Title:
Life on a Hellmouth
Author:
Froxyn
Rating:
FRAO
Pairing:
Buffy/Giles
Synopsis:
A glimpse into the lives of Buffy, Giles, and the rest of the
Scoobies. Mainly
focusing on Buffy and Giles.
The ice
rattled lightly in his glass as he raised it to his lips. Taking a sip of the amber liquid, he relished
the slight burn as the scotch slid down his throat. He wasn’t drinking to get drunk, and he was
very much sober. Sitting on his couch,
the room dimly lit, and...silence.
He
cherished moments like this.
He glanced
at the clock. His Slayer was on patrol,
would be for at least another hour before she would walk into his home
unannounced and proceed to tell give him her nightly
report. He wasn’t sure where
He needed
this. He needed...silence. He needed to relax. The week had been very hectic, an unusual
amount of demons and vampires...luckily there hadn’t been an apocalypse to
divert.
His eyes
swept the living room, coming to rest on an object hidden away in the corner
behind a lamp. He sighed lightly as he
leaned forward, placing his glass on the coffee table before standing up and
walking across the room.
His hand
reached around the lamp, grasping the neck of the guitar and pulling it out of
its resting place. He gently wiped the
thin layer of dust from its surface as he returned to his seat on the couch.
He didn’t
really play much anymore, but it was a part of his past that he had been very
reluctant to give up. His ‘Ripper’ days
were over. He wasn’t the same person
that he once was. He was eternally
grateful for that fact. But,
music...that was one thing that the Watcher had in common with Ripper. It was the one thing that he couldn’t let go
of.
He
carefully tuned the strings before pouring another drink.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Buffy was
still pulling dead grass from her hair as she walked up to her Watcher’s front
door. It had been a busy evening. She quit counting after dusting the seventh
vampire. She frowned slightly, knowing
that she shouldn’t have quit counting.
Giles would want an exact number.
Her hand
paused on the doorknob, her head tilting as she heard soft music emanating from
the other side of the door. Quietly, she
pushed open the door to find Giles sitting on his couch with a guitar in his
hands. His fingers strumming a gentle
tune, his voice softly singing the words of a song she’d never heard before.
She closed
the door, careful not to make any noise that would alert him to her entry. She leaned back against the door, folding her
arms in front of her. She smiled softly,
perfectly content to just listen to him sing.
She knew
that he could play the guitar, he had mentioned it in
passing. She had a feeling that he had a
nice singing voice as well, having heard him more than once hum a familiar tune
when he worked in the library. She had
asked him numerous times to hear him play.
Each request was quickly denied with a simple “I’m no longer that
person, Buffy.”
Standing
here, quietly listening to him without his knowledge...his talent amazed
her. His voice was...
Her mind
struggled to find the right word. A
small smile tugged at her lips as the word rushed into her head.
Angelic.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
He knew
that his Slayer had returned as soon as she turned the doorknob. He could feel her presence as strongly as he
could feel his heart pound in his chest.
He briefly
considered stopping when she walked into his home, but decided against it when
she closed the door silently behind her.
He fumbled the lyrics slightly, losing his concentration momentarily.
He quickly
regained his composure as he heard a soft sigh from across the room. His fingers easily moved along the strings,
up and down the frets. He continued the
song to completion, clearing his throat softly as the last note resonated in
the room.
“How was
patrol?” He asked quietly, not turning
around.
Startled by
the question, Buffy pushed herself from the door and slowly walked towards the
couch. “It was...uh...I didn’t know
that...uh...you knew...”
Giles
chuckled softly, placing the guitar down, leaning it against the lamp table
beside of him. “I always know when
you’re here, Buffy.”
He turned
his eyes towards her as she fell onto the chair. Taking in her appearance, he smiled. “Rough night?”
“Huh?” Her eyes showing her confusion before her
hand reached up to her hair. “Oh. Yeah, it was a busy night.”
He nodded
slowly, rising to retrieve his Watcher’s Diary from the bookshelf. Pen in hand, he sat back down and looked at
her, silently requesting for her to continue.
“Um...a
little more than seven vamps. Dusted and
gone. No demons, but there was a mention
of something...” She narrowed her eyes,
forcing herself to remember the term that was used. She shook her head slightly and looked at
him, her shoulders shrugging. “Raisin bread?”
His brow
furrowed as his mind attempted to translate ‘raisin bread’ into something
useful. His eyes lit up suddenly and he
leaned forward. “Risenbridt?”
“Yeah! That’s it!”
She offered her Watcher an embarrassed
smile. “It’s kinda like raisin bread,
yes?”
He jumped
up and practically ran to the bookshelf.
“Well, no. It’s not.” He pulled a book down, quickly flipping
through the pages. He sat down on the
coffee table in front of her, turning the book towards her so that she could
see. He spoke quickly, his voice racing
with excitement. “Risenbridt is an
ancient ritual used to raise a particular demon from another dimension to be
born unto an unsuspecting vessel.”
Buffy
lifted her gaze from the book, meeting his brightly lit eyes. “Could you be any more excited, Giles?”
“Well,
I...” He cleared his throat, seeing the
amusement in her eyes. “I’ve only read
about Risenbridt. Many people seem to
think it’s only legend. What exactly did you hear?”
“Just two
vamps talking about getting this log back in time for raisin...uh,
Risenbridt?” She glanced back down at
the page, thinking aloud. “I guess that
explains why they didn’t get my joke about banana bread...”
The
confusion made itself known in Giles’ eyes as he stared at her. “Pardon?”
Buffy
quickly waved her hand, a motion that stated ‘nevermind’. “Bad joke, didn’t
think it was that bad though.”
Giles was
completely perplexed. “There is a joke
about banana bread?”
Buffy
rolled her eyes as she stood. “So, this log?”
“Oh,
yes.” Giles grabbed the book, flipping
over a couple of pages. “It’s a sacred
log. The disciples of Ristos fill the
log with the blood of their sacrifice and...”
Buffy
interrupted him with a thought. “How can
you fill a log with blood? Wouldn’t it
just run right through?”
Giles
sighed in exasperation. “Buffy, please.”
“What? It doesn’t make sense. Logs are hollow, a hole on each end...”
Giles took
his turn at interrupting her. “Not all
logs are hollow, Buffy. It’s a solid
piece of wood that has been blessed with the essence of Ristos. The disciples then drill a hole on top of the
log, and carefully hollow a part of it out.
Just enough to make a compartment for the blood of the
sacrifice.”
Buffy
blushed slightly. “Oh.”
Giles’ eyes
suddenly turned serious. “Buffy, did
these two vampires...did they have such a piece of wood with them at the time?”
Buffy
nodded slowly.
Giles
dropped the book, reaching for his car keys.
“We must destroy it. Do you
remember where you saw it?”
“The west
end of
He turned
to her quickly as he turned the ignition.
“It destroys the world.”
Buffy
sighed, buckling her seatbelt as Giles sped off. “Of course it does...”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
He followed
her through the maze of tombstones, a crossbow in his hands. His eyes kept a firm grasp on their
surroundings as she rambled non-stop
about...apparently, anything that entered her mind.
“You’re
very talented, Giles.”
His eyes
darted to her quickly. “Excuse me?”
She
shrugged lightly, twirling her stake in her hand. “All of those times I asked to listen to you
play. It took me sneaking into your
house to hear how talented you are.”
“As you may
have noticed earlier, I knew you were there.”
She stopped
suddenly, turning around to stare at her Watcher. “So, why did you keep playing if you never
wanted me to hear you?”
He halted
his movement quickly, narrowly avoiding running into her. “As I recall, I’ve never said that I didn’t
want you to hear me play. I merely
stated that that person was no longer who I am.”
She studied
him closely for a moment. “I’ve never
heard that song before.”
He blushed
lightly, thankful that she wouldn’t be able to see it in the darkness. “I dare say that you haven’t. I...I wrote it.”
Buffy’s eyes widened in amazement. “You
wrote it? Giles...” Her eyes darted to a point over his left
shoulder. “DUCK!”
Without
hesitation, he dropped to the ground. He
felt the air rush over his head as she hurled her stake over him. Hearing a scream, he turned just in time to
see a cloud of ash fall to the ground.
“Well,
then...your aim is spot on.”
Buffy
smiled as she extended her hand to help him up.
She felt...something...as he placed his hand in hers and stood up. She held onto his hand longer than she needed
to, feeling an emptiness as she let him go.
“Well, I
have a good teacher who is a bit of a stickler for good aim...” She smiled at him, reaching out to brush the
dirt off of his shirt.
He returned
her smile, shifting the crossbow to his right hand and using his left to brush
his pant leg. “You do listen after all.”
“Yep. I’m your star pupil!”
He laughed
lightly, scanning the area around them.
“You’re my only pupil.”
“So, that
makes me your star.” She smiled
brightly, and then turned to retrieve her stake.
He kept a
close eye on her, his crossbow at the ready.
He exhaled only after her stake was in her hand. “That you are...” He whispered to himself.
Her smile
was still intact when she returned to his side.
She pointed to the left, past a small monument. “The raisin log was over there.”
He chuckled
softly and followed her to a small clearing.
Giles
breathed a sigh of relief when they found a very ornate log resting on the edge
of the clearing. They knelt on either
side of it, Buffy’s nose wrinkling as her knee touched the ground.
“So, the
essence of Ristos isn’t a very appealing aroma.”
Giles
looked up at her, his fingers tracing the intricate carvings on the side of the
log. “That would be brustrakh.”
“Yeah, I
always like a little brew with my raisin bread.”
He pushed
his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, staring at her. “Brustrakh. It’s a preservation
oil used in this ritual.”
“What’s it
preserving?” She reached up and rubbed
the back of her hand across her nose.
He pointed
towards the intricate carvings along the length of the log. “These.
Without the preservation oil, the symbols hold no power.”
“What, they
couldn’t call it ‘energy goo’?” She made
a face as she wiped the oil from her fingers onto the ground. “Because...if it gives energy, and it’s
definitely not oily...”
“The
ancient ones obviously weren’t as technical as you.” He ran his hand along the top of the log,
giving it a quick knock in various places with his knuckles. “It hasn’t been hollowed out yet. Which means that the
sacrifice has not taken place. Which means...” He
glanced up at her, giving her the briefest of smiles. “I think we got here in time. All we need to do is to destroy it.”
“Uh-huh. And...what will stop
them from grabbing another log, goo-ing it up, and having another party?”
He motioned
towards the end of the log, silently requesting her help to carry it back to
the car. “It takes many years...possibly
hundreds...for a log to become mature enough to use in a ritual.”
“Logs...mature?” Buffy laughed lightly, easily lifting her end
of the log.
“You know
what I mean, Buffy.” He picked up his
end and they began walking back towards the car.
“Scarily
enough...I do.” She flashed him a bright
smile. “So, how do we destroy this
thing?”
He
carefully stepped across an overturned headstone. “Watch your step. We must perform a ritual to release the
essence of Ristos. After we’ve
successfully completed the ritual, we burn the log until only ashes remain. Then we place the ashes into an Urn of
Jacark. After that, the Urn is encased
in concrete fortified with magicks, and buried in consecrated earth.”
“Okay. So we chant, then have a bonfire, then bury a
cool box in magic cement in demon-proof ground?”
Giles
tilted his head thoughtfully. “Precisely.”
Buffy
grinned at him. “Has anyone ever told
you that you use way too many words?”
Giles
returned her grin. “Quite
frequently, in fact.”
Four hours
later, their mission was completed. Once
again, they had diverted an apocalypse.
Giles opened his front door for his Slayer and followed her in, dropping
the crossbow onto the table.
“
Giles
smirked as he closed the door behind him.
“Yes, well. I’m sure that Xander
would have been terribly disappointed at the lack of...weenies and
marshmallows.”
Buffy
turned around and stared at him as the laughter built in her throat. “Did you just say...
‘weenies’?”
“We shan’t
speak of this again, Buffy.” His eyes
lit up as he softly laughed with her.
Suddenly,
Buffy sniffed the air. “I...jeez, I
reek!”
Giles
lifted his hand, his finger gently touching her hair. “You, uh...you have brustrakh in your hair.”
“Great. Energy goo.” A look of horror passed over her
features. “Will it...”
He smiled
understandingly at her as he shook his head.
“No. You’ll be fine. It just...smells rather unpleasant.”
“Like I said. I reek. Would you mind if I took a quick shower?”
“A shower? No, no...of
course. I...uh...I’ll get you a
towel.” He went to the linen closet and
pulled out a fresh towel and handed it to her.
“Clothes?
I can...you can wear something of mine if you...or I can stop by your
house and...”
She took
the towel out of his hand and pointed towards a bag sitting in the corner. “I have my special ‘something happened while
I was on patrol and now I need to change my clothes’ bag over there.”
He blushed
lightly and quickly retrieved the bag.
“Oh yes. I...I forgot about
this.”
“A Slayer
is always prepared.” She grinned as he
handed her the bag, and then turned and headed into the bathroom.
Giles
waited until he heard the water running and then sat down on the couch. He sighed lightly as he leaned forward, his
hand slowly opening the bottle of scotch.
His eyes glanced towards the hallway as he poured himself another drink.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
She smiled
softly as she leaned against the hallway wall, watching as he documented the
events of the evening into the diary. “A
Watcher’s work is never done...”
He looked
up at her, his breath hitching slightly as he took in her appearance. There was nothing unusual about her attire,
but her hair...towel-dried and hanging loosely around her face. He cleared his throat and smiled back at
her. “Documentation is imperative.”
Pushing
herself from the wall, she made her way to the chair and plopped down, a heavy
sigh escaping her lips. His eyes showed
concern for her.
“Are you
okay?”
She nodded
quickly, easing his concern. “Yeah,
just...who would’ve thought? An apocalypse beginning in Sunnydale.”
“Yes. We have had our fair share, haven’t we?” He leaned back, the tip of the pen held
lightly between his teeth as he diverted his gaze from her.
Her eyes
fell to the bottle and the half-empty glass on the coffee table in front of
him. “Are you okay, Giles?”
“Hm?” He looked back at her, then
followed her line of vision. “Oh. Yes, I’m fine. Just a drink to relax with is all.”
She met his
eyes then, a smile flickering in her hazel irises. “So, no ‘drunken stupor
Giles’?”
An embarrassed smirk crossed his lips. “No.”
They were
quiet for a few moments. Each going over the day’s events in their minds. His fingers were absently twirling the pen when
she broke the silence.
“Will
you...can I hear you again?”
“What?” He turned his head, finding her eyes focused
on the guitar that was still leaning against his lamp table. “Oh.
Well, I...”
“Am not
that person any longer. I know,
Giles. I’ve heard it time and time
again. But...I’d really enjoy...” She allowed the sentence to remain
unfinished, as she didn’t know how to end it anyway.
He thought
about it for a few seconds, and after taking another sip of his drink, picked
the guitar up with his slightly trembling hand.
He merely
sat there with the guitar at the ready and a battle being waged in his
head. With a deep breath, his fingers
began coaxing a tune out of the strings.
She sat forward, intently watching him, listening to the music, and
painfully noticing that he was not looking at her. She held in her deep sigh as his voice softly
came into play.
But it’s
such a feeling of being one
When we
talk on the phone
You make
me complete
You make
me feel connected
To the
earth beneath my feet
She tilted
her head in wonderment as his eyes closed.
He picked the tempo up slightly, the words easily slipping from his
tongue.
And
you’ve helped me to cry
You’ve
shared all of yourself with me
You’ve
shown me life
You’ve
taught me, you let me see
What’s real
She caught
herself staring at his lips as he sang.
She was mesmerized by the emotion in his voice.
Without the warmth of you in my heart?
Wherever
would I be without the light you give me
Without the thought of you in my arms?
She stifled
a gasp as his eyes opened and briefly made contact with hers. Just as quickly, he turned his eyes downward
as the melody changed once again…back into the softer beginning.
Is wait until the next time
That I
hear your sweet voice on the line
And I’ll
feel whole again
You’ll
bring me home again
All that
I am…
Is for
you
She didn’t
move. She couldn’t move. She sat still, his words echoing in her
head. She stared at him as he licked his
lips nervously and placed the guitar next to him. He cleared his throat, his hand reaching for
his drink. He let the liquid burn his
throat for a moment before he spoke.
“Now…uh…now
you’ve heard me play.” He stole a quick
glance in her direction and immediately recognized shock in her
expression. “Buffy?”
She shook
her head lightly, as if she was shaking cobwebs from her mind. “That…was beautiful.”
“Thank
you.” The words were spoken so softly
that Buffy wasn’t sure he had even actually said them.
“Did you…is
that one your’s too?”
He nodded
slowly, his fingers lightly caressing the body of the guitar.
“Why did
you stop?” Her eyes were inquisitive as
he looked at her. “I mean, you obviously
still play…”
A sad
chuckle escaped his lips. “Not often.”
“Why not? Giles, you’re…” Her eyes suddenly glistened with tears. “You’re amazing.”
His jaw
tightened for a split second, his eyes staring at a point on the wall. “Too many memories, Buffy.”
Her brow
furrowed with confusion. “How could
something so beautiful bring back bad memories?”
He took a
deep breath and pushed himself up from the couch, drink in hand. He walked over to the window, leaning against
the frame as he stared into nothingness.
“You know
about my past.” He paused, bringing the
glass to his lips. “At one time, music
was my weapon.”
“Weapon?” The one word question was a mere whisper.
“And I used
it to great advantage.” His jaw clenched
and released, his fingers drummed nervously on the glass in his hand. “It was my outlet. In a way, I imagine it still is, though the
ends have changed since then.”
Buffy stood
and took a few steps towards her Watcher.
“English would be good right about now.”
He lifted
his glass again, his eyes focused on the blackness outside. “Ripper’s outlet led to sex. Mine…well, it leads to somewhere else.”
She
carefully studied him, worry building inside of her. She had seen Ripper on a few occasions, and
though he didn’t scare her, she much preferred her Giles.
“Somewhere else?”
He gave a
slight nod of his head, his eyes still unmoving. “More painful. More…”
He finally turned to her, his eyes slightly darker than they once
were. “Frightening.”
“Ripper?” The word came out in a breath, barely
audible.
He turned
away from her quickly, the glass falling from his hand and shattering on the
floor. “It was so much easier when it
was only about sex.”
Her hand
trembled as she reached out to him, gently placing her palm on his lower
back. She felt him instantly stiffen,
though he didn’t move away from her.
“Talk to
me.”
His short
laugh was deep. If she hadn’t known him,
she would have almost called it menacing.
“There is nothing to talk about, Buffy.”
“I think
there is…”
She
recoiled as he whirled towards her, his eyes showing a spark of anger. “I beg to differ.” He saw the fear in her eyes for the half of a
second it was there. He forced himself
to calm, his eyes softening immediately.
“Buffy…I beg of you…”
“Giles,
what’s wrong?” Her voice was anxious,
her tone one of concern.
“I’m
sorry. I’m so sorry.” His eyes glistened with unshed tears as he
backed away from her.
She matched
each of his backwards steps with a forward one of her own. “Don’t be sorry. Just tell me what’s going on.” When he turned his back to her, she spoke in
what she hoped was a comforting tone.
“Is this why you didn’t let me hear you before? Does Ripper come out when you play?”
He shook
his head slowly, his hand rising up to support himself against the wall. “That part of me is always here, Buffy. And that part of me is dormant except in
cases of extreme distress.”
“I distress
you?”
He turned
around, resting his back against the wall as he exhaled deeply. “No.
You don’t distress me.”
“But, I saw…”
He shook his head slowly, catching her eye before dropping his head. “That was me…Rupert Giles. Not…not
Ripper.” He winced as he spoke the name
that once referred to him.
Buffy was
utterly confused and he heard it clearly in her voice. “The anger…I saw it.”
He ran his
hand through his hair. He refused to
allow himself to look at her. “You push
too hard sometimes, Buffy. Some things
are well and truly better left alone.”
She
straightened her stance, determined to not let him push this under the
carpet. “If it’s not about sex, then
what is more painful?”
“Dear Lord,
Buffy.” His voice took on a tone of
dejection. “Please, let it lie.”
She crossed
her arms over her chest and stared at him.
“No. Tell me.”
He took a
chance and raised his eyes. Seeing that
she was indeed not going to let it go, he dropped his hands by his sides and
tilted his head towards the ceiling.
“The unattainable.”
“And that
means?”
He could
hear the frustration in her voice. Giving up, he took a deep breath.
“Wanting. Needing. Aching. So far beyond sex. Wanting so badly that you can taste it, yet
knowing you’ll never have it. Never
being able to partake in the life you can see, because your fingers can’t grasp
it. Can’t hold on to
it because it’s out of your reach.
Knowing that everything you need in your life is there. Right there. Yet, completely
unattainable.” He licked his dry
lips and swallowed before continuing.
“Sex is
simple. You feel it, you do it, and it’s
over. Ripper understood that. That’s how the life was led. And it was a simple, albeit dangerous, life.
I am not that man. The music I write
now…it’s emotion.
It’s my release. The ways of my
past are no longer an option.”
She tilted
her head and gazed at him. “No longer an option?
What, are you impotent these days?”
The
question elicited a small laugh. “Hardly.” He blushed
lightly, realizing he had spoken aloud.
“So, what’s
the problem?”
He stood a
bit straighter, more resigned to the conversation taking place. “The simplicity of sex is not what I want, or
need. I want more. I need more.”
For the
first time in what felt like an eternity, he stared into her eyes. He saw understanding in her eyes. Unable to control his emotions, he took the
step needed to stand directly in front of her.
His hand
reached up, fingers sliding through her damp hair as he bent his head and
captured her lips in a scorching kiss.
She
hesitated briefly, but made no effort to back away from him. She opened her mouth to him, moaning lowly
into his mouth as his tongue touched hers.
She returned his kiss, as hungry for it as he was.
He broke
the kiss as suddenly as he had initiated it.
He took a step back, his breath heavy with want and need.
She scanned
his eyes, quickly reading his next words.
“Don’t say it. Please…”
He silently
questioned her, a tear forming as she answered him.
“Don’t say
you’re sorry.”
“Buffy…”
Her name
fell from his lips in a whisper as she took a step forward, reached up and
pulled his head down to her waiting lips.
His heart raced as she put everything she had into the kiss. He groaned as she broke the kiss and moved
her lips to his ear.
Her tongue
traced his earlobe suggestively before she whispered into his ear.
“Take me.”
It wasn’t a
question. He closed his eyes as he shook
his head softly, hoping that he wasn’t making a huge mistake.
“Buffy,
this isn’t…this isn’t about sex.”
Buffy
sighed, placing her head against his chest.
“I know. I was listening.” He gasped as she gently nuzzled against
him. “But, it doesn’t mean that you have
to take a vow of celibacy.”
She smiled
as she heard a soft chuckle rumble in his chest.
“I…uh…I
don’t want to merely fall into bed with you.”
He smiled down at her as she raised her head to look at him. “I’m also not opposed to making love to
you. But, I want it to be more. It’s not the sex I want, Buffy. I want…you.
All of you.
I want you to want me, because all I am is for you.”
She sighed
softly and returned his smile, the words he sang earlier ringing in her
ears. She leaned up and placed a kiss on
his lips.
“So…the sex
is just a bonus?”
He grinned
at her, returning her kiss. He became so
lost in the kiss that he didn’t realize that she was guiding him elsewhere
until she pulled him down onto the couch with her. His eyes snapped open in surprise.
She smiled
as she pulled back from him, allowing her fingers to lightly trace down his
neck. Her smile widened as his skin
quivered beneath her touch.
“Buffy...”
Her eyes
offered him reassurance as she leaned forward, allowing her hand to slide
around to the back of his neck.
“Relax. Believe it or not, I do
understand what you were saying about what you want.” Her lips brushed across his jaw. “I just want to kiss you.”
With that,
her mouth closed over his, her tongue making its way into his mouth in
exploration. She grinned inwardly as he
groaned, caressing her tongue with his.
He was vaguely aware of the fact that he was slowly pushing her into a
horizontal position on the couch. He
became very aware of the position they were in when he felt himself settle
between her open thighs.
He broke
the kiss suddenly and stared into her eyes.
She offered him an understanding smile as her hand gently moved in
circles across his back.
“We’re just
kissing.”
His eyes
drifted to her lips. “For some reason,
I’m not completely sure of that.”
He moved to
rekindle the kiss, their lips almost meeting again as his phone began to ring.
“Damn!” His head dropped to Buffy’s shoulder in
frustration.
She laughed
quietly. “You can just not answer it...”
“Who would
call at...” He
quickly glanced at the clock. “...two in
the morning?”
A sudden
rush of fear raced through him, no one called at this hour unless there was
trouble. Extreme
trouble. He reached over Buffy’s
head to grab the phone. She gasped as
his erection pressed against her as he leaned over her. He groaned at the contact just as he picked
up the phone.
“Giles? Are you okay?”
He sat up
straight, looking like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, much to
Buffy’s amusement.
“
“Oh...”
Giles ran
his hand across the back of his neck, his eyes finding Buffy silently
questioning him as she sat up. “Vampires?
Where? How
many?”
Buffy stood
up quickly, grabbed her shoes, and sat down on the coffee table.
“We counted
four. And they were going into
His face
reddened as he looked at Buffy.
“Yes. Yes, she’s here. Willow, what were you doing out there at this
hour?”
“Double
date at the double feature. We were
walking back to Oz’s van, and there they were.”
She paused, her curiosity clear in her voice. “Giles, why is Buffy there?”
Buffy
smiled as she watched the redness deepen on Giles’ face. He met her eyes, feeling a
warmth in his heart.
“There was
an issue with a few vampires attempting to perform an ancient ritual.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “
“A block down from the cemetery. I...”
Giles stood
up quickly, alarming Buffy. “Find
somewhere safe. We’ll be there in a few
minutes.”
He ended
the call, tossing the phone onto the coffee table. “Vampires at
Buffy
followed him to the door, grabbing her bag of weapons as she walked by it. “And the guys?”
“Waiting for us there.” He locked the door behind them,
quickly ushering Buffy to the car. “I’m
rather sure that we shall require their assistance in this.”
Buffy
grinned as Giles started the car and sped off.
“My Watcher’s back.”
Giles
narrowed his eyes, though he didn’t risk taking his eyes off the road to look
at her. “Pardon?”
Buffy gazed
at him as he navigated the roads as quickly as he safely could. “’Watcher Giles’ speaks differently than
‘Kiss You Until You Can’t Breathe Giles’.”
He allowed
his hand to rest briefly on her knee.
“I’m sorry, but ‘Watcher Giles’ is who I must be at the moment. The...the other Giles...would be of little
use to you and wouldn’t be able to help you as much as I can.” He swerved around the corner, slamming the
Citroen to a halt behind Oz’s van. “Providing that no one knocks me unconscious.”
Buffy
quickly unbuckled her seatbelt, offering him a warm smile as she opened the
door. “I’ve got your back.”
He looked
at her, his eyes very serious. “Buffy,
you must be careful and not worry about me.
If your concentration is distracted by your concern for my well-being,
things could become extremely dire in a very short period of time.”
“Again, so
many words to say...”
He
interrupted her with a gentle squeeze to her knee. “Promise me.”
She placed
her hand on his and nodded. “I promise.”
Satisfied
that she understood what he was saying, he opened the car door to find
He took a
deep breath and readied himself for the impending fight. “Okay, everyone follow Buffy and I’ll take
the rear. Keep your eyes open
and...” He offered each one of them a
smile of affection. “Try not to get
injured. You know what to do if things
become out of control?”
Xander
stepped onto the street and fell in line behind Buffy. “Turn, run like hell, and...”
“Scream
like a girl if your name is Xander Harris.”
Anya finished for him.
Giles
followed them into the cemetery, his eyes scanning the surroundings as they had
earlier in the night. “Yes, well. Do try not to scream.”
Oz chuckled
lightly and pulled a stake out of the inside pocket of his jacket.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Giles was
slumped against a mausoleum wall when Buffy knelt beside of him.
“Hey, you
okay?”
He smiled
up at her, his breathing heavy. “Completely conscious.
And you?”
She
returned his smile, her fingers lightly tracing across the small cut on his
forehead. “Better now.”
“So, do you
guys think it’s over now? I don’t know
that I could handle another vampire jumping at me from out of nowhere.” Xander looked around cautiously.
Anya rolled
her eyes, handing her unused stake to
Xander’s
eyes narrowed in annoyance. “So, how much dust on your stake?”
Anya glared
at him, making it obvious to everyone that there were underlying issues at work
that no one wanted to get into at the moment.
“Giles took care of my vampire for me, because he’s a gentleman, unlike
you.”
Giles pushed
himself up, taking Buffy’s hand when she offered it. “Did we have assigned vampires this time?”
Buffy
giggled at the annoyed tone in Giles’ voice, letting her fingers linger on his
palm.
Oz wrapped
his arm around
Xander
nodded his head, his left hand shoved in his pocket. “Simple words. This is of the good.”
They made
their way out of the cemetery, pausing to look back only when they were
standing near the cars.
Giles
stiffened, then immediately relaxed and hoped that no one noticed.
Buffy took
a step closer to her Watcher and shook her head. “No thanks, Will. I need to stop back at Giles’ place. We left in such a hurry that I forgot my
house keys.” She looked up at Giles
innocently. “Is that okay? I mean...do you mind dropping me back to my
house after I get my keys? ‘Cause, I can
get...”
Giles
interrupted her with a reassuring tone.
“That’s quite alright, Buffy.”
“Are you
sure? ‘Cause...”
“It’s
fine.”
“Okay.” She tilted her head in a childish way and
looked at
Xander
yawned as he nodded. “Late
tomorrow. Very
late.”
Giles
smiled at the group and sincerely thanked them for their help. After a few goodbyes, he climbed into the
driver’s seat and watched the van pull away from the curb.
Buffy
closed the door and buckled her seatbelt.
“Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Giles
turned to her, his eyes darkened as he leaned over. “I’m very sure.”
She grinned
at him, leaning towards him and capturing his lips once again. He broke the kiss after a moment, his eyes
never leaving hers as his hand fumbled for the ignition.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Few words
were spoken on the way back to Giles’ apartment. He smiled as he saw, out of the corner of his
eye, Buffy stifle a yawn. Pulling into
his car space, he switched off the engine and turned his head to look at her.
“Are you
alright?”
She nodded in
the slow fashion that Giles easily recognized as exhaustion.
“Okay,
let’s go find your keys, shall we?”
She
followed him slowly to his front door, willing herself to be more alert. He unlocked the door and held it open for
her, waiting to follow her inside.
As he
closed the door behind them, he spoke softly.
“Do you remember where you put your...”
His
question ended abruptly as she covered his mouth with hers. A moan rumbled in his chest as her tongue
sought entry. He returned her kiss, the
passion building rapidly. Something
clicked in his head and he broke the kiss, pulling away and leaving them both
panting heavily with desire.
The room
was silent except for the sounds of their breathing for a few moments before
Giles spoke.
“We...uh...should
find your keys. And...” He paused, hoping he had the strength to
finish his thought. Finding it, he took
a deep breath and continued. “And get
you home.”
Buffy
placed her hand on his chest and gazed into his eyes. “Giles...will you sleep with me?”
His mouth
dropped open in shock. “Buffy,
I...we...”
She
silenced him with a gentle laugh. “I
mean that in the literal sense. To be
very honest, I’m too tired for anything else.
And...with Mom still out of town, I just don’t
want to go home to an empty house.” She
leaned forward, laying her head against his chest. “I ask again...will you sleep with me?”
He
swallowed nervously, his heart pounding in his chest. “Of course.”
She moved
back and took his hand, glancing towards the stairs. He led her up to the loft, sighing heavily as
she sat down on the edge of his bed.
“I,
uh...” He turned and pulled open a
dresser drawer. He brought out one of
his pajama tops and turned back to face her.
“It will be rather large on you.
But...it would have to be more...comfortable than your current attire.”
She smiled
as she took the top from his hand.
“Thank you.”
After they
had both gotten changed, Giles found himself not quite believing that he was
actually slipping under the sheet and blanket with her. He shuddered lightly as she snuggled up
against him and placed a soft kiss on his lips.
“Are you
sure you’re okay with this?” She smiled
as he nodded wordlessly. “Will you hold
me?”
“Of course
I will.” He inhaled deeply as she turned
her back to him and pressed against his chest, pulling his arm over her. “I’ll hold you all night, Buffy.”
Five
minutes later, he placed a kiss on the back of her head as he felt her
breathing change as she fell asleep. He
held her tighter as she fell deeper into slumber. Convinced that there was no way he’d be able
to fall asleep, he contented himself by listening to her breathe and feeling
her warmth.
Less than
ten minutes later, his exhaustion overtook him.
Five hours
later, he woke to sunlight filling the room.
He smiled when he realized that they were lying in the same position
that they fell asleep in. He kissed her
shoulder before gently sliding his arm out from under her head and slipping out
of the bed. He watched her intently as
she shifted in her sleep before resettling.
Assuring himself that he hadn’t woken her, he made his way to the
bathroom.
He turned
the water on, allowing it to heat up as he shed his pajamas. Stepping into the shower, he winced as the
warm spray hit the darkening bruises on his chest.
He leaned
forward, resting his forehead against the tiles and allowed the spray to
cascade down his back. Reaching over, he
increased the hot water and sighed as the knots in his back loosened slightly.
He picked
up the soap, quickly lathering himself up as his mind raced through his
thoughts. An unexpected rush of emotion flooded over him, evidenced by his
sudden tears mixing with the water.
Never before had he felt so complete.
Yet, there was an emptiness that he couldn’t put his finger on.
His tears
cleared as he rinsed his body. He
inhaled deeply and then realized what was missing. Though he knew how his Slayer felt about him
and he was sure that she knew the sentiments were reciprocated, the words had
yet to be spoken.
He smiled
lightly and turned the water off.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
He made his
way back to the bedroom, his towel wrapped around his waist. His intention was to simply slip on a pair of
boxers, crawl back into bed, and wrap his arms around her.
He walked
into the room to find her sitting up, her back pressed against the headboard
and staring at her hands, which were folded in her lap on top of the blanket.
“Hello.” His voice was soft and concerned. “Are you okay, Buffy?”
She nodded, a faint smile on her lips. “Yeah, I was just think...”
Her voice
halted as she looked up, the smile fading from her lips as her eyes fell to the
dark mass of bruises covering the left side of his chest.
“Oh my God!” She scrambled out of the bed and
ran to him, her eyes full of worry.
“Giles...”
He smiled
softly. “This isn’t an unusual
appearance for me after a heavy night of fighting. I tend to bruise fairly easily.”
Her
trembling hand reached up, her fingers lightly touching the purple-black
skin. “Are you sure? It looks painful...” She met his eyes. “Are you in pain?”
His jaw
tightened slightly, the warmth of her touch radiating throughout his body. “I...feel nothing right now...”
He
continued to stare at her as her eyes darted down towards his groin before
immediately returning to his gaze. “You
obviously feel...something.”
He licked
his lips, his eyes darkening quickly. “Obviously. Yes...”
He swiftly
picked her up and carried her to the bed.
Gently placing her onto the mattress, he leaned in and captured her
lips. He slowly pushed her down,
covering her body with his as their passion grew.
She moaned
softly as his lips moved to her neck. As
his tongue tasted the flesh there, his fingers slowly unbuttoned the pajama top
she was still wearing.
She reached
between them, her fingers deftly removing his towel. His groan vibrated against her neck as his
hardened flesh came into contact with the soft skin of her thigh.
He lifted
his head, his eyes glazed as he pushed the top from her shoulders. His eyes closed as he felt her hand encircle
his erection and squeeze gently.
“Buffy...” His voice was husky with want and need.
“Giles...”
He opened
his eyes, inhaling sharply as he saw the reflection of his desires mirrored in
her hazel irises.
As much as
he wanted to taste every inch of her body, the look in her eyes told him that
foreplay would not be needed...nor tolerated at this moment.
He moved
between her thighs, sighing heavily as his erection pressed against her moist
centre. He leaned down and kissed her
tenderly before gazing into her eyes.
“Buffy...if
you aren’t one hundred percent sure...you have to tell me now. There is no coming back from this for me...”
She smiled
warmly, placing her hand on the side of her neck. “There was no coming back for me after you
kissed me.”
His heart
fluttered at her words. After another
gentle kiss, he shifted his hips and slowly entered her. Their eyes were locked together as he paused,
allowing her muscles to relax around him.
After
giving him a slight nod, he began to move his hips slowly. She moaned in pleasure, eyes closing and her
hands resting on his shoulders. He kept
his slow pace, his eyes studying her face.
Her eyes fluttered open, causing a groan to escape his lips as he read
the emotions in them.
His voice
was a mere whisper when he found his voice to speak.
“I am so in
love with you.”
Her eyes
filled with tears as her hands slid down his ribs. When she only smiled, he realized that she
was unable to form any words. He
returned her smile as he kissed her.
His thrusts
began picking up in speed and his tongue traced across her lips. She sucked his tongue into her mouth and
bucked her hips against him, urging him to push harder. He complied obediently as he returned her
hungry kiss.
It wasn’t
long before he felt her inner walls begin to contract around him as she neared
orgasm. He reluctantly broke the kiss
and pulled his head back enough to watch her face. She bit her lip, desperately trying to hold
on.
He smiled
and thrust harder. “Let it go, Buffy.”
Her eyes
clinched tight as she bit harder. “Come
on, darling.” His voice was gentle, yet
filled with a desperate tone. “Please
let it go. I...I’m not sure how...how
much longer...I can...oh, God...hold on...please...”
Her eyes
snapped open, her fingers gripping his sides with such force that he knew there
would be bruises later. He found that he
didn’t care how bruised he became.
They stared
into each other’s eyes. He continued his
thrusts, knowing she was on the brink.
The muscles in his arms quivered as he quietly uttered three words.
“Come with
me.”
That’s all
it took. He felt her juices flow over
him, a scream forcing past her lips. His
loud groan of ecstasy matched hers in intensity as he followed her over,
flooding her violently convulsing walls.
He caught
himself before he collapsed on top of her, his entire body shuddering as they both
struggled to breathe. He rolled onto his
side, pulling her with him so that she was facing him, his softening flesh
still buried inside of her.
“Dear
Lord...” He offered her a smile full of
adoration as his trembling fingers brushed through her hair and then traced
across her cheek.
“My
sentiments...” She returned his smile,
her voice shaking with emotion.
He pulled
her against his chest, wrapping her in his embrace. The sounds of their heavily laboured
breathing filled the room.
She
whimpered as he shifted his lower body, slowly dislodging himself from
her. He placed feather light kisses
across her face as his hands gently caressed her back.
“Giles?”
“Hm?” He grinned at her breathless tone.
“I’m in
love with you too.”
His grin
broadened. “Thank God. I’d hate to think that my neighbours possibly
heard our...displays of affection if you didn’t love me.”
She giggled
softly, allowing her fingers to touch his bruised chest once more. When he sucked in a sharp breath, she looked
up at him in concern.
“Hurts?”
He nodded
slightly. “Beginning
to.” He smiled as his hand
covered hers. “Help me forget about the
pain for a while longer?”
She grinned
as she felt his waking erection twitch against her thigh. She pushed him onto his back gently and
climbed on top of him.
“Would you prefer quick relief or time-lapsed?”
He gasped
lightly as she bent down and placed a warm kiss on his chest. “I...would much prefer to take our time...if
that’s okay with you.”
Her lips
trailed hot kisses down his torso.
“Whatever you desire...”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Two hours
later they finally found their way out of the bed. After a hot shower together, they got dressed
and made their way downstairs. Buffy
headed for the kitchen as Giles went to the front door and, out of habit,
unlocked it.
Walking
into the kitchen, he found her in front of the open refrigerator. “Hungry?”
“Starving.” She looked up at him. “Much physical exertion, little
sustenance...not good for a Slayer, you know?”
He
chuckled, reaching for the bowl of fresh fruit resting on the counter. “Nor a Watcher.”
Leaning
against the counter, she watched him as he began slicing different fruits and
placing them into a larger bowl. He
moved past her, reaching into the refrigerator and grabbing the remaining half
of a honeydew melon. She noticed that he
didn’t bring the cantaloupe with him as well.
“No
cantaloupe?”
He smiled
softly as he glanced at her. “You don’t
like cantaloupe.”
She felt a warmth in her heart as she looked into his eyes. “What makes you say that?”
He
chuckled, dropping the chunks of honeydew into the bowl with the other
fruit. “The fact that
you always push it to the side.
I’ve never seen a piece of cantaloupe enter your mouth.”
She grinned
as she reached into the bowl and pulled out a piece of banana. “Very perceptive of you.”
“I am a
Watcher.” He plucked another slice of
banana out of the bowl and held it to her lips.
“And you should eat more banana.”
His eyes
twinkled as she leaned forward and took the fruit from his fingers with her
lips. He glanced towards the back
patio. “It’s a beautiful day. Would you like to eat outside?”
Her answer
was to pick up the bowl and head in the very direction he had been looking
at. He watched her, his heart filling
with more love than he thought possible.
He placed the teapot and two cups onto a tray, his smile growing as he
lifted it and followed her outside.
They took
turns feeding each other pieces of fruit between sips of tea. She sighed happily, leaning her head against
his shoulder.
“Giles?”
“Yes?” He took another sip of tea and looked down at
her as she sat back up.
“Has this
ever happened before?” She read the
silent question in his eyes. “You know,
between a Watcher and a Slayer.”
“Oh.” He placed his cup onto the table in front of
them. “It has happened in the past. Mainly because once a Slayer was called, the
Watcher took over her care. They would
live together, the secret remaining between them.” A smile shone in his eyes as he looked at
her. “Most Slayers do not have the
social activities as you. And, I suppose
that with just the two of them, it could possibly lead to a more physical
relationship.”
“Huh. So, what we have is almost expected? Like...a supernatural thing?”
“I suppose
there are supernatural qualities in our bond.”
He sensed her stiffen slightly and placed his hand on her thigh. “Supernatural as in we never would have met
if not for the fact that I am a Watcher and you are my Slayer.” He felt her relax under his touch. “I assure you, Buffy,
my emotions are very real and...very human.”
“What if
there wasn’t the Watcher/Slayer aspect?
I mean...and we met anyway?”
He smiled
as he leaned down, brushing his lips across hers. “I daresay I would be in the same
predicament. In love
with a beautiful, strong-willed woman.”
She blushed
lightly as he pulled back quickly, hearing the front door swing open with a
loud thud.
“Giles?”
“Why did I
unlock the door?” He muttered softly
before calling out. “Out here,
Buffy
laughed softly and moved her chair a little further away from him. She was chewing on another piece of fruit as
“Oh, hey Buffy. I was looking for you.”
Buffy
smiled warmly at her friend. “Came over early to help Giles with details of last night’s events
for his diary. Want some fruit?”
She pushed
the bowl towards
“That’s
very kind of you
“Hey Giles! Ooh, fruit!
Can I have some?”
Giles
chuckled softly and motioned towards the bowl.
“Help yourself. Tea, anyone?”
With a
resounding ‘yes’ from his visitors, he made his way inside. He listened to the three of them laugh and
joke as he prepared the tea. On his way
back out, he stopped by his desk and pulled a nearly forgotten pack of
cigarettes from the top drawer. He shook
one out and, after grabbing a lighter, picked up the tray and headed towards
the laughter.
As soon as
he had settled the tray on the table, he sat back down and offered a glance at
Buffy. Noticing the cigarette held
carefully in his fingers, she silently questioned him. She blushed briefly at the twinkle in his eye
telling her the reason for it and gave him a quick nod.
He laughed
at her surprise as he exhaled slowly, feeling the sudden head rush from the
nicotine. “Very
occasionally.” He studied the
cigarette between his fingers, musing to himself aloud. “I wonder how old these are?”
Xander
shoved another piece of melon into his mouth.
“My dad smokes occasionally. He
says he only smokes after sex, so...yeah, occasionally might be a term that
doesn’t really define one or two a year...”
Buffy and
Giles shared a quick glance before looking away. Xander didn’t catch it, as he was too caught
up in his rambling thought. However,
Giles
noticed the exchange and choked on the smoke as fear rushed into his
chest. Xander looked up, wagging his
finger gently at him.
“This is
why we don’t smoke, Giles.”
Giles
dropped the cigarette, pushed his chair back, and stood. “I, uh...I should...that is...” He was aware that Xander and
He stopped
himself before he made a bigger fool of himself and simply rushed through the
door. Xander shrugged his shoulders and
picked up a strawberry. “I think we need
to find him some decaf tea.”
Buffy tore
her eyes away from the door and looked at
“Buffy, you
...”
Buffy stood
up and quickly interrupted her before she could utter another word that would
clue Xander in. “Not now, okay? Later...but...not now.”
She turned
and walked through the doorway, leaving her two friends outside. Xander looked at
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Buffy found
him leaning against the hallway wall, breathing heavily. She smiled, understanding his panic, as she
stepped in front of him.
“Hey...” Her voice was soft as she lifted her hand to
the side of his face. “It’s okay.”
He leaned
into her touch for a brief moment before the color drained from his face. “Buffy, she...she knows.”
She leant
up, pressing a soft kiss on his jawline.
“Yeah, I caught that. She’s
perceptive...she could possibly make a good Watcher one day.” She frowned when he didn’t give her as much
as a smile, and realized that her effort to lighten the situation had
failed. “Giles?”
His eyes
darted to hers, the panic beginning to ease as he saw the calmness in her
eyes. “Buffy?”
Her fingers
brushed through the hair above his ear and she smiled lovingly. “I’ll talk to her later. Everything is going to be fine.”
He licked
his dry lips. “Her reaction...”
She
interrupted him quickly before he fell back into panic mode. “Was one of shock. Not one of disappointment, disgust, or
disapprovement.”
His fingers
brushed against her hip as he thought about her words. “’Disapprovement’ isn’t a word. Disparagement.”
She laughed
lightly, relaxing as he chuckled with her.
She kissed him lightly before taking a step back and holding her hand
out to him. “Wanna come back outside?”
He took her
hand and gently squeezed before releasing it.
“I’d really rather not, but I suppose it would look more suspicious if I
didn’t.”
She gave
him a wink and then walked towards the door.
She heard him take a deep breath and felt him follow her back to their
friends.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A few hours
later, Buffy glanced up from her untouched cup of coffee to find her best
friend smiling brightly at her.
“So, tell
me! How long have you and he been, you
know? What was it like? Do you love him? Does he love you?”
Buffy
grinned as she held up her hand in a silent request for
“This
morning was the first time. It was
absolutely, mind-blowingly wonderful. I
love him. And yes, he loves me.”
“This morning? How early did you...”
“Whoa...slow
down, girl!” Buffy laughed at her
friend’s excitement. “I did spend the
night. We...well,
we actually haven’t been on a date. And,
I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know it was going on.”
Buffy
sighed and shifted nervously in her chair.
“Well...I knew Giles was cute...”
“Beyond cute!”
Buffy
grinned in agreement. “Very! But...I didn’t know how he felt until last
night when I went by to give him a patrol report.”
“Hold
on...there was nothing going on one day, and the next morning you’re sleeping
together?”
There was
no malice in
“Wow,
that’s...uh...fast.”
Buffy
laughed quietly. “It actually felt like
a lifetime from the time he kissed me until we made love.” She watched as
“It may
have been fast, but...Buffy, it’s so romantic!”
Buffy
tilted her head thoughtfully. “Actually,
yeah...it really was.”
“Is he
going to start going on patrols with you every night now?”
Buffy shook
her head, smiling at the memory of the answer that Giles had given her to that
very question. “No. He’s worried that I’ll get too distracted if
he’s there. You know, worrying too much
about him getting hurt? He’s afraid that
if I lose my concentration...”
Buffy
swallowed a mouthful of lukewarm coffee before she answered. “After patrol. We thought it would be best if I spent the
afternoon with you, since you figured it out in like, 30 seconds. He was so wigged, Will.”
“Giles? Wigged?”
“Majorly. He was afraid that you’d see him as a dirty
old man or something.”
They shared
a genuine laugh, though Buffy knew that
She opened
his front door to find him stretched out on the couch and reading a book. He offered her a warm smile as he sat up,
closed the book, and removed his glasses.
“How did it
go?”
She sat
down beside of him and kicked her shoes off.
“Slow night. I think the vamps
are laying low since we stopped the Risenbridt.” She leaned against him, sighing softly as he
wrapped his arm around her. “What were
you reading?”
“The Rituals of Ancient Jashara.”
She
snuggled closer to him. “Fun.”
He chuckled
and allowed his hand to roam up and down her arm. “I’m relieved that patrol went well,
however...that isn’t exactly what I was referring to.”
She tilted
her head up to look at him. “Huh?”
He smiled,
his other hand coming up to brush an errant strand of hair away from her
face. “When I asked you how it
went. I was referring to
“Oh.” She sat back up and returned his smile. “She’s happy for us. But, if you hurt me or turn evil...you have
to deal with her.”
He laughed
as he leaned in for a kiss. “I have no
plans to hurt you in any fashion. And...even fewer plans for turning evil.”
She sighed
as their lips met in a brief but loving kiss.
“Then you’re safe.” Her fingers
traced the small cut on his forehead that he received in the previous night’s
fight. “We’re having dinner tomorrow
night with Will, Oz, Xander, and Anya.”
He sighed
softly as she leaned forward and placed a tender kiss next the cut. “Fun.”
Her hand
trailed to his chest, pausing as he inhaled sharply. “How is it?”
His eyes
began to darken as she shifted her body and straddled his lap. “I could probably use some pain relief...”
She began
to unbutton his shirt, smiling as she felt his immediate reaction. She bent down, running her tongue across his
chest and grinning at his gasp when she flicked her tongue over his nipple. His hands slid under her top and up her back,
pulling the light silk up with them. She
reluctantly paused her assault on his chest as she
leaned back and allowed him to pull her top off and toss it to the floor.
His hands
moved to her torso, his thumbs rubbing gently against the front of her
ribcage.
“So beautiful.”
She bit
back a moan as her mind registered the tone of his voice. He leaned forward, pressing soft kisses onto
her chest as his hands slid behind her and unclasped her bra. A second moan escaped her lips as he dropped
the bra to the floor and pulled her nipple into his mouth, gently suckling the
hardening nub.
Her fingers
gripped the material of his shirt, pushing the offending garment off his
shoulders. He moved his mouth to her
other nipple and leaned forward, assisting her with the removal of his
shirt.
Before she
knew what was happening, he shifted sideways on the couch and dropped her body
onto the soft cushions. He leaned over
her, nipping lightly at her ribs as his hands quickly unfastened her pants and
pushed them down, along with the silk underwear she had been wearing. He lifted his head as he dropped the clothing
on top of the small pile of clothes on the floor, sighing heavily as he gazed
at her nude body.
He licked
his lips as he took her hand and pulled her to a sitting position as he knelt
on the floor in front of her. She
shuddered lightly as he bent his head, sliding his tongue along her thigh. He looked up at her and gently pushed her
thighs apart.
Her
trembling hand ran through his hair as he kissed his way up her inner
thigh. He groaned huskily, smelling her
arousal. His fingers parted her lips as
he turned his head slightly, nipping the sensitive flesh of her inner thigh as
she placed her legs over his shoulders.
He heard
her whisper his name and smiled, turning his head back to its destination and
allowing his tongue to flick her clitoris.
She said his name again, this time a bit louder, and he pulled the
hardened nub into his mouth, sucking hungrily on it.
Her fingers
tightened in his hair, effectively pushing his mouth over her hot core. She groaned loudly as she felt him slide two
fingers into her. He began a steady
rhythm with his fingers as he continued to suck and lap at her clitoris.
He felt her
walls tighten around his fingers and he promptly stopped, causing her to cry
out in frustration. He lifted his head
and smiled, his green eyes sparkling.
“I’m not
stopping, Buffy. I just want my tongue
inside of you when you come.”
Her nails
lightly scratched at his scalp as he quickly slid his tongue inside. His tongue began to thrust inside of her, his
fingers gently rolling her clitoris. She
felt his groan against her sensitive flesh as she came suddenly and quite
loudly, flooding his mouth with her juices.
He felt her
leg move on his shoulder, and then heard the distinct sound of his coffee table
sliding across the room. He lifted his
head to find her lust-glazed eyes gazing into his. Her legs slid from his shoulders and she moved
forward. With one hand on his right
shoulder, she gently pushed him back until he was lying on the floor.
She moved
over him, kissing him desperately as her hands worked on getting him out of his
pants. Surprisingly, she found the taste
of herself in his mouth extremely erotic.
Pulling his pants off, she tossed them to the side. He watched as her hand encircled his engorged
flesh, her head bending down and flicking her tongue against the tip.
She looked
up, their eyes meeting as she allowed her mouth to slide down the length of his
hardened shaft. He groaned and
involuntarily bucked his hips as her tongue caressed his flesh.
She placed
her hands on his hips, holding him down as she began to slide her mouth up and
down his length. She felt him grow
harder and thicker as she tilted her head slightly, giving him the needed room
to slip into her throat. His fingers
clutched at the rug he was laying on as she increased her suction. It was his turn to moan in frustration when
she let him slip from her lips.
“What do
you want, Giles?” Her voice was
lust-laden, though unbelievably calm.
“I...uh...oh,
I...” He bit his lip, causing a smile to
form on her lips.
“Tell
me...” She coaxed him gently. Her hand tightened on his shaft, slowly
moving up and down the length.
“Oh,
God...Buffy...I...” His eyes closed, the
sensation becoming too much.
She placed
a tender kiss on the head of his erection, before speaking softly.
“Do you
want to come in my mouth?”
His eyes snapped
open, instantly finding her gaze.
“Buffy...”
She grinned
at him, her thumb rubbing across the sensitive glans. “Do you?”
“I...oh,
God, yes...”
Another
loud groan escaped him as she quickly engulfed him once more. She moved her mouth up,
sucking on the glans as her hand tightly pumped the shaft.
“Close...”
She sucked
him even harder and felt him expand in her mouth. She felt his body shudder underneath
her. Her name fell from his lips on a
moan of ecstasy as he exploded into her mouth. She drank from him greedily, her tongue
caressing him until his trembling fingers in her hair told her that he couldn’t
handle anymore.
She moved
up his body, plunging her tongue into his mouth. Their tastes mingled with one another as they
kissed passionately. His body was still
quivering when the kiss ended and she looked down at him with a smile.
“I...wasn’t...wasn’t
quite expecting...that...” The words
came out between gasps.
She lay
down beside of him, sighing happily as he pulled her into his arms. “Surprised?”
He chuckled
and placed a kiss on her temple. “Very.”
Her fingers
were playing with the soft hair on his chest when she looked at his face after
a few moments of silence. She could
sense a question, but couldn’t read it. She
kissed his shoulder, prompting him to turn his questioning eyes to her.
She lifted
her finger from his chest and touched his temple. “What’s going on in there?”
He smiled
sheepishly. “I’m afraid to ask. And to be quite honest, I’m not even sure that
I should.”
Her finger
lightly traced across his face. “You can
ask me anything.”
He took a
deep breath and bit his lip nervously, an action that made her smile. “I, uh...where did you...well, uh...”
Her smile
widened when she realized what he was trying to ask. “
He breathed
a sigh of relief. “Oh...good, yes...”
She laughed
lightly. “You know, I could ask you the
same thing. With fewer ‘uh’s, of
course.”
His face
reddened as he pulled her closer. “You
could, this is true. However, I am quite
a few years older than you.”
“There’s
definitely something to be said about seeing an older, more experienced man.”
The redness
in his face darkened as he cleared his throat.
“Yes, well...” He pushed himself
up, much to her dismay. “Um, dinner
tomorrow night, you said earlier?”
She sat up,
grabbing his discarded shirt and slipping it on. “Nice segue...”
He pulled
his boxers on and sat on the sofa, smiling at the image of her in his
shirt. “As much as the thought of having
dinner with them is terrifying, the path that our conversation was taking was
even more so.”
She grinned
brightly as she pushed herself up from the floor and stretched her back. “Yes, dinner with the guys
tomorrow. Are you okay with
that?”
He shrugged
his shoulders lightly as she plopped down beside of him. “I’m...fairly nervous about it.”
She laid
her hand on his thigh. “I know. But, seriously they’re happy for us. Xander was a little confused at first and
Anya was...well, Anya.”
He grimaced
as a thought entered his head. “Yes, I
can only imagine what Anya had to say about the situation.”
“She got
out ‘hot monkey sex’ before Xander was able to stop her.” The amusement clearly shone in her eyes as
Giles stared at her before dropping his head in embarrassment. “But, really...all they care about is our
happiness.”
When he
didn’t look back up, her smile faded a little.
“You...are happy, aren’t you?”
Hearing the
sudden sadness in her voice, he quickly met her eyes. “I’m very happy, Buffy.” He smiled lovingly and placed his hand over
hers. “I don’t believe you shall ever
know the depth of my happiness at this very moment.”
She snorted
softly. “You’re so British sometimes.”
His
expression changed to one of mock-annoyance.
“I’m so British all of the time.
I am British.”
“Didn’t sound so British earlier.”
He tilted
his head at the sound of her slight amusement and waited for her to continue.
She rolled
her eyes and exhaled deeply. “You know,
mister ‘I want my tongue inside...’”
He cut her
off quickly with a kiss. They kissed
with the need shared by two new lovers, pulling apart only when they finally
needed to breathe.
“Can you
stay tonight?” His eyes were full of
hope as he waited for her reply.
“I
can. Do you want me to?”
He ran his
hand through her hair, curling a strand around his finger. “I very much do.”
She leaned
forward touching her lips to his briefly.
“Can we have hot monkey sex?”
He
shuddered. “You have no idea how glad I
am that I wasn’t there.”
“But,
you’re so cute when you’re all red and stammering.”
He chuckled
deeply as he pulled her into his arms.
His eyes shifted towards the diary in the bookshelf. “Was there anything I needed to record about
your patrol tonight?”
He felt her
smile against his chest. “You’ll always
be my Watcher, won’t you?”
She was
putting on the last touches of her makeup when she heard him swear softly. She smiled as she glanced into the bedroom to
find him pacing back and forth.
“You okay
in there?”
Out of her
line of vision, he stopped pacing and looked towards the bathroom. “What?
Oh, yes...yes, I’m okay. This
blasted tie, on the other hand...” He
sighed heavily and sat down on the bed.
“I’ve tied my own ties for well over twenty years.”
“So, what
would be the problem then?” She closed
the mascara and dropped it into her makeup bag as she picked up a lipstick and
studied the shade.
“New ties
annoy me, that would be the problem.”
She laughed
softly. “So, wear an older one...”
“No...” He stood up and began pacing again, resuming
his attempt of tying the material properly around his neck. “I bought this one especially for...” He paused for a moment and then smiled as the
knot slid nicely up to his neck. “There
we go.”
Buffy
stepped into the bedroom. “Especially
for...” Her voice trailed off as her
eyes took in his appearance.
“Hm?” He turned his eyes towards her, realizing she
hadn’t finished what she was saying. His
mouth dropped open slightly, his eyes sparkling as they gazed at her body. “You look beautiful.”
She blushed
lightly and made her way to him. Leaning
up on her tiptoes, she placed a gentle kiss on his lips. “You look quite handsome yourself.” Her fingers played with the material of his
tie. “Nice tie, too. It brings out the green of your eyes.”
“I...I
thought you might like it. That’s why I
bought it. I assumed that you would want
me out of tweed for dinner.” He closed
his eyes, not believing he had actually said that. “I mean...I wanted to wear this suit, but all
of my ties seem to go better with tweed...and...I thought you might like the
color.”
“Good
choice.” She eyed him appreciatively,
her hand lingering on his chest. With a
heavy sigh, she looked up at him. “Are
you ready to go?”
“As ready
as I’m going to be, I suppose.” He
picked up his suit jacket and slipped it on.
She offered
him a reassuring smile and led him down the stairs.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“They’re
late.” Anya sat back in chair. “I hate it when people are late.”
“An,
honey...”
She quickly
interrupted her boyfriend. “I’m always
on time. People should be on time. That’s why there is a time!”
Anya
crossed her arms and grunted. “But,
Giles is.”
Xander
sighed and pulled her hand into his.
“It’s a big night for them, Anya.
I’m sure they’ll be here soon.”
Anya rolled
her eyes. “They’re probably having hot
monkey sex again and that’s why they’re late.
That’s why you wouldn’t have sex with me before...”
“Anya!” Xander looked mortified, but wasn’t sure why
he should be surprised at anything coming out of his girlfriend’s mouth
anymore. “We talked about this. No mentioning of monkeys or sex in the same
sentence in front of Buffy and Giles.”
She tilted
her head thoughtfully. “What about
mice?”
Everyone
stared at her in confusion.
“What? Mice have sex all the time.”
Xander
leaned over, whispering quietly in Anya’s ear.
“No monkeys, no mice, no sex.
I’ll make it up to you later, okay?”
Anya’s grin
grew as she sat up straight. “Okay.”
Giles
cleared his throat as they approached the table. It felt like all of them were staring at
him...probably because they were. He
swallowed nervously and pulled the chair out for Buffy.
“Oh, that’s
so sweet. You really are a gentleman,
Giles.”
His face
flushed as he took his seat next to Buffy.
“Good evening. I hope that we
haven’t kept you waiting for very long.”
“Actually...” Anya began before Xander nudged her with his
elbow. “We, uh...we just got here.”
Giles
looked at the four of them, trying to relax.
He found that he had the hardest time looking at
“So...” Xander began, but then found he didn’t know
what else to say.
Buffy
laughed lightly. “Look guys, this
doesn’t have to be as awkward as we’re all making it.”
Oz
smirked. “Not all of us.” He held Giles’ eyes for a moment before
speaking again. “Congratulations,
Giles.”
Giles felt
the sincerity in the boy’s words, he also felt Buffy’s
hand give his knee a reassuring squeeze.
He smiled, relaxing slightly.
“Thank you, Oz. I do appreciate
that.”
Oz merely
nodded before looking back down at the menu.
“The chicken sounds good.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Giles had
just put a forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth when Anya piped up.
“So, Buffy,
what does your mother think?”
Giles
promptly choked on the potato, gasping for breath as he reached for his glass
of water. Buffy gently thumped him on
the back and as they looked at each other, they paled.
Watching
their reaction, Anya shook her head.
“I’m guessing you haven’t told her the wonderful news.”
“I,
uh...we...well, we...” He took another
sip of water.
Anya waved
her hand in the air nonchalantly. “I’m
sure she’ll be fine. She probably
doesn’t even think about having sex with you again.”
Water
spluttered out of Giles’ mouth and onto the tablecloth in front of him.
“Anya!” Four voices spoke her name in unison, in
identical tones of bewilderment.
“What?” She looked at the group, confused.
Giles
cleared his throat and dabbed the linen napkin at his mouth. “I...I’m rather sure that Buffy’s mother no
longer thinks about it.”
Anya smiled
brightly. “See?” She glanced at the other members of the
dinner party. “Besides, she’d be too
busy thinking about you having sex with her daughter to worry...”
“Anya!” Their voices were louder this time.
Xander
grabbed her by the arm and pulled her from the table. He glanced at his friends and smiled
weakly. “You’ll excuse us for a minute?”
Giles’ eyes
were wide as he nodded. “Of...of course.”
Buffy’s
hand rested on Giles’ thigh in an attempt to soothe him. Oz bit his lip, deep in thought.
Giles
nodded numbly as he stared at the table.
“That’s the wonderment of Anya.
Her social innocence versus tact...”
He looked up and smiled gently.
“Though, she does give one something to think about.”
“We’ll
figure it out, Giles. It’ll be weird,
but...we’ll figure something out.”
He nodded
at her as he inhaled deeply. He looked
across the table as Anya and Xander sat back down. Xander’s face was slightly
red and Anya looked even more confused than she did a few minutes earlier.
She huffed
softly and met Giles’ eyes. “I’m sorry
if I caused you any discomfort. It
wasn’t my intention.”
Giles
smiled warmly at her. “It’s quite
alright. Through your tactlessness, you
did make a valid point.”
She nudged
Xander in the ribs. “See? I made a point.”
Xander
nodded, chewing on a piece of steak.
“You normally do. It’s your
presentation that leaves much to be desired.”
Giles
pushed his chair back and stood. He
looked down at Buffy, aching to touch her.
“I, uh...I’ll be right back.”
Buffy
sighed heavily as she watched him walk towards the restroom. She was lost in thought when Anya’s voice
caught her attention.
“Do you
look at me like that when I walk away?”
Xander
chuckled softly. “More
or less.”
Buffy
snapped her eyes back to her friends to find them smiling brightly at her, and
felt herself flush under their scrutiny.
“What?”
Buffy
smiled back at them. “Look, before he
comes back...I just want to thank you all.
He was so worried that you would think differently about him...”
“Oh, I
do.” Anya stated as she swallowed a
mouthful of salmon. She looked up,
finding everyone staring at her. “But,
not in a bad way.”
Xander
shrugged his shoulders. “She’s a work in
progress, Will.”
Anya smiled
at Buffy. “I’m really happy for you Buffy. Both of you.”
Buffy
smiled back at her, opening her mouth to thank her. She shut it as Anya continued.
“It’s nice
to find someone who is more than an orgasm friend. And it’s obvious that he is.”
Giles
placed his hand on Buffy’s shoulder briefly as he pulled his chair out and
began to sit down. “Obvious
that I am what?”
“More than an orgasm friend.”
Giles
stopped in mid motion and stared at her over the top of his glasses. He finally sat down and took a deep
breath.
“Does this
mean that we have to knock before we walk into your apartment now?”
Giles
tilted his head slightly. “Why would you
start now?”
Buffy
chuckled and reached up to pick a piece of lint off of his lapel.
“Well, what
if we just walk in like we normally do and there you two are, having sex or
something?”
“Anya!”
She slumped
back in her chair and frowned. “Jeez, it
was just a question.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Giles
loosened his tie as he walked into the kitchen and put the kettle on. He smiled when he felt her walk up behind him
and slip her arms around his torso.
“Was it as
bad as you imagined?”
“I have to
admit that it wasn’t.” He turned in her
arms and pushed the hair back from her face.
“A few interesting moments, but when isn’t there when Anya is around?”
She leaned
forward, placing her head on his chest. “Giles?”
“Hm?” He kissed the top of her head as he held her
tighter against him.
“How am I
supposed to tell Mom?”
He rubbed
her back gently. “We’ll tell her
together.”
“And that
won’t be at all awkward, will it?” She
smiled as he chuckled softly. “Do you
ever think about it?” She pulled back
slightly to look up at him. “You know, the band candy stuff?”
“Not in the
way you’re asking. I was more ashamed
than anything else. I still am to a
degree.” He paused in thought. “Do you?
Think about it, that is?”
“No. I mean it seriously freaked me out when I
found out about it. Especially when she
called you a stevedore, which I had to look up because
she wouldn’t tell me what it was. Come
to think of it, neither would you. And,
by the way, she was right...you totally are.”
She smiled as his face reddened.
“But, I know it was the spell. If
you didn’t like chocolate, you wouldn’t have eaten it, and you wouldn’t have
had sex with my mother.”
“It took me
months before I’d eat chocolate again.”
Buffy
laughed. “I don’t think Mom has eaten it
at all since then.” Her face turned
serious. “I just hope she understands. It would probably be a bit easier if she
didn’t know what you’re like in bed.”
“She
doesn’t.”
Buffy
narrowed her eyes slightly and then it hit her.
“Oh. That’s right,
it was on the hood of a police car.” Her
thoughts turned some more. “She really
has no idea, does she? I mean...she
wasn’t with you, she was with Ripper.”
He nodded
slowly. “Which could
make it even more difficult for her to understand.”
Buffy
sighed softly. Recognizing sadness in
the sound, Giles tilted his head.
“What’s wrong?”
She
shrugged her shoulders and then let them slump.
“She’ll be home tomorrow.”
His hand
cupped her cheek, his fingers caressing her skin. “Then we make the most of tonight.”
Her heart
raced as he leaned down and kissed her, putting all of the passion he had into
it. Her knees buckled underneath
her. He quickly picked her up, took a
step forward, and sat her on the counter top.
He moved in between her thighs, groaning into her mouth as his quickly
hardening manhood pressed against her warm core.
She slid
forward, wrapping her legs around him and pulling him tighter against her
body. Her fingers pulled the tie from
around his neck before moving to the buttons on his shirt. He pushed her back gently with his body,
sensually rocking his hips into her. She
whimpered lightly when he pulled her blouse off and nipped at her breast.
She reached
down and fumbled with his belt. He held
his hips still long enough for her to unbuckle it and unfasten his
trousers. His lips moved to her neck,
his teeth gently nipping the sensitive skin before whispering into her ear.
“Oh,
God...Buffy, I want you.”
She looked
into his eyes as she began unfastening her own slacks. “I want you just as much.”
Just as he
began tugging her pants down, the kettle began to whistle. He growled in frustration, much to Buffy’s
delight.
“Tea?” She asked softly.
His eyes
were dark with desire when he looked at her and gruffly shook his head. “Bed.”
He reached
behind him and turned off the stove before picking her up. She grinned and bent her head to nibble on
his earlobe.
“Are you
carrying me to bed?”
There was a
deep rumble in his chest when she sucked the lobe into her mouth. “I am indeed.”
The next
thing she knew he had dropped her onto the bed, covering her body with
his. Her hands slid down his sides until
they reached the waistband of his open trousers. He lifted his hips slightly, allowing her to
push them down.
When she
had gotten them down as far as she possibly could, he lifted himself off of her
intending to rid them both of their remaining clothes. His mission quickly accomplished, he gently
pushed her to the centre of the bed.
As he moved
over her, she smiled. “I love you so
much, Giles.”
He settled
between her thighs, leaning down to claim her mouth once more. “I love you too, Buffy.”
He read her
eyes as he slowly entered her. He
grinned at what he saw in those hazel irises and slid his hands underneath her,
lifting her hips up. She wrapped her
legs around him, locking her ankles together on his lower back.
He began
thrusting slowly, but it wasn’t long before she was screaming for him to take
her harder and faster. His fingers
kneaded her firm cheeks as he complied.
He wanted
to slow down, to take his time, to make it last as long as humanly
possible. But his desire to give her
everything she wanted, and however she wanted it, was far too strong. Her nails raked down his chest as she bucked
her hips against him, matching him thrust for thrust. She could feel him expand inside of her and knew
he was close.
Without
warning, her orgasm suddenly crashed over her.
Their names fell from each other’s lips as they came violently together.
His
sweat-slick body collapsed next to hers.
He pulled her into his embrace as they both fought to catch their
breath.
“Probably...shouldn’t
tell Mom...about that...huh?”
He grunted
a laugh, his trembling hands stroking her back.
“I doubt it...would be very...prudent.”
She laid
her head on his chest as he rolled onto his back, content to just lie there and
listen to his heart. “It’ll be okay,
won’t it?”
He placed a
kiss on top of her head and inhaled deeply.
“Maybe not at first, but eventually, yes.”
“It’s only
been a few days, but how am I supposed to sleep without you beside of me?”
He chuckled
softly, enjoying the feel of her skin against his. “You’ll probably actually get more sleep.”
They
remained quiet for a few moments and then she realized that he had fallen into
deep thought. She lifted her head and
looked at him, her silent question burning in her eyes.
“You do
realize that this...us...it’s more than sex to me. I know that my actions over the past few days
haven’t necessarily corresponded with that statement, but...”
She gave
him a reassuring smile as she nodded.
“I am going
to miss you lying next to me. Being able to hold you, to touch you.” He sighed heavily, his eyes misting
lightly. “We should probably talk to
your mother sooner rather than later.”
“I’m...kinda
scared about it.”
He nodded
in agreement. “You think you’re scared?”
“But...we’ll
be together, right?”
He smiled
lovingly at her. “Yes, we will.”
“Are you
busy Friday night?”
The week
was hard on both of them. A few moments here and there, after patrol before she headed home. His heart felt as though it would shatter
that first night when he watched her walk out of his apartment. It didn’t help that it took her four attempts
before she was successfully able to go home.
Each time she walked out, she’d turn right back around and fall into his
arms.
The late nights/early
mornings were equally hard for them. He
found that he’d toss and turn, growing more frustrated as sleep refused to
come. She found herself lying on her bed
and staring at the ceiling. Hoping that
she wouldn’t wake him, she picked up the phone.
He answered on the first ring, knowing in his heart who
would be on the other end of the line.
“Hello?”
“I miss
you.”
He smiled
at the sound of her voice. “I miss you
too.”
“I didn’t
wake you, did I? I know it’s late...or
early, depending on how you look at it.”
His light
chuckle brought a smile to her face.
“No, I’m wide awake. I find that
I’m having a horrible time getting comfortable without someone here to steal
the blankets.”
“I so don’t
steal blankets!”
They
laughed together for a few seconds. As
they quietened down, his voice took on a concerned tone.
“Are you
alright?”
She shook
her head as she wiped a tear from her eye.
“Buffy? Shaking your head isn’t speaking. I can’t see you, so you have to talk.”
She laughed
softly. “Then how did you know I shook
my head?”
“Because I know you.” He paused until he felt her
smile. “Talk to me.”
She
sniffled. “I love you so much.”
“Is this
why you’re crying?”
She wiped
the back of her hand across her eyes. “No,
the loving part is wonderful. It’s the
missing part that’s killing me.”
He wanted
nothing more than to tell her he’d be right over, but doubted that Joyce would
take too kindly to that...unless there was an emergency of the Hellmouth
variety. He shook his head as he
dismissed the thought.
Instead, he
replied quietly. “I know what you
mean.” He forced a semi-cheery tone into
his voice. “Would you care to come over
for some training in the morning? You
can take out your frustrations by pummelling me.”
That
coerced a small laugh out of her. “I
could use a good workout.” She glanced
at the clock. “It’s after 3, I
should...I should let you get some sleep.”
“You should
sleep as well, my dear. Thank you for
calling, it has helped quite tremendously.”
“I love
you, Giles.”
“I love you
too. Sleep well.”
It took
them ages to disconnect the line. But
when they finally did, they were both able to finally rest.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Hearing the
doorbell ring, she sprinted to the door.
“I’ve got it, Mom!”
She swung
the door open and grinned. “Hi there.”
He smiled
back at her, his eyes darting inside.
“Hello.”
She stepped
closer to him and whispered. “Mom’s
finishing up dinner if you want a quick kiss.”
He bent his
head and touched his lips to hers. “I
love you.”
She grinned
up at him and then took a step back, allowing him to enter. She turned her head towards the kitchen, Giles winced before she even opened her mouth.
“Mom! Giles is here!”
“Must you
yell?” He asked with a smile on his
face.
Joyce
walked into the living room with her hands on her hips. “You don’t have to yell, Buffy.” She looked at Giles and smiled warmly. “Hello, Rupert. It’s nice to see you again.”
Giles
swallowed, suddenly nervous knowing that she wouldn’t be thinking that in a
little while. “Thank you, Joyce. It’s nice to see you, too.”
“Dinner
will be ready in a couple of minutes, would you like a drink?”
“Ah,
yes. That would be lovely.”
Buffy
motioned her mother away. “I’ll get it
Mom.” She rolled her eyes as Joyce gave
her the ‘are you sure?’ look. “I’m
perfectly capable of pouring a scotch for my...Watcher.”
Giles
noticed the hesitation and hoped like hell that Joyce hadn’t. She obviously missed it as she smiled,
uttered an ‘okay’, and made her way back to the kitchen. Giles exhaled softly and walked over to stand
beside of her.
“You look
beautiful.”
She snorted
and handed him his drink. “Yeah,
right...jeans and a t-shirt, very sexy.”
His fingers
lightly caressed hers as he took the glass from her. “I think so.”
She grinned
at him. “If Mom wasn’t in the next
room...”
He nodded,
understanding her perfectly. “I know.”
He took a
step back from her mere seconds before Joyce walked back into the room to
announce dinner was ready.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Joyce
dropped her fork onto her dessert plate, her eyes wide with shock. “What did you just say?”
Giles
cleared his throat and glanced at Buffy.
They had agreed to tell her mother tonight, but he hadn’t really
expected her to just blurt out ‘Giles and I are seeing each other’.
Buffy took
a deep breath. “I’m sorry Mom, I didn’t
mean for it to come out that way. But,
there just wasn’t a good way to tell you.”
Joyce’s
eyes darted between her daughter and the Watcher. “You...you’re...” She shook her head in confusion. “You’re dating? Is that what you’re telling me?”
Buffy
looked at Giles and smiled softly.
“That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”
Joyce
turned her stare onto Giles. “Are you
drugging her again?”
“MOM!”
Giles
glanced at Buffy, silently requesting her to calm down. “Joyce, I assure you that is not the case.”
“A spell?” The rage was beginning to show in her
eyes. “Cursed chocolate?”
Giles
blushed lightly at the mention of chocolate and diverted his eyes from the
woman. He licked his lips nervously and
slowly shifted his eyes back to her.
“No. There is nothing mystical here, Joyce. I know this is hard to...”
“Hard? You know? She’s only twenty years old! And you’re...”
“Over 200
years younger than my last boyfriend.” Buffy
interjected quickly.
Joyce
snapped her eyes to her daughter. “That
was very different, Buffy.”
“Yeah, he
was a vampire. Giles is human.”
Joyce’s
fingers clenched and then released. “You
know exactly what I mean.”
Buffy
inhaled deeply, willing herself to calm down.
When she spoke again, her voice was softer in hopes of diffusing the
situation as best she could.
“Mom, we
love each other. I know you don’t
understand it, and I know you’re very angry, but...we’re in love.”
Joyce
returned her glare to Giles. “Are you
having sex with my daughter?”
“I...uh...we,
well...I...” Giles stammered, his face
turning red.
“Oh my God.” Joyce whispered. Her gaze dropped to the table, refusing to
look at him again.
“Mom...”
“I think
you should leave now, Rupert.” Joyce’s
voice was calm. Eerily calm.
“Joyce, I’m
sorry for any distress...”
“Please
leave, Rupert.” She looked up at her
daughter. “Buffy and I need to talk.”
Giles
pushed his chair back and stood. He
looked at Buffy, his heart breaking at the tears in her eyes. He mouthed the words ‘I love you’ to her,
turned, and walked to the door without another word.
“Mom, I
can’t let him go.” The tears were
beginning to roll down her cheeks.
“This isn’t
happening.” Joyce spoke the words mainly
to herself and stood, making her way to the window.
Buffy
jumped out of her chair when she heard the front door close. She ran to it, swinging it open, and running
towards his car. “Giles!”
He stopped
and turned in time to catch her as she threw herself into his arms. She sobbed as he held her in his tight
embrace. She lifted her head and
captured his lips in a smouldering kiss.
He began to return the kiss quickly, not caring that they were standing
outside under a streetlamp.
His heart
ached as he ended the kiss and pulled back to look at her face. “I’m not leaving you, Buffy.”
She gazed
up at him, trying to catch her breath as he reached up and gently wiped away
her tears. “Promise?”
He smiled
affectionately at her and allowed his fingers to run through her hair. “I spent four years on the outside, waiting
for you to...well, for you to grow up. I
refuse to give up now.”
He bent his
head and kissed her tenderly. Pulling
her into a hug, he whispered softly. “Go
speak with your mother now.”
She nodded
and gently eased out of his arms.
Neither of
them noticed her mother standing in the window, her arms wrapped around herself
as she watched the two under the light.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Two and a
half hours later there was a knock on his front door. He glanced up curiously as he closed the book
he had been unsuccessfully attempting to read.
He cautiously approached the door as another knock sounded.
He took a
deep breath and opened the door, somewhat surprised when he saw his
visitor. “Hello, Joyce.”
He took a
step back, silently inviting her in. She
stepped through the door and noticed him glance outside. “She went on patrol after we talked.”
He gave her
a nod and closed the door behind them. “Would
you…would you care for a cup of tea?”
She shook
her head softly. “No thank you,
Rupert. I just came over to talk.”
He
swallowed nervously and gestured towards the couch. He winced lightly as she sat down when he
remembered certain events that had taken place on those cushions with this
woman’s daughter. He sat down on a
chair, and while the chair was actually quite comfortable, he was anything but.
They sat in
silence for a few minutes, each waiting for the other to begin. Joyce sighed heavily and broke the silence.
“Buffy and
I had a talk. Well, it turned into a
screaming match for a while.” She paused
as she collected her thoughts. “I have
to know something, Rupert. Are…Are you
playing a game with her?”
“I assure
you, this is no game to me, Joyce.”
“Because, she’s definitely in love with you.
And, if you’re using her for your own needs or wants…it’s going to break
her heart. I am definitely not okay with this.
Do not misinterpret me. I am not
giving you my blessing right now. If you
intend to continue seeing my daughter, that’s something you’re going to have to
earn.” Her jaw clenched and then
released.
Giles
cleared his throat softly. “I am indeed
very much in love with Buffy. I am most
certainly not using her in any way. And I very much intend to keep seeing
her. I do understand your reservations
about our relationship, and I sincerely hope that one day you shall see that I
am being honest.”
“You two
have always spent so much time together.”
“Buffy is
the Slayer, I am her Watcher. Until
recently, that was the basis of our time spent together. Training, patrolling,
educating…”
“But you’ve
been in love with her for some time, according to her.”
He nodded
slowly, wanting to look away. “But my
emotions weren’t acted upon.”
“Is this
something that normally happens?” She
watched him as he tilted his head slightly.
“Watchers, Slayers, relationships?”
“Oh.” He seemed lost in thought for a moment, as if
he were deciding the best route to take.
Finally, he shrugged his shoulders and sighed. “Traditionally, Watchers were to take over
the care of their Slayer. They alone, as
well as the Council, knew the secret.
Slayers had no friends, no familial network. It was just she and her Watcher. A few times in history, it has happened that
the Watcher and Slayer turned to one another for comfort because there was no
one else.”
He took a
deep breath and looked into Joyce’s eyes.
“Buffy is a unique exception to that rule. Her friends, her family, you…give her the
fuel to feed her strength. I had no
intentions of pulling her away from that.
If I had, it would serve no one.
And chances are, she would most likely have already been defeated and
another would have taken her place.”
“This isn’t
some power trip thing? Something inside
of you that thinks it deserves it, so it takes it?”
“Positively not.” He stared into her eyes until
she looked away.
“How far are you wanting this to go?”
She looked back at him, her eyes boring into him.
“I…” His back stiffened and he sat straight up,
eyes snapping towards the door.
Joyce
narrowed her eyes in confusion.
“Rupert?”
“Buffy.” He jumped up and ran to the door, swinging it
open just in time for her to run through and into his arms. He held her tight, feeling her rapid
heartbeat against his chest. “What
happened? Are you alright?”
“Big demony thing. Greeny-blue,
big curly horns…and fast.” She
kicked the door closed and looked up at him, smiling gently. “But, I’m faster.”
He returned
her smile and then stepped back. “I’ll
get tea started and then we’ll…”
“Consult
your books.” She finished for him. She saw a movement out of the corner of her
eye and turned her head. “Mom?”
Joyce’s
eyes were full of concern for her daughter.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Buffy
nodded slowly. “What are you doing
here?”
Joyce
turned towards Giles who had just put the kettle on and was heading to the
bookshelf. “Wouldn’t she be safer if you
patrolled with her? I mean, if you love
her as much as you say you do…”
He pulled a
book from the shelf and looked into Joyce’s eyes. “That is precisely why I don’t patrol with
her.”
“What?” Joyce’s voice was full of confusion.
“Buffy is
much safer without me there. If she were
to lose her concentration by worrying about what’s happening to me…” He sat heavily onto the chair. “Well, I can’t bring myself to put her into
jeopardy. As much as I want to go with
her, to protect her from…” He glanced at
Buffy, a smile in his eyes. “…big
greeny-blue demony things with big curly horns…my presence could quite possibly
be detrimental to the task.”
Buffy took
the book from his hands as the tea kettle whistled and he stood. “In other words, if he goes with me, I might
get killed because I’m paying more attention to him than what I’m doing.”
His face
paled when she mentioned the word ‘killed’.
Joyce couldn’t help but notice his reaction. He shook his head slightly to shake the
image out of his head.
“Yes,
well. Joyce, would you care for tea
now?”
Joyce
glanced at Buffy, who had flipped open the book in search of the demon she had
encountered. She nodded, looking back to
him and offering him an understanding smile.
“Yes, thank
you, Rupert.”
He turned
and made his way into the kitchen, efficiently preparing three cups of
tea. He had just returned the milk to
the refrigerator when Buffy called out.
“I found
him!”
“What’s it
called?” He walked into the room and
placed the tray on the coffee table.
Buffy’s
brow furrowed. “Can I buy a vowel?”
Giles
chuckled as he handed a cup to Joyce and then turned his attention to the
picture that Buffy was pointing at. “Hm. Interesting.”
“God, I
hate it when you say that.” She looked
at her mother, who was watching their interaction quite closely. “Normally when he says that,
the world is going to end…again.”
Giles
pursed his lips in mock-annoyance and raised his eyes to Buffy’s. “Not this time. Vrindskh’m.”
“What?” Joyce leaned forward.
Giles
looked at her and removed his glasses.
“Vrindskh’m. It’s the demon that
Buffy encountered. Very
unusual for one to be in this dimension.
It’s rather quite interesting.”
Hearing the
smile in his voice, Buffy rolled her eyes and muttered. “Such a geek sometimes.”
She
continued reading the description of the demon.
“Hey…”
“Hm?” Giles turned his attention back to his
Slayer.
“This
Vrin…uh…vrin…”
“Vrindskh’m.” Giles helped her softly.
“Yeah…it
says that Vinny has never been known to attack humans. Or anything else.” She looked up at Giles. “So, why did it chase me?”
Giles
smiled and gently rested his hand on her shoulder. “Keep reading.”
“Once every
fourscore, Vrin…Vinny makes his way unto Earth through an interdimensional
portal for one sole purpose. The
atmospheric pressures of the F’raja Dimension are too great for successful
procreation. After a period of thirteen
shiktas, the Vinny returns to F’raja through the same portal, taking with it no
less than 500 Vinny-mites.” She looked
up as Giles chuckled. “What? It’s that word with ‘mites’ added to it.”
To her own
surprise, Joyce found herself smiling at the interaction between the two.
“In
actuality, the Vrindskh’m more than likely wasn’t chasing you to harm you. It was protecting the Vrindskh’mites.” Without thinking, he raised his hand and
allowed his fingers to brush a stray lock of hair away from her forehead. “Think about it as a bear protecting her
cubs.”
Her face
flushed lightly as she looked into his eyes.
Suddenly remembering that her mother was still sitting on the couch and
watching them, she looked back down. “So
how long is a shikta?”
Giles
cleared his throat, realizing why she had broken their contact. “Thirteen shiktas is the equivalent of two
months and three days.”
“So, nothing to worry about.”
He smiled
at her, fighting the urge to lean down and kiss her. “Nothing at all.”
At the
sound of the door latch clicking into place, they both looked up to find Joyce
gone. Buffy smiled when she heard the
sound of her mother’s Cherokee start up and drive away.
“I…I think
it’s going to be okay.” She said
quietly.
“Given time, yes. It will take your mother some
time to fully trust me with you, however.”
She placed
her hand on his chest, relishing the feel of his heart pounding under her
touch. “Show me that you love me?”
Giles gave
into his urge, leaning down and claiming her mouth passionately.
They were
lying on their backs, her head resting on his right arm. Their breathing was still erratic when she
spoke.
“Giles?”
“Hm?”
“Why was my
mother here?”
He opened
his eyes and turned his head towards her.
“She wanted to talk.”
“About what?”
He smiled
softly. “Us.”
She turned
her eyes towards him. He could clearly
see her frustration building. “Could you
be more evasive?”
He took a
deep breath, exhaling slowly. “She,
uh…she wanted to know if I was playing a game with you.”
She bolted
upright, anger replacing the frustration he had seen. “What?!”
He lifted
his hand and placed it on her back.
“Buffy…”
“How could
she do that? When I get home, I’m so…”
He shook
his head slowly. “Buffy, I would have
done the same thing.” He pushed himself
up and leaned back against the headboard.
“If you were my daughter, I would have done exactly what she did…if not
more. She loves you so very much. She just wants to protect you. Please don’t be angry with her.”
She was
quiet for a few moments. “What else did
she say?”
He shrugged
his shoulders lightly. “That I would have to earn her trust in our relationship. And that she couldn’t give us her blessing
right now. Again, it’s completely
understandable.”
Buffy then
smiled and leaned against him. She took
another deep breath. “Is it the age
difference, you think?”
He kissed
her temple softly. “I’m quite sure
that’s part of it. I’m equally sure that
it’s not the only issue.”
“What else
is there?” She looked at him, a myriad
of emotions flowing through her eyes.
“Wait. Is it because you and
her…”
He
interrupted her with a quick shake of his head.
“I honestly don’t think that is playing a part here.”
“Then…what?”
He tilted
his head, a thoughtful expression on his face.
“Well, I am somewhat of an authority figure for you. Quite possibly, she’s worried that I’m taking
advantage of that.”
“But…”
“We know
differently. Your mother needs it proven
to her. It’s quite a normal, and
expected, reaction for her to have.” He
gently eased their bodies back down to the mattress and wrapped his arms around
her. “And I shall do everything in my
power to prove my true intentions to her.”
She smiled
and kissed his lips softly. “And just
what exactly are your intentions?”
He inhaled
deeply and looked into her eyes. “To love you unconditionally. To protect you, with my very life if need
be. To make you laugh. To hold you when you cry. To…make you happy.” He licked his lips, a tear glistening in his
eye. “All of this, and most probably
more, for the rest of your life.”
A tear
rolled across the bridge of her nose and dropped onto the pillow under her
head. “That is undoubtedly the most
beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me.”
Her breath hitched as another tear followed. “You really are a romantic, aren’t you?”
He raised
his hand, his thumb gently brushing away her tears. “That I am.”
He glanced at the clock and sighed.
“I should take you home.”
“But I want
to stay here.” Her voice was soft,
tinged with sadness.
He
swallowed the lump forming in his throat.
“I want you to as well, but…” He
exhaled slowly. “I’m not sure Joyce
would appreciate it.”
She thought
about it for a few seconds, and then nodded her head sadly. “You’re probably right.”
They lay
there for a few more minutes and then slowly got up and dressed. She stopped him at the door and kissed him
passionately. When she withdrew, they
were both left breathless once again.
He tilted
his head, silently asking a question.
She grinned up at him as she handed him his car keys. “My intentions? The same as yours.”
He smiled
brightly as she opened the door.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
She laughed
softly, her fingers laced with his as they walked up the front steps to her
house. “You know, you didn’t have to
walk me to the door.”
He climbed
the stairs with her, coming to a stop underneath the porch light. He smiled adoringly at her. “A gentleman always sees his lady home
safely.” His fingers caressed the side
of her face as he leant down. “Especially in Sunnydale.”
Her hand
rested on his chest as she leant up, meeting him halfway. Their lips met and quickly parted for each
other. Her hand slid around his neck,
her fingers playing with the soft hair at the nape. He reluctantly pulled away from her, sighing
heavily as their kiss ended.
“I…I should
go home now.”
She pouted
at him, bringing a smile to his face.
His finger traced her lower lip. “It’s
not going to work this time, Buffy.” He
chuckled as she increased the intensity of her pout. “Training tomorrow afternoon?”
She sighed
and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be there.”
“Dinner before patrol?”
A smile
touched her lips. “Are you asking me for
a date?”
He laughed
softly. “Yes, I rather think I am.”
He bent his
head, capturing her lips quickly before easing away from her. He backed down the steps, his eyes not
breaking contact with hers. She leaned
her back against the door.
“So, where
are we going?”
His eyes
sparkled. “It’s a surprise. Does that mean you’ll have dinner with me?”
She nodded,
her smile growing. “What time?”
He gave her
a wink and reached into his pocket for his keys. “After training. Before patrol.” He busied his hands with his keys to keep
himself from running back to her. “Sleep
well, Buffy.”
She opened
her front door and stepped inside. She
watched him drive away before she closed the door and made her way up the
stairs to her room.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
He dropped
his hands in exasperation, staring at her.
“Buffy, this is training.”
She
narrowed her eyes in confusion. “Yeah,
and that’s what we’re doing…training.”
He pulled
the padded gloves off of his hands and threw them onto the table. “Is that what you call it? Because after an hour of
catching your punches and kicks, I shouldn’t be physically able to hold my arms
up.” Anger flashed in his green
eyes. “You’re holding back.”
She smiled
softly, hoping to diffuse his anger. “Maybe a little.”
Her
admission did nothing but anger him further.
“Damn it, Buffy! You can’t hold
back…at all. You need to be at the top
of your game, not somewhere in the middle because you’re afraid to hit
me.” He pulled off his chest protector
and angrily threw it in the general direction of the table. He glared at her. “You’ve never held back with me before. And…you can’t afford to start now.”
She allowed
her gaze to drop to the floor. “I’m
sorry, Giles.”
He felt his
anger begin to melt. “I don’t want you
to be sorry, Buffy. I want you to be
alive. In order for that to continue,
you need to train properly.” He sighed
heavily and walked towards her. “This is
precisely why I won’t patrol with you.
You worry too much about me and that clouds your judgement. I need you to not hold back.” She looked up at him and nodded. “Shall we try this again?”
“No holding
back this time, I promise.”
He gave her
a quick nod and put his protective gear back on. “Let’s go.”
Forty-five
minutes later, he was drenched in sweat and kneeling on the floor breathing
heavily. Buffy crouched beside of him, a
sly grin on her face.
“Better?”
He nodded
slowly and looked into her eyes.
“Quite. Never hold back again,
Buffy. I always recover from our
training sessions and I’m never in danger. Understand?”
“Understood.” She stood up, reaching down to
grasp his hand in order to help him up.
“I didn’t mean to make you angry, but…”
He stood up
beside her, tilting his head when her voice trailed off. “But, what?”
“Do you
have any idea how sexy you are when you’re angry?”
His face
reddened as he removed the protective equipment. “Well, I…uh…I am?”
“Definitely.” She moved closer to him, her
hands reaching for the buttons on his shirt.
“Dinner in tonight?”
He closed
his hands over hers and shook his head.
“Showers for us, preferably separate if I’m intending to actually take
you out. You can have the shower first.”
“Can we
come back here for dessert?”
He nodded
wordlessly as she released his shirt and made her way to the bathroom. She turned back around suddenly, desire
showing clearly in her eyes. “You sure
you don’t want to join me?”
He cleared
his throat softly. “I’m quite sure I
do. But, if I allow that to happen, we
won’t be leaving this apartment anytime soon.”
She leaned
against the wall as she pulled her shoes off.
“And where’s the bad in that?”
He groaned
softly as she pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it to the floor. “I…want to take you out for dinner.”
She smiled
as she pulled her pants off, dropping them on top of her shirt. “There’s always take-out, Giles. And we’ll have plenty of time in the future
to go out for dinner.” She reached
behind herself and unclasped her bra.
She watched his eyes darken as the garment fell to the floor. “We could have a shower together, order in
some Chinese, make love…and not necessarily in that order.”
He took a
deep breath and picked up the phone, quickly dialling a number. His eyes never left hers as he spoke into the
receiver.
“Yes, this
is Rupert Giles. I need to cancel a
reservation please.”
She arched
her back against him as he sensuously ran the washcloth over her abdomen. His head was bent, his lips gliding across
her shoulder. He moved his lips over her
wet skin, up her neck to her ear. His
tongue lightly traced her cartilage as he held her body tight against him. He smiled inwardly when he heard her soft
moan as he pulled her lobe into his mouth.
His left
hand gently massaged her breasts, his right hand dipped lower. She gasped when the cloth in his hand covered
her pubic mound. He washed her gently as
the fingers on his left hand rolled her nipple.
She arched her hips against his hand as his mouth released her earlobe
and attached itself to the tender flesh on her neck.
He felt her
groan rumble against his chest when he slowly pushed his finger into her. He thrust slowly, allowing his left arm to
slide down and wrap around her waist in an attempt to hold her still. Her left hand reached up above her, her
fingers running through his wet hair, effectively holding his head in place at
her neck.
He nipped
the skin, sucking lightly as he continued the slow thrust with his finger. Her right hand flew up to the tiled wall,
bracing her as he slipped a second finger into her folds. He groaned as she arched against him, the
feel of her wet skin against his erection surprisingly intense.
He felt her
knees buckle slightly and removed his lips from her neck.
“Are you
okay?”
Her nails
raked along his scalp as she thrust her hips against his hand. “Giles…”
He rocked
his hips gently, allowing his erection to slide across her lower back. His thumb pressed against her clitoris as he
increased the pace of his thrusting fingers. He felt her walls beginning to tighten around
his digits.
Suddenly,
he turned her around in his arms. He
claimed her mouth, his tongue thrusting against hers, as he let his fingers
slip from her. Her cry of frustration
was replaced with a moan as he lifted her and slid his hardened flesh into
her. Her nails scraped across his
shoulder blades, the hot water cascading over them making it difficult to grip
onto him.
He pulled
from the kiss, leaning his head back slightly to look at her. The water flowed down her body, her skin
flushed from the heat of both the water and her reaction to him. He thrust into her, groaning loudly as he
felt her climax beginning again.
She leaned
forward, latching her mouth onto his collarbone as her orgasm crashed over her,
sending her hot juices flowing over him.
The sensation was too much for him to handle and his orgasm followed
quickly.
He leaned
forward, wedging her between his body and the tiled wall so she wouldn’t
slip. She held onto him tightly, gasping
as his softening flesh slid out of her.
They stayed under the spray for a few more minutes, allowing the water
to rinse their bodies. His lips found
hers again, kissing her passionately as he blindly reached for the shower tap
and turned the water off.
She sighed
heavily when he ended the kiss and took a tentative step backwards, still
holding her for support. He just wasn’t
sure if he was supporting her or himself.
She grinned lazily and laid her head against his chest.
“Mm…I like
showers.”
He chuckled
softly. “Very…relaxing, aren’t
they?”
“Mm-hm.” She shivered suddenly and he wrapped his arms
around her. “The only bad part is it
cools off too quickly.”
He helped
her out of the shower and wrapped a warm towel around her body. He dried off quickly, wrapping the towel
around his waist, and handed her his bathrobe.
“What about
you?”
His eyes
gleamed as she slid into his robe. “It,
uh…it looks better on you.”
She grinned
as she followed him into the bedroom. She
sat down on the edge of the bed, sighing heavily when he pulled a pair of
sweatpants and a t-shirt out of a drawer.
He turned around at the soft sound.
“What’s
wrong?”
Her eyes
narrowed in a pout as she watched him pull the sweatpants on. “I don’t want to get dressed.”
He chuckled
as he slid into the shirt. “Don’t
then. You look just fine in the robe.”
“And you
looked just fine in the towel.”
He grinned
at her. “Ah, but one of us has to answer
the door when dinner arrives.” He took
her hand and pulled her off the bed. “Can’t do that with just a towel on.”
“You can,
you just won’t.”
He laughed
as he led her downstairs. She went to
the couch and grabbed the television remote as he put the kettle on to
boil. She glanced into the kitchen as she
hit the power button on the remote.
“You know
you’re addicted to tea?”
He looked
at her and smiled. “It’s not an
addiction. It’s an appreciation.”
She tossed
the remote onto the coffee table and turned sideways to face him. “And what am I?”
His eyes
twinkled as he walked into the living room and sat down beside of her. “Incredibly intoxicating,
often infuriating, terribly amusing.”
He tilted his head thoughtfully and pulled her to him. “And the only person I’ve ever completely
trusted with my heart.”
“That was
beautiful.” She turned, leaning her back
against his chest. “And
completely corny.”
He
chuckled, feeling her warmth as she settled against him. “Perhaps. But also very true.”
They were
quiet for a few minutes, content to just be with each other. She found a documentary on ancient ruins that
she thought he might enjoy. She waited
until the commercial break before she spoke.
“Will you
patrol with me tonight?”
He looked
down at the top of her head, his eyes narrowing. “We’ve discussed this, Buffy.”
Her fingers
fidgeted with the cloth belt on the robe.
“I promise to concentrate.”
He
snorted. “You wouldn’t even hit me in
training a couple of hours ago…until I became irate with you.”
“Lesson
learned.” She turned her head and looked
up at him. “Please?”
He opened
his mouth to reply when a knock sounded at the door. He gently pushed her off of him and
stood. “Dinner’s here.”
She sat up
and watched him as he walked to the door.
He opened the door, his eyes immediately narrowing.
“You’re not
dinner.”
Xander
grinned at him as he shook his head.
“Nah, I’m too gristly.”
“We knocked
in case you were having sex.” Anya piped
up brightly.
“How very thoughtful of you.”
Buffy
stifled a laugh as Xander, Anya, and
Giles
rolled his eyes in frustration, muttering softly. “Yes, do come in.”
Buffy
smiled brightly at her friends. “Hey
guys, what’s up?”
Xander sat
down in a chair, his eyebrow raising as he took in Buffy’s current attire. “Anya and I are patrolling with you tonight,
remember?”
Buffy
looked at him, mildly confused. “Yeah, at 7:30.”
Anya sat on
Xander’s lap as
Buffy
glanced at the clock, her eyes widening.
“Oh…we must’ve lost track of the time.”
“That
happens to me and Xander when we’re having sex.”
Giles
stared at the ex-demon as he sat down beside of Buffy and shook his head in
disbelief. “Yes, well. Dinner should be here soon. I’m sure we’ve ordered more than enough if
you lot are hungry.”
“You
ordered after sex, didn’t you?”
Xander
stared at his girlfriend. “Anya, what
did we discuss on the way over here?”
He smiled
warmly at the girl. “I appreciate that
Buffy
looked down at the robe and shrugged her shoulders. “I thought I’d just wear this.”
Xander
chuckled. “Using the element of surprise
tonight, Buff?”
Buffy
looked up at Giles, laughing when she saw his shocked expression. “Just joking, Giles.” She stood up and raised an eyebrow. “Coming?”
He cleared
his throat and nodded. He glanced at the
three, hoping he wasn’t blushing. “We’ll
be right down.”
No sooner
were they upstairs, there was a knock on the door. Giles groaned softly as Buffy dropped the
robe to the floor. His groan gave way to
a smile as Xander announced that he’d get it.
He took a step towards Buffy as he pulled off his t-shirt.
His eyes
darkened, his hands pulling her to him.
He bent his head to kiss her, growling when Xander’s voice calling up to
him that dinner had arrived interrupted him.
“My wallet
is on the desk. We’ll be right down.”
Buffy
smiled at the gruffness in his voice.
She kissed him quickly, and then backed away. “Later.”
He nodded
and then turned to his closet.
Xander
grinned as he opened the Watcher’s wallet, finding a picture of Buffy smiling
at him as he pulled out two twenty-dollar bills.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Giles stood
at the bottom of the stairs waiting for Buffy to come back down. Xander and Anya stood in front of the open
door, a bag of weapons hanging from Xander’s shoulder. Buffy bounded down the stairs, stopping on
the second from the bottom, which left her at eye level with Giles.
She smiled
warmly at him. “I’ll be back in a few
hours.”
He nodded,
returning her smile. “Do be careful.”
She leaned
forward and kissed him lightly. “I
will.”
He took a
step back, watching her until she closed the door behind them. He sighed and turned around to find
“It really
is nice to see the both of you happy. Especially happy together.”
He reddened
slightly. “Thank you,
“Is it
hard? I mean, not patrolling with her?”
He nodded
sadly, walking to the bookshelf and pulling out a couple of ancient
volumes. “Quite. Though I must say, it’s more difficult
watching her leave for patrol.”
Instinctively
knowing that he was talking about the possibility of Buffy not returning,
He sat down
at the table and handed her a book.
“Well, there are some legends surrounding the Risenbridt that Buffy and I
recently diverted that I’d like to look further into.”
Giles
chuckled softly. “Quite.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
An hour and
a half later,
“Oh dear Lord!”
“What’s
wrong?”
He turned
the book towards her as he jumped up and grabbed his longsword from the weapons
cabinet. He picked up his car keys and
turned to find
He gave her
a quick nod and opened the door.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It had been
a fairly busy night. Within two hours
they had dusted seven vampires and were currently tracking a large yellow
demon.
“Where is
it? And…what is it?” Xander whispered.
Buffy took
a look at the stake in her hand and shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, but I don’t think this is
going to work.” She shoved the stake in
her pocket. “Hand me the crossbow.”
“I want to
go home.”
Xander
sighed. “If you didn’t want to come, you
could’ve stayed with
“But
they’re reading.”
Buffy
glared at her as she loaded a bolt in the crossbow. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, she
heard the distinct sound of a twig snapping to their left.
“It’s gone
back into the cemetery.” She glanced at
the two standing there. “You can stay
here if you want.”
With that,
she took off towards the sound. She
reached the clearing and raised her weapon.
The demon turned and growled. It
rushed her with surprising speed and knocked the crossbow from her hands.
She easily
ducked his clumsy punch and spun around him.
She kicked him squarely in the back.
He grunted and turned, throwing another punch. She blocked it with her left arm and started
a punch with her right hand.
“Buffy! STOP!”
She stopped
the punch instantly at the sound of her Watcher’s voice and dropped to the
ground, narrowly avoiding the claw that reached for her. She looked up in time to see Giles swing the
sword, neatly decapitating the demon. It
dissolved as soon as the body hit the ground, scorching the earth beneath it.
She stood
up as Giles ran to her. She could see
the worry and fear on his face clearly.
“Giles…”
“Did it
touch you?”
“What?”
His fear
came out in his voice. “Did it touch
you?”
She shook
her head quickly. “Only
when I blocked a punch.”
He glanced
at her arm and quickly pulled her jacket off and threw it onto the burnt
ground.
“Hey…” She started to protest.
He pulled a
can of lighter fluid out of his pocket, dousing her jacket. He lit a Zippo and threw it onto the small
heap, breathing a sigh of relief as the clothing caught fire.
“That was
my favourite jacket!” She complained
loudly.
He walked
over to her and gathered her into his arms.
“I’ll buy you a new one.”
Xander and
Anya made their way to
“Bad demon. It was a close call. We’ll explain when we get back to Giles’,
okay?”
Buffy
pulled back and looked up at Giles. She
spoke softly when she saw a tear roll down his cheek.
“Hey,
what’s wrong?”
“It could
have killed you. If…if you had touched
it, it would have killed you.” He
shuddered as he touched her face gently.
“I…I almost lost you.”
“I’m okay,
Giles.” She pulled his head down and
tenderly kissed his lips. “I’m okay.”
To her
surprise, he kissed her back, quickly deepening the kiss with passion. Anya smiled wryly.
“I guess
he’s gotten over his fear of public displays of affection.”