Title: Coming Home 3/6
Author: Sweetdoggie (stirling_summer@yahoo.com)
Pairing: B/G
Rating: PG-17
Summary: Sometimes home isn’t a place.
Spoilers: post season 7
Note: If the chapter breaks seem a little weird, it’s because I wrote this as one unit but had to break it up for my beta.
Disclaimer: No permission has been granted to use the characters. They are owned by their creator, Joss Whedon, Twentieth Century Fox, UPN, WB, and Mutant Enemy. This story is non-profit and is intended solely as entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended.
The day turned out to be the most fun Buffy had experienced for years. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been so carefree and happy. Giles took her to view several interesting historical sites and she found she really enjoyed history when it wasn’t about memorizing meaningless dates and strings of facts that she couldn’t relate to. Once she was able to put those things together with real people, to connect paragraphs in books with tangible evidence, it all came together in her mind. Giles told her stories as they explored and she realized that if he had taken her to England for a short vacation during her high school years and had done this sort of thing with her, she could have aced history.
She mentioned this to him with a happy grin that he returned.
“Oh, yes. I’m sure your mother wouldn’t have objected at all to her daughter’s Librarian taking her out of the country for ‘educational purposes’.”
“Well, let’s just say that would have been a drawback.” She smiled. “Do you ever think that we should have told mom sooner?”
“I’ve often thought about those early years and the decisions we made. I just don’t know. Was it better for your mother to think you were a problem child or that you nightly risked your life to keep the world safe?”
Buffy sighed. “I think, overall, she had more piece of mind thinking I was a juvenile delinquent than knowing I was the Slayer. I wish she could see me now, how great my life is, I mean.”
He turned to her in surprise. “You think your life is great?”
“Giles, the fact that I even have a life is a point of continuous amazement to me. What wouldn’t mom have liked about this? I have a job that I like that actually helps people and I make good money. I’m responsible and adult. Dawn isn’t turning out too badly with me as her guardian and I have a very lovable boyfriend, who, even after all the years he’s known me is still training me and teaching me stuff and helping me to be a better person.”
“I don’t believe your mother would be all that pleased that you were with me. After all, I am a little ‘long in the tooth’ so to speak.”
She looked at him wryly. “Not as long as Angel and Spike.”
“Was that a vampire reference or an age commentary?”
She chuckled. “Whatever. Feed me, OK? I’m starving.”
After a leisurely meal, they had time to squeeze in one more museum before it was time to head home again. Buffy sighed happily as they turned into the complex they had purchased as part of the new Watcher’s Compound. Giles parked his car and got out, walking around the vehicle to open her door for her. Slipping an arm over her shoulders, they walked to their rooms together. He stopped at her door.
“May I come in?”
“My home is yours,” Buffy told him.
“Actually, um, that’s something I wanted to talk to you about.” He looked nervous.
“What?”
“Well, our homes. I mean our living arrangements.”
“Uh huh. Want to expand on that thought, Rupert? ‘Cause I think I’m missing something there.”
“We have two homes. I want us to have only one.”
“You want to move in with me?”
“Actually, I was thinking both of us could move into the senior Watcher’s house. It will give us plenty of room and when Dawn visits, she will have a place to stay.”
Buffy looked surprised. “I dunno, Rupert. That’s a pretty big decision to make after only one night.”
He looked disappointed. “One night and nearly eight years.”
She hesitated but finally nodded slowly. “OK.”
“Do you mean you’ll do it?”
“Yeah. You’re right. We’ve known each other forever. I’ve just never lived with a guy before. It feels like a pretty big step.”
“I love you, Buffy, in every way a man can love a woman. I want to be with you. Can you want that with me?”
She smiled suddenly. “You know, I can and what’s more, I feel good about it.”
He smiled, relieved and happy. “Good. I want you to feel good about us, about what we do together.”
“I do.”