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: Pinky-blue-ice: I wrote 'da' cause I say 'da'. I lived in Edinburgh for over a decade. I know you say 'dad'. Also, thanks so much for the reviews, everyone. I'm going to turn on the angsty climax, soon, so try to enjoy what fluff I'm giving you now.

22. Bliss; Domestic and Otherwise

A low whistle escaped Tara as Will unlocked the door to his new home and let the girls in. "Wow," She breathed, taking in the high, domed ceiling of the foyer.

Willow, wide eyes echoing Tara's statement, nodded in unison. "You aren't one for the simple life, eh, Will?"

Grinning, Will held the door open for the girls as they walked past. Buffy walked in at the end and he closed the door, moving forwards to slip a muscled arm around her slim shoulders. "What can I say, ladies? Being with you has made my motto: Splurge, splurge, splurge." Tara rolled her eyes and moved towards the spiral stairs while Willow, with an unladylike snort, made for the adjoining sitting room.

Turning to Buffy, whose carefully blank face was looking upwards at the stained glass of the dome, Will asked, "Hey, luv." He tightened his hands around her waist and felt her hands imperceptibly moved upwards so as not to make any contact. Suppressing a sigh, he continued, "What do you think?"

A tight smiled appeared on her otherwise frozen face. "It's nice."

Fighting down his exasperation, Will joked, "Nice is what we call Red's food, pet; what do you really think?"

She maintained the same expression for a while, then, almost wearily, a slow smile spread its way on her soft, coral lips. "It's beautiful."

Smiling happily, Will softly kissed her neck.

But Buffy wasn't finished. "I hate it."

He froze and pulled back. Looking at her with a frown, he said, "What? But you said it's beautiful!"

Buffy shrugged a slim shoulder and pulled herself away from his embrace. Her tan dress that fit her like a second skin twirled around her calves as she walked to the lowest banister of the second stairway and looked up. "It is beautiful, but I don't have to love everything beautiful, now do I?"

Will, thoroughly confused, moved a step forwards, hesitant. "'Lizabeth... if this is about me moving out again, then—"

"Again?" She whirled around, her untied curtain of hair sparkling with the colored light that bounced off its golden sheen. "Again? The first time I started, you effectively silenced me with your lips and words; then, you efficiently dodged the subject for the next week and now, when you take me to your lovely home out of the blue and I say something about it, you go 'Again'!"

"Buffy, luv, I'm sorry!" He knew he'd burst out laughing but the glint in her hazel eyes told him he'd better not. "I know you don't want me to move out, but we have to deal with it, don't we? It was going to happen some day: we both knew tha'. And 'm not moving to another city, pet: we'll still be close! I'll still spend all my free time at your place and you can come here, too! Elizabeth, I'm still—"

"I'm scared."

Will frowned. He hadn't heard her, properly, too caught up in his own words. Now he stared at her back, trying to puzzle out what she'd said. It sounded an awful lot like... "I'm sorry, kitten; what'd you say?"

He watched intently, now, and noticed her shoulders stiffen, her back tense. When she spoke, his ears were focused on nothing but her. "I'm scared, William."

He smiled softly but erased it when she turned around. Her smoky eyes, done up with so much care, were in the danger of being wet by the tears that glittered in her eyes. Moving forwards, Will wrapped her wordlessly in his arms and stroked the top of her head. Buffy hooked her arms around his neck and cushioned her head on his hard chest, letting the tears flow silently.

They stood like that till Will, judging by the wet state of his shirt, thought she had quietened down a bit. Gently, he cupped her chin with a callused hand and turned her head upwards. Her eyes were doing that thing they did, again, changing color. They were now a clear light brown, laden with layers of tears, now stilled. Smiling with soft reassurance, he asked, "What're you scared of, Elizabeth?"

Buffy shuddered, taking in a deep breath. Swallowing, she said, shakily, "W-when Angel went to college, that first time, our relationship didn't work out. Then, last year, he g-got transferred to D.C. And th-that's when I knew. I knew then itself that it wouldn't work out! I should've told him, I know, b-but I wanted to work against the odds an-and look where it got me!"

Will looked at her sincerely and when he spoke, it was in a fiercely possessive tone. "In my arms. That's where it got you. Is that such a terrible thing?"

Buffy gulped and then sighed. "No," She said assertively, smashing a weak fist against his chest. She picked at a loose thread and said, not looking him in the eye, "It's just that distance... it scares me, Will. You've been so close to me and I-I don't want to lose you."

Will pulled her face up again. "Then you won't." And he dipped his head to give her a slow, searing kiss.

Buffy's hands, still around his neck, gave into the kiss and allowed his tongue to fall into place alongside hers. Buffy's moans were snuffed by the softness of his mouth on hers. Her hands automatically entangled in his tousled curls as she pulled him towards her, harder. One of Will's hands bunched up the stretchy fabric of her dress at the small of her waist and he was going to pull it up, slip in his hand and make love to Buffy on the stairs when Tara appeared on the other, spiral staircase.

"I say, Will," Tara said, unaware of how quickly the blonde couple moved apart on the other stairs, "It's huge! Four bedrooms! What will you do with all the..." She broke off when she saw the two of them, suspiciously far away from each other, Will scratching the back of his neck and Buffy a bright pink and candent. "Oh." She bit her lip. "Did I interrupt a major make-out fest?"

Both of them nodded, Buffy now turning scarlet.

Tara nodded, too. "Sorry. I'll go back up... Oh, and Buffy, don't worry. New houses make everyone want to... well, let's say, break into them by having sex." Curbing a smile, she went back up.

Eyes wide, Buffy was speechless and Will, laughing loudly, smacked her ass playfully and said, "Don't know about you, pet, but when you're around, everything makes me want to—"

"Oh, shut up."

An extremely bored Harmony snapped her gum loudly, prompting Keira to shoot her an irritated look as she dealt with a customer. With a cheeky grin, Harmony turned back to Vogue, her brow furrowing in concentration as she read. When the phone rang suddenly, she dropped her magazine and the champagne flute she was holding with a loud crash that turned the entire gallery towards her. She smiled apologetically, reaching for the phone as Joe whacked his own forehead.

"Anne Art Galleries. How may I help you?" She sloppily tried to clear up the mess but Joe moved forwards and moved her hands out of the way.

"Harmony? Is that you?" Harmony frowned at the voice. Somewhat recognizable, but not so much. Was it one of her...

"Yes?" She turned on the charm, full blast, batting her lashes at her desk.

"Hey. Is Buffy around?"

Harmony deflated like a flat tire. "No, she isn't." Her voice, now, had lost its sugariness and was curt and uptight. "May I take a message?"

"Damn," The man on the other end cursed. "Where is she? Cell phone not working, answering machine taking messages..."

"Do you really want to know?" Without waiting for an answer, she said, "She's out for a rendezvous with her new boyfriend while the fiancé she broke up with rots in God-knows-where. Okay, so what's your message?"

"Boyfriend? Buffy has a boyfriend?" The voice was incredulous, unbelieving.

Harmony frowned. "Yeah, why?"

"Who is he?" Suddenly, he turned businesslike and brusque.

"What business is it of yours? Only Angel should get to know this piece of information."

"Harmony," Angel said through gritted teeth, "Who the hell do you think you're speaking to!"

Harmony's eyes lit up in recognition. "Angel!" She exclaimed, attracting, again, the attention of everyone in the building. She lowered her voice and said, "Angel! Hey! Where're you?"

"Nowhere. Who's her boyfriend?"

Harmony sighed, knowing she wouldn't get a chance to flirt with this one, too. "William Giles. Some crazy Brit. Damn sexy, though... my, you should look at his cheekbones—"

"Harmony." Angel's voice was quiet, almost shocked. "I'll call you later, okay? Oh, and don't tell anyone about this conversation."

And, much to Harmony's agitation, he hung up.

A/N: Yeah, I know, this is a really short chapter. But don't worry; the next one will be up this weekend and it'll be longer. Promise!