"Please, Giles!" lunging for the older man's hand, William attempted to force away Giles' death grip on the phone receiver.

"William, I will not have you making a mockery of Buffy. Now, I don't care what the circumstance is, you are not telephoning her" Rupert affirmed, his gaze on the younger boy rather harsh and cold. "For one thing, you're nearly twenty years old. Buffy is barely eighteen… at this age, two years makes quite the difference, morally" relentless in his decision, Giles refused to budge.

"Look, Rupert. I didn't say I plan on proposing to her… All I want is to take her out" Spike defended himself, his level of frustration steadily increasing. "Besides, you introduced me to the girl… I've spent the last four days practically living in her house… the least I can do is take her out" he added, adding a few points to his side of the scoreboard.

Giles gave a deep sigh, shaking his head with slight reluctance. In all truth, he was somewhat concerned with the type of influence William would have on his Buffy. There was no telling what lies she would accept from any handsome boy. But the root of Giles' fear lay in Buffy's condition. William had not yet been brought to understand the fact that she was terrified at the mere idea of stepping through her front doorway, let alone spending a night out on the town.

"William…" he said softly, calming dramatically in all aspects of his mannerism. "You can't take Buffy out… No matter how much she likes or dislikes you, there is no possible way that she'd join you on any sort of a date" he emphasized the last word, obviously not used to putting such 'American' terminology to work. Gazing honestly at his young houseguest, Rupert assumed that he would be confessing Buffy's secret within a few moments.

"Why not? D'you think I plan on getting her into trouble?" William scoffed, his visage twisted with insult. "I wouldn't do that to Buffy and you know it, Giles. I don't get anyone into a mess unless they want it" he argued, voice becoming firm. For all the lies he had told in two decades of life, William was being incredibly truthful; very rarely did he cause disorder out of the company of his closest friends.

"I'm not worried about that, William… Well, I am a little concerned, but I'd trust you to take care of Buffy" Giles admitted, bringing some surprised satisfaction to the surface of William's face. "But there's something else you need to understand about Buffy," he said with the same tone of softness.

Such words solicited a slightly dumbfounded look on Spike's part. "And what would that be?" he said with obvious scepticism. It was a little too often that Giles' exact sentence was used to describe a girl. There's something you need to know about her… wasn't that true for every woman? Wasn't that true for every human being?

Glancing at the couch perhaps ten feet away, Giles shook his head suggestively in its direction. "Sit down, Spike… this might take a few minutes" another odd position was conjured upon William's face with such verbal communication. Rupert had never dared to call William 'Spike' before.

Must be serious if he's lettin' himself slip like that… William thought as he strode to the seat's edge, plopping himself casually in its embrace. "So what's the big secret, Ripper?" William grinned slightly, returning Giles' favour of using a non-generic nickname. "You'd better hope this is good, too… Otherwise I'll be calling Buffy from a telephone booth whether you like it or not," he said with rebellion, meaning every word of his sentence.

Remaining calm, not reacting to his relative's defiant comment, Giles followed the younger man to the seating area, one hand stuffed in his pocket. Seating himself in a rather uncomfortable rocking chair, stacks of books at his side, Rupert raised his line of sight, directly intercepting that of William's. Leaning forward now, eyes squinting with inquisitiveness, Giles prepared for the act of confessing Buffy's rather private condition. "William… have you ever heard the term 'agoraphobic'?"

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Joyce finished fastening the second in her pair of earrings, dropping her arms immediately after the act. Trailing her eyes up and down her motherly figure, the woman was satisfied with what she saw. Definitely the appropriate, casual attire for a night out with one of her closest friends, yet still flaunting enough to perhaps catch the eye of a gentleman onlooker.

Flashing a quick, confident smile to herself, Joyce turned away from the reflective pane. "Buffy!" she summoned, marching heartily from the confines of her bedroom and into the hallway, eyes fixed on the white door belonging to her daughter's chamber. "Buffy sweetie, are you almost ready?" the older woman called again, fluffing up her dirty-blonde curls for a third time.

Before either woman could mutter a single word though, the Summers' doorbell rang. Joyce froze in mid-step, tossing a worried glance at her watch. "Buffy, that'll be Rachelle and Victoria… Are you just about finished in there?" arms crossed, the mother waited patiently for some sort of reply.

"I'm coming mom!" the teenaged girl called though her door, swinging the timber object open a second later.

"Oh Buffy…" was all Joyce could manage, astounded by the appearance of her daughter. Gleeful smile spread over her face, the older woman took a moment to admire Buffy's not-too-complicated but highly delectable choice of clothing. Burgundy jeans fit snugly around her exquisitely muscular legs, showing off the figure she had somehow preserved after a year spent inside. Blue cotton candy seemed to coat the upper portion of her body, sleeves ending between her elbow and wrist. Honey-hued hair was pulled back, bangs kept away from her face by a few silver, flowered barrettes.

Able to muster enough strength for a slightly flushed smile, the Slayer looked away from her mother's proud gaze, no longer used to being admired in such a way. "Are the barrettes lame?" she asked with a slightly cocked eye, her fashion sense lost after an endless hiatus.

"Oh, honey no" Joyce smiled encouragingly. "They look fine… Honestly" she said softly, also appreciating her daughter's elegant application of makeup. Perhaps this was a sign that Buffy was getting better…

Silence was wedged between the two women for a moment, Buffy using the time to double and triple check her clothing. In the end, it was Joyce who broke the suspension of wordlessness. "Um, we'd better get downstairs… Are you all set to go?"

Nervousness suffocated Buffy's otherwise pleasant smile, cosmetically coloured lips attempting to remain steady. "Yeah… Let's get this over with," she answered airily, wishing it were already midnight. As the thought of spending the night with an older woman and her snobby teenager became more realistic, an urge to crawl into her bed and never emerge grew more assertive within the Slayer's impulses.

Hours of anticipation seemed to crawl by as Buffy followed her mother downstairs, the image of her front door quickly becoming a menacing sight. Joyce took a casual hold on the doorknob, completely oblivious to her daughter's turmoil, and gave it a fatal twist. Slowly, the bulky wooden object was pulled aside, eventually revealing the image of…

"Spike?" swiftly inhaling a breath of undiluted surprise, Buffy's features immediately took on a confused look. She had to be dreaming; there was no way in Heaven or Hell that William could be standing outside her front door without Giles at his side. Evil, evil brain! Buffy berated herself, still staring blankly at the leather-coated man before her.

"Come in, William" Joyce said politely, attempting to mask the slightly giddy smile threatening to erupt across her visage.

Respectfully nodding to the older woman, William slid into the front entrance with what Buffy would have called feline grace. Coated in his liquorice jacket, the material flowing about him like liquid rather than leather, he was the picture of masculine beauty. Azure orbs were lifted to meet Buffy's and she practically melted in place. Something about seeing him at night gave Spike a certain allure the Slayer just couldn't describe.

"Hello love" a mildly amused and cocked smile curled over the blonde-haired man's lips then, eyes still locked with Buffy's.

Either being remained silent for a moment, and Joyce inferred that both young adults were completely lost for words. Still attempting to bury her frivolous smile, the woman gathered herself before speaking. "Well, I think I'll be off… Rachelle and Victoria are probably at the restaurant by now" she said, glancing to her watch. "I'll be home around midnight… Bye honey" stepping forward, the younger woman planted a kiss on her daughter's temple before greeting both teens a good night, quickly heading out the front door.

"Okay…" the blonde girl's voice sprouted outward after her mother's form disappeared. "Confused Buffy…" emerald eyes were then turned on her gentleman visitor, slightly narrowed above her faint smile. "What are you doing here? Did Giles suddenly decide that it would be fun to give me a pop quiz at night?"

Eyes glowing with humour at her question, Spike gave a deep chuckle. "Sorry to disappoint, but old Rupert won't be joining us tonight… Although I wouldn't put it past him to try something like that" he said, lips curled into a grinning position.

"Us? There's an 'us'? As in, just you and me?" the Slayer stumbled through her words, voice almost cracking with awkwardness. Buffy felt as if she had been handed a jigsaw puzzle, its design fit for the capabilities of a six-year old and yet deceiving in their simplicity.

"That's right… Just you and me together till around midnight" his humoured smirk took on a more mischievous form then, a small step taken toward the blonde girl. "How's that sound for a first date?" he said quietly, azure eyes glinting. Although he had only just stepped through the door, William found himself fighting back the spontaneous urge to taste her lacquered lips. Yet another sign that William's subconscious self knew more about his feelings for this girl that his present state of mind did not.

"Okay… Keep backing up…" Buffy said, voice still riddled with confusion. "Did you say 'date'? The kind with a movie, dinner, possibly even dancing?"

William nodded, beginning to wonder if the feelings he had been developing for the young woman flowed in only one direction. Despite his internal worry, the white-haired man kept a positive external appearance.

Buffy's slightly enlightened features dropped when her companion shook his head vertically, her lips just barely muttering the word "Oh". Silence quickly formed a pressuring cloud above the blonde pair, until the Slayer punctured its momentary existence. "Well Spike, I… I appreciate the offer and everything but… I don't… I can't…" God, is it even possible to describe it to him without making myself sound like a complete freak? Buffy thought, though the answer to her question was more than obvious.

"I know" able to sense the young woman's angle, Spike quickly sliced through her explanation. "Giles told me… About your friends… About you" He hardly knew the girl on a personal level and already he found himsefHe already wearing a soft smile, his voice was equally delicate as the subject was tiptoed upon. "But it takes more than that to stop me when I get my mind set on something… or someone" keeping the mood as light as possible, William didn't want to appear overly dreary. "So I figured, if I can't bring you to the date, I'll bring the date to you" he smiled, holding up a blue plastic bag.

Sappy movies, television, and past boyfriends had taught Buffy quite a bit on the subject of romance. It was a topic she easily recognized, one that had become so generic to her after a year or two of dating that it was almost boring after some time. But this… This was beyond romance and media's petty attempts at portraying it. This was unique; an act of true human emotion… And yet, it was all from a boy who had known her for less than a week.

Shaking her head, the Slayer became vaguely aware of the parcel her visitor was holding up. "Are you serious?"

"More than I've been in a few years, I can tell you that much…" William smiled, surveying his bag for a moment. "I've just got the basics though… a movie or two, snacks, and uh… music…" Spike named the last object flatly, not wanting to admit that he had in his possession a record full of slow-tempo music. "Does that suit you, love?"

Tingling after he used the English slang in substitution for her name, Buffy gave a nod, now adapting to the slightly alien situation. "A whole world of absolutely…" the blonde girl whispered, contentedly lost in William's oceanic eyes.

Tonight, she had already decided, would be a night of regularity. An evening away from her agoraphobia, away from the loss of her friends and the fact that she hadn't even stepped outside in over a year. Amidst his badass appearance and contempt for authority, William seemed determined to bring out the better side of her; and so far, it was working.

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"No… No no no I am not answering that question!" Buffy's eyes were of a playfully furious nature as she defied William, voice rising slightly above its normal range. Hands clasped nervously in her lap, she was currently kneeling comfortably on her family's honey-brown couch, fully facing her blonde guest.

"Oh, come on… Swear on my own grave I won't tell a soul" holding up his right hand, Spike attempted to gain the Slayer's trust.

"Well, once again, the word 'no' comes to mind. What I did on my first real date and who it was with is my business… my quite embarrassing business to be exact. I demand a new question," Buffy challenged, not budging on her resolve.

"Fine, fine…" Spike tossed one hand up in surrender before letting the appendage fall back to his thigh, landing with a smack. Cranium swivelling so that he could bathe once more in the soft shimmer of her green eyes, William once again felt that urge… the undying need to just have a taste of those ripe lips, to know the sensation of beautiful American girls on his mouth. Sucking in a hopefully confident breath, the blonde man fixed his eyes with Buffy's, suddenly becoming serious. "Will you let me kiss you?" the words slithered out ever so softly, William hardly able to believe that he had spoken them already, hardly able to believe that he had spoken them in the first place.

Distantly, in a cloud of sudden shock, Buffy focused on the clock. 11:30… For three and a half hours, she had been bathing in the company of a gorgeous English teenager. Two hundred and ten minutes had passed since her mother's departure, and with them her affection for the blonde man had steadily grown. Kiss me? You want to kiss me? And you're asking for my permission? "Is that even a question?" she spit the words out with a shy smile, having intended them to form as an internal thought.

William frowned then, not knowing what to make of her response. "Well… I-" he took on a slightly frantic appearance, thinking that perhaps he had moved too quickly for her liking. "I mean, if you don't…" every ounce of courage that had pushed out his request had without a doubt dispersed completely, forcing the blonde man to a loss for words.

"No, I do…" although William had not intended on continuing in the first place, Buffy cut in quickly, though the edges to her words were soft. "Honestly, I do… It's just… It's been a while for me" pushing away further comment on her high regard for his appearance and personality, the Slayer finished there, thinking that her answer had been evidence enough.

Unfortunately, neither Buffy nor William knew quite where to go from their current standpoint. How often was it that someone asked before kissing another person? Attempting, but failing miserably to keep his now awkward gaze fully averted from the beautiful blonde princess nestled kindly before him, Spike couldn't help but be captivated by her innocently young features. Golden porcelain is how he would best describe the exquisite visage she owned, every curve and slope crafted with genius precision.

Spike hadn't realised it, but a duet of renegade digits had begun a slow, flowing ascent toward one of the admired cheeks. Slightly calloused fingers called some attention to themselves as they continued crawling upward, coming within range of either being's peripheral vision. Green and iced blue remained otherwise focused though, Buffy and William's line of slight flickering between each other's lips and eyes.

Feather-light pressure was applied as Spike's index and middle fingers finally touched down upon the Slayer's skin, lightly caressing the satin surface at first contact. Buffy gasped. A thousand adjectives with which to describe such a sensation ran through her mind at a blinding speed, conscious senses able to pick out only a few. Electric, hundreds of tiny needles running softly over her skin- like free acupuncture; boiling to the point where her skin froze. An oxymoron here, a hyperbole there; it didn't matter… They all went toward giving an inferior description to a heavenly phenomenon.

Courage and lust were injected into Spike's bloodstream in large doses after witnessing his date's mind-blown reaction. No girl- and there had been a few in his life –had ever responded with such amazement to his most timid forms of touch. Passion driven by one's attraction to his appearance or badass attitude was nothing new to him; but this?

This was different. Girls never made it a habit to lose their breath from the simple contact made by his fingers. Their eyelids rarely fluttered shut while still at such a distance from him, the sheets of skin retracting seconds later to reveal a pair of orbs blazing with rekindled flames. Indeed, the reactions were new and still somewhat alien to him, but Spike knew one thing; he liked them. God, at the end of the night, he would be craving them.

Oh, those eyes of hers. Emerald scarves mysteriously tinted with a coating of hazel. Lips that were not pompously crafted yet held a certain amount of allure that made their crimson surfaces incredibly appetizing. Observing every ridge and slope on the Slayer's perfectly crafted face became almost too much for the Englishman, and he could no longer resist such tantalizing temptation.

Dragging his now complete set of roughly textured digits across Buffy's cheek, Spike continued along his unmapped path until the miniature appendages found the back of his companion's neck, running lightly over the gooseflesh he found there. Using his planted hand as a lever, the blonde punk complied with whatever magnetic force was pulling him forward, his mouth quickly closing in upon that of a highly anticipating teenage girl.

Their first contact was not an overly confident one. William's lips fell softly onto Buffy's, the satin ribbons taking a cautious taste of her liquorice twists. A sharp breath fluttered past the blonde girl's lips in response, followed quickly by a somewhat embarrassed laugh. "Sorry…" she whispered, voice barely audible, eyes shuddering as they rose to meet his.

"It's okay" Spike responded in an equally tender tone, subtle smile glinting with the same affectionate humour as his eyes. "Just remember, love, this isn't a test… I came here because I wanted to be with you," the curve in his mouth didn't falter as his lips descended once more.

A gentle whimper was all Buffy could manage this time. Her kisses were tentative at first, pressing unceremoniously against William's as if she were testing new boundaries. But the moment she felt his almost cool tongue flicker against the passage to her mouth, Buffy opened it with a pleased sigh.

Oh…God… Buffy vaguely heard herself think through the sudden waves of pleasure rolling down her spine. She instantly melted against Spike, arms locking around his neck as her fingers were buried in the short length of his platinum hair. Every nerve fibre in her body felt as if it were being paralysed yet shocked with activity in the same instant. How long had it been since a boy… man… had done this to her?

Spike groaned as his jaw flexed hungrily, tongue diving into Buffy's mouth to meet her own. The muscles intertwined briefly with each other before flying apart in order to explore their new environments, meeting every now and then to dance. William couldn't… didn't want to stop his hands as they began exploring different parts of the Slayer's body, one of them resting just above her hip as it cupped her side, the other still hungrily kneading the flesh of her neck's rear.

"Spike…" Buffy finally moaned aloud, though her voice was barely above a whisper. Her mouth had been abandoned by Spike's as he rained kisses down her cheek, rounding her jaw and trailing along her exposed neck until he found the skin wrapped so tightly over her jugular vein. And almost animalistic groan was released from the blonde at that point, his mouth working against the surface with what could almost be identified as angry affection.

"Mm… Buffy…" William answered, his mouth still buried against the base of her neck as his hands worked wonders along her waist. But he came up for air then, gaze fixing with a slightly stunned female one.

Were first kisses always so… intense? Buffy found herself wondering, the same thoughts rippling through William's mind. Both of them were trembling slightly, unable to believe that flames of infatuation could burn so high between two people who were still virtual acquaintances. Or rather, two people who used to be acquaintances.

Before either of them could think twice about the movements though, Buffy's lips were once again sealed airtight against William's, practically bruising the thin strips of flesh. Spike groaned, both hands clutching her hips and pulling the petite blonde into his lap, the small of her back resting against the couch's right side while her bottom and legs laid limply across his thighs.

Buffy let out a small squeal at her sudden repositioning, arms still locked around her date's neck, though loosely. One muscled bicep now hugged the front of her waist firmly, Spike's hand splayed just below her left shoulder blade. The other was tucked underneath one of her elevated arms, his left hand also opened wide above his right, thumb playing with the collar on Buffy's shirt.

Minutes trickled by, soft whimpers and satisfied moans accompanying the couple's efforts as they willingly explored a newborn yet tentative passion. For a second time in the evening, William's experienced lips broke purposefully away from Buffy's, this time moving along the right side of her jaw. Butterflies fluttered against the Slayer's neck in the form of kisses, travelling up her neck this time until the sensitive portions of her ear lobe were discovered.

Buffy let out another moan, nail-polished digits twirling in William's falsely blond yet silken hair, departing only to fiddle with the nape of his neck. His grip tightened momentarily, and Buffy's cranium fell back. Rotating her head to the right, eyelids quivering shut in contentment once again, Spike followed as she did so, painting kisses wherever he could find room. "William…" she whispered softly, head now ducking to lean against his left shoulder, resting happily despite the momentary loss of his lips.

"Goin' too fast for you, pet?" he asked cautiously, chest rumbling as his baritone voice was released.

"What?" Buffy's head lifted in that moment, eyes instantly locking with his. "No…" she immediately insisted. "I admit we kind of… skipped a few of the boring details, but… It's not too fast" she assured him, reaching up to plant a kiss on his chin. "But…" Buffy added, despite the infectiously warm smile William offered and her incredibly furious hormones. "I don't think it'd be smart to go much further than this… I mean, it's only our first date… and we still haven't been forced to deal with the many complications that often go along with facing the real world…" many dreaded thoughts were allowed to go unspoken during Buffy's plea… How long was William going to be in Sunnydale? Would he still want her even if he couldn't take her anywhere different for a date?

"Right…" Spike answered shortly, not knowing what to make of the many emotions Buffy didn't know were playing across her face. "Not a problem, love, I'll just…"

His nervousness must have spoken volumes to the Slayer. Before he could come up with some detour of an activity, his rapidly flexing lips had been caught once again. The meeting was different though this time. Buffy's mouth brushed his with tenderness instead of fervour, affection instead of long-deprived need. It was soft, warm, comforting. Instead of dazzling themselves with the texture of his hair, Buffy found her fingers content with lightly stroking William's jaw, able to feel the muscles as they worked in slow yet satisfying time with her own.

A contented sigh was all Spike could manage, though it spoke on the same level as any vocal sign of bliss, the breath spilling through his flared nostrils as he felt Buffy gradually concluding their romantic embrace. Emerald found cerulean as the pair once again let their eyes meet, lips no longer exploring each other.

I still want you… Buffy told her partner wordlessly. I still want to be yours

William nodded in understanding, pressing a final kiss against her forehead. Leaning into the couch's cushioned back, he maintained his hold on Buffy, loosening it only so that she could relax as well.

"Mm…" Buffy murmured, the right side of her face pillowed against one of Spike's accented pectorals. "Considering the fact that we've known each other for less than a week, I'd say this rates about a 10.9 on the First-Date-O-Meter," she said, a tired laugh laced within her exhalation.

"Glad you had fun, pet… Definitely one of the better outing's I've had in a long while" William agreed, not noticing that his index finger was now tracing random and lethargic patterns down the Slayer's arm.

"We should… do it again sometime" Buffy fought to remain conscious, the safety she felt in William's arms, combined with the strategic movements of his digits, was lulling her to sleep with every passing second.

"Hmm…" William also battled against unconsciousness as he concurred with Buffy's suggestion, his own cheek resting atop the crown of her head. "Luv, it's gettin' to be pretty late…" stating what was already obvious by Buffy's half-conscious condition, the peroxide-blonde gave her a light shake. "I think I'd best be headin' home… Ol' Ripper'll have my head if he knows I kept you up past ten o'clock on a school evenin'," he sighed with a partially joking smile, able to hear one of the lectures he had already become accustomed to receiving from his temporary guardian.

But judging from the simple fact that Buffy had now fully fallen asleep, it was too late for such a moral proposal. Ah well… Spike thought carelessly, throwing his head back in equal exhaustion. At the moment he was too content, too tired, and incredibly unwilling to disturb the blonde beauty as she slept upon his lap. He'd been close to girls before; but the partnership had always been more physical than personal.

Now, for the first time since he could remember, Spike felt as if true emotion was part of his relationship rather than simple physical attention. It didn't matter if she was agoraphobic; it didn't matter if her eager answering to his lips had simply been impulsive, because either way she had returned his affection. William wasn't completely sure why just yet, but he'd already decided to hold Buffy close to his heart until she suggested he do otherwise.

(Author's Note: Believe me, I realise just how long it's been since my last update on ANY of my fictions. But, hopefully the wait has been worth it; I really tried to make this chapter turn out just right. That said, I'd really appreciate reviews, mainly because I'm fairly insecure when it comes to my "ability" (note the quotation marks, lol), to write kissage scenes or whatever. So, yeah, I'll try to update more often, hope you enjoyed this, and please feel free to send in reviews!)