Title: Enough is
Enough
Author: Froxyn
Rating: FRAO
Pairing:
Buffy/Giles
Timeline: Sometime S5.
No Dawn, no Glory. Giles was
fired in S3, but has since regained his position as Buffy’s Watcher. Basically, this is AU.
Synopsis: Buffy
and Giles are in love, but Giles is determined that their relationship can’t
progress to something more.
Buffy suspected it
was bad. Not because there was blood
pouring down the side of Giles’ head and not because he had been knocked
unconscious…again…for a few minutes. No,
she knew it was bad because he had dug the car keys out of his pocket and
handed them to her with a soft request for her to drive him home.
She stopped for a red
light and glanced at him, her heart racing when she noticed his eyes were
closed as he rested his head against the back of the seat.
“Hey, Giles? You awake?”
“Unfortunately,
yes.” He mumbled and briefly opened his
eyes. “Dear God, what hit me this time?”
“A crypt wall…when
the vampire threw you into it.” She
answered, pressing down on the gas pedal when the light turned green. “How are you feeling?”
He chuckled and then
groaned. “Like my head has been bashed
against a stone wall. Perhaps you should
get me home?”
She took a deep
breath and turned a corner. “Almost
there, Giles. Are you sure you don’t
want me to take you to the hospital?”
He put his hand to
his head, narrowing his eyes when he lifted his now bloody fingers in front of
his face. “No, I just want to go home.”
Buffy gave him
another glance as she turned onto his street.
“There’s a lot of blood…”
“Head wounds bleed
badly. I’m sure it’s not as bad as it
looks.”
She sighed heavily as
she pulled the car to a stop. “What if
you have a concussion? Do you feel
concussed?”
Though his pain was
severe, he managed a smile. “I’m rather
sure I’m not concussed…this time.”
Killing the engine,
she gave him a nod. “Okay, let’s get you
inside and cleaned up.”
He glanced down at
his shirt and narrowed his eyes. “Great,
another ruined shirt. And I liked this
one.”
She smiled softly and
climbed out of the car, walking around to the passenger side and helping him
out. “I’d rather your shirt be ruined
than you. Come on.”
* * *
He winced as she
dabbed the antiseptic on the wound. She
pulled her hand back quickly, her voice a whisper when she spoke.
“I’m sorry. I’m almost done.”
Giles closed his eyes
and took a deep breath. “I…think I
should lie down.”
She dropped the cloth
from her hand and grabbed his arm as he swayed.
“Hey, you okay?”
“Mm. Dizzy and nauseous. Other than that, I’m fine. Just…I need to lay down.”
As she helped him lay
down on the couch, she shook her head.
“Are you sure you don’t have a concussion?”
A smile tugged at his
lips. “Yes, Buffy. How does it look?”
She knelt on the
floor next to him and picked the cloth back up.
“Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I think a couple of butterfly closures will
work…no stitches needed this time.”
He closed his eyes as
she began cleaning the blood from the side of his face and neck. She exhaled slowly as she leaned over and
carefully closed the wound with the help of three butterfly closures.
“You need to stop
doing this, Giles.” She whispered as she
sat back on her heels.
“Hm? Doing what?”
He mumbled as he shifted into a more comfortable position.
“Scaring me like
that.” She ran her fingers through his
hair and sighed. “I can’t lose you.”
His eyes opened and
met hers. “And I can’t lose you. Hence, the reason I do all I can to keep you
alive.”
“You could’ve died
tonight, Giles.”
He reached out and
took her hand in his. “But, I didn’t.”
She shook her head
quickly. “But, you could’ve. And you wouldn’t have known – ” She stopped suddenly and lowered her eyes.
His brow
furrowed. “Wouldn’t have known what?”
She pulled her hand
from his and stood up. “You…you need
something for pain.”
He stared after her
as she turned and ran down the hall towards the bathroom. She was only gone for a few seconds, grabbing
the first bottle of prescription pain medication that she found in his medicine
cabinet.
She shook two pills
out as she grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen. Dropping the pill bottle onto the coffee
table, she knelt next to him again and carefully pulled him up to a
half-sitting position.
He took the pills
gratefully and popped them into his mouth, taking a large swallow from the
bottle of water she handed to him.
Offering her a gentle smile as she eased him back down, he took a deep
breath and tried to relax.
“Thank you.”
When she smiled in
return, he remembered his question.
Knowing that the pain medication was fairly quick acting, he cleared his
throat.
“What wouldn’t I have
known?”
“Giles…it’s…it’s not
important.” She stated softly, pulling
the afghan from the back of the couch and shaking it out before draping it over
him. “You need to rest.”
He slipped his hand
out from under the afghan and touched her shoulder. “Buffy, please…tell me.”
She lowered her eyes
and sighed in resignation, knowing he wasn’t going to let it go. “You…you wouldn’t have known that…that I love
you.”
A slightly drugged smile
formed on his lips as he squeezed her shoulder, thankful that it wasn’t
something more dire. “Oh, Buffy…I know
you love me.”
She looked up quickly
and shook her head. “No, Giles…” Exhaling deeply, she bit her lip. “I’m…I’m…”
His brow furrowed slightly. “Buffy?”
“I’m in love with
you.” She whispered hurriedly.
His hand tightened on
her shoulder and he closed his eyes when she gasped, realizing that she had
seen what he’d carefully hidden for the past year.
“Giles?”
He reopened his eyes,
hearing the uncertainty in her voice.
“I…didn’t intend for you to know.”
“You…you…”
He exhaled slowly,
loosening his hold on her shoulder.
“Yes, Buffy. I…I fell in love
with you over a year ago.”
She sat there for a
moment, stunned at his admission. Noticing
his pupils dilate as the drugs took hold, she leaned forward and kissed him
hesitantly.
Sliding his hand to
the side of her face, he returned the kiss for a moment before dropping his
hand and sighing. She smiled softly at
him and kissed his forehead.
“Rest, Giles. We’ll talk in the morning, okay?”
“Mm.” He murmured as his eyes closed, the drugs
finally pushing him towards sleep.
“Talk…mornin’…”
“Yeah…in the
morning.” She whispered as she gently
stroked his hair.
She watched him for a
long while and when she was satisfied that he was in no pain, she moved to the
chair and watched him some more…until she fell asleep.
* * *
The sun was barely up
when he woke. He opened his eyes and
smiled when he saw her asleep in the chair.
Pushing himself up, he winced at the pain in his head and took a deep
breath. He looked at her again, his
earlier smile replaced with a sad sigh.
She loved him as he
loved her. She had kissed him…and he had
kissed her back. He swallowed with
difficulty, his throat dry.
The drugs and the
head injury had clouded his judgement.
He cursed himself silently as he stood up and looked down at her. He never should have told her…and he
definitely shouldn’t have kissed her.
He gave another soft,
sad sigh as he watched her sleep. His
only hope was that she’d understand. As
he ran his hand through his hair, he grimaced when he felt the dried
blood. First a shower, then he’d wake
her and they’d talk.
And if he was lucky,
she wouldn’t hit him.
* * *
The sun coming
through the window and shining on her face woke her. She shifted and then opened her eyes, a smile
already forming on her face as the memories came flooding back. He loved her.
He had kissed her.
She glanced at the
couch, her smile fading when she saw that he wasn’t there.
“Giles?” She tilted her head and listened, her smile
returning when she heard the water running through the pipes in the
apartment. “Shower.”
She stood up and
stretched before making her way into the kitchen. Humming softly to herself, she filled the
kettle with water and turned the stove on.
When she heard the shower cut off, her smile grew.
She’d have just
enough time to make him a cup of tea before he came out.
* * *
Giles was staring at himself
in the mirror, his palms flat against the vanity as he leaned forward. His towel-dried hair curled slightly, a drop
of water ran down his chest as he sighed heavily.
“What the hell are
you going to do?” He asked himself
softly.
Hearing the click of
the latch, he redirected his gaze to the reflection of the door. He turned slowly as Buffy’s head appeared
around the opening door.
“Giles? You okay?”
He cleared his throat
as her eyes darted to the towel wrapped around his waist. “Um…yes, I’m fine.”
She quickly looked up
and offered him a smile as she walked further into the bathroom. “Good…I just…well, I was worried. I heard the shower turn off a while ago
and…your tea is getting cold.”
Though he tried to
stop it, a smile appeared on his face.
“You made tea for me?”
“Yeah…” She whispered as she leaned up and brushed
her lips across his. “How are you
feeling this morning?”
His hands
automatically moved to her hips and he found that he couldn’t help but respond
to her tender kiss. His mouth covered
hers as he kissed her slowly, groaning softly when her tongue eased into his
mouth.
When she felt him
begin to harden against her, she pulled back from the kiss and smiled. “I guess you’re feeling okay, then?”
He merely nodded, not
trusting his words at the moment. He was
sure that they would betray him.
She wrapped her hand
around the back of his neck, gently pulling him back to her mouth. As she kissed him, she delighted in the fact
that his erection was growing…nudging against her hip. When her free hand ran down his chest towards
the towel, he grabbed it and tore his mouth from hers.
Breathing heavily, he
bit his lip and looked into her eyes.
“Buffy…”
She reddened quickly
and lowered her eyes to his chest. “God,
I’m sorry…I know it’s too soon…”
“We…we need to talk.”
She nodded and took a
step back. “Yeah. I’ll…just let you get dressed.”
He closed his eyes as
she turned and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her. He felt his heart sink with dread and he had a
very bad feeling that their talk wasn’t going to go very well at all.
Buffy looked at him
in concern. He had come in a few minutes
earlier and sat on the couch, staring at his hands as he collected his
thoughts. He hadn’t even touched his
tea.
“Giles?”
He took a deep breath
and shook his head. “We can’t, Buffy.”
“I know…it’s too
soon. I’m really sorry about that…I got
a little carried away. We can take it as
slow as – ”
He lifted his head
and looked into her eyes, softly interrupting her. “No, Buffy.
We…can’t.”
Buffy stared at him
for a minute and then stood up from her chair, nervously running her hand
through her hair.
“Oh. Oh, God…it was the painkillers, wasn’t
it? It made you say something that you
didn’t mean. I should’ve – ”
He stood up quickly
and touched her shoulder as she hurried past him. “I meant what I said, Buffy.”
She stopped and
slowly turned towards him. He lowered
his hand and swallowed.
“It wasn’t the
painkillers. What I said last night…it
was the truth.”
“But…” She shook her head in confusion. “But, you don’t want to…”
He sighed as she
trailed off. “I do…want to.”
She stared at him,
trying to understand what he was saying and having an extremely difficult time
working around his words. He loved her,
he wanted to make love to her, but…he couldn’t?
“Giles?”
“It can’t go any
further, Buffy.” He stated softly, his
sadness and regret showing in his eyes.
“I’m sorry. I never should have
revealed my true feelings for you.”
Her eyes glistened as
she looked away quickly. “Why? You kissed me, you told me you love me…”
“And I do.” He whispered thickly. “God help me, I love you.”
“I don’t
understand.” She replied, her voice
trembling as she fought back her tears.
“The Council…forbids romantic
relationships between Watchers and Slayers.
I…”
She looked at him
sharply. “Politics? You’re saying no because of Council
politics?”
“Protocol,
actually. And, that’s only one of the
reasons. There are others, Buffy.”
Tears welled in her
eyes. She didn’t bother turning from him
this time. “You’re going to pull the age
difference thing on me?”
“No.” He reached towards her with the intention of
wiping a tear from her cheek as it escaped her eye but he pulled back when she
flinched away from him. “Our age
difference is the least of my concerns.”
He swallowed the lump
that had formed in his throat and sighed heavily. “I was fired for having ‘parental love’ for
you. What do you think they’d do if they
found out I was in a romantic relationship with you?”
She lowered her eyes,
not wanting to think about what the Council…or Quentin Travers…would do to
Giles. “What are we supposed to do?”
His heart ached at
the sadness in her voice. “We move on.”
“Move on?” She looked up at him, another tear rolling
down her cheek. This time she allowed
him to brush the moisture from her skin.
“How am I supposed to move on when I know you love me too?”
“I…I don’t have that
figured out yet, Buffy.” He lowered his
hand and shook his head. “What I do know
is that I can’t let this go any further than it already has. I’ve sworn an oath to protect your safety…I
can’t willingly go against that and put you in danger because of my own
feelings.”
Her eyes widened at
his words. “My safety?”
“How would I be able
to watch you leave and put yourself into danger every night?”
Her brow
furrowed. “You do that now. You’ve done that before and after you fell in
love with me.”
He shook his head
slowly. “It would be different, Buffy. If we were in a relationship, I’d…”
“You’d what?”
“I’d be a
liability.” He answered quietly. “I can’t…and won’t do that to you.”
Buffy clenched her
jaw and then released it as she blew out a breath. “So, that’s it? No negotiations? We love each other, want each other…but we do
nothing? We just…move on?”
“It…it will become
easier in time, Buffy.”
She stared at him,
her eyes darkening with anger. He
inhaled deeply, preparing himself for any physical blow she may inflict upon
him.
“I’m sorry.” He whispered.
She shook her head
and turned, quickly making her way to the door.
She stopped as she swung it open, turning her head to glare at him.
“Are you still my
Watcher? Or are you giving that up too?”
“I’m not giving up,
Buffy.” He licked his dry lips and
swallowed. “However, if you would prefer
a different Watcher…that choice is yours.
I can step aside…if that’s what you want.”
Her eyes softened at
his gentle tone, tears welling again.
“You won’t let me have what I want, Giles.”
And with that said,
she walked out of his apartment and closed the door behind her. He stood motionless for many minutes, staring
at the door. Inhaling shakily, he
lowered his head and sank onto the couch.
He stared at the
window, a single tear rolling down his cheek.
* * *
He hadn’t seen her
for the rest of the day, a fact that didn’t surprise him. She was hurt, that much he knew. It hadn’t been his intention to hurt her, but
he understood what she was going through.
It wasn’t exactly the easiest thing he’d ever done in his life…telling
the woman he was deeply in love with that they couldn’t have a relationship.
Glancing at the
clock, he sighed heavily. His head ached
terribly and though he had told her differently the previous night, he was sure
that he had a slight concussion. But if
he had admitted that to her, she would’ve insisted on taking him to the
hospital. And, God…how he hated
hospitals.
He had slept off and
on all day, trying to research while he was awake. His attempts were thwarted though…thoughts of
Buffy creeping to the forefront of his mind.
It was now nearly one in the morning and if she were going to come by
after patrol, if she even went on patrol, she would’ve been by already.
His fingers gently
rubbed around the bruise that had spread out around the laceration near his
temple. He gave another sigh and pushed
himself from the couch and grabbed the bottle of painkillers that he’d been
taking all day.
They weren’t as
strong as the ones Buffy had given him last night, but they dulled the pain
enough to allow some sleep. Giving
another glance towards the door, he swallowed two pills without the aid of
water and climbed the stairs.
Hopefully, she’d come
by tomorrow…or at least call.
* * *
Buffy had had a
little to drink. She wasn’t drunk, but
she was definitely tipsy. Standing
outside his door, she took a deep breath and turned the knob. She looked around the dark room as she walked
inside and closed the door behind her.
She hadn’t really
expected him to be up…it was two in the morning, after all. But she was still a little disappointed. Her emotions had been on a rollercoaster ride
all day…anger, despair, love that threatened to shatter her heart, depression,
and then ending back at anger. And that
was when she had her first drink.
The alcohol gave her
the courage to come over here to talk to him.
She looked up towards the loft and exhaled softly. It also gave her enough courage to climb the
stairs that led to his bedroom.
Standing in the doorway,
she felt her love for him rush through her.
And just as quickly, she felt the burning behind her eyes as she fought
back her tears. The moonlight shone
through the window, lighting the room enough for her to see the dark bruise on
the side of his head.
She made her way
across the room quietly, glancing at the bedside table and noticing the pill
bottle. Picking it up, she read the
label and sighed. Another painkiller…a different painkiller. The fact that he had such a wide array of
pain medication in his medicine cabinet bothered her greatly.
She sat down on the
edge of the bed, near his hip, and watched him sleep for a few moments. Without realizing what she was doing, she
reached out and lightly ran her fingertips across the outline of the bruise.
His eyes opened
suddenly and he grabbed her hand, turning his head and staring into her widened
eyes. “Buffy?”
“Sorry.” She pulled her hand back and swallowed. “Just wanted to see how you are.”
He carefully pushed
himself up and leaned against the headboard of the bed, furrowing his brow at
the sound of her slightly slurred voice.
“Have you been drinking?”
“A little.” She admitted, biting her lip nervously. “Why, Giles?
Why can’t we have this?”
Exhaling softly, he
rubbed the side of his neck. “Buffy…”
She shook her head
quickly. “Don’t tell me about politics
or protocol…tell me the real reason. I
deserve that.”
“Yes, you do.” He whispered as he looked into her eyes.
“Tell me.” She whispered back, her eyes locked on
his. “Tell me why you don’t want me.”
He closed his eyes
briefly to hide his pain…the physical and the emotional. “I do want you, Buffy. But, I…can’t have
you.”
She narrowed her eyes
and pulled her shirt over her head, dropping it soundlessly to the floor as she
slipped her bra off. “You can have me.”
“I can’t – ” He opened his eyes and inhaled sharply, his
gaze immediately darting to her bare chest.
“Dear Lord…”
Feeling his body
begin to respond, he quickly averted his eyes.
“Buffy, please…”
She leaned forward,
placing her hand on his chest and sensuously rubbing her palm over his right
nipple through the t-shirt he was wearing.
“You can have me, Giles. All you
have to do is take me.”
He shuddered under
her touch, wanting nothing more than to do just that. Instead, he grabbed her by the shoulders and
pushed her back, holding her at arms’ length.
“Get dressed, go
downstairs.” He whispered huskily, still
not trusting himself to look at her.
“No, I – ”
He turned his head
and stared into her eyes, fighting the urge to let his gaze drop back to her
breasts. “Downstairs, Buffy. I’ll be down in a minute and we’ll talk…and
I’ll tell you everything.”
“I – ”
His voice lowered,
taking on a dangerous tone even though his words were anything but dangerous. “Please, Buffy. Do this for me.”
“You’ll tell me
everything?”
He nodded, his eyes
still locked with hers. “Everything, but
please…go now.”
She bit her lip again
and sighed as she pulled away from his grasp.
Grabbing her bra and shirt from the floor, she quickly left the room and
ran down the stairs.
He leaned his head
back against the top of the headboard and closed his eyes, breathing deeply and
heavily as he forced his body to calm.
Only when his erection began to wane did he climb out of bed and
exchange his pajama pants for a pair of jeans.
* * *
She was sitting on
the couch, staring at her hands when he finally came downstairs. When she felt him sit down on the opposite
end of the couch, she took a shaky breath.
“Giles…”
His soft voice
interrupted her. “The last time a
Watcher fell into a relationship with his Slayer, they both died and the world
nearly ended.”
“What?” She asked softly, tilting her head in
confusion.
He lowered his eyes
as he continued. “They were too focused
on one another…saving each other.
Everything was almost lost. Their
child was left an orphan because of their love.”
“Child?” Buffy asked in shock.
Nodding absently, he
ran his hand through his hair. “I fear
that neither of us would be able to do our jobs properly if we allowed this to
happen, Buffy.”
He finally met her
eyes and she was surprised to see a light sheen of tears coating them. “As much as I love you…we’re here to do a
job. The future of the world depends on
you…and should I distract you from your calling, it could be rather
disastrous.”
“You want this as
much as I do.” She whispered, stating
the fact that she could read in his eyes.
“What I want is not
as important as keeping you safe. I do
what I can to keep you safe…in turn, you do what you can to keep the world
safe.” He stopped himself from reaching
out to touch her. “I’m not taking your
feelings lightly, Buffy. I feel
everything you do. But, is it worth
risking the existence of the world to allow ourselves this?”
“Yes.” She answered quickly, lowering her eyes when
his narrowed at her. “I understand what
you’re saying…but, if we know that risk is there, we could…”
“I’m not sure I’d be
able to.” He interrupted, causing her to
look back at him. “It’s hard enough as
it is now. Do you think I want you out
there each night, facing God knows what, knowing that you may never walk
through that door again?”
“No.” She answered with a gentle shake of her
head. “I know you don’t.”
“But, you have
to.” He replied sadly. “How much have you had to drink, Buffy?”
She took a deep
breath and exhaled slowly. “Enough to
make me tipsy…and enough to make me do something really stupid.”
When he raised an
eyebrow in a silent question, she glanced at the loft. “I’m sorry about that.”
He swallowed, his
eyes glancing at her chest before quickly darting away. “Even if we could…I wouldn’t have.”
“Huh?”
“Alcohol lowers your
inhibitions…sometimes, not for the greater good.” He answered as he cleared his throat and
stood up.
She watched him as he
walked into the kitchen and put the kettle on the stove. “Is that your way of saying you’d worry that
you’d be taking advantage of me?”
He offered her a
small smile and pulled two mugs down from the cabinet. “Something like that. Tea?”
“The universal
cure?” She returned his smile with a
crooked one of her own. “Yeah, thanks.”
As he prepared their
tea, he thought over her words. It
wasn’t a universal cure…it was something to do to keep his hands busy. Because if they were busy making tea, they
wouldn’t be trembling with his need…his desire…to hold her.
He sighed softly and
shook his head. He couldn’t make tea
forever.
The past fortnight
had been torture for Giles. He had
suspected that she would back away from him, not want to spend as much time
with him considering their talks. His
suspicions had been incorrect though.
She had wanted to train more…nearly every day. She had come by each night before she went
home to give her patrol report. She had
even taken to helping him,
And the past few days
had been hard on him. He shook his head
ruefully. That thought was terribly
accurate. His sexual frustration had been
nearing breaking point. For a brief
moment, he had even considered going to a bar and picking a woman up just to
release his needs. It was a thought he
had dismissed as quickly as it had appeared.
Instead, he had
masturbated as much in the past week as he had as a teenager. And her name left his lips on a soft moan
each time he reached his orgasm.
He glanced at Buffy
as she worked through her second kata.
Her movements were fluid and graceful, the muscles in her thighs flexing
as she moved. He closed his eyes,
silently cursing himself when the image of those thighs pressing against his
hips as he lay over her flashed in his mind.
Her routine finished,
she looked over at him and narrowed her eyes in concern when she saw the grim
look on his face, his eyes clenched closed.
She wiped the sweat from her neck with the towel and made her way over
to him.
“Hey, you okay?”
His eyes snapped open
and he nodded slowly. “Fine. Um…warmed up?”
She raised an
eyebrow, noticing that his eyes had darkened a shade. A small grin played at her lips. “You could say that. How about you?”
“I, uh…start with the
dummy and then we’ll work on your swordsmanship.”
“Need a few
minutes?” She asked knowingly.
“Buffy…” He started, a warning tone creeping into his
voice.
She smiled and
lightly ran her fingertip down the side of his neck. “Your skin’s warm…getting warmer. You sure you’re okay?”
“Buffy,
please…don’t.”
Glancing at his
groin, her smile grew. “Your mouth says
‘don’t’…your body says ‘don’t stop’.”
She leaned down, her warm breath tickling his ear as she whispered. “I like what your body says better.”
He pushed his chair
back roughly and stood, his eyes darkening as he glared at her. “Find this amusing, do you?”
“Not exactly,
no.” She stated as she took a step
towards him.
He moved back
quickly, shaking his head. “Stop.”
She halted her
movement and looked down, the bulge in his trousers showing prominently. “Do you think about me when you come?”
He turned and walked
over to the window, staring at nothing as her words permeated his brain.
“Because…I think
about you when I come.”
He closed his eyes,
willing his erection to just…go away.
When he felt the heat of her hand pressing flat against his back, he spun
around to face her, his frustration finally reaching its breaking point.
“Enough!”
She recoiled at his
short outburst, taking a step back as his eyes darkened more…in anger, not
passion. “Giles…”
“How much do you
expect me to take, Buffy? I’m doing
everything I can to continue in my role as your Watcher. Do you want to know if I masturbate while
thinking of you? Yes. Do I call your name when I come? Yes.
Is that what you want to know, Buffy?
Do you want to know how frustrated I am?”
He spoke rapidly, his
voice rising with each question, his hands trembling as his frustration and
anger grew.
“I – ”
“Do you want to know
how I nearly went out the other night for the sole purpose of finding someone, anyone, to take to the nearest motel and
just fuck all night long? Anything to
attempt to quell my desire for you! For you, Buffy!”
A tear rolled down
her cheek as she stepped back from him.
“Oh, God…”
“Tell me what you
want to know!”
Another tear fell,
quickly followed by another as her bottom lip trembled. “You…”
“Do I want to throw
you down on the floor and fuck you right now?
Yes!” He took a step forward, his
eyes blazing with something that bordered on lust and rage.
“You…you went out…and
slept with someone else?” She whispered,
her voice quavering. “Oh my God…”
She turned and ran
for the door. At her question, his near
rage left him almost immediately. He
took off after her, reaching over her head and slamming the door shut as she
opened it.
“Let me leave,
Giles!” She cried through her
tears. “Just…let me go!”
“Christ…” He muttered as he pulled her towards him,
pressing her back against his chest.
“Buffy, I…”
She fought against
him for a minute before her sobs took over.
He held her tightly as he whispered apologies into her hair. Hearing a
question in her sobs, he gently turned her and tilted her face towards him,
forcing her to look at him.
“No one, Buffy. I nearly
went out. I didn’t go…” His heart pounded in his chest as he searched
her eyes for understanding. “I couldn’t
go. Don’t you understand? No one could possibly ease my desire for
you.”
“You…you
didn’t?” She whispered, her chest
heaving as she fought to get herself under control.
“No. God, I’m sorry, Buffy. I…I’m so sorry.”
“I…should go.” She stated as she pulled away from him.
“Buffy…”
She shook her head
quickly and wiped her face with her hands.
“I need to go. I…I’m sorry I did
that to you. I just…I thought that…”
“You didn’t do it,
Buffy. It was me…I lost control…”
“I thought that if I
pushed you a little…you’d give in.” She
sniffled, lowering her eyes. “I’ll…go
home…”
“No, Buffy…”
“I’ll…” She inhaled deeply and reached behind her,
opening the door.
She didn’t finish her
statement, or even say another word. She
just turned and ran for the front door.
He wanted to go after her.
Instead, he just watched as she unlocked the door and ran down the
sidewalk.
He inhaled shakily
and made his way to the couch, falling onto it and staring at the ceiling. He was so busy berating himself that he
didn’t hear Xander and Anya come up the stairs and tiptoe across the shop,
carefully making their way out the front door and locking it behind them.
* * *
It had been two days since
he had seen her. She had called him with
her patrol reports, but had cut the conversations short when he had tried to
talk to her. He looked up when he heard
the bell over the shop door ring, his heart skipping a beat in his chest.
“Buffy.”
“Hey.” She said quickly, her eyes darting to Xander
before clearing her throat. “So, there
was this demon last night. Impaling him
on a picket fence didn’t kill him.”
Xander smiled
brightly. “Research time!”
When Giles and Buffy
both stared at him with surprise in their eyes, he shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve missed researching…”
“Yes, well.” Giles cleared his throat softly as he pulled
a couple of books from the shelf.
“Buffy, if you’d be so kind to lock the door and turn the sign?”
As Buffy nodded and
turned back to the door, Xander reached into his bag and grabbed his
phone. He smiled as he met Buffy’s
eyes.
“Just need to let
Anya know I’ll be here for a while longer.”
“How is she feeling?”
“Flu hit her hard
this time. But, at least she’s not spewing
everywhere now.”
Giles rolled his
eyes, carrying an armful of books to the table.
“Thank you for that wonderful visual.”
Xander grinned and
made his call. After ensuring that Anya
would be okay for a few hours on her own, he ended the call and reached into
his bag again. Giles glanced at him as
he walked by with a cd in his hand. It
had become customary for music to be playing while they researched. It didn’t bother Giles and seemed to help the
others concentrate.
As the music started,
Giles looked back up and met Xander’s eyes.
“What is this?”
“Something
different. They’re English, you’ll like
it.”
Giles huffed
lightly. “Yes, because you like all
American music.”
Xander waved a hand
at him and pulled a book from the stack.
“Give it a chance.”
Buffy glanced at
Giles before sitting down next to Xander.
She lowered her eyes quickly when he looked at her, grabbing a book and
flipping it open. Giles sighed softly
and settled into research mode, allowing the music to become merely background
noise.
As the third song
started, he got up to retrieve another book that he needed for
cross-reference. It was then that the
lyrics caught his attention. Suddenly,
he found it very hard to concentrate on anything other than the music.
The heavily
synthesized music, the highly suggestive lyrics…he swallowed thickly as he sat
back down at the table. Xander noticed
Giles glance at Buffy before quickly turning his eyes to the book in front of
him.
Xander hid his smile
and waited for his phone to ring.
His phone rang
exactly forty minutes after he had called Anya, just like they had
planned. Xander answered quickly,
plastering a look of concern on his face as he hurriedly said ‘okay’ and
grabbed his bag.
As he hung up the
phone, he stood and slung the bag over his shoulder. “Sorry, guys…Anya’s feeling really bad.”
Without giving them a
chance to say anything, he turned and ran to the door. As the door swung closed behind him, Giles
cleared his throat.
“Um…how have you
been?”
“Fine.” Buffy answered quietly. “Can we…not do this right now? I just want to find this demon so I can kill
it, okay?”
Giles nodded
slowly. “Of course.”
Silence fell over
them as they both returned to their books.
Giles tried to concentrate, but found that he was able to relate each
song that played to the current status of his relationship with Buffy.
He sighed heavily and
reached for his mug of tea. As he
wrapped his hand around it, the next song began. His hand tightened instantly on the mug, the soft
moans coming through the speakers going directly to his groin.
The song affected
Buffy in much the same way. Her hand
paused in the middle of turning the page and she swallowed hard. She felt her heart rate increase as her hands
began to tremble. She tried to block it
out, but found it impossible to do so.
After a few moments,
they both looked up at the same time, their eyes instantly meeting. Giles inhaled sharply, his hand threatening
to break the ceramic mug in its grip.
Buffy broke the mutual stare first, quickly pushing her chair back and
walking towards the bookshelf.
She didn’t know what
she was going to get, but she knew she had to get away from the table…from
Giles. She wasn’t prepared for him to
grab her arm as she walked past him. She
looked down to find him still staring at her chair.
“Giles?”
He took a shaky
breath, pushing his chair back as he stood.
He turned his eyes to hers, tightening his fingers around her forearm.
“I can’t do this
anymore.” He whispered, raw emotion in his
voice. “Enough is enough.”
She opened her mouth
to respond. Her words didn’t have time
to come. He bent his head quickly,
covering her mouth with his and pushing his tongue between her open lips. His left hand moved from her arm to her hip,
holding her against him as his right hand slid to the back of her head.
Groaning into his
mouth, she grasped the front of his shirt as she returned his frenzied
kiss. He turned their bodies and pushed
her backwards, moving his mouth to her neck as she bumped into the table.
“Giles! God…”
He nipped at her neck
before lifting his head and slipping both hands under the hem of her
shirt. “Christ, I want you, Buffy.”
She gasped as he ran
his hands up her sides, pushing the shirt up as he went. Her arms seemed to rise on their own, aiding
him in the removal of the garment.
“The…Council?” She panted as his thumbs brushed over her
erect nipples.
He quickly pulled the
shirt over her head and dropped it on the table. “Bugger the Council.”
Capturing her lips with
his again, he slid his hands around her back and deftly unclasped her bra. As soon as it fell to the floor, she grabbed
his shirt again and pulled it open, not worrying about the buttons that were
torn from the material and bounced across the floor.
He growled softly and
pushed her onto the table. When her back
was pressed against the cool wood, he stood back up and looked down at her.
“Jesus, you’re
beautiful.” He whispered thickly as he
grazed his fingertips along her abdomen.
When she whispered
his name, he looked into her eyes, smiling as his fingers pulled the button on
her jeans free. As he started to pull
the zipper down, he glanced around the room and shook his head.
He took a step back
and her eyes widened. “Giles?”
Gesturing towards the
windows at the front of the shop, he grabbed her hands and pulled her up. “Not here.”
She hooked her legs
around his hips and pulled him forward, groaning as his erection pressed into
her denim-clad core. “Where?”
He tilted his head
towards the training room and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her from the
table. “Ideally, I’d take you to
bed. However, the closest I have here is
a couch…”
She ran her fingers
through his hair, placing warm kisses on his chin and his lips as he carried
her towards the training room. “I love
you so much, Giles.”
He stopped suddenly
and gazed into her eyes, realizing that she deserved so much more than a worn
leather couch in the back room of his store.
“I love you too, Buffy. More than
I can say.”
He took a deep breath
and made his way back to the table, standing her on the floor in front of him
with her back to the windows.
She furrowed her brow
in confusion as she ran her fingers through the hair on his chest. “Giles?”
Pulling his jacket
from the back of the chair he had been sitting in earlier, he cleared his
throat and draped it over her shoulders.
It was far too large for her, but it kept her from exposing herself to
anyone who might see her.
“Come home with me,
Buffy.” When she tilted her head, he
smiled and combed his fingers through her tousled hair. “You deserve more than what I can give you
here. Come home with me…come to bed with
me. Please.”
Hearing the love in
his voice, she returned his smiled and leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on
his chest. “How long will it take you to
drive us there?”
He grinned and pulled
the keys out of his pocket.
(Quick author’s
note: Curious about the songs? Check here.)
He made it home in
record time. Of course, her hand rubbing
along the inside of his thigh persuaded him to go a little above the posted
speed limit. They had barely made it inside
his apartment before he pulled her back into his arms.
As he closed and
locked the door, she raised an eyebrow.
“You actually know how to use the lock?”
He smiled and pushed
the jacket off her shoulders, exposing her bare chest to him once again. “It doesn’t need to be unlocked if you’re
here.”
She felt her heart
begin to race as his eyes roamed over her body.
Reaching out, she gently pushed the ruined shirt from his
shoulders. “Sorry about your shirt.”
He chuckled softly
and lifted his eyes to hers, gently caressing the sides of her breasts with his
fingertips. “I could care less about the
shirt, love.”
Shivering at his
touch, she inhaled sharply. “Are we
really going to do this?”
“Unless you’ve
changed your mind, I’d love to take you to bed and make love to you for
hours.” He whispered as he lowered his
mouth to hers, craving the taste and feel of her lips.
She smiled as she
slowly unbuckled his belt. “The other
day you said you wanted to fuck me.”
“Mm.” He mumbled as she unbuttoned and unzipped his
trousers. His left hand covered her
right breast, his palm rubbing against her nipple as he massaged the firm
flesh. “Fucking will come later…right
now I want to make love with you…desperately.”
As she moved her
hands back up his chest and over his shoulders, he picked her up easily and
sighed softly as she wrapped her legs around his waist. She placed a tender kiss on his lips and
glanced up at the loft before looking directly into his darkened eyes.
“Make love to me,
Giles.”
“God, I love
you.” He whispered as he kissed her
slowly, exploring her mouth with his tongue as he climbed the stairs with her
in his arms.
Within moments he had
placed her on the bed. He smiled
lovingly at her as he kicked his shoes off.
She returned his smile as he pulled off her shoes and socks before
tugging her jeans and underwear down her legs.
She watched the bulge
in his trousers become more prominent as his eyes took in the sight of her nude
body lying across the bed. Licking her
lips, she bent her right leg and placed her foot on the mattress.
“Giles?”
“Hm?” He mumbled absently, his eyes gazing hungrily
at her glistening folds as she parted her legs.
“You’re a
bit…overdressed.”
His eyes darted to
hers and he blushed lightly. “Sorry, I,
uh…got a little lost there for a minute.”
She smiled, placing
her hand on her abdomen and stroking her skin with her fingers. “Are you found now?”
He nodded slowly as
he pulled his socks off before pushing his trousers and boxers down his
legs. “You’re just…so very lovely.”
Her eyes travelled
over his body as he stepped out of the clothing pooled at his feet. “So are you.”
Placing his left knee
on the bed between her legs, he climbed onto the bed and leaned over her,
brushing his lips across hers. “I’ve
dreamt about this moment for so long.”
She moved her hand
from her stomach to his face, caressing his warm skin as she kissed him back
with the same gentleness. “Me too.”
“Tell me what you
like.” He whispered, supporting himself
above her with his right hand on the mattress as his left found its way back to
her breast.
“You.” She answered simply, arching into his
touch.
His smile flickered
in his eyes as he lowered his mouth to her neck, kissing her softly before
trailing his lips across her shoulder.
“You’ll tell me…if I do something you don’t like?”
She nodded, closing
her eyes as his mouth moved down the gentle slope of her breast. “Yeah…but I can’t think of what that would
be…”
He chuckled against
her flesh, kissing his way around her hardened nipple before moving to her
other breast. His chuckle ended abruptly
when he felt her warm hand wrap around his erection.
He sucked in a sharp
breath, involuntarily thrusting into her hand.
“Dear Lord…”
“Tell me what you
don’t like.” She whispered as he rested
his forehead against her shoulder.
He huffed a gentle
laugh and raised his head to look into her eyes. “I’m rather sure I’d enjoy anything and
everything you’d want to do to me.”
She raised an eyebrow
and shifted her weight, easily flipping him onto his back as she knelt beside
of him. “So, you’d be alright if
I…” She glanced at his thick cock and
licked her lips. “God, I want to taste
you.”
She heard him whisper
her name, saw and felt his erection twitch in her hand. Lowering her head, she flicked her tongue
against the head before closing her lips around it. His whisper turned to a groan, his hand
reaching out to stroke her back.
She felt his fingers
tremble against her skin as she took more of him into her mouth. She slowly slid her mouth along his length,
sucking gently as she lifted her head.
“Christ…Buffy…” He groaned.
Smiling inwardly, she
repeated the motion as she rubbed her thumb against the underside of his
erection. When she heard the urgency in
his voice as he said her name again, she let him slip from her mouth and met
his eyes.
“What?”
Breathing heavily, he
shook his head. “I don’t want the first
time I come to be in your mouth.”
She grinned and
crawled up his body, dragging her tongue up his torso and sucking gently at his
nipples for a few moments before lifting her head and looking into his eyes.
“I’m sorry…you just
taste so…delicious.”
He groaned and pulled
her to him, cradling her face between his hands as he kissed her. His tongue swept into her mouth, sliding
along hers as she lifted her right leg over him and straddled his hips. She swallowed his moan, reaching down between
them and guiding his cock to her entrance.
He broke the kiss
quickly, moving his hands to her hips to still her motion. Panting heavily, he shook his head.
“Not yet.”
She whimpered and
rocked her hips against him, rubbing her core along his shaft. “Giles…I need you…”
He smiled in
understanding. “I need you too,
love. But…I want to take my time with
you…I want to touch you, taste you…”
“You are touching me.” With a gleam in her eye, she ran two fingers
through her wet folds and then held them to his lips. When he sucked hungrily at them, cleaning her
fingers of her juices, she grinned. “And
now you’ve tasted me. Please, Giles…”
His eyes darkened
further, his passion showing clearly as he carefully rolled their bodies until
he was nestled between her thighs. He
leaned down, kissing her warmly and allowing her to taste herself on his lips
and tongue.
She tore her mouth
free of his and clutched at his back as his cock nudged her clitoris. “God, don’t make me beg you…”
He chuckled softly,
reaching down and guiding his cock into her.
His chuckle ended as the head slipped inside.
“Oh, dear God.” He whispered thickly, pushing forward slowly
as he stared into her eyes. “Buffy…”
She moved her left
hand to the side of his face, inhaling sharply as she lifted her legs around
his hips. “Giles…love me…”
He swallowed, trying
to maintain control as he felt her wet heat surround him. He’d been with his fair share of women
throughout his life, but this…was indescribable. The way her body moulded to his, the way her
inner muscles accepted and caressed him as he embedded himself completely
within her.
He closed his eyes,
allowing the sensations to rush through his body. When he felt her warm mouth press against his
throat, he trembled and began to rock his hips against her. He moved with short, gentle thrusts, groaning
when her teeth lightly nipped at his skin.
His eyes opened when
her head fell back onto the pillows, a pleasurable whimper escaping her lips as
she started to move with him. Supporting
his upper body with his left hand and using his right to tenderly fondle her
breast, he looked down at her and smiled.
“Stunning.”
She met his eyes and
licked her lips. “What?”
His gaze darted to
her lips briefly before returning to her eyes, his fingers and thumb rolling
her nipple. “You. You’re absolutely stunning.”
She bit her lip,
tightening her legs around him and arching against his hand. He pinched her hardened nub as he lowered his
mouth to her ear.
“Let me hear you,
Buffy. Don’t hide your words and sounds
from me.” He whispered softly before
placing a tender kiss on her jaw.
“Please…I want to hear you…”
Her nails lightly
scratched at his back as she shook her head, able to murmur one word before
biting her bottom lip again.
“Neighbours…”
He smiled,
straightening his arms to push himself above her. He shook his head and increased his
pace. “Don’t worry about the neighbours,
Buffy. Let me hear you…”
Opening her eyes, she
stared up at him as she moved her right hand to his chest and her left to his
side. “I’ll…be loud…”
“So will I,
love.” He groaned as her nails scraped
against his nipple. “Jesus, Buffy…”
She moved her hand quickly,
offering a soft apology. He grinned as
he began lengthening his strokes.
“Do it again.”
Smiling softly, she
did as he asked. She was rewarded with a
hard, long thrust that caused her to moan his name.
“That’s it,
Buffy. Again…moan for me…louder…” He pushed his hips against her, withdrawing
almost completely before thrusting into her again. “Scream for me…”
“God, Giles! Yes!”
She cried out as he moved against her, quicker and harder with each
stroke. “Giles! Oh…coming…God, I’m coming!”
He groaned loudly as
her inner muscles began to spasm around him, confirming her announcement. “Yes, Buffy!
Christ…”
Her nails raked down
his chest, leaving thin red lines over his skin as she bucked against him, her
cries becoming louder as he pushed her closer and closer to orgasm. She moved her hands to his shoulders, digging
her nails into his skin.
“Giles!”
He grunted in
response, his grunt turning into a loud growl as she came, flooding his cock
with her fluids as she screamed his name again.
He was able to thrust four more times before his muscles tensed as he
exploded within her.
“My God…” He breathed as he buried his face in the
crook of her neck, his hips gradually slowing until he ceased his movement
altogether.
She kissed his shoulder
as she slid her hands to his back, rubbing soothing circles against his
skin. “I’m sorry…”
Lifting his head
quickly, he stared at her in confusion.
“Sorry? For what?”
“You
wanted…hours…” She panted heavily as she
shyly looked up at him. “I…couldn’t hold
out for…and you…”
His confusion gave
way to amusement, chuckling softly as he tenderly kissed her lips before moving
to her side and pulling her into his arms.
“Oh, Buffy…you, my darling, are amazing.”
“Huh?”
He brushed the damp
hair back from her face and smiled adoringly at her. “We have all night. I wasn’t expecting hours all at once…”
“Oh…” She answered softly.
“Trust me…what you
just made me feel…was breathtaking.”
She relaxed, a smile
appearing on her lips. “I know the
feeling.”
His hand rubbed her
hip as she snuggled against him and kissed his chest. Hearing her heavy sigh, he pulled back
slightly and looked down at her.
“Buffy?”
Her fingers stroked
his chest hair, her voice a soft whisper when she spoke. “This is going to be hard to hide.”
He wet his dry lips
with the tip of his tongue as he shook his head. “I don’t want to hide, Buffy. I want a relationship with you…one that
includes our friends, our family…the entire world…knowing that I’m in love with
you.”
She lifted her head
and looked into his eyes. “But, you said
the Council…” She hesitated for a second
and then continued. “What will they do
to you?”
His fingertips grazed
her cheek as he swallowed. “I’m not sure
this is the time – ”
“Please tell me,
Giles.” She whispered as she moved back
from him and pulled the sheet up over their bodies. “Please.”
Taking a deep breath,
he gave her a nod.
“One of two
things.” He paused for a moment and,
knowing there was no way to make it sound pleasant, began.
“One…they would, uh…I
would be…disposed of. You would be
assigned a new Watcher, a new location…most likely in a different country.”
“Disposed?” Her eyes welled with tears as she reached for
his hand. “You mean…they’d kill you?”
He gently squeezed
her hand and swallowed hard. “I’d give
my life for you, Buffy. With no
questions.”
“You said there were
two options. Why do I get the feeling
that the second is worse than what you just told me?”
His eyes glistened,
his hand squeezing hers tighter.
“Because it is.”
She shook her head
quickly. “I can’t imagine anything worse
than you dying.”
He lowered his eyes
as a tear fell from the corner of his right eye, rolling from his face to the
pillow beneath his head.
“They’d…” He coughed lightly in an attempt to control
his emotions. “They’d…kill you. Force me to watch you in death as I had in
life.”
She noticed that the
second option upset him far more than the thought of his own death. It didn’t really surprise her, the thought of
him dying hurt her more than the thought of her losing her own life.
“Giles…”
“I’m calling Quentin
in the morning to inform him of my resignation from the Council of
Watchers…effective immediately.”
She shook her head as
her eyes widened. “No! I can’t do this without you!”
He offered her a
gentle smile. “I didn’t leave you when I
was fired. I’m sure as hell not going to
leave you when I quit.”
She was quiet for a
minute, thoughts racing through her head.
She grabbed onto one and let it form, her lips curling into a
smile. Giles looked at her curiously,
lifting his hand and tenderly tracing her smile with his fingers.
“What is it, Buffy?”
“We both quit. I don’t want another Watcher, Giles. We did this together, without the Council,
for two years. If they want us to stay,
they change the rules about certain things.”
Her smile grew as one tugged at the corner of his mouth. “So, we’ll call him together in the morning,
yeah?”
He nodded slowly,
pulling her body closer to him and leaning in to kiss her lips. “I love you.”
She returned his
kiss, gently pushing him onto his back and climbing on top of him. Lifting her head, she grinned when she rubbed
her core against the shaft of his erection.
“Seems like you’re as
ready for round two as I am…”
“Yes.” He whispered, inhaling sharply as she shifted
and carefully positioned the head of his cock against her. “God, yes…”
Her eyes closed in
pleasure as she sank onto him. When she
felt his hands on her hips, gently guiding her movements, she opened her eyes
and looked down at him.
“Giles?”
“Mm?” He murmured as they slowly moved against one
another.
“I want the entire
world to know too.”
He smiled, meeting
her halfway as she leaned down for a kiss.
Three hours later, they
were sitting in the bed…bare bodies touching, fingers lazily stroking skin…a
book open across Giles’ sheet-covered thighs.
Buffy pointed at the picture as he turned the page.
“That’s him!”
Giles narrowed his
eyes as he read the description of the demon in question. “It lives on organs. Human, animal…it makes no difference. That explains why you saw it near the
hospital.”
At her questioning
look, he cleared his throat.
“Transplants. An easy feed.”
Buffy wrinkled her
nose in disgust. “Okay, so how do I kill
it?”
He skimmed the page,
a ‘hm’ leaving his lips as he translated the text in his head. Buffy sighed.
“Okay, that was a
‘that’s interesting’ kind of ‘hm’. What
is it?”
“Gold.”
“Huh?” She asked, clearly confused.
He smiled as he looked
at her. “Gold kills it.”
“So…I just throw some
jewellery at it and it falls over dead?”
Giles chuckled softly
and closed the book, lifting his hand to run his fingers through her hair. “Or you could use the rapier hanging above the
mantle downstairs.”
Buffy narrowed her
eyes. “That’s real gold? Because…I’ve had the experience of using
something as a weapon thinking it was silver, only it wasn’t. But, that was for the best that time.”
Giles smiled as he
remembered the incident she was speaking of.
He gazed into her eyes, his love for her clearly there for her to
see.
“That was the moment
I fell in love with you.”
The strangeness of
the comment made her laugh. “You fell in
love with me when I tried to kill you?”
He shook his head,
absently rubbing at the small scar on his chest. “No. I
fell in love with you when you realized it was me.”
Her laughter stopped,
his words warming her heart. Leaning
forward, she lightly kissed the scar. “I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to
know that I screwed up.”
He chuckled softly
and then cleared his throat. “Do, uh…do
I want to know when you realized your feelings for me?”
“The summer after
graduation.” She answered without
thinking. “I was sitting there one day,
watching you go through the debris in the library and I thought to myself ‘I
really love him’.”
She shrugged a
shoulder and smiled. “Now…tell me about
this golden sword.”
“What?” He was lost in thought, not expecting her to
say that she had fallen in love with him so long ago. “Oh, yes.
It’s definitely gold. Not
gold-colored.”
Buffy tilted her head
thoughtfully. “Why do you have a gold
sword?”
“My father left it to
me.” He paused and then decided to tell
her more. “His mother left it to
him. Her father…had it made for her
mother.”
Buffy’s brow
furrowed. “Weird gift.”
“It wasn’t exactly a
gift, Buffy. It was…a necessity at the
time. Much as it is now, I suppose.”
Buffy stared at him
in confusion. “What? You’ve totally lost me here, Giles. Why would your great-grandmother need a…”
Her eyes widened as
she trailed off. “Oh my God. Your great-grandmother was a Slayer?”
He smiled softly as
he nodded. “She was. Her Watcher’s name was Richard Giles.”
She thought back to
the conversation they had a few weeks earlier.
“They died trying to save each other?”
His smile faded and
he lowered his eyes. “Yes.”
Another thought
occurred to her. “Wait. You said his name was ‘Giles’.”
“Mm-hm.” He answered, wondering where she was going
with her thoughts.
“Your grandmother was
a ‘Giles’.” She shook her head in
confusion as he gave her a slight nod.
“So…how was your father a ‘Giles’?”
“Oh.” Giles smiled, finally understanding. “Grandmother kept her name at the request of
the Council. The Giles name had been
involved with the organization for hundreds of years. It took a lot of convincing for my
grandfather to agree to give their son ‘Giles’ as his surname.”
Buffy was quiet for a
few minutes, only looking back up at him when Giles tenderly rubbed her
thigh.
“Sorry, I was
thinking.”
“About?”
“We can do
this.” She answered softly. When he raised his eyebrow in a silent
question, she continued. “Fighting
together…we can do this, Giles.”
Her words came
quickly, her determination and excitement showing in her eyes.
“I’ve been in love
with you for almost two years. You’ve
been in love with me for a little over a year, right?”
“Yes.” He nodded slowly, a smile forming on his lips
as he followed her meaning but allowing her to continue.
“So, for the past
year we’ve been more aware of each other during fights. I know that I keep a pretty close eye on you
when you’re with me.” At his chuckle,
she rolled her eyes. “I’m talking
safety-wise, Giles.”
His eyes sparkled at
her. “Go ahead.”
“We can do this…we’ve
been doing this. Fighting to save the
world, loving each other at the same time.
And if we’re even more aware of the risks…then…” She bit her lip and looked into his
eyes. “We’re not your
great-grandparents, Giles. We’re Buffy
and Giles. We do things differently, we
always have. We can save the world and
still be with each other.”
When his smile grew,
she furrowed her brow. “What?”
He kissed her
quickly, sliding his left hand into her hair as he pulled back and gazed into
her eyes. “I was just thinking that
perhaps you should be the one to discuss this turn in our partnership with
Travers.”
She grinned and then
glanced at the clock. “Shit.”
His eyes
narrowed. “What’s wrong?”
She sighed
heavily. “I have a kleptomaniac to
kill.”
He shook his head in
amusement. “Kleptine.”
“Whatever. I still have to kill it…and…I really want to
stay in bed with you.” Her eyes darted
to his bare chest and she swallowed as her fingers toyed with his chest hair. “And I mean…REALLY want to stay in bed with
you.”
He covered her hand
with his and took a deep breath. “Would,
uh…would you like me to come with you?”
“No. But not because I’m worried that you’ll get
hurt.”
He tilted his head
slightly and looked at her carefully. “Then
why not?”
A gleam shone in her
eyes as she pulled her hand out from under his and slipped it under the sheet,
gently rubbing his semi-erect cock.
“Because, you need rest. I have
plans for you when I get back.”
He inhaled sharply as
she removed her hand and climbed out of bed, leaning back against the headboard
and watching her get dressed. “Be
careful.”
“I will.” She whispered as she came around to his side
of the bed, placing a lingering kiss on his lips. “I’ll be back soon.”
Just as she got to
the stairs, he called her name. She
turned her head towards him, her hand on the top of the banister.
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
She smiled broadly
and blew him a kiss. “I love you too.”
With that, she ran
down the stairs and carefully pulled the rapier down from above the
mantle. When he heard the front door
open and close, he smiled before picking up the phone. He dialled a number and listened to the ring
as he moved the demonology text to his bedside table.
Xander answered on
the fourth ring.
“Hello?”
“I suppose there was
a hidden agenda behind the music chosen for our research session earlier this
evening?”
“Um…”
Giles smiled, almost
able to see the panicked look in Xander’s eyes.
He decided to ease the young man’s mind.
“Thank you.”
“Huh? Oh, it worked? I mean, of course it worked. Um…it was Anya’s
idea, really.”
Giles chuckled
softly. “Many thanks to both of you.”
“So…you and
Buffy…um…”
“We’ll explain the
situation to everyone tomorrow. There’s
a phone call we need to make first.”
“But you are? Together, I mean.”
Giles neatly
sidestepped the question with one of his own.
“May I ask how you knew of the problem?”
“Oh…we heard you the
other night.”
Giles furrowed his
brow. “The other night?”
“Yeah, at the Magic
Shop. We, uh…we were downstairs. Sound travels pretty well through the duct
system.”
“Oh.” Giles answered softly. “The answer to your question is yes,
Xander. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,
Giles.”
Giles was certain the
young man was grinning like an idiot. As
he hung the phone up, he realized that he was grinning like an idiot as
well.
He glanced down at
his chest, tracing his fingers along the bite mark that showed clearly against
his skin. His grin grew wider as he slid
down the mattress, resting his head on the pillow.
Buffy would be back
soon and he needed to rest. He closed
his eyes and inhaled deeply.
She had plans for
him…and he definitely wanted to be ready for anything she had in store.
~ End