Title: Tin and Diamonds
Author: Froxyn
Rating: FRAO
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Timeline: Three months after Unravelled.
Synopsis: Buffy and Giles reach their ten year
anniversary.
Ethan raised an eyebrow when he
walked into the two-car garage. “What
are you doing?”
Startled, Giles dropped the tool
and glared at Ethan. “Besides nearly
having a heart attack?”
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare
you.” Ethan snorted and leaned against
the car as he gestured to the workbench.
“Been a while since I’ve seen you working with metal. What is it?”
Giles smiled proudly and ran his
hand over the top of the object in question.
“Buffy’s anniversary present.”
A smile tugged at Ethan’s
lips. “You’re making her a metal box?”
“It’s tin. And it’s a chest, not a box. A chest that I intend to fill with items
before giving it to her.”
“Don’t get snarky.” Ethan snickered as he pushed himself off the
car and inspected the nearly completed chest.
“It’s nice, Rupert. You haven’t
lost your touch.”
“Thank you.”
Ethan pulled a pack of
cigarettes out of his pocket and shook one out before offering the pack to
Giles. Giles shook his head and the pack
disappeared into Ethan’s jacket pocket.
“Why tin? I know you don’t do woodwork, but Xander
could’ve helped you.”
Giles smiled and bent to pick up
the pair of tinsnips he had dropped.
“Tin is the traditional wedding gift for the tenth year.”
Ethan lit his cigarette and
shook his head. “Thought it was
diamonds?”
“Diamonds are the modern day
version. I chose the traditional
route.” Giles replied and turned the
chest around to make a minor adjustment on the hinges of the lid.
Ethan grinned and blew out a
puff of smoke. “Ten quid says you’re
getting diamonds.”
Giles chuckled and opened the
lid, tightening a screw. “She could get
me nothing and I’d be happy.”
“Such a sap.” Ethan teased before looking around. “Where is she anyway?”
“Play date with Maria, Jake, and
Rayna.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow. “And you didn’t go along?”
Giles smiled and gestured to the
chest. “I had work to do.”
“Fair enough.”
Giles leaned against the work
bench and crossed his arms over his chest.
Ethan looked at him curiously.
“What?”
“When are you and Michael going
to make your announcement? It’s been
three months.”
Ethan’s eyes widened. “How do you know about that?”
Giles laughed and shook his
head. “You proposed to him in my
hospital room, Ethan. I could hear
everything that was going on.”
“Oh. Uh…”
Giles’ smile flickered in his
green eyes. “He was right. It was a very Ethan Rayne type of thing to
do.”
Ethan took a long drag from his
cigarette. “We’ve talked about it. I think we came to the decision that we’d
wait until his paperwork is approved.”
Giles furrowed his brow. “Paperwork?”
Ethan smiled and leaned against
Giles’ car. “He’s changing his
name. Said he wants to be a ‘Rayne’…not
sure why though.”
“Because he loves you,
Ethan. Have you set a date yet?”
“Not a definite date. I know that it won’t be within the next two
months though.” He grinned and tapped
his ashes into an old tin can that Giles kept in the garage for that specific
reason. “Wouldn’t want to take anything
away from your big day.”
Giles snorted and pushed off the
bench. “Come on, help me put this away
and I’ll get you a beer. Buffy and the
children will be home soon.”
Ethan smiled and dropped the
butt into the can.
* * *
Two months later…
“Ten years. That’s such a long time.”
Buffy grinned at
“Not married though.”
“I don’t think Xander and I will
get married. We’ll just continue to have
bastard children and be happy.” Anya
contributed to the conversation cheerfully.
The sales woman gave her a
strange look as she pushed the credit slip towards Buffy for her to sign. Buffy rolled her eyes as she scrawled her
name across the bottom of the slip.
“Anya, you can’t call your
daughter that. If you insist on
anything, illegitimate would be a better choice. But, even that…” She sighed and looked at Anya. “You and Xander love each other and you’re
wonderful parents to Rayna. You don’t
have to be married to have that.”
“Do you think Ethan would give
us more sperm? I want to have another
baby.”
The sales woman’s mouth dropped
open in shock as she handed Buffy the bag containing her purchase. Anya noticed and smiled brightly.
“Ethan is a friend. My boyfriend has a low sperm count and Ethan
helped us have our daughter.”
The sales woman nodded slowly as
Buffy coughed. “Um, Anya? A little too much information there.”
“So…what are you doing for your
anniversary?”
Buffy sighed happily as they
walked out of the shop and stepped onto the sidewalk. “I’m not exactly sure. I know he has something planned. I’m betting on a nice romantic, hopefully
demon-free, dinner…”
“And then lots of sex.” Anya added with a broad grin.
Buffy laughed, not bothering to
comment.
“What time do you want me to
pick the kids up?”
Buffy thought for a moment. “About two?
Is that okay? I’m picking the
other part of his present up at two forty-five, so that would give me enough
time.”
“I don’t have a clue. He’s being really secretive about the whole
thing.”
“A diamond-encrusted
sword?” Anya suggested, shrugging her
shoulders as
Anya narrowed her eyes and slid
into the back seat. “What’s the other
part of Giles’ present?”
Buffy grinned and glanced at her
through the rearview mirror, shaking her head.
“It’s a surprise that no one but me knows. And that’s how it’s gonna stay until tomorrow
night.”
Anya’s eyes widened. “You’re getting him a diamond-encrusted
sword!”
Buffy laughed and started the
car. “Yeah, you figured it out. Go you.”
* * *
After dropping
But, what if he didn’t? What if he hated it? She shook her head and sighed. If she continued to think that way, what good
would it do? Besides…in her heart, she
knew he was going to love it.
She carefully tucked the bag
containing half of his gift into her handbag and made her way into the
house. Hearing the near silence, she
deduced that the children were probably still with Peter and Julian. They enjoyed taking the children out once in
a while. And the children loved the time
that they were able to spend with Peter and Julian.
She grinned broadly. Maybe she could lure him into bed for a
while.
Walking into the living room,
she found him sitting on the sofa with a cup of tea in his hand. “Hey.”
He smiled as he turned his eyes
towards her, allowing his gaze to travel down her body before returning to her
eyes. “Hello.”
An immediate wave of arousal
washed over her, turning her skin a light shade of pink. “What are you doing?”
He licked his lips and placed
his cup on the lamp table next to him.
“Thinking about you.”
Moving closer to the couch and
dropping her handbag onto the chair, she lowered her voice to a whisper. “What about me?”
“Sit with me and I’ll tell
you.” He answered, a suggestive tone in
his voice.
She noticed the bulge in his
jeans as she sat down next to him. To be
honest, it was fairly hard to miss. She
chuckled inwardly and moved her hand to his inner thigh.
“I think I have a pretty good
idea judging from that.” She stated with
a smile.
“Do you remember the night
before our wedding?” He whispered as he
tenderly ran his fingertips across her cheek.
“Mm-hm.” She turned her body towards him and slid her
hand up to cover the hard bulge. “I
really, really do.”
Leaning forward, he brushed his
lips across hers. “I want you, Buffy.”
She increased the pressure of
her hand, lightly scratching her nails across the denim and smiling as he
groaned. “How long until the kids come
home?”
Brushing her hand away as he
reached out and popped the button of her jeans open, he returned her
smile. “We have enough time to make each
other come. That is…if you want.”
Her eyes glazed slightly as he
pulled the zipper down and slipped his fingers into her underwear. “God, I want.”
He stroked her slowly with his
right hand, using his left to quickly unbutton and unzip his jeans. “Here?
Or…elsewhere?”
She shivered at his touch,
glancing down as he pulled his erection free. “I’m not sure I can wait to go ‘elsewhere’.”
Smiling, he rubbed her
clitoris. “Touch me, Buffy. Wrap your
fingers around me and…” He gasped softly
as she did just that, stroking him firmly.
“Yes, love…yes…”
Buffy whimpered as she tried to
spread her legs more. “These…need to
come off or…at least down.”
He grinned as he continued
circling her clit. “Which would you
prefer? Off or down?”
She looked into his eyes as she
squeezed the shaft of his cock.
“Off. And…I really think we
should go to the bedroom…”
He glanced at the clock and
swallowed. “We don’t have much time,
Buffy.”
She looked down at the hard
flesh in her hand, smiling as a drop of fluid gathered at the tip. “Don’t need much. But…”
She met his eyes again licked her lips.
“I really want you inside of me.”
His cock twitched in her hand as
he gave her a nod. “Let’s go.”
* * *
He groaned as she knelt before
him, licking the fluid from his erection.
He pulled his shirt over his head, dropping it to the floor as she pulled
the head into her mouth.
“Buffy, love…”
She smiled at his urgent tone
and pulled back, holding his firm flesh in her hand as she looked up at
him. “I know…we don’t have time for
this. I just wanted a taste.”
He nodded slowly, sighing as she
released him and stood up. His eyes
followed her hands as she pushed her jeans and underwear down her legs. As she kicked them to the side, she grinned
and turned her back to him.
He inhaled sharply as she bent
over the edge of the bed and looked over her shoulder at him.
“Can you see how ready I am for
you?”
He glanced at her glistening
folds and swallowed. “God, yes…”
Tilting her hips slightly, she
whispered in a lust-laden tone. “Don’t
make me wait, Giles.”
Giles growled softly, giving his
erection a firm stroke as he moved to stand directly behind her. Gripping her hip, he rubbed the head through
her folds before nudging her entrance.
“How do you want this, Buffy?”
“Hard…fast…come together.” She met his darkened eyes and pushed her hips
back towards him. “Fuck me now, Giles…”
With no further hesitation, he
slammed his hips forward, gripping her hips with both hands. Her fingers curled against the bedclothes as
she pushed against him. The fact that both
of them were still half-dressed, she in her shirt and he still in his jeans,
cemented the urgency of this union.
She could feel the denim against
the backs of her thighs as he thrust into her furiously. She found it odd that the sensation of his jeans
against her skin was almost as erotic as the sensation of his cock sliding in
and out of her.
“Giles…”
He smiled and moved his left
hand under her shirt, rubbing along her lower back. “If we had enough time for a shower
afterwards…I’d love to come all over your back.”
“Oh, God…” She moaned.
“But, we don’t.” He whispered, moving his hand back to her
hip. “And so I’m going to fuck you…and
I’m going to come deep inside of you.”
He watched her fingers grip the
blanket and he suddenly pulled out, smiling lustfully at her groan of
protest. “On your back, love.”
She climbed onto the bed
quickly, rolling onto her back. Sliding
his hands under her ass and lifting her slightly, he plunged back into her
depths.
“God, yes!” She screamed as he quickened his strokes.
“Touch yourself, Buffy.” He groaned, squeezing the firm flesh of her
ass. “Rub your clit for me.”
Her trembling fingers moved to
her hardened clitoris, his eyes stared at her hand as he continued to slam his
hips against her.
“I love watching you…” He whispered thickly. “Makes me want to come.”
She rubbed harder, her fingers
brushing against his wet shaft on each thrust.
“Giles…so…so close…”
“I know.” He groaned, slowing his thrusts long enough
to climb onto the bed with her.
As soon as he was on his knees
between her thighs, he resumed his hard thrusts and leaned over her. Lowering his head, he nipped at her hardened
nipple through her shirt.
“Harder, Giles…God, I’m going to
come…”
He could feel her hand moving faster
between them, her inner muscles beginning to ripple around him. His teeth clamped around her nipple and she
arched her back, screaming in ecstasy as she came suddenly.
He released her nipple, throwing
his head back and crying out as thrust one more time and came deep within
her. She pulled her hand out from
between them, wrapping her arms around him as he gradually slowed his
movements. Another smaller orgasm washed
over her as she gripped his back.
He stopped his motion
altogether, waiting until he was completely soft before allowing his cock to
slip from her. Lifting his head, he
offered her a smile and placed a tender kiss on her lips.
“I missed you.”
She chuckled softly and rubbed
her thumb over his lips. “I should go
out without you more often.”
He rolled to her side and sighed
in contentment. She glanced at his jeans
and grinned.
“You’ll need to change before
the kids get here.”
He gently rubbed his spent cock,
wet with her fluids and smiled.
Giles smiled as
“Hey.”
Giles sat back and gave her a
nod. “Thank you again for taking them
tonight.”
“No.” He agreed as his smile grew. “But, all the same…I’m very appreciative.”
She chuckled and crossed her
legs. “So, where are you taking her?”
“Nowhere.” He replied, chuckling as she narrowed her
eyes in displeasure. “I’m preparing a
nice dinner…music, candles…”
“Giles, it’s your tenth – ”
“I promised her I’d dance with
her on our anniversary. I’d much prefer
to dance with her in our home.”
“Well, you better have one hell
of a present for her.”
Giles grinned and gave her a
nod. “I’m rather sure she’ll like it.”
“It’s not a diamond-encrusted
sword, is it?”
Giles furrowed his brow. “Pardon?”
Giles smiled softly. “No, it isn’t a diamond-encrusted sword. I can’t imagine anything tackier for
her. I, uh…I made something for her.”
“You made something? What?”
“A chest.”
“Like…a weapons chest?”
Giles chuckled and shook his
head, reaching into the top drawer of his desk and pulling out an
envelope. As he handed the envelope to
her, he smiled.
“Not like a weapons chest.”
“I did.”
“What is it made out of? I mean…I didn’t know you could build
things. You always got Xander to do the
building.”
He folded his hands on his desk,
watching
Giles smiled warmly. “A man has to have some secrets,
“It is that.”
Giles placed the envelope back
into his drawer and smiled. “Any reason
why you’re picking the children up so early today?”
“Yeah, but I can’t tell you.”
Giles laughed and glanced at the
family portrait in a frame on the corner of his desk. His laughter faded as he spoke softly. “Ten years.
There was a time I wasn’t sure if any of us would survive the
Hellmouth.”
Giles smiled and shook his
head. “We had help.”
“Yeah, you did. But…if you hadn’t come to
“She had the power and ability
in her soul from the very beginning.”
Giles stated softly.
Giles was quiet, staring at
“Thank you,
She turned quickly and left
before he had a chance to say anything else.
He thought about her words and smiled as he leaned back in his chair.
Buffy wasn’t the only one who
was stronger because of their professional relationship. Buffy had strengthened him within months of
meeting her. He offered a silent thanks
to
He didn’t want to think about
where he would be if someone else had replaced
* * *
Buffy smiled happily as she
signed the papers and handed over the money.
The man didn’t bother counting it, he trusted this young lady. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have agreed to the
sale. He was always careful about
placement…all good breeders were.
He smiled as he placed a kiss on
the puppy’s head before handing her over.
“She may cry a bit at first. She
hasn’t been away from the litter or her mother.”
Buffy cuddled the puppy and
laughed when she received a little lick on her chin. The man grinned and handed her a small plush
Scooby.
“She’s always shown favoritism
to this toy. And she’ll be able to smell
her littermates and mother on it. When
she cries, give it to her and it should help calm her down.”
Buffy shook her head in
amusement. “It figures that her
favourite toy would be a Scooby.”
The man was curious, but didn’t
comment. He reached over and scratched
the puppy between her ears.
“If you wouldn’t mind…would you
be able to send pictures of her now and again?
I’ve got a fondness for this one, even more than the others. I know she’ll be very happy with you and your
family, but…I wouldn’t mind seeing her grow up.”
Buffy smiled warmly. “I can do that. Thank you so much. My husband’s going to love her.”
“You’re welcome, Mrs.
Giles. When you’ve decided on a name,
let me know and I’ll send the paperwork off for her registration papers.” He smiled affectionately at the puppy. “She’s show quality, but I suspect that she
won’t be in any shows.”
When Buffy hesitated, he met her
eyes and quickly continued. “I have no
issues with that, Mrs. Giles. I just
want her to be loved and cared for. And,
though she’s show quality, I don’t think that she’d be happy being a show
dog. She’s a cuddly one…cuddly ones
don’t really go well with showing.”
Buffy gave a sigh of relief and
nodded. “I’ll keep in touch, Mr.
Barlow. And she will be loved.”
“I’ve no doubt. If you have any questions at any time, please
ring.” He smiled at the puppy again and
rubbed her head. “Be good, little one.”
The puppy wagged its tail and
licked the man’s hand.
* * *
Buffy had just enough time to
get the puppy settled in the back room, waiting until she had fallen asleep
before leaving the room, and get changed before Giles walked in the front door.
His eyes gazed over her
appreciatively as she wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him down for a
kiss.
“You look stunning.” He whispered a millisecond before their lips
touched.
“So do you. This isn’t what you wore to work.”
He smiled and shook his
head. “I showered and changed before I
left. Thought I might not beat you
home.”
She sighed softly and ran her
hand down the front of his shirt.
“Giles?”
“Hm?”
“Is it okay if we don’t go out
tonight? I mean, I’m not sure what you have
planned, but…”
He smiled warmly and curled a
strand of her hair around his finger.
“What I had planned was a nice candlelit dinner at home. Just the two of us…dinner, gifts…perhaps a
dance.”
A smile appeared on her face as
she nodded. “That sounds perfect. Except…maybe gifts, then dinner?”
He arched an eyebrow at
her. “Gifts first?”
She bit her lip and took a deep
breath. “I’m not sure mine will wait
until after dinner.”
He tilted his head, suddenly
very curious as to what she had gotten him.
“If you’d prefer to open gifts before dinner, then that’s what we shall
do.”
She nodded quickly and leaned
up, giving him another kiss. “Thank
you.”
“Let me get dinner in the oven
and then we’ll exchange gifts, yes?”
“Okay, I have to go get yours ready. How long do you think?”
“Dinner’s mostly prepared.” At her look, he chuckled. “I was up early this morning, remember?”
“You were up making dinner?”
He leaned down and kissed
her. “Something like that. It’ll take me about five minutes to get everything
together…another five to set the table.
We’ll say…fifteen minutes?”
She ran her fingers along his
jaw, smiling as his eyes darkened slightly.
“I’ll see you in fifteen minutes…here in the living room.”
He nodded and gently squeezed
her hip. “Go now. Before I insist on taking you to bed without
dinner or gifts.”
“I love you.” She whispered as he moved to kiss her again.
“I love you too.” He brushed his lips across hers and
sighed. “Now…go.”
She grinned and took off down
the hall. He took a deep breath and
smiled before he made his way into the kitchen.
He turned the oven on and opened
the refrigerator, pulling out a tray laden with vegetables surrounding a huge
beef roast. He smiled and shook his
head. It wasn’t the most romantic of
dishes, but roast beef was her favourite by far.
After sliding the tray into the
oven, he set the table with their best china and silver. As he placed the candles on the table, he
grinned and glanced at his watch. He had
just enough time to move the chest in from the garage.
* * *
Buffy sat on the floor with the
puppy in her lap. She straightened the
dark green collar and carefully tied the small box to the ring near the
buckle. The puppy yawned and stretched,
making Buffy smile.
She glanced at the clock on the
wall and grinned. “Come on, little
girl. Almost time to meet your daddy.”
The puppy wagged her tail as
Buffy placed her on the paper. Buffy
chuckled as the puppy squatted.
“Good girl. Definitely wouldn’t be good if you peed on Giles
first thing.”
The puppy scratched at her
collar and then bounced around the room playfully. Buffy took a deep breath when she heard Giles
call her name.
“Come on, little one. It’s time.”
The puppy wagged her tail harder
as Buffy opened the door. Buffy almost
expected the puppy to take off down the hall.
Instead, she walked behind Buffy.
Buffy shook her head in amusement, wondering how long that behaviour
would last.
Giles was standing in the middle
of the living room with two glasses of wine in his hands. There was a box-shaped something on the floor
next to him with a brightly coloured blanket draped over it. He smiled at her and motioned her in when she
hesitated.
She shook her head slightly,
causing him to furrow his brow in confusion.
As she took one step to the left, he looked down and gasped softly.
“Buffy…”
He placed the glasses on the
coffee table and knelt down, holding his hand out as he smiled at the
puppy. The puppy made her way over to
him and sniffed his hand. When she licked
his fingers, he smiled and gently scooped her up.
He beamed brightly as he looked
up into Buffy’s eyes. “You got me a
puppy. A boxer…with a tail…”
Buffy smiled as she nodded and
knelt in front of him. “You mentioned
one time that you wanted a dog. You
never said what kind, so I had to do a lot of research. And it helped that Ethan mentioned that you
used to like boxers and labradors. I,
uh…there weren’t any lab puppies ready for today. And, I have to admit…when I saw her I fell in
love with her.”
Giles laughed as the puppy
licked at his chin and then nibbled at the knot of his tie. “She’s absolutely beautiful, Buffy. What’s her name?”
“I have no idea. She’s yours…you have to name her. She’s nearly eight weeks old. The breeder normally doesn’t let them leave
until they’re at least eight weeks, but…he knew that she was an anniversary
present and she’s pretty advanced for her age.”
Giles gently stroked the puppy’s
face with his fingertip. “Such beautiful
markings. And…I don’t believe I’ve seen
a boxer with a tail.”
Buffy smiled broadly. “Mr. Barlow is fighting for the anti-docking
law. This is his second litter that he
hasn’t had docked.”
“I love the tail. I’ve never understood the purpose of docking
them.” He placed a kiss on the puppy’s
head before leaning forward and kissing Buffy warmly. “Thank you so much, darling.”
“You’re welcome.”
Buffy laughed as the puppy
bounced around the room when Giles put her down. She explored the room, coming back to Buffy
and Giles after each exploration before beginning another.
“What are you going to name
her?”
Giles smiled as he watched the
puppy dart around the room, her tail wagging constantly. “
“
Giles looked into her eyes and
gently caressed her cheek. “My life…this
life…began in
Buffy’s eyes glistened as Callie
ran over, placing a white paw on Giles’ leg as she yipped playfully.
“I think it’s beautiful.”
Giles looked down, only now
noticing the small box tied to Callie’s collar.
“What’s this?”
“Oh. The, uh…the other part of your present.”
Giles smiled as he carefully
untied the box, Callie making the task much more difficult than it should’ve
been. When she emitted a playful growl,
he laughed loudly.
“Oh, you’re a vicious puppy,
aren’t you?”
He finally got the box free and
shook his head when Callie attempted to grab the ribbon. Buffy laughed and stood up.
“Hold on. Don’t open it yet, okay?”
Giles looked after her as Buffy
ran back down the hall. Then he looked
down into the not-quite brown eyes of Callie and grinned.
“Where is she going?”
Callie perked her ears, wiggling
as she went for the ribbon again. Giles
chuckled and picked her up, rolling her onto her back in his arms and rubbing
her stomach.
“You can’t have the ribbon,
Callie.”
“No, but she can have
these.” Buffy replied as she came back
into the room with a bag full of toys that she had picked up on the way home.
When she handed the bag to him,
Giles picked out a tennis ball and rolled it across the floor. He and Buffy both laughed as Callie tripped
as she chased after the ball.
Buffy smiled brightly at
him. “I think it’s safe to open it now.”
He returned her smile and
unwrapped the box, carefully opening the lid.
“Thank you, Buffy.”
“Do you like it?”
He nodded as he lifted the small
diamond stud out of the box. “It’s
beautiful.”
She sighed happily as he removed
the golden hoop that he had worn every day for the past ten years and replaced
it with the diamond stud. “Wow…”
He placed the hoop in the box
and closed the lid. “How does it look?”
“Perfect.” She whispered softly.
As she leaned in to kiss him, a
soft snore could be heard. They both
smiled as they saw Callie stretched out on the carpet, the tennis ball next to
her as she slept.
“Well, that was quick.” Giles commented with a grin.
“She’s a baby, she needs her
sleep.”
Giles reached up and ran his
fingers through her hair. “While she’s
sleeping, perhaps you should open your gift.”
Buffy leaned forward again and
kissed him slowly.
Giles sighed softly as Buffy
ended the kiss and stood up. She smiled
down at him and then made her way over to the blanket-covered object. Giles glanced at Callie and chuckled as he
stood. Picking her up, he lovingly
cuddled her as he sat down on the couch.
Callie nuzzled Giles’ palm as she slept and he gently stroked her soft
fur.
Buffy ran her fingertips over
the blanket and looked over at Giles.
“Now?”
He smiled warmly. “Whenever you’re ready, Buffy.”
She grinned and pulled the
blanket off. Her eyes widened as she stared
at the chest, beautifully adorned with various symbols that had been carefully
worked into the tin.
“Oh my God.” She whispered. “It’s beautiful, Giles.”
His smile grew as she examined
the designs. She gasped and turned,
meeting his eyes. “You made this.”
He nodded at her statement and
placed the sleeping puppy on the cushion next to him, covering her with the
afghan before standing.
“I did. There, uh…there’s more inside.”
She took a deep breath and
opened the lid, kneeling in front of the chest as she peered inside. Giles cast a quick glance at Callie and,
seeing that she hadn’t even moved and was sleeping deeply, knelt beside of
Buffy.
There were ten items in the
chest. Buffy grinned as she pulled each
one out. There was something that
symbolized each year of their marriage, some new and some old. There was a wedding photo in a frame that
looked very similar to the chest. She
sighed as she ran her fingers over the image.
A pair of garnet earrings
followed. She grinned as she pulled out
a braided leather bracelet.
“Trying to suggest something
here, Giles?”
He chuckled and shook his
head. “Leather for the third
anniversary. Do you know how hard it is
to find something that is made with leather that isn’t obviously sex-related? Besides…I thought it would look nice on you.”
She smiled and lifted out a vase
that looked to be made out of antique jade.
Underneath that was a wooden disk that had an ornate carving on it. She furrowed her brow and stared at it.
“Giles?”
He leaned over and kissed her
cheek. “The Goddess
A smile appeared on his lips
when she turned to look at him. “You are
my ideal wife…and the perfect mother for our children.”
She ran her finger over the
carving and sighed as she looked back down at it. “It’s beautiful. And it reminds me of how truly sweet you
really are.”
He placed a warm kiss on the
side of her neck. “Four more to go,
love.”
A set of cast iron candlesticks
were next. She smiled as she held them,
noticing their wedding date etched delicately along the base of each one. “You’re such a hopeless romantic.”
He shook his head slowly and ran
his fingers through her hair. “Not
hopeless.”
She shook her head in amusement
and placed it to the side before pulling out a framed painting. Her mouth dropped open in surprise.
“Giles…”
Clearing his throat, he glanced
at the portrait of their children.
“It’s, uh…a friend of Michael’s is an artist. This…this is oil on copper. I thought it turned out rather well.”
“It’s amazing.” She whispered. “Absolutely perfect…”
He swallowed, aching to pull her
into his arms. Instead he took a deep
breath and gestured towards the chest.
“Only two to go.”
She nodded and, after gazing at
the picture again, carefully placed it to the side. Reaching into the chest, she pulled out a
small bronze heart. She chuckled as she
closed her fingers around it.
“Bronze?”
Giles laughed softly. “Nearly as hard as leather. Daft, I know…”
“I’d prefer ‘sappy and
sweet’.” She replied with a loving
smile.
A beautifully made ceramic bowl
adorned with willow leaves rounded out the gifts. She sighed happily and sat back on her heels,
staring at the gifts surrounding her.
“I think this is probably one of
the sweetest things you’ve ever done.”
He brushed her hair back from
her neck and exhaled slowly. “We have
but one ten year anniversary. I wanted
it to be special.”
“Every day as your wife is
special, Giles.” She whispered as she
gazed into his eyes.
As he watched her hazel eyes
darken a shade, he took a deep breath.
“Dinner’s ready.”
She licked her lips as he stood,
pulling her up with him. Wrapping her
hand around the back of his neck, she gently pulled him down and kissed him
deeply. As she nudged her tongue into
his mouth, he pulled her tightly against him.
She groaned softly when she felt him harden under his trousers and
attempted to deepen the kiss further.
With a heavy sigh, he pulled
back and gently shook his head. “Dinner,
love.”
She pouted, looking up at him
through doe-like eyes as she stuck her bottom lip out. He laughed and ran his thumb over the pouty
lip.
“Dinner.”
“Okay.” She mumbled, turning her head towards the
sound of a whimper.
Callie raised her head and
yawned widely before stretching. Buffy
rubbed Giles’ chest and smiled.
“You go get dinner ready and
I’ll take Callie outside and then set her bed up before she has her dinner.”
Giles nodded, quickly pulling
her back towards him as she started to walk away. He covered her mouth with his and kissed her
passionately, lovingly massaging her tongue with his. As he slowly ended the kiss, he combed his
fingers through her hair and smiled.
“Thank you, Buffy. Thank you for the most wonderful ten years of
my life. Thank you for four beautiful
children, a gorgeous puppy…” His eyes
glistened as a tear of happiness rolled down her cheek. “Thank you for loving me.”
She sniffled and shook her
head. “How am I supposed to top that
one?”
He grinned and stroked her
cheek. “It isn’t about one of us topping
the other…”
When she snorted, he rolled his
eyes and playfully smacked her rear.
“You, my darling, have an extremely dirty mind.”
“Apparently so do you if you
knew what I was thinking.” She shot back
with a grin before gently pushing him towards the kitchen. “Go on.
If we stand here much longer, I’m going to have to clean the carpet.”
When he raised an eyebrow, it
was her turn to roll her eyes.
“Puppies need to go to the
bathroom pretty much as soon as they wake up, Giles.”
He chuckled as he turned and
made his way into the kitchen. Callie
wagged her tail as Buffy walked over to the couch and picked her up.
“Daddy’s funny, isn’t he?”
Callie whimpered, letting Buffy
know that it was becoming fairly urgent that she be put down soon. Buffy laughed and opened the front door,
kissing the top of Callie’s head before placing her on the grass.
Buffy laughed as Callie bounced
around, looking for an appropriate spot to do her business.
* * *
Giles looked up and smiled as he
lit the candles on the table when Buffy walked into the dining room. “Where’s Callie?”
“Asleep in her bed.” Buffy watched the light reflect in Giles’
eyes. “You…are so gorgeous…”
Giles stared at her for a moment. It always caught him off-guard when she said
such things randomly. He swallowed and
slipped the lighter into his pocket before reaching for the bottle of wine.
“Please…have a seat,
darling.” He said in a throaty
voice.
Holding the chair out for her,
he felt his heart begin to race as she moved towards him gracefully. She sat down and touched his hip lightly as
he poured the wine into two glasses.
“Are you okay, Giles?” She whispered when she noticed the bottle
shake in his hand.
“Mm?” He cleared his throat and offered her a smile
as he sat down next to her. “I’m…more
than okay, Buffy.”
She smiled knowingly and lifted
her glass. “You made my favourite
dinner.”
“Mm-hm.” He agreed softly as he picked up his glass and
lightly clinked it against hers.
“Everything I do is for you.”
His eyes darkened as he took a
sip of his wine before placing the glass back on the table. He picked up some of the tender beef with his
fork and held it to her lips. She accepted
the bite of food, grinning as she chewed and swallowed.
“I have my own plate, you know.”
He nodded slowly as he cut a
piece of potato and fed it to her.
“I…enjoy feeding you. Watching
your lips close around my fork and…”
He inhaled sharply when he felt
her toes slide up the back of his calf.
“If you don’t stop that…we’ll never get through dinner.”
She chuckled as she placed her
foot back on the floor and fed him a forkful of beef and roast carrot. “Then I should stop. Because a dinner this wonderful shouldn’t be
wasted.”
He chewed the meat slowly, his
eyes shining with happiness.
* * *
After a quick check on his
puppy, who was still sleeping and snuggled with her plush Scooby, Giles grabbed
the remote for the stereo and turned it on.
Buffy smiled as he held his hand out to her.
She took his hand and moved into
his arms. “I love this song.”
“I know.” He whispered as he moved his left hand to her
hip. “Dance with me, Buffy.”
As she linked their fingers and held
their linked hands between them against his chest, she looked up into his
eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you.” He sighed as she loosened their fingers and
lightly ran her fingers over the right side of his chest. “It still bothers you.”
Her eyes glistened as she took a
deep breath. “It still scares me…how
close we came to losing you.”
He smiled softly and shook his
head. “But, you saved me, Buffy. If it weren’t for you – ”
“Please, don’t.” She whispered. “I don’t think I can bear hearing that tonight. Let’s just be here…”
He nodded and gently squeezed
her hip as they moved to the music. “I’m
here…with you, our children, our friends.
And I have no intention of being anywhere else but in your arms for the
remainder of the night.”
She smiled as she reached up and
pulled his tie free. “God, I love
dancing with you.”
He grinned and glanced down as
she began unbuttoning his shirt. “You
love dancing with me…or undressing me?”
“Both.” She replied as she leaned forward and placed
a warm kiss on his chest. “Even better
when they’re done at the same time.”
He gently pushed the strap of
her dress over her shoulder, lowering his mouth to her collarbone. She sighed as he lovingly sucked and nipped
at her skin. When she roughly pushed his
shirt off, he lifted his head and smiled.
“Not even half-way through the
dance…”
She nodded as he lowered his
arms, giving her unspoken permission to completely relieve him of his
shirt. “My fault.”
Inhaling sharply as she brushed
her lips over each scar on his chest, he pushed the other strap of her dress
over her shoulder. “How…how is it your
fault?”
Scraping her teeth against his
left nipple, she lightly scratched her nails across his back. “I’ve thought about making love to you all
day. I was well aroused before you even
came home.”
He groaned as she ground her
hips against his erection. “Buffy…if you
keep that up, I’m liable to take you right here.”
She looked up at him and
grinned, rubbing against him even harder.
“And where’s the bad in that?”
His fingers quickly found the
zipper on the back of her dress and slowly lowered it, grazing his fingertips
across her skin as he did so. “Is that
what you’d like, Buffy?”
She shivered as he pushed the
dress down her body. “We don’t really
get all that many chances to…”
Her sentence trailed off as his
fingers brushed the sides of her breasts.
He smiled as she trembled against him.
“You’re so very beautiful,
Buffy.” He whispered as he unclasped her
bra, freeing her breasts. “And I want
nothing more than to make love with you…right now, right here…”
A soft whimper coming from the
couch broke the moment and he sighed heavily.
“Or…perhaps not.”
She leaned forward and dragged
her tongue over his right nipple before lightly blowing on it, smiling as he gasped. “How about…”
She moved her mouth to his left nipple and repeated the action. “You take Callie outside…and I’ll go get the
bed ready…”
Groaning as her mouth warmed his
skin, he slid his right hand to her hip as his left lovingly caressed her breast. “I want you.”
“You’ll have me.” She whispered, moving her hand to the hard
bulge in his trousers. “As soon as our
newest addition is asleep.”
She chuckled softly as he
whimpered. “It’s late, Giles. She’ll go to the bathroom and be back asleep
before you know it.” She gently rubbed
his erection as she flicked her tongue against his nipple. “Let her run from outside to the
bedroom…she’s a tiny baby, it won’t take much.”
“Keep doing that and it’s not
going to take me much either.” Giles
stated matter-of-factly as he pushed his hips against her hand.
Grinning and rubbing him once
more, she took a step back. “Go…and then
come to our room.”
He nodded, allowing his eyes to
travel over her nearly nude body. “I
shan’t be long.”
She laughed as she turned and
made her way down the hall. He took a
deep breath and looked into Callie’s eyes.
He couldn’t help but smile as she stood and wagged her tail.
“Come on then, darling
girl.” He picked her up and kissed her
head. “Please promise me that you’ll go
back to sleep soon…”
Giles laughed as he sat down on
the steps to the front porch. Callie was
currently running in circles, careful not to stray too far from her new
owner. She’d pounce at a cricket, trip over
her feet, roll across the grass, and then look to Giles to make sure he was
still there.
He rubbed his left shoulder and
sighed happily as he watched her. He
glanced down at his bare chest and chuckled.
Here he was sitting on his front porch, wearing a pair of dress
trousers, black leather shoes…and no shirt.
At least his erection had waned somewhat, the cool night air taking care
of that for him.
Not that their neighbours were
out and about anyway.
Furrowing his brow, he lightly
ran his fingers over the scars on his chest.
The Mark of the Thorn that had been burned from his soul stood in high
relief, the darkness of the scar contrasting with his light skin. He swallowed and touched the most recent
patch of marred flesh…the only physical reminder of the bullet that nearly took
his life. Further down his torso, on his
side…the large circle where a lance had pierced him many years earlier.
His body was
scarred…battle-scarred. There were too
many imperfections to count, when he thought about it. The chill wind breezed by him, causing him to
shiver and then grimace. He shook his
left hand and sighed. His broken bones
caused by Angelus had healed, but they still caused him pain when the weather
changed.
Most of Buffy’s scars faded as
they healed. He wasn’t as lucky.
His thoughts were interrupted
when Callie ran up the walkway and put her front paws on the first step. He smiled as she looked up at him and whined.
“Need some help do you, Callie?”
Reaching down, he easily scooped
her up with one hand and placed her on his lap.
“One day, probably very soon, you’ll be bounding up and down these steps
with no problems whatsoever.”
His fingers turned the tag on
her collar. His mobile and work numbers
had already been engraved on the back, the front left untouched.
“Should we have ‘
He stood up and walked back
inside, closing and locking the door behind him. “So, we’ll put you to bed with your Scooby
and you can have a nice, hopefully long, nap.”
He chatted softly to her on the way
to the bedroom, her body draped over his left arm with her head resting in his
palm. Gently scratching her head between
her ears with his right index and middle fingers, he chuckled as she sighed and
closed her eyes.
“That’s my girl.” He cooed as he walked into the bedroom. Glancing at the bed, his mouth dropped
open. “Dear Lord…”
Buffy smiled, her arms drawn up
over her head, her wrists held to the headboard by a pair of handcuffs. “Don’t drop her…”
He swallowed thickly as his eyes
roamed over her body, clad in what looked to be a leather bikini. “Dear Lord…”
He repeated in a lust-filled whisper.
“Giles?” Buffy spoke softly as he continued to stand
there, staring at her as his erection returned quickly.
“Mm?”
A grin formed on her lips. “Why don’t you put Callie into her bed…and
then come to ours? Preferably less
clothed than you are now.” She licked
her lips as his eyes met hers. “As
in…get rid of them for me.”
He nodded numbly and moved
quickly, gently settling Callie into the bed Buffy had set up for her. He smiled as she wrapped a paw around the
Scooby and sighed in her sleep. After
placing a blanket over her, he kicked his shoes off and unbuckled his belt.
He paused as he looked at Buffy
again. Her chest heaved in anticipation
and when she whispered his name in an urgent tone, and then his hands began
working to rid himself of the remainder of his clothing.
Standing next to the bed, his
erection stood out proudly as he moved onto the bed and ran his hand up the
length of her leg. His fingers trembled
as they traced the soft leather bikini bottoms.
“This is new.”
She smiled, lifting her leg and
brushing his erection with her knee.
“Mm-hm. Bought it especially for
tonight. I was hoping you’d like it.”
His fingers moved over her ribs
towards her leather-clad breasts. “I
think ‘like’ is a gross understatement.”
Glancing at her hands when he heard the chain rattle against the
spindles of the headboard, he smiled.
“Leather and handcuffs…tell me, love…what is it that you’re wanting?”
“You.” She replied, her eyes darkening as his
fingertip circled her hardened nipple.
“To do whatever you want…that’s what I want.”
Placing his right knee between
her thighs as he leaned over her, he kissed her chin before nipping her bottom lip
with his teeth. “Where’s the key?”
“Huh?”
He smiled as he ran his right
hand down her side to rest on her hip.
“The key…for the handcuffs. Where
is it?”
Her body arched as he rubbed his
thigh against her core. “But…I thought…”
“Mm-hm.” He mumbled, pressing harder against her. “And I love that you’ve cuffed yourself to
our bed. But…you did say that I could do
anything that I want.”
She gasped at the contact and
could feel the heat of his erection against her skin as he lowered his mouth to
her neck. “Giles…”
He lifted his head, sliding his
right hand back up her body to cup her breast.
“What I want is to feel your arms around me as we make love. I want you to touch me. I want you to have the freedom to move into a
different position if you so choose. And
for me to have what I want…you have to tell me where the key is.”
She stared at him for a moment,
a soft moan escaping her lips as he gently squeezed her breast. “Phone…under the phone…”
Smiling, he leaned over and
pushed the phone out of the way. As he
picked up the key, she raised her head slightly and latched her mouth onto his
left nipple. His fingers curled around
the key as he growled softly.
Her teeth scraped against the
sensitive nub as he pulled back and swallowed.
“Sometimes you make things wonderfully difficult.”
She grinned as he quickly
unlocked the cuffs, tossing them and the key onto the bedside table. “What do you mean by ‘wonderfully
difficult’?”
He returned her grin as she
quickly flipped him over and climbed on top of him, the soft leather rubbing
against his abdomen as she lightly wriggled her hips. “I think you know exactly what I mean, love.”
Sliding his hands up her thighs,
he licked his lips and glanced at her breasts.
“And as much as I love the way you look in that…I really want you
naked.”
Grinning, she rubbed her hands
over his chest. “Then make me naked.”
He sat up, sliding her onto his
lap as he leaned back against the headboard, and stared into her eyes. Her skin flushed even more as she watched his
eyes darken.
“God, I love watching
that…” She whispered as his hands
cradled her face.
“Watching what?”
Reaching between them, she
wrapped her fingers around his erection.
“Your eyes clouding with desire. It’s…it
makes me want to do really naughty things to you…”
He exhaled softly as she began
to stroke him. “What kind of naughty
things?”
Her eyes sparkled as his fingers
began working on the leather top, unclasping the latch on the back. “Wanting me to talk to you, are you?”
“Oh, yes.” He nodded as he pulled the top up, freeing
her breasts. He smiled as she followed
his train of thought, releasing him long enough for him to remove the top
completely.
Before the scrap of leather
could fall from his hands, her fingers returned to his erection. “What would like me to say, Rupert?”
She grinned as he groaned at her
use of his given name, his hips thrusting against her hand. “Would you like me to tell you how much I’d
love to feel your come against my skin?
How I’d love to bring you to orgasm with my mouth and have you pull out
just as you come…splattering my throat or face?”
“Christ…”
“Or how much I love sucking your
come from your tongue after you’ve licked my skin clean?” Using her free hand, she ran her fingers
through his hair and silently urged him to pull one of her hardened nipples
into his mouth.
He complied obediently, running
his warm, soft tongue over the tender nub.
She lightly scratched at the back of his head as she tightened her hand
around his hard shaft.
“That’s it, Giles…God, yes…”
He mumbled incoherently around
her flesh, his hands clutching at her hips as she began to rock in time with
the movement of her hand.
“I want you to come like this,
Giles. Come like this…and then let me
make you hard again so you can come inside of me.”
He groaned and sucked harder,
gently biting her nipple before moving his mouth to the other breast and giving
it the same attention. She gasped at the
sensation and felt his cock thicken in her hand.
“That’s it…God, you’re so
close…I can feel how close you are to coming all over me, Giles…”
He pulled at her nipple, biting
as he sucked. Hearing her groan his
name, feeling her stroke his flesh harder, he shuddered and threw his head back
as he called out her name. His semen
splattered over her abdomen and she released his cock.
His glazed eyes watched as she
lifted her hand to his mouth, tracing his lips with her come-coated
fingers. He murmured softly, pulling her
fingers into his mouth and using his tongue to clean her skin.
She trembled as she watched him,
her eyes trained on his mouth.
“God…Giles…”
He smiled lustfully and rolled
her onto her back, kissing her slowly before moving down her body. She gasped as she felt his tongue drag across
her stomach, collecting the fluid as he hooked his fingers under the edge of
the leather bottoms.
Nuzzling her damp curls as he
pushed the material down her legs, he sighed at the scent of her arousal. “Buffy…”
The leather free from her legs,
she bent her knees as he slid his hands underneath her and tilted her hips
slightly. When he lowered his mouth to
her core, she groaned and grasped the sheets tightly in her hands.
“Yes…oh, God yes…” She breathed heavily as his tongue traced her
wet folds.
He raised his eyes and looked up
at her as he tasted her, suddenly wanting nothing more than to be buried deep
within her. But, she was so close…he
could taste it, feel it, hear it. And
so, he delved in, thrusting his tongue into her as his hands kneaded her
ass.
“Giles!” She screamed, her right hand flying to the
back of his head as her hips bucked against his mouth.
His tongue continued darting
within her, pushing her closer to the edge with each stroke. When she began to grind her hips against him,
he smiled inwardly. He knew what she
wanted and with one final thrust of his tongue, he gave it to her.
He moved quickly, replacing his
tongue with two fingers as his mouth covered her clitoris. Her head thrashed against the pillow, her
nails digging into his scalp as he sucked, licked, and nibbled at her
clit. As his fingers curled and stroked
over her g-spot with each thrust, she began to pant heavily, groaning his name.
Her orgasm hit suddenly, flooding
his fingers with her fluids as her clit throbbed in his mouth. His name echoed in the bedroom, and he
briefly wondered if Callie would wake.
That thought left his mind when he heard her hoarse voice begging him to
be inside of her.
His cock hard once more, he
quickly removed his fingers and moved up her body. Her legs curled around his hips, drawing him
closer. A mutual groan of satisfaction
sounded as he slowly sank into her.
She tasted a mixture of their fluids
as he kissed her, and she was sure she’d never tire of the taste. She gripped his back, feeling his muscles
clench and release as he thrust at a leisurely pace.
Lifting his head, he looked into
her eyes and smiled. “I love you.”
She threw her head back, baring
her throat to him as she came again. He
grunted softly, lowering his mouth and placing warm, sucking kisses to her skin
before licking the sweat from her neck.
“Christ, I love you.” He whispered again, feeling his orgasm build
rapidly.
Her nails scratched at his back
as she moaned, unable to form the words to respond. The bedposts creaked softly as he quickened
his pace. Straightening his arms, he
held himself above her and watched a bead of sweat roll between her
breasts.
Smiling as she watched him watch
her, she moved her hands to cover her breasts, kneading the firm flesh before
pinching the nipples with her fingers.
His arms trembled and he momentarily lost his rhythm.
“Come…” She whispered thickly, pushing her hips
against him to urge him on.
His eyes stared at her hands,
rubbing her breasts together before flicking her nipples with her
fingertips. He gave a guttural groan and
thrust hard, burying himself completely within her as he flooded her inner walls.
His arms finally gave out and he
collapsed on top of her as she came for the third time. She held him tightly, rubbing his back as he
murmured words of affection against her neck.
Carefully, she rolled their bodies, shuddering as his spent cock slipped
from her.
“Love you so much.” She whispered as she stroked his
sweat-drenched hair.
He smiled a sex-drunk smile and
placed a tender kiss on her lips. “Happy
anniversary, Buffy.”
She grinned and rolled him onto
his back. His eyes closed when he felt
her mouth move across his chest.
She wasn’t finished…and he was
sure he wasn’t either. He’d just need a
little more time to recover.
Buffy smiled as she rolled off
of him and collapsed by his side. She could
feel his heart pounding in his chest as she ran her fingers through the mixture
of sweat and bodily fluids matting his chest hair to his skin.
“You okay?”
He nodded slowly as he tried to
keep his eyes open. “Completely
buggered.”
Kissing his shoulder before
resting her head on it, she inhaled deeply.
“Maybe we should get some rest.”
“Mm.” He mumbled, his exhaustion already pushing
him towards sleep.
His eyes opened when he felt the
bed shift. “Where’re going?”
She grinned at his slurred question. “I’m going to take Callie out…I’ll be right
back.”
“She ‘wake?”
She shook her head as she
slipped into her robe. “No, but if I
take her now maybe she’ll sleep the rest of the night…and so can we.”
“Mm.” He responded, his eyes closing again. “Quick-like…”
She bent down and kissed his
forehead. “Yeah, I’ll be
quick-like. Rest, Giles.”
* * *
Her plan worked, the sleepy
puppy waking up long enough to go to the bathroom and then falling back asleep
almost instantly. Buffy carried her back
into the bedroom and settled her in the bed before draping a light blanket over
her.
She chuckled softly when she
heard a soft snore come from the bed she shared with her husband. Shedding her robe and dropping it to the
floor, she slipped under the blankets and moved next to him.
He stirred, rolling onto his
side and placing his hand on her stomach.
Sighing softly, he murmured ‘I love you’ as he sleepily nuzzled her
neck. As his fingers began to gently rub
her stomach, she trailed her fingertips over his forearm.
“Giles?”
“Mm?”
Knowing he wasn’t entirely
awake, she turned her face towards him and whispered. “Sometimes I wish I could give you another
baby.”
His fingers paused their
movement and his eyes snapped open. “I’m
sorry?”
She swallowed and took a deep
breath. “I was just thinking about our
wedding night…and how we made love all night, kinda like tonight.”
He resumed the action of lightly
rubbing his fingers against her skin.
“Yes?”
“That ended with us conceiving
Ru.”
“Yes. Yes, it did.”
His brow furrowed as his exhausted mind tried to follow. “Are you...do you want another baby, Buffy?”
She sighed heavily. “We can’t have another baby.”
“Not in the traditional
manner.” He agreed softly. “But…there are other options.”
She looked into his eyes and
shook her head. “We only ever talked
about having four. We have our four.”
“I’m confused.”
Rolling onto her side and facing
him, she ran her fingers through his still-damp hair. “Evan is at the age when we would start to
talk about having another…and we’re not having that discussion this time
because that choice was taken from us.”
“Buffy…” He whispered as concern filled his eyes.
She offered him a tender smile,
leaning forward to kiss his lips. “It’s
not that I want another baby. It’s more
that I wish we had the choice of having another. I mean…if you decided you wanted another one,
I wouldn’t be able to – ”
He cut her off with a gentle
shake of his head. “I have everything I
could ever want, Buffy.”
“I just wish that decision
hadn’t been taken from us, that’s all.”
He smiled warmly and lifted his
hand to her cheek. “I understand. But, please know…I wish for nothing more than
your love and the happiness of our children.”
Tears filled her eyes and he
sighed softly, brushing his thumb over her cheek. “And that was intended to make you feel
better, not to make you cry.”
“I love you so much, Giles.”
“And I love you, Buffy…more than
I could ever hope to verbally express.
I’ve tried, but the words just don’t seem to – ”
She interrupted him with a
smile, pulling him closer for a kiss.
“Sometimes, you really do use too many words, honey.”
He had just enough time to
return her smile before her mouth covered his.
Though his body was tired and sore, as her tongue nudged into his mouth
he realized that making love to her one more time tonight wouldn’t exactly kill
him.
* * *
Giles was nearly two hours later
than normal as he walked through the front doors of the Council building,
Callie bouncing happily beside of him.
He chuckled as he looked down at her, a large cushioned dog bed under
his left arm and the fingers of his left hand looped through a bag containing
toys, food and water bowls, and a small bag of puppy food.
“Stairs or lift, Callie?”
Callie perked her ears, tilting
her head to one side as she looked up at him.
With a slight nod, mainly to himself after ascertaining that it would be
too difficult to carry her and the newly purchased items up the stairs, he
walked over to the elevator and pushed the button.
Callie jumped, putting her left
front paw on Giles’ right foot as the doors slid open. Giles laughed softly.
“It’s alright, little one. Come and see.”
He stepped into the lift and held
the door open as Callie cautiously made her way inside. As the doors slid shut and the elevator
started to move, the puppy whimpered and pressed her body against Giles’
leg. Bending down, he gently stroked her
back as he told her not to worry.
When the elevator stopped and
the door slid back open, Callie gave a tiny growl. Giles shook his head in amusement as he
stepped out, Callie hot on his heels.
She followed him down the hall, pausing once in a while to sniff the
air.
Giles opened his office door and
ushered her in before pulling a tennis ball out of the bag and rolling it
across the floor. As she chased it, he
wondered if he should’ve chosen a darker color of carpet when the midnight blue
had been replaced by a moss green.
He pushed the thought aside,
content to watch his puppy push the tennis ball around the room with her
nose. When she nudged the ball against
his foot, he laughed and gently kicked it for her. Callie chased it again, tripping over her
feet and rolling across the floor. Giles
grinned brightly and then began setting up Callie’s bed behind his desk.
He had just come out of the
bathroom attached to his office with a bowl of fresh water in his hand when the
office door opened.
“You’re here earlier than I
was…” She glanced at the bowl and
furrowed her brow. “Why are you carrying
a bowl of water?”
Just as Giles was getting ready
to answer her, Callie yipped and bounded across the room, her tail
wagging.
“Oh my God, you have a puppy!”
Giles chuckled as Callie ran to
her, sniffing her hands before licking them.
Placing the bowl on the floor next to Callie’s toy box and tossing a few
toys into the bed, he smiled warmly.
“Willow, meet Callie.”
Giles nodded as he stretched his
tired muscles. “Apparently so.” He sighed happily as Callie yawned. “Come on, Callie…let’s have a nap, yes?”
Hearing Giles’ voice, Callie got
up and ran to him, waiting for a pat on the head before she jumped into the
bed.
“How were the children last
night?”
“That sounds like Lucas.” Giles laughed and sat down in his chair.
“Thank you again for watching them last night.”
“Mm, I am. I considered taking the day off entirely, but
there’s some rather urgent paperwork that I need to go through today.”
“Thank you.” He replied as he noticed
Giles lowered his hand and
looked at the door when it opened. Ethan
came in and grinned as he looked at Giles’ ear.
“You owe me ten quid,
mate.” He announced brightly before his
grin widened. “And it looks like you had a good night.”
Giles rolled his eyes and looked
at
“Ooh, a puppy. Buffy got you a boxer? That explains all of the questions a few
months back.” Ethan spoke quickly as he
walked around the edge of the desk.
Giles narrowed his eyes. “You wake her up, you have to take her
outside.”
Ethan stopped in his tracks and
shook his head. “I’m not going to wake
her up, Rupert. Just want to have a
look. What’s ‘er name, anyway?”
“Callie.” Giles responded quietly as he stared at
Ethan. “Are you alright?”
Ethan looked at Giles and
smiled. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”
“Rapid speech, slightly dilated
pupils, and you look a little flushed.
Magic?”
Ethan chuckled and took a deep
breath. “Maybe a little. I remembered a spell we used to use back in
the day. The one we used that night when
those three young things came home with us and we – ”
Giles’ eyes widened in alarm as
he interrupted his friend quickly. “Um,
yes. Yes, I remember.”
Ethan gave him a wink. “In case you’re curious…still as potent as it
was back then. Even more so when only
two people are using it instead of five.”
* * *
Buffy had come in with a packed
lunch as a surprise. Giles looked up
from the papers on his desk as she walked in, a smile spreading across his
face.
“Hello.”
“Hey.” She gestured towards the window and
smiled. “Beautiful day today. I was thinking maybe lunch in the courtyard? Callie would enjoy playing in the sun…”
He glanced down at the puppy who
had just opened her eyes at the sound of Buffy’s voice. Nodding as he met Buffy’s eyes, he pushed his
chair back.
“Sounds wonderful.”
She glanced at the dark bruise
peeking out above his collar as he gathered a few of Callie’s toys. She sighed softly as she felt a wave of
arousal wash over her. Hearing the sigh,
Giles looked at her curiously.
“Everything alright?”
“Mm-hm. Just thinking.”
He smiled as he made his way
over to her, toys in his left hand and Callie right behind him. “What were you thinking?”
She knew that he could sense her
arousal, just as she could sense his.
Her eyes closed as his right hand cradled the side of her face and he
brushed his lips across hers.
“That maybe we could spend some
time together…after lunch. Maybe lock the door and just…” She cleared her throat and took a deep
breath. “If you’re not overly busy.”
He smiled, kissing her again
before Callie made it known that she was more than ready to go outside.
“I’m not ‘overly busy’.”
Buffy grinned widely. “Then let’s have lunch and play with Callie.”
Chuckling, he bent down and
scooped the puppy up. Ten years of
marriage…as of today, they were starting their eleventh.
And she still surprised him day
after day.
~ End