Title: In Somno
Author: Froxyn
Rating: FRAO
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Synopsis: A demon attack offers some clarity.
Timeline: Sometime after season 5, but mainly it’s AU.
Author’s
Notes: Special thanks to wyvernwolf and laurtew for having a look at this for
me. I really do appreciate both of you!
She ran up
the stairs, stopping suddenly when she saw
“What
happened to him?”
Xander
shook his head slowly. “I don’t
know. We came over to help with
research. We didn’t even know he was
actually home until we heard him moan.
He didn’t answer us, so…we came up and this is how we found him.”
Buffy
walked over to the side of the bed, inhaling deeply. “You couldn’t wake him up?”
“No, we
tried, but…”
Giles
moaned softly, prompting Buffy to reach out and touch his forehead. He shifted slightly, but remained lying on
his stomach with the sheet resting at his waist.
“He’s
burning up.” Her eyes stared at his
back. “Something…bit him.”
“We cleaned
it out the best we could.”
Buffy
nodded as she lowered her eyes and stared at the star-shaped wound on his
back. His fingers tightened on the
pillow and he moaned again. But, he
still slept.
“Research. We need to research.” She looked up, the fear showing clearly in
her eyes. “All we have to go on is the
bite, so we’ll start there.”
Xander
nodded silently and made his way down the stairs.
“We’ll
figure out what’s wrong and how to fix it, okay?”
Buffy
nodded and then glanced towards the bookshelf in the corner of the room. “I’m going to start going through the books
up here.”
At Buffy’s
slight nod,
“I wish
you’d wake up, Giles.”
When he
made no movement, she opened the first book and began to flip through it.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Three hours
later, she looked up when she heard two pairs of feet running up the
stairs. Her eyes widened expectantly as
they raced into the room, Xander holding a book tightly in his hands.
“I think we
found it, Buffy.”
Buffy jumped
off the bed and quickly scanned the pages that Xander held open for her. Her eyes narrowed as she turned the
page. “A Krishnik demon?”
“So, this
demon bites him and…what? Puts him to
sleep?”
Xander took
a deep breath. “Not exactly. It sends him into a fantasy world. But, not just any fantasy world. It brings life to the fantasies in his
head…and that’s where he stays.”
Buffy
stared at her friend. “What do you mean
‘that’s where he stays’?”
Xander
glanced over at Giles and swallowed hard.
“The only way to bring him back to reality is for the main aspect of the
fantasy playing in his head to be re-enacted here…in reality.”
“What?” Buffy whispered softly. “How are we supposed to do that? We don’t know what’s going on in his head. So…if we can’t re-enact it, he just…his body
stays here and his soul is out living a fantasy life?”
Buffy
clenched her fists and fought back her tears.
“He’s going to die?”
Xander
looked away from Giles and stared at the floor.
“If we can’t figure out what’s in his head, yeah.”
Buffy
stared at him for a moment and then began to pace, her anger growing
quickly. “How the hell am I supposed to
figure out what’s in his head? It could
be anything. He could be fantasizing
about cataloguing books for all we know!”
Buffy
stopped pacing, swinging around to face
“I can do
it. I can go into his mind, see what
he’s fantasizing about and then come back and tell you. I went into your mind when we had to bring
you back…”
Buffy’s
thoughts raced in her head. Knowing
there was no other way, she lifted her watery eyes to
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
She made
her way to the house, unable to stop the smile from appearing on her face as
she heard the gleeful chirping of birds.
She lifted her hand to knock on the door and then stopped herself,
choosing to simply open the door. If he
asked why she hadn’t knocked, she would just tell him that it was habit.
The door
swung open silently and she walked in.
She heard soft music playing from an indeterminate source and then heard
a soft giggle. She tilted her head, her
eyes widening when she heard a familiar voice speak Giles’ name in
amusement. She followed the sound of
soft laughter up the stairs, stopping in front of a door and listened
carefully.
The
laughter had stopped. However, a soft
moan could be heard clearly from behind the door. She opened the door, her mouth dropping open
at the sight before her.
Giles and
Buffy. On the bed. Naked.
His face
was buried in the crook of her neck. Her
legs were wrapped around him. And her
moans were growing in intensity as he rocked his hips against her slowly. Her nails scratched along his back as she met
each of his thrusts with her own.
“Close,
Giles…oh, God…don’t stop…”
He lifted
his head and smiled down at her before placing a soft kiss on her lips. “I love you, Buffy.”
“You
too…love you…”
He pushed
himself up, supporting his weight with his hands on either side of her torso,
and increased his pace. Sweat dripped
from his chest onto hers.
“Come for
me, Buffy.” His voice was gravelly with
lust. He bit his lip as she tightened her
legs around him and bucked her hips towards him. “Christ!
Just like that…keep going…come for me…”
Her nails
dug into his shoulder blades as his name left her lips on a scream of
ecstasy. He continued thrusting
throughout her orgasm, calling out her name when he finally fell over the edge
and emptied himself into her.
He
collapsed by her side and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against
his chest as he gasped. “My God, Buffy.”
“Mm-hm…”
“Each time we
make love, I think it can’t get any better.”
He dropped a kiss onto her sweat-drenched hair. “And then…it does…every time it’s better…”
“You
shouldn’t be here.”
He smiled
and nodded towards the door. “I
apologize for you seeing…um…” He
shrugged his shoulders. “I really wasn’t
expecting any visitors.”
“You were
attacked by a demon.” She blurted.
“Mm. Yes, I do remember that. It caught me off-guard. Nasty creature. I’m not sure what it was, but…I’m rather sure
it bit me. Decapitation worked wonders
on him though. However, I…I don’t
remember much afterwards.”
“It was a
Krishnik demon.”
He chuckled
softly and gestured at their surroundings.
“Well, that certainly explains all of this.”
Hearing the
soft moans begin again behind the door,
“Pardon?”
“In the
book…it said that the Krishnik transfers your mind into your main fantasy. Essentially allowing you to live a fantasy
life.”
“Oh.” He glanced at the door when he heard his own
voice call out Buffy’s name. He motioned
towards the stairs with a tilt of his head.
“Since you’re here, we should probably talk.”
She
followed him into the living room and sat down on the couch, her eyes wandering
along the walls adorned with pictures.
“So…sex with Buffy is your fantasy?”
He cleared
his throat and shoved his hands into his pockets. “No.
Well, yes. Sort of.” When
At that
moment, a young boy ran into the room and wrapped his arms around Giles’
leg. “Daddy! Kevin’s being mean to me!”
Giles
smiled and knelt down in front of the boy.
“What’s he doing?”
“He keeps
saying that…” The boy suddenly looked up
and stared at
The boy’s
eyes lit up. “Oh, you’re Mummy’s
friend! My name is David. David Acton Giles.”
David
grinned at his father. “Really? I can tell him that?”
Giles
chuckled. “Yes, you can tell him
that. And, tell him that I’m very
serious about it.”
David
giggled happily and ran out of the room, calling out a ‘goodbye’ to
“My fantasy
seems to revolve around Buffy and I falling in love, getting married, and
having children.” He glanced around the
room and sighed. “This is the life I
dream about.”
“How long
have you been thinking about this?”
He lowered
his eyes and exhaled slowly. “Far too
long.”
They both turned
towards the door as it opened. Giles
smiled as Buffy walked through the door, followed by another version of
himself.
She
narrowed her eyes. “Why can you? And…David?”
“To be
honest, I’m not sure. I know why you and
I have the ability to communicate, but I’m rather perplexed about the fact that
you were able to communicate with my son.”
He glanced towards the other Giles and Buffy and smiled. “This was our first date.”
“I…uh, I
had a wonderful time, Buffy.”
She smiled
and held his gaze. “Me too. Would you like some tea?”
“I..I
should probably go. But, I would very
much like to take you out again.”
She tilted
her head. “Why should you go?”
He lifted
his hand and touched her cheek. “Because
I want nothing more than to stay.”
She stepped
closer to him, reaching up to run her finger along his jawline. “Then…stay.”
“Buffy, I…”
She leaned
up and pressed a soft kiss to his lips before pulling back and looking into his
eyes. “We both know what we want,
Giles. You know that I’m in love with
you. Why make ourselves wait any
longer?”
He
hesitated only a moment before covering her mouth with his and pulling her body
tight against him.
Chapter
Two
Buffy
paced back and forth across the bedroom.
“God, what’s taking so long?”
Xander
smiled sadly. “Big brain, lot of
information to get through in there, I guess.”
She
stopped by the bedside and looked down at him.
With a trembling hand, she reached out and brushed her fingers through
his sweat-dampened hair. When he moaned
softly, she knelt down beside of him.
“Come on,
Giles. Please wake up.”
He shifted
in his sleep, his fingers gripping the sheets again briefly before relaxing
once more. When he didn’t open his eyes,
Buffy didn’t stop the tears from spilling onto her cheek.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~
Giles and
“What are
you planning to do, Willow?”
“According
to the information we found, this…spell or whatever it is…can be broken once
the main aspect of the fantasy is carried out in reality.” She glanced towards the house and continued. “If it doesn’t happen, then you’ll stay here. And…your body will die.”
He took a
deep breath and offered her a sad smile.
“Then I suppose we should say our goodbyes now.”
Her head
snapped towards him. “What? You’re just going to give up?”
He sat
down on the grass and stared across the land.
“She can never know.”
She sat
down beside of him and crossed her legs.
“Giles, I know this is hard.
But…we can’t lose you. I can go
back, explain things to her, and then she can…you know…and you can come back.”
He turned
his head slowly. “She can what?”
“Sex with
me?” He shook his head as she
nodded. “You said that it needed to be
the main aspect of the fantasy.”
“Yeah. If it’s…”
“Sex with
Buffy isn’t the main aspect of this fantasy,
When he
turned back to her,
“She can
never know. She can’t bring me out of
this place,
“You’ll
die here, Giles.”
He gave
her a small grin and placed the clover into her hand. “Please give this to her. Tell her that I’m okay. Tell her that she’s not to blame for being
unable to help. Tell her…” His grin faltered as his eyes began to
glisten. “Tell her to be careful and
that I’ll miss her terribly.”
“Giles…”
He stood
up and shook his head. “You should go
now,
“Tell
Xander that the Jaffa Cakes are hidden in the top cabinet…behind the mushy
peas.” He waited until she nodded and
smiled back at him. “And Willow? Thank you.”
He turned
quickly and made his way up the hill, laughing happily as Buffy jumped into his
arms and kissed him lovingly.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~
Hearing
“He…he
wanted you to have this.”
“
“
Xander
leaned forward and wiped his eyes.
“Will, we have to help him.”
“He, uh…he
said that the Jaffa Cakes are in the top cabinet behind the mushy peas.”
Xander
stood, his eyes suddenly dark with fury.
“I don’t give a damn about Jaffa Cakes!
I give a damn about getting Giles back!”
“He’s
happy where he is.”
A sob
caught in Buffy’s throat. “I’m not.”
“What?”
“He’s
going to kill you for what?”
“I can
bring him back, can’t I?” When
“Do you
love him?”
Buffy
jerked back around to face
Xander
narrowed his eyes. “Where are you going
with this, Will?”
She held
up a hand, requesting him to be quiet, as she looked into Buffy’s eyes. “Are you?”
Buffy
nodded slowly. “I am…have been for so
long now.”
Buffy’s
eyes widened. “How?”
“Go to
him. Tell him what’s in your heart.”
“What was
his fantasy?”
As
* * *
Buffy
swallowed the lump in her throat as she turned back towards the bed. She knelt down beside the bed and watched him
for a moment. She smiled softly,
recognizing for the first time that he actually did look happy as he slept.
“Giles? I don’t know if you can hear me, but…there’s
something I need to say to you.” She
reached up and lightly brushed her fingers through his hair. “
His brow
furrowed slightly and she ran her finger across the crease it made.
“Do you
honestly think that I couldn’t love you?
You’d be willing to let yourself die so that you could stay in a fantasy
world where we’re together? Damn it,
Giles…is it so unbelievable to you that I’d feel the same as you that
you’d…” She sniffled and wiped the back
of her hand across her eyes.
“I love
you Giles. I really do love you. And…not in the ‘you’re my Watcher and I love
you for being there for me every time I screw up’ kind of way. I love you in the ‘I don’t think I’d survive
without you because you’re everything I think about’ kind of way. I’m in love with you, Giles. I have been for so long and I just didn’t know
how to tell you. Please come back to
me. Let me show you how much in love
with you I am. Please…”
She leaned
forward and brushed her lips across his.
He moaned softly and as his lips parted, she deepened the kiss. Feeling his lips begin to respond to hers,
she reached down and entwined her fingers with his. She gently pulled back from the kiss and
looked down at his face.
Her voice
was a mere whisper when she spoke.
“Please come back to me.”
Her eyes
darted to their enjoined hands when she felt his fingers lightly squeeze
hers. “Giles?”
His
eyelids fluttered and he inhaled deeply.
“Buffy…”
New tears
streamed down her face as she let go of his hand and wrapped her arms around
him. “Oh, God…Giles…”
She peppered
kisses across his cheeks before pulling back and looking into his eyes. “I thought I’d lost you for good that time.”
He
grimaced as he tried to roll onto his back.
“Ow…”
“Oh,
yeah…big bite mark back there. Let me
help you, okay?”
When she
had gotten him settled onto his back, he glanced down and noticed that his
chest was bare. As he shifted his lower
body, he realized that it wasn’t only his chest that was bare. He looked up at Buffy as his hand held the
sheet in place.
“Buffy…what
did you do?”
“Huh?” She furrowed her brow in confusion.
He
gestured towards the sheet and blushed lightly.
“I, uh…I seem to be rather…unclothed.”
“You’re
na…” She shook her head as she finally
understood his question. “No, Giles…I
didn’t do…that. I only told you some
stuff and then I…um, I didn’t want to have sex with you…”
“No,
no…it’s alright…”
“While you
were asleep.”
His eyes
widened as her words filtered into his brain.
“I’m sorry?”
She smiled
and climbed onto the bed beside him. “Well,
that would’ve been a violation of some kind, I think. Besides…it’d probably be more fun if you were
more involved.”
“You,
uh…what?”
She
laughed and laid her hand on his chest.
“Do you have any idea how completely adorable you can be at times?”
“Well…no,
actually. ‘Adorable’ isn’t a word I’ve
heard used to describe me…”
“Now you
have.” She tilted her head
slightly. “Do you remember…um…did you
hear what I said to you? You know…before
you woke up?”
“I,
uh…yes, I believe so.”
Her eyes shifted
until they were staring at her hand.
“So, uh…you know that I love you?
That…I’m in love with you?”
“Yes.” He whispered gently.
She closed
her eyes for a split second and inhaled slowly.
“And…you know that I, uh…I kissed you?”
“Yes. I…have a very vivid memory of that
occurrence.”
She licked
her lips and glanced at his face.
“And…do you know that I want to…again?
Um, kiss you again?”
“I was
hopeful.” He held her gaze and lifted
his hand to the side of her face. “I
rather wish you would. Kiss me again,
that is.”
“Really?”
“Undoubtedly.”
“Will you
be one hundred percent proactive boy this time?”
He grinned
up at her, sliding his hand behind her neck.
“I’m hardly a boy, Buffy.
However, I do promise to be one hundred percent proactive.”
He gently
pulled her down, pressing his lips against hers as if tasting her for the first
time. When he felt her lips part
slightly, he nudged his tongue into her mouth.
She groaned into his mouth, sliding her tongue along his before sucking
it hungrily.
His left
hand tangled in her hair, his right pressed flat against her back as he pulled
her body flush with his. She smiled at
his soft whimper of protest as she slowly ended the kiss and lifted her body
from his.
“Mm…you really
were proactive b…um…man.”
He
chuckled softly and traced her lips with his thumb. “I…don’t want to stop…”
“Me
neither. But…there are two people
downstairs who are really worried about you.”
He glanced
towards the staircase and nodded. “Yes, I
suppose I should…”
“We
should.”
He smiled
and then glanced down at the sheet covering his body. “Um, would you, perhaps uh…well…would you
care to find me some clothes?”
She
grinned and gave him a soft kiss.
“T-shirt and sweats okay with you?”
“That
should be sufficient.”
She
laughed and slid out of the bed. He
smiled in contentment as he watched her search through his closet for a
suitable change of clothes.
Chapter
Three
Xander and
“Giles!”
Giles
chuckled as Xander made his way to him.
Xander looked unsure for a moment, until Giles gently touched his
shoulder.
“Hello,
Xander.”
Tears
formed in Xander’s eyes. “You really
scared me that time, G-Man. This was way
worse than Emily Post bashing you in the head.”
Giles
smiled warmly at the young man. “What
have I told you about calling me that horrid name?”
Xander grinned
at him and wiped his eyes. “Well, you
don’t go off into fantasy land again and I won’t call you G-Man again. Deal?”
Giles
laughed as he nodded. “I think I can
agree to those terms.” He turned his
eyes towards
Buffy
squeezed Giles’ hand. “You two go
talk. I’m gonna read up on this Krishnik
demon thing…you know, make sure there’s no long-term side effects or anything. Last thing I want is to have you wake up in
fantasy land again.”
Giles
smirked. “You’re going to research?”
Buffy
laughed lightly. “Yeah, don’t get used
to it. I might even have tea ready for
you when you come back in.”
Giles
raised an eyebrow, a smile forming on his face.
“Research and tea?”
“Yeah, and
maybe…” She glanced at their friends and
cleared her throat. “Yeah…go talk with
Will.”
Giles
laughed and tilted his head towards the back door as he met
She sat
down on one of the cast-iron chairs and wrung her hands nervously. Giles sat
across the table from her and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
“Willow…”
“I know
you didn’t want me to tell her, Giles.
But you didn’t see her face when I gave her your message. It wasn’t a look of ‘my friend is dying and
there’s nothing I can do’. It was a look
of complete devastation. She looked like
her entire world was being ripped out from under her. I didn’t know what else to do. I mean – ”
His soft
voice interrupted her rambling explanation.
“It’s okay,
“I told
her you were going to kill me.”
He
chuckled softly and shook his head.
“I’ve no intention of killing you.
Or even yelling at you, for that matter.
I would, however, like to know what you did tell her.”
“Oh.”
Giles
smiled and shook his head. “That’s not
exactly what I meant.” He looked down
and picked a leaf from the table. “Did
you tell her what you saw?”
“Oh! Oh, no.”
Her blush deepened when he looked back up at her. “No…”
“But, she
knows. That part of the fantasy involved
her and I…um…”
“Yeah, I
guess. I mean…I said that there were
dates and marriage and kids. She knows
how babies are made.” She visibly
relaxed when he laughed. “I didn’t go
into detail about it. I thought that
should be between the two of you.”
“Thank
you.”
They were
quiet for a few moments before
“I do have
a question though.” When he met her
eyes, she smiled and continued.
“David…he was like a little you.
English accent and everything.”
Giles
grinned. “Yes. Kevin was just like his mother. Pure Californian. I wish you’d had the chance to meet him as
well. When David was born, I instilled
as much English behaviour into him as I possibly could. They were good boys…I, uh…I’m finding that I
miss them very much.”
“Are you
okay with being back here?”
“I
am. My life with Buffy will never be the
utopia it was in my fantasy. But…she
does love me. And that is something that
I’m quite eager to explore.”
“Hey,
Giles?”
Giles
turned towards the soft voice in the doorway and smiled. “Yes, Buffy?”
“I found
something you might want to have a look at.”
He pushed
his chair back and stood, wincing lightly as he stretched his back. “You researched and found something?”
Buffy
rolled her eyes. “Funny. And...don’t think I missed the grimace. Are you alright?”
“Yes, it
just feels a bit...tight. As if the skin
is pulling as it heals.”
“Yeah...that’s
why you need to come in and have a look at this.”
Giles
smiled as Buffy walked back into the house.
He turned towards
His smile
grew and he placed his hand on her shoulder.
“We were never not okay,
She
grinned up at him and exhaled deeply.
“Good, ‘cause...I don’t like the thought of us not being okay. So...let’s go see what your...Buffy...found.”
Giles
chuckled and ushered her through the door, following her in and closing the
door behind them. His eyes landed on
Xander, happily munching on a Jaffa Cake.
He raised an eyebrow when Xander looked up at him.
“Top
cabinet, behind the mushy peas.” He
gestured towards
Giles
shook his head in amusement and walked over to the table where Buffy was seated
with a book lying open in front of her.
He placed one hand on the back of her chair and the other on the table,
leaning over to read the page.
Buffy
looked up at him, a worried expression on her face. “Does this mean what I think it means?”
“Hm. Yes, I believe so.” He looked over at
Giles
moved over to the bookshelf and pulled another volume down, quickly flipping
through the pages. He scanned the page and
ran his hand through his hair.
“Dried
gallea, golden thyme, crushed juniper, and...I have alcohol.” He looked up to find Willow staring at him
through wide eyes. “I think that should
do it.”
“What’s
going on?”
“We need
to make a greshberg.”
Xander
swallowed his mouthful of sweets and glanced up. “Well, that doesn’t sound very tasty.”
Giles gave
him a half-smile. “Considering that this
mixture isn’t meant to be edible, I would say it wouldn’t be ‘tasty’.”
Xander
narrowed his eyes and leaned forward, dropping the half-empty box of Jaffa
Cakes onto the coffee table. “Okay, I’m
with Will on the whole ‘what’s going on?’ thing.”
Giles
looked down at Buffy and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You found it.”
Buffy
sighed heavily and turned towards their friends. “Okay, so apparently this Krishnik demon
leaves some of the, uh...” She glanced
back down at the book. “...clarys in the
wound. The wound heals over quickly,
trapping the clarys in the open cavity left by the bite.”
She
cleared her throat and looked back up.
“The clarys is the stuff that put him into fantasy land. If it isn’t removed, there’s a good chance he
could end up back there. And if he goes
back, it’s gonna be a lot harder to bring him out of it.”
Xander nodded
slowly. “Which would be bad, no doubt.”
Giles
smiled softly. “Yes, it rather
would. We’ll grind the herbs coarsely
and mix it with alcohol until it becomes a paste. And then...the wound needs to be packed with
the mixture. With the help of a minor
spell, the paste will draw out the remaining clarys and then the wound can heal
normally.”
Xander
paled. “Why do I get the feeling that
this isn’t going to be a fun-filled time had by all?”
Willow
sighed and folded the piece of paper, placing it in her pocket as she grabbed
her bag. “Because it’s going to be
pretty painful for him.”
Giles
nodded slowly, pulling Buffy out of her chair and leading her to the
couch. “Yes, however it is
necessary.” He sat down and tugged on Buffy’s
hand until she sat down beside of him as he looked into Willow’s eyes. “I’ll get the spell ready while you’re
gone. All you’ll need to do is chant the
few lines as you’re applying the mixture.”
Willow
gave him a nod of understanding and ran to the door. As the door closed behind her, Buffy looked
up at Giles.
“Why can’t
things be easy for us?”
Xander
shrugged his shoulders. “Watcher/Slayer
stuff is never easy.” He held out the
packet of Jaffa Cakes and smiled thinly.
“Jaffa Cake?”
Giles
shook his head lightly and wrapped his arm around Buffy, holding her tightly
against him.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~
Buffy’s
eyes widened as Giles poured the alcohol into the ground mixture. “That’s...that’s going to burn like hell.”
“Yes, it
will.” Giles mixed the ingredients
carefully until the consistency was right.
He handed the bowl to Willow and sat down, pulling his t-shirt over his
head and handing it to Buffy before turning his back to Willow and leaning over
the arm of the couch.
Willow bit
her lip as she studied the wound. “Um,
Giles...it’s already started to scab.”
Giles took
a deep breath. “I was afraid of
that. It explains the tightness I was
experiencing earlier.” He glanced over
his shoulder and met Willow’s eyes.
“You’ll have to pull the scabs off...and then pack the wound with the
paste.”
“Oh,
Jesus...” Xander wrapped his arms around
his stomach. “I think I’m gonna be
sick...”
Giles
calmly turned his head and looked at the young man. “If you prefer, you can wait outside.”
Xander
turned a light shade of green, nodded and quickly made his way out the back
door. Giles looked into Buffy’s eyes and
opened his mouth. She stopped him before
he could utter a single syllable.
“I’m not
going anywhere.”
He gave her
an appreciative nod as she knelt beside of him.
She took hold of his hand and squeezed it gently. When he returned the light squeeze, she
looked at Willow.
“Okay, the
quicker we get started, the quicker it’s over and done with.”
Willow
exhaled slowly and placed her hands on his back. She gently pulled at the skin, testing to see
if the scabs would break on their own.
When they didn’t, she hesitated for a second.
Giles took
a deep breath. “Just pull them off as
quickly as you can, Willow. As if you’re
removing a band-aid.”
Willow
shuddered and bit her lip. “This is so
not fun.” She was able to lift the edge
of the first scab up with her fingernail enough to grasp it firmly. “Okay, are you ready?”
Giles
closed his eyes and gave her a quick nod.
His hand
tightened around Buffy’s, a groan of pain escaping his lips, as Willow ripped
the scab from his back. He leaned
forward over the arm of the couch and inhaled sharply.
“Bloody...hell!”
“I’m
sorry, Giles!”
Hearing
Willow’s panicked voice, he shook his head.
“No...it has to be done. Go...”
By the
time Willow had peeled the fifth and final scab from his back, blood was
pouring freely from the wound and his upper body was covered in a layer of
perspiration. Buffy combed her fingers
through his damp hair and placed a soft kiss on his forehead as Willow pressed
a towel to his back in an effort to stem the blood flow.
“Giles? Are you okay?” Buffy whispered softly as she kissed his
cheek.
“Oh,
yes.” He lifted his head and gave her a
weak smile. “Never better.”
Buffy
offered him a smile and shook her head.
“Liar.”
“Are you
done yet?” Xander asked as he poked his
head into the living room. Seeing the
blood soaked towel pressed against Giles’ back, he groaned. “Oh, good God.”
Willow
stared at him. “I’ll come get you when
we’re done, okay? This is the important
part.”
Xander
nodded numbly and stumbled back out the door.
Willow sighed heavily and lifted the bowl to her lap. She glanced down at the piece of paper on which
Giles had written the words to the spell and removed the towel from his back.
“Okay...when
you’re ready.”
Buffy held
a hand up in a silent request for Willow to wait, but didn’t take her eyes off
of Giles. “Hey, Giles?”
“Yes?”
“Look at
me for a minute.”
He opened
his eyes and inhaled slowly. “Buffy...”
She
caressed his cheek and shook her head.
“It didn’t say...in the book...it didn’t say it was definite. It said there was a chance it could happen. If you want...”
He shook
his head quickly. “No. I can’t take that risk, Buffy. It’s a few minutes of pain to guarantee that
the clarys is removed. I can’t not
finish this.”
She was
quiet for a moment and then nodded. “I
love you.”
His eyes
brightened and a smile tugged at his lips.
“I love you too.”
She leaned
forward, placing a soft kiss on his lips as she entwined her fingers with
his. She looked into his eyes, but spoke
softly to her best friend.
“Okay,
Will.”
As Willow
began chanting the words of the spell, Giles closed his eyes. Buffy whispered tender words of encouragement
into his ear as Willow dipped her hand into the gluggy paste. His fingers dug into Buffy’s hand as Willow
smeared the paste into the wound.
He inhaled
sharply, but did not utter a single word or even a groan. Buffy felt his body tremble as Willow
continued the spell. Only when she had
finished chanting did he cry out in pain.
“You’re
doing well, Giles.” Buffy whispered.
“Fucking...hell...” He ground out between gasps.
Willow
continued to fill in the wound with the mixture as quickly as she could. With one final sweep of her hand, she pulled
back and looked towards Buffy.
“Okay,
that’s it.”
Buffy
nodded and kissed Giles’ temple as his body continued to shake. “All done, honey.”
He lifted
his head weakly and released her hand.
“That...was the worst...of it.
It’s, uh...the pain...it’s ebbing.”
Buffy
grabbed a clean towel and gently wiped the sweat from his face. “Good.
Should you lie down? Or...are you
alright to sit up?”
“I, uh...I
think I’ll just stay here. Once it
sets...it’ll need to be removed.
And...the wound will need to be cleaned and re-dressed.” He smiled weakly. “I...wouldn’t mind some water, though.”
“I’ll get
it.” Buffy jumped up and ran into the
kitchen.
Willow
pushed herself from the couch and placed the bowl on the table as she stood
up. “I’ll just...go get Xander.”
As she
walked by him, Giles reached out and grabbed her hand. “Willow?”
She knelt
in front of him as he squeezed her hand lightly. He smiled up at her and took a deep
breath.
“Thank
you.”
She
chuckled softly and shook her head. “I
don’t think anyone has ever thanked me for causing them intense pain before.”
“It isn’t the
pain I’m thanking you for.”
“I
know. I was just being funny...in the
not so funny way.” She looked up as
Buffy ran back into the room carrying a glass of ice water. “You’re welcome. I’m gonna go find Xand now.”
He let her
hand go and turned his eyes towards a smiling Buffy. She held the glass for him as he took a few
deep swallows of the cold liquid.
“You
okay?”
“Yes. I...I think I can sit up now.”
She
checked the packing and raised an eyebrow.
“Huh, that didn’t take long.”
“No, it’s much
like instant cement.”
“Nice
analogy, Giles.” She reached down and
helped him sit up. “So, how long does it
need to be in there? And...how do we get
it out?”
“It can
come out when it changes color.” He
lifted the glass and took a deep drink.
“And, it should just...well...pop out.”
Buffy
stared at him before reaching out and placing her hand on the side of his
neck. “Are you really okay?”
He smiled
warmly and placed his glass on the lamp table.
“Yes, I am. The pain, though
intense, was short-lived. I honestly
can’t feel it at all now.”
Buffy was
getting ready to reply when Willow walked back into the living room with
Xander. Xander smiled sheepishly and
shrugged his shoulders.
“I’m
sorry. I guess watching things like that
is different when it’s someone you care about.”
Giles
leaned forward and reached for his t-shirt as he grinned. “I do understand, Xander. I promise not to hold it against you.”
“Thanks.” Xander’s eyes fell to the Watcher’s
back. “I thought that stuff was green?”
Buffy
lightly ran a finger along the now hardened and dark blue packing. “So...what color is it supposed to be when
it’s ready to...uh...pop?”
“Blue or
brown. It depends on the toxins it’s
extracting.”
Buffy
smiled brightly. “We have blue. So...how do we go about popping the sucker
out?”
Xander
stared incredulously at his friend.
“What do you mean ‘popping the sucker out’?”
Buffy
gestured towards Giles with a tilt of her head.
“He said that once it changes color, it should just pop out...”
“Oh, well
that sounds...eww!” Xander shuddered
visibly.
Giles
chuckled. “Just give it a light
tap. That should work...theoretically.”
Buffy
rolled her eyes. “Theoretically. Gotta love the definiteness that is you.”
He turned
his head slowly and raised an eyebrow. “
‘The definiteness that is you’?”
She
grinned and reached over, giving a light tap to the centre of the star-shaped
wound. When it popped out easily and
fell into her hand, her eyes widened.
“Cool!”
Xander
leaned over and looked at the object in her hand. “It’s...a blue starfish!”
He looked
up to see three pairs of eyes staring at him.
He shrugged his shoulders and grinned.
“Well, that’s what it looks like to me.”
Buffy
shook her head as she laughed. “Yeah,
okay. You wanna go get the first-aid
kit, starfish boy?”
She leaned
over and placed a soft kiss on the back of Giles’ shoulder.
Chapter
Four
Two hours
later, Xander and
He sighed
heavily as the door closed, leaving him alone with Buffy.
“Everything
okay?”
He met her
eyes and smiled warmly. “Yes.”
She
studied him carefully and shook her head.
“You’re tired.”
“I,
uh…” He ran his hand through his hair
and stifled a yawn. “It’s been somewhat
of an exhausting day.”
She nodded
in agreement and glanced towards the stairs.
“Come on. Let’s get you into bed,
all nice and comfy-like.”
“Buffy,
you don’t…”
“Don’t
argue with me, Giles.” She walked over
and grabbed his hand, gently leading him up the stairs. “You need sleep. Real sleep.”
He sighed
again, but allowed himself to be led to the bedroom. She smiled and ushered him to the bed,
pulling the sheet and blanket over him as he lay down.
“I’ll just
go change and then I’ll be in.”
His eyes
widened. “You’re staying?”
“Oh.” She blushed heavily and averted her eyes from
him. “I don’t have to, I just
thought…well, I thought you might…”
He took
her hand quickly, rubbing his thumb across the back of it. “I want you to stay, Buffy.” He smiled shyly when she looked back at him. “I just wasn’t sure if you…if you wanted to.”
“I
do.” She whispered quietly. “I really, really do.”
His own
voice was a whisper when he replied.
“Then, please stay with me.”
She nodded
and bent down, kissing his lips tenderly.
“I’ll be right back, okay?”
He didn’t
try to hide his yawn, but smiled brightly at her as she made her way into the
bathroom.
* * *
Fifteen
minutes later, she stood at the foot of the bed grinning at her sleeping
Watcher. She carefully climbed into bed
beside of him, snuggling up next to him and placing her head on his shoulder.
When his
arm automatically wrapped around her and held her tightly against him, she
draped her arm over his torso. She
contented herself to watching him sleep for a while. Beginning to feel drowsy herself, she leaned
into him and softly kissed his cheek.
“God, I
love you, Giles.”
Hearing a
mumbled ‘love you, Buffy’, she chuckled and settled back down in his
embrace. She fell into slumber quickly,
feeling a sense of peace she had never quite experienced before.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~
He woke up
to the sensation of fingers lightly stroking his chest. “Buffy?”
“Yeah?” She lifted her head and looked at him. “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you.”
He rubbed
his eyes with the back of his hand. “It’s
alright.”
“How’s
your back feeling?”
“Mm?”
“Your
back…with the huge demon bite mark?”
“Oh, it’s
fine. And…it’s not that huge.”
She rolled
her eyes. “I have a big piece of blue
cement that says something else.”
He smiled
and shifted his body slightly. “It’ll be
fine, Buffy. Demon bites tend to heal
rather quickly, though it probably will leave a scar. We’ll keep it cleaned and dressed for a few
days, just as a precaution against infection.
But, in all honesty, there is no pain associated with it now.”
She
returned his smile and laid her head against his chest. He watched her for a moment, before lifting
his head and lightly touching her temple.
“What’s on your mind, Buffy?”
“Nothing.” She met his eyes and sighed heavily. “I guess I’m just…worried.”
His brow
furrowed in concern. “Talk to me.”
She
splayed her hand on his chest, tapped her fingers a few times and then pushed
herself up. She brushed the hair out of
her face and looked down at him.
“I…want to
make love with you.”
He raised
an eyebrow as he pushed himself up and leaned back against the headboard of the
bed. “And this has you worried?”
She
shrugged a shoulder and moved her gaze from his eyes. “What if I’m not as good as your fantasies?”
He reached
over and covered her hand with his.
“Buffy…” He paused for a minute,
searching for the right words. “Buffy,
did you ever fantasize about me?”
He smiled
as she nodded silently.
“And…were
they sexual fantasies?”
Her free hand
picked at the sheet. “Some of them. Well…a lot of them.”
He reached
over and placed his fingers under her chin, tilting her head until he could
look into her eyes. “And who’s to say
that I’ll live up to them? This isn’t
about whether or not the fantasy is better than reality.”
“I
just…don’t want to disappoint you.”
He shook
his head slowly. “I’m rather sure that
would be an impossibility.”
“I don’t
know what you like.” Her voice was a
mere whisper.
He smiled,
his hand cupping her cheek. “Nor do I
know what you like. This is where we
teach one another. Tell me…show me…how
you enjoy being touched…or tasted. Teach
me where your most sensitive areas are.
And, I’ll do the same for you. No
one falls into bed for the first time knowing exactly what their partner
likes.”
His hand
moved to her neck and he licked his lips.
“For instance…I would love to taste you right now. But…I’m not sure you’d like that.” He felt her tremble under his touch as he
leaned forward, placing his mouth next to her ear. “Would you like me to taste you?”
When she
nodded slowly, he smiled and gently eased her back onto the mattress. His fingers carefully unbuttoned her pajama
top as he stared into her eyes.
“I prefer
to take my time. I don’t want to just dive
in and take.” He pushed her top open,
exposing her bare breasts to him. “Is
that alright with you?”
“Yes.”
His eyes
raked over her nearly nude torso. “My God, you’re lovely.”
“Giles…please…touch
me.”
He smiled
as he leaned over her, his hand grazing along her abdomen. His lips found hers, kissing her softly as
his fingertips explored her skin. When
his fingers slid along her ribcage, she gasped into his mouth. He paused and then repeated the action,
smiling when he received the same response.
Her back
arched when his fingertips caressed the swell of her breast. He moved his mouth to her neck, nipping
lightly when she groaned. His hand made
its way to her hip as he shifted his body until his mouth was hovering over her
breast, waiting until he heard her mutter his name before smiling and lowering
his mouth.
His tongue
circled the areola slowly before gently flicking her hardened nipple. When she cried out in pleasure, he flicked it
again.
“Don’t
tease…”
He lifted
his head and smiled. “Tell me what you
want.”
She met
his eyes, wrapping her hand around the back of his head. “Suck it…”
He groaned
softly, quickly covering her nipple with his mouth. He suckled lightly, holding it between his
teeth as his tongue bathed the flesh.
Her nails raked across his shoulders before digging into his flesh.
“Giles…”
He
suddenly released her breast, looking up at her as she cried out in
disappointment. He chuckled softly,
running his tongue along her sternum.
“I’m not
finished.”
She lifted
her head and stared at him. “Damn right,
you’re not.”
He moved
further down her body, placing soft kisses to her skin. He paused at her navel, nipping it lightly
before dipping the tip of his tongue inside the small indentation. When she began to squirm beneath his touches,
he tightened his grip on her hip.
“Am I
going too slow for your liking?”
“No…yes…oh,
God, I don’t know…”
He laughed
softly and hooked his fingers under the waistband of her pajama bottoms. He pulled them down slowly, following the
fabric with his mouth. He lightly nipped
at her thigh, and then pulled back long enough to remove her clothing. He tossed the garments to the floor and gazed
at her body.
“Absolutely…stunning.”
He knelt between
her parted thighs, smiling as she sat up and shrugged the open pajama top off
of her shoulders. His hands gently
rubbed her thighs, nudging them further apart.
When she lay back down, he stared into her eyes.
“If I do
anything that makes you uncomfortable, or…doesn’t feel right…please tell
me. If you want me to do something
differently…” He licked his lips and
slid his hands up her thighs until his thumbs brushed through her soft
curls. “I want nothing more than to
please you, Buffy.”
He heard
her soft gasp as he lowered his body to the mattress and slid his arms
underneath her legs. He inhaled deeply,
breathing in her scent as he dipped his head and placed a tender kiss on her
inner thigh.
“Giles…”
“Mm?”
He turned
his head slightly, tracing her lower lips with his tongue.
“I…um…”
He smiled,
using his thumbs to part her lips and blowing a puff of hot air across her
clitoris. “You…what, Buffy?”
“Um…I…” She groaned as he flicked his tongue against
her clit before gently drawing it into his mouth. “Oh, my God…”
He suckled
lightly on the hardened flesh for only a moment before releasing it. He raised his eyes to find her gripping the
sheets tightly.
“Buffy?”
“Huh?”
“Relax…I’m
not going to hurt you.”
She
chuckled softly, releasing the sheets and looking down at him. “I know…but…I’m so close.”
He raised
an eyebrow. “I’ve barely touched you.”
“Uh-huh, I
know.” She shifted her lower body,
pressing closer to his mouth. “It feels
so…I, uh…can’t even describe…”
He licked
his lips and pressed a tender kiss to her clitoris. “Do you want me to make you come?”
She nodded
and reached down to run her fingers through his hair. “Please…”
He reached
beneath her, angling her hips as he dragged his tongue through her folds. He felt her muscles tremble and he looked up,
instantly catching her gaze. Without
further hesitation, he shifted his mouth and thrust his tongue into her.
Her hips
bucked suddenly, his name leaving her lips on a loud moan. He stroked her inner walls, his tongue
collecting the moisture that was rapidly appearing. A groan rumbled in his chest as she lifted
her legs over his shoulders.
He
continued his thrusts, encouraged by her cries and her nails raking across his
scalp. Feeling her muscles begin to
clench around his tongue, he withdrew and closed his mouth over her clit. He quickly pushed two fingers inside, curling
them slightly to brush across the sensitive spot he had found earlier with his
tongue.
Within a
few seconds, she was screaming his name as her juices flooded his hand. He brought her down gently, easing his soaked
fingers out of her. He placed a tender
kiss on her quivering clitoris and pushed himself up to lean over her.
“Buffy?”
Her hand
shot out, grabbing him by the shoulder and pulling him down to her. She kissed him hungrily, her chest rumbling
with a groan when she tasted herself on his lips. She lifted her legs, wrapping them around his
waist as she pressed her hips up against him.
She tore
her mouth away from his, but cradled his face in her hands as she stared into
his darkened eyes. He easily read the
desire in her eyes and reached down with one hand to push his sweatpants down.
“Christ, I
want you.”
Her hands
roamed over his chest, stopping to lightly pinch his nipple. “Then take me.”
He moved
until he was kneeling between her thighs, smiling as he reached behind him and
unclasped her ankles from his lower back.
When she opened her mouth to protest, he gently shook his head.
“I’m not going
anywhere, Buffy. I just need to get rid
of…” He gasped as her hand closed around
his erection. “Dear Lord…”
She
stroked him slowly, rubbing her thumb across the glans. Looking into his eyes, she licked her
lips. “Show me how you like to be touched.”
“You’re,
uh…doing just fine…”
She shook
her head slowly. “I don’t want to do
just fine, Giles. I want to know how you
like it.”
He took a
deep breath and covered her hand with his.
He increased the pressure in certain areas and moved her thumb so that
it travelled along the underside of his erection. He followed her movements for a few strokes
before removing his hand and allowing her to continue.
He thrust
against her hand as she rubbed her thumb along the sensitive flesh. “Yes…just like that…”
On the
next stroke, she collected the fluid gathering at the tip onto her finger. Looking into his eyes, she raised her hand
from his cock to her lips. He growled
lustfully as she slowly licked the fluid from her finger.
He quickly
kicked his pants off of his legs and covered her body with his. Reaching between them with one hand, he
grasped his erection and positioned himself at her entrance. At that moment, he paused and met her eyes.
“I…normally
spend a little more time before I, uh…”
She smiled
in understanding and placed her hand on the side of his neck. “We can spend a little more time later…right
now, I need you to make love to me.”
He pushed
his hips forward slowly as he leaned down to kiss her. “I love you so very much, Buffy.”
Her
fingers tangled in the damp hair covering the back of his head. She groaned into his mouth as he entered her
fully. He held his hips still for a
moment, dropping his head to her shoulder.
“Oh, God…”
He lifted
his head, chuckling when he realized that they had both uttered the same words
simultaneously. She narrowed her eyes as
his chuckle grew deeper.
“What’s so
funny?”
“It’s
nothing ‘funny’, per se…”
“But…you’re
laughing.”
He nodded,
supporting his weight with his left hand braced on the mattress as he used his
right to brush the hair back from her eyes.
“You don’t laugh during sex?”
“Well…” She shook her head slowly.
He sighed
softly and grinned at her. “Sex doesn’t
have to be serious all of the time, Buffy.
I prefer to have fun while I’m making love…and fun usually involves
laughter at some point. None of your
previous partners, uh…well…”
She
smirked and held up her hand, ticking her partners off on her fingers. “Angel…not much into the laughing thing at
any time. Parker…too focused on his own
orgasm to worry about anything else.
Riley…military man with a mental checklist. Laughing would’ve disrupted his routine.”
His brow
furrowed. “Making love should never
involve a routine, in my opinion. I like
to laugh, I like to talk, and I like experimenting while I’m making love. For me, it makes the entire experience so
much more exhilarating.”
“Um…experimenting?”
He smiled
brightly and rocked his hips gently against her. “Different positions, nothing too perverse, I
assure you.”
She gasped
and moved her hands to his shoulders.
“Oh. So, uh…mm, that’s
so…um…talking?”
He moved
his mouth to her ear, nibbling lightly at the lobe before whispering to
her. “I do enjoy talking. For instance, telling you how wonderful it
feels being inside of you.” He slid the
tip of his tongue along her neck.
“Giles…”
He
lengthened his strokes, keeping his pace slow.
“Do you know how hard it’s been for me not to push you against the
nearest stationary object and touch you until you come?”
“No…” She pushed her hips towards his, matching his
thrusts.
“I’ve
wanted you…for so long. I would watch
you train and…oh…you’d make me so hard.”
He bent down and dragged his tongue over her nipple. “So many times I made myself come thinking of
you. You underneath me, your mouth on my
hard cock, you on top of me…”
“Giles…you…”
He smiled
as he felt her walls begin to contract around him. “You’re close…”
“Uh…huh…”
He lowered
his lips to her ear, his voice husky when he whispered. “Come for me, Buffy. Let go…”
“With…me?”
His lips
nipped at her earlobe as he increased his thrusts. “You want me to come with you?”
“Yes…”
He grunted
softly as her nails dug into his shoulders.
“Do you…want me to come inside of you?”
“Yes…oh,
God…yes. I want to feel…you…oh,
Giles…please…”
He moved
his right hand to her hip, his fingers gripping her tightly as he thrust harder
into her. His mouth made its way to her
collarbone, his tongue licking the salty flesh as he felt the beginnings of her
orgasm surrounding him.
He groaned
loudly as the spasms quickly pushed him towards the edge. “So…close…”
Her hands
slipped across his sweat-drenched back.
“Giles! Oh, fuck…fuck me!”
A growl
rumbled in his chest as his pace became frenzied. He pounded his hips against hers, continuing
his hard and quick strokes as she screamed his name. When he felt her orgasm crash over her and
her fluids flood over his cock, he groaned her name loudly and was able to
complete one last thrust before emptying himself into her.
He shifted
his body as his arms gave out, collapsing beside of her. His chest heaved as he fought to control his
breathing. Wrapping his arms around her,
he pulled her tightly against him, peppering her face with tender kisses.
She
reached up and ran her fingers through his sweat-dampened hair and sighed
deeply. He pulled back slightly and
smiled almost shyly.
“Was that
a happy sigh?”
She nodded
quickly. “Mm-hm…some people would even
call it blissful.”
He grinned
and pushed her damp hair back from her face.
He took a deep breath, allowing his hand to caress her cheek.
“So
beautiful.”
“Huh?”
He smiled
softly. “You. You’re so beautiful. Everything about you is…” He shook his head and chuckled. “More than I ever could have imagined.”
She
blushed deeply. “Same goes for you. No one has ever made me…um…scream before.”
“Oh?” When she shook her head, he leaned into her
and gently kissed her lips. “Their
loss. Because hearing you scream in
pleasure is…well, I’m not actually sure there’s a word to describe it.”
She
laughed and rolled onto her back. “Word
guy can’t come up with a word? This is
never good.”
He propped
his head up with his hand and smiled in amusement. “Depends on your view, I suppose. And, right now…I wouldn’t change this view
for anything.”
She gasped
softly. “See? Words…you’re so good with them.”
His eyes
twinkled in the dim light as he watched her eyes narrow only slightly. “What’s on your mind, Buffy?”
“Huh? Oh…uh, just a thought, really.”
“Mm-hm?” He placed his hand on her abdomen and rubbed
her still-flushed skin lightly. “What
kind of thought would that be?”
“Oh, the kind
that wonders if this is what Willow saw when she was in Gilesland with you.”
He
chuckled nervously. “You’ve never been
one to mince words.”
“Why would
I?” She turned her head and placed her
hand over his. “So…is it?”
“Hm? Oh…um…not exactly. A similar situation, though.”
Buffy
grinned brightly. “So…she caught us
having sex? I bet you were…mortified.”
He laughed
and entwined his fingers with hers.
“Embarrassed more than mortified.
Mortification would have been if she had decided to go one more room
down the hall.”
Her eyes
widened in surprise. “Oh, really? What was going on in the next room?”
He
reddened immediately. “Buffy…”
“Oh, come
on…tell me.”
“Would you
go on a date with me?”
“The ‘King
of Topic Change’ returns…”
He smiled
and rubbed his thumb over the smooth skin of her stomach. “It’s just that we seem to have done things a
bit…well, backwards.”
“You mean
with the whole declaring our love and having sex without going on our first
date?”
“Yes,
precisely.” He leaned over and placed a
soft kiss on her lips. “I would very
much like to take you out.”
She was
quiet for a few moments before taking a deep breath. “Considering that I would probably spend the rest
of my life with you, if you asked, it’d be a little silly if I said no to a
date, huh?”
“You’d…I’m
sorry?”
She
chuckled and moved her body so that she was snuggled up against him. “Relax, Giles. I’m not asking you to settle down and get
married and make babies with me right now.
I’m just saying that…when and if you’re ready, all you’d have to do is
ask.”
He stared
at her in disbelief for a moment. “When,
not if.”
“Huh?”
“When I’m
ready, I will ask. There is no question
of whether it is ‘when’ or ‘if’.” When
she offered him a broad smile, he cleared his throat. “So…was that ‘yes’ to a date with me?”
“Mm-hm,
definitely.”
He lowered
his head to the pillow and pulled her into his arms. “Well, now that that is settled…shall we try
to get some more sleep?”
She yawned
and nodded. “I love you, Giles.”
“I love
you too, Buffy.”
He had
almost dozed off when she spoke sleepily.
“Giles?”
“Hm?”
“What was
going on in the next room?”
He
chuckled softly and tightened his hold on her.
“We were playing backgammon.”
“Liar.” She yawned again. “I’ll get it out of you one day, you know.”
“I’ve no
doubt. But, this isn’t the day.” He combed his fingers through her hair and
whispered softly. “Go to sleep, Buffy. We have plenty of time to discover each
other’s fantasies.”
“Mm-hm.” She mumbled against his chest. “Won’t forget…”
He smiled,
closing his eyes when he felt her body begin to relax in his arms. “I’m rather sure you won’t.”
Within ten
minutes, both were sleeping soundly and dreaming of what tomorrow would bring.
~ End