Title: Lonely Hearts
Author: Savage
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Rating: R
Distribution: Dee, Dusty, ASH,
Disclaimer: All belongs to Joss
Author Note: For Milkie
Spoilers: 6

(Giles' Home - Sunnydale)

Watching her, Giles let a lazy smile warm his lips. He loved seeing her so relaxed and at ease these last few weeks, 6 to be exact, have been the best he could ever have hoped for. Sense returning from Bath, Giles was back as his Slayer official watcher, the magic box was back in order, and he secured a home not to far form Buffy's.

"Buffy?"

"Hmm" she answered him, her voice raspy with sleep.

"It's late. Don't you think you should head home now?"

Taking a seat next to her, Giles smiled once again when he saw her cuddle the Coca-Cola bear she had in her arms closer to her chest. She looked so absolutely adorable, her hair tousled, her body lax with ease.

"Buffy?"

"Hmm..."

"Time to get up"

"No"

"No?"

"No"

"But, it's late Buffy. I think-"

"Stay here" she mumbled, her voice full of sleep.

Sighing, Giles took her into his arms and carried her upstairs to his bed. Lately she had been falling asleep on his couch after her patrols, not wanting to go home. He wasn't sure why, or what, if anything, she was scared of. But something was wrong with her.

She clung to him like never before and it was starting to worry him.

Snuggling into his chest, Buffy held the smile she wanted to flash as she enjoyed being in his arms. She knew he was carrying her upstairs, and it thrilled her to be here with him once again. Since he'd returned to her, she tried several times to tell him how she truly felt, but the words never came to her. She even tried writing them down, but again, she never found the right ones to tell him just how much she loved him.

"Goodnight dearheart"  He laid a kiss to her forehead as he put her to bed, laying her gently on top of the covers as she snuggled closer to her the bear. Buffy pretended to be asleep, and enjoyed his kiss far too much to actually be in a slumber. She noticed he hadn't left the room, she could feel him standing next to the bed, watching over her. Buffy's heart ached for his touch. She wished he just lean down and kiss her lips. But she knew him better than that. He was too proper and British.

Returning downstairs, Giles cleaned up the pizza boxes and threw them away. He'd barely made it out of his room without placing a kiss on Buffy's tempting lips. His feelings were so strong.  Lately, he was barely able to be in a room with her without wanting to rip her clothes off and take her right then and there. Regardless if anyone else was in the room with them or not.

Letting a deep sigh escape him, Giles flipped off the lights and went to the couch. After stretching out, he closed his eyes with visions of Buffy quickly taking up permanent residence in his mind. As they usually did when he sleep.

(Next Morning - Giles' Kitchen)

Buffy came down the stairs and found her Watcher making breakfast. He looked comfortable there, making her breakfast as he would sometimes. He seemed to really like taking care of her. Now if she could just get him to let her do the same for him. 

"Morning"    

"Good morning"  He sent a warm grin over his shoulder as Buffy came around the dining table and into the small kitchen.

"Something sure smells good"

"That would be your breakfast"

"Mine? Not ours?"

"No, not ours. Mine is a cup of tea and a bagel"

"Eww. You still on that diet?"

"Yes. If I'm to keep up with you, I need to be in shape"

"Trust me, you're in shape"

"What?"

"Nothing. So, has Dawn called?"

"Yes, I told her you were fine"

"Good. I should probably drop by home later"

Taking a seat at the small table in the kitchen, Buffy crossed her legs and ran her hands through her hair.

"Buffy?"

"Hmm?"  Reaching for a glass in front of her, she took a sip of the orange juice Giles had waiting there for her, and watched him make her plate.

"Is there, something you would like to talk about?"

"Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know. You just seem to have something on your mind"

"Ah. Well, yeah, there is something but not now ok?"

"All right. But you know-"

"Yeah I know. I can come to you anytime"

"That's right"  He smiled as he went to her and laid the plate in front of her.

"Thanks Giles"

"No problem"

(Later that Night - Giles' Living Room)

Giles was worried. Usually Buffy was here by now, or at least had called him. He waited until 4 am for her until he finally called Dawn yet again to see if Buffy had gone to see her. She hadn't. Since Dawn had decided to move to LA with her dad to try and have a normal life, Buffy seemed to withdraw a little, not from him, but from the others, and work as well. She missed her sister.  Giles knew that, and if he could, he would reunite the two once more.

He took a seat on the couch, and found his rear end resting on Buffy's bear. He pulled it from underneath him and looked at the stuffed animal. It had a flannel plaid shirt on and a Christmas hat. He gave it to her last Christmas, sending it to her from England. Since returning, he never saw her sleeping without it. Smiling, Giles lifted the bear to his nose. It smelled distantly like his Slayer's perfume. 

Looking at the clock again, Giles found 5 minutes had passed. His eyes were heavy with sleep but his heart was forcing him to stay awake. He needed to know if she was all right. Laying his head back against the couch, he tried to convince himself that he was just overreacting and was getting too used to her being around so much. She was a young, beautiful woman who had better things to do with her time than spend it with her Watcher. 

Not to mention, he knew she sometimes liked to slay well into the morning. However, she usually called him by now to tell him.

His knee was bouncing up and down in a nervous motion. If she would just call him, let him know that she was ok, he could relax and fall asleep. But she hadn't. She should have been there by now. She should have been lying on his couch while he researched the new bad in town for her. Snoring lightly as he would look over at her and smile. He loved watching her sleep. Loved having her there with him. He knew something was wrong for her not wanting to go home, but he also knew she would tell him when she was ready.

His mind finally slowed enough for his eyes to drift shut. He kept fighting the sleep, jerking awake and sitting up more, but his head would eventually win and slip off to the side as his eyes closed and sleep overtook him.

(Later that morning - Giles' Home)

Buffy entered the house quietly, knowing Giles would be asleep by now. She walked into the living room, heading towards the couch to check on him, when she saw him leaning to one side.  He looked incredibly uncomfortable as she stood in front of him.  She could see the bear, her bear, in his arms, cuddled to his chest.

Not wanting to wake him Buffy sat on the coffee table across from her Watcher. She'd been out all night wandering around and had lost track of time. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him so badly, that it was interfering in her slaying, her work, even her dreams. Giles just seemed to be on her mind a lot lately. And so what if he said he never thought of her in *that* way? At least she got it off her chest and would be able to sleep, slay and work in peace again.

Without the constant nagging thought to just tell him.

Taking a deep breath, Buffy decided this was it. She was going to tell him, and she was going to tell him right here and right now.  Standing, she went to him and straddled his thighs. Giles began to wake up as Buffy smiled sweetly and toyed with the hair on his arms with her fingers.

"Hey"

"Buffy?"

"Yup, the one and only"

"Am I dreaming?" he asked, looking at her, realizing she was on his thighs, straddling him. His eyes went back to hers as he saw her lean into him and felt her hands tangle in his hair.

"Buff-"

Her lips cut off his words. He felt an amazing shock of adrenalin and joy fill him as her tongue traced his mouth, begging for him to open to her, which he did, throwing away any doubt in his mind and returned the kiss. He deepened the pleasure by rubbing his tongue along hers as his hands gripped her hips and pulled her closer.

"Giles..."  Buffy broke the kiss several moments later, both taking a deep breath.

"Wow"

"Indeed"

She was smiling at him as he brushed some hair out of her eyes.

"Where have you been?"

"Slaying. Walking around, thinking"

"I was worried"  Pulling her back to him, Giles cradled her much as he did the bear earlier. Smiling, Buffy titled her head and nestled against him.

"I'm sorry. I know I should have called"

"Yes, you should have."

"But, I was thinking about things. And... time got away from me"

"Things?"

"Yeah. You things. Dawn things"

"Your home things?"

"Huh?"

Grinning Giles kissed the top of her head.

"Is there a reason why you won't go home Buffy?"

"Oh"  She was silent for a few moments before answering him.  "Yeah"

"May I ask what that is? Not that I don't love having you here. I'm just worried you see, and-"

"You're not there. Dawn isn't there. I feel so... alone. I know Will and Tara are there, but it isn't the same, you know? "

"Yes, I think I do" he answered, running the back of his fingers along her arm.   

"You're always welcome here Buffy"

"I know" she said with a smile, and cuddled closer.

"In fact, if you like, you may keep some things here"

"Really?"

"Really"

Lifting her head, Buffy looked at him.

"Can I keep something very important to me here?"

"Of course"

"Cause, even though I try as hard as I can, it always ends up back here anyways"

He drew his eyebrows together, trying to figure out what she was talking about.

"What's that?"

"My heart"

As if he didn't already love her with all that was in him, his heart managed to overflow with emotion as he took her face between his hands and laid another kiss to her lips.  Buffy let a pleasured moan slip from her mouth as her hands went to his shirt and ripped it open.

"I just bought that -"

"I'll buy you another one."  She kissed him again, running her hands along his chest, down his stomach and back again. Giles took the hint and reached for her blouse, ripping it open as well. Buffy smiled against his lips.

"You're buying me-"

"I know...."  Sliding his hands under her bra, Giles cupped her breasts as the door flew open and Willow called out to him.

"Giles? Buffy-s..."  Her eyes went wide at the scene in front of her as Xander rushed in.  "…on you..."

"Is she here? Will?"

Stepping from behind her, Xander thought his heart stopped in shock as he saw Giles and Buffy on the couch. 

"Oh man. Please tell me my eyes are ok and everything didn't just fade to black?"

The End