Chapter Seven

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think this was planned so you wouldn’t have to help me pack and move…”

Giles looked at her, dropping a blood pouch into a mug and pouring water from the kettle over it.  “What makes you say that?”

“The fact that the last time you agreed to help me pack and move, you…did exactly the opposite.  Leaning against walls, watching everyone else chip in.  Directing where boxes should go, but not really all that interested in moving them yourself.”

He laughed then, a loud genuine laugh that she couldn’t help but grin at.  “Ah…yes, well.  While I will admit that I found such tasks extremely difficult with the likes of Xander, Anya, and…Riley  –  Xander has matured, somewhat, and this is a much different move.”

He lifted his hand, gently caressing her cheek.  “And if Gerris hadn’t called requesting an urgent meeting regarding their decision, I would happily pack everything myself.  This…is a move I’ve been secretly wanting for a very long time.”

“Me too.”  She admitted, nuzzling his palm.  “You feeling okay about it all?  Do you want me to stay?”

“Yes, I do want you to stay – but, how is that going to look?  Watcher on the Slayer’s lead?  Slayer keeps the vampire in line?”

Her eyes widened as she looked up at him.  “Is that how I make you feel?”

“No, not at all.”  He replied, reassuringly.  “But, I need to see that they’re alright with me…on my own.  And they need to see that I can be trusted without you standing behind me.  Do you understand?”

“Yeah, I just…”  She sighed heavily, turning her head slightly to place a kiss in his palm.  “If I come home to a pile of ash…”

“You won’t, love.  They have a bit more self-preservation than that would entail.”  He offered her a smile, his thumb lightly stroking her chin as he tilted her face upwards.  “I’ll be fine.”

“But, you’ll call me afterwards?”

“Of course, I will.” 

She nodded, sliding her arms around him.  He lowered his mouth to hers, teasing her into a deep kiss.

* * *

Giles led the four remaining Board members down the hall towards the study.  They followed without question, happily chatting amongst themselves. 

“How has Anuwat been doing?”  He asked, gesturing towards the table that he, Buffy, Willow, and Xander often used for research purposes. 

They each took a seat and Gerris – who had been nominated as new Head Board Member – replied.  “He’s done an amazing job.  But…he’s not you.”

Giles sat down, folding his hands on the tabletop.  “I must say, I wasn’t expecting you to reach a decision this quickly.  You haven’t even filled the vacant spot on the Board yet.”

“A fifth vote wasn’t required.  It was unanimous – we want you at the helm, Rupert.”

Giles nodded, but concern shone clearly on his face.  “I know that no one left with Blaketon, but…there must be some reservations in the organisation.”

“Of course, there are.”  Gerris admitted.  “But, there were reservations before you were turned.  There will always be reservations, no matter who is Head.  But, the Board has the final say in this.  And we say, you’re the person to lead this organisation, vampire or not.  Well…if you didn’t have your soul, we obviously wouldn’t have voted this way.”

“If I didn’t have a soul, chances are high that every single one of you would be dead now.”  He replied seriously. 

“We’ve spoken to Lottie.”  Foxe said, redirecting the conversation.  “She’s agreed to assist us in ascertaining the best way to sort this out.  We very obviously can’t abolish the vampire bar – and we can’t implement a clause stating that souled vampires are permitted.  That would allow Angel and Spike access.”

“Fuck that.”  Giles mumbled, eyes briefly glowing amber. 

Foxe cleared his throat, barely able to hide his amusement at Giles’ reaction.  “Yes, well.  We need to devise a way to allow you access.  There are a couple of ideas that we had regarding this.”

“And those would be?”  Giles prompted. 

“We could implant a – ”

“No one is implanting anything anywhere in my body.”  Giles interrupted swiftly.  “That is not a fucking option.”

Foxe gave him a quick nod.  “Lottie had much the same sentiment.  We had thought a spell, but spells can have counter spells and…well, it’s not ideal.”

“What did you come up with?”

“We’re going to have the Charter rewritten.” 

Giles’ eyes widened.  “That…is a big undertaking.  It’s not as simple as writing ‘Rupert Edmund Giles has been given access once he was turned’.  This can’t be addressed with an amendment.  This is…a full rewriting.”

“We’re currently researching the correct routes we need to take.  The new Charter will take some time, but before we begin – are you amenable to continuing as Head?  And do you endorse this proposal?”

Giles allowed his gaze to fall over each of the Board members.  “You’re all in agreement with this?”

They all nodded.  Gerris spoke. 

“It’s the only way we can see that it will work – without tempting fate and taking risks.  We aren’t taking this decision lightly.  However, you are imperative to the Council.  This is evidenced by the measures that were taken when you were a child.  Those must not be discounted.”

Giles pushed his chair back and stood, slipping his right hand into his pocket as he began to pace.  He thought for a long moment, pacing as he scratched the back of his head.  They watched him, back and forth, controlled measures…and then they all sat straight when he paused and looked at them again. 

“Yes, I do want to remain Head.”  He admitted softly.  “There are still so many things to be done.”

Gerris smiled in relief and stood up, followed by the other three.  “In that case…shall we have a drink and then get started on research?”

Giles returned his smile and gave him a nod, extending his hand towards him.  Gerris clasped his hand between both of his and shook firmly. 

* * *

Buffy glanced at the clock, then picked up the phone on the third ring.  “Well, that took longer than I expected.  How did it go?”

“They want me to stay.”  He said, a slight slur in his tone.  “I’ve agreed…research is beginning, steps will be taken.”

She narrowed her eyes.  “Are you drunk?”

He chuckled softly.  “Ah…little bit.  It’s customary to have a few drinks to seal a deal of this magnitude.”

She laughed softly and placed a picture frame into a box.  “So, what are they going to do?”

“Oh…far too convoluted and complex to explain over the phone when I’m…tipsy.  Suffice to say…everything is going to be fine and the Board is going above and beyond to ensure my safety.”  He took another sip from the tumbler in his hand and lowered his voice slightly.  “Would you like me to come?”

She snorted, cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder as she closed a full box.  “Um…one, you’re drunk.”

“Tipsy…”

“Whatever.  Two, I don’t even need to see your eyes to know that they’re not green right now.”

“Buffy…”

“We’ve got two more rooms to pack and then I’ll be done…”

“And then you’ll come home?”  He asked, not even bothering to attempt to conceal his desire.

“Jesus…”  She murmured, nearly dropping the phone.  “Yes.”

“Okay.  I’ll wait for you.”  He grinned, walking back over to the liquor cabinet.

“I’m really glad that the Board ruled in your favour, Giles.”  She said, her smile evident in her voice.  “Can we celebrate when I get home?”

“Ah…fuck, yes.”  He murmured, closing his eyes briefly.  “We can most definitely celebrate.  I’ll relax until then.”

She smiled, looking up as Willow walked into the room.  “Okay…I’m gonna go finish up…and then I’ll be home soon.  I love you.”

“Love you, too.”  His voice thick with passion. 

He smiled as she quickly disconnected the line.  He picked up the bottle of scotch and started to pour a glass.  Then his eyes fell on a nearly forgotten bottle behind the rum. 

“Ah…hello, there.”

He put the scotch back and reached for the tequila.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

True to her word, she was home within just a couple of hours after their phone call.  He had pulled her into his arms as soon as she walked into the study.  And it was mere seconds after he had whispered a thick “hello, love” that he covered her mouth with his.

She sucked his tongue hungrily when he pushed it into her mouth.  Tasting tequila and heat, her brow furrowed slightly and she reluctantly pulled from his kiss.  He had already pushed her jeans and underwear down to her thighs and had easily lifted her, placing her on the table. 

“Giles…”

“Mm?”  He murmured, sliding his mouth along her collarbone and then pausing noticeably at her neck. 

“You’re drunk…”

“Already established that, love.”  He murmured against her skin.

“I mean…tequila – you were drinking to get drunk, not drinking to relax.”  She waited until he lifted his head, staring at her through amber eyes.  “What’s wrong?”

“I’m still Head.”  He grinned, eyes darting to her chest as he quickly pulled the buttons of her blouse free. “Thousands of people in an organisation bound by duty to kill beings like me…still trust me to lead them.”

“There are no other beings like you, Giles.”  She whispered, shivering as he cupped her left breast and ran his thumb over her nipple. 

“Semantics, Buffy.  I’m still a vampire.  And they trust me.”

She nodded slowly, watching him unbuckle his belt as he shifted between her thighs.  “So...drunk celebrations?  On your own?”

“Not really sure ‘bout that.”  He said, licking his lips.  “Maybe it ended up that way, but started out completely in another place.  They trust me, you trust me…and yet, I don’t trust me.”

He paused, tilting his head and placing his free hand on her thigh.  “You do trust me?”

“You know I do.”

He stared at her for a long moment, releasing her breast and lowering that hand to her other thigh.  He carefully pushed them wider, opening her up further.  His nostrils flared, his eyes lightened – she felt her heartrate rise – a reaction she fully expected.  After all, she understood what the color meant…the higher his arousal in vampire form, the lighter his eyes became.  His fangs peeked out from behind his lips.

“Do you still trust me?”  He nearly purred, his hands sliding along her thighs until his thumbs rested in her soft curls. 

She nodded slowly, unable to trust her voice not to squeak embarrassingly. 

“If I were to kneel here, bury my face between your thighs, allow my tongue to do what it’s been begging to do since I woke up…”  The tip of his tongue touched his upper lip, causing her to moan softly.  “Would you trust me to taste only your juices and not your blood?  Do you have that much faith in my control over this demon who simply wants to devour you until you’re screaming my name, holding me tightly against you as you flood my mouth when you come?”

“Oh, fuck…Giles…”

“Fucking will come later.  I’m hungry, Buffy.  Please…do you trust me?”

“Yes.”  She groaned, swallowing hard as she wrapped her right hand around the back of his neck and kissed him with an ardor that caught him by surprise in his drunken state.

He allowed the kiss to continue for a few moments before he stumbled back a step and grinned.  She watched as he dropped to his knees in front of her, his eyes gazing into hers as he ran his tongue along her inner thigh. 

She trembled impatiently and laughter shone in his eyes. 

And then he was there, the tip of his nose nuzzling her curls as his thumbs parted her lips.  The laughter in his eyes had gone…replaced by desire and lust – and a silent request for permission to proceed.  She ran her fingers through his hair, fingertips trembling against his scalp.

“Please don’t stop now, Ru…”  She whispered.  “Please…”

He took a moment to steady himself – and then his tongue touched her sensitive flesh.  She gasped, he growled – and then pulled her closer to the edge of the table, lifting her legs over his shoulders.  His tongue traced every fold that he knew by heart – he even knew which areas were sure to send her spiralling within seconds. 

He’d researched this for years.  And vampire senses were even more aware of the tiniest tremors in her flesh. 

He continued licking her gently, watching her as she tilted her head back and closed her eyes in pleasure.  And then he pushed his tongue into her and she fell back onto the table and cried out his name.  His hands opened her thighs wider, his nasal passages nearly overdosing on her scent as he fucked her with his tongue – the muscle thrusting, twisting, tasting.  The gentleness was quickly overcome by the desire to bring her to orgasm…to have her flood his mouth and face as she screamed and bucked and clawed. 

His eyes darted up when he heard her palm slap against the wooden table top – and he doubled his efforts.  His fingers rolled, pulled, pinched lightly at her clit as his tongue continued thrusting into her.  He ached to nibble at her as he had in the past, but kept that desire at bay for now. 

And, then he heard her beg him for more. 

And so he replaced his tongue with middle and ring finger of his left hand and covered her clit with his mouth.  He sucked hard – which contrasted sharply with the gentleness of him holding her clit between his teeth.  His fingers curled, brushing against that slightly rough patch of flesh within her that caused her buck her hips against him.  His fingers fucked her, his mouth made love to her…and she was quickly coming apart in all sorts of beautiful ways. 

His cock ached, begging for release.  Giles ignored it…continuing to push her closer and closer to the edge. 

And then he felt it – the ripple of her inner walls beginning to convulse around his fingers.  He watched her, nails clawing at the table, back arched…a bead of sweat rolling down her torso, the veins in her neck standing out in proud relief as she screamed his name.  He gave her clit one last long hard suck before removing his fingers and thrusting his tongue back inside of her.

Just in time as she came forcefully.  He growled as he pulled his tongue back into his mouth, allowing her fluids to flow freely.  She came a second time quickly, though not as forcefully.  His cock twitched impatiently in his jeans.

“Oh holy fuck, Giles…”  She groaned, trembling uncontrollably. 

He carefully removed his mouth from her, standing up and pulling the buttons free on his fly.  Her eyes opened slowly, as if she was forcing them open.  She nodded, grinning drunkenly at him as his hand stroked his hardened flesh. 

“Fuck, I love you.”  He murmured, pushing his erection into her as he leaned down and kissed her.

Tequila, lime, a hint of chili…and her.  She tasted herself on his tongue, mingling with the alcohol.  Something she hadn’t tasted in longer than she wanted to think about.  And the thrusts of his tongue were matching the thrusts of his cock – and she felt herself quickly on the verge again. 

He never would have done this if not for the tequila.

And as he continued thrusting through her third orgasm, she realised that she was eternally grateful for the tequila.