Title: Duodecim
Author: Froxyn
Rating: FRAO
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Timeline: Two months after Sister, Sister.
Synopsis: Just family life...no looming
apocalypse. For now.
Author’s
Note: Part XXVIII of the Giles Family
Series.
Haddie Giles climbed up on a
stool and watched her father slice a banana.
She sighed heavily as he opened the cupboard door and pulled out a jar.
“I miss real peanut butter. I don’t
know why all of us have to suffer...”
Giles chuckled and opened the
jar before turning to look at his daughter.
“You know exactly why, Haddie.
Would you prefer peanut butter or Evan?”
“Sometimes I’d prefer peanut
butter.” Haddie mumbled, pouting at her
father as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“I don’t like the soy butter...it tastes funny.”
“Mm...so I’ve heard.” Giles smiled, thinking not for the first time
that Haddie had perfected Buffy’s pout.
“But, we found a different kind at the shops. It’s made out of sunflower seeds and your
mother says it tastes very similar to peanut butter.”
“What do you say it tastes
like?”
Giles shrugged a shoulder as he
covered a piece of bread with the spread in question. “I haven’t tasted it...I don’t like peanut
butter.”
Haddie blew out an exasperated
breath as he carefully placed the banana slices on the bread as well. “You’re infuriating...”
He barked out a laugh and
finished off the sandwich, cutting it into triangles and placing them on a
plate. “You even sound like her.”
“Who? Mummy?”
She asked as she took the plate from him and carefully inspected the
sandwich.
“Yes.” He answered, screwing the lid back onto the
jar and returning it to the cupboard.
“Well...try it, Hadley.”
She poked the tip of her finger
into the brown substance and stared at it dubiously. “Why does Evan have to be allergic to
peanuts?”
“No one knows why or how
allergies occur, Haddie. You’re allergic
to bee stings, Lucas is allergic to penicillin...it’s just something that
happens sometimes.”
“What’s Mummy allergic to?”
“Cats.” Giles answered, rolling his eyes as Haddie
sniffed her finger. “Just try it...”
“I’m getting to it. What about you? Are you allergic to anything?”
Giles thought for a moment and
then shook his head. “No, not
really. Nothing that’s life-threatening,
at any rate.”
Haddie nodded and licked her
finger, her eyes widening in surprise.
“Hey, this is pretty good!”
“Excellent. Problem solved then.” Giles stated with a smile, leaning against
the counter and glancing out the window when he heard Callie bark.
“What about Braden? What’s he allergic to?”
Braden grinned as he walked into
the kitchen, a soccer ball in his hands.
“You.”
Haddie gave him a glare and then
smiled as he reached over and ruffled her hair.
“I don’t make you sneeze or swell up...”
Braden looked at his father and
smiled. “Do I want to know?”
“Haddie misses real peanut butter and doesn’t
understand why everyone has to suffer for Evan’s allergy.” Giles replied, amusement in his voice.
“Ah...”
“God, you sound like your
father.” Buffy groaned playfully as she
walked in and made her way to the refrigerator.
“What’s wrong with that?” Braden asked, tossing the ball into the air.
“Nothing at all.” Buffy grinned, pulling out a container of
orange juice. “Don’t throw that around
in the house, Braden.”
“Lucas takes forever to get ready to do
anything...” Braden moaned, tucking the
ball under his arm.
Giles chuckled and handed him a
banana. “That comes from the Summers
side.”
“Watch it...” Buffy cautioned, even though the smile was
showing clearly in her eyes.
Giles gave her a wink and then
turned his eyes to his oldest child.
“Will you be taking Callie with you today?”
Braden nodded as he swallowed a
mouthful of banana. “Yeah, if that’s
okay.”
Giles smiled, not voicing the
fact that he always felt better when they took Callie with them. Callie was the next best thing to Oz when it
came to protection. And though his children
were growing older and becoming more aware of their surroundings and dangers,
he preferred them having that extra added protection.
Even if it was in the form of a
seemingly silly dog.
At that particular moment, Lucas
rushed in...sliding his arms into his jacket as he looked at his older
brother. “Sorry, Bay...I’m ready now.”
“What took so long? I’ve been ready for ages...”
“Evan wanted to come.” He answered, grabbing an apple from the fruit
basket. “Until I reminded him that today
is dinosaur day.”
Haddie finished her sandwich and
hopped off the stool. She stood in front
of her father and lifted her arms up. He
smiled and picked her up, his smile growing as she kissed his cheek.
“Thank you, Daddy.” She whispered, giving him a tight hug.
“You’re welcome, darling.” He whispered back, giving her a kiss before
continuing. “You should go get
ready...Willow and Oz will be here soon.”
She nodded and grinned as he
placed her back on the ground. As she
ran out of the room, Evan ran in...grinning from ear to ear.
“I’m ready! Is Willow and Oz here yet?”
“Are Willow and Oz here yet.”
Giles corrected gently, lifting the boy up and settling him on the stool
that Haddie had just vacated. “No, but
they will be soon. You promise you’ll be
good?”
“Yeah, I’ll be good.” He gestured towards the other room and
smiled. “Dec’s awake.”
Braden smiled and tossed the
ball to Lucas. “I’ll go...”
Buffy smiled warmly. “Thanks, Ru.”
Braden blushed lightly. “Mum...”
Giles smirked, understanding why
Braden reacted the way he had. He
remembered having a similar reaction to his own mother when she had called him
by the name that only she had ever called him.
Lucas looked up as he chewed a bite of apple and furrowed his brow when
he noticed the wistful look on his father’s face.
“Dad, you okay?”
“Hm? Oh...yes.
Yes, I’m fine. I was just
thinking about something that happened many years ago, that’s all.” He offered the boy a warm smile. “Have you thought about what you’d like for
your birthday?”
Lucas’ eyes lit up. “We stopped in Foote’s the other day...me,
Bay, and Oz...”
Giles chuckled softly. “Oh, did you?”
Lucas nodded emphatically. “Yeah, and there was this drumkit...”
Giles met Buffy’s eyes and smiled
as Lucas continued rambling about the most beautiful set of drums he’d ever
seen...in the three months that he’d been playing the drums. He knew the set that his son was talking
about...and he had to admit that it was a nice kit. But, he also knew that it was far too
advanced for Lucas.
Hopefully, Lucas wouldn’t be too
disappointed in what he and Buffy had planned for him.
* * *
That night, Buffy and Giles
found themselves alone. Weeks earlier,
it had been planned that Willow, Oz, Xander, and Anya would watch the four
older children for them tonight. And so
they had converged on the apartments located on the fourth floor of the Council
building.
Eight children and four
adults...the numbers had made Anya a little nervous. So, she enlisted the help of Ethan and
Michael as well. Not that it had taken
much convincing, at all. Especially when
Ethan knew the reason that the Gileses had requested a night alone.
It was their twelfth wedding
anniversary.
They had offered to take Declan
too, but with the baby being only four months old, Buffy had felt better with
the idea of Joyce taking him for the night.
Giles couldn’t help but agree...Declan was the most demanding of their
five children. And he wasn’t sure how
the others would cope with him along with eight other children...sometimes it
was hard for him to cope with
Declan’s forceful demands.
As he poured a glass of wine and
handed it to his wife, he raised an eyebrow.
“Are you sure about the wine?”
She smiled and took the glass
from him as she nodded. “There’s enough
in the freezer that I can have a few nights off breastfeeding...”
When his gaze invariably dropped
to her chest, her smile grew and she continued with her thought.
“...and it seems like it’s been
forever since we’ve had a night of drunken debauchery.”
His eyes snapped to hers, his
tongue darting out to lick his lips.
“Drunken debauchery?”
“Mm-hm. When was the last time that we got completely
smashed and spent the night in each other?
Or on each other? Or...”
“You should stop now.” He whispered gruffly. “I have a magnificent dinner planned for
you...and should you continue this train of thought, it will be all for
naught.”
“So...you’re not opposed to the
idea?” She asked, swirling the wine in
her glass before taking a sip.
“No, I’m definitely not
opposed.” He shook his head slowly,
sighing as he watched her lick an errant drop of wine from her lips. “Just...let’s get through dinner first.”
“And then presents?” She asked, sliding closer to him. “Because...you’re going to love my present
for you...”
“I’m sure I will.” He stated with certainty, grazing his
fingertips along her jaw as he lowered his mouth and brushed his lips across
hers. “I’m hoping you feel the same
about mine for you.”
“As long as it’s not a sword or
a weapon of some sort, I’ll love it.”
She whispered, returning his gentle kiss.
He pulled back and shook his
head lightly when she attempted to deepen the kiss. “Not now, love. The night is so very young...”
She exhaled slowly in an effort
to calm herself. He was right...they had
all night. No children, no looming
apocalypse, no unannounced drop-ins by their friends. It was just them...the two of them. All night.
Alone.
This was a rare occurrence and
she nodded in agreement as she sat back, lifting her glass and lightly clinking
it against his.
“To a long night...”
A slow grin appeared on his
lips. “To a long night. Happy Anniversary, Buffy.”
“Happy Anniversary,
Rupert.” She replied, taking a sip of
the warm red wine. “Twelve years...so
hard to believe...”
“That we’d still be together
after twelve years?” Giles asked, his
brow furrowing.
“No, I had no doubt in the fact
that we’d still be together...if I
was still here.” She replied
softly. “That’s what’s hard to believe.”
“Not hard for me.” He whispered, gazing into her eyes. “You are the most successful Slayer this
world has ever known. It doesn’t
surprise me at all that you’re still...here.”
Buffy saw the thought of her death
flicker in his eyes, along with the sadness that thought brought with it. Shaking her head lightly, she reached up and
tenderly ran her fingers through his hair.
“Not tonight, Giles. We’re not thinking about this
tonight...” She lifted her lips to his,
kissing him warmly before staring into his eyes. “Tonight is a celebration...no bad thoughts,
okay?”
He nodded slowly, allowing the
sadness to give way to the arousal that was smouldering within him. “No bad thoughts.”
She grinned as his eyes darkened. “Dinner first, remember?”
He swallowed and gave her
another nod. “Dinner should be ready...”
Buffy licked her lips and
sniffed the air. “I can hardly wait.”
He chuckled softly and stood,
gently pulling her up with him. He could
sense her arousal as surely as she could sense his.
And he was sure that he could
hardly wait as well.
Ethan glanced at Michael,
sighing softly as he watched his husband’s eyes follow the children around the
ballroom that had been turned into a makeshift soccerfield for the night. He reached over and gently ran his fingers
through Michael’s hair.
“Do you regret it?”
Michael turned to look at him,
his question showing in his eyes before he asked it. “Regret what?”
Ethan glanced towards the
playing field and shrugged a shoulder.
“Not having children.”
“No.” Michael answered softly, gesturing towards
the seven children and an Oz chasing a soccerball. “I love them.
God, I love those kids as much as I would if they were my own. But…I like the idea of being able to give
them back at the end of the day…or the next morning.”
Ethan nodded distractedly,
furrowing his brow when Xander blew the whistle. “Hey, Harris!
Learn the rules if you insist on officiating a game!”
Xander rolled his eyes and handed
the ball to Rayna for the throw-in.
Michael smiled and then looked at Ethan again…noticing that he was
watching Rayna closely.
“She has your chin.”
Ethan snorted. “Poor child.”
“Oh, I don’t know…I think it’s a
very kissable chin.” Leaning over, he
brushed his lips over Ethan’s chin.
“See?”
“Mm. You…should stop that, you know.” Ethan whispered, his eyes darkening slightly
when Michael smiled adoringly at him.
“Do you regret it?” Michael echoed Ethan’s earlier question.
Ethan took a deep breath and
released it slowly before shaking his head.
“I’m rather sure I’d have made a horrible father.”
“I’m not.” Michael stated with certainty. “I see you with them…that’s not how a man who
would’ve been a ‘horrible father’ would act.”
“Yeah, well…” He rested his hand on Michael’s thigh, giving
it a gentle squeeze before he grinned.
“We can give them back at the end of the day…or the following
morning…can’t we?”
Michael chuckled, quickly
placing his hand over Ethan’s when he felt the subtle slide up his thigh. “Stop that…”
“What? Rupert and Buffy the only ones who get to – ”
Michael stopped him quickly with
a look that openly displayed his arousal.
“No. But, we’re not doing it
here. So, calm yourself down and watch
the game…”
Ethan smirked and leaned back in
his chair, his eyes darting over to Anya who was feeding River. “I do make cute kids, though…”
Michael rolled his eyes
playfully and leaned against Ethan’s shoulder.
* * *
Buffy laughed as he lifted the
spoon to her mouth. “I can’t believe you
made everything with chocolate...”
Giles grinned and tapped the
spoon, laden with a rich chocolate mousse, against her bottom lip. “You like chocolate. I like you.”
She accepted the offering and
swallowed quickly, licking her lips and looking into his eyes. “You like
me?”
“Mm...” He murmured, his eyes darting to her
lips. “Hopefully more than you like
chocolate.”
Buffy snorted and reached for
her glass of wine. “You’re drunk.”
“As are you.” He responded, taking a drink from his own
glass. “Sadly, there was no chocolate
wine to be found.”
“Well, there’s chocolate
liqueur...”
He smiled and finished his
wine. “What do you think was in the
soufflé?”
“Where did you find a recipe for
a chocolate roast anyway?”
“Spanish Roast.” He corrected gently, lifting a chocolate
coated ring of red chilli to her lips.
“I’m Head of Council.”
She chewed the pepper and raised
an eyebrow at him. “You’re Head of
Council? That’s how you found a recipe
for Spanish Roast?”
He chuckled and shook his head,
popping a ring of chilli into his mouth.
“No...I knew I wanted to use chocolate...I know the Spanish use a fair
bit of chocolate in their cooking. I
called Ximen...he was able to provide a few ideas for me.”
“Remind me to thank him the next
time he’s in London for a Watcher’s Meeting.”
Buffy murmured as she fingered Giles’ tie. “And...I like you a lot more than I like
chocolate.”
“Oh?” He whispered as she pulled his tie loose.
“Yeah...the only thing I think I’d
like more than you is...” She met his
eyes as she unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt. “You smeared with chocolate...”
He glanced at the table,
specifically the cooling chocolate sauce he’d made for the dinner, and
grinned. “I’m sure something could be
arranged...”
“Presents first.”
He looked down as her fingers
continued unbuttoning his shirt. “Then
perhaps you should stop undressing me...”
“What’s wrong with naked
gift-giving?” She countered
playfully. “Chances are, our gifts are
gonna turn into us being naked anyway...”
“Drunken logic.” He chuckled, gently pulling her hands from
his clothing. “Come...presents, then
bed.”
“Or living room floor?” She asked as he stood and pulled her up with
him. “It’s been so long since we’ve had
the opportunity to have sex anywhere other than our bedroom.”
He licked his lips and led her
into the living room. “Wherever you want
me, you can have me...”
Her eyes lit up, her hand
grabbing another bottle of wine as they passed the wine rack.
* * *
Braden smiled proudly as Lucas
kicked the ball past Oz and into the net.
Seeing a shimmer out of the corner of his left eye, he turned and got
Willow’s attention.
“Hey, Will? Wanna do a sub for a few?”
Willow grinned and glanced at
her husband. “Sure thing, Braden…I love
scoring against Oz!”
Hearing Anya snort, Willow
rolled her eyes. “You know…you’d think
after all these years you’d quit taking everything
as a sexual innuendo.”
Anya grinned and kissed a sleeping
River’s head before meeting Willow’s eyes.
“And you’d think after all these years you’d quit saying everything in a way that you know I’m going to take as a sexual innuendo.”
Willow stared at her for a
moment and then laughed, reaching down to stroke the sleeping girl’s hair
before jogging out to take Braden’s place.
Braden smiled at her and jerked his thumb towards his brother.
“Luke can take it from either
side, but…he prefers the right. Oz’ll
catch on pretty quick though, so try to force Luke to the left…”
“Everything okay, Bear?” She chuckled when Braden turned a light shade
of pink. “I’m sorry, Braden…you’ll
always be my BradenBear, though.”
“You know I’m almost twelve…”
“Yeah. And you’ll still be BradenBear when you’re
fifty.”
Braden sighed heavily. The shimmer caught his attention again and
the slight annoyance he had felt with Willow disappeared. Xander gave a quick pip on his whistle and
Braden grinned.
“Remember…force him to the
left. It’s for his own good if he plans
to play at school…”
Before Willow could question him
further, he ran off the makeshift field…giving a wave to Ethan and Michael
before making his way towards the corner of the room. Ethan waved back, narrowing his eyes slightly
as he wondered where the boy was going.
Ethan leaned forward and stared
in disbelief as he watched Braden talk to…no one. Or to clarify, no one that Ethan could see.
“Ethan?” Michael asked, following Ethan’s line of
vision.
“I thought Haddie was the only
oracle they have.”
Michael darted his eyes to Ethan
and then smacked his shoulder. “You know how much Rupert hates it when you
call Haddie an oracle!”
“Yeah, but it’s fun watching him
get all worked up over it.” Ethan
chuckled, nodding as he continued to watch Braden. “Who is he talking to? Do you see anyone?”
“No, but…” He trailed off when Ethan gasped. “What is it?”
“Katie…”
“Katie? How do you know it’s Katie?”
“I read his lips.” Ethan shook his head as his smile grew. “He did it.”
Michael smiled softly as Braden looked
up at the spirit and laughed. “Who did
what?”
“Rupert.” Ethan rubbed the back of his neck as he sat
back in his chair. “The bastard said
he’d find a way for Braden and Katie to communicate…and he did.”
“But…wouldn’t he have told
you?” Michael asked, turning his eyes to
Ethan.
Ethan looked into Michael’s eyes
and smiled. “No…it wasn’t his news to
tell. This is Braden’s story. Rupert wouldn’t dream of taking that away
from his son.”
“He wouldn’t even tell you?”
Ethan’s eyes darted to Michael’s
lips and then resumed the mutual gaze.
“No. That’s one of the things
about Rupert that pushed me into a friendship with him when we were young. You can tell him anything…and it stays with
him. Unless there’s a danger to
someone…in that case, he’ll tell someone who can help him.”
Ethan glanced at Braden and
sighed softly. “There was no danger
here.”
Michael took in the scene across
the room and tilted his head thoughtfully.
“He looks happy about it. I was
worried when he found out about Katie that there’d be some jealousy issues…”
“I’m sure there were.” Ethan replied. “But that child is so much like his father…he
wouldn’t have announced his issues to everyone.
Rupert would’ve discussed it with him though, there would’ve been a
family meeting about it or something, I’m sure.”
Michael looked at him and arched
an eyebrow. “Now who sounds jealous?”
“Not jealous.” Ethan disagreed with a smile. “I admire Rupert for being so different than
his own father when it comes to parenting skills. If his own father had shown his affection for
his son…well, things would’ve been much different.”
Ethan thought about his
statement for a moment and then huffed softly.
“Of course, had that happened…Rupert wouldn’t have left the Academy and
I never would’ve met him. Suppose I
should thank Father Giles for that.”
Michael nodded in agreement and
leaned over to place a tender kiss on Ethan’s cheek before looking out onto the
field. The younger children had already
taken themselves off to the side and Braden had rejoined his brother. The two oldest Giles children versus Oz and
Willow. Michael glanced at his watch and
realized that it was nearly time to call a halt to the game.
“You do realize that as soon as
we get these kids to sleep, I’m going to make love to you…right?”
Ethan licked his lips and slid
his hand back to Michael’s thigh. “I was
hoping.”
“I love you, EJ.” Michael whispered, his thumb stroking Ethan’s
cheek.
Ethan’s reply was lost when they
heard a smack, the sound of a soccerball bouncing across the floor, and then
the thud of something hitting the floor.
This was followed quickly by the unmistakable sound of Lucas crying out
in pain.
Buffy gave Giles a tipsy grin as
he popped the cork on the bottle of wine.
“So...presents now?”
Giles regarded her carefully,
giving her a slow nod before refilling her glass and setting it to the
side. He gestured across the room and
cleared his throat. “Yours is there.”
Buffy looked to where he had
gestured and narrowed her eyes when she saw the large silk-covered item in
front of the window. “Huh. Why didn’t I see that earlier?”
Giles smiled as he stood and
took her hand, pulling her up next to him.
“Because it wasn’t there earlier.”
He shook his head when she reached for the glass of wine. “After presents, yes?”
“Okay.” She whispered, quickly making her way over to
the window. She ran her fingers lightly
across the silk covering and smiled warmly at him. “Can I?”
“Of course. Just...be careful and lift the silk from the
front...”
Buffy narrowed her eyes in
confusion, but did as he instructed. The
silk felt cool under her fingers and her eyes widened as the material slowly
exposed the item underneath.
“A telescope?”
Giles’ eyes sparkled as he took the
silk from her, draping it over the chair before clearing his throat. “Careful not to move it...but have a look
now, love.”
She looked at him curiously and
then carefully looked into the telescope.
“It’s a star...which is what I would expect to see at night when I look
into the – ”
“The star is called Duodecim
Gilesean.” Giles interrupted, his voice
soft and barely hiding his nerves. “It,
uh...the constellation it is a part of is called Lyra.”
Buffy lifted her eyes and stared
in wonder at him. “You bought me a
star?”
“What? No...no, you can’t buy a star. But...you can adopt one, for lack of a better
term.”
“Giles...” She breathed, her surprise evident in her
tone.
He cleared his throat and
glanced past her, darting his eyes to the stars twinkling in the night
sky. “The constellation Lyra is said to
have been formed by Zeus when Orpheus was killed by the Bacchantes...”
A quick shift of his eyes to her
face brought about the realization that Buffy wasn’t in the mood for a lesson
in mythology. And the look in her eyes
did nothing to stop the urge to pull her into his arms...his sheer willpower
was the only thing that actually kept him from doing just that.
“I, uh...was at a loss as to
what to get you this year.” He admitted
with a smile, moving close enough to her that he could lightly brush his
fingers through her hair. “Things have
been so hectic lately and...”
“It’s perfect, Giles.” She whispered, sliding her hand up his
chest. “I love you so much.”
He swallowed thickly when her
hand came to a rest on the side of his neck.
“I love you too.”
Buffy grinned and stepped
forward, pressing her body against his.
“That was a naughty, naughty thought that just went through your head.”
“Mm.” He murmured, sliding his hands down her sides
and then to the small of her back. “Much
like the thought that’s going through yours right now.”
She raised an eyebrow and
scratched her nails against his neck.
“So you want to undress me, tie me up, pour wine all over my...well, I don’t
have a cock, so...”
What little shred of willpower
he was holding on to slipped through his grip.
With a low growl, he covered her mouth with his as he dragged her away
from the window. He broke the kiss long
enough to drop to his knees in front of the fireplace, gazing up at her for a
moment before pulling her down with him.
“Your present!” Buffy started, pausing when Giles
unceremoniously pulled her dress over her head and dropped it to the side.
“It can wait, love.”
“But...” She gasped as he leaned forward and covered a
lace-clad nipple with his warm mouth.
“Oh, God...”
He smiled against her breast as
his fingers quickly pulled his shirt buttons free. He lifted his head and stared into her eyes
as he shrugged his shirt off and dropped it on top of her discarded dress.
“It can wait, yes?” He reached out and popped the clasp open on
the front of her bra. “It’s not...alive
or anything?”
She inhaled sharply as his
fingertips grazed her hardened nipples.
“No, it’s not alive...”
“Good.” He mumbled, gently pushing her to the floor
and kneeling between her legs.
“Inanimate objects can wait until I’ve tasted your come mixed with...” He glanced at the bottle of wine resting on
the coffee table and chuckled.
“Reisling?”
“First bottle I grabbed...didn’t
look...” She panted as her fingers made
short work of his belt and trousers, pushing them along with his boxers down
his thighs. “Giles...”
He smiled and took a long drink
straight from the bottle. He closed his
eyes briefly when he felt her fingers curl around his erection. Opening his eyes, he gazed down at her as he
swallowed the wine and then quickly leaned over her, capturing her lips in a
searing kiss.
She barely heard the material of
her underwear rip, but she smiled inwardly when she felt him pull the ruined
slip of silk away. She opened her eyes
when he ended the kiss and lifted his body from hers.
“What’s wrong?” She asked as she sat up, pausing when she
felt her head swim from the alcohol.
“You’re naked, I’m not.” He grumbled, thrusting the bottle of wine
towards her. “Here...”
She chuckled and took the
bottle, lifting it to her lips as he quickly rid himself of his remaining
clothing. She placed the bottle on the
hearth behind her and stared into the eyes of her husband, laughing softly as
she tilted her head.
“God, you’re drunk.”
“That’s already been
established.” He replied, reaching for
her hand and guiding it back to his erection.
“You wanted debauchery...”
“So did you.” She countered as she started to stroke his
hard flesh. “Duodecim?”
“Twelve.” He groaned, slipping his left hand between
her thighs as he thrust his hips against her hand. “Harder, Buffy...”
She tightened her grip and let
out a groan of her own as his middle finger pushed its way into her
warmth. “You...you should fuck me...”
“Busy.” He mumbled, pushing a second finger into
her. “Lie down.”
She glanced at his hard cock in
her hand and licked her lips. “If I lay
down, I won’t be able to reach you like this.”
He stared lustfully into her
eyes, a small grin playing at his lips.
“And if you continue, I’m going to come far too soon...”
She licked her lips and
continued her firm strokes. “Then
come. Come all over me...and then you
can do what you really want to do right now.”
His fingers twisted inside of
her, his thumb rolling her clitoris, as he struggled to hold on. Knowing that his body was betraying him,
giving in to her touch, he took a deep breath.
He felt his chance approach, her grip lessening as her body reacted to
his thrusting fingers. In a move that
surprised her, he quickly pulled his fingers out of her and pulled her hand
from his cock as he knelt between her thighs.
“Giles!”
He chuckled and pushed his
erection into her as he traced her lips with his wet fingers. When she opened her mouth and hungrily sucked
his digits into her mouth, he began to move his hips in short, hard
thrusts.
“What I really want? This...you tasting yourself while I fuck
you. And then...I’m going to taste
yourself on your own tongue as I come...”
He growled as she cleaned his fingers of her juices.
She pulled her mouth from his
fingers and stared into his eyes as she shook her head quickly. “Too…too fast…come too soon…”
He paused his motion and swallowed
thickly. “Sorry, I…”
“Shh…make love to me for a
while. We have all night, Giles.” She whispered as she slipped her hand to the
back of his neck and drew his lips to hers.
The sudden shift from frantic to
tender was nearly his undoing. As her
tongue slid between his lips and her legs wrapped around his hips, he
shuddered. He successfully kept his
orgasm at bay, lengthening his strokes as much as her legs would allow.
He pulled from the kiss and
straightened his arms, smiling as he looked down at her. “You...look so beautiful.”
Buffy gave a sound that was half
snort and half moan, causing Giles to chuckle and raise an eyebrow at her.
“I’m sorry...what was that?”
Buffy glared at him and then ran
her nails over his left nipple, causing his chuckle to give way to a rumbling
groan. Her glare softened as she smiled.
“Same as that...”
He narrowed his eyes, mischief
flashing in them as he supported his weight with his right arm and reached for
the bottle of reisling, all the while maintaining his slow and steady
pace. As his eyes drifted over her
torso, her breath hitched.
“Alright?” He questioned softly as he looked back to her
eyes.
“God yeah...” She breathed, darting her gaze to the bottle
in his hand. “Where’s that going?”
He paused his thrusts and licked
his lips. “Deciding.”
“Jesus, don’t stop!”
He gave a crooked grin and
flicked his eyes to her throat. “Be
still, love.”
Her eyes widened as he tilted
the bottle. Her back arched as she felt
the liquid splash against her skin before pooling in the hollow of her
throat. Her nails dug into his sides as
she heard the sound of thick glass against stone as he placed the bottle back
onto the hearth.
And then she felt it. His tongue against her flesh, his lips caressing
her skin as he lapped the fluid from her.
Her legs tightened around him as her hips bucked against him.
He smiled against her skin as he
felt her inner walls clench around his cock.
It wouldn’t be long…for either
of them.
“Should we take him to the
hospital?” Anya asked as she knelt next
to Lucas.
Lucas glared at her and rubbed
his shoulder. Willow successfully held
her laughter when she saw the perfected ‘Giles’ glare.
“Um…I don’t think so.” Michael stated softly as checked the back of
Lucas’ head. “Just a small bump, no
blood…”
Braden exhaled a deep breath and
smiled at his younger brother. “That
wasn’t exactly what I meant by ‘hit it with your head’, Luke.”
Lucas turned his glare to Braden
and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I got
that…thanks.”
Oz snorted a laugh and kicked
the soccer ball across the room. “Come
on. Now that we know there’s no need for
a trip to the hospital and there’s no blood, no severed limbs, no stitches
needed…it’s bath and bed time.”
As the children, with the
exception of Evan, followed Oz and Willow out of the ballroom, Michael looked
up at Ethan and furrowed his brow. “You
okay, EJ?”
Ethan nodded slowly, picking
Evan up and sighing as the young boy rested his sleepy head on his
shoulder. “Yeah, I just…well, that was
worrisome.”
Michael stood up and brushed his
palms against his jeans. “He’ll be
bruised and a bit sore, but…he’ll be fine.”
Ethan swallowed, rubbing Evan’s
back as he felt the boy relax in his arms…a sure sign that sleep was near. “It was…the sound, more than anything.”
Michael smiled in understanding,
gesturing around the room. “The
acoustics in here are brilliant.
However...it also makes a fall and a cry sound worse than they really
are.”
He glanced at the boy in Ethan’s
arms and chuckled. “He’s asleep...”
Ethan smiled softly. “So, we put him to bed…and then put us to
bed?”
Michael grinned and slid his arm
around Ethan’s back.
* * *
“Christ! Buffy…”
Giles groaned, sliding his hands to her hips and squeezing as she rode
him.
“Quit…holding out…Rupert…” She gasped, feeling her third orgasm quickly
approaching.
“I just…” He started, then paused as she slammed her
hips down on his and stared into his eyes.
“Buffy?”
“All night, Giles. We have…all fucking night…” She resumed her pace, faster and harder than
before, closing her eyes at the sound of his thick guttural groan. “Come now…please…”
“I…”
She gave a huff of annoyance and
pulled his hands from her hips. Lacing
their fingers together she leaned forward and pressed the backs of his hands to
the cushions under his head. Staring
into his eyes, she rocked her hips against him and grinned.
“Come now…and I’ll fuck you
later.”
He curled his fingers over her
hands and lifted his head enough to nip at her bottom lip. “You’re…fucking me…now…”
A grin played on her lips as she
shook her head. “No…I’m riding you…right now.”
Understanding flickered in his
darkened green eyes. “Jesus…”
“That’s it…” She groaned as his hips slammed up against
hers. “God, yes…Ru...pert!”
He didn’t even try to hold on
throughout her next orgasm, allowing her hot juices smothering his cock to take
him over the edge with her. When she
collapsed onto his heaving chest, he pulled his hands free from her grip and
wrapped his arms around her.
“Bloody…hell…” He whispered on a broken gasp, rolling to his
side as he peppered her face with kisses.
“Okay?” Buffy whispered, reaching for the errant
bottle of wine and taking a drink before handing it to him.
He nodded numbly, taking the
bottle with a trembling hand. “All
night, huh?”
She grinned and ran her hand
over his sweaty chest as he rolled back onto his back and lifted the bottle to
his lips. “Mm-hm…all night.”
He reached out and gently rolled
her nipple between his thumb and forefinger as he swallowed a mouthful of the
wine. “Then we should pace ourselves,
love.”
Buffy nodded in agreement and
leaned into him, placing a warm kiss on his lips. “You still have your present to open…”
He smirked and raised an
eyebrow. “You’re not it?”
“If I’d known you’d be happy
with just a night of sex…”
He cut her off with a kiss,
sliding his hand down to her bare hip as his tongue swept into her mouth. As quickly as the kiss had started, he pulled
back and shook his head lightly.
“I’d have been happy with
anything…or nothing. Just a smile from
you would’ve been enough, Buffy.”
Buffy’s eyes glistened as he
stroked her hair. “You…and your words…”
“You understood that?” At her silent question, he shrugged a
shoulder and glanced at the nearly empty bottle of wine. “Wasn’t sure if it was drunken logic.”
She took the bottle from his
hand and set it to the side. “It’s Giles
logic, drunken or not. And I love you.”
“I love you.” He whispered, leaning into her and brushing his
lips over her collarbone. “I love you so
much, Buffy.”
She sighed, content to feel his
lips graze her skin for a few moments before remembering that she had been
going to get his gift before he had stopped her with his words. “Giles…”
“Mm?” He murmured, sliding his lips up the side of
her neck.
“Your…present…”
“Later.” He whispered into her ear before nibbling on
her lobe.
“No, now…” She shook her head and gently pushed him
back, glancing at the clock as she scrambled to her feet. “You could check on the kids while…”
She trailed off when she looked
back at him to find him unabashedly roaming his eyes over her nude body. “Giles…”
His eyes flicked to hers, a
smile appearing on his lips. “Do you
really expect me not to look at you?”
She returned his smile and ran a
hot gaze over his body. “I’ll be back in
a minute. Give Ethan a call, okay?”
“Yeah…” He muttered, running his right hand over his
chest as he watched her saunter out of the room.
With a heavy sigh, he reached
for the phone.
* * *
Michael reached for the phone,
groaning as Ethan lightly scraped his teeth along the hard shaft of Michael’s
cock. Ethan’s eyes flashed with
amusement as Michael’s fingers curled against the top of his head, halting
Ethan’s movements as he flipped the phone open.
“H’lo?” He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath
and opening his eyes. “Mm-hm...hold on,
yeah?”
Ethan slowly pulled his mouth
from Michael’s erection, flicking his tongue against the head as Michael handed
the phone to him. “Who is it?”
“S’Rupert...” Michael answered, wrapping his fingers around
his shaft and stroking slowly. “Don’t be
long, EJ...”
Ethan licked his lips, his eyes
hungrily watching Michael’s hand slide up and down, and lifted the phone to his
ear. “Rupe?”
Giles chuckled softly. “Sorry to int’rupt...just, uh...checkin’ on
the kids...”
Ethan grinned at the slurred
voice on the line. “You’re drunk.”
“Mm, yeah...”
“You’re drunk...and calling
me. Shouldn’t you be fucking your wife
right now?” Ethan flinched as Michael
slapped his shoulder. He laughed as he
listened to Giles’ reply. “Well,
then...sounds like you’re having a wonderful night.”
“Ethan!” Michael hissed on a whisper, earning him a
bright grin from his husband.
“The kids are fine, Rupert...no
severed limbs, no stitches, no blood...”
He knelt between Michael’s thighs and wrapped his hand around his own
erection as he watched Michael continue to stroke his cock. “Maybe a couple of bruises, but nothing that
requires a trip to the doctor.”
Ethan bit his lip to stifle a
groan as Michael reached up with his free hand and gently tweaked Ethan’s
nipple. “They’re, uh...they’re all
asleep...dreaming the dreams of princes and fairies, I’m sure.”
Giles smiled. Ethan may have tried to mask the noise, but
he recognized the hesitation in his friend’s voice for what it was.
“Talk to you t’morrow,
Ethan.” Giles licked his lips as Buffy
walked back into the room, a large package in her arms. “ ‘ave a good night, yeah?”
“Mm-hm...yeah...you too, Rupe.”
And just like that, the
conversation was over.
Ethan tossed the phone onto the
bedside table as he leaned over Michael and supported his weight with his left
hand next to Michael’s head. “Jesus,
Mike...”
Michael smiled and curled his right
leg over Ethan’s hip as Ethan nudged the head of his erection against his
anus. “Love you, EJ...”
“You too.” Ethan growled softly, pushing his hips
forward as he captured Michael’s mouth with his own.
* * *
“Everything okay?” Buffy asked as she carefully placed the large
package on the floor and knelt next to Giles.
Giles nodded slowly, his gaze
dropping to her chest as he licked his lips.
“Kids’re alright...Ethan and Michael are having sex...and my God, I want
your nipple between my lips...”
“Giles!” Buffy laughed as he pulled her onto his
lap. “You have to open your present!”
“It can wait.” He murmured, lowering his mouth to the firm
slope of her breast.
“It’s waited all night...” Her hands tightened on his shoulders as she
shivered, feeling his tongue flick over her left nipple. “God, Giles...please...”
“Please what, love?” He whispered against her skin.
“Please...open your
present...” She replied, grinding her
hips against his as she curled her fingers in his hair and gently tugged his
mouth from her breast. “And then you can
have whatever part of my body you want in your mouth...”
“Yeah?” He whispered, his eyes shining brightly as
his hands slid down to her waist.
“Yeah.” She answered softly, leaning forward and
brushing her lips across his. “Please,
Giles...”
He nodded slowly and gently
smacked her hip in a request for her to climb off of him. He smiled as she granted the request, moving
off of his lap and reaching for his discarded shirt. He gave a disappointed sigh as she slipped
the shirt on and buttoned it closed.
She chuckled and gave him a wink
as she gestured towards the gift that had been wrapped in gold foil. He gave her a loving smile and then reached
for the package. His eyes narrowed as he
pulled it closer to him.
“Heavier than I was expecting.”
“It’s not a puzzle for you to
figure out, Giles...” She laughed,
sitting back on her heels. “Open it...”
He regarded her carefully, his
smile growing as his fingers pulled the tape free. “You’re excited enough for the both of
us. What have you done?”
She rolled her eyes and stared
at him expectantly. “Open it and see!”
He laughed gently and nodded,
turning his attention back to the gift.
He lifted the foil from the contents and narrowed his eyes. He ran his fingers along the woodgrain case
and took a deep breath.
“Buffy?”
“Open...”
He swallowed and flicked the
latches on the side open, carefully lifting the lid. He gasped softly, his eyes widening as the
contents came into view.
“My God, Buffy...” He whispered, grazing his fingertips over the
finely crafted wooden body of the instrument.
“You...it’s a Lowden.”
“I...had a bit of help.” Buffy stated softly, watching him as he
carefully lifted the guitar out of the case.
“I knew what I wanted it to look like, but Oz helped me decide on which
woods to ask for...”
“How did you know?”
Buffy smiled as he pulled the
afghan over his lap and rested the instrument on his thigh. “It’s hard not to pay attention when your
husband is arguing with his best friend over Lowden versus Gibson. Of course...Oz agrees with you, but said that
Gibson is a decent choice if a Lowden isn’t on the table...”
Giles grinned as his fingers
lightly strummed the strings. “I’ve
wanted a Lowden for years...”
“Yeah, that’s what Ethan
said.” She leaned forward and placed a
warm kiss on his lips. “Play for me?”
He smiled and returned her kiss
before positioning his fingers on the ebony fingerboard.
Anya narrowed her eyes as Michael
and Ethan made their way into the kitchen.
She handed River to Ethan and then turned and smacked Xander’s shoulder.
“Ow! What was that for?” Xander grumbled, rubbing his shoulder.
“They had sex too! We’re the only
ones who didn’t have sex last night!”
Ethan smirked as Willow
blushed. Clearing his throat, he looked
around the room. “And the children?”
Oz took a sip of his coffee and
then sat back in his chair. “Braden took
them on a tour of the museum.”
Ethan rolled his eyes and sat
down at the table, lightly bouncing River on his knee. “Leave it to Rupert to put a museum in the
bloody Council building...”
Willow smiled and leaned against
Oz’s shoulder. “I think it’s sweet. I mean...he did it for Braden and Lucas
because they love museums so much.”
Ethan glanced at Oz’s wrist and
narrowed his eyes. “You have a piece of
leather fraying there, mate.”
“Yeah...I was going to talk to
Giles about it this afternoon...”
Anya huffed and flopped down in
a chair next to Xander. “Great...they all
have sex and Oz is going to turn into a werewolf soon...”
Xander stared at her, confusion
showing in his dark eyes. “What?”
She gestured at Oz’s wrist and
sighed. “That piece of leather breaks
and it’s Wolf Time.”
Xander turned his eyes to
Oz. “Really?”
“Well, not until a full
moon...” Oz drawled, causing Ethan to
chuckle.
River looked up at Ethan and
giggled, clapping her hands happily.
* * *
Buffy smiled as she climbed into
the shower behind Giles. He was currently
leaning forward, his palms against the wall and his head lowered...allowing the
hot water to cascade down his back. He
jumped slightly as she slid her arms around his waist and pressed her lips over
the numerous scratches on his skin.
“You okay?”
“Mm...” He mumbled, bending his arms and resting his
forehead against the tiles. “You?”
“Better than you.” She chuckled, sliding her hands up his
chest. “What’s done you in, babe? Sex or alcohol?”
He snorted softly and took hold
of her hand, pushing it towards his groin.
He lifted his head as he held her hand over his quickly emerging
erection.
“Safe to say it’s not sex.” Buffy noted, an amused tone in her
voice.
“Yes...safe to say.” He stated, barely audible over the sound of
the shower. He turned slowly and leaned
back against the wall. “Did you come in
to get clean?”
“That was the original
idea...”
“Original?”
“Yeah...” She licked her lips and reached up, angling
the showerhead to the side. “Ideas can
change.”
“That, they can.” He replied, lifting his hand and running his
fingers through her damp hair. He smiled
as he noticed the faint bruise surrounding the scar on the side of her neck. “What is the current idea?”
“Watching you.”
He raised an eyebrow as he ran the
tip of his index finger down the slope of her breast. “Watching me?”
“Mm...God, yeah...”
He licked his lips and glanced
at the showerhead. “We’ll, uh...run out
of hot water...”
With a grin, she reached over
and turned the spray off. “Let me watch
you.”
“Here?” He asked, even as his left hand curled around
his hardening shaft. “In a wet shower
stall?”
“Mm-hm...” She murmured, licking her lips as she lowered
her gaze to his hard cock in his hand.
“Here...now...”
He moved his hand in a long, slow
stroke and took a shaky breath.
“And...what are you going to do?”
“What do you want me to
do?” She countered, groaning softly as
she saw a drop of fluid appear at the tip of his cock.
“Kiss me.”
Her eyes darted to his. “If I kiss you, then I can’t watch you...”
“You could feel me though...you
could feel my hand sliding up and down my cock...” His breath hitched as she placed her hand on
his chest. “You could feel my come
against your stomach as you fuck my mouth with your tongue...”
“Shit...” She gasped, pressing her body closer to
him. “Oh...God...”
She could feel him...each movement he made, the feel of his wet glans
against her skin getting wetter with each stroke of his hand. Without another thought, she slid her left
hand into his wet hair and drew his mouth down to hers.
His right hand moved over her
hip, his fingers flexing against the cheek of her ass as their tongues duelled
for control of the kiss. He smiled as
she broke the kiss, moaning loudly when he gave the firm flesh a sharp
slap.
He gazed into her eyes,
squeezing her cheek again. “You’re going
to come.”
Her nails dug into his shoulders
as she writhed against his body, her forehead pressed to his chest as she
whimpered his name. Feeling his own orgasm
quickly approaching, he slapped her ass again, thrusting his hips against her
as she screamed his name.
“Oh, fuck...” He murmured, sliding his hand to her back and
holding her against him as his cock throbbed in his hand. “Coming...Christ, Buffy...coming...”
Her nails broke his skin as she
felt his hot come splatter against her stomach, but he didn’t feel it. And even if he had...he wouldn’t have cared.
* * *
Joyce arrived first, not
mentioning the distinct half-moon gouges she noticed on Giles’ wrist as he
reached for Declan. Declan giggled as
his father held him high in the air.
“I think someone missed you last
night.” Joyce laughed as Declan snuggled
against Giles’ chest when he was lowered.
Giles darted his eyes to
Joyce. “Were there any problems?”
“What? Oh, no...”
She gestured to the baby and smiled lovingly. “He was actually an angel.”
Buffy snorted as she walked into
the room, a bottle in her hand. “Yeah,
right...we’re talking about Declan Kingsley Giles, Mom...”
Declan looked up at his mother
when he heard his full name and then grinned when he saw the bottle. Buffy handed the bottle to Giles and kissed
her son’s head.
“I love him dearly, but...we’re
pretty aware of the fact that he’s demanding.”
Buffy smiled as she gently stroked the baby’s fine hair.
“No more demanding than you were
at his age.” Joyce offered, glancing at
the front door when she heard the unmistakable sound of Anya bickering with
Xander.
Giles grinned and pushed the
nipple of the bottle into Declan’s mouth.
“See? I knew you got it from your
mother.”
Buffy playfully slapped Giles’
shoulder and then turned her attention to their other four children as they
made their way into the living room, Haddie riding on Braden’s back...Lucas rubbing
his head...and Evan rambling excitedly about something that Buffy couldn’t
decipher. She grinned and then laughed
as the adults walked in, looking worn and exhausted.
“Hi, Uncle Giles!” Maria smiled cheerfully as she looked up at
Giles.
Giles smiled and sat down on the
couch, carefully balancing Declan as Maria climbed up next to him. “Hi, Maria...did you have a good time last
night?”
Maria nodded quickly and reached
over to rub Declan’s foot. “Yeah...Jake
and Rayna kept fighting though. Can I
hold him after he’s finished his lunch?”
Buffy smiled at the interaction
between her husband and Willow’s daughter and tilted her head towards the
kitchen. Willow nodded in
acknowledgement and followed her best friend into the other room.
Giles leaned down and kissed the
top of the girl’s head. “Of course, you
can.”
Maria grinned excitedly and then
glanced at her father. “Oh and Daddy
needs to talk to you about leather.”
“Leather?” Giles questioned and then met Oz’s eyes. “Leather?”
“Oh...” Oz shrugged and lifted his wrist. “I’m fraying.”
Giles nodded in
understanding. “I’ll have a look after
lunch. Should be as simple as replacing
the leather and blessing it.”
Lucas sighed heavily and sat
down next to Giles as Maria slid off the couch to go play with Haddie. As he leaned his head against the cushions
and closed his eyes, Giles furrowed his brow.
“Lucas? Is everything alright?”
“Head hurts.” Lucas mumbled, rubbing at the large knot and
wincing.
“Oh, yeah...” Anya piped up, handing River to Xander as she
started her explanation in the most helpful way she knew. “Lucas has inherited your habit of getting
knocked out.”
“What?” Giles’ eyes widened in alarm as he looked at
Lucas. “You were knocked unconscious?”
“Rupert, calm down...” Ethan stated gently, shooting a glare at
Anya. “He wasn’t knocked out. He fell and hit his head...”
“Doctor Mike said he was gonna
be a-okay!” Evan added, smiling brightly
at Michael. “Isn’t he, Michael?”
Michael nodded and ruffled the
boy’s hair. “Yeah, mate...he’s going to
be just fine.”
“Just a headache,
Dad...really.” Lucas whispered, opening
his eyes when he felt his father’s fingers carefully examine the lump. “Didn’t even bleed.”
“Bleed? What didn’t bleed?” Buffy asked, concern in her voice as she
walked into the room with a large platter of sandwiches. She narrowed her eyes as she watched Giles
hand Declan to Ethan and then hold up three fingers in front of Lucas’ face. “And...why are you doing concussion checks on
our son?”
Xander heaved a heavy sigh and
reached up to take the platter from Buffy.
“Because my girlfriend decided to scare Giles.”
As Buffy rushed over to the
couch, Braden shook his head. “Mum, he’s
fine...he just got hit in the head with a soccerball and then...hit his head on
the floor.”
“The floor?” Buffy asked, doing a thorough examination of
the lump herself. “What floor?”
“The ballroom floor.” Braden answered without thought.
Giles stared at Ethan. “You let them play football in the ballroom?”
“Hey, don’t blame me, Rupe. It was his idea...” Ethan stated, gesturing to Xander.
As Giles looked at Xander for an
explanation, Xander handed a sandwich to Anya and sighed again. “Thanks, An...”
Oz smirked and absently toyed
with the frayed piece of leather encircling his wrist.
Once the commotion had died down
and Giles and Buffy were satisfied that Lucas wasn’t concussed or had any other
serious injury, Willow demanded to see the anniversary gifts.
Oz and Xander exchanged a glance
as their respective partners both became teary-eyed over Giles’ gift to
Buffy. Giles blushed as the women gushed
over the star and cleared his throat.
Joyce chuckled and pulled Evan
onto her lap.
As she looked around the room,
she was surprised that twelve years had passed so quickly. And then her eyes settled on her son-in-law
and she knew, without a doubt, that without him the last twelve years would
have probably been very different.
Giles glanced in her direction,
doing a double-take when he noticed the tears glistening in Joyce’s eyes. She shook her head quickly, letting him know
that she was okay and offered him a warm smile.
He returned the smile and gave
her a gentle nod, understanding the emotions he had seen in her eyes when she
darted her gaze to her only daughter.
Twelve years, demons and vampires, five grandchildren, extended
family...he could understand the emotions.
After all, her daughter was the
Slayer...and her son-in-law was the Watcher.
He smiled broadly as his
daughter ran into the room, Maria, Jake, and Rayna right on her heels.
He wouldn’t change the last
twenty years of his life for anything...even if he could.
~ End