Title: Ever After 2/2
Author: Savage
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Joss Owns All
Summary: Season 7 - Buffy and Giles look for a place to stay after
Sunnydale is gone
Distribution: Dusty
Dedication: To Dusty, who all though she had to have surgery, is now
doing much better. I knew you would be ok Dust ;-) Welcome Home.
And of course to Jules for Keeping Giles British ;-)
and making me laugh so much ;-) Happy Birthday Jules
Oh good lord. Did he just that out loud?
"You want to what?" Buffy asked in shock.
Yup, he did. Bloody priceless,
"Nothing. Nothing, I'm terribly sorry Buffy. I'm tired a-and I'm in pain..."
"Pain?"
"Yes. My old body's pretty sore after that battle"
"You're not old"
"Thank you"
"I mean it"
"I know you do. You never say anything you don't mean"
She smiled at him as the elevator dinged then opened its doors.
"Come on, let's get that sore body of yours into bed"
Giles tripped as he got into the elevator, causing Buffy to laugh out loud.
"You don't walk much do you?"
He glared at her as she squeezed his hand.
"Aww someone's a little cranky"
"No, someone's about to get their....." Giles was cut off as bellhop got in and smiled at them.
The doors closed.
"About to get what?" Buffy asked her Watcher, her tone in a whisper.
"Not now"
"Why not?"
Giles looked at the man in front of them.
"So?"
"What do you mean 'so'?"
"I mean, So. You know I think you hit your head harder than you realize"
Buffy said as Giles continued to glare.
"Like that scares me anymore"
"It was never meant to be scary"
"Yeah? What was it meant to do?"
The elevator came to a stop and dinged once again. The man got out and three more people came in.
Buffy was pushed closer to Giles, brushing against his front with her rear.
"Sorry" She whispered to him.
"Quite all right" Giles managed to say softly.
Buffy could hear the uneasiness in his voice as she smiled to herself. She was turning Giles on.
This was new.
"Giles?"
"Hmm?"
"You ok?"
"Yes, why"
Her smile widened when she moved rubbing herself against him a little more. Giles tried to stifle his moan but she heard him, loud and clear.
"Just wondering" she answered with a giggle.
Giles let out a deep breath, thanking God she had stopped moving and praying they would get out of the tiny elevator SOON.
"Giles, hello?"
"Yes? Sorry"
"I said, why are you sweating? Are you sure you're ok?"
Why was he sweating? Was she kidding him??? She KNEW why he was sweating!
In a tone that was more sexy than threatening, he told her...
"Enough Buffy"
"Enough what?"
"You know what"
"I do?"
"Yes"
"Hmm, ok, well if you say I do, even though I don't, then I guess I do"
A woman in the elevator giggled as Giles grabbed Buffy's hips when she started to rub her bottom against his front again. He pulled her back to him so she was flush with his body as he leaned his mouth towards her ear and growled.
"If you continue to do that, I will throw against this wall and have my way with you in front of everyone in this elevator"
The woman who giggled earlier, mouthed an "Oh my" as one of the men grinned encouragingly at the watcher. Giles shot the man a glare. The miscreant stepped back as much as he could and faced the door of the elevator.
Giles turned back to Buffy, his breath, hot and sultry, washing over her as he spoke again.
"Buffy?"
"Hmm?"
She looked at him, her eyes full of passion and interest. Giles laughed.
"Now you know how I feel"
"What do you mean?"
"You were teasing me"
"I was not!"
"You were and you know it" His eyes were watching her lips again as she found her own staring at his.
"So do it"
"Do what?"
"Take me"
Giles looked at her for a long moment before they both realized the elevator had stopped and everyone had got off... except for them.
"I beg your pardon"
Buffy couldn't help the giggle that escaped her as she stepped off the elevator and headed for her room.
"Well, I didn't think you were one to beg, but who knows, that could be fun" Buffy told him as she opened her door, leaning against the frame, waiting for him to get off the elevator.
"You going to stay on that thing all night?"
He looked at her then realized where he was still standing.
"Oh, uh, no"
Walking to her, Giles couldn't stop thinking about what Buffy said to him. She wanted him to *take* her. She had been flirting with him in the elevator. Who was this Buffy and what had she done with *his* slayer?
"Giles, wall!"
"hmm?"
Giles came out of his thoughts when Buffy called to him and grabbed his hand so he wouldn't run into the door.
"I swear you're trying to give yourself a concussion"
He chuckled as he realized how incredibly dense he must seem to her tonight. That was the third time he had done that.
"Sorry darling"
She flashed him a warm smile as she crawled into bed and curled up in the covers.
"I like that"
"What?" His voice was soft as he walked to the bed.
"You called me daling"
"Indeed I did" Giles told her as he stopped at the side of the bed and slipped his hands into his pockets. "Don't you think you should change your clothes? You're still wet"
"Excuse me?" Buffy was shocked as she realized he didn't mean *that way*
"Your clothes. They still have to be wet from the rain" He told her with a grin, realizing she just embarrassed herself.
"Oh, right, I knew that. And I took the jacket off, my shirt's only damp, so I figure I'm ok"
Giles shook his head, then looked at the ground next to Buffy's bed.
"Right you are. So, I guess we should get some sleep?"
"Yes ,please. Today was harsh. I need a little shut eye"
"Of course"
He gave her a heart warming smile as he went to the switch on the wall and turned the lights out. Then grabbing a cover off a chair in the room, Giles spread it out on the ground as Buffy cleared her throat.
"Giles, what are you doing?"
"Getting ready for bed"
"On the floor?"
"Yes, why?"
"Ok, was I the *only* one in that elevator?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Giles...I thought... I mean didn't we share...never mind. Night"
Buffy rolled over, giving her back to him as Giles watched her. He didn't know why she was so upset. He thought by giving her space tonight, she wouldn't feel bad in the morning for having behaved the way she did with him earlier.
"Buffy?"
"Night, Giles"
"Buffy, please. What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Night"
Sighing Giles walked to the other side of the bed and kneeling in front of her, asked her softly .
"What did I do?"
She was staring into his eyes as he smiled at her.
"Why are you smiling?" Buffy asked, a little annoyed.
"Because you make me happy"
She let a small smile touch her lips as well.
"You make me happy too"
"I don't seem to have made you very happy a moment ago"
"It's ok, that was just me"
"I don't think it was"
"Well, it was. Goodnight Giles"
Buffy closed her eyes and for what seemed like eternity she waited for him to move away and lie down. What she hadn't expected, nor ever dared hope for, was the bed dipping slightly as he sat next to her.
"I know you're not sleeping and I refuse to leave us like this"
Sighing, Buffy opened her eyes. Giles was grinning at her as he lifted his hand and ran the back of his knuckles along her cheek.
"I'm sorry Giles. I'm just tired. I don't mean to snap at you so much"
"I know" He told softly. The back of his fingers traced the outline of her jaw. "However, I still think there's something you're not telling me"
She smiled at him before taking his hand into hers and giving it a little squeeze.
"I just thought, since we were....you know.... in the elevator?"
"We were what?"
"Well...what did you think we were doing?"
"Something I never thought you would do with me. Especially after our fight about Spike"
Buffy held his hand tighter.
"I've treated you pretty bad haven't I?"
"No"
"Liar"
They shared a small laugh before Buffy grew serious.
"I just...When I saw you on the bus tonight, trying to get comfortable on that tiny seat, when everyone else...you made sure, as always, that we were ok. You didn't care that you had to sleep outside, -alone and cold- as long as we were safe and I was feeling better. You always do that. Even though you don't have to. I haven't been your slayer for a while now. Not officially anyways. You don't have to always put me first any more...but you do anyway. You're always looking out for me"
"Some habits are hard to break. Especially the ones you don't particularly want to let go"
They held each others eyes as Buffy again squeezed his hand, then laid it above her heart, where Giles felt the muscle there, starting to beat faster.
"Giles...I'm sorry I chose Spike over you. My mind was...clouded. I couldn't think straight, everything was just so hard and he ....he was there for me when you weren't...ans I know that's an unfair statement but... when you left, you really hurt me. More than I think you'll ever truly know. No one, not Angel, Reilly or Spike, could have hurt me - can still hurt me like you. You were everything to me, *are* everything to me. Even though I treat you like you're not... and I'm sorry for that. I was just so scared. I *am* Scared. You mean more to me than anyone in my life and the last thing I wanted was to lose you...but I did anyways. And no matter how hard I fought to keep you, it only came out as me pushing you away"
Giles swallowed. She was right. That was all that mattered to him, that had ever mattered to him. Her safety and happiness. He had no idea how much his leaving affected her, nor had he known how much she really did care for him.
Giles was speechless as Buffy waited for him to say something.
"Giles?"
Her soft voice, drew his eyes from the joined hands, back to her.
"Hmm?"
"Forgive me, please?"
"Only if you forgive me?"
She smiled brightly.
"I do"
"Then I do too"
"I now pronounce us, Watcher and Slayer" Buffy joked, getting Giles to laugh with her as she kissed the back of his hand. "I missed that. It looks really good on you"
"What does?" He asked, intrigued that she was being so open with him.
"The smile. You haven't done it much in the last few years. I'm sorry"
"Buffy, not everything is your fault. I don't want you blaming yourself for -"
"But a lot of it is. The most important parts anyways. I hurt you Giles, a lot. And the worse part about all of it is, I never meant to. I was only trying to keep you at a distance, not a long one, but still... Giles you have the power to hurt me so badly. It scared me *so* much that someone in my life, could do that to me"
"I don't-" Giles swallowed, trying to clear his throat. She was really touching him with her confession and it was making it hard for him talk. "I don't want to hurt you, Buffy" He whispered huskily to her, squeezing her hand in his.
"I know you don't. I don't want to hurt you anymore either"
"I know" He told her before lifting their joined hands and kissing the back of hers.
"Lie with me. Hold me?" Buffy asked in a small voice.
Her eyes pleaded with him to accept her apology and to let things start over again.
"I would love to" Slipping his shoes off, Giles climbed into bed and under the covers as Buffy held them up. T hey sank into each other's embrace, fitting perfectly against one another - as if they were made to fit together to perfection.
Silently they lay there, neither sure of how much time was passing.
"Giles?" Buffy's head was resting in the crook of Giles shoulder, while his hands slid up and down her back, in a relaxing motion.
"Yes?"
"Are we, are we really ok?"
"I would say so. Unless there's something else you wish to speak about?"
"No" She told him quietly, her fingers playing with his shirt. "It's just...this..." Buffy didn't know if she should say it or not. She had treated Giles so badly, how could he believe she truly cared for him.
Loved him.
"Buffy?"
"Nothing. I'm sorry"
Giles knew better than that. Something was on his Slayer's mind. Turning slightly to face her, Giles put his fingers under her chin, lifting her face to his. Their lips were inches from each other as Giles whispered to her.
"Tell me"
Her beautiful blue-gray irises were staring at his lips as Giles' warm breath washed over her face.
"I just...I want- need, to tell you something. But I'm not sure I have the right. I'm not even sure you should let me..."
His eyes meet hers, holding the look that passed between them. Spreading his fingers along her cheek, Giles leaned into her and brushed his lips against hers.
"Please tell me"
She smiled against his lips.
"I love you"
Giles pulled back to look at her. His eyes scanning her own, as Buffy laid one of her hands to his jaw.
"I'm sorry about everything, I wish there was a way I could make right"
"You're doing a fine job of it now" He told quietly.
"I can do an even better one if you let me?" She told him honestly, her heart open for the taking if he wanted it.
"Are you sure you want this, Buffy? I won't be, I can't be, a replacement for Spike. I love you far too much to go through that only to find out in the end that you realize what a mistake it was to be with me, just because you were lonely"
Buffy felt horrible as she held his eyes.
"Giles...I would never, I could *never*, do that to you. I know in the past I've been a major...well the word bitch comes to mind.."
"Don't say that"
"Why not? You know it's true. I've treated you and everyone else -"
Giles put his finger to her lips.
"You have been through far too much to ever put a label on your actions. Buffy, I understand, I honestly do"
"I don't deserve you" Her breath touched his finger as she whispered her confession to him. Giles felt his heart ache for her. The hell she's been through in the past two years was more than any one person should ever have to stand.
"You're right, you don't. You deserve far better"
"There's no one better than you"
Before he could argue, Buffy laced her fingers through his hair and pulled him to her. She kissed him tenderly at first, drawing a deep moan from Giles at the feel of her soft lips moving along his. Then as the kiss deepened, Giles wrapped his arm around Buffy's hip, drawing her close to his body. She parted her desirable lips to allow his questing tongue, entrance into the warm cavern of her mouth.
Endless minutes passed before Buffy pulled back and whispered to him...
"Wow...that was, wow. No one has ever made me feel this way before, from just a simple kiss. Not even Angel"
Giles was shocked as he swallowed hard.
"How do you feel"
"Like my hearts about to explode." she smiled "but, in a good way "
"Thank goodness" Giles joked. "This being the Hellmouth, well, former Hellmouth, I wasn't sure-"
"Giles. No more talking. Just kissing"
He was shocked somewhat by her forwardness but not for long. His bright smile faded as his lips went to hers in another mind blowing kiss.
The End