The Road Home
Summary: AU; everyone's human. Buffy Summers dodges family and friends to escape her wedding and make it back home, single. But when she returns to L.A., she finds herself stuck with a grumpy, homeless roommate without who, she soon finds, home wouldn't be home at all.
Disclaimer: 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and all associated with it belongs to Mutant Enemy, Fox, Joss Whedon etc. I own squat.

A/N: Think of this as Part 2 of the previous chapter. Let me know what you think.

17. Breaking the Absent Ice

"Well, would you like to sit?"

He pulled out a chair and she eased into it with a grateful smile. "Thanks," she said.

Will waved it off. He was wearing black trousers with a white shirt, out of which he now fished a bottle opener. As Buffy watched, hands tucked under her chin, he pulled the cork out of the wine bottle with ease that comes from habit. "Here," He said, pouring her a glass across the table. As he did, he looked up at her as she watched the liquid fill her glass. He would've overflowed the glass if she hadn't said:

"Okay, William, that's enough now."

"Sorry," He said, laughingly pulling away the bottle. "I get caught up in your face."

Buffy's cheeks seemed to be on fire constantly, now. She smiled, too. She held his gaze for a while then dropped it, shyly. "What's for dinner?" She asked, ignoring his chuckle. "I'm starving."

"You can have me, if you'd like." Buffy looked up at his words and smirking, he uncovered the dishes. "Cold pasta, smoked chicken and orange salad, French baguettes and cake. That enough, ducks?"

She grinned. "More than enough."

As they dug into the food, Buffy asked, "So, you know Clem from college?"

Will nodded. "Yeah, used to drag 'im to galleries and bookstores while all he wanted to do was visit pet shops and restaurants."

Buffy giggled. "That's sad for him. When was college?"

He paused, spoon halfway to mouth, and cocked his head at her. "Why, Miss Summers—are you inquiring my age?"

She shook her head, eyes innocently wide. "Why, I wouldn't dream of it!"

He grinned. "That's good. Anyways," He shoved the pasta into his mouth and spoke after taking a swallow, "I graduated six years ago. So that makes me . . .?"

"Twenty eight?"

He grinned. "Close enough, pet. Actually," He leaned in and confided, "'m twenty seven."

Buffy frowned. "How is that . . .? Wait up. You finish school at seventeen. Law is for five years. So you graduated at twenty two, five years back. Right?"

"Wrong." Will said, tapping her nose with his fork. "I finished school at sixteen."

Buffy's eyes went wide. "What? How!"

Sipping his wine, Will said, "Well, Cinderella, I was such a good boy that they moved me up a grade."

Buffy stared at him. In the silence, the lapping of the water against the side of the boat could be heard. "You," Buffy said with some difficulty, "You were a good boy!"

He smiled nostalgically. "Yeah, tha' was before Cambridge corrupted me."

Buffy was silent for a long time after that. She spoke up again only when Will asked her a question.

"So, you went to PAFA?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah."

He looked at her, his gaze somewhat inscrutable, and said, "You met this poof there?"

Buffy frowned. "Who are you talking about?"

"Your fiancé, pet."

Buffy tensed. "No, not really," She said, picking up her wineglass and taking a big gulp. "He was my boyfriend in high school, then he left for college. We met years later and started dating again."

Will nodded, saying with a cheeky grin, "Puppy love."

Buffy whacked him defensively, but nodded. "Yeah, from where I am now, it was." She mused.

Will frowned. "Where are you right now?"

Almost in love with you. "Far away from that time."

He nodded. There was silence, during which she helped herself to more salad. He watched her, then asked, "I haven' seen your paintings."

"Come to the gallery sometime," She said distractedly.

"No, 'Lizabeth. I mean your paintings. What you've painted, pet." He explained patiently.

Buffy frowned at that. "Oh, that." She sighed. "I don't paint anymore."

Will frowned too at that. "What? When did this happen?"

"Oh, around a year back," She said dismissively.

He frowned at that. "Why?"

She shrugged. "Angel felt it was taking up too much of my time, that's all."

Will looked at her, disbelieving. "Wait. Let me get this straight." He rubbed his temples, then said, "This guy tells you that you shouldn't paint and you stop! What is wrong with him? Heck, what was wrong with you?"

Buffy's jaw tightened. She said nothing.

Will looked at her face and sighed. "'m sorry, 'Lizabeth. Shouldn't yell like that but, luv," He reached across the table and held her hand, "Why did you stop? Did he really have so much control over your life?"

Swallowing, Buffy shook her head. "He was practically perfect, Will. But when I paint, I have a tendency to lock myself in the attic and not come out for days, weeks. I think he was worried about me. At the time, my works were slipping in popularity, too. So I decided to take a break."

"A break." He echoed. "For how long?"

Buffy shrugged. "As long as it took."

"Took for what?"

"Me to get my inspiration back."

He smiled understandingly, and settled back into his seat. "I can understand that."

She frowned. "How?"

Will let out a deep breath. "I shouldn't tell you this—you'll never let me live it down. But see, I was a writer, a poet earlier."

Buffy's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah, till high school at least. Then I took up law."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Family tradition. Plus, my cousin brother took it too. Da didn't want him to be the only kid in the firm. Plus, 's not like my works had a future."

She bit her lip.

Will looked at her and asked, frankly, "'Lizabeth, why did you break off the engagement?"

Buffy shrugged. "I guess because I realized—finally, might I add—that we were too different."

Will said nothing to that. They'd finished dinner, so he put two pieces of chocolate cake on a plate and got up. Holding out a hand, he pulled Buffy up and walked over to where the huge cushions lay. He helped her sit and then walked over to the switchboard and put the lights off, but let the candles on the table stay lit. Peeking out of the cabin, he gave Clem a signal and the boat came to a gentle stop. Buffy watched him curiously, and asked, "What're you up to?"

He winked at her over his shoulder. "You'll see." He said, switching off the last light and then making his way to where she sat. Settling next to her, he pulled her to him and pointed upwards. "Look."

Buffy gasped loudly. Will grinned as her hands tightened around his. "Oh my god, Will, this is beautiful!"

He smiled up at the stars. "It is, isn't it?" He mused. "Now, can you see Ursa Major? The Great Bear?"

"Two different constellations?"

He chuckled. "No, pet. They're the same. Here, let me show you," He grabbed her hand, outstretching it upwards, holding it with his own. Pointing with his index finger and hers, he said, "Now, can you see that star? The one above that little cloud?"

"Yeah . . ."

"Good. Now go eastwards—no, luv, that's west. Eastwards—right. See that line of four stars? Think of that as the handle of a soup ladle. Now, go down, back to star #1 . . . yes, that one. Can you see the other two stars that make up the ladle, now?"

"Oh . . . yes, by god, I can! It looks like a ladle!"

Will suppressed a laugh. "That's right, luv. That's Ursa Major."

Buffy grinned, then turned towards Will and said, "Wow, it's so beautiful!"

Will smiled. "Yeah, it is," He agreed, looking at her.

Suddenly, Buffy was conscious of how close they were. She was sitting on his thighs, her hand resting on his which was wrapped across her waist. Her eyes dropped and she became aware of how close their mouths were. She swallowed and made a decision in her head. Buffy gently closed her eyes and leaned in towards him . . .

"Now, that there is Draco."

At his words, her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him, confused. But he wasn't looking at her. He was looking up at the stars, an odd smile on his face.

"It's supposed to be a snake. In Latin, Draco means both, snake and dragon. We've missed the lower part of it, which is better seen in May, but right here," He turned towards her, shadowed blue eyes meeting equally opaque hazel ones. His voice turned to a whisper as he said, "I have the two most beautiful stars in the world." Gently, his hand slipped up and ran along her eyelids.

Buffy shivered at the touch. His hand slipped from her eyes to stroke her cheek. She leaned into the touch, whispering, "Will . . ."

That broke all the self control he had been imposing. Will leaned forwards and captured Buffy's lips with his own. The kiss spoke of the passion he had for her as he urged her lips apart and she let him. His fingers slid into her hair and clutched at the silky strands holding her still, demanding a response that she was more than willing to give. His tongue slid along the length of hers, playing, dueling, dancing.

When the two broke apart for a breath, Will pressed his forehead against hers. He captured her chin with his hands, hands she wanted to feel all over her, and made her look up.

When he spoke, it was grimly. He said, "You can see a lot of Draco's upper half right now."

Laughingly, Buffy hit him on the chest and he, too, laughed. Leaning forwards again, he pressed his lips to hers in an exploratory caress. Soft and slow, he traced the shape of her mouth, his gentle, surveying caress making her shiver. When he pulled away, he planted kisses along her jaw and she let her hands entangle in his hair. He gently bit down on her earlobe and, as she cried out in pleasure, gave the same treatment to the side of her neck.

Buffy, too lost in feeling, forgot where she was, who she was with—She forgot everything except herself and Will. But when Will pulled away from her neck reluctantly, eyes dark with desire, and said regretfully, "Not now, luv. First date, and also, don't want to give Clem a free show," she came back down to earth with a bump.

Smiling, Will pulled her up into a sitting position. She wondered when she'd laid down. He sat her in his lap again and said, "Can you see that cluster there? Go upwards—that's the topmost star of Draco." When she looked up, he kissed her neck.

Buffy giggled and Will smiled.