Winter Of Discontent 12
Author: Gileswench
Contact: gileswench@yahoo.com
Feedback: Constructive criticism always welcome. Praise abjectly sought.
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Joss, Mutant Enemy, etc., etc., etc. I
just let them have all the fun Joss won't. I own nothing except my
twisted mind which you really don't want. Please don't sue.

"Good lord."

Cordelia crossed her arms across her chest and glared at him.

"Yeah, that's really helpful."

"You might have mentioned that before - just before."

"Gee, and I guess it would have killed you to ask if you needed to
bring a condom or two when you seduced me."

"And I suppose you never thought of it when we were actually in bed
together."

An odd expression flitted across Cordelia's face.

"But...I didn't. Did you?"

Wesley blinked, then frowned, then blinked again.

"No. No, I didn't. Not once. That's really very unlike me."

"No kidding. You make Giles look like Evel Knieval most of the time.
You make Angel look like the ultimate let your hair down guy."

"And you're not the sort of girl to leave yourself unprotected."

"Plus we weren't even really talking and suddenly we couldn't keep our
hands off each other - not to mention other body parts."

"Yes...quite..."

"Wesley," Cordelia said hesitantly, "I want you to know...I don't
regret this. I mean, yeah, I'm a little crazed now with the no birth
control issue, but...I'm glad anyway. I - I've missed you."

She sat gingerly beside him on the bed.

"Maybe this was something Hellmouthy, but it was a good Hellmouthy
something for once."

Wesley finally allowed himself to look into her brown eyes.

"But how long will it last? Will you regret this tomorrow when the
spell or whatever this is has passed? Will you let me into your life?"

"I want to..."

Wesley took her in his arms and stroked her back. He pressed his lips
gently to her forehead. When he pulled back, his eyes were bright with
unshed tears.

"I need more of an answer than that. I've been patient, Cordelia, but
I'm not a saint. I need hope. Can you give me that?"

She nodded silently, her eyes turned to the floor.

"I - Wesley, I want to work this out. I just don't know how anymore."

"Are you willing to try?"

This time she met his eye.

"Yeah. I'll try. But I still get my two tasks."

"Three, wasn't it?"

"You passed the first with flying colors. Two more to go. And I may
switch the order after tonight."

"What has that to do with it?"

"You'll see."

She held him for a moment, allowing herself to relax briefly in his
arms. She could feel the tension rebuilding in her belly. She pulled
back reluctantly.

"I better go now. Before we...get too cozy and...you know, again."

"Of course. Cordelia, I hesitate to ask this, but what point are you at
in your cycle?"

Her eyes went wide.

"Right in the middle. Uh oh."

*****

Tara stirred and felt the empty pillow next to her own. She searched
the room with her eyes.

"Willow?"

The door opened and her lover entered the room, still toweling off her
hair.

"Hey, Baby, you're awake."

"I just woke up. You took a shower?"

"Bath."

Tara looked at Willow critically.

"Are you okay, Honey? You seem a little...off."

"Me? I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be fine?"

"I don't know. Are you still mad at me from earlier? 'Cause I think
maybe we need to talk about that. Y'know, without the shouting part and
the running away part."

Willow shook her head.

"Let's just say we both sorta screwed up and leave it at that, okay?"

"But I think there's something about me you need to understand first."

"Tara, I don't need to understand anything except that I love you and
you love me. Isn't that enough?"

"Is it?"

"Of course it is. Nothing else really matters."

She took Tara into her arms and kissed her softly. Willow moaned softly
when Tara's hand moved to her breast.

"Nothing else matters at all."

*****

Buffy spied a curtained off corner of the training room from her
vantage atop Giles.

"So what's behind door number one over there?"

"Nothing you need worry about tonight, luv."

"Does that mean I need to worry about it tomorrow?"

They giggled as she rubbed her nose against his.

"No, it means you'll find out on Christmas morning. It's a bit of a
project I have Xander doing for me. And don't you pout at me. When it
comes to Christmas gifts, I remain adamant. I shall not surrender to
you."

"Not even a little bit?" she teased.

He brushed her hair back from her shoulder. The gesture was warm and
loving, and his eyes grew even more gentle than they were before.

"Don't you know I already did that a long time ago?"

"I know," she told him seriously. "And I did too. It just took me
longer. I didn't understand for a long time that surrender isn't always
defeat."

"It's not an easy lesson to learn. Took me nearly forty five years to
truly understand it."

"Slowpoke," she teased him.

"Oh, I'll happily do that," he murmured against her lips as he rubbed
himself against her.

"Rupert!" she giggled. "You dirty old man."

"Brazen hussy," he grinned.

"Skanky guy."

"Trollope."

"No fair. Even your insults sound classy."

"If you'd like, I can give you lessons in the proper use of the English
tongue."

"Loving the sound of that. Teach me?"

With that, he reached up to cradle the back of her head in his large
hand. Their lips met with passion. Their tongues danced slowly across
one another until Buffy whimpered softly. Giles pulled back and stroked
her hair again. His smile lit the room.

"An A student if ever I saw one. Shall we move on to advanced work?"

*****

Cordelia stood before her mirror with her blouse lifted to just below
her breasts. She ran her fingers tentatively over the scar she still
bore from the night she'd gone to rescue Xander and Willow only to find
them kissing.

The scars on her heart had long since faded. She could now think of
Willow without wanting to hurt her at all. Even Xander had been more or
less forgiven. Ending up with a demon lover - in the literal sense -
had to be punishment enough on its own. Besides, he'd been really
classy about the Prom dress and her financial mess.

It would have been different if she'd ever really been in love with the
guy, anyway. She hadn't. And he hadn't really been in love with her.
Nor did she consider it Buffy's fault anymore, either. More a case of
teenage hormonal overload combined with the opportunity to prod her
parents into noticing her at all for something other than material
needs.

It hadn't worked, and she and Xander had never even gone to bed
together. And yet, he had affected every single sexual relationship
she'd had since.

That damn scar on her body sat there and mocked her every time she
looked at it. It mocked her now.

She touched it again, remembering the gentle way Wesley had kissed her
there the first time they'd really taken their time to make love rather
than simply have sex. It was his sign that he accepted everything about
her; that he loved her, imperfections and all. Nobody else had ever
treated her that way.

With a resolute tug, she pulled her blouse back down and turned from
the mirror. It was getting late and she didn't feel like going into the
matter again. She would think about it later. Maybe she would even tell
Wesley. She spied the container of pills on her nightstand and put them
away.

"One way or another, I probably don't need those anymore," she
muttered.

*****

"Oh God," Buffy breathed as Giles filled her again.

He smiled up at her where she rode him. Her head was thrown back, the
golden curtain of her hair brushing down almost far enough to touch his
legs. Her breasts bobbed temptingly before him. He groaned at the sweet
sensation of being swallowed into her tight channel.

Again and again she slid up and down the length of him. Giles watched
his cock disappear into Buffy and reappear as she lifted herself above
him. The heady euphoria of orgasm was almost upon him for the third
time that evening. As for Buffy, he'd lost count some time ago. They
both ought to be exhausted, but he felt as though he could keep going
all night.

"Oh God."

This time Buffy's voice sounded different; suddenly thin and
frightened. She stopped moving. Her face contorted, but Giles quickly
realized it wasn't with pleasure.

"Buffy, luv? What's wrong?"

He rolled them to the side and pulled out of her as gently and quickly
as he could. When he looked down, there was blood.

"Lie still, Buffy, and try to stay calm. I'm going to call for an
ambulance. I'll be right back, I promise."


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