TITLE: Bad Judgement 10/10
AUTHOR: Lily2332
FEEDBACK: Yes!
DISCLAIMER: They’re not mine, don’t sue.

Note: Thanks to Arkin for coming up with the nifty, very fitting title, and to Gail Christison, from whom we shamelessly stole it. Visit her site, it’s really cool. http://www.wickedsky.com/oncemore/

PART TEN: ONCE MORE, WITH FEELING

Buffy lay awake in bed waiting. He was crazy if he thought that she would just let his earlier comments go without a discussion. <’I love your daughter more than anything...’>

She sighed, glancing around at the still unfamiliar surroundings. It was difficult to get used to sleeping here, to being in her pajamas in Giles’ house.

Hearing a key in the lock, she sat upright, ready to pounce. His footsteps moving around downstairs, locking up, then trudging slowly up the stairs. Buffy lay back onto her pillow, closing her eyes as she heard him approach her door. The door squeaked as he opened it, causing him to curse softly to himself. She tried not to smile at the sound, instead concentrating on pretending to sleep.

Giles gazed down at the sleeping girl for several minutes, until Buffy began to wonder what was happening. What did he think when he looked at her like this? There was a soft rustling next to her, and when it was quiet again, she heard and felt his breath near her face. He was kneeling next to her, and there was no way she could keep up this charade with him so near.

"hi." she smiled right into his face. His eyes widened.

"You could give an old man a heart attack like that." he said softly, as though he were still afraid of waking her.

"Well if you didn’t fall to the floor clutching your chest at my dad’s reaction tonight, then I don’t think a little ‘hi’ from me is going to do you in."

He rose, sitting on the edge of the bed. Buffy scooted over a little to make room, and sat up. "Tonight.....yes. I’m afraid that Ripper came very close to making an appearance."

He didn’t sound happy about that. Buffy felt a longing in spite of herself. "I wouldn’t mind that." she muttered, turning her head.

"What did you say?" he asked.

"Nothing." she replied. He didn’t believe her, taking her face in his hand and turning it back towards him so that he could see her expression.

"Nothing." she felt herself giving in. "All I said was I wouldn’t mind that....Ripper."

"Why? Buffy, this foolishness has to stop! I don’t understand_" He pulled his glasses from his face, as though perhaps they were blocking her from understanding his feelings on this matter.

"No" she interrupted, not wishing to hear the full lecture. "You don’t understand."

"Help me, then." he pleaded.

"At least Ripper......." Her embarrassment fell away as she remembered what they had shared.

"At least he.....held me. And kissed me" she held Giles’ gaze defiantly. "And his lips...they felt so incredible." Her watcher licked his lips at that phrase, which did not go unnoticed by Buffy.

"And he touched me." His glance fell to her body, her breasts which he had so thoroughly tasted and touched. Try as he had, he hadn’t been able to forget it. They both felt their surroundings begin to fade away, each only aware of the other.

Buffy pushed the covers down with her legs, knowing that the slip of a nightgown she had on was shamelessly revealing. Still she held his eyes with her own, continuing her explanation.....

"He knew exactly where and how to touch me." she said huskily, "How did he know?" she asked, moving toward her watcher, who was still watching her speak as though hypnotized. The question was a trap, of that he was sure. She slid one foot slowly up and then down her leg, causing her flimsy gown to slide up around her hips. He refused to look. The tension between them increased as he waited for the rest of this sensual soliloquy.

"And Giles, He let me touch him." He breathed in sharply, seeing where she was going with this, hoping.......

Buffy reached her hand out and stroked his cheek softly. His eyes closed as her fingers trailed down his neck. "He felt so good....so much like you, Giles, that I could pretend."

She rested her cheek against his shoulder, leaning into him. "And Giles....he wanted me." she said breathlessly, moving her hand down to the front of his pants, rubbing him through the fabric. Feeling the groan tear through his body as well as his hard arousal that she covered with her hand, she took it a little further, bring her body up against his, whispering in his ear.

"He wanted me." She said. "What do you think he liked, Giles? What did I do that he liked?"

Her close proximity and the way she kept saying his name was intoxicating. He told himself to stop, but found himself continuing, tangling them deeper into this curious game that she’d begun. "He liked it when you touched him......." He wanted to say more, but this whole scenario felt wildly inappropriate.

She smiled, her face still pressed against his chest. She slipped her hand up to his zipper, and before he knew it, she had her hand on his erection, lightly running her fingers up and down, leaving him aching for more than these tiny butterfly caresses.

"Like this?" She asked, trying to sound more nonchalant than she felt as her body began to respond to the one she was so firmly pressed up against.

"Umm...maybe....oh, harder." The last word came out more intensely than he had meant, but he was rewarded by her hand closing around him, expertly squeezing and stroking until she received his moan of approval.

Buffy tilted her head up to see his face. His eyes were closed, his lips slightly parted. "Oh, I remember now." she purred. "He likes that, too, doesn’t he?" she dared him with her words to continue this strange encounter.

"Yesss." This time he didn’t hesitate with his answer. "Tell me more" he urged, taking her head between his hands, placing gentle kisses over her forehead, cheeks, anywhere but her mouth. He wanted to hear her words. Never before had the spoken word seemed so carnal and exciting to either of them.

Her calm control was almost gone, especially as she felt his desire escalating. "Well....Like I said, he touched me." His hand brushed her thigh. "his hands were warm, and he__oh, god, Giles, please!" she claimed his mouth with her own, and his tongue immediately swept in, passion overtaking them both.

Her fingers fumbled at his shirt buttons, pulling so roughly that a few of them broke off and rolled onto the floor. Neither of them cared, both already so very close to the brink from their verbal foreplay.

When the last of his clothes fell away, Buffy lay back onto the bed, and he followed, covering her body with his own. She couldn’t believe he was here with her, the same man who had ignored her so convincingly, now heatedly running his hands everywhere over her body, doing everything his wicked counterpart had done, but with love and feeling this time.

"Buffy, I love you, I’ve loved you all this while...." He panted, wanting to get it out, but quickly, as he didn’t know how much longer he could last if they continued this way. ‘

"I love you, too, Giles, and I’m sorry......for-" he silenced her with his mouth, biting gently on her lower lip as he nudged her legs apart with his knee.

"I know." He said, his mouth on her ear sending shivers through her whole body. "This time it’s different. This time it’s right."

********

Buffy awakened in the arms of her watcher, and smiled. "Mmmm." She moved in closer, savoring the warmth, and the knowledge that this time there was nothing to be afraid of. This time he had chosen to be with her.

He kissed her very softly, and she smiled.

"What?" He asked, recognizing the playful grin, wondering if he really wanted to know.

"It’s just.....I guess everything *isn’t* always better with chocolate."

He looked puzzled as the words sank in, and she squealed, jumping out of the way when he tried to attack her with a pillow. She graciously allowed him to catch, her, though, bringing his mouth down for another long, albeit non-chocolatey kiss.

END

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