Title: Life in Technicolor

Author: Froxyn

Rating: FRT

Pairing: Buffy/Giles

Timeline: S6, AU. No Dawn, no death of Buffy, Giles still has the Magic Box.

Synopsis: Giles attempts to describe the thoughts of his life to Willow.

Author’s Note: Album fic. No lyrics as it’s an instrumental, but the song can be found here.

Giles watched Buffy. Not watched as in Watched, but just…watched. This wasn’t a training exercise and she wasn’t currently fighting a demon. She wasn’t doing anything that would fascinate anyone other than him. But it did…fascinate him, that is.

His eyes wandered over her form, taking in the cream blouse, blue jeans, and sneakers. She had been dressing much less provocatively these days and Giles found her current attire to be even more enticing than the skimpy tops and skirts she used to wear. He had voiced that opinion a few days earlier…and had laughed when Buffy raised a disbelieving eyebrow at him.

He glanced at her left shoe and noticed that it was untied. But, before he could utter a word, she knelt down on one knee. He smiled as she tied her shoelace and then stood back up, clipboard in her hand. As she went about her business, which was actually his business…checking off inventory from his latest shipment, he leaned back in his chair and watched her fluid movements.

He glanced at her lips and realized that she was talking. He felt a brief moment of panic until she turned to Willow and laughed as Willow replied. Buffy twirled the pen between her fingers and glanced at Giles, smiling at him as she turned back to the job at hand.

Willow looked at Giles and grinned. “Whatcha thinking ‘bout, Giles?”

He blushed lightly and lowered his eyes, knowing he’d been caught…but not sure why it bothered him that he had been. He and Buffy had been in a relationship for nearly six months…and their friends had known for the past five.

“Life…in technicolor.” He answered softly.

He lifted his eyes, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth when he saw the confusion in her expression.

“Huh?”

Giles inhaled deeply and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “I saw things in black and white for years. There were splashes of color once in a while, but…well, Sunnydale colored my world.”

“A Hellmouth colored your world?” Willow asked, a smile on her face.

Giles chuckled softly and shook his head. “Not so much the Hellmouth. More the library…Buffy, Xander, Oz, you…even Cordelia and Anya…all of you added so much color to my surroundings. Jenny…for the first time in many years, Jenny made me feel those colors.”

Willow’s smile faded. It had been a very long time since Jenny’s name had even been mentioned.

“Do you, um…” She trailed off, not exactly sure how to ask the question swirling in her head.

Luckily, he understood and gave a gentle shake of his head.

“I loved her dearly, and a part of me will always hold on to the time I spent with her. However…it was never meant to be.” He glanced at Buffy and sighed contentedly. “Jenny helped me feel once again…but Buffy…she’s turned my world into a technicolor starburst. I see…and I feel…so much more, so clearly. And it’s because of her.”

“Wow…” Willow breathed, blushing when Giles turned back to her. “I’ve just never heard anyone describe love like that before.”

Giles was quiet for a moment, regarding her closely, and then spoke in a near whisper. “Can you keep a secret?”

Willow’s eyes widened. “A secret? Oh, I don’t know, Giles…I mean…me and secrets…I get all flustery and people know that something’s – ”

“I’m going to spend the rest of my life with her.” He interrupted, his eyes sparkling as her mouth dropped open.

“You’re going to…you’re going to ask her to…”

“I already have. And she said yes.” Giles stated calmly, grinning as Willow began to splutter.

“But…but, you can’t tell me this! How am I supposed to keep it a secret? I mean, Xander’s going to take one look at me and – ”

Willow's rambling was interrupted when Buffy laughed, dropping the clipboard on the counter as she made her way over to the table. She stood behind Giles, draping her arms over his shoulders as she rested her chin on the top of his head.

“He’s teasing you, Will.”

Willow narrowed her eyes as she glared at Giles. “You’re not getting married?”

“Oh, we are.” Buffy answered quickly, moving her hand so that Willow could see the ring. “I just meant that he’s teasing you about the keeping it secret part. We were going to tell all of you tonight…but, Giles couldn’t wait.”

“Oh…” Her glare softened. “So…no secret keeping?”

Giles laughed and shook his head. “No secret keeping. As soon as Xander and Anya arrive, we’ll tell them as well. So, don’t worry…there’ll be no pressure on you to keep quiet.”

“Thank God…” Willow sighed in relief. “You have no idea what that would do to me!”

Buffy chuckled and kissed the top of Giles’ head before moving to the chair next to him. “So what else were you guys talking about?”

“Life in technicolor.” Willow answered quickly, with a bright smile on her face as she reached across the table and grabbed Buffy’s left hand.

Her smile grew as Buffy furrowed her brow. “Huh?”

Willow gestured towards Giles and grinned. “I’ll let your fiancé explain it…because he’s really good with words.”

“Mm-hm.” Buffy agreed with a gentle sigh. “He really is.”

Willow lifted Buffy’s hand and stared at the ring. “Wow, this is…very you.”

Buffy smiled, nodding slowly. “Yeah…he knows me.”

“In technicolor.” Giles added softly, leaning into her and placing a tender kiss on her lips.

“What’s this about technicolor?” Buffy asked as Willow let go of her hand. “Is this like Joseph and his coat?”

Giles furrowed his own brow in confusion for a brief moment and then laughed softly. “Oh…no, nothing to do with musicals at all.”

“So…what’s it all about?” Buffy prodded, allowing her fingers to lightly graze the small golden hoop in his ear.

Giles smiled and then repeated his earlier explanation of his use of the term ‘technicolor’. When he finished, Buffy stared at him with tears of love in her eyes.

“Wow…”

Willow nodded. “That’s what I said.”

“I love you.” Giles whispered, threading his fingers through her hair.

“I love you too.” Buffy responded in a whisper of her own.

Willow smiled as they drifted into that place where only the two of them existed. She looked towards the door when she heard the bell ring.

“Good God…” Xander groaned playfully.

Willow stood up and ran over to him, her smile threatening to blind him. “Guess what?”

Xander raised an eyebrow, glancing from the kissing couple to his best friend. “They’re having a baby?”

Willow rolled her eyes. Giles slowly ended the kiss and he and Buffy turned to stare at Xander.

“What? Anya said they were obviously keeping a secret…what else could it be?”

“Yeah, ‘cause you wouldn’t know anything about keeping an engagement secret, would you?”

“Well…” His eyes widened as he looked over at Buffy and Giles. “You’re getting married?”

Giles chuckled, wondering why the news of the engagement seemed to surprise Xander more than the announcement of a pregnancy would. Before either of them could respond, Xander was next to them…his hand on Giles’ shoulder as he was demanding to see the ring.

Buffy met Giles’ eyes as she showed off the ring once more.

“I understand the technicolor…”

Giles smiled and gave her a wink.

~ End

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