Stay With Me

Summary: Buffy is using William for her own comfort
Rating: PG 13
Feedback: Pretty please with sugar on top? glitter_girl_msp@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: They aren't mine *sigh*
Timeframe: A/U Fantasy...about a week after Will You still love me tomorrow and
the night of their annual camping trip
Beta: Emi
A/N: Thank you to all who have reviewed this story, it's so much sadder than I
meant it to be *sigh*


She hadn't stayed since.

He figured they'd taken it a little too far, what with the actual sex an' all.

He'd called her and she'd seemed fine. Or as fine as she'd ever seemed these
days. Cold and silant and not all there.

Faking normality, avoiding questions with a flippant comment and a flick of her
hair.

She had done that today, in the corridor at school; he had grabbed her wrist:
"You don't have to lie to me"

And she just turned and walked away, lost to him in the blur of the masses.

^_^

Tonight was the night...

The annual camping trip.

He didn't know if she'd come, so outside the tent he sat, heedless of the rain
beginning to fall, chainsmoking.

He was nervous as hell. What did he do if she didn't turn up? What did he do if
she did?

And if she did appear, did he want to ruin the moment? It had always been kinda
special camping out in his backyard.

But things needed to be said.

He needed to apologise; what he had done was wrong. And he needed to drag her,
kicking and screaming, from the hole in which she had buried herself.
She needed to heal and he wanted to help her.


But then again, what if she never turned up at all?

^_^

He looked up and there she stood, soaked by the rain, eyes red from too many
tears shed.

"Will." A watery smile crossed her lips.

"Lizzie," he almost whispered; relieved by her arrival.

"Gimme a hug; you British @#%$!" She laughed and flung her wet self at him,
clinging on for dear life.

"I'm so glad you came," he whispered in her ear.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." She grinned, still not pulling away. "You
are the most important thing in the world to me right now and I've treated you
horribly." Tears are forming in her eyes and water drips off the end of her
nose.

"I've used you; you of all people," she continued, "my bestest friend ever." She
forces a grin as a tear rolls down her cheek; he wipes it away without a word.
"I didn't want to hurt you, I just wanted to shut mine up. I wanted to stop my
guilt from overwhelming me.

"Sssh, luv, it's ok..."

"But is not, and I'm not ok. I have to stop pretending; I can't carry on this
way, screaming inside and tearing myself apart. Tearing you apart..." The tears
come faster now. "I want it to stop; and I know it's all my own fault. I caused
this. I can't stop thing about her - it just seemed like a her y'know - what she
could have been and the more I do the more I want to crawl into a big black hole
and never leave. But I won't. I won't because of you. I want you to help me
through...will you stay with me?"

"You know I will." He smiled at her, fighting the tears himself now.

"Will, I love you."

"You too, pet."

"I don't just mean in a friend way, I'm falling in love with you. I know that
your love is one I can be sure of: everything you've done for me, I don't think
there's anyone else I'd rather be with. Plus you're kinda cute."

"You little minx!" He picked her up and spun her round, the rain falling around
their heads no longer a portent of doom but the refreshing of worlds.

A fresh start.

They kiss and it feels like the world will end. It blows their minds. So they
crawl in the tent, into each other's arms. They've got a long way to go.

But they've got more than a fighting chance.

*Stay With Me*

THE END