Title: Better When Wet
Author(s): wide_rider and LadyForASH
Spoilers: Season Three
Rated: G
Summary: A challenge by mrsdrake: She wanted Giles and a wet t-shirt contest. We obliged!
Pairing: Big Hintage of B/G
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Joss.

It started as a typical Tuesday. We were all in the Library, the Scoobies, I mean, doing our usual thing. Xander was draped over a chair pretending to study, but we all knew better. Giles was behind the counter. He had a pencil between his lips and a frown on his face. His hair was rumpled and his tie was askew. That was all a result of training with Buffy. In the past I would have thought he was kinda cute, but that was before Oz.

Oz. He was sitting next to me at the table doing his math homework. I smiled as his foot rubbed up and down my ankle beneath the table. Buffy was having another 'battle of wills' with Wesley about patrol. She wanted to go to the Bronze with me and Xander to watch Oz play, but he wanted her to sweep the docks and take Faith with her. Just as she went into 'full pout,' Snyder walked in and went straight to Giles, blustering and posturing like usual.

“I told you that there wasn’t any money in the budget for these…these dusty, despicable, stupid, idiotic…books that you ordered!” Snyder shouted, spittle flying out of the corner of his mouth.

Giles leaned backwards with an aghast expression on his face. “Books? But this is a library, Mr. Snyder. Books are required.”

Xander nodded and smirked. “Yeah, you know, all that learnin’ we all do doesn’t just grow on trees!”

Snyder scowled and gruffed at Xander. “What are you all doing in here!?” He glared at Buffy, “Especially you?” His look had ‘delinquent’ written all over it.

We all looked at each other, trying not to laugh. If Cordelia had been there, she probably would have said, "Duh, we're studying? Books... library… how hard is that to figure out?"

Buffy had her hands on her hips and I saw her open her mouth. She was going to say something sassy, so I hurried to my feet. Except, I accidentally stood up too fast and my chair fell over backwards and made a loud BANG sound. Wesley leapt out from behind the stacks with his sword in hand, as if startled into battle. He gave out an “EEP!” and quickly shoved the rapier behind his back and jumped back behind the book shelf.

Snyder just blinked. Then he cleared his throat and turned back to Giles. “These books have to be paid for.” Then he smiled. It was that evil smile. We knew something was coming, and we knew we wouldn’t like it. Giles opened his mouth to protest but Snyder took a step closer. “There’s a car wash fundraiser this evening. I expect all of you to be there. All night, until these books are paid for.”

He just stood there, glaring at Buffy, as if daring her to say something. I could tell Giles was mad, but he calmly cleaned his glasses, then told Snyder, "Ok."

"OK? Giles, it is not okay. We have things to do tonight."

"Buffy, just calm down," Giles said. "I'm sure that Principal Snyder understands that you all have more studying to do." He turned and scowled at Snyder then. "Don't you."

Snyder sneered and turned towards the door. “Just be there and get those books paid for,” he said over his shoulder. The doors slammed in his wake and we all turned and looked at Giles.

“Giles?” Buffy began to pout. “Why did you do that? You know we have things to do tonight! Important, teenage things!”

Wesley came out from behind the stacks and pointed at Buffy. “No, you do have things to do tonight, yes, but that includes patrolling at the docks with Faith.” The younger Watcher turned and looked at Giles. “She must patrol!”

Our heads moved back and forth as if we were watching a tennis match. Somehow I ended up on Oz’s lap with his arms around my waist as we watched the battle in interested silence.

"We all have to make sacrifices on occasion," Giles said. He leaned against the counter, glasses still in his hand. "Tonight, you and Faith will do a quick sweep of the cemeteries, then you will help with the fund raiser."

"Mr. Giles, I must protest. I am the Watcher now, and I say that the girls need to patrol the docks. Slaying must take precedence."

"Yes, do keep reminding me. How could I ever forget."

"Well, then, it's settled," Wesley started to say, but Giles interrupted him.

"However, since the library is where we meet, we must simply play along. Unless you'd prefer to have a bunch of teenagers hanging around at your flat at all hours?"

Wesley’s face paled and he shook his head. Then he took off his glasses and began to polish them furiously. I glanced over and noticed Giles doing the same thing, and couldn’t help but giggle.

“Tuesday evening? Who the hell does a car wash fund raiser on a Tuesday evening? Only Snyder!” Xander was not happy. I knew he was hoping to see a glimpse of Faith on the dance floor that night. Things between him and Cordy had been tense, especially since Faith came to town. I’m his best friend. I notice these things. Uh, sure, I didn’t know he and Cordy were even going together until I caught them in their smoochies, but that’s another story.

"Ok, fine. I'll go find Faith and we'll meet you back here in a couple hours," Buffy huffed.

Giles smiled at her as she left. "Right, then. I suppose you lot had better get back to your studies. You will all be needed at the fund raiser." He gave Wesley a look that said he was expected to help also.

We trouped out to the parking lot where the car wash was to be held. There was a huge line of cars. I think the whole school was there. Of course, the first car in line was Cordelia’s. Figures, Queen C didn’t think she had to help.

Giles looked at her, then told her to go park her car over 'there' and come back. When she did, he handed her a bucket and sponge. You should have seen the look on her face. Then Giles went back into the school to change and to find Wesley.

I was busy filling up the buckets with soapy water with Oz, and Xander was playing with the hose. The water hose. By the squeaks and yells I’d say Buffy and Faith arrived and Xander was hosing them down.

Then there was silence. Frowning, I started to look up. I gulped. Four feet. One set in black biking boots, the other in brand new squeaky clean tennis shoes. Further up, the boots were attached by worn, faded jeans. I’d guess Levi’s, completed with a black leather belt. The tennis shoes were followed up with stiff black jeans, probably just off the hanger, no belt.

My face started to warm as my eyes glanced up further, with appreciation at what they saw. A plain, tight fitting white t-shirt was tucked into the faded Levi’s. The neck attached belonged to a relaxed looking Giles. He didn’t wear his glasses either. “Oh Goddess,” I muttered, unconsciously fanning myself.

The black jeans had a black shirt tucked in. Wesley. He did have his glasses on, and he looked totally self conscience. It was obvious he’d never been out of tweed before.

“Wow,” I heard Buffy whisper behind me.

"Who knew that Watchers could be so studly without the tweed?" Faith said as she sauntered up, giving Wesley a sexy smile.

Poor Wes. He turned bright red. It was really cute. I heard Oz chuckle. Giles simply smiled at her, then turned to Xander, who was sneaking up with the water hose.

"There will be no water fight, is that understood?" Giles glared at Xander, then gave Buffy and Faith the same look. Xander gulped and put the hose down.

Oz leaned close and whispered, "he didn't warn us, though, did he?"

I had to smile at that. “Nope, he sure didn’t.” I moved the buckets of soapy water over and we all waited for the first car to arrive. I saw Xander glance up at the sky and sigh. Buffy was stretching, doing deep knee bends. Faith was chewing on her nails. Giles leaned against a building and crossed his arms. I could see him watching Buffy out of the corner of his eyes, while he pretended to not be watching. The same went on with Buffy. She gave him covert glances in between her stretches. I rolled my eyes. They both needed a good hosing down!

Wesley walked over just then, to find out what his job was going to be. Oz and I looked at each other and grinned. "You get the hose, since Xander can't be trusted with it," I told him.

Oz winked at me again before taking the buckets over to where Faith was waiting. After a second, I figured out what his plan was. Trying hard not to giggle, I left Wesley to take the towels over to Buffy and Xander.

Just then a huge muddy van pulled into the lot. It was so filthy that we couldn’t even see inside the windows. The driver’s side window rolled down a third of the way and we were greeted with a grinning Snyder. “Don’t forget the wheels and the license plate,” he said with way too much glee. Buffy threw a sponge at the window, just missing Snyder as he quickly rolled it back up.

Cordelia took one look at the van, then turned and walked away, muttering something about losers and manicures. By silent consent, we all grabbed a sponge while Wes started hosing down the van. It really wasn't hard to maneuver Buffy under the spray as Wes started on the roof.

"Hey, watch it!" she shouted. She looked at herself, so did Giles. She had big wet splotches on her shirt.

That’s when I noticed Xander ogling Buffy too. She really should not have worn a white t-shirt. Then my eyes wandered back to Giles and his white t-shirt. I ‘accidentally’ bumped Wesley’s arm. The hose flew up and water splashed all over Giles’ chest. My eyes widened, and so did Buffy’s.

Giles turned his glare onto Wes. He paled and stuttered. “S-sorry, Willow b-bumped into m-me.” His eyes turned onto me and I just smiled sweetly. “Sorry, Giles.”

Giles did not look happy, but I caught the twinkle in his eyes. Faith did too.

"Hey, Wes, come over here and rinse this section for me," she said.

Wesley, glad to have a reason to be away from Giles, quickly went to the back of the van where she pointed. A minute later, we heard a high-pitched squeal. I looked around the corner and saw Faith and Oz turning red from trying to contain their laughter. Wesley, who now had a huge, wet, soapy spot across the front of his jeans was trying to catch his breath.

"Sorry, Wes, guess I got a little carried away tossing the sponge in the bucket," Faith said with a smirk.

Wesley squealed again when Giles turned the hose on him.

"Sorry, mate, but the soap needed to be rinsed off."

Buffy grabbed up a bucket and quickly dumped it over Giles' head. He roared and dropped the hose.

None of us even noticed when the van door opened and Snyder jumped out, hands on his hips. “What the devil is going on here!?”

We all turned to look at him. Guess I wasn't the only one who forgot he was in the van. Giles quickly snatched up the hose again and pointed it towards the van. Xander came around from the front, completely dry.

Snyder spun around at the sound of his voice. Giles gave Buffy a wave to send her around to the back of the van while Snyder was distracted.

"You don't want us to scratch the paint by not rinsing it first, do you?" Oz asked as he came up behind Xander.

Snyder snorted. “I should have known better then to have you losers touch my van.” He glared at them, hopped back into the van, quickly turned it on, and narrowly missed Buffy and Faith as he squealed out of the parking lot.

I turned to Oz and shrugged. He ran his fingers through his spiked red hair and gave me a lazy smile.

That's when Susie, whose car was third in line, wandered over. She was wearing cut off jeans and a tight tight pink tank top. She walked over to Giles and gave him a sultry look. Then she pulled out a wad of money from her pocket and slipped a dollar bill into the waist band of his jeans.

She looked him up and down again, then stuck a five under the button of his fly. Then she walked over to Wes and stuck a couple bucks in his waistband as well. With a wink, and a flip of her hair, she strutted away.

Xander snickered, then choked, before he let out a roar of laughter. Oz nodded his head toward Buffy. She looked ready to kill.

"Screw this," Faith said. She went and took the hose from Wesley's unresisting hand. Xander let out a loud yelp when she turned the spray directly on him, soaking him from head to toe.

When another upper classmen approached Giles with her desire plainly registering on her face, Buffy had enough. She put her hands on her hips and took a step in front of Giles. "Back off!" she scolded the girl. At her pout Buffy pointed a finger at her. "You heard me. Get away. He's mine."

"Just chill, B," Faith said. "You really don't want to wash cars when there's a better way to raise the money, do you?" I saw Oz nod at her just before she turned the hose on him too.

Buffy just stared at her like she was crazy.

After soaking Oz, Faith smirked at Buffy. “I'd move if I was you.”

Wesley looked completely petrified. I saw Oz go over to him and slap him on the back. Even Xander gave the younger Watcher a smile. That seemed to make Wesley relax. After all, he probably just wanted to be a part of the group anyway.

Giles started to get into it. With his eyes on Buffy he flexed one arm, causing his bicep to bulge in a delicious way. Three girls screamed and ran over, shoving money down his pants. Giles let out a girlish scream as Buffy looked on in shock. But then she started to giggle. “Well hell, I might as well join in!” She pulled money out of her pants and stuffed her own five dollar bill down the back of his pants, making sure her fingers lingered. I saw Giles blush clear out of the roots of his hair. Then Buffy leaned in and whispered into his ear. I couldn't hear what she said, but I tried to read her lips. It looked like, "Watcher mine…." Whatever it was, Giles smiled.

Faith was rounding up Xander, Oz, and Wes, then grabbed Giles by the elbow and dragged him over. She lined them up, then sprayed them all with the hose again.

"C'mon, girls, pick your favorite stud and make a donation!"

I immediately went over to Oz and stuck a ten in the corner of his jeans. He blushed and smiled. He is so cute when he blushes like that!

Then I had to back up and get out of the way. I am not kidding you, a pack of girls ran up and started shoving money everywhere. I heard Giles giggle and then scream like a little girl again. I heard Xander joking and making sexy banter, I heard Wesley giggle and say, “Bollucks, that tickles!”

I raised my eyebrow at Faith and we just leaned back against the building and smiled. Buffy came over and joined us with a smile. “I’d say our work here is done.”

Eventually, the mob subsided and everyone drove away in their still dirty cars. All the guys were covered in dollar bills, but no one more than Giles. Buffy and Faith whooped and hollered and the guys walked over to us. I added a wolf whistle for my wolfy guy.

Oz smiled and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Faith made a big deal over Wesley and Xander, managing to embarrass them both. I saw the look that Giles gave Buffy as he walked up to her. It made even my knees weak. Oz must have seen something I didn't, because he turned me around just at the right moment.

Out of nowhere, water went shooting everywhere and there was lots of screaming. I looked over Oz's shoulder. Giles had the hose and had turned it on Buffy and Faith.

“I owe you one,” I whispered in Oz’s ear. He grinned.

Evidently Buffy wasn’t too upset with Giles, or at least, she got over it really quick, because the next morning I caught her sitting on his lap when I walked into the library. She leapt off of him and hurried to the other side of the table. Giles was blushing and he snagged his glasses off his face and started to polish them furiously. Faith was right behind me and shrugged. “Go for it. You’re both legal.” She gave Buffy a grin.

Soon after Oz and Xander came in. Xander had his duffle bag and plopped it on the counter. He glanced at his watch and sighed. “When’s the omnipotent Snyder going to get here? I’m going to be late for gym.” Xander was suddenly more confident about his body ever since the wet shirt line up. He was anxious to flex his muscles for some of the girls, especially Cordy.

The doors to the library swung open and the devil herself, I mean, speak of the devil, Cordelia walked in.

"So, did you losers make any money last night? I saw all the dirty cars in the parking lot. Oh, let me guess, there was an apocalypse and I missed it."

Xander was about to make some witty retort when another voice came from behind Cordelia. “I agree. If my van is any indication, you were completely worthless at the fund raiser last night. How do you expect to pay for all those books, Mr. Giles?”

Giles stood up from his chair. His face looked grim. I was trying very hard not to giggle. He went over and took the duffle bag from Xander. Slowly he unzipped it, and then tossed it on the floor at Snyder’s feet. Money flew out, covering the floor.

“Holy crap!” Cordelia screamed. She fell to her knees, but Snyder knocked her out of the way. “Hands off! That’s mine…I mean, that belongs to the school!”

We were all choking, trying not to laugh as Snyder had to beat Cordelia away from the money.

Giles, with a smug smile, told Principal Snyder that they had raised over twenty-three hundred dollars and that he didn't expect any more budget problems in the future. Snyder sputtered for a second, then zipped the duffle closed and left, grumbling.

Cordelia picked herself up from the floor and straightened her dress. "How in the world did you raise twenty-three hundred dollars?"

Buffy walked around the table over to Giles and wrapped her arm around his waist.

"Never underestimate suds and studs."

END