Title: Hidden Truths
Author: Froxyn
Rating: FRAO
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Timeline: Post Series, AU.
Synopsis: Buffy goes to England
to see Giles after the near apocalypse that was diverted by Angel, Spike, and
the others in Los Angeles. Will they
admit their true feelings for one another?
Author’s Notes: This was written for the Buffy BigBang. Very special thanks to wyvernwolf for spending a few weeks looking over each chapter and offering her suggestions on how to make it better.
“You’re…in love with me?” Buffy whispered, her eyes widening.
He swallowed nervously and lowered his eyes. “Yes. I’m sorry…I…uh…”
“Giles?”
“I think I very well may have taken advantage of the situation a few months ago.” He responded softly.
“Taken advantage?” She questioned, wishing he would just look at her again.
Clearing his throat, he nodded as he stared at his hands. “You were drunk, your inhibitions had been lowered…your standards had probably dropped as a result as well. I…well, I knew that it was probably the only chance I’d ever have. I – ”
“If anything, my standards were higher.” She whispered, offering him a soft smile when he finally did look up.
“I’m sorry?”
“I’ve never liked the fact that you talk yourself down, Giles. You act like you don’t deserve me…when it’s me that doesn’t deserve you. After everything I’ve done…after everything I’ve said…how can you still love me?”
“I tried not to.” Giles admitted quietly. “I was so sure that my feelings wouldn’t be returned. But, it seemed the more I tried not to, the more I loved you. And those two nights that we shared…” He sighed and averted his eyes from her again. “I believe those were the happiest two nights I’ve had in many years.”
Buffy was quiet for a few moments, watching him closely. Just as he looked like he was getting ready to stand, she took a deep breath and spoke.
“You didn’t take advantage of me, Giles.”
He looked up quickly when he felt her hand caress the side of his face. “Pardon?”
“I…I kinda thought that I was the one doing the advantage taking.”
When he merely stared at her in shock, she lowered her hand and licked her lips. “I need to know something, Giles.”
He blinked and choked out one word. “What?”
“Why did you leave me?”
“I…” His brow furrowed in confusion. “God, how I wanted you to stay…but you needed to come back here.”
“No…” She shook her head and took a deep breath. “You left me in Sunnydale to go back to England. Why?”
“Oh…” Understanding shone in his eyes as he exhaled slowly, gathering his words.
“I…you were depending on me too much. And I couldn’t bring myself to tell you no. You wanted…or needed…me to take care of everything that required the tiniest bit of effort. And I couldn’t watch you do that to yourself. I was only making things worse…because I wasn’t forcing you to deal with your responsibilities on your own.”
She nodded slowly, covering his hands with hers when she noticed that he was beginning to fidget. “I get that, Giles. But…is that the only reason you left?”
“I…” He sighed heavily and looked down at their joined hands. “I saw you kiss him. Everything I just said is true. But…I also couldn’t bear the thought of another vampire having what I so desperately wanted. Especially…him.”
“You saw?” She whispered, not having expected to hear that admission.
“I…I came out looking for you when you ran out…” He pulled his left hand out from under hers and ran his fingers through his hair. “I wanted to make sure that…that you were alright.”
“Giles…”
He met her eyes and shook his head. “I couldn’t watch you with him, Buffy. My heart…I couldn’t take it.”
“You left because you were jealous?” She asked in a tender tone.
“Not entirely. That…that was just…the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.”
Her eyes glistened as she rubbed the hand that hers was still covering. “You need to know something.” She inhaled deeply and looked into his eyes. “That song…I pretended I didn’t hear you, but…but I did. And I couldn’t deal with the thought of you leaving.”
“Buffy…”
“I was hurting so much and…and then you telling me that you couldn’t stay didn’t help. And, Spike…well, Spike was there and he wanted me…in a way I didn’t think you could ever want me. And so I used him…to try to get over you.”
Giles stared at her, her words screaming at him but his heart still not allowing him to trust what he knew his mind had heard. “Get over me?”
She nodded slowly and lifted her right hand, brushing her fingers through his hair above his ear. “God, I love you, Giles…I loved you then.”
“You…love me…” Giles stated, an uncertain tone in his voice.
“Yeah, I do.” She sighed and trailed her fingertips down the side of his face. “I wanted to tell you when I was in London. I had this fantasy of you asking me to stay…instead I got ‘this shouldn’t happen again’ and an offer of a ride to the airport.”
Giles blinked and shook his head. “I thought that’s what you wanted.”
“You didn’t think I could love you. Just like I thought you couldn’t love me. And here we are, two and a half months later…a baby on the way and the realization that we’re both in love with one another.”
“I…” He whispered, darting his eyes to her lips when her fingers ran down the side of his neck.
“Ssh…” She whispered back, leaning into him and brushing her lips across his. “Let’s not waste anymore time, Giles.”
He still couldn’t believe what was happening, but he also couldn’t stop his body’s instinctive response to her soft kiss. Looking into her eyes once more, wanting to see for himself that she was sincere in her words and having it confirmed by the love shining in her eyes, he gently pulled her to him and covered her mouth with his.
His kisses were slow and thorough, his
tongue exploring her mouth as his hands roamed over her back. She returned his kisses as passionately as
he was giving them, sliding her hand into his hair and pulling him down with
her as she laid down on the mattress.
When his mind registered that their positions had moved from vertical to horizontal, he reluctantly broke the kiss and looked into her eyes.
“I…I just want to hold you tonight, Buffy.”
She smiled as she gently rubbed his chest. “We can take this as slow as you want, Giles.”
His hand moved to her abdomen as he swallowed. “We’ve done all of this out of order. I love you, Buffy…and I want you. I just…I need to just hold you tonight. Is that alright?”
She nodded and moved into his arms. “Is it okay if I hold you too?”
A smile appeared on his face as he tenderly brushed a lock of hair back from her forehead. “Yes…it’s very okay.”
She whispered her love for him again as he lowered his mouth to hers.
* * *
The next morning, Dawn was up early. After she had a quick shower and had gotten dressed, she tiptoed into the living room. She stopped suddenly when she saw that the couch had obviously not been slept on. She panicked for a second and then noticed that his bag was still where it was last night.
She narrowed her eyes and, after checking the kitchen and not finding him there, quietly opened Buffy’s bedroom door and poked her head inside. A bright smile lit her face when she saw them…his arms wrapped around her, her head resting on his chest…and they both looked so peaceful.
Dawn was sure something had happened between them when Buffy had gone to London. She had even questioned Buffy about it in the weeks that followed. But, Buffy would change the subject as quickly as she could.
This was all of the proof Dawn needed.
She chuckled softly to herself and closed the bedroom door. She’d get the truth out of them this afternoon…right now, she had to get to class.
* * *
Buffy woke first, which surprised her. She hadn’t expected his arms to still be around her, much less for him to still be asleep. Raising her head, she smiled softly. He looked so relaxed…so…happy.
Before she could stop herself, she leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his lips. He responded quickly, waking but not opening his eyes as he deepened the kiss and tightened his hold on her.
His arousal was building quickly. So was hers, he mused as he felt her warmth when she shifted until she was straddling him. He broke the kiss slowly, looking into her eyes as his hands moved to her hips.
“Good morning.” He whispered as she smiled down at him.
“Hi there…” She sighed as she felt his thick erection underneath her.
When she started to move to his side, his hands gripped her hips tightly. Shaking his head as he licked his lips, he took a deep breath.
“Please…stay where you are.”
Her smile resurfaced as her hands slipped under his shirt. “I thought you wanted to take this slow…”
“We…don’t have to do anything, Buffy. I…I just want to feel you for a while longer.”
She gently rocked her hips against him, grinning as he groaned softly. “And…what if we want to do something?”
“Do you?” He whispered hoarsely as her fingers circled his left nipple.
“Oh yes. Yes, I do…” She sighed as she leaned down and kissed him.
He smiled, his eyes darkening with passion as he gently rolled her onto her back and leaned over her. “Are you sure?”
Lifting her hand, she lovingly stroked his cheek. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
His lips were almost touching hers when a thought entered his mind. “Dawn.”
She opened her eyes and looked at him in confusion. “Huh?”
“Um…your sister?” He whispered as he glanced towards the bedroom door.
“Oh…what time is it?”
He looked at the alarm clock on the bedside table. “Eight forty-seven.”
Her smile returned as she slid her hand to the back of his neck, gently pulling him back down to her lips. “She’s already gone…classes today.”
“Oh…good.” He whispered just seconds before they reignited their earlier kiss.
When he felt her hands move under his shirt again, he pulled from the kiss and gave her enough room to pull the garment off. No sooner had she seen his bare chest, he kissed her again.
His hand moved up her thigh until it reached the hem of her nightshirt. He smiled at her soft whimper as he ended the kiss. Kneeling between her thighs, he slowly pushed the nightshirt up her body.
“Buffy…look at me…please.”
She forced her eyes open and sighed when she found him smiling at her. He continued pushing the soft cotton shirt up, giving a sigh himself when his hands brushed over her breasts.
“I love you. I love you so very much, Buffy.”
She sat up, allowing him to pull the shirt up over her head before lying back down. “I love you too, Giles.”
He looked down at her breasts, his eyes darkening more as he watched her nipples harden under his gaze. Leaning back over her, he placed a warm kiss on her lips before kissing her chin…her throat…slowly making his way to her left breast.
Her back arched, a soft moan escaping her lips when she felt his tongue circle the hardened nub. He moved with a patience that surprised her. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but it wasn’t the slow, precise movements guaranteed to make her moan uncontrollably.
As his mouth moved to her right breast, she shivered and lifted her left leg over his hip. He groaned against her sensitive skin as she pulled him closer…pressing his erection against her damp core. His hips thrust against her involuntarily, causing her to groan loudly.
Lifting his head, he moved to her side and watched her face as he slowly pushed her underwear down her thighs. As he dropped the scrap of silk to the floor, he gazed at her nude body.
She grinned as she sat up and ran her hand up his chest. “You’ve seen me before, you know.”
“Mm.” He mumbled softly, closing his eyes briefly as her nails scratched over his right nipple. “Different though…”
“How?” She whispered as he gently pushed her back down and kissed her stomach.
“You love me.” He answered, placing another loving kiss on her abdomen. “We’re having a baby…and you love me.”
“You really want this baby.” She said quietly, stating the fact…not asking.
He lifted his head and looked into her eyes, gently rubbing her stomach as he placed his left leg between hers. “This child…was created out of love, Buffy. Granted, I didn’t know that you loved me…but, I knew without a doubt how I felt…feel…about you.”
She inhaled sharply, his words warming her heart. “When I found out…I was so happy. Before the fear set in, I mean. All I could think about was the fact that I…that I was having your baby. And, I don’t remember feeling that much peace before. Well, before now…”
He smiled as he gently ran his fingers through the damp curls covering her mound. “Are you feeling at peace, love?”
She gasped as his fingers slipped between her lips and traced her wet folds. “I feel…at peace, like I’m going to explode, unbelievably surprised…all at once.”
He looked at her curiously, continuing to stroke her…allowing his fingertip to circle her clitoris before sliding down to her entrance. “Unbelievably surprised?”
She nodded as she hooked her fingers into the waistband of his pajama pants and started to push them down over his hips. “That you could love me. That…that my dreams seem to be coming true.”
He lifted his hips, aiding her in the removal of the pants. He smiled as he kicked them off and pressed his fingers harder against her clit. His smile faded somewhat as he gazed into her eyes.
“I wanted to ask you to stay so badly. It broke my heart to watch you leave in that taxi.”
Her eyes glistened at the memory, still so fresh in her own mind and heart. “I think I cried all the way to the airport. The taxi driver asked me a few times if I wanted him to take me back…to you.”
“I should have listened to my heart.” He whispered as he gently pushed his middle finger into her and lightly stroked her inner walls. “I should have gone after you…begged you to stay.”
She gasped, her hips arching against his hand as her fingers curled around his erection. “I…I should have asked you…to stay in Sunnydale.”
His eyes closed as he automatically thrust in her hand. “You…you did…”
Rubbing her thumb over the head as he slipped a second finger into her, she shook her head. “For the wrong reason. Made it…made it about work…not about…love.”
He pulled his fingers from her suddenly, causing her to open her eyes just in time to watch him lick her fluids from his hand. She gave him another firm stroke, collecting the moisture gathering at the head with her thumb before releasing him. He moaned softly as she licked the moisture from her thumb.
“I don’t think either of us were ready…truly ready…until this very moment.” Giles whispered as he knelt between her thighs and leaned over her.
Bending her legs, resting her knees against his sides, Buffy looked into his eyes. “Why did you come?”
“Pardon?” He asked in a confused tone, the head of his cock resting at her entrance.
“To Rome? You…you didn’t know about the baby…”
He shook his head and offered her a shy smile. “I came to declare my love for you. Learning that I’m to be a father…well, that was just a bonus.”
“You came for me?”
He nodded, kissing her lips softly as he carefully pushed his hips forward. “I came for you.”
She threw her head back, gasping as he filled her. His lips found her neck as he began thrusting with a gentle rhythm. As her nails dug into his back, her hips rising to meet each of his thrusts, he lifted his head and gazed into her eyes.
“I’ll always come for you, Buffy. Always.”
He smiled as his name left her lips on a loud moan.
They finally dragged themselves out of Buffy’s bed at midday. He followed her down the hall and into the bathroom, happy that she hadn’t bothered to put a robe on…or anything else, for that matter. He ran his fingertip down her spine when she leaned over the tub to turn the shower on.
“You’re so very beautiful.” He whispered lovingly.
“And sticky.” She countered, turning around to offer him a bright smile. “Which is your fault.”
He grinned as he followed her into the shower and pulled the curtain closed behind them. “I’m not sorry for that.”
She sighed happily as she ran her hands up his chest and over his shoulders. “You’d better not be.”
He chuckled softly, kissing her lips before reaching for the bottle of body wash. He held the bottle in front of her and raised an eyebrow.
“I meant to ask you about this last night.”
“What? My body wash?” She asked as she grabbed the sponge from the hook on the wall.
“Mm-hm. Just so happens to be the exact same brand I have at home.”
She blushed lightly and shrugged a shoulder. “It reminded me of you. If I could have something…anything…that made me think of you…it made me happy. Well, as happy as I could’ve been.”
“Come back to England with me, Buffy.” He whispered suddenly, with a conviction that surprised her.
“I want to.” She replied softly. “But, it’s really not that easy. If it were just me…no problem. But, there’s Dawn to consider in all of this. I…I can’t leave her here on her own.”
“Do you want me to move to Rome?” He asked, taking the lathered sponge from her and gently rubbing it over her shoulders and breasts.
She swallowed, shaking her head as he tenderly washed her abdomen. “You wouldn’t be happy in Rome, Giles.”
“I’ll be happy if I’m with you…wherever we are.” He countered as he looked into her eyes.
Buffy took the sponge from him and lightly scrubbed it over his chest, smiling as his nipples hardened. Her smile suddenly faded and she looked up at him.
“God, what am I going to tell Dawn?”
Running his fingers through her wet hair, he exhaled slowly. “Do you mean about the baby?”
“About the baby…about us…” She redirected her attention to the sponge now moving over the top of his left thigh. “Us probably won’t be a big surprise to her…but, the baby…”
He arched an eyebrow at her as she moved the sponge over his abdomen. “She suspects something happened between us?”
“Yeah, I think so.” Buffy responded absently, her eyes staring at his slowly hardening cock. “She kept asking all kinds of questions when I got back…probably didn’t help that I wasn’t giving her straight answers. Dear God, Giles…do you always get this hard this many times?”
He grinned as he shook his head. “Not in years. Must be the way you look at me.”
She met his eyes as her fingers wrapped around the thick shaft. “And how do I look at you?”
“Your love is there…open and bright…for me to see. You’re not hiding it…it’s as if…you’re proud of it.” He answered seriously.
“I am.” She stated matter-of-factly as she carefully moved him out from under the spray of water and knelt in front of him.
“Buffy…” He swallowed, watching the water cascade down her back as she ran her tongue along the underside of the hard shaft. “You…you don’t…”
Her eyes sparkled as she gazed up at him. “I want to taste you again…”
Before he could say anything, she took him into her mouth. He leaned against the shower wall and ran the fingers of his left hand through her hair.
“Dear Lord…Buffy…”
“Mm?”
He shuddered as she sucked harder, her smile showing clearly in her eyes. “Not…not long…”
“Mm-hm.” She murmured, gently scraping her teeth along his flesh in the way she had learned that he liked. She smiled inwardly as his fingers tightened in her hair and his hips thrust gently against her.
He groaned loudly, his head resting against the wall as her soft hand cupped his scrotum and gently squeezed. “Jesus, Buffy!”
She dropped her hand quickly and moved back, pulling her mouth from his straining cock. “I’m sorry! Did I – ”
“Do it again…” He gasped, staring into her eyes as his hand wrapped around his erection. “God…do it again.”
She smiled as she moved back forward, licking his knuckles before flicking her tongue against the heavy sac. “What if…I suck them while you jerk off?”
His eyes widened as he nodded, beginning to slowly stroke the hard flesh in his hand. “Yes…oh yes…”
Before he could say anything else, she had drawn one of his testicles into her mouth, sucking hard before nibbling at the flesh covering it. She grabbed his hips, holding him against the wall as he groaned. His hand quickened its pace, tightening and relaxing in just the right moments of each stroke to push him closer to orgasm.
“Oh, Buffy…love…”
She smiled inwardly, giving the other testicle equal attention. She heard his gasp, felt his muscles tense, heard him call her name…and then felt the now familiar tremble as he neared orgasm.
She moved quickly, placing her mouth over the head of his cock as he continued to stroke himself. Her right hand squeezed his scrotum with just the right amount of pressure. He screamed in ecstasy, gripping her shoulder with his free hand as he came in her mouth.
She swallowed hungrily, continuing to bathe the sensitive flesh with her tongue after his hand had stopped moving. He looked down at her and cradled her face between both of his hands.
“Buffy…come here…”
She stood quickly, leaning against his chest as his mouth covered hers. His tongue swept into her mouth, tasting his come on her tongue.
As he started to move to the shower floor, she shook her head. “No, Giles…that was just for you.”
He looked at her curiously. “Just for me?”
“Mm-hm…how many times have you made me come with your mouth today?”
He arched an eyebrow. “This isn’t a system of checks and balances, Buffy. I’m not keeping score…”
“I know…but, I just wanted to do this for you.” She cleared her throat and gave him a small smile. “Besides…um…I’m a little sore at the moment…”
When she saw the panic flicker in his eyes, she shook her head quickly. “Don’t, Giles. It’s definitely a good kind of sore…the kind of sore I hope I feel very often for a very long time…”
A smile slowly appeared on his lips as she quickly rinsed off in the cooling water. When she reached to pull him under the spray, she noticed the smile.
She shook her head in amusement. “Make you feel all manly to know that you satisfied me to the point of soreness?”
“Hm?” He shivered as the now cold spray hit his body.
“The smile.” She responded as she turned the tap off. “Is that due to the fact that I said I was a little sore?”
“Oh…” He chuckled softly as he pushed the curtain open and stepped out onto the bathmat. “No…”
She raised an eyebrow at him as he helped her out of the tub. “Then why are you smiling?”
He cleared his throat and grabbed a towel, quickly drying her body before she caught a chill. “You, uh…you said ‘a very long time’.”
She nodded and grabbed another towel, drying the water from his skin before wrapping her hand around the back of his neck and pulling him down. “Yeah…I hope that’s okay with you.”
“I think I can live with that.” He whispered moments before their mouths met.
* * *
A couple of hours later, they were sitting on the couch in the living room. Dawn occupied the chair across from them. Buffy looked slightly nervous and Giles looked very much like a deer caught in the headlights as Dawn stared at them in disbelief, her mouth dropping open.
The fact that they had declared their love for one another in front of her hadn’t shocked her. The fact that Buffy had followed that with ‘and you’re going to be an aunt in about six and a half months’ was what was to blame for her current state.
“You’re pregnant?”
Buffy nodded slowly and bit her lip. “I know that it’s a bit of a shock…”
“When? I mean…you’re like two…” Her eyes widened further. “Oh! Oh, you two fu…um…you were together when you went to London? That’s why you wouldn’t give me a straight answer!”
Giles swallowed and rubbed the back of Buffy’s hand with this thumb. “It, uh…it was a confusing time, Dawn.”
Dawn regarded him closely for a minute. “That’s why you came to Rome. You came to Rome because Buffy’s pregnant with your baby!”
“No, I…I didn’t know until last night.” Giles admitted softly.
Dawn furrowed her brow and turned her stare to Buffy. “Okay, I can understand why you wouldn’t tell me. But…why not tell Giles?”
“Dawnie…”
Dawn shook her head quickly. “No, don’t ‘Dawnie’ me! Why wouldn’t you tell him?”
Buffy sighed heavily. “Like Giles said…it was a confusing time.”
Dawn snorted and leaned back on the couch, crossing her arms over her chest. “What…were you both drunk and just ended up in bed together?”
When Buffy’s eyes widened and Giles dropped his gaze to the floor, Dawn sat forward quickly. “Oh my God! You got drunk and slept together?”
“It, uh…was a little more complicated than that.” Giles offered softly.
“Oh…my…God!”
Buffy glanced at Giles and, seeing the skin above his collar begin to turn a dark shade of red, shook her head. “Dawn, please…”
Dawn grinned. “So…how many times has this happened?”
“Before today?” Buffy answered without thinking.
At the same time, Giles shook his head slowly. “Dawn…”
Dawn sobered at the obvious pain in Giles’ eyes when he finally looked at her. “Did you love her then?”
“I’ve loved Buffy for years, Dawn.”
Dawn bit her lip and glanced at Buffy. “For as long as she’s loved you?”
“What?” Buffy asked in a shocked tone.
Dawn rolled her eyes. “My room was next to yours…the walls weren’t all that thick, you know. Especially when I was trying to listen. I’m pretty sure you only moan someone’s name like you moaned his if you’re having dreams about – ”
“Okay! Um…so, anyway…” Buffy interrupted, causing Dawn to laugh.
“So, what happens now?”
Giles laced his fingers with Buffy’s and took a deep breath. “I’d like for both of you to move to England.”
Dawn narrowed her eyes and shook her head. “But, I like Rome…I like my school…and there’s Tomasso…and…you can’t just come here and say ‘I love your sister, we’re having a baby, move to England’!”
“Dawn!” Buffy snapped.
Giles gently squeezed her hand. “No, she’s right, Buffy. That’s not exactly what I’m saying, Dawn. I’d like for you and Buffy to move to England, but if you’re opposed to that idea…I can move to Rome.”
Dawn’s mouth dropped open again. “You’d move to Rome? You hate Rome. That’s what you said when we moved here. ‘Must you pick this godforsaken town? Rome, of all places.’ That’s what you said…”
“I want a life with Buffy…and I want to be a father to our child. If I need to move to Rome in order to have that…I’ll do so.” He glanced at Buffy and gave her a warm smile before looking back to Dawn.
“I’m in love with Buffy, Dawn. This isn’t some illicit affair. But, I don’t want to cause you harm by asking you to move. If Rome is that important to you, then this is where I’ll be.”
“Are you going to marry her?” Dawn blurted out.
“Um…well, we haven’t…”
Buffy chuckled softly. “It’s a little early to be talking marriage, Dawn…even for us. I love him, he loves me…that should be enough for now. Maybe later, we’ll talk about marriage. But, right now…it’s not necessary.”
Dawn exhaled deeply and stood up. “I need to think about this.”
And with that, she quickly made her way to her room. As the door closed behind her, Giles sighed.
“Well, that went better than I expected.”
Buffy chuckled softly and rested her head against his shoulder.
Buffy knocked on
Dawn’s door before opening it. She
stuck her head into the room and offered her sister a small smile.
“Okay if I come in?”
Dawn sighed and shrugged
a shoulder as she leaned back against the headboard of her bed. “I guess.”
Buffy bit her lip and
walked into the room, closing the door behind her. She sat on the edge of the bed and met Dawn’s eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“You mean, am I okay
with you and Giles being together and having a baby? Yeah…that doesn’t bother me.”
Buffy exhaled
slowly. “That’s good to know, but
that’s not what I meant. Talk to me,
Dawnie.”
Dawn thought for a
moment and then took a deep breath. “I
love Rome. This is the first place I’ve
been where I actually feel like I could stay forever.”
“Tomasso?” Buffy questioned softly, surprise showing in
her eyes when Dawn laughed.
“Tomasso’s not really
‘forever’ guy. Don’t get me wrong, he’s
a great guy…but, you know as well as I do that he’s not the guy.” Dawn shook her
head slowly. “I don’t know how to
explain it…I get up in the morning and go down to the café for a coffee before
classes and…everyone knows me. And it
doesn’t matter whose sister I am. To
these people, I’m just Dawn Summers.”
Buffy nodded in
understanding, smiling as Dawn continued.
“And it rains all the
time in England.”
“Giles says it doesn’t
rain all the time, just
‘often’.” Buffy grew serious for a
moment, leaning forward and placing her hand on Dawn’s knee. “He was serious, you know. About moving to Rome.”
“He hates Rome.” Dawn countered quickly, then tilted her head
thoughtfully. “But…he loves you more
than he hates Rome, doesn’t he?”
Buffy smiled
softly. “I hope so.”
Dawn ran her hand through
her long, brown hair and sighed. “He’s
your forever guy, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, he is. He was right, Dawn…this isn’t an affair or
just comfort. I’m in love with
him. This isn’t how I expected we’d get
together…actually, I never expected we’d get together…”
Dawn smiled and shook
her head. “The wonders of alcohol…”
Buffy narrowed her
eyes. “Alcohol is bad, Dawn. More bad things happen under the influence
than good.”
Dawn rolled her eyes
good naturedly. “I don’t need the
‘don’t drink’ speech, Buffy. But…while
we’re at it…haven’t either of you ever heard of condoms?”
Buffy cleared her
throat and took a deep breath. “Giles
is the first person I’ve been with that I didn’t use them.”
“What about him? I mean…I doubt he’s been Mr. Abstinence all
these years.”
“His sex life is
really none of your business, Dawn.”
Buffy stated in a firm tone.
“But, we have discussed it…and he said that he always uses protection…”
“Except this
time.” Dawn interrupted softly. “Was he trying to get you pregnant?”
“No. Neither of us were trying…” Buffy sighed deeply and lowered her
eyes. “We both just wanted to feel. And…I think we both thought it would be the
only chance we’d have.”
“Okay, I think that
was a little too much information…”
Dawn spoke quickly. “I don’t
want to know everything that you guys get up to.”
Buffy gave her a
crooked smile. “Look, I’m not saying
that we’re moving. But, I am asking you
to think about it.”
“I am, Buffy. I promise.
But, I can’t just say ‘yeah, let’s move to England’ this very second.”
Buffy chuckled as she
stood up. “I’d be worried if you
could.”
As she watched her
sister walk towards the door, Dawn bit her lip. “Buffy?”
Buffy turned, her hand
on the doorknob, and met her sister’s eyes.
“Yeah?”
“Last night…he said
that he said something ‘thoughtlessly’ and that you got angry and left.” She leaned forward, bending her legs and wrapping her arms around her knees.
“What did he say?”
“He asked if the baby
was his.”
Dawn’s eyes
widened. “Wow. And you didn’t hit him?”
Buffy grinned. “That’s why I left. I understand now why he asked that…it wasn’t that he didn’t think it was his, it
was more that he couldn’t believe he’s going to be a father.”
“But…he’s happy about
it? The baby…he wants it?”
Buffy nodded slowly,
her warm smile reaching her eyes.
“Yeah, he does.”
Dawn said nothing else
as Buffy opened the door and walked out of the room. As the door closed, Dawn tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling.
She had a lot of
thinking to do.
* * *
Giles looked up as
Buffy walked back into the living room.
“Is she alright?”
Buffy nodded, sitting
down next to Giles on the couch and snuggling up to him. “Yeah, she just has a lot to think about.”
He wrapped his arm
around her and held her tightly against him.
“Well, it’s a good sign that she’s thinking about it.”
“Mm-hm.” She smiled as she felt his left hand move to
her stomach, his fingers gently rubbing her abdomen. “What are you doing?”
He cleared his throat as
she looked up at him. “I can’t seem to
stop touching you…believing that we’ve created a new life…”
“She asked if you
really wanted this baby.” She quickly
placed two fingers over his lips as he started to speak. “If she saw you right now…she wouldn’t have
had to ask.”
He kissed her fingers
as they slipped from his lips. “I love
you so very much, Buffy. You and our
child. I didn’t think it would be possible
for me to feel this strongly about something so quickly. I…I’m not explaining this very well. I…”
She interrupted him
with a soft kiss. “Within seconds of
the doctor telling me that I was pregnant, I loved this baby more than I’d ever
loved anything. I understand what you’re
trying to say. It’s kinda hard to put
into words.”
Something Ethan had
said to him months earlier crept into his mind. Trailing his fingers down the side of her face, he took a deep
breath.
“I’d give my life for
you, Buffy. For you and our child. Not because it’s my duty as your Watcher,
but I’d do it out of love for you.”
Seeing her eyes glisten, he swallowed and kissed her softly. “I…well, I just thought you should know that.”
Before she could
answer, his eyes darted towards the hallway.
He lowered his hand and gave a slight nod.
“Dawn…”
Dawn smiled as she walked
into the room, glancing at Buffy before meeting Giles’ eyes. “I think you promised me that you’d take us
out to dinner tonight.”
“I did.” He answered quietly.
“Okay, so I know this
little restaurant not far from here…really good food.” She took a deep breath and looked at
Buffy. “And then I was wondering if you
might be able to drop me off at Tomasso’s house on the way home.”
Buffy narrowed her
eyes slightly. “Um…”
“He deserves to hear
that I’m moving to another country from me in person…not over the phone. And…I’d rather tell him tonight.”
Giles’ smile grew as
he stood. “Dawn, are you sure?”
She nodded as she made
her way to him and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m positive. But, you
better have told Buffy the truth.”
He pulled back and
gently tilted her head upwards so that he could look into her eyes. “I love her, Dawn. More than I’ve ever loved anyone before.”
“Yeah, I know
that.” Dawn chuckled. “I meant about it not raining in England all
of the time.”
Giles’ smile turned
into a grin. “It doesn’t rain all of
the time. Some days are rather
pleasant.”
Buffy smiled and
pulled Dawn into a tight hug. “Thank
you.”
“I just want you to be
happy. And…I think I can be happy in
England too.” Dawn whispered as she returned
the hug.
* * *
Giles glanced at the
couch as he followed Buffy into the apartment.
Dinner had been a wonderful affair, filled with stories and
laughter. He felt more at peace at this
moment than he had in years…if ever.
“Giles?”
He looked at her
quickly. “Hm?”
“You were off in deep
thought land again.” She said,
amusement in her voice. “I asked if you
were ready for bed.”
His eyes darkened a
shade as he took her hand. “I, uh…I
don’t think I’m sleepy.”
A slow grin appeared
on her lips as she backed towards the hall, pulling him with her. “I asked if you were ready for bed. I didn’t ask if you were ready to go to
sleep.”
He took a deep breath
as he nodded. “In that case, yes. Yes,
I believe I’m ready for bed.”
She chuckled softly
and pulled him into the bedroom, closing the door behind them. When she started to unbutton her blouse, he
lifted his hand and quickly covered hers.
“Please, Buffy…allow
me?” When she tilted her head in a silent
question, he smiled and pulled a button free.
“It’s just…it’s been so rushed before.
I…I’d like to take my time and undress you properly.”
She returned his
smile, moving her right hand to the back of his neck and pulling him down as he
unbuttoned the second and third buttons.
“I love you, Rupert
Giles.” She whispered as she brushed
her lips across his.
He deepened the kiss
quickly, refusing to relinquish her lips as his fingers completed their task of
unbuttoning her blouse. She lowered her
arms from around his neck long enough to let him push the blouse off her
shoulders. As it fell to the floor, she
pulled his tie free, softly groaning into his mouth as his tongue lovingly
caressed hers.
He shrugged his jacket
off as her fingers quickly worked on his shirt buttons. He began walking forward, his hands roaming
lightly over her back as he guided her towards the bed. By the time the backs of her knees hit the side
of the bed, his shirt was sliding down his arms.
He shook the shirt off
as she unbuckled his belt. His fingers
pulled the zipper on her skirt down as he slowly broke the kiss and looked into
her eyes. He could hear the soft whish
of the silk sliding down her legs as she unbuttoned and unzipped his
trousers. Gazing into her eyes, he
removed his shoes and socks one at a time before allowing her to push his pants
down over his hips.
“Christ, I love you,
Buffy.” He whispered, the emotion thick in his voice as she stepped out of her
shoes.
He kicked the trousers to the side and carefully laid her across the bed, resting his right knee between her thighs as he leaned over and reignited the kiss. As the kiss grew more urgent, the rest of their clothing disappeared.
As his mouth placed
burning kisses over her skin, she realized that she wanted more. She wanted to spend the rest of her life
with him, she wanted to give him as many children as he wanted, she wanted to
give him everything.
As he pulled her
clitoris into his mouth, she groaned his name.
As his tongue teased her relentlessly, her thoughts subsided and she
gave way to pleasure.
She could tell him
about her thoughts later. Right now…all she wanted was to feel and to make him feel.
* * *
Dawn smiled as she
quietly walked into the darkened apartment.
Her talk with Tomasso had gone surprisingly well. They both realized that they were better as
friends than lovers and he had wished her well, promising to stay in touch.
She paused
outside of Buffy’s room and narrowed her eyes, listening. Her eyes widened when she heard them both
softly moan one another’s name. She
listened for another moment, quickly deciding it was time for her to go to her
room when she heard Buffy beg Giles for more…to make her come again.
Her cheeks burned as
she ran to her room and closed the door.
Hopefully, the walls in Giles’ house were thicker than the ones here.
She changed quickly
and jumped into bed, pulling the pillow over her head to drown out Buffy’s
cries of ecstasy.
Two days later, Giles followed
Buffy and Dawn onto the plane. As Buffy
glanced towards the first class section, he lowered his lips to her ear and
whispered softly.
“One of these days, we
will fly first class. I had thought
about it for this trip...”
She looked up at him
and smiled warmly. “It’s a three hour
flight, Giles. It would’ve been a bit
ridiculous to pay for first class tickets.”
Giles returned her
smile, chuckling as Dawn announced dibs on the window seat. He stood in the aisle, his legs pressed
against the armrest of his seat as he carefully lifted their carry-on luggage
into the storage area above the seats.
Buffy took the middle
seat, rolling her eyes as Dawn began to chatter as she stared out the
window. She turned as Giles lowered
himself into the seat next to her and placed her hand on his thigh.
He cleared his throat
and quickly placed his hand over hers when her fingers moved over the inside
seam of his jeans. “Buffy…”
She met his eyes and
sighed wistfully. “Part of me really
wishes that this flight was longer than three hours.”
Lacing their fingers
together and resting their hands on top of his thigh, he tilted his head in a
silent question. She grinned and
motioned towards an incessantly chatting Dawn.
“Four hours and she’d
be asleep. She’ll stop talking as soon
as we take off, but she won’t go to sleep on a flight that’s under four hours.”
“Oh…” He answered softly, his brow furrowing in
uncertainty.
She chuckled and
leaned towards him, lowering her voice to a whisper only he could hear. “If she was asleep…we could…do things. If you wanted to, I mean.”
He inhaled sharply,
darting his eyes to Dawn before swallowing.
“Buffy…”
Grinning, she watched him shift in his seat before she
gently placed a blanket on his lap. “At
least the thought appeals to you.”
He squeezed her hand before releasing it and, after moving the blanket into a more comfortable position, reached for a magazine in the pocket of the seat in front of him. “More than you can imagine, love.”
She gave him a wink
and rested her head against his upper arm, closing her eyes as he flipped
through the magazine and Dawn kept up with her chatter. As the plane began to taxi, Dawn took a deep
breath and continued to stare out the window, her chatter coming to an abrupt
end.
Giles sighed softly
and kissed the top of Buffy’s head.
When she didn’t react, he looked down and smiled to find that she had
drifted off to sleep. He chuckled and
shook his head, carefully replacing the magazine into the seat in front of him before resting his head against the back of his own seat.
* * *
After they had loaded
their luggage onto two separate trolleys, Giles led Buffy and Dawn through the
busy airport. Giles couldn’t help but
smile at the conversation going on behind him.
“Why can’t I push it?”
Buffy snorted. “Because I’ve seen how you drive a shopping
cart.”
“Well, I’ve seen how
you drive a car.” Dawn countered
quickly.
“Yeah and cars and
carts are so much alike, Dawn.”
Giles chuckled and
glanced over his shoulder at them. “Are
you two going to bicker the entire ride home?”
Buffy grinned brightly
at him. “Probably.”
Dawn surveyed her
surroundings and shook her head. “I
always forget how huge this airport is.”
“One of the busiest
airports in the world.” Giles stated
proudly as he made his way through the doors.
“Aren’t we getting a
taxi?” Buffy asked as Giles started
towards the carpark.
“No. I drove myself to the airport, with Willow
and Ethan following closely behind. My
car is over there…somewhere.” He stated, gesturing towards the sea of cars
in the parking lot.
Dawn laughed
heartily. “Somewhere?”
Giles grinned and
pulled his keys out of his pocket.
“Huge airport, huge carpark. I
have a vague idea of where it is...I, uh…I was in somewhat of a hurry when I
left.”
Buffy smiled adoringly
at him. “Were you?”
Licking his lips, he
gave her a small nod. “Add to that the
fact that I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly…”
She glanced past him
and smiled. “There it is.”
“So it is.” He whispered softly as he followed her.
Dawn chuckled as she
brought up the rear. Xander was going
to love this turn in their relationship.
* * *
Dawn had insisted on
calling Willow on the drive to Giles’ house.
Buffy had wanted to listen to Dawn’s side of the
conversation, but found that she was having a difficult time
concentrating. Giles’ voice singing
softly along with the music on the radio…along with his fingers tracing
indistinct shapes on her thigh…made concentrating on anything else nearly
impossible.
Dawn ended the call
just as Giles turned onto his street. “Willow and Ethan are coming over in a
little while.”
Buffy shook her head
slowly. “That’s something I’m still not
used to hearing.”
“What’s that,
love?” Giles asked softly.
“Willow and
Ethan. I mean…how does that work?”
Giles offered her a
tender smile. “Much like Buffy and
Giles. It just…does. I’m not even sure how it came to be. I knew they were spending a fair amount of time
together discussing magick and addiction…and the next thing I knew, Ethan was
standing in front of me telling me that he was fairly certain that he had
fallen in love with her.”
Buffy looked at him
curiously. “And you didn’t question
it?”
He pulled into the
driveway and shook his head as he killed the engine. “Who am I to question love?
At least he didn’t wait years before he told her.”
Buffy lifted her hand
and caressed the side of his face as she leaned into him. “At least you finally told me.”
Dawn rolled her eyes
as they kissed. “Okay, someone hand me
the keys and I’ll start taking the bags in.”
Giles chuckled as he
broke the kiss, pulling the keys from the ignition. “Perhaps this should wait until later…”
Buffy sighed as she
opened the car door and climbed out, turning her eyes to her sister. “And why did I insist on you coming with
us?”
Dawn grinned as Giles
opened the trunk and began unloading their luggage. “Just make sure that my room is as far away from yours as
possible.”
Giles blushed heavily
and tossed the keys to Dawn. “If you’d
be so kind as to unlock the door?”
As Dawn ran off
towards the front door, Buffy moved closer to Giles. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
He tilted his head
slightly and looked into her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Us…the baby…Dawn
living here.” She sighed heavily. “I mean…you know what a mess I can
make. Dawn puts me to shame. And then there’s the fact that we’ve pretty
much started a family before we had our first date and – ”
He cut her off quickly
with a kiss, his arms moving around her as he slowly deepened the kiss. When he felt her fingers comb through his
hair, he relinquished her lips and sighed.
“I want nothing more,
Buffy.”
Looking into his eyes,
she saw his sincerity and smiled in relief.
“Good…because I’m pretty sure this is the happiest I’ve ever been in my
life.”
He returned her smile
before gently rubbing her abdomen.
“Come on, let’s get these bags inside and I’ll make some tea.”
“I like it when you do
that.” She whispered.
“What? Make tea?
I do that rather often.”
“No.” She shook her head and swallowed as her eyes
glistened. “When you touch the
baby. I like it when you touch the
baby.”
“I remember hearing
something one time about a child recognizing its parents’ touch while still in
the womb. I…I want our child to know my
touch…my voice.” He sighed softly,
brushing a tear from her cheek with his thumb.
“I want our child to know that I love him or her.”
She leaned into his
touch and he smiled.
“And in response to
your earlier question. Yes, I’m sure
that I’m ready for this. I’m ready for
us, I’m ready to deal with whatever messes you and Dawn make…and I’m ready for
this baby, Buffy. You’re right in
saying that we’ve started a family before we’ve even had a date, but…this baby
was conceived in love.”
He bit his lip
nervously and ran his fingers over the slight swell of her abdomen. Most people wouldn’t suspect that she was
pregnant, but the people who truly knew her…who loved her…they would know. Had she been wearing something similar to
what she was wearing now instead of the baggy jeans and sweatshirt she’d been
wearing when he had arrived at her apartment in Rome, he would’ve
known instantly.
“When should we tell
people?” He asked softly.
She took a deep breath
and answered in a tone that stated she was just as nervous as he was. “Willow will know as soon as she sees me.”
He met her eyes and
offered her a gentle smile. “I was
thinking the very same thing.”
She started walking up
the path towards the house, sliding her hand into his as she looked up at
him. “You okay with telling them
tonight?”
He nodded silently,
rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.
There was a question that she’d been wanting to ask for a couple of days
and she figured that she might as well ask now.
“Giles?”
“Hm?”
“Do you want a boy or
a girl?”
He smiled lovingly at
her as they climbed the stairs to the porch.
“Yes.”
She furrowed her brow
in confusion for a moment and then smiled in relief. “So…it doesn’t matter to you?”
“Health is most
important to me, Buffy. And as long as
you and the baby are both healthy…I’m happy.”
She stopped at the
front door, unconsciously tightening her grip on Giles’ hand. He grimaced and dropped the bag he was carrying.
“Buffy!”
Realizing what she’d
done, she let go of his hand and quickly apologized. He shook his head and looked into her eyes, his filling with
concern.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She answered quickly and then lowered her
voice. “It’s stupid.”
“I highly doubt it’s
stupid.” He answered quietly. “Please…tell me what’s wrong.”
She exhaled deeply and
gestured at the door. “The last time I
walked through your front door…I was trying to figure out a way to tell you I
love you. The best I could come up with
was saying that English people are weird and then pretty much sexually
assaulting you.”
He gave her an
understanding smile. “That was the last
time. This time…we’re walking in
together, knowing that we love each other…and I’m rather sure that I didn’t
mind the sexual assault.”
She rolled her eyes as
he said the last part with a wolfish grin.
“Giles…”
He bent down and
kissed her softly. “Seriously now,
Buffy. We both know what that was
about. Granted, we didn’t then…but, we
do now. And that is the important
thing. We were both in love and
clueless as to how to express it to one another. Clueless…and afraid.”
He licked his lips and gently pushed her over the threshold. “I’m not afraid anymore, Buffy. I know what I want…and I know how to say what I want.”
She glanced down and
smiled when she noticed the growing bulge in his jeans. “Want to tell me what
you want at this very moment?”
“Yes…” He hissed as his eyes darkened.
He kicked the door
closed and moved quickly, forgetting about the luggage for the moment. Pushing her back against the wall, he
groaned and lowered his mouth to hers.
As Buffy began tugging his shirt out of the waistband of his jeans, he
thrust his tongue into her mouth.
“Hey, Gi…” Dawn stopped mid word and spun around quickly.
Giles mentally cursed
himself for having forgotten that Dawn was anywhere around. He blushed deeply as he stepped away from
Buffy and ran his hand through his hair.
“Um…”
Dawn shook her head,
still facing away from them, her smile heard in her
voice. “No, no…it’s okay. Um…I was going to ask if you wanted tea,
but…”
“Dawn.” He spoke softly.
She turned back towards him and allowed her smile to be seen. “Pretty obvious that it’s not tea you want right now. And that’s cool. Um…maybe I’ll just get a train into town…have a look around for a
while. I mean, if that’s okay with you
guys.”
“I, uh…of course, it’s
alright. But, Dawn…this is your home as
well as mine and Buffy’s. I’ll
endeavour to be more careful in the future.
I’m sorry if I’ve embarrassed you.”
Dawn grinned and
glanced at her sister. “You didn’t
embarrass me, Giles. Kinda took me by
surprise, but I’m not embarrassed. In a
way…I think it’s kinda sweet.”
Buffy raised an
eyebrow, causing Dawn to chuckle. “Well,
not sweet in that I almost saw more of you two than I ever want to see. But, sweet in the way that…you guys really
love each other. So, I’m going to give
you some time alone…maybe call Xander and see if he wants to meet me in the
city…”
“Are you sure?” Buffy asked cautiously.
Dawn grinned and
walked over, kissing Buffy’s cheek.
“I’m positive. Have fun.”
She laughed and placed
a quick kiss on Giles’ cheek as his face flushed again. As he slowly met her eyes, her laughter ebbed
and she smiled warmly.
“I’m really happy that
you two finally came to your senses.”
Giles gave her a shy
smile. “Thank you.”
Dawn glanced at the
clock as she turned and grabbed her purse.
“Okay, it’s almost two…if I call Will and tell them to come over around
six, will that give you enough time?”
Giles’ eyes widened
and his blush deepened even more as Buffy answered for them
with a grin.
“Just.”
Mere minutes after
Dawn left, Giles pulled Buffy into his bedroom…now, their bedroom. The interruption obviously hadn’t lessened
his desire for her. He grinned at Buffy
when she voiced that very thought.
It didn’t take them
long to divest one another of their clothing.
And as Giles pushed Buffy onto the bed and leaned over her, she returned
his grin and bent her legs, resting her knees against his sides.
“Too excited for
foreplay too?”
He paused and looked
into her eyes. “God, I’m sorry. I – ”
She interrupted him
quickly as she slid her hands over his shoulders. “Didn’t you get that I said ‘too’?”
He smiled as her nails
lightly scratched the back of his neck as she continued.
“I want you,
Giles. Right now. I really don’t think I could handle foreplay
at the moment. Besides…I think we had
enough mental foreplay on the plane, don’t you?”
“I think I nearly came
once or twice during the flight.” He
admitted as he slowly pushed his hips forward, sliding his erection into
her. “Just thinking about how you
feel…in my arms, beneath me, on top of me…Christ, Buffy…I love you.”
She returned the
sentiment on a strangled whisper, pulling him down for a kiss as she lifted her
hips to meet his.
* * *
Dawn grinned when she
saw Xander running towards her as she walked out of the station. She laughed as he picked her up and swung
her around.
“Xander!”
He chuckled, placing
her back on the ground and shrugged a shoulder. “I’ve missed you. Came
down here as soon as I got off the phone with you. Why didn’t Buffy come?”
She didn’t hesitate in
her answer, figuring he’d find out soon enough anyway. Besides, she had to see his reaction.
“Oh, she and Giles are
having sex.”
His mouth dropped open
as he stared at her. “With each other?”
“Yep.” She looped her arm through his and looked
down the street. “So…where do you want
to go?”
“Huh?” Xander shook his head. “Wait, Dawn…Buffy and Giles are having
sex…and you seem to be perfectly fine with that.”
“Well, that is why Buffy and I moved to
England.” Dawn replied as she started
walking, pulling him with her.
“You moved to England
so they could have sex?”
She laughed and shook
her head. “No…we moved to England
because they’re in love and they want a life together. And…I haven’t seen Buffy this happy in
ages…or ever.”
Xander furrowed his
brow. “But…they’ve been in love with each
other for years. Why now?”
Dawn sighed, wondering
how much she should tell him. She knew
she didn’t want to tell him the big news…that was for Buffy and Giles to
tell.
“Do you remember a few
months ago when Buffy came to see Giles after we found out about what happened in L.A.?”
“I wasn’t in England
then. Willow told me that Buffy had
been here though.”
Dawn bit her lip and
glanced at a pub on the corner of the street.
“Come on, let’s have a drink and sit down for a bit.”
Xander raised an eyebrow,
but followed her into the pub. After
grabbing a small table in the corner and ordering a couple of pints, Xander
took a deep breath.
“Okay. Tell me.”
Dawn smiled and took a
sip of the lager. “Buffy came to see
how Giles was doing. They ended up at a
pub for a few drinks…apparently they got pretty drunk.”
Xander swallowed a
mouthful of beer and slowly lowered his glass to the table. “Buffy and Giles got drunk together?”
“Mm-hm.” Dawn nodded slowly. “Which apparently led to drunken sex at Giles’
house.”
Xander’s eyes widened,
causing Dawn to realize for the first time what a good job the Coven had done
repairing his injured eye.
“So drunken sex leads
to declarations of love?”
“No…drunken sex led to
sober sex the following night. But,
Buffy…being the idiot she can be…told him that sometimes sex between friends
happens, but it doesn’t mean anything has to change.”
“What?”
Dawn sighed and ran
her finger through the condensation on the glass. “She didn’t mean it, Xander.
But, she thought that Giles thought it was just sex. So she was giving him an out.”
Xander licked his lips
and looked down into his glass. “That
explains why Giles has been a little depressed since I got here.”
“For Giles to show a little depression, he must’ve been really depressed.”
“Yeah.” He answered softly before meeting her eyes
again. “So…how did this happen?”
Knowing he meant the
admission of their true feelings and the move from Rome, she smiled. “Giles showed up on our doorstep and told
her that he loved her…and that it had never been just sex to him.”
Xander nodded,
regarding Dawn carefully. “And…how are
you about all of this?”
A bright smile
appeared on Dawn’s face. “Like you
said…they’ve been in love with each other for years. The only people it seemed to surprise were Buffy and Giles. They’re so happy, Xander.”
“Yeah, I get
that. But…” He sighed softly and reached out, placing his hand over
hers. “You really like Rome.”
Dawn nodded and
glanced at their joined
hands. “Yeah, I do. But…London
has some nice qualities too.”
Xander smiled, giving
her hand a gentle squeeze before taking another sip of his beer.
* * *
Buffy moaned as Giles
sat up, pulling her right nipple into his mouth as she continued to move on top
of him. He lightly bit the hardened nub
before wrapping his arms around her, splaying his hands across her back as he
moved his mouth to cover hers.
Her fingers weaved
through his sweat-dampened hair as their tongues met in a passionate kiss. She tore her mouth from his when she felt
her orgasm quickly build.
“God…Giles!”
He quickly rolled
their bodies until he was once again kneeling between her thighs. His eyes were drawn to her breasts, pink and
swollen from his touches and kisses.
They bounced in rhythm with his thrusts, which were becoming harder and
shorter as her moans grew louder.
The sheets were soaked
with a combination of their sweat and the fluids from her two earlier
orgasms. He could hear the wet slap of each
thrust over her groans and his own grunts and growls as he struggled to hold on
for just a while longer.
Her nails dug into his
sides as she wrapped her legs around his waist, her hips bucking against
him. She screamed his name as she came
again, her hot juices flooding over his thickening cock once more.
As her inner muscles
rippled against him, her name left his lips on a cry of ecstasy. His eyes clenched shut as he lost his
struggle and came deep within her. He
gasped for breath as her legs fell back to the mattress, his thrusts slowing
until he came to a complete halt.
Her trembling fingers
rubbed soothingly over the half-moon marks on his sides, her chest heaving as
he smiled softly down at her. Carefully
moving to her side, he pulled her into his arms and brushed his lips across
hers.
“I’m sure I’ve never
heard anything as enticing as you screaming my name in passion.”
She laughed gently and
lovingly rubbed his chest. “I could say
the same, you know. Probably with fewer words…”
His hand found its way
to her abdomen, as it did quite often now.
He licked his dry lips when he noticed the small divot between her eyes
that signified deep thought.
“What is it, love?”
She sighed softly and
rolled onto her back, grimacing as her bare skin touched the cool wet spot on
the sheet. “Nothing, really. I was just thinking that…well, I just wish
our baby had been conceived like this.”
“Buffy…”
“Do you think it
happened the first night or the second?”
He shifted over and
pulled her to a drier part of the bed and shook his head. “I’m sure I have no idea. Though I must admit that my preference would
be that it happened when we were sober…and making love.”
“Instead of being
drunk and fucking.” Buffy added with a
small smile. “But…the first night has
its pro as well.”
“Oh? Just one?”
He questioned as his fingers continued to stroke the slight swell.
She placed her hand on
his, her fingers rubbing the back of his hand as she chuckled softly. “The first night…you held me all night. When I woke up…I was still in your arms.”
He swallowed the lump
that had suddenly formed in his throat.
“Please know that I didn’t want you to leave this bed the second night.”
“I do now.” She whispered, her eyes beginning to
glisten. “I just kept wishing that
you’d come into my room…”
“I wanted to.” He lifted his hand to the side of her face,
his thumb brushing over her cheek. “I
even made it to your door once.”
“I should never have
said what I did about friends having sex.”
She whispered as she leaned into his touch.
“How were you to know,
Buffy? It’s not as if I disagreed with
you.”
She bit her lip and
looked into his eyes. “But…I saw the
hurt in your eyes. Only for a second,
but it was there. And then I talked myself
into believing it was just my imagination.”
He sighed softly and
kissed her lips warmly. “We can’t
change what happened, Buffy. We were
both too afraid to show our true feelings at the time. The important thing is…we have now.”
“I can’t remember a
time when I didn’t love you, Giles.”
She whispered, her palm resting against his cheek.
He turned his head
just enough to press a kiss into her palm.
“Nor can I.”
She glanced at the
clock on his bedside table and groaned.
“How did that happen?”
He followed her eyes
and smiled when he read the time as 5:12.
“Well, they do say that time flies when you’re having fun.” He looked down at her, his eyes darting to
her lips. “And…I was definitely having
fun.”
She chuckled, wrapping
her hand around the back of his neck and drawing his mouth back to hers.
* * *
Xander looked down at
Dawn as she leaned against the wall.
All of the seats were taken on the train, so they were forced to
stand. Xander was used to it. In fact, he could only remember finding a
seat once.
“So…how many hearts
did you break when you left Rome?”
Dawn laughed and shook
her head. “None. I was seeing a guy, Tomasso. But, he took the news really well. Probably because Gianni was there having a
drink.”
Xander raised an
eyebrow. “Gianni?”
“Mm-hm. Tomasso is a really sweet guy, fun to be
around, great sense of humour. But…I
think he might be a little gay.”
Xander laughed
good-naturedly. At that moment, a
largish man bumped into him on his way to the door. The sudden movement caught Xander off-balance and pushed him
forward but Dawn was able to grab the front of his shirt to steady him before
he fell right into her.
Their eyes met and
Xander offered a softly whispered ‘thanks’ as he regained his balance. Dawn nodded and blushed lightly, swallowing
nervously as her hands slowly released his shirt.
“No problem.”
Xander took a deep
breath as Dawn turned her eyes to the window.
He had a feeling that things could very well become a little more
complicated than he thought.
Buffy smiled nervously as she walked into the living room. Giles returned her smile and stood up from the couch. They had decided to take separate showers, knowing that if they didn’t they’d never be ready by six.
“You look beautiful.”
She raised an eyebrow and looked down at what she was wearing. “Um…I’m just wearing jeans and a normal, everyday shirt.”
He nodded in agreement and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s not what you wear that makes you beautiful, Buffy.”
Her face flushed pink and she lowered her eyes. “I like it when you wear jeans. You look so…relaxed.”
Placing two fingers under her chin, he gently tilted her face towards him. “I don’t think I’ve been this relaxed in years. Well, not without the help of alcohol or…”
Her eyes widened, a grin appearing on her lips, as he trailed off. “Or?”
He blushed lightly and chuckled. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Now…tell me more about this ‘or’. Anything I can partake in as well?”
He cleared his throat as he shook his head and moved his hand over her stomach. “Not for a few months yet.”
“And…why didn’t I know that my Watcher has a tendency to smoke something other than cigarettes?”
He licked his lips as she slid her arms over his shoulders. “It isn’t really a tendency and more of a rarity. Does that, uh…bother you?”
“As long as you’re not a complete pothead who’s going to smoke away our life savings and ignore me and our child because you’re too busy out in the garage with a bong…”
He laughed heartily, the corners of his eyes crinkling as his laughter grew. “I highly doubt that would ever be an issue, Buffy.”
She smiled brightly at him in reply. “Then I’m not bothered. And…do you have any idea how gorgeous you are when you laugh like that?”
His laughter quietened, but the smile remained. “It’s because of you that I’m able to laugh like this.”
Before she could reply, the front door opened. Dawn walked into the living room and smiled, Xander following a few steps behind.
“Hey, guys.”
They both turned towards Dawn, Buffy’s smile growing when she saw Xander. She pulled out of Giles’ arms and ran to Xander, grinning madly.
“Xander!”
Xander grinned as Buffy wrapped her arms around him. “Hey, Buff. It’s good to have you home.”
Xander glanced at a very happy-looking Giles and smiled. “And…I’m really glad that you two finally decided to be honest about your feelings.”
Buffy kissed his cheek and then moved back to Giles’ side. “This isn’t really going to be a surprise to anyone, is it?”
Xander chuckled and shook his head. “No, sorry. We’ve all known for years.”
He glanced at her abdomen, his brow furrowing slightly. He didn’t remember Buffy having a tiny pot belly. But…it had been a while since he’d seen her and people did change. Take him, for instance. The last time Buffy had seen him, he’d been wearing an eyepatch.
He sighed softly and darted his eyes between the two. “I’m really happy for you both.”
“Thank you.” Giles responded quietly, giving Dawn an inquiring look.
Dawn gave a small shake of her head to let him know that she hadn’t told Xander anything else. He offered her a grateful smile and then looked up when he heard Ethan’s familiar voice.
“Well, well, well…I see Ripper was able to nab ‘imself a Slayer.”
Giles grinned as Buffy shook her head. “No. Giles came to Rome…”
“And brought Buffy home with me.” Giles finished for her, before quickly adding something else when Dawn gave him a mock-glare. “And, Dawn too…of course.”
“Only I’m not sleeping with him.” Dawn stated unnecessarily, causing everyone to laugh and Giles to blush heavily.
When Buffy turned to Giles to give him a hug, Willow gasped loudly.
“Oh my God, you’re pregnant!”
“Open bag, hello cat.” Buffy muttered softly as she took a deep breath.
Ethan raised an eyebrow at Giles. “Well, considering that neither one of you are denying Willow’s exclamation, I suppose congratulations are in order?”
A shy smile appeared on Giles’ lips. Xander cleared his throat as Willow ran to Buffy and hugged her tightly.
“So, this is why you went to Rome?”
Giles glanced at Ethan, who was smirking at him, and shook his head. “I went to Rome to tell Buffy how I feel about her. I, uh…I didn’t know she was pregnant.”
Xander bit his lip, glancing around the room before looking into Giles’ eyes. “I want to be happy about this, really I do, but I need to know…did you ask her to come back with you because she’s pregnant?”
Giles felt a sudden rush of affection for the young man, not to mention pride for his obvious growth into adulthood and ever-present loyalty to Buffy. “No. I’m in love with her, Xander. I understand that you only have her best interests at heart, but I would have asked her to come back with me even if she weren’t carrying my child.”
Ethan regarded his friend carefully, tilting his head towards the kitchen in a silent request to talk privately. Giles gave him a nod and then leaned down, brushing his lips across Buffy’s.
“Try not to name our child while I’m out of the room?”
As Willow laughed, Buffy nodded and returned his kiss, allowing her lips to linger a little longer on his. “Try not to let Ethan talk you out of this?”
Giles smiled, letting his fingers brush over her abdomen. “I’ll be back soon.”
Before he was able to leave the room, Willow was already suggesting baby names. Xander offered Giles a warm smile, letting him know that they had his support. Giles thought for a brief moment and then made his way to Xander.
He pulled Xander into a hug, lowering his voice to a whisper only Xander could hear. “Tell her how you feel, Xander. Don’t waste time like I did.”
With that said, he released the young man and followed Ethan into the kitchen. Xander swallowed and looked at Dawn, offering her a shy smile. Her dark eyes sparkled as she gestured to the couch. He took a deep breath and gave her a nod.
Giles was right. He shouldn’t waste time.
* * *
Giles walked into the kitchen to find Ethan leaning against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest and a smug smile on his face.
“So…a baby.”
Giles smiled and nodded. “Not exactly how I had planned to start a family…”
“But you’re happy.” Ethan finished for him.
“I’m happy.” He agreed, his eyes shining brightly.
Ethan grinned as he looked into Giles’ eyes. “So, tell me how you fell to your knees and asked her to marry you when she told you.”
Giles cleared his throat and opened the refrigerator, pulling out two bottles of beer and handing one to Ethan.
“Actually…I asked if the baby was mine and she walked out.”
Ethan was busy twisting the lid off his bottle. At his friend’s statement, he stopped and stared incredulously at Giles. “You did what?”
“I…was caught off-guard. I said the first thing that entered my mind. And I didn’t mean it how I said it…”
“Do you have any doubts that this child is yours?”
“None.” He answered with no hesitation.
Ethan took a deep breath, his concern showing in his eyes. “Rupert…do you normally have unprotected sex?”
“No. In fact, never in the past twenty years.” He took a sip of his beer and swallowed. “At least…not until I brought Buffy home and took her to my bed.”
Ethan thought to himself, nodding before he drank nearly a third of his beer in one swallow. “Want to know if it’s a boy or a girl?”
When Giles narrowed his eyes in confusion, Ethan shrugged. “I know a spell.”
“Of course you do.” Giles responded with a chuckle. “However, I think that Buffy and I would prefer to be surprised.”
“If you change your mind…”
Giles nodded and glanced towards the living room as he took a drink from the bottle in his hand. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
Ethan watched him, shaking his head in amusement when Giles smiled as Buffy’s laughter rang out. “Are you going to marry her?”
Giles snapped his eyes back to Ethan. “It’s a little early to be considering serious thoughts about marriage, don’t you think?”
“Depends on your definition of ‘early’, I suppose.” Ethan smirked. “Some people would consider having sex which results in an unplanned pregnancy before admitting that you love someone a little ‘early’.”
Giles started to argue, then sighed heavily knowing that Ethan was right. “Point taken, Ethan.”
Ethan finished off his beer and tossed the bottle into the bin. “I’m happy for you, Rupert.”
Giles smiled, but before he could respond, Ethan continued.
“But part of me wants to knock the shit out of you.”
Giles furrowed his brow. “Um…why?”
Ethan gave a melodramatic sigh and pushed off the counter. “Because now Willow’s going to start talking about children. As in…having them.”
“Are you opposed to the idea?” Giles asked before finishing his beer.
Ethan stopped at the doorway and looked over his shoulder with a smile on his face. “I didn’t exactly say that, did I?”
A look of surprise graced Giles’ features. “If you aren’t opposed, then why knock the shit out of me?”
Ethan’s smile grew. “Because I wanted to be the one to bring it up.”
“My, my, how things change.” Giles said with a smile.
Ethan’s eyes sparkled as he glanced into the living room. “You have no idea, Rip.”
* * *
Willow looked into Ethan’s eyes as he sat down beside of her on the couch. “Hey, you. What have you been doing?”
Ethan chuckled and kissed her cheek. “Having a beer with Rupert.”
Buffy smiled and stood up, gesturing to the chair. “Sit down…”
“Buffy…” Giles started as he shook his head.
She rolled her eyes and gently pushed him into the chair before settling herself sideways on his lap and kissing his jaw. “See? Sits two perfectly.”
“Or three.” He whispered as he draped his arm over her thighs.
Looking around the room, he narrowed his eyes. “Where are Dawn and Xander?”
“Oh, they went to pick up dinner.” Willow supplied quickly, playfully jabbing
her finger into Ethan’s ribs. “Ordered
a seafood laksa for you.”
“Thank you.” Ethan answered with a warm smile.
Buffy took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes. “Okay…spill it, Will. How did you end up with Ethan?”
“I don’t know.” She answered honestly as Ethan placed an arm around her. “We were spending a lot of time together…you know, magick stuff. And then one day…I really looked at him and saw more than what he used to let us see.”
“You have a soul?” Buffy asked Ethan, a grin on her face.
Giles snorted a laugh while Ethan pretended to look offended.
Buffy gave Willow a wink before addressing Ethan again. “You make her happy, Ethan. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her this happy. Don’t fuck it up.”
Ethan gave her a small nod and smiled. “I’ve changed a lot since you saw me last, Buffy.”
“I should hope so.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Oh…and I’m not sure I’ve said this before, but…you ever change my honey into a demon again, it’s you I’m coming after with a not-silver letter opener.”
When Ethan chuckled, Willow did her best to change the subject.
“What about Leonie?”
Giles stared at her in confusion. “Who is Leonie?”
Buffy rubbed his chest and smiled. “Baby names.”
Giles sighed heavily and shook his head,
but they could all see the large smile on his face.
Time progressed quickly and Giles found it hard to believe that Buffy would probably be giving birth at any time now. He chuckled softly, sitting in their bed with his back resting against the headboard and a demonology text open across his thighs as Buffy slept soundly next to him. There were a lot of things that Giles found hard to believe lately.
Not long after Buffy and Dawn had moved to England, Ethan had proposed to Willow. According to Willow, it had been very romantic. Buffy had scoffed disbelievingly. Giles, however, had merely smiled…he knew that there was a romantic side to Ethan, even if Ethan desperately tried to deny it.
Willow accepted, of course. The wedding was only two months away now. When Giles had asked Ethan about the prospect of having children, Ethan had grinned and stated that they weren’t actively trying for a baby…but they weren’t exactly doing anything to prevent a pregnancy either.
Giles closed the book and placed it on his bedside table, smiling at Buffy as she shifted uncomfortably in her sleep. He glanced at the dresser, his eyes instantly finding the picture of Buffy, Xander, and Willow that always found a special place of display wherever Buffy was living.
Xander…
Giles smiled to himself and took a deep breath. Xander had taken Giles’ advice and not wasted time. Within two months of moving into Giles’ house with him and her sister, Dawn had moved out and into a two bedroom flat with Xander. They had made no secret of the fact that only one of the bedrooms would be used as such.
They seemed quite happy together and Giles was glad that Dawn wasn’t as forthcoming about certain aspects of a relationship with Xander as Anya had been. He knew that their relationship had turned sexual very early, but was very happy not to have a running commentary.
Just this morning, Xander had asked Giles’ permission to propose to Dawn. When Giles had responded that Xander didn’t need his permission, Xander had smiled and said that he was the closest thing to a father that Dawn had.
“Giles?”
He looked down at Buffy, smiling when he found her tired eyes gazing up at him. “What is it, love?”
“Can you talk to the baby?”
His smile grew as he slid down to the mattress and placed his hand on her very swollen abdomen. “Everything okay?”
She sighed and then grimaced. “I think he’s trying to see how far he can stretch my ribcage. And…I think he’s inherited your height.”
He chuckled softly and tenderly kissed her lips. During her fifth month of pregnancy, they had decided to learn the sex of their child. With Ethan’s help, they were able to accurately determine that the baby was indeed a boy…just like Buffy had said over a month earlier. It had taken them nearly three months to decide on a name.
Well, that wasn’t entirely correct. They had decided what they would call him. As for his full, proper name…that debate was still going on.
He moved down her body and kissed her stomach, his voice soft and soothing as he spoke. “You should be asleep, Leo. If you keep this behaviour up, your mum will never agree to have a brother or sister for you in a couple of years.”
He looked up, his smile shining in his eyes, when Buffy snorted.
“It seems as though I may already need to do a lot of convincing to have your mum agree.” He continued with a smile, his hand gently rubbing the spot where the baby had just kicked. “I do hope I’m successful in that venture…”
Buffy raised an eyebrow at him, relaxing as the baby calmed his movements. “You want another baby? We haven’t even had this one yet.”
Giles chuckled and kissed her stomach again before moving back to her side, resting his head on his pillow. “I didn’t mean immediately, Buffy.”
“Well, that’s good ‘cause I’m probably not going to let you near me for a few years after I have this one.” She replied with a broad grin.
He grinned back, sliding his hand up to cup a swollen, tender breast. She sighed softly at his gentle touch.
“You know that you have an obsession with these, right?” She asked, gesturing towards her breasts before running her fingers through his hair above his ear.
“I prefer to think of it as a healthy appreciation.” He replied, his fingers lightly stroking the side of her breast.
“Whatever.” Buffy said with a small laugh. “They’re not always going to be this big…”
He looked into her eyes and exhaled slowly. “It isn’t the size that attracts me, Buffy.”
“No?” She questioned, carefully rolling onto her side to face him.
“No. I’m not sure I can even explain it, but…it’s a confirmation of the fact that we’re having a child…”
She barked out a laugh, draping her arm over his side. “As if the huge stomach isn’t enough confirmation for you?”
“Your body is preparing itself for our child’s appearance…” He continued, pointedly ignoring her question. “Filling you with the nourishment needed for his sustenance.”
She furrowed her brow as she stared at him. “You say the strangest things sometimes.”
“How do you mean?” He asked, genuinely confused at her statement.
“You’re saying that you get turned on because my boobs are filling up with milk to feed our son…”
“I hardly said that it turns me on…”
She moved her hand between their bodies and ran her fingers along his erection, causing him to groan softly. “You were saying?”
“The heft of your breasts is not the reason for my current state, darling.”
“The heft of my…” She rolled her eyes as she slipped her fingers under the waistband of his pajama pants. “See? That’s a weird thing to say. And if that’s not the reason, what is?”
He swallowed thickly, his eyes darkening as her fingers lightly stroked his hard flesh. “You…you are the reason, Buffy.”
She smiled, curling her fingers around the warm shaft. “You say weird things, but you also say really sweet – ” Her smile suddenly contorted into a grimace, her hand tightening on his erection. “Shit!”
“Buffy!” He groaned in pain.
She inhaled sharply, gritting her teeth as the pain slowly eased off. “Jesus…”
He carefully pried her fingers loose from his now softening cock. “Buffy…what is it?”
“Um…labour, I think…”
His eyes widened. “Are you sure?”
She stared at him, taking slow and deep breaths. “No, I’m not sure. I’ve never been in labour before…but, it hurt like fucking hell!”
He clambered out of bed, shooting her a glare when she snorted a laugh as he tripped over a shoe.
* * *
Ethan wiped the sweat from his brow as he reached over to grab his phone from the bedside table. It had signalled an incoming text message a while ago…but, he’d been too busy to look at it then. He smiled as Willow snuggled up next to him and then opened the message.
His eyes narrowed as he read the short message that asked him to call Giles. As he sat up and quickly scrolled through the contact list on his phone, Willow looked up at him.
“What are you doing?”
“Message said to call Rupert, but it wasn’t from his, or Buffy’s, phone.”
Willow pushed herself up, wrapping the sheet around her as she sat next to him. She started to say something, but stopped when Ethan started talking.
“Rupert? Is everything okay? I received a message from – ” He paused when Giles interrupted him with a soft chuckle.
“Everything’s fine, Ethan. I just asked the midwife to send you a message…”
“Midwife?” He glanced at Willow to find her eyes wide. “Why would the midwife send me a message?”
“Because we were on the phone with Dawn and Xander…but, I wanted to get a message to you. It doesn’t make much sense now, but at the time it did.”
“Rupert…”
“Leo has arrived. He’s a little over an hour old…and as beautiful as his mother.” Giles stated softly. “We wanted you and Willow to know.”
Ethan smiled brightly and met Willow’s eyes. “Buffy’s had the baby. A boy…Leo.”
Willow’s eyes glistened happily. “And Buffy?”
Hearing Willow’s question through the phone, Giles chuckled again. “Buffy is doing well. Though, she’s seemingly very angry with me at the moment.”
Ethan relayed the message to Willow, who wanted to know when they could come see Buffy and the baby. Ethan heard Buffy’s muffled voice over the line and smiled.
“How about we come by when visiting hours start? Give you two a chance to rest and such?”
Ethan frowned when Giles softly whispered ‘that would be fine’ in a distracted tone. “Rupert, is everything really okay?”
“I…yes, yes everything’s fine, honestly. I’m just having a hard time actually believing that I’m a father…that this perfect little boy is…” Giles sighed heavily. “I’m finding that I’m very emotional at the moment. It’s all overwhelming…and I’d have it no other way.”
Ethan’s smile returned. “You’re going to be a wonderful father, Rupert.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now…I’m sure that Buffy has a fairly large bed in her birthing suite, yes?”
Giles chuckled softly. “Yes.”
“So…go lie down with her. Hold her, tell her how much you love her. Her anger will dissipate fairly quickly, I’m sure…as it’s not true anger to begin with.” Ethan’s fingers absently ran up and down the smooth skin of Willow’s thigh. “And…does Master Leo have a middle name?”
Giles snorted a laugh. “At the moment, no. That is still under debate…however we do have it narrowed down to three choices.”
“ ‘Ethan’ one of those?”
Giles laughed heartily. “Goodnight, Ethan. We’ll see you in the morning.”
Ethan laughed with him. “Yeah, mate. And…congratulations. Pass that along to Buffy for us, yeah?”
“Will do.” Giles answered quietly before ending the call.
Ethan chuckled in amusement as he placed his phone back onto the bedside table. He slid back down on the mattress, pulling Willow with him.
“Everything okay?” Willow asked softly, concern in her voice.
“First time father jitters, I would imagine.” He whispered as he leaned over and tenderly kissed her. “Something I hope to experience soon.”
She smiled lovingly and ran her fingers through his damp hair.
* * *
Buffy exhaled slowly as Giles carefully climbed into the bed beside of her, their newborn child sleeping peacefully in her arms. He placed a soft kiss on her cheek as his large fingers caressed the baby’s head.
“God…he’s so beautiful, Giles.” She whispered, not taking her eyes off of their baby.
“Yes, he is.” Giles sighed happily, his index finger gently stroking the child’s cheek.
Buffy turned her eyes to his and smiled. “Elijah.”
“Elijah? Was that even on the list?”
She shook her head, carefully passing the sleeping baby to his father. “No…but, I was thinking about Mom…and what a wonderful grandmother she would’ve been. And…I’d kinda like for him to be named after her…as close as we can get anyway.”
Giles leaned down and kissed Leo’s forehead. He had known that Joyce’s middle name was Elyse, it wasn’t a huge leap that he had to take to get to the name Elijah.
“Leo Elijah Giles…”
“It sounds nice, doesn’t it?” She asked quietly, her heart warming as she watched Giles beam proudly as he gazed at his son.
“It does.” He slowly met her eyes and took a deep breath. “Nearly as nice as Buffy Anne Giles.”
She inhaled sharply, her eyes widening. “What?”
He carefully balanced his son in his right arm as he reached into the front left pocket of his jeans. Clearing his throat as he pulled the ring from his pocket, he licked his suddenly dry lips.
“I’ve come so close to asking this question so many times in the past few months. It just…seems right now.”
“Giles…”
“Buffy, will you marry me?”
A single tear escaped the corner of her left eye and rolled down her cheek. “Yes.”
He smiled, the simplicity of his proposal and her acceptance causing his smile to grow. Very few things in their lives were simple. But, when it came to their love…it wasn’t all that complicated anymore.
He slipped the diamond band onto her left ring finger and brushed his lips across hers.
* * *
Buffy pulled the light blanket up over her sleeping son and carefully tucked him in. She marvelled at the fact that he was such a good sleeper. Within a couple of weeks, Leo had settled into a routine that suited everyone…waking only once or twice during the night for a feed.
She leaned over the side of the crib and
kissed his forehead before whispering ‘I love you’ and turning the baby monitor on. She stole one last look at him before
closing the door, sighing happily as the light from the hallway cast a soft
glow on his sleeping form.
She made her way back to the bedroom that she had shared with Giles for the past seven months, smiling to find him sitting up in bed…his back against the headboard, a book held in his large hands.
He looked up from the book and smiled softly. “I trust that he’s still asleep?”
“Yeah…” She answered as she climbed onto the bed, pulling the book from his hands and placing it next to them before straddling his thighs. “I think we got lucky with him…the first month hasn’t been anything like I’d read in the books.”
Removing his glasses and placing them on the bedside table, he chuckled. “I think that they put the worst-case scenarios in those books.” As her hands rubbed his chest, he raised an eyebrow. “And…how are you feeling, love?”
“Never better. Having Slayer healing definitely comes in handy after childbirth.” She grinned as she moved forward and felt him harden beneath her. “How are you feeling?”
He slid his hands up her thighs, his fingers edging under the hem of her nightgown. “Suddenly very awake.”
“Good.” She whispered, lowering her mouth to his as she moved her hands over his shoulders.
Their mouths opened nearly immediately, tongues searching for one another as Giles’ hands pushed the nightgown up above her hips. He wasn’t exactly surprised to find that she was wearing nothing underneath the sheer silk. He also wasn’t exactly surprised when his cock hardened even more as she rocked her warm core against him.
He groaned into her mouth as her warmth seeped through his pajama pants. As his hands tightened on her hips, she broke the kiss and stared into his darkened eyes.
“God, I want you.”
He inhaled shakily as his hands guided her movements above him. “Are you sure that you’re ready?”
She nodded, closing her eyes in pleasure as his pajama-covered erection pressed into her wet folds. “So beyond ready…please, Giles…”
He reignited the kiss, sliding his tongue along hers as he pushed the nightgown up her body. He broke the kiss long enough to pull it over her head and drop it to the side, leaving her completely nude on top of him.
As his lips captured hers again, he rolled her onto her back and knelt between her thighs. He nibbled at her bottom lip as her hands stroked their way down his sides, pausing for a brief second when they brushed the waistband of his pajamas.
He supported most of his weight on his left arm, his right hand gently caressing a still-enlarged breast as his tongue dipped back into her mouth. She groaned into his mouth, pushing his pants down over his hips.
He released her mouth, moving his hand from her breast down to his erection. He gazed into her eyes as he guided his hardened flesh to her entrance. Bending her legs and resting her knees against his sides, she whispered her love for him as he nudged the head inside.
“I love you too, Buffy.” He whispered with conviction as he pushed his hips forward, groaning as her wet heat enveloped him. “My God…”
After ensuring that she was indeed alright, he began a slow rhythm, relishing her soft cries and moans of delight as he pushed her towards orgasm. As her hands moved over his heated skin, he realized that he had never been happier.
His life was nearly perfect…a loving relationship, a beautiful son, wonderful friends who were more family than friends…
He groaned softly as he felt the coolness of her ring against his back. A smile formed on his face as their eyes met and locked with one another, hips rising and falling together in perfect unison.
They had set the date for their wedding. In three weeks, she’d legally change her name from Summers to Giles. And then his life would be completely perfect.
He closed his eyes as he felt her inner walls clench around him, signalling her first orgasm of the night. For now…feeling her body move beneath him, her arms wrapped around him, her hands stroking his back as he made love to her…he had never felt more complete.
At that moment, he realized that his life already was completely perfect. They didn’t need a piece of paper to tell them how perfect their lives together were. And as she cried out his name as her fluids gushed over his thrusting erection, he made a promise to himself to tell her that very thing…but later.
Much later.
~
End