened. "Let's just say, the folks who come to the bar all know me. And they know what I'm capable of."
"Fair enough. I sure know enough to stay on your good side. Unless I've completely blown that by my incessant ramblings here, cuz I'm pretty sure I haven't made a real good impression."
William smiled. "You've impressed me quite well, luv." He started to walk toward the cemetery exit.
"Oh, thanks. I think. Hey! That isn't necessarily a good, is it?" She called after him.
He chuckled and turned to her. "It's good, pet. All good. And if you'll excuse me, Slayer." He paused while he fished out his glasses and put them back on. "I have some folks to go intimidate."
Buffy smiled. "Ok. Good luck. Oh, by the way, it's Buffy."
"What's buffy?"
"Me, I am. It's my name. I mean, ya know, if we run into each other out here again sometime. Instead of calling me 'Slayer', you can call me Buffy."
"I look forward to it, Buffy." He gave her a short nod and turned again to leave. 'Who in the hell names their kid Buffy? Gotta be short for something. Maybe Elizabeth.....'
"Hey, Buff! How was the ole' patrol tonight?" Willow asked brightly. "Did ya kill any baddies? Dust any vamps? Hack any demons into little bitty bits?"
Tara shook her head and placed her hand soothingly on Willow's arm. "Sorry. She convinced me to let her have some coffee so we could stay up and study. I should have known better....."
Buffy smiled. "Caffeinated Willow. Haven't seen her for a while."
Willow's face fell. "Sorry, I know I can be annoying girl when I'm all juiced up. But you look like you had a good time. The lull over?"
Buffy shrugged. "Ah well, the usual, ya vamps.....lotsa headstones.....I met a gorgeous guy.....did I mention the headstones?"
Willow got excited again. "OH! A guy!" She turned to Tara. "Buffy met a guy!" Back to Buffy. "Oh, ya gotta sit and dish with us. Gorgeous, huh? Tell us all about it!"
Buffy couldn't contain her giddy smile. "Well, don't get so worked up. I don't even know if I'll see him again. But I think I will. We're kind of in the same line of work, I guess you could say."
Willow frowned. "You mean.....someone from the Doublemeat? It's not that scary guy with 4 fingers, is it? I mean, the one with 4 fingers on one hand. Ya know, 9 fingers total.....missing one....." Willow trailed off when Tara started rubbing little circles on her back. "Sorry.....I mean, ya know, if that's the guy, well.....that's cool. Good for you."
Buffy laughed. "NO, it's not him. Ewww. And I don't mean that line of work. I mean the other line of work. The one that has me coming home with demon intestines and vamp dust on me almost every night. Of course, that could be just a bad day at the Doublemeat....."
"So, you met a guy who fights demons?" Tara smiled gently.
"Yup. A bonafide demon hunter. And not just that, he's awesome. He has like.....like Slayer powers, except he's a guy."
"A guy Slayer? Wow....."
"Not really a Slayer, he said one day a few years ago he just woke up and had super powers. Isn't that whacky?!" Buffy said wide-eyed.
"Yeah.....oh, but tell us about the gorgeous, I definitely remember hearing gorgeous." Willow beamed.
"Oh, god yeah. He's taller than me, which is, ya know, a requirement. He's got these super pretty blue eyes. God, beautiful eyes. And cheekbones forever. His hair is a little iffy, bleach job on its way out, but it seems to really work on him. The dark roots and the light ends.....And he has this awesome long black leather coat. And the way he moves and fights.....he's like.....like sex! Well, except way better than any sex I ever had....." Buffy looked off wistfully. 'Angel was nice and sweet, but it was just that once. Parker was......eh. Riley was good, solid. Good and solid about cover it.'
"Earth to Buffy," Willow smiled.
"Oh, and I forgot the best part. He has an accent."
The Wicca's melted. "Ah, what kind? I love accents," Tara glowed.
"British. He's got this awesome British accent. But not like Giles British. Better. Less stuffy, more......sexy......"
"Wow, so are we gonna get to meet this gorgeous superhero anytime soon?" Willow asked.
"Oh, God, I don't know. I don't know if I'll even see him again. He kind of just drifted off into the night."
"Um, Buff? Angel much?"
"What? No! Not Angel. Not Angel at all," Buffy pouted.
"Well, the whole super powered, night drifty thing....."
"Well.....he didn't so much drift into the night as leave for work, but still....it was kinda drifty. But in a cool way, not a 'I'm a mysterious vampire' way.
"Well, a super powered good guy that has a regular job. Sounds perfect for you." Willow winked.
Buffy smiled. "I know, but.....ah, who knows. If I see him again, I do, if I don't, I don't."
"Am I right in assuming you're hoping for the former versus the latter?" Tara smiled at Buffy.
Buffy shrugged. "Maybe....."
After William had sufficiently intimidated the patrons at Willy's, he made his way upstairs to his apartment. He rubbed his sore jaw. He'd let some rabble rouser get a few licks in. All because he was thinking about that girl. 'Buffy. Bloody stupid name. But.....does kinda roll off your tongue. Like I bet she would--Ok, stop this train of thought. No more thoughts of Buffy and tongues and rolling.....She's not that great, when ya think about it. Too skinny. Funny nose. Eyes......a bit of alright to look at. Lips.....probably kissable. Wouldn't mind nibbling on those cute little earlobes. But other than that.....other than that, she's absolutely perfect. Except she's a bloody Slayer. And a woman. And you're doing your best to avoid both of those things. You've come a long way. Done too much to cock it up now. Just toss off and get some sleep. Like every night. She'll seem less appealing in the morning. So long as you don't bloody dream about her.'
Except, he did dream about her. All night long. And when he woke, his usual lazy morning/noon erection was painfully hard. 'Bloody women.....' he thought as he stroked himself off.
After his shower, he occupied himself in the usual ways. Reading, writing, thinking. When it came time to go patrolling, he was hoping beyond hope that he wouldn't see her again. Maybe he could have a restful sleep this time.
TBC... Review please!! Let me know what ya think!