Title: One Last
Time
Author: Froxyn
Rating: FRAO
Pairing:
Buffy/Giles/Ethan
Timeline: Two and
a half months after Unique Relationship.
Synopsis: It’s
Christmas and Ethan returns to Sunnydale.
Author’s Note: wyvernolf
wanted the others to find out about Giles, Buffy, and Ethan. That’s what I started to write…and ended up
with this. Very special thanks to wyvernwolf for betaing for me
again.
“What are you doing?”
Giles looked up at
Buffy and raised an eyebrow before glancing back at the rolls of wrapping
paper, ribbons, and newly wrapped gifts resting on the table.
“I’m researching a
demon. It has been rumoured that this
particular demon can be rendered harmless should it be placed in a box and then
wrapped in festive holiday themed paper.
I don’t quite believe this rumour…therefore, I’m testing it.”
Buffy rolled her eyes
as she slid onto his lap. “Funny. But, what I meant was…why are you wrapping
presents when we have people coming over in a few minutes?”
“It gave me something
to do while you were getting ready.” He
answered softly as her fingers straightened his tie.
“You could’ve come in
and talked to me, you know…”
He shook his head,
his eyes darting to her lips. “I’m
rather sure that I would have distracted you from your task.”
“Pretty sure I
wouldn’t have minded…” She whispered as
she leaned into him, pressing her lips to his.
He allowed the kiss
to continue for a few moments…until he felt a certain physiological reaction to
her touch. Slowly pulling from the kiss,
he gave a soft sigh.
“We, uh…should
probably not start this right now.”
“Yeah…” She agreed before climbing off his lap and
running her hand through his hair.
“And…don’t forget, you promised I could open one of my presents from you
tonight.”
He chuckled softly as
he stood and lightly fingered one of the large curls resting on her right
shoulder. “As if you would let me
forget.”
She grinned brightly
up at him and shook her head. “Not on
your life.”
“Lucky me.” He whispered sincerely as he trailed his
fingertips down her arm.
* * *
Giles chuckled as
Anya continued to ask questions concerning the upcoming wedding. Buffy sat beside of him on the couch, nestled
against his side with his arm draped over her shoulders. He held a glass of egg nog in his left hand,
taking a small sip before handing it to Buffy.
“I just don’t
understand why you have to have your wedding so close to Christmas.”
“Buffy asked Will to
check the numbers. That was the date
that everything pointed to.”
“Numerology.” Anya snorted.
“Did you check the bumps on their heads as well?”
“Huh?” Xander asked, clearly confused.
Giles sighed
good-naturedly and shook his head.
“Phrenology determines the psychological attributes of an individual.”
“Yeah, and numerology
is so much more scientific.” Anya
scoffed.
Giles smiled
patiently. “I’m marrying Buffy on that
day because that’s the day she picked.
She chose that particular day because it felt right to her. It just so happened that the date she picked
and the date
“But…it’s so close
to Christmas. I mean, it’s bad enough
that both of your birthdays are in February.
Now we have to deal with a wedding anniversary in January?”
Everyone looked
confused for a moment and then Xander cleared his throat. “I get it.”
“Care to share with
the class?” Buffy asked. “Because…I definitely don’t get it.”
Xander gave her a
quick nod and then turned to Anya, placing his hand on her thigh and looking
into her eyes. “An, honey…we
don’t celebrate their anniversary.
That’s something for the two of them to do.”
Anya narrowed her
eyes in thought. “It’s not a gift-giving
thing? Like birthdays and Christmases
and Rashculla?”
Xander smiled and
shook his head. “No…and, for the record,
we’re the only ones in this dimension who celebrate Rashculla.”
Anya grinned. “And that’s because you love me.”
“Yeah…” Xander chuckled. “Yeah, I do.”
Anya nodded as she
considered his explanation and then looked back at Buffy and Giles. “We don’t have to buy a present for you on
your anniversary.”
“No…” Buffy drawled out as she shook her head.
“Okay, then I’m good
with the date you’ve picked.” Anya
stated with a twinkle in her eyes. “I
still think numerology is just a way to keep bored witches busy though.”
Hearing Anya try to
pull Xander into the argument, he laughed as he opened the door. His laughter ceased, but the smile remained
on his lips, as he met the visitor’s brown eyes.
“Ethan.” He stopped himself from pulling the other man
into a hug. Just barely. Instead, he stepped to the side and silently
welcomed his old friend inside. “Merry
Christmas.”
Ethan smiled as he
stepped over the threshold. His smile
faded when he heard the bickering females.
“Oh…I didn’t consider
the possibility that you’d have company tonight.”
Giles shut the door
and smiled brightly. “It’s quite
alright. Would you care for something to
drink? Scotch, egg nog…”
“Tea, maybe?”
Giles stared at Ethan
in disbelief, but gave him a nod anyway.
“Tea…”
A grin tugged at the
corner of Ethan’s mouth. “Maybe with a
shot of Redbreast?”
Giles’ smile
returned. This was more like Ethan.
“And what if I don’t
have Redbreast?”
Ethan snorted. “For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve always
kept at least one full bottle of Redbreast in your liquor cabinet.”
“Fair enough.” Giles wasn’t able to stop the wink he gave
Ethan. He didn’t suppose it mattered
much. The others were still preoccupied
with the debate over the benefits of numerology. “Go on in and have a seat. Maybe you can explain numerology to Anya.”
Ethan stood there for
a moment, simply watching Giles as he moved through the living room and into
the kitchen. He took a deep breath and
scanned the living room, stopping when he met Buffy’s eyes. He offered her a gentle smile and stepped
into the room, shrugging off his jacket as he did.
“Buffy, hello.”
Buffy smiled and
stood up, dropping the glass of egg nog onto the lamp table as she started
towards him. She stopped suddenly and
stood there, aware that she looked like a complete idiot at the moment.
“Hi, Ethan. What brings you to Sunnydale at
Christmastime?”
The bickering ended
abruptly, everyone turning to stare at the new arrival. Ethan cleared his throat nervously and
shrugged a shoulder.
“Would you believe I
was in the neighbourhood?”
Buffy chuckled
softly, which surprised everyone.
Especially Xander and Willow. The
others had not experienced the not-so-fun times they had with Ethan Rayne when
they were still in high school.
“You know, for some
reason I would.” She looked up as Giles
returned with a steaming cup of tea.
“Tea? You’re drinking tea?”
Ethan’s eyes sparkled
as he took the mug. “Irish tea…much like
Irish coffee, only better.”
“But, you’re
English.” Anya stated, seemingly
oblivious to Xander’s unease.
“Very observant of
you.” Ethan replied, allowing his eyes
to roam over her legs. “And you are?”
“My girlfriend.” Xander answered, his eyes narrowing. “Why are you here, Rayne?”
Buffy rolled her eyes
and motioned for Ethan to take the free chair as she and Giles reclaimed their
positions on the couch. “Xander,
behave.”
“Behave? After everything that he’s put us through?”
Ethan took a sip of
the tea, relishing the burn of the alcohol.
“Put you through? As I
recall, most of my…fun…was directed towards the Watcher and Slayer here.”
“Yeah…and me being
Sergeant Major Harris had nothing to do with you at all, did it?”
Xander rolled his
eyes and waved a dismissive hand at her.
“So not the point, Will.”
“Look…” Buffy interrupted, her voice stern. “Ethan has explained his actions to us. We chose to accept them…and move past them.”
Xander glared at
Ethan, but spoke to Buffy. “He hasn’t
explained them to me. Or to
Willow.”
Ethan took a deep
breath, responding in a rich tone. “I do
apologize for the two of you getting caught up in my little games with Ripper
and Buffy…”
“Rupert.” Xander stated quickly. “He doesn’t go by ‘Ripper’ anymore.”
Ethan chuckled and
sipped his tea. “He does when I call him
that.”
“Rest assured, all of
you…that Ethan is not here to cause problems.
I’m sure he’s here for a reason…”
He glanced at Ethan, nearly smiling when the other man nodded. “But, it’s nothing that would concern any of
you. So…have another drink, argue about
the pros and cons of mistletoe, turn the stereo on…Ethan and I will discuss his
reasons for being here…”
He leaned over and
placed a loving kiss on Buffy’s lips.
“We’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”
Buffy nodded,
listening to Xander and Anya bicker as she watched Giles and Ethan walk down
the hall towards the spare room.
She wasn’t sure what
she’d say anyway.
Giles closed the door
behind him, sighing as he looked around the room filled with boxes, books, and
weapons. “Sorry, this is probably the
safest place for us to talk…”
“Yeah.” Ethan answered, quickly pushing Giles against
the door. “Swords, crossbows…this is a
safe place.”
“Ethan…” Giles murmured as Ethan’s mouth found the
side of his neck. “We can’t…”
“But, you want.” Ethan pressed his hand against Giles’ groin
and grinned. “What do you want,
Ripper? Your cock in my mouth? My arse?
Do you want to fuck me while I do sinfully sweet things to your
fiancée?”
Giles grabbed Ethan’s
wrist, pulling Ethan’s hand from his body as he pushed away from the
door…effectively pushing Ethan’s back against the nearest wall. Giles stared into Ethan’s lust-darkened eyes,
loosening his hold on Ethan’s wrist and sliding his free hand to the back of
Ethan’s head.
“God, yes.” He whispered moments before placing a warm,
sucking kiss at the base of Ethan’s throat.
He felt Ethan’s groan
before he heard it. Smiling softly, he
lifted his head and took a couple of steps back. He smoothed his hand down the front of his
shirt and shook his head.
“I want, you’re
correct in that. But, we can’t…not
now.” He cleared his throat and exhaled
deeply. “Buffy and I…our friends are
here. And…I doubt they would be very
understanding of the agreement between the three of us.”
“Later?” Ethan questioned, pushing himself from the
wall and glancing at Giles’ groin.
“After they leave?”
Giles nodded and
placed his hand on the doorknob. “If
Buffy says yes. I won’t go against her,
Ethan.”
“I know.” Ethan smiled and rubbed his own erection in
an attempt to make it subside.
Giles chuckled as he
opened the door, gesturing to the bathroom door across the hall. “Perhaps you can take care of that in the
other room?”
Ethan closed his eyes
as Giles walked out of the room. He
opened them slowly when the sounds of the small Christmas party wafted down the
hall. He gave himself a moment to
compose himself and then walked across the hall and stepped into the bathroom.
* * *
Buffy smiled as Giles
walked back into the living room.
“Everything okay?”
“Hm? Oh, yes.”
He returned her smile and glanced at their guests. “Is it time for presents now?”
Anya was too
preoccupied with the idea of opening gifts to ask any questions about the time
that Giles and Ethan had spent alone.
Because of that, she was able to take Xander’s mind off of it as well, grinning
at him as she grabbed the gift she had carefully wrapped for him and dropping
it in his lap.
“We have presents to
open.”
“Happy Hannukah,
“Thanks, Giles.” She replied, her eyes drifting to a red spot
on his neck. However, before she had a chance
to say anything, he had taken the gift and walked over to the couch.
Buffy smiled lovingly
at him as he sat down and handed the present to her. “Thank you.”
“Merry Christmas,
Buffy.” He whispered, leaning down and
brushing his lips across hers. “I love
you.”
“I love you
too.” She whispered back, before a
movement caught her attention.
She glanced at Ethan,
who was leaning against the kitchen counter and watching them, and then smiled
wider at Giles. “So…is he here for the
reason I think he is?”
He gave her a subtle
nod, moving his mouth to her ear and whispering only loud enough for her to
hear. “Only if you want it as well.”
“Do you?” She asked, slipping her fingers into his
hair.
“Yes, love.” He replied after a brief hesitation. “But only with you.”
Buffy was quiet for a
minute and then pulled back, looking up into his eyes. “Then I suppose we should get through these
presents, huh?”
Giles smiled as she
reached behind her and pulled a box wrapped in green paper out from under the cushion,
handing it to him as she kissed him again.
* * *
It was another two
hours before people started leaving…and it was thirty minutes after that that
Buffy, Giles, and Ethan were left alone in the apartment. Each of them were highly aroused…after all,
for the past two and a half hours they’d all been thinking of the reason Ethan
had stopped by.
“You’re getting
married soon, then?” Ethan asked,
breaking the silence in the room.
Giles gently rubbed
Buffy’s back as he nodded. “A couple of
weeks from now.”
After another few
moments of silence, Buffy shook her head and laughed. “Why are we all so nervous? It’s not like we don’t know what’s going on…”
Ethan smiled and took
a few steps forward. “I wouldn’t say I’m
nervous. More like…waiting for permission.”
As soon as the words
‘permission given’ left Buffy’s lips, Ethan was on the move. His left hand
groped Buffy’s right breast as his mouth found Giles’ neck for the second time
that night. Buffy’s fingers worked on Giles’
belt, groaning softly as Ethan pinched her hardened nipple. Giles gasped as Ethan bit the side of his
neck, reaching out to blindly unbutton and unzip Ethan’s jeans.
It wasn’t long before
all clothes had been discarded and Giles was watching Ethan pull one of Buffy’s
nipples into his mouth. Giles stroked
his erection as he dropped a handful of condoms onto the coffee table. He met Buffy’s eyes and smiled as she
beckoned him over with a wave of her hand.
Ethan was kneeling on
the floor between Buffy’s legs as she sat on the couch. Giles’ eyes were drawn back to Ethan’s mouth
suckling her breast. As he moved to
Ethan’s right side, he saw what had made Buffy groan suddenly…Ethan’s fingers
teasing her clitoris. His eyes snapped
to Buffy’s face when he felt her warm hand wrap around his cock and gently tug.
“Come…here…” She moaned as Ethan pushed his middle finger
into her.
Giles swallowed,
moving forward and kneeling on the couch next to her. He ran his fingers through her hair, his eyes
glazing as he watched her lips close around the head of his erection.
Ethan pulled his
mouth away from Buffy’s breast, watching as she slid her mouth up and down
Giles’ cock. “Fuck, that’s hot…”
* * *
Tara gave a heavy
sigh as she walked next to
“But, what if they’ve
already gone to bed?”
“I’ll check the
door.”
Hearing Tara’s
uncertain tone,
Tara gave her the
half-grin that
“Well, the lights are
still on. I guess that’s a good sign.”
“Or a bearess?”
“A bearess?”
But what she hadn’t
expected was to see both of them naked…with a just as naked Ethan Rayne. And what she really hadn’t expected to
see was naked Giles sitting on the couch with naked Buffy on top of him, her
back facing him as she rode him…and naked Ethan kneeling on the floor in front
of them, between Giles’ legs, with his right hand mauling Buffy’s left
breast…and his face buried between her widely spread thighs.
They weren’t sure how
long they’d been standing there…and had they not been in shock, they would’ve
found it oddly curious that no one seemed to notice their presence. When Buffy screamed in ecstasy, her right
hand on Giles’ knee and her left in Ethan’s hair, Giles groaned and lifted her
off of him.
Ethan grumbled as his
mouth lost contact with Buffy, but then smiled when Giles’ wet erection nudged
his chin. As Buffy knelt next to Giles
and fought to catch her breath, Ethan pulled Giles’ cock into his mouth and
sucked as hard as he could.
Tara grabbed
“
“I know…” Tara pulled her away from the door when she
saw
“But…”
“I don’t know,
Willow. I don’t have any answers…but,
now is not the time to talk to either of them about it.”
She didn’t say
another word as they walked back home.
Giles woke slowly,
his arm tightening around Buffy when he felt her warm lips on his cheek, then
his chin before finally touching his lips.
She smiled, leaning over him and brushing her fingers through his hair
as he murmured softly.
“Hey…” She whispered softly when his eyes opened.
“Hello.” He replied as quietly, sliding his hands up
her back. “How are you?”
“Not as tired as I
should be…” She answered with a grin on
her face. “And I was considering
molesting you for a while…”
He raised an eyebrow
at her as he smiled. “Molesting?”
“Yeah…you know, the
whole taking advantage of you thing…but you woke up.”
He cleared his
throat, his smile fading somewhat as she gently shifted until she was sitting
next to him, her fingers tracing indistinct patterns on his chest. “You still could…or…we could take turns
taking advantage of each other…”
She shook her head
sadly and took a deep breath. “Not right
now. We’re not the only ones who are
awake.”
He glanced towards
the stairs, sighing as he smelled the brewing coffee. Her hesitation didn’t surprise him. Each time that Ethan had been included in
their activities, Buffy had gently refused to make love the following morning
if Ethan was still there. He found her
reaction oddly charming.
Sitting up, he rested
his back against the headboard and lifted his hand, brushing his fingers
through her hair. “Perhaps once he’s
gone?”
She met his eyes, her
smile slowly returning. Her reply was
cut short by Ethan calling up the stairs.
“I’m well aware of
the fact that you’re both awake.
Coffee’s ready, come on down.”
They laughed as they
took their time climbing out of bed and getting dressed. Just as Buffy reached the top of the stairs,
Giles reached out and stopped her. As
she turned to look at him, she couldn’t help but notice the seriousness in his
green eyes.
“Giles?”
“I love you,
Buffy.” He whispered in a nearly urgent
tone.
“I know.” She whispered back as she tilted her
head. “And I love you too.”
His eyes darted in
the direction of the living room downstairs.
As he looked back at her, he swallowed and ran his fingers through his
hair. “I…I don’t think we should do this
again.”
“I think we’re all in
agreement with that, mate.” A deep voice
stated from the bottom of the stairs.
When Giles and Buffy
both stared down at him, he smiled and gestured towards the kitchen. “As I said earlier…coffee’s ready. So, come on before it gets cold…and we’ll go
through all of the reasons that last night was the…last night.”
Giles and Buffy
walked down the stairs, hand in hand, and stepped into the living room. Giles narrowed his eyes as he looked around
the room and noticed that it was remarkably clean.
“How long have you
been up?”
Ethan smiled and
handed each of them a cup of coffee. “A
while. Your friend, the red-head, came
by early this morning…forgot her wallet, it seems. She also seemed to be fairly confused about
me still being here.”
“What do you
mean?” Buffy asked quickly as she sat
down on the sofa, grimacing as the hot coffee burned her lips as she took a
sip.
“I believe her words
were something like ‘Did you stay here all night? Where did you sleep? Giles and Buffy only have one bed. Why are you really here, Ethan?’” He grinned as he sat down on the nearest
chair and rested his coffee mug on his thigh.
“She’s quiet a rambler, little red.”
“
“Why would Ethan make
her nervous?” Buffy questioned, blowing
across the top of her mug.
“Maybe she wants me
to make her scream my name.” Ethan
replied with a grin.
Buffy rolled her
eyes, causing Ethan to raise an eyebrow.
He licked his lips and stared into her hazel eyes.
“I’ve nearly made you
scream my name, love.”
“Not as nearly as
you’d like to think.” Buffy retorted,
smiling as Giles snorted a laugh.
“You couldn’t let me
believe I’d been close?” Ethan asked
with a smile. “Never mind…we have a
discussion to have, I believe.”
Giles sobered and
took a deep breath, placing his half empty mug on the lamp table. “I...as much as I enjoy our…well, the time
the three of us spend together…”
Ethan leaned forward
slightly, his eyes sparkling mischievously.
“You can say it, Rupert. You can
say how much you enjoy fucking me.”
“I could.” Giles agreed softly. “If I wanted to be crude. But, I don’t.
Want to be crude, that is…”
“Now who’s
rambling?” Ethan asked as he sat back in
his chair. “We’re all adults…we know
what we’ve done with one another…we seemingly all agree that this shouldn’t
happen again. I’ll tell you my reason if
you tell me yours.”
Giles hesitated for a
moment, clearing his throat when Buffy slipped her hand into his.
“I have to deal with
the guilt each time. Even though we’re
all in agreement of what we’re doing, I still feel tremendous guilt. And…I can’t continue this once Buffy and I
are married. If I feel this guilty now,
it’s only going to get worse once she’s my wife. I just – ”
Ethan interrupted him
with a gentle nod, letting him know that he understood, before turning his
attention to Buffy. “And what about
you?”
Buffy bit her lip and
exhaled slowly. “Because I almost kissed
you last night.”
Ethan furrowed his
brow. “You did kiss me last
night. We all kissed each other…”
“No.” She shook her head quickly, tightening her
grip on Giles’ hand. “When you first got
here…when our friends were here for our little Christmas party. I almost kissed you then.”
“Oh…” Ethan replied, a smile tugging at his mouth.
“I don’t love
you. But…I’m always happy to see
you. And I think that the edges of our
relationships with each other are getting more than a little blurred.” She lowered her eyes and took a deep
breath. “And I don’t want to hurt
Giles…because I have to watch him work through his guilt. It’s not easy watching him berate himself for
something we both took part in…and I can’t do that to him anymore.”
The room fell quiet
for a few moments before Ethan finally spoke.
“Fair reasons from
the both of you. In fact, your reasons
are much more noble than mine.”
He waited until two
sets of eyes were looking at him intently before continuing. He finished off his coffee and cradled the
empty mug between his hands.
“I’m going back to
Giles heard something
in Ethan’s tone. “Ethan?”
“I wanted to…feel…and
to be felt while I still had the chance.”
He cleared his throat and looked down at the empty mug in his
hands. “It’s that simple. Not very noble of me, I know. But, I’ve always been more about pleasure
than nobility.”
Buffy and Giles
exchanged a quick glance before Giles gently spoke.
“Ethan…what’s going
on?”
Ethan took a deep
breath and raised his eyes. “I’m
dying…and I want to go home. God help
me, I don’t want to die in
Buffy squeezed Giles’
hand until he should’ve cried out in pain.
However, Giles felt nothing through the shock of Ethan’s words.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
She had waited all
day for Buffy to come to her…or to call her.
She had even skipped her classes in hopes that Buffy would knock on her
door. But, she hadn’t. The sun had set over thirty minutes
earlier…and she knew that Buffy would be on patrol.
She had a pretty good
idea of where to start looking.
* * *
Buffy had wanted to
stay home. She had nearly stayed home, but she hadn’t patrolled at all over the
holidays. She had been curled up on the couch in Giles' arms, as Ethan took a
shower, when Giles turned the television on in time for the local news. Buffy
sat up when a report was given about a man being mauled by some wild animal.
Buffy sighed and Giles furrowed his brow. Both of them knew that it had been no
wild animal, but that it had more than likely been a vampire. And so Buffy had
to patrol, leaving Giles with Ethan.
A dying Ethan.
Buffy leaned against
a tombstone in the cemetery she was currently walking through and bit her
lip. Ethan had scolded her earlier in
the day when her tears had begun to fall, saying that he wanted no tears wasted
on him.
But, he wasn’t here
to scold her now.
Her back scraped
against the tombstone as she sagged to the ground, allowing her tears to fall
freely.
* * *
A fact which made her
angrier with each passing minute.
Buffy looked up and
wiped the back of her hand across her eyes, pushing herself up from the ground
as
“Will! What is it?”
Buffy met
“I wasn’t running
from anything…I was running to you!”
Buffy wiped at her
eyes again and shook her head.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
Buffy heard the curt
tone of Willow’s voice and furrowed her brow.
“Nothing. I was just doing some
thinking – ”
“About what?” Willow interrupted quickly. “Your boyfriend or your fiancé?”
“What?”
Willow accusingly
pointed her finger at Buffy. “How long
have you been screwing around with Ethan?”
Buffy’s eyes
widened. “What?”
“I saw the three of
you, don’t try to deny it. And…how is
Giles okay with this? How can he be okay
watching his one-time friend have sex with his fiancée?”
Willow’s tone
instantly put Buffy on the defensive. Her
own anger reared its ugly head and she spoke before she even thought.
“The same way I can
be okay watching Giles fuck Ethan. It’s none of your business, Will!”
Willow’s mouth
dropped open in shock. Realizing what
she had done, Buffy closed her eyes and cursed under her breath.
“Buffy…”
Buffy shook her head,
her hazel eyes not hiding her anger.
“No…you have no right to judge me, Will.
Absolutely none. What Giles and I
do in our private life is none of your concern.”
“But, you…the two of
you…and Ethan? How, why…I don’t
understand.”
Buffy took a deep
breath and blew it out, willing herself to calm down. “I didn’t understand you and Tara at first
either…but, I didn’t go all Cruella de Vil on you either.”
Willow furrowed her
brow. "Cruella de - "
She stopped when Buffy gave her a glare and shook her head. "No. No, you
don't get to question my references tonight. They make sense to me and that's
all that matters. You don't get to make a joke out of it!"
Willow felt her anger
quickly subside.
“Why were you
crying? Are you and Giles okay?”
Buffy ran her fingers
through her hair and sighed. “Giles and
I are fine. We’re still very much in
love…”
“But, Ethan…”
“Last night was the
last night.” Buffy whispered
emotionally.
Willow bit her lip and
then asked the question she wasn’t sure she wanted the answer to.
“Last night wasn’t
the first night though, was it?”
Buffy shook her head
slowly, causing Willow to exhaled deeply.
“You were crying
because last night was the last night?”
Buffy nodded, forcing
a new wave of tears back down. “But, not
for the reason you’re thinking. Giles
and I had already decided it wouldn’t happen again.”
“Then, why?” Willow asked, gently touching her fingers to
Buffy’s wrist. “Please talk to me,
Buffy.”
“He’s dying,
Will. Ethan’s dying…and I was just
getting to know the man that Giles calls his friend.”
Willow was quiet for
a minute, her head swimming with all of the new information she’d been
given. “Where is he?”
“At home…with Giles.”
“And why are you out
here and not with them?” Willow asked
softly, lifting her hand to brush the hair back from Buffy’s face.
Buffy’s brow furrowed
at the concern in Willow’s tone. “And
all of the sudden you’re okay with all of this?”
Willow chuckled
lightly and shook her head. “No. I’m mad as hell…you should’ve talked to
me. And I’m really pissed off that you
didn’t. But…you’re my friend, and you’re
upset because one of your friends is sick.
So…you should be at home with them…and not out here giving vampires a
free shot at the Slayer.”
“What are you going
to tell the others?”
Willow sighed. “Nothing.
It’s not my place to say anything.
Besides…I’m not sure how Xander would take the news of Giles and Ethan
together. To be honest, I’m not sure how
I’m taking it…not well, I imagine.”
“No, not
really.” Buffy agreed. She gestured towards the cemetery exit with
her stake. “Maybe you should come with
me…”
“Um…I’m not sure
Giles would be okay with me knowing about this…”
“Do you still love
him?” At Willow’s questioning look,
Buffy took a deep breath and clarified her question. “Does you knowing what he and I have done
with Ethan change how you feel about either of us? Because if it doesn’t…if you still love us
both…then I think you should come with me.”
“Buffy?”
Both of them turned
quickly, having not heard Giles walk up to them. Buffy’s eyes widened, the stake falling from
her hand to land harmlessly on the ground.
“Giles! Is he…”
“Resting. He’s resting.” Giles answered quickly, darting his gaze to
Willow before meeting Buffy’s eyes again.
“I…I was worried about you. I
shouldn’t have let you patrol tonight…”
“I needed to get
out.”
Giles lifted his left
hand and caressed her cheek. “You’ve
been crying.”
Buffy shrugged a
shoulder. “He wouldn’t let me cry in
front of him…”
When Giles’ eyes
widened in alarm, Buffy moved closer to him and rested her cheek against his
chest.
“Willow knows,
Giles.”
“I’m sorry?” He answered, flabbergasted by her whispered
statement.
“I…forgot my wallet…”
Giles swallowed,
wrapping his arms around Buffy as he looked over at Willow. “I know.
Ethan said that you dropped by this morning to pick it up.”
Willow cleared her
throat. “I, uh…I actually came back last
night to get it. The, uh…the door was
unlocked, I…well, I didn’t think that…I had no idea…”
Giles closed his eyes
briefly and inhaled deeply, his hands gently rubbing Buffy’s back. “You…saw us?”
“I didn’t mean
to…” Willow offered quickly.
Giles was quiet for a
long time, lovingly stroking Buffy’s back as she cried silently into the front
of his shirt.
“I’m rather sure I
have no idea what to say.” He stated,
looking directly into Willow’s eyes.
The anger that Willow
had felt all day towards Buffy and Giles was suddenly gone. She wasn’t sure if it was because it was in
the open now or if it had been something in Giles’ tone or something else. But, she did know that she wasn’t angry
anymore.
“It’s none of my
business, Giles. I was so angry all
day…and I had all of these speeches I was going to give both of you.” She reached out and placed her right hand
over Giles’ left, stilling his movement.
“And it all boils down to nothing.
You guys are still my family…and…families have secrets sometimes. We don’t have to know every little detail
about what’s going on in each other’s lives.”
Giles shifted his
hand slightly, just enough to give himself enough room to slide his fingers
over her hand. “Thank you, Willow.”
Willow leaned forward
and placed a tender kiss on the side of Buffy’s head. When Buffy held onto him even tighter, Willow
looked into his eyes.
“I think maybe you
should take her home. It isn’t safe out
here for her tonight.”
Giles nodded in
agreement, but Buffy pulled away and shook her head, wiping the tears from her
eyes. “No, there was a vampire attack
last night and I – ”
“Will get yourself
killed if you stay out here.” Willow
finished for her. “Go home, get some
rest…it feels like a quiet night anyway.”
Before she had a
chance to argue, Giles gave a quick nod and carefully led her out of the
cemetery…Willow on Buffy’s right side.
Giles dropped Willow
off at the apartment she shared with Tara before heading home. Stopping for a red light, he glanced over at
Buffy to find her staring out the side window.
“Buffy?”
“Hm?” She murmured, slowly turning towards him.
“Are you alright?”
“He doesn’t look
sick.” She stated, ignoring his
question. “I mean, he’s lost a little
weight, but…not bad. Not like the weight
I lost when I had the flu that time. Do
you think he looks sick?”
“No.” Giles answered with a sigh.
“So how can a guy who
doesn’t look sick at all…or act like he’s sick…only have two to three months
left? And…how the hell is that fair?”
“Buffy…”
“I’m just learning
about the real Ethan, Giles.”
“I know.” He whispered, reaching over and placing his
hand on her knee.
“There has to be
something that we can do. I mean…you and
Will could – ”
Giles shook his head,
interrupting her with his gentle voice.
“No magick, love. His illness isn’t
mystical…”
“He’s giving up.”
Giles sighed,
shifting the car into gear as the light turned green. “He’s not exactly giving up, Buffy.”
“He’s refusing
treatment.”
“The treatment isn’t a
cure…and is nearly as detrimental to his health as the illness itself.”
Buffy grew quiet and
stared out the window. He heard her
murmur something, but was unable to make out her words.
“I’m sorry?” He asked as he pulled into his parking space
and killed the engine.
She took a deep
breath and turned back towards him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Don’t ever get sick…not like this. Because I really don’t think I could survive
watching you…God, I can’t even say it.”
He unbuckled his seat
belt and quickly unclipped hers as well, pulling her into his arms. She clung to him, pressing her lips against
the side of his neck as she pushed him against the back of his seat and crawled
onto his lap.
“Buffy…” He groaned as her teeth gently scraped against
his skin. “Christ, love…not here, not
like this…”
“I want you,
Giles…” She murmured as she moved her
right hand down the front of his chest.
He grabbed her wrist
just as her fingers grazed his burgeoning erection. “You can have me, Buffy…but not here. Please…let’s go inside.”
“I love you.” She whispered, pulling her hand free from his
grip.
“I love you too,
Buffy.” He lifted his hand and gently
stroked her cheek. “Please, let’s go
inside.”
She nodded slowly,
carefully extracting herself from his lap.
“Okay.”
He pulled the keys
from the ignition and smoothed his hand down the front of his shirt. He turned towards her, sighing softly as she
opened the car door and stepped out.
He couldn’t promise
her that he’d never get sick…he couldn’t promise her that she wouldn’t have to
watch him die. He knew that logically
she knew that…he also knew that the news of Ethan’s illness had rocked
her.
She didn’t love
Ethan, but she did care about him. She
considered him a friend, and she had just learned that her friend was
dying. And he would hold her and comfort
her…in the best way he could.
* * *
Giles held the front
door open for Buffy, smiling softly as she stepped inside. His smile faded when Buffy’s eyes widened.
“What are you doing?”
Ethan turned and
smiled at Buffy, glancing at Giles. “You
didn’t have dinner…I thought the two of you might be hungry. I know I am.”
Buffy shrugged out of
her jacket as Giles closed and locked the door.
“You should be resting, Ethan.”
Ethan groaned and
leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. “You see, this is why I didn’t say anything
earlier. I’m not an invalid, Buffy. I would think that you would’ve realized that
last night.”
Buffy rolled her eyes
at his smirk and pointed to the couch.
“Sit down.”
Ethan’s eyes drifted
to her legs before resettling on her eyes.
“You planning on sitting with me?
Or…on me, maybe?”
Giles chuckled and
hung his keys up on the hook next to the door.
Ethan turned his gaze to Giles and grinned.
“Don’t you just look
adorably rumpled. Have a quick shag on
the way home, did you?”
Giles raised an
eyebrow at him and tilted his head towards the couch. “Sit down, Ethan. I’ll finish up dinner.”
“For fuck’s sake,
Ripper, I’m not a fucking charity case!”
Ethan exclaimed, pushing away from the counter.
“I know. You’re a guest…and guests in our home do not
cook dinner. They sit and relax. This has nothing to do with you being sick
and everything to do with me wanting to be a good host.”
“Oh.” Ethan offered lamely, clearing his throat as
he gestured towards the stove. “It’s
almost ready…it’s nothing exotic or anything.”
Giles smiled warmly
as he sniffed the air. “Scouse.”
Buffy narrowed her
eyes and stared at them. “Scouse? What is scouse?”
“It’s a type of lamb
stew.” Giles replied. “It’s popular in Liverpool and North Wales…”
Buffy shook her head
in confusion. “One, you’re both from
London…or the suburbs of London, anyway.
Two, why do the English have to call their food such weird names? I mean…what’s wrong with calling it lamb
stew? Sounds better than scouse.”
“At least I didn’t
make spotted dick for dessert.” Ethan
chuckled softly as Buffy’s eyes widened.
“I was going to, but Rupert never liked it. And, to answer your question, my father was
Liverpudlian…made his way to the city when he was still a teenager.”
Ethan turned his head
as the timer dinged. As he started to
make his way back to the kitchen, Giles moved forward and grabbed his arm.
“I can finish,
Ethan. I remember the routine. Please, sit down…”
Ethan heaved a heavy
sigh and pulled his arm from Giles’ grasp.
He trudged over to the couch and flopped down on the cushions.
“Fine…you finish it
up and I’ll just sit here like – ”
“Our guest.” Buffy interrupted quickly as she sat down
beside of him. “Trust me, Ethan…he’d do
this anyway.”
Ethan rolled his
eyes, but nodded in agreement. “I
know. And normally it wouldn’t bother
me, but…”
He trailed off and
glanced over at Buffy. “Aren’t you
supposed to be on top of me instead of beside me?”
Buffy snorted and
shook her head. “That was your scenario,
not mine.”
Ethan regarded her
carefully, lifting his hand to gently brush his fingers through her hair. “You really are quite lovely, you know.”
Giles turned around
when he heard Ethan. “She’s marrying me,
Ethan…”
Ethan grinned,
lowering his hand and turning his gaze to Giles. “And I wouldn’t dream of trying to change
that. It was just a compliment…or is it
that you’re fishing for one too? Because
you don’t have to fish…you know that you’re lovely as well.”
Giles rolled his eyes
and turned back to the steaming pot of stew.
Ethan chuckled and
turned his attention back to Buffy. “If we
hadn’t made a mutual agreement this morning, I’d kiss you right now.”
Buffy swallowed and
tilted her head. “But, we did…make an
agreement.”
Ethan smiled as he
watched her eyes darken slightly. “Yes,
we did. However, we could always make an
amendment…if you wanted to.”
He slid his fingers
along her denim clad thigh as he continued, his voice thick and heavy. “I could be inside of you right now, my mouth
stuffed full with Rupert’s cock…you could suck his balls while he fucked my mouth…”
The sound of the
metal spoon in Giles’ hand dropping onto the stovetop rang loud in the
room. Ethan looked over at Giles,
smiling as he watched Giles turn the eye of the stove off.
“What about you,
Rip? Sound good to you?”
Giles walked into the
living room, shaking his head as he met Buffy’s eyes. “Buffy, I…”
Ethan smiled,
understanding Giles’ reluctance. “Or…you
two can finish what you obviously started in the car…and I can sit here and
pretend I’m a Watcher.”
Buffy turned her head
sharply towards Ethan. “You want to
watch us?”
Ethan licked his dry
lips and sighed softly. “Oh, I’d much
prefer to do more than watch…but, we should probably adhere to our agreement as
best we can.”
Giles shook his head
as he sat down on a stool in front of the breakfast bar. “I…don’t think that would be a good idea.”
“Why not?” Ethan asked, moving his left hand to cover
the prominent bulge in his jeans. “You’d
have nothing to feel guilty over, Buffy wouldn’t feel bad about you feeling
guilty, and I would – ”
“Still be dying.” Giles finished in a hoarse whisper. “And then my last memories of you would
involve you sitting there watching…because you’re too tired to do anything
else. I can’t do that, Ethan.”
Ethan was quiet for a
moment before taking a deep breath.
“What if I told you
that I’m not dying? What if I only said
that because it was easier than to admit that I’d fallen in love with
you…because I know that this can’t continue once you’re married?”
Giles narrowed his
eyes as his back straightened. “Then I
would try extremely hard to not thrash you.
But, I can’t promise that I would be successful.”
“You’re not
sick?” Buffy asked accusingly.
Ethan ran his hand
through his hair and swallowed. “I am
sick. And I am dying.”
“Then why on earth
would you say something like that?”
Giles questioned, moving from the stool to the coffee table. “Ethan…”
“Because it’s all
true.” Ethan admitted softly, lowering
his eyes and folding his hands in his lap.
“I’m sick, I’m dying…and I’m in love with you. And I know this has to end.”
Giles’ eyes
widened. Whatever he had been expecting
Ethan to say, it wasn’t this.
Ethan’s eyes
glistened as he glanced up at Giles briefly, lowering his eyes once more as he
continued. “I’d never intentionally come
between the two of you. I know how much
you love her…and how much she loves you.
You two are right for each other.
You always had been…but, strangely enough, it took the three of us
having sex together for you both to admit it.”
“I…” Giles started, but didn’t know how to
continue.
Ethan sighed and
shook his head. “I was here for you
that night, Rupert. Neither of us were
expecting Buffy to come in. I’ve grown to care for Buffy very deeply as well,
but…it’s always been about you.”
“Ethan, I…I don’t
know what to say.” Giles whispered.
“There’s nothing to
say, Rupert.” He raised his head and
offered Buffy a gentle smile. “I
honestly meant it when I said that you’re lovely. I do care for you, you know.”
“I know. And I care for you too.” Buffy stated as she returned his smile. “But, him?
He’s mine…”
Ethan chuckled and
leaned into her, placing a soft kiss on her lips. “I know.
I wouldn’t dare try taking him from you.
It would be a lost cause on my part.”
“Ethan?”
Ethan turned his eyes
to Giles and smiled. “I know you don’t
love me, Rip. I’m okay with that. But, I thought you should know the real
reason I think it’s best if we stop this.”
Giles raised an
eyebrow. “You still think it’s best if
we end this part of our relationship, however…you were the one coming on to
Buffy.”
Ethan smiled and
shrugged a shoulder. “I do think
it’s best…but, it doesn’t mean I have to like the decision.”
Ethan turned abruptly
towards Buffy and tilted his head. “Did
Willow find you?”
“Huh?” Buffy asked, surprised at the sudden change
of conversation.
“Willow. She knows, you know? I’m not sure how, but she does know.”
“Oh.” Buffy sighed, carefully moving from the couch
to sit beside of Giles on the table.
“She kinda saw us last night.”
“Kinda?” Ethan asked, a mischievous smile on his
lips.
Buffy rolled her
eyes, causing Giles and Ethan both to laugh.
And just like that,
the moment was broken. There was no more
need to discuss the new revelations tonight.
Those discussions would most certainly happen at a later date. Possibly after the wedding, which Ethan had
promised to attend. But first, Buffy was
curious as to what Ethan’s scouse tasted like.
Buffy smiled as Giles
and Ethan began trading stories of their youth.
She stood up and made her way into the kitchen, pulling three bowls from
the cupboard and filling them with the still hot stew. She looked over at them and smiled.
Ethan had stated that
he was going back to England, that he didn’t want to die in America. But, maybe…just maybe…she and Giles would be
able to change his mind. England was his
home, she understood that. But, the
question was would he rather die at home, alone…or would he rather die here,
with the two of them at his side.
She pulled three
spoons out of the drawer and chuckled softly as she overheard Ethan laughing
about the time that Giles had called the police while in a drug-induced
paranoia. She placed the full bowls on
the bar and watched them laugh together.
Now wasn’t the time
to bring up her idea. Now was the time for
a nice English dinner and tall tales.
Later, it would be time for making love to her fiancé…and maybe Ethan
would watch.
Or maybe he might
join in…one last time.
~ End