Corruption by dampersandspoons

Chapter 26: Wayfaring Strangers

It hadn’t been pleasant in the mornings for William these past several weeks. Usually he would awaken to the sounds of the busy streets outside, car horns, shouting and music, not to mention the noise within the hotel. Vijay would be singing golden oldies to himself, Miranda’s heels would clack-clack-clack on the tiles and Hafeza would be grinding coriander seeds or whatever spices she was going to sell at Djemaa el Fna that day. Needless to say, no matter how drunk he’d gotten the night before, it was impossible to sleep in. He and Rupert shared the same irritation with the noise and would make a show of grumbling for a good hour while they drank coffee to wake up.

William was used to a tight schedule when he was a priest, a slave to routine. He’d get up at six a.m., exercise, pray, get dressed and organize his lessons for the day. It would continue the next morning, and the next, until Sundays arrived and his routine turned into a well-oiled machine filled with rituals and schedules and Hail Marys.

Leaving that behind blessed him with laziness. It had taken some time to adjust when he and Buffy were together over the holidays, but he’d managed. For a few months now, William had absolutely no obligations. He walked the streets of Morocco, purchased things he didn’t need, ate food he’d never even heard of, and drank himself into a stupor every evening. These rituals were slowly replacing his old ones and had it not been for Buffy’s phone call, he shuddered to think of what sort of person he might have become. There was still plenty of room for error, though, because now he had Buffy to think about. Her future, as well as his, he had no doubt rested upon his shoulders. He often thought about what their lives would be like when he returned to her in the summer after she graduated. He wondered if she wanted to go to college, where they’d live, if she’d even live with him or want to. Those what ifs were suddenly thrust into the present and they would have a lot to talk about. But not until later, not until he got his fill of his girl and sated every inch of him that had missed her for so long.

It was too bad he passed out, though. After the hell he’d been through the previous day and a half, it was no surprise that he’d slept almost ten hours. There was no noise to wake him, no annoying clacking of heels or singing. He woke because he was well rested. His sleeping schedule had been way off kilter and the California sun had set hours before. Of course, this meant that Buffy had given up waiting on him and had fallen asleep herself.

William rolled over on his side and looked at her lying beside him. She’d changed out of the t-shirt and jeans she was wearing. He hummed softly at what she was wearing now, which was only a pair of panties. He felt bad that she probably had tried waking him, and he’d missed it, and she was so sexy and gorgeous that he had to run his hand down her side and feel her soft skin. He sighed with a smile on his face, so happy that he was finally here with her, even if she was asleep. But he knew just how to wake her up. He’d done it so many times before, always amazed with how much he got away with before she opened her eyes.

God, he was already hard just anticipating touching her. It had been so long. He pulled off his shirt, slid out of his trousers and rolled onto his side once more to pull her flush against his body. That first contact with her bare flesh sent tingles down his spine and he hissed in pleasure, biting his lip as if she could see it and wiggled his toes in delight. Though he’d never forget the color of her nipples or the way she tasted when he was buried between her thighs, it would be things like this that made him weep with longing when he was gone. He’d missed this, just holding her against him, feeling her breath on his neck and her warmth. Those last few days in Morocco had been the worst, because he was starting to believe that he’d never have this with her again, that she didn’t want him any more.

“I love you,” he whispered on her forehead just before he kissed it. Oh, she smelled good, so he let his nose linger along her hairline for a minute before he lowered his mouth to her cheeks and then her neck, placing soft kisses there, humming sweetly with each one.

He gently rolled her onto her back and propped his head up on one elbow so he could look at her properly while his free hand traced her sternum down to her navel. She was so thin he could see the outline of her ribcage. It disturbed him that she went without eating when she was upset and the sight of her malnourishment made him feel guilty all over again. He remembered when the she’d done the same thing so many months ago when he tried to end things once and for all. How sad she’d been and how monstrous he felt for ever having touched her. That felt so long ago now. He should have been here with her, should have taken care of her, should never have let any of this happen. William would never leave her again.

He kissed her, done with attempting to wake her like he used to and just wanting to feel her lips, wanting her up and aware that he was here with her now. That he loved her. It took only a second and she inhaled sharply before sighing sweetly and returning his kiss.

“Look who decided to wake up,” she teased, expecting to see his smile but was instead met with his serious expression. “What is it?”

He shook his head and ran his fingertips along her cheek and into her hair. “I just missed you.”

They were silent as he continued to caress her face. William seemed upset. His entire body was tense as he touched her and he looked so sad. Buffy wondered if he was still unsure of her feelings, having no reassurance whatsoever in the time he was away. She placed her hand over his to draw his attention to her. She looked up at him and swallowed, deciding that now was as good a time as any. “William?”

“Hmm?”

“I have something to tell you and if you say that I don’t know what I’m talking about I’m going to be really angry.” One corner of his mouth lifted and she figured, if nothing else, she’d succeeded in making him smile.

“Ok.” He propped his head up on his fist to look down at her, his smile increasing when she started chewing on her lip. She was nervous so he remained silent and gave her his undivided attention.

“I wanted to tell you before you left but I knew you’d think I was just saying it out of obligation or something.” She sighed and rolled her eyes at his bright smile. “You already know, don’t you?”

He shrugged casually but was unable to hide his grin. “I have no idea what you could possibly have to say to me.”

She let out a whine and rolled onto her side to face him, burying her head beneath his. “Yes, you do.”

His entire body was buzzing with warmth and he kissed the top of her head, holding her close against him. “Tell me,” he whispered, raking his fingers through her hair.

She pulled back a bit to look him in the eyes and her nerves left the instant she did. She’d never seen him so happy before, so relaxed and hopeful and beautiful and the feeling was contagious. She smiled and said, “I love you, William.”

She witnessed the instant his eyes glistened with unshed tears before she was smothered with William’s lips. The sounds of his grateful moaning made her coo and then she giggled as he kissed her face like a humming bird, diving in to peck at her cheeks and lips.

“Love you, love you, love you,” he said over and over again as he rolled on top of her.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get my letters,” she said breathlessly as he raised her arms over her head and settled between her legs.

“No talking.” He smiled wickedly and leaned down to press his lips against hers.

“No talking?” Oh, she’d missed him so much.

“No, ma’am. The only thing you need to say for the next several hours is my name or those beautiful words you just said a moment ago.” He kissed her neck and cupped her breasts, grumbling in appreciation.

“I might say a bit more than that,” she said, moaning when he pinched her nipples.

“I have no doubt there will be an ‘oh God’ thrown in there somewhere.” He smiled and slid down to draw a nipple into his mouth, never taking his eyes off of hers.

“Mmm. Probably.”

Her hands were in his hair as he flicked his tongue over her nipple, then the other one. It was a lot floppier than usual and it tickled her breasts as he moved back and forth between them. His thumbs hooked into the waistband of her panties and then they were gone, slid down her thighs in an instant. He spread her legs, looking at her with hooded eyes and he chuckled silkily, dragging his hands down the insides of her thighs as he sat between them on his knees.

“Oh, you pretty thing.”

“I thought you said no talking,” she teased, the pitch of her voice going up the closer his hands neared her center.

“That was a silly rule.” His pointer and middle finger grazed her folds and he sucked his bottom lip in his mouth when she moaned. “You know how hard it is for me to shut up.” He did it once more, slower this time, spreading her open for him and he kissed the side of her knee.

“Are you seriously going to tease me after I’ve waited all this-OH!” His mouth latched onto her clit and his fingers slid inside her and her back arched off the bed. He’d taken her by surprise, shocked her to the core with a multitude of sensations, reminding her body who it belonged to. And it absolutely belonged to him for the way he knew it inside and out. It was as if all her fears and worries were melting away on his tongue. She’d forgotten about this, forgotten how it felt to have him make love to her with his mouth. While she could conjure up the image of his wrinkled brow as he looked up at her with mischievous eyes, right before his tongue twirled expertly around her clit, she couldn’t reenact the feel of his breath on her skin or the sound of his voice as he mumbled sweet nothings into her wet flesh. The image had soothed her on lonely nights but nothing would compare to the reality of William and the way he loved her.

“God, I missed you, love,” he said, panting as his fingers pumped inside her.

She was speechless, too wrapped up in sensation to do anything but stare at him with wide, glassy eyes, her mouth open as she heaved gulps of air. He smiled proudly at her. “Feel good?”

She nodded, raising one hand to touch his face but didn’t quite make it and dropped it on the mattress as she howled in pleasure. He’d sucked her clit into his mouth once more and she started laughing and moaning blissfully. It wasn’t long before she was coming and he tossed her legs over his shoulders as he amorously supped from her.

“One more,” he begged, gently stroking her tender clit with his tongue.

“No. Want you.”

“But that was too fast.” He turned his head to the side, kissing her folds. “Not done with this puss yet.”

“Please, William?” She ran her fingers through his hair.

“Well, I suppose,” he said teasingly as he crawled over her.

She wrapped her hand around his cock, smiling up at him when he moaned and dropped his forehead against hers. She traced his lips with the tip of her tongue and kissed him, her taste on his lips heightening her returned arousal. He batted her hand away and slid inside her, unable to wait any longer, and they both cried out softly. His body fell slack atop hers as he adjusted to the feel of being inside her, letting his body relearn the sensation of being enveloped in something so tight and warm. She suffered the same predicament, as if she’d been injected with a drug that seemed to slow everything down. Their movements were liquid, sluggish and unhurried as he dragged his cock out of her snug entrance. He looked at her then, stroking the side of her face as he thrust back inside her and she didn’t ever want to leave this bed.

“I do, William. I love you.”

The sweet smile he gave her almost made her cry and the feel of him inside of her pushed it over the edge. She wasn’t crying out of sadness or fear, it was out of completion, relief that he was with her, that she wouldn’t have to worry about what would happen between them. She loved him and he came for her. He dropped everything to come to her and she couldn’t stop the tears from flowing, no matter how many times he wiped them away.

“I’m here, love. I’m never leaving.” He cemented his words with a tender kiss that would have made her knees weak if she’d been standing. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, sighing into his mouth when he slid his arms beneath her in a tight embrace. He never moved any faster, wanting to prolong their pleasure for as long as he could. But William often underestimated his talents because even at a leisurely pace, the grinding of his hips and the upward thrust of his cock was hitting her in all the right places.

“Oh, William,” she said, pulling her mouth away from his as her climax built. He nibbled on her neck, exhaling thickly when she squeezed him from the inside. He moved a bit faster, tilting his head down to watch his cock pumping in and out and soon he was unable to keep going at that pace. He kissed her and bounced his hips over hers, their flesh smacking against each other, and Buffy felt everything tighten from her neck to the balls of her feet. He must have sensed it because he pivoted his hips in the way she absolutely loved and she dug her nails into his back as she called his name with her release.

“Love you, oh, I love you.” His voice was as strained as his neck while he brought the both of them to the brink. He came inside of her right as her walls clamped down on his shaft in an iron grip. She quaked beneath him and he peppered her face and neck with moist kisses until he collapsed with a final jerk of his hips.

He kissed her so reverently, so softly, and she felt it in her bones how much he loved her. She only hoped he knew that she felt the same way.

“Don’t you dare move,” she said, trailing her fingers up his spine when he pulled his mouth away from hers.

“Can’t.”

“Good.”

“Fuck, baby. Might have to leave for another two months again if that’s how we do it when I get back.”

“You better not.”

“Twist my arm.”

“I’ll twist something.”

“Oh, naughty.”

“I’m glad you’re home, William.”

“Me too, kitten. Now give me those lips of yours. Not done with you.”

It was a few hours later that they finally got out of bed and showered for the day. Buffy was prepared for a long day spent relaxing and fucking and lounging in the hotel room. Maybe they’d get in the hot tub together or make love on the balcony. Dressed in nothing but her robe, she plopped down on the chaise lounge with a happy sigh while she waited for him to finish up in the bathroom. He emerged a few minutes later and bustled about the room, putting on pants and applying deodorant and she frowned at him.

“Why are you putting on clothes?”

He smiled at her and dropped his suitcase on the bed and unzipped it. “Because it’s time to go.” He flipped the suitcase open and pulled out a shirt, sniffed it, shrugged, and then slipped it on.

“What do you mean? We aren’t staying here?”

He chuckled and fastened his watch around his wrist. “Not made of money, love. This hotel is expensive and I already dropped a few grand just getting here. Come on, get your cute ass up and get dressed.”

Her bottom lip jutted out in thought. “So, we’re going to a cheaper hotel then?”

He sighed and turned to face her, still smiling. “We’re going to stay at my dad’s house.”

She stood up and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Oh.”

“Is…that ok?”

“Well, I just thought…I don’t know. I thought we’d, y’know, stay in bed all day and—”

“Buffy.” He walked over to her and smoothed his hands down her hair until he reached her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. “I love you.” He kissed her. “But we can’t stay here. Check out time is at noon and I can’t rationalize spending that much money for another night when we can stay at my father’s for free, indefinitely. He won’t even be there if that’s what you’re worried about.” He turned back around to rummage through his bag and she stood motionless, letting everything sink in. “Aren’t you tired of living out of a suitcase? You’ve been here a couple of days now.”

“I guess.”

He shook out some aftershave onto his palms and patted his freshly shaved cheeks with it, turning to face her once more. “You have to tell me what’s wrong, Buffy. I can’t read your mind.” He pulled out his comb and slicked it through his wet hair, letting his eyes travel over her as if he might discover the secret to her distress.

“Don’t worry about it.” She forced a smile and walked to the closet to retrieve her clothes, all of which were hanging neatly as if she’d lived there for months. She didn’t want to have an argument, especially when there was nothing for her to be mad at him for. He’d call her immature if she told him and she didn’t want to hear it. She was happy he was back and that’s what she should focus on, not her personal hang-ups that went further back than she was wanted to admit.

She felt his arms slide around her waist as he came up behind her and she sagged in his arms.

“Did I do something wrong?” he muttered, hooking his chin over her shoulder.

She placed her hands over his and leaned into him. “No. You’ve been wonderful and I’m upset about something that has nothing to do with you. So don’t worry about it.”

“Well, I will worry about it.” He turned her to face him. “Talk to me, Buffy.”

She sighed and looked at the ground, taking a moment to collect her thoughts, if she could even put it into words. “Do you feel out of place?”

His head jerked back a bit as he considered her words. “What do you mean?”

“Well…when you left the church. Did you feel like everything was sort of…out of whack?”

He inhaled slowly and shoved his hands in his pockets as he thought it over. “Well, I suppose, yeah…mostly thought about you, though. I was a mess, but I figured it had to do with being away from you. But I guess it has felt a little off since then, yeah.”

“Like you have to relearn everything? Or that everything is inverted somehow, like, it’s lopsided?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “I see what you mean. Like you sort of have to rediscover everything in a new way. Why?”

“Are you afraid?”

He smiled warmly at her. “Not at all. I’ve got you, don’t I?” His hand was already in her hair, his thumb stroking her cheek in a comforting gesture.

She returned his smile with one of her own, softly laughing at how simple he’d made everything with what he’d just said. “You’re right. I love you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

“Not complaining that I’ve apparently won an argument I didn’t know we just had, but…what was that about?”

She looked into his open, blue eyes and knew he deserved an answer. “I’ve spent my whole life sleeping in borrowed beds and hotel rooms. My parents had a house I only saw a month out of every year. St. Mary’s wasn’t any different. Shared space with someone else, living out of a trunk and a tiny closet, limited hot water. I guess it’s just…well, it’s home. I’m used to the instability in a weird way. And I know you think I’m immature and that I don’t know anything but staying with you outside of my comfort zone is really scary. I don’t know what to do now and…”

She stopped when she felt her emotions bubbling in her throat and she didn’t want to cry, not when he was looking at her like that, as if he’d done something wrong, as if her problems belonged to him or were his responsibility. She wouldn’t do that to him, not when he was willing to listen and understand. Not when he was listening to her in a way she never thought he would. She wished she’d opened up to him this way more often. Perhaps admitting out loud that she loved him gave her the trust she needed, the last little shove towards letting him in. But he was taking blame and she had to put an end to it. “William—”

“I don’t think you’re immature.” There was no accusation in his tone. He almost sounded heartbroken and if she hadn’t been standing as close to him as she was then, she probably wouldn’t have even heard him.

“I didn’t mean—”

“Buffy, I…there are so many things I want to say to you. So many things I wish I could change but I can’t.”

“I don’t want you to change anything.” She cupped his face and forced him to look at her. “I don’t want you to be upset over this. This is my problem.”

“No, it’s our problem, Buffy. I want you to tell me these things so I can help you, so I can…God, just so that I can be with you. Don’t you understand that? Everything I have is yours. Everything. And I want all of you. All the things you think I don’t want to hear about. I want them.”

“Ok.” She gave him a watery smile and he sighed.

“I wish I could smack your parents around for forcing you to live the life you have.”

She giggled and held him close. “I know. Your violence speaks volumes for how much you love me.”

“We’ll work it all out, I promise. Whatever you want.”

“Ok.” She smiled against his shoulder as he rocked them from side to side.

“As long as it somehow involves you getting a high school diploma or a G.E.D.”

She groaned and pulled out of his embrace. “Whatever, Dad.”

“That’s not funny.”

She smiled as she pulled her clothes off of the hangers in the closet.

“Do you really think…Buffy, look at me.”

She swallowed her laughter, unable to turn around or else he’d see her mirth and he was really angry, which was hilarious to her. “Don’t tell me what to do. You’re not my real father!”

He must have heard the smile in her voice because he slapped her hard on the ass and she turned around with a gasp. “How dare you!”

He checked his watch. It was only ten. “You better take that robe off or you’ll get another.”

“Is that a promise?” She slid her hands down the length of the tie around her waist and batted her eyelashes coquettishly.

“No, it’s an order.” He pulled his shirt off and leered at her as she slowly untied her robe.

It was good to be back home.

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