Title: Big Bad By The Bay 5/10
Author: Gileswench
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. Oh, and I don't own The Simpsons, Indigo girls, or San Francisco either, but I promise to put them right back where I found them.

Giles pulled the car to a stop in the parking garage. As he moved to open his door, Buffy placed a hand on his arm.

"Could we just talk a minute first?"

"Of course."

He turned back to the girl, smiling. Buffy found herself feeling unaccountably shy. She blushed and dropped her gaze. Giles reached out and cupped Buffy's cheek.

"Is everything alright?"

The girls' cheek grew warmer as yet more blood suffused it with color. Her hand moved to cover his.

"Everything's perfect, Giles. It's just..."

"Just?"

"Well...you haven't...y'know...yet, and I thought this might be a good time. And I am so bad at this, Giles. God! You must think I'm such a kid."

"Buffy?"

"Yeah?"

He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers for the first time. The kiss was soft and sweet. It was quickly followed by a second and a third that grew in passion and depth. Finally, Giles drew a somewhat breathless Buffy into the protective circle of his arms.

"Was that what you wanted?" he nuzzled in her ear.

"Mind reader," she teased him.

"A very useful thing to be with you. And you've been known to read mine on occasion, as well."

"Y'know, I think the sweet talk is improving, Giles."

"Buffy, do you think you might do something for me?"

"Anything, Giles," she sighed contentedly.

"Oh to have that on tape," he teased her.

"Hey, it only applies to personal stuff. I reserve the right to make your life hell over the Slaying stuff as per usual."

"Then it's a good thing this is personal. Buffy, if we're to be lovers, do you think you might try calling me 'Rupert'? 'Giles' sounds a bit...wrong under the circumstances."

"Rupert. Rupert," Buffy tried it out. "Your parents were really cold, y'know that?"

"Call it a cultural difference. I've often wondered what on Earth your parents were thinking when they named you."

"Hey! You just admitted we have culture here! Should I be checking to see if you're an impostor?"

"Well, you could do a strip search, but I draw the line at rectal probes, at least for the time being."

Buffy whimpered against his chest.

"At the rate things are going, that'll have to wait until we get home."

"Assuming we can stop the apocalypse."

"That's right, optimism guy; bring up the apocalypse in the middle of our romantic interlude."

She snuggled against him as his arms tightened around her.

"There's another thing I hesitate to bring up, Buffy."

"What's that, G - Rupert. See? I said it. I actually called you Rupert. It might even get easier after a few dozen million times."

He chuckled and kissed the crown of her head.

"Well done, my dear. What I was hesitating to bring up, though, is the fact that it's very late and we're in a rather exposed public place."

"S'okay. I've got Mr. Pointy with me."

"Still..."

"We should go in. I know. I just wish we could do that room sharing thing."

"As do I." He reached out to brush a tendril of hair from her face. "You know I love you, don't you?"

"I know. And you know, too, right? That I love you, I mean."

"I'd rather gotten that impression."

They shared a tender kiss that melted into an embrace. When Buffy pulled back, she reached up to finger his left earlobe.

"Buffy," he breathed.

"Why don't you ever wear an earring anymore?"

"What?"

"I only saw it once, but I kinda liked it when you did. It was sorta sexy."

"If I'd known that, I'd have brought one this weekend."

Buffy met his eyes seriously as she reached up to her own ear and removed one of the studs. With great solemnity, she placed it in Giles' earlobe.

He took her hand with equal seriousness and kissed it gently.

Without another word, the two left the car and headed into the hotel.

*****

Angel stared blankly at the television. It was still on, but he couldn't have said what was playing if anyone had asked. All he could see was his conversation with Cordelia. It replayed over and over in his mind.

If anyone had asked him the day before, he would have said nobody could ever replace Buffy in his heart. He had no idea when Cordelia had taken pride of place. Certainly he had always been fond of her. Even back in Sunnydale he'd admired her strength. Since she'd come to LA, she'd also developed a warmth that had been lacking before. He secretly enjoyed the way she cajoled and badgered him to notice the world around him; to try to understand people as well as merely helping them.

Now he had kissed Cordelia and she had told him she was in love with him. Add to that Buffy's fatal attraction to him and his curse, and Angel had no idea which way to turn.

Buffy? She'd been salvation once upon a time, and his deepest curse as well.

Cordelia? She'd gotten under his skin by degrees without his even knowing it, but to love her was to put her in danger.

But the loneliness was almost more than he could bear.

His attention was caught by a commercial playing on the tv. Cordelia's smiling face appeared looking adoringly at some handsome young actor as they frolicked on the beach.

In the sunshine.

Sunshine.

Something he could never share with her.

Angel groaned and flopped back on the bed. How could he possibly ask Cordelia to give up what little she had left of a normal existence in exchange for a platonic relationship spent in pain and darkness?

A fresh wave of guilt washed over Angel as he thought of how it would hurt Buffy if he turned to another.

With the last of his strength, the vampire picked up the remote and shut off the television as the door opened to admit Giles.

"Doing a bit of research?" Giles asked as he headed toward the bathroom.

"Not really. Giles?"

"Yes?"

He stopped and turned to his roommate.

"How is Buffy? Really?"

"She's perfectly well, Angel. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing...I just...tell me, Giles, does she ever talk about me?"

"What is it you want me to say?"

"Just tell me, please. It's important."

"Alright, then. Yes. She has talked about you a few times, much as she talks about all her friends."

"Friends? So she thinks of me as just a friend now?"

Angel wasn't sure whether to be relieved or hurt.

"What did you expect, Angel? It's been more than two years since you left her. That may not be long in terms of a vampire's existence, but it might have been more time than Buffy had left."

"So she's...moved on?"

Giles bit back a smile.

"Yes, I think it's safe to say she has. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll take a shower."

"You took one just a couple hours ago."

"And now I need another. Excuse me."

"Whatever. Just make sure you leave some hot water for Lorne."

"I don't believe that will be a problem."

He turned and entered the bathroom, still holding his leather jacket at an odd angle in front of himself.

"Giles...? I guess she has moved on."

*****

Cordelia sniffled to herself on the bed. She couldn't believe she wasn't happier now Angel had kissed her. Of course there was the whole curse thing. She'd never understood before how Buffy could be so miserable with a studly boyfriend like Angel. She was beginning to get the frustration involved.

"And she did this for like three years. God, I've only done it for ten minutes and it's driving me up the wall. I wish the PTB would just let him shanshu already. Hasn't he done enough?"

"Haven't you done enough for one night?" Kate shouted as she barged into the room with Lorne skittering after her.

"If you'll just let me explain..."

"What? What did you want to explain? Why you chose tonight to show the first evidence you ever have of having testosterone in your system? Why you decided I'm Jane and big jungleman Tarzan has to save the day?"

"Side issue here: am I Tarzan or was it that drunk?"

With a furious growl Kate picked up the ashtray off the table and hurled it at Lorne. He ducked just in time.

"Hey, slugger! Stop that!"

Kate threw the room service menu, a binder of information on local points of interest, the television remote, and Cordelia's car keys before managing to score a direct hit to Lorne's forehead with a corner of Gideon's Bible.

Red eyes crossed and Lorne wobbled for a moment before he tumbled to the ground.

In a flash, Kate's fury dissipated. Her hands flew to her face in horror.

"Oh my God. What have I done?"

Before she could think clearly enough to plan it, she was on her knees next to her fallen boss.

"Lorne, Lorne, please wake up! I didn't mean it, I swear."

Cordelia joined Kate on the floor.

"Y'know, killing the boss doesn't look good on your resume. You're going to have a tough time finding another job after this."

The door opened again and Buffy entered. She took in the scene with a furrowed brow.

"Um, guys, why is there a demon guy passed out on our bedroom floor?"

"Because Kate whacked him with the New Testament."

"No kidding. Huh. Who knew a Bible would be a good weapon against demons. But wasn't he on our side?"

"It's all my fault," Kate sniffed. "I can't believe I did this."

"You did, all right. Trust me; I was here."

"Um, Cordy, not helping."

Buffy squatted next to Lorne on the floor and examined him briefly.

"I think he's okay. He'll probably have a bump, and he might even have a mild concussion, but he'll live."

"How do you know?" Kate asked tearily.

"I've seen a lot of head injuries in my time. Ooh, look! He's waking up."

Sure enough, the demon had begun to moan and raised one hand to his forehead.

"Okay, can I just say 'ow'? Never mind. Ow!"

Kate threw her arms around his neck and knocked him back to the floor.

"You're really okay! Lorne, I'm so, so sorry. I'll never do it again!"

Knowing a good thing when it fell into his lap, Lorne shushed Kate with his lips. Then he decided a second round would be a good idea. After the third round of shushing, Kate sat back on her heels and stared at her boss.

"You mean...you're not gay?"

"Well, yes, if you mean as in 'merry and', but baby, I'm straight as an arrow."

"Y-you mean all those times you came on to me, you were coming on to me?"

Buffy shot Cordelia a significant look.

"I think we need to find an elsewhere to be while these two have a chat."

"I can't believe it. He's not gay? Dressed like that, and he's not gay?"

"Quit being such a fashion nazi, Cordy. Let's go next door and see what the what is with the guys."

She steered Cordelia out of the room as Lorne shushed Kate again, rather more enthusiastically than before.

NEXT