Author's Note: Whew! Here's chapter two. Thanks much to all the gals over on LJ, and especially Sadbhyl, for helping me work out the kinks in this chapter. This one's dedicated to you all! And hope you enjoy...

Dawn rolled her eyes in that way that only teenagers could, as if the entire world around them was too idiotic even to be worthy of the inevitable “whatever!” Completely disgusted, she turned from where her older brother and guardian still stood frozen in place by the car and turned to the welcoming committee.

“Hi, Liz!” she said cheerfully, finally attaching appropriate expressions to the face she’d only seen in pictures they’d sent back and forth. She promptly crouched down so that she was eye-to-eye with the two-year-old holding her mother’s hand. “And you must be Joycie,” she said in a sweet voice, holding out one hand to the little girl. “I’m your Aunt Dawnie. You remember, we’ve talked on the phone?”

“Dawnie!” Joyce squealed in delight, placing her little hand in the teenagers’.

“Wow, your pictures don’t do you justice,” Liz said with a smile, giving Dawn a quick hug.

“Crappy yearbook staff,” Dawn agreed with another roll of her eyes, “even if I was on it…”

Liz laughed. “Glad to finally meet you in person. Just to emphasize what a midget I really am.”

Dawn chuckled at that as well, standing half a head taller than the older woman. “Lucky for you, my brother’s a midget, too,” she countered.

“Hey!” William protested, speaking for the first time since he and Liz had first locked eyes. God, she was even more beautiful than he had remembered… “Still taller than you,” he shot back childishly.

Dawn rolled her eyes. “By about an inch,” she retorted, turning her attention back to Joyce and picking the little girl up with a delighted squeal. “And, earth to dumbas—bo,” Dawn hastily remembered to correct her language in the presence of the impressionable child. “Earth to Dumbo,” she repeated quickly as if she’d never meant to say anything else, “your girlfriend is waiting for you to kiss her.” Another roll of her eyes. “It’s no wonder you can’t get a date…” she mumbled to herself.

William seemed to snap to at that, and he approached Liz with a shy smile, holding out a hand to her. She took it eagerly and let him wrap her up in his strong embrace. “Been waiting for this ever since that day in the airport,” he whispered into her hair, savoring the scent of her floral shampoo.

“Me, too,” Liz agreed softly, fingers playing lazily with the soft hairs at the back of his neck. They were a dark brown, rather than Spike’s platinum, and Spike’s nasty eyebrow scar and all black ensemble were missing, but strangely Liz had started to picture Spike as looking like William lately, rather than the other way around.

William caught her chin gently and tilted it up so that their lips were only millimeters apart. There was a beseeching look in his eyes for a second, as if he was asking her permission, and then soft, full lips descended on hers.

Their kiss was gentle at first, that of two people getting to know each other’s responses fully. But then they began to grow more urgent. Liz pulled his head down to her, desperate for more, while William held her tightly about the waist, trapping her in his arms. Not like she had any desire to escape…

Their lips parted almost simultaneously, and relieved little moans escaped their lips when their tongues finally met. They began a slow, languid dance, stroking each other gently, exploring the cavern of the other’s mouth, until…

“Ahem,” Dawn’s voice cut in pointedly.

With a regretful sigh, they broke apart, Liz resting her head on William’s shoulder and savoring whatever touch she could get. After being separated by hundreds of miles, she’d come to revere every moment of contact she could get. The way William’s hands didn’t loosen their grip on her body in the slightest indicated all too clearly that he felt the same way.

“Just thought that maybe you’d want to consider the innocent minors present before doing the nasty right there on the sidewalk,” Dawn teased, gesturing to a clapping Joyce.

“Right,” William agreed before kneeling down and giving the toddler a smile. “You know who I am, kitten?” he whispered in a husky voice.

Wide-eyed, Joyce shook her head.

“I’m…” he began slowly, “gonna eat you all up!” he exclaimed.

Joyce giggled and ran around to hide behind Dawn while William pretended to ‘chase’ her. He finally caught the squealing ball of limbs after a few false grasps, and Joyce’s laughter just increased.

“Gotcha!” he proclaimed proudly, catching her on his knee. “And now I’m gonna eat you!”

“Eek!” Joyce proclaimed in delight, squealing and flapping her hands wildly as he buried his head against her stomach and shook it, tickling her. “Eee! Eee!”

He chuckled. “Aren’t you a sweet morsel?” he teased, fingers tickling her tummy one last time before he accepted the wide-armed hug the toddler offered him. “You know who I am now?”

“Will-yum!” Joyce exclaimed happily, latching onto him with all the enthusiasm of an over-amorous octopus.

Liz’s cheeks flushed, something deep within her stirring happily at seeing this man getting along so well with her daughter. Will: YUM! indeed…

“That’s my girl,” William agreed softly, still holding her to him as he rose to his feet.

Dawn rolled her eyes. “He is such a baby,” she informed Liz. “Wait ‘til he starts playing peek-a-boo. Even I got bored with it before he did. And I was three.”

William promptly stuck his tongue out at her, causing Joyce to laugh again and grab at it. “The’s gol my ongue!” he exclaimed.

Joyce just giggled and clapped some more, finally releasing his tongue, before she latched onto him even tighter.

“Aww…so cute,” Dawn teased.

Liz chuckled. “Why don’t we strong women-folk carry all the heavy bags inside, while the men stay back and take care of the children in the kitchen,” she teased, grateful to Joyce for being the perpetual icebreaker she always was.

“Think I’m complaining about not having to lug in those anvils Dawnie packed?” William countered, carrying Joyce into the house.

Dawn winced. “There are anvils,” she admitted to Liz apologetically.

“We’ll deal,” Liz grinned, grabbing the first bag Dawn had lifted from the trunk and tugging. “Christ!”

“Told ya,” Dawn said with a wink before grabbing her other monstrosity and following Liz inside.

“Big, strong women don’t need any help, I see,” William teased, watching them huff and puff as they lugged the suitcases down the hall to Liz’s apartment.

“Jerk,” Liz accused good-naturedly. “Where’s that super-Slayer strength when you need it?”

“You mean, like, in real life?” Dawn teased.

“Yeah,” Liz pouted, dropping the bag on her living room floor with a huff.

“I…uh…like your place,” William began casually, letting Joyce back down at her insistence.

She proceeded to toddle/run at frightening speed over to her room, making excited cooing sounds as she went.

Liz gave him a lopsided smile. “My place is a dump,” she informed him matter-of-factly.

He looked around at the threadbare carpet, the sagging couch back, and the various toys scattered dangerously about the room. “Yeah, but I felt like being polite,” he agreed with a wry grin.

Liz laughed and leaned in close, savoring the warmth of his arms as she tilted her lips upwards and…

“Will-yum!” Joyce exclaimed, tugging on his pant leg pointedly.

“Yeah, sweeting?” He gave Liz an apologetic smile and turned back to the toddler.

“You wanna see my room?” Joyce asked, cutest, most piteous look in the world on her face.

“Of course,” William assured her. He shrugged at Liz before being led away.

“You gonna hog William the entire time he’s here?” she inquired of Joyce, her tone joking.

Joyce paused where her little hand was persistently latched on to William’s leg and looked back at her mother. “Yup!” she nodded vigorously before completing her abduction of her mom’s boyfriend.

Dawn took that moment to return with the last of the bags. She released them, and they scattered around her with a clatter. “Oof,” Dawn groaned, stretching her neck. “Little hussy already snatched him away from you, huh?” she teased.

“Oh, I’m used to it,” Liz grinned. “After all, who could refuse a smile like that?” Joyce’s bubbling laughter rose from her room, followed by William’s deep, rumbling chuckle. “Besides,” Liz added with a wink, “tonight I get him all to my lonesome…for work, of course.”

Dawn snickered. “Darla wouldn’t give you the night off?”

“She’s evil,” Liz agreed with a grimace. “I just hope William doesn’t conk out halfway through.”

“But that was brilliant,” Dawn remembered with a giggle. “‘Oh, Buffy, I – snore…’”

Liz laughed at the memory and turned to the kitchen. “Any chance you’ll help me make dinner?” she inquired.

Dawn gulped. “Should I be staying at the dorm tonight, too?” she teased. “’Cause I’ve heard the stories about your cooking…”

Liz winked. “Don’t worry,” she said, holding up the phone receiver. “‘Helping’ consists of telling me what your brother likes on his pizza…”

“Oh, yes, yes, Spike,” Liz tried to sound as enthusiastic as possible while rolling her eyes in William’s direction. “Harder! Faster!”

William grinned back at her and ducked his head back into the bathroom, brushing his teeth as he began crude comments. “Fuck, baby…” *brush, brush, brush* “Squeeze your hot li’l titties…” *spit, rinse, spit* “Coat me with your dirty sex juices…”

Liz bit her tongue to keep from snickering and returned to her own secondary occupation of the night: Tomorrow’s Sunday crossword puzzle. “Oh, down!” she cried out. “Five-letter word for ‘hot’ – Spike!”

He made a gasping, snorting sound when he noticed what she was doing. She gave him a wicked grin in response and wrote in ‘fiery’ for five down. Now, if it had been seven letters, she would’ve been forced to put in ‘William’, just because.

In mock anger, he shook his toothbrush at her before retreating back into the bathroom, shouting out random obscenities into his headset.

Liz gulped. Whatever he had in mind for retaliation, she had no doubt it would be brutal.

Sure enough, it started out slowly… “Fuck, Slayer!” Spike’s accented voice started innocently enough. “Take my Johnson. Take two. Johnson and Johnson.”

She blinked in surprise. Andrew normally just wanted to hear William’s sexy Spike-voice. It was unusual that William was involving him directly in the action…

Andrew certainly didn’t seem to mind, though, and his moans increased in intensity.

“Aw yeah,” William continued in his strange amalgam of British accents, “reach so deep inside you, pet. You’re so wet, ‘s such an easy slide…”

Liz gasped and moaned, and then gave William an odd look when he emerged from the bathroom.

With nothing more than an enigmatic smile, he placed a small white box in front of her and poised his finger over the button of her ‘uh-uh’ tape.

Liz dared to look at the box…

And promptly burst into hysterics. William instantly hit the play button, cutting her uncontrollable laughter off from the call.

“Oh god, you’re warped!” Liz exclaimed, still giggling uncontrollably when William turned on his own tape as well.

He was chortling at his prank too, now, shoulders shaking with suppressed mirth.

Liz snatched up the dental floss and read the box once more:

She burst out into another fit of giggles. “Pervy dental floss?” she demanded.

“Lookit how dirty it is!” he retorted defensively.

Liz snorked before daring to turn on her phone once more, cutting off the persistent “uh-uh, fuck!”s. “Yeah, harder, baby,” she said, barely managing to keep from cracking up. “I’m ultra shred-resistant! Give it to me as hard as you can!”

Not to be one-upped, William promptly turned back to the line as well. “Oh, waxed so smooth, and all for me, baby!”

“Oh, floss me, you bad wicked vampire!”

Twin clicks as both ‘uh-uh’ tapes began again.

“‘Floss me’?” William gasped out between laughs. “That doesn’t even make any sense!”

“Fight that plaque, baby,” Liz retorted, catching him against her shoulder as he collapsed into uncontrollable fits of laughter. “Oh, so very tartar control!”

“S-Stop!” he stuttered out, struggling to quiet down his laughter enough to breathe.

Liz gave his shoulders a quick squeeze and brushed her lips across his forehead. “Gotcha,” she concluded proudly, still giggling lightly herself as she stroked the strong lines of his back, calming him down.

“Hmm…” he said noncommittally, suddenly noticing that he’d become wrapped up in her arms. He managed to look up at her with a very un-Spike-like shy smile, and his cheeks flushed.

Mmm, shy William, Liz’s body tingled, pressing another sweet kiss to his temple. “Let’s finish up this call right,” she suggested softly. “Get this shift over so we can go to bed…”

His eyelids fluttered shut at the images those words brought. “Yeah,” he agreed, voice sounding unnaturally husky as he reluctantly slipped free of her arms and returned to work. A quick exchange of nods and both ‘uh-uh’ tapes turned off.

“Oh god, Spike!” Liz gasped, breathing heavily into her mouthpiece.

“You feel so good…” William said with a ragged whisper, sticking his tongue out at her as he did so.

She gave him a good-natured scowl in response. “Y-Yes, I’m close!”

“I’m closer!”

She whapped him playfully on the shoulder. “I’m cuming!”

“With a ‘U’!” William agreed. “Love you, Buffy!” he cried out.

“I love you, too, Spike!” she agreed.

“I love you, too, Spike!” Andrew shouted out as well.

Liz made the most adorable face ever. “He loves you!” she wrote out on the edge of the newspaper between them. “It’s sooo cute!”

He rolled his eyes as the non-stop panting slowed down.

“W-Wow,” came Andrew’s shaky voice over the line. “That was a great session, guys! One of your best!”

Liz and William blinked at each other, and Liz dangled the box of dental floss before her with a grin.

William fought the urge to snicker. “Got two more minutes left,” he informed Andrew.

“I-I’m good for tonight,” the other man admitted shyly. “Take those as tip. Thanks again, guys!” A click at the other end of the line.

A moment’s stunned pause.

“Unbe-fucking-lievable,” William chuckled, shaking his head.

“Why can’t all customers be like that?” Liz sighed wistfully. “Nothing kinky. Just sweet and normal, and then nice big tips…”

“Think Spike might be fallin’ in love with him, too,” William teased.

Liz giggled at that. “Spike can do whatever he wants,” she concluded, dialing up Darla to sign them out for the evening. She gave him a coy smile. “But William’s mine.”

He gulped audibly at that, the stomach swirling in a mixture of excitement, trepidation, and just pure indecisiveness.

“Hey, Darla. Liz. We’re done for the night,” Liz said curtly into the phone. A pause. “Yup, no problems. Two hours tomorrow night?” She looked to William for affirmation. He nodded. “Right. Nine sharp. Good night.” She hung up and rose to her feet with a languid stretch. “Bed?” she suggested.

His Adam’s Apple bobbed up and down. “Y-Yeah…” he agreed, brushing his sweating palms off on his jeans as he rose.

Her cheeks pinkened slightly. “I-I mean,” she began to second-guess herself horribly, “Dawn took the futon in Joycie’s room, so the couch is still open if you don’t wanna… I mean… You know…”

“Uh…yeah,” he agreed nervously, scratching at the back of his neck. “If you want me… I mean…”

“If you wanna…”

“I mean, if you think it’s a good idea to…”

“It’s just, no pressure or anything…”

“Yeah, no pressure is good. Since, y’know…”

“So, if you want to…”

“I mean, if you do and…” He ducked his head shyly and blushed, taking a quick breath of air to try to calm his nerves.

It was all the time Liz needed to regain control of herself and make up her mind. “I really want to go to bed with you,” she said bluntly, cheeks flaming.

If possible he cheeks flushed darker. “Me, too,” he admitted hesitantly.

“I just, y’know… I’m pretty damn convinced that you’re not some psycho pretending to be someone you’re not, and…” She dared to lean in to brush her lips across his. “I get kind of lonely in that big bed by myself every night.”

He nodded. “Kinda been wanting to wake up next to you for a while now, too,” he admitted, breathing in the slight musk of her sweat.

“We don’t even have to…” she began slowly. “I mean, maybe we should wait until we’re really ready.”

He breathed a deep sigh of relief and graced her with a small smile. “Sounds like a good idea,” he agreed.

She gave him a dreamy smile. “But you’ll lie with me tonight?” she requested, heading in the direction of her bedroom.

“Yeah,” he agreed with a gulp, following after her.

Liz dug around under her covers until she found her pajamas. “You want me to…?” she inclined her head toward the bathroom.

“Sounds good,” he agreed, pulling a tattered t-shirt and boxer shorts from his bag.

“Be back soon,” she promised before retreating to the bathroom to get changed for bed and try not to crack up when she brushed her teeth. God, she couldn’t even look at the dental floss right now…

William shook his head and changed before crawling into bed. He took one quick moment to savor the smell of her that permeated the sheets before he lay his head down on the spare pillow and waited. He could hear her fussing about in the bathroom and the water running, and those sounds were strangely comforting. Domestic.

He wondered for an instant whether he was crazy not to be jumping her bones every second he could. She was beautiful and kind and funny and his best friend and… He lived in mortal fear of botching this up. She was the best thing he’d had in his life aside from Dawn since their mother died, and he didn’t want to make love to her just because it was the first convenient moment they’d had.

A sleepy smile crossed his face as he felt her weight on the mattress beside him. He hadn’t realized how close he’d come to dozing off during his thoughts. “Took this side,” he murmured, snuggling close up against her back. “Hope that’s all right.”

Liz turned towards him and rested her head comfortably in the crook of his neck, cuddling up close. “It’s fine,” she assured him. “Mmm, you’re warm,” she nuzzled up against him.

His arm slipped around her waist, holding her to him as they settled in for the night. “This feels good,” he admitted. “You feel good…” He yawned.

She yawned back. “You’re making me all drowsy,” she complained good-naturedly.

“It’s part of my evil scheme,” he teased lightly. “See, the mild-mannered English student with a side-career as a phone sex operator was all really a scam…”

“Oh, really?” she giggled.

“Yeah, ‘m really a James-Bond-style secret agent who just pretends to be an ordinary guy to lure women into my bed—”

“—Where you promptly cuddle them to death?” she teased.

“Exactly,” he chuckled.

“And Dawn?”

“She’s actually a genetically-enhanced super-hacker that works as my witty and spunky sidekick,” he joked.

Liz giggled. “Well, that’s OK then. Because I’m actually a supermodel who has to resort to phone and Internet dating in order to meet guys. The two-year-old kid is simply a ruse to lure more men in because they all want single moms with young kids and reject us poor, young models without a second glance.”

“Yeah, well, supermodels are brainless bodies,” he countered. “I’ll take the single mom act any day.” His lips brushed against her hair, and his eyelids fluttered shut.

She smiled softly. “Have I mentioned lately that you’re wonderful?” she whispered.

And got only soft, regular breathing in response.

She stroked his hair once and shut her eyes as well, joining him in sleep.

Completely wonderful…

More still to come, of course. And, yes, that is what it says on my box of dental floss, and once the naughtiness started glaring out at me, it just wouldn't go away. ~_^