Work Text:
Drowning in Shoes
by Lilithangel
http://www.livejournal.com/users/lilithbint
William sighed as he stacked the boxes in the back of the shop. He hated having to work for a living but he didn't have a choice, not if he wanted out of this stupid town.
At least Ms Jenkins was alright to work for, even if she was obsessed with money.
"William," Ms Jenkins bustled into the back room, "Mrs Summers and her daughter are here, and you must go out there and do that thing you do to convince her to buy lots of shoes."
William hid his smile at the thought that Elizabeth was in the shop. She might never notice him as more than the shop boy but for a few minutes at least he could wrap his hand around her ankle and feel her warmth.
"Hello Mrs Summers, Elizabeth," he said to the two women out front, "you are both looking lovely today."
"Thank you, William," Mrs Summers smiled at the young man. Elizabeth didn't pay him any attention, her gaze fixed firmly on the array of merchandise in front of her.
"How may I assist you today?" he asked.
"Buffy needs shoes for the prom," Mrs Summers said, "I've brought a swatch of fabric to match." She pulled some fabric out of her bag. It was the most garish yellow he had ever seen but he had to assume it was the latest fashion.
"Does anything take your fancy?" William said to Buffy.
"I dunno," Buffy said without looking at him.
"What about those?" he pointed to a pair of black stilettos.
"Do you have them in a six?" she asked, batting her eyelashes at him.
"These are a six but..." William didn't know how to tell her that her feet were actually closer to a size sixteen and apparently getting larger as he watched.
"How about these?" He picked out a pair that he knew would go with the yellow as a distraction, even if they were twelve inches high with goldfish in the heels.
"Do you have them with puppies rather than goldfish?" Buffy asked.
"I'll check out back," he said. He stiffened when he saw Liam enter the store. The older boy was always trouble, especially for William. He didn't know what it was about Liam that put his hackles up but he couldn't be around the other boy without making a fool of himself. He tried to get to the back of the store before Liam saw him.
Liam liked to pick on him for working in a shoe store but he was used to the comments about that so he really couldn't put a finger on what it was about Liam that annoyed him so much.
"Hello shoe boy," Liam said, "got off on groping women's feet today?"
Oh yeah, that was it. The endless sexual innuendo that Liam seemed to think was hilarious. He rolled his eyes and continued walking determined not to be drawn into a fight as much as he wanted to. Ms Jenkins wouldn't appreciate the mess.
Out of the store, William was more than willing to front up and take Liam on. The other boy seemed to know that and always kept his harassment to places William couldn't retaliate in.
"So you don't get hot under the collar for the ladies then?" Liam had followed him into the back room, "wonder why? Don't they do it for you?"
William turned to confront Liam only to find they were face to face as Liam crowded his personal space. He hated that he had to tip his head to look into Liam's eyes and he knew that Liam knew that. He also appeared to be naked, but Liam hadn't noticed so he tried not to.
"I think you'd rather have your hands around my ankle, or somewhere else," Liam said with a leer, "I can always spot you queer boys."
"I think it sounds more like you've got the thing for me," William said defiantly, "the way you keep stalking me."
"I don't think you mind really, Willy," Liam said, moving in closer.
William froze as he felt his body starting to react to Liam's presence. He wasn't attracted to Liam. Liam was rude and obnoxious and a bloke, there was no way he fancied another bloke.
"Come on English," Liam purred, his lips almost brushing William's ear, "admit it, you know you want me. You want to kneel right here and now and rub your face in my groin and suck daddy's cock like a good little boy."
"Push off Irish," William said, refusing to touch Liam. Liam had no such concerns and his hand cupped William's groin. He leered at the hardness he found there.
"What are you boys doing?" Ms Jenkins' voice broke through the impasse and Liam stepped back.
"Just helping Willy with some shoes for Buffy, Ms Jenkins," Liam said, grabbing a pile of boxes and thrusting them into his hands.
"Let me help," she said, grabbing more boxes.
All of a sudden the room was full of people and they were all pilling boxes onto William. Lids were falling off and shoes started to topple out and suddenly the room was a giant red stiletto and he was sliding down into the toe with the stack of boxes following.
"Help me," he cried out as the shoes filled in above him. Looking up he could see Liam and Buffy and Mrs Summers and Ms Jenkins all watching him along with a pair of floating glasses, a grinning dog and two human sized cats. "I'm drowning in shoes," he yelled.
Spike's eyes flew open in horror. Why on earth would he dream he worked in a shoe store? The rest of the dream hadn't been so bad until the bit at the end, but a shoe store? That was the definition of a nightmare.
END