Title: Compromise
Author: Michelle
Email: mrsdrake@sff.net
Rating: FRM (mature persons)
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Summary: Response to the "Quickfic Challenge" on Together_BG - Giles is too hot.
Disclaimer: These are not my characters. They belong to Joss, Twentieth Century Fox, UPN, WB & Mutant Enemy. This is purely for fun.

Notes: I had no real setting in mind for this, except that Buffy and Giles are in Ohio for some reason.

Gretchen, thanks for all your help on this fic and others.

Buffy shivered as Giles turned the dial on the air conditioner. "You're going to freeze it up if you keep doing that," she muttered. "Then it won't work at all." It was the third time in the last hour that he'd adjusted the temperature.

He glared at her but didn't say a word.

She sighed and joined him by the window. "It's not that bad, Giles." She reached past him and turned the dial to its previous setting. "Maybe if you didn't wear so much, you'd be comfortable," she teased, "and hot tea when it's ninety-five degrees outside - really not the best idea."

"Perhaps if you wore more clothing, you wouldn't mind it being a bit cooler in here."

"It's not like I'm naked." Buffy caught the look that passed across his face before he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and began cleaning his glasses.

"I didn't expect it to be this hot," he retorted.

"In case you haven't noticed, it's July. That usually means hot weather."

"But this is Ohio. I thought it would be cooler than California." He placed his glasses back on his nose. "I don't understand the crazy weather here. I thought it would at least cool off a bit at night."

"It has gotten cooler, Giles." She smiled at the look he gave her.

"Three degrees is not much of a difference, Buffy. It's still too hot to be comfortable."

"Let's compromise," Buffy suggested. "I'll let you turn the air conditioner as cold as you want, if you take off your shirt and let me wear it." She started pulling off his jacket as he stood in shock. "Someday I'm going to give away all your clothes and buy you a new wardrobe." She threw his jacket on the floor and reached for his tie.

"Buffy, this isn't a good idea," he protested.

"Sure it is," she said while removing his tie. "I don't want you to die from the heat." The tie joined the jacket on the floor.

"Please stop," he begged her as she unbuttoned the top button of his shirt.

"Okay," she agreed.

Giles breathed a sigh of relief.

"But I won't let you turn the air conditioner colder." She turned and walked away, silently counting. When she reached ten, he spoke.

"Alright. We'll compromise, but if you make me remove my slacks -"

"I would never make you do anything." She turned around and grabbed the shirt he held out to her. "Be right back," she said, almost running to the bathroom.

She emerged a few minutes later wearing nothing but his shirt. "Don't you want to adjust the temperature?" she asked, gesturing to the air conditioner. "It still feels a bit warm in here." Giles gaped at her, unable to speak, as she leaned over and turned the dial. She smiled at him over her shoulder before straightening up and turning around. She thought she heard a "Bloody Hell" before he crossed the room and pulled her against him.

He stared down at her. "Buffy," he whispered.

"The deal was me wearing your shirt. You just assumed -"

He cut her off with a brief kiss. "Won't you be cold?"

"I'm counting on you to warm me up."

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THE END
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