Title: Male Pride
Author: Saint Buffy
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: B/G
Spoilers: Season Five. No Riley.
Feedback: is the exact change in the ticket machine of fic creation
Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.
Summary: Buffy insults Giles's manliness and he decides to teach her a lesson.
Author's Note: Yes that really definitely probably is the end. I'm an evil, evil person.

Note: Here's a little fic, as promised... it's set in Season Five, because I can't handle what happens after that. I'm staying firmly back in the good old days for the time being.

The bell rang as Buffy entered the Magic Box. Willow, Tara and Anya looked up as she walked in, their conversation silenced. Willow gave Buffy a look. She ignored it. She knew what the look meant; she knew that she deserved it and she was there to make amends.

She stopped by the table. "Where's Giles?"

"He's in the back," Tara said.

"Are you gonna… talk to him?" Willow asked cautiously. Buffy looked down.

"I guess," she said.

"Well, he'll have to lock up then, because I have to go," Anya announced, fishing her handbag out from under the counter. "Xander and I have plans. We're going to…"

Willow and Tara leapt up at the same time, grabbing their things together.

"We have to go. Now," Willow said. "Before we hear anything disturbing." She looked grudgingly at Buffy. "Good luck with Giles." They galloped towards the door and were gone before Anya could draw breath to stop them.

Anya, standing open-mouthed, looked back towards Buffy. "Why didn't they want to hear-"

"I have to speak to Giles," Buffy interrupted, and hurried towards the back room. A moment later, Anya was alone in the shop, looking around, puzzled. She finished her question to the empty air.

"-That we're visiting Xander's grandmother tonight?"

The ex-demon shrugged, figuring she'd never fully understand mortal life, and headed out of the shop.

Giles stood with his back to the training room door, turning the punching bag slowly with his fingers. His back looked tense, his shoulders a little slumped, forlorn. Buffy stepped in and cleared her throat.

"It's me," she said apologetically. His whole body tensed and he turned around.

"Hello," he said, voice cool. Buffy moved forward, her hands twisting into awkward knots behind her back.

"Giles, I…" she had prepared this part earlier. "I want to apologise about what I said earlier. I was thoughtless, and…"

He turned away silently, pushing his hands into his pockets. Buffy swallowed and carried on anyway. "… I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings."

"Hurt my…?" He gave a soft snort of laughter, and turned back towards her. "Earlier, you looked surprised that I was insulted."

She looked away. "I- I guess I never really thought about… I mean, I was thoughtless. I'm sorry."

"You *were* thoughtless," Giles pressed, voice low but firm. "You should- you should take more care. Things you say without thinking can cause more damage than you seem to realise."

Buffy looked up at him, frightened. "What- you mean that- Giles, are we okay?" If he said no- if she had alienated him, broken down the relationship she relied on-

He saw the dread in her face and relented. "It depends on you, Buffy. What you said earlier- is that really the way you think of me?"

Buffy stared at him. She had never consciously tried to define what she thought of Giles, before now. He was there. She needed him, and he was there, and that was about as far as any thoughts about him went.

She took a step forward, watching him wait for her to speak with a patient look in his eyes, and thought of the look he had given her earlier. Full of hurt and disappointment. She had thought she was being funny at the time, but that look had drained the humour right out of her.

"No," she said at last. "I- I'm repeating myself, but I really didn't think. I've never thought about you like that."

"You once told me that my private life was `gross'," he countered quietly. Buffy shut her eyes, feeling ashamed.

"I know." She looked at him again. "Giles, you have to understand- I mean, I was younger then, and I didn't want to think of your- your stuff," she said, her mind still shying away from the thought. God, this was awkward. His mouth set in a hard line, and she babbled on. "Not that I don't think you have… stuff. But it was…" Her eyes opened wider as she realised the truth. "It was easier to think of you without. Stuff."

"Sex," Giles said suddenly. Buffy looked up at him, shocked, eyes widening, a childish bolt of feeling striking through her. "We're both adults, capable of using that word. You didn't want to think about my sex life."

She felt herself shy away from the subject again, even as he brought it up, but shut her eyes, forcing herself to confront. "No."

"So you imagined I didn't have one," he continued harshly. Buffy looked away.

"No… well I mean, after Miss Calendar, I thought-" He interrupted her.

"Jenny and I-" Giles sighed, running a hand through his hair. "This really is none of your business, but we were never intimate."

They never got the chance, she thought. "See, that kind of thing didn't help my impression of you any," she said, but he didn't smile. "Sorry."

He opened his mouth to say something, then stopped and glanced at his watch. "Hold on a minute," he said instead. "I need to lock up the shop."

Buffy sat on the sofa as he disappeared into the main shop. Conversations about Giles's… okay, she could say it… his sex life, hadn't been on her list of things to do today. The mere thought was… it was *Giles*, having sex… she caught herself wondering what he was like and made a face. Then realised she was making a face- she was doing it again- and frowned at the empty air.

Giles was a man. He had a- why couldn't she say it? –A sex life. He was probably quite good at it, she realised, remembering her mom's thoughts. He definitely had more experience than her, and yet she was mocking him… that wasn't right. She wondered again what he would be like in bed, while a part of her still couldn't believe she was thinking that. Why not? She answered back. She slept with Angel, and he was… well, he was hundreds of years older. Why couldn't she think of a man who was relatively young, and still alive? And probably pretty good in the sack?

She sighed and listened to him dimly as he closed the store, wondering what more he would want to say when he returned. If he would want another apology.

It had been a stupid thing to do. She knew as soon as the words had left her mouth that she had gone too far. Her friends had all been suddenly absorbed in the books in front of them as he gave her that look, and moments later he was walking out of the shop.

"Don't," Willow said as she got up to follow. "Leave him a little while."

She could still feel the awful worry she had felt as he left, the anger at herself that she had so casually hurt him. But now she was back, trying to make it right. She only hoped he could understand how truly sorry she felt.

Giles came back into the back room, shutting the door behind him, and Buffy swallowed. He had taken off his jacket and tie, undoing the top buttons of his shirt so that he looked… he looked…

He stalked towards her, eyes on hers, movements slow and predatory. Buffy rose uncertainly, feeling the hair on her neck rising as well. "I can see that there are some things that we need to work past," Giles said in a low voice, still moving towards her. He stopped, close, eyes still holding hers, and very deliberately pushed his sleeves up to the elbow. "Do you agree?"

Buffy swallowed again. Suddenly it felt like there wasn't enough air in the room; the temperature seemed to have doubled since Giles walked back in. She nodded.

"Good," he murmured, and pulled her close to kiss her.

Her eyes flew wide as his mouth met hers. All her blood seemed to rush to the most extreme places, leaving her legs weak, eyes starry, her heart racing. His mouth was hot and yet it sent shivers all over her, and his arms, dragging her against his body, folded her completely into his kiss.

She couldn't help but respond. Closing her eyes, Buffy slid a hand around the back of his neck, pulling him closer, kissing him back. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, lifting her up slightly against him to kiss her deeper, his hand moving to adjust the angle of her head. Their tongues battled, arms and hands tightening around each other as they fought to pour everything into a single kiss.

It was unbelievable. His mouth was like nothing Buffy had ever felt before, nothing she could describe- pure fire and enjoyment. Their arms locked around each other, holding tight, hands grabbing at shirts and hair. Time seemed to disappear.

Giles ended the kiss slowly, and drew back from Buffy's mouth to look at her. She looked back, panting heavily, relieved to see that he was also out of breath. He spoke deliberately.

"I am a man," he said, voice low. His arms were still tight around her. "I have male parts. I like women. I enjoy them." He disengaged his arms. "I'll see you here tomorrow for training."

With a final look, he turned away, leaving Buffy standing breathless and hot in the middle of the training room.

END