Title: Betrayal
Author: LadyForASH
Rated: NC17
Disclaimer: You know that nothing belongs to me. Joss created it all. Please don't sue!
Feedback is a great motivator...
"Buffy?" Giles carried a tray into her room and woke her gently. She rubbed at her tired eyes, saw him with a plate of pancakes, and smiled a little, pushing herself up to sit back against the head board.
"You made breakfast?" Buffy said with wide eyes.
Giles smiled and nodded, placing the tray over her waist on the bed. "Yes, and you're going to clean your plate and then get dressed so we can do some training on the beach." Giles thought some normal Slayer/Watcher activities might be helpful.
Buffy gave him a little salute and picked up her fork. He sat down with a cup of tea and told her he'd already eaten while she'd slept in. It wasn't that late, and he was glad she'd rested.
"Thank you for last night," Buffy said softly. After her nightmare, she'd slept really well as Giles held her.
Giles blushed a little and nodded. "It was my pleasure," he said gently.
"Did you sleep at all?" she asked, shoveling a fork full of pancakes into her mouth.
Giles tilted his head and studied her face as he answered. "No, but I rarely do when my Slayer needs me or is hurting," he answered carefully. Even before all these recent events, and Buffy's death, Giles had spent many sleepless nights either worrying about Buffy, or aching in need and desire for her. He was used to not getting a lot of sleep.
Buffy caught his look and this time it was her turn to blush. It was something about his expression that caught her off guard. It was more then the Watcher in him admonishing the Slayer in her. She always knew he cared about her, and she'd always cared about him. But the look he was giving her was something new and unguarded. Time seemed to stop for a moment as they regarded one another, Buffy in wonder, and Giles in honesty.
"Are you finished?" he asked, shattering the moment. Buffy blinked and then nodded.
"Alright," he said, standing up and picking up the tray. "I'll take these into the kitchen while you get dressed. I'll meet you out back on the beach in fifteen minutes."
"Fifteen minutes?!" she croaked. "I can't get ready that soon!"
"Of course you can," he answered. "It's just you and me and the ocean. Throw on some sweats. There are no Prince Charmings that you have to impress. No fancy shoes to buy."
Before she could argue, he was out of the room. She snorted and got out of the bed, grumbling as she went to her suitcase.
It was twenty minutes later when Buffy emerged from the house. She was wearing gray sweat pants and a white tank top, with her blonde hair pulled back in a pony tail. No shoes or socks graced her feet.
Giles merely nodded at her. He was dressed similarly in blue sweat pants and a black t-shirt, and also bare feet. The sand was warm but not too hot, and there was a slight breeze in the beach air. It was another beautiful morning. "Let's work on our hand to hand," he instructed.
"You're way too mechanical, Buffy," he groused at her a bit later. She really was just acting and reacting instead of feeling and using her instincts or that competitive streak he knew she possessed. After a few more minutes of the same exercise in futility, Giles made a quick move and swept her feet out from under her. She fell flat onto her back in the sand with a look of sheer astonishment on her face.
Giles placed his hands on his hips and looked down at her, his head blocking the sun. His shadow fell over her and hid his face. "See? Come on, Buffy. This isn't"
But he didn't finish. Buffy had reached over and grabbed him by the ankle, quickly flipping him to the ground. Now he was the one surprised. She quickly rolled over and pinned him to the sand, a small look of triumph on her face. "What was that you were saying, Watcher mine?"
She was leaning over him with a little smile on her face. Giles was breathing hard from the fall, and his heart gave a little leap when she'd called him, `Watcher mine.' It had been so long since she'd called him that, and so long since he'd seen her genuine smile like she wore on her face now.
He wasn't ready to quit, however. He bucked his hips and rolled her over. She squealed and rolled him again. Each worked hard at pinning the other one. Finally Buffy exerted some real Slayer strength and ended up back on top. Her legs straddled his hips and her hands pushed down on his wrists, holding his arms down into the sand. She gave him a wide smile once he stopped struggling and gave up.
Giles groaned and flopped his head back into the sand. "Lord, I have sand everywhere."
Buffy giggled. "Me too. Even in places I shouldn't mention."
Giles snorted and raised an eyebrow at her. Then, in one quick motion, he stood up with her still straddling his hips. She started laughing before she realized what he was doing. By the time he flung her into the ocean she was starting to protest, but the cold ocean waves drowned her cries and giggles away. She came up sputtering and Giles laughed. "Is that any better?"
Buffy gave him a dirty look and then stood up in the water. "No. Now the sand is just wet in all those unmentionable places!"
That caused Giles to laugh even more. Then Buffy was laughing with him. Without thinking he pulled her into his arms as another small wave hit. Her arms encircled his neck as she once again found herself straddling his hips as he held her in the ocean.
When their giggles began to subside, Buffy leaned back so she could look at him. He looked younger without his glasses, she noted. And Giles thought Buffy was so beautiful. For once she seemed as if she'd left her troubles behind. He could see a glint of the old Buffy in her features. His eyes caught hers and they held another long look.
Slowly Buffy moved her hands from around his neck to rest on either side of his face. She studied him closely. His eyes darkened as he looked back at her. He was afraid to breathe. He didn't want to scare her off, but he wasn't sure if this was wise either. He didn't want a repeat of the other afternoon. What did she see as she looked at him, he wondered? Old and gross? Spike? An escape? Or something…more?
He saw her swallow and her tongue slipped out to wet the corner of her mouth. He groaned softly. He couldn't help himself. Something flickered in Buffy's eyes and then he found her soft lips against his.
This kiss was different. Soft. Gentle. An exploration of her velvet lips against his. She demanded nothing, and he gave nothing. Yet he didn't pull back either. He just waited, torn between his own chaotic emotions and logic, on the precipice between what they both wanted, and what they both needed.
When he felt the moist pressure of her tongue pressing between his lips, he groaned once again, and opened to her. Slowly she stroked his tongue with her own. Her legs tightened around him as his body began to respond. Just when he thought he couldn't take anymore, she pulled back, but not away. "Buffy," he whispered. "We shouldn't…" but she put her finger onto his lips to keep him from speaking.
"Shhh, Giles. It's okay." She moved her forehead against his. "I know. I know."
He held her close as the waves gently lapped against their warmed skin, and hope began to flourish.