Title: Love, Peace and Contentment
Author: Trish
Pairing: Buffy/Giles (Of course!)
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Joss, ME, UPN, etc.
Distribution: If you want it, take it, just email me to let me know where it's going.
Summary: A short but sweet, non-angsty fic.
Spoilers: If you've seen up to "Into the Woods", you should be safe.
A/N: My second fanfic. This is just a little something I wrote around a year or so ago, and decided to brush it up, after so many good reviews for my first fic. Enjoy. And a huge Thank you to Gail for the wonderful beta =) and for putting up with me ;-)
Also, this switches between Buffy's and Giles' perspective, just so no one gets confused.

First Angel, then that pillock, Parker…and then that soldier boy, Riley... Why does my Buffy keep going after the ones who certainly aren't worthy of her love? The ones who leave her and break her heart? If only she could realize that there is someone who loves her. Someone who would never leave her, once he had the chance to love her.

First Angel, then Parker, then Riley. They all left me. I thought I loved Angel, but it was doomed from the beginning. And Parker. Well, that was just a big mistake. After he blew me off, I felt bad, but it passed. I don't even know why I was so attached to him in the first place. And Riley, who I thought loved me, and maybe he did. He was what I thought would be everything I was looking for. It turns out I was wrong again. I've found who I'm looking for. If only I hadn't given him so many reasons to think I couldn't ever love him.

Why would Buffy ever return my love? After all, I'm very old and gross. Or when someone finds me the least bit attractive, her reactions aren't exactly kind. I believe I've heard "Ew" once or twice. Although, as I think about it now, I haven't heard that in awhile. Oh, not the 'attractive' bit, I hear that all the time, mainly from customers at the magic shop. I haven't heard Buffy's, so maybe…no, I'm just getting my hopes up for, what feels like the millionth time.

How do I make him realize I love him? Well, I guess I should tell him first. I haven't uttered a single negative comment about him in a long time. I realized at prom, really, that he is so the furthest thing from 'ew'. So when I told him that he and sex are gross, I was so out of my mind. I meant that he, sex, and Olivia are gross, but I was too embarrassed to say anything. Like how much I wanted to be the one wearing his shirt, basking in the afterglow of our lovemaking, because that's what it would be, lovemaking. Not meaningless sex, but with love.

Buffy came to the Magic Box today. We were training as we usually do, but something was different. She looked more relaxed, if that's possible. She was smiling a lot also. Not just any smile, you see, but that soft smile, that shines brightly through the eyes. The smile wasn't the only thing I saw in her eyes. This shocked me.

I went to the shop today. Training with Giles, I realized I enjoy it now. Spending time with him, even if it's to prepare me for fighting for my life. I feel at peace, even if it's just for a little while. I feel happy, like glowy happy, which doesn't happen a whole lot. And I love him so much. Fall more in love each time I see him. We're training hand and hand now. I accidentally sweep his feet out from beneath him, and he falls, pulling me with him at the last second. I lay on top of him, not really rushing to get up. I don't move, and my heart is racing. I looked into his eyes and saw something shining through, or trying to anyway. He's trying to hold it back. Why Giles? You have to believe I feel it too. I stare into his eyes for a moment, knowing that it's now or never.

"I love you."

My head is spinning, my heart's hammering in my chest. She's laying on top of me, for God's sake. She's not moving. It even sounds like she sighed. In contentment? I want to embrace her, put my arms around her. But I can't move. She looks up and is staring into my eyes. I try hard to keep my feelings beneath the surface, and that's when she says it. "I love you." I look at her in shock, searching her eyes for the truth, and when I see it, clearly, my heart starts pounding furiously. So hard you can almost hear it. I reach up to cup her cheek, and she leans into it, sighing. Her hand comes up to cover my own, and she closes her eyes.

"I love you, too."

Well I said it. It's now up to him to decide what he does with it. Please tell me. I'm almost certain he feels the same, now. He seems frozen at first, totally stunned. Like he never expected these feelings for him, to come from me, ever. His heart is beating as hard and fast as mine. I can feel it against my chest. It's a good feeling. He brings his hand up to cup my face, his hands are soft. Oh, in a manly way of course. It feels good, like it belongs, is what I mean. I reach up to cover his hand with my own. My stomach is in flutters and I close my eyes at the warm sensation. Then he tells me, "I love you, too."

I open my eyes to look into his. He's not trying to hide it anymore. It's there, clear as day, and it makes my eyes tear up. Even as I smile at him.

She opens her eyes and looks into mine. I still can't believe this woman loves me. And it's there, for anyone to see. I see her eyes tear up and reach up to brush away a stray tear rolling slowly down her cheek. I stroke her face with my thumb and bring it down to mine.

I look into his eyes as he brushes away my tears. His hand is still in contact, stroking my skin softly. He slowly pulls my face down to his, both of us smiling, before our lips meet, I feel a jolt go through me, and sigh.

As our lips meet, I feel a warmth throughout my body. She sighs against my mouth, and I deepen the kiss, tracing her lips with my tongue until she opens up and caresses mine with hers. Dancing in delight, making us both moan softly. Time seems to slow down. We pull away to look at each other after what seems like hours, but really only a minute has passed. Both our visions are blurry, for our eyes are filled with tears at the knowledge that we have found the one we've been waiting for, and have found the one we've been looking for. The rest is silent, as we start to explore our love further, discovering each other's bodies, finding old scars to heal, both outside and in. As we finally come, it's together, crying out each other's names.

Then we just lay there, holding each other, enjoying this moment that's ours. Away from evil, vampires, slayers, watchers. Right now we're just Buffy and Rupert, lovers, soon wife and husband, maybe even one day, mother and father. But right now is our moment of love, peace, and contentment.

~End.~