Title: Taking A Chance On Love 4/5
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.

Buffy's eyes shone with delight as she ran her fingers over the hard length in her hand.

"It's so big," she said breathlessly as her eyes rose to meet his. "You never told me it would be this big."

"Too much for you?"

"Oh no. It's perfect."

"En garde."

The two circled one another warily, swords raised. It didn't take long for them to begin to fight in earnest. Blades flashed, bodies lunged, feet danced out of range, and the pace of the fight quickened. Giles' saber sliced the air and the sleeve of Buffy's shirt, barely missing her arm underneath. She stopped to inspect the damage.

"Darn," she pouted. "I just bought this."

"I'm sorry," Giles said, his Ripperish grin negating his words. "But you ought to know better than to wear a new blouse when we swordfight. You're alright, aren't you?"

"You do realize - this means war." Buffy's eyes narrowed as she made the pronouncement. "En garde...again."

The battle was resumed in fiercer style. The harsh clang of steel on steel rang through the training room, mixed with grunts of effort and an occasional exclamation of triumph or frustration by one of the combatants. At last, Giles overbalanced avoiding one of Buffy's lunges. He gave a slight cry of surprise as he tumbled to the floor. His sword flew across the room. His head bumped against the wood with sickening familiarity. When he opened his eyes, Buffy stood with her blade at his throat and her sneakered foot planted firmly on his chest.

"Say uncle," she laughed.

"I'm not your bloody uncle."

"Sure aren't," she laughed. "And I gotta say, I like it like that."

With that, she tossed her sword aside and moved to straddle him on the floor. She kissed him softly.

"You'd better not do that to any demons you meet on patrol," Giles teased. He slid his hands up her arms. "In all my years of research, I've never yet heard of a creature of the night that could be destroyed with a kiss - even one as magical as yours."

"Magical, huh? I'm loving the sound of that," she purred. "Tell me more."

"Magical." He kissed her. "Delicious." He kissed her again. "Bloody frustrating." Despite his words, he kissed her yet again.

"Frustrating?"

"You know damn well how frustrating it's been for me. How much longer are you going to make me wait?" His hand brushed her cheek. "I love you. I want to make love with you. I want to wake up and find you still beside me, and cook you breakfast. I don't mean to push, and you know I'll wait as long as you need me to. I just...I keep hoping each day that this will be the day you say yes."

"I know you've been more than patient," she said. "But it's not like this is easy for me, either."

"Then why put us both through this? Is there something you need that I haven't done? Is there any way I can make it easier for you?" He kissed his way up the column of her throat until he reached her ear. "Say the word. I'll do whatever you want - even if it's to keep waiting."

"I don't know," she said. She pulled back and sat up, still straddling him. "I - I'm not sure what I'm waiting for, but I'll know when it's time. I know that doesn't make any sense, but I know it's the right thing to do." Her lips curved in a sly smile. "Doesn't mean we can't fool around a little in the meantime."

With that, she lay back down on him, pressing her lips to his. He kissed her back with everything he had. Their tongues mingled and danced together. Nimble fingers tugged at the buttons of his shirt until they came free. Giles rolled them over even as her hand delved into his open shirt to caress his warm, pliant skin.

"Darling, I know I was the one who was just saying how frustrating it is not to be making love," he said in a strained voice, "but we can't do this back here."

"Why not?" Buffy giggled as she replaced her fingers on his chest with her lips.

"Hey guys!" The door opened, Xander let out a startled 'yikes', and it closed again in a hurry.

"That's why," Buffy and Giles laughed together, their faces both turning beet red.

"Don't work me up like that again," he admonished. "Not here."

"You're right. Next time we might not be so lucky. It could be Anya. If she left, it would only be to get some popcorn for the show."

With one last kiss, the couple stood and retrieved their swords. While Buffy put them away, Giles rebuttoned his shirt.

"I ought to be going now, anyway," he said. "Our reservations are only two hours away, and I need a shower after our workout."

"Why?" Buffy asked in mock innocence. "You don't smell bad."

He glared at her, but there was no real wattage behind it.

"Go home. Get changed. Be ready to go in ninety minutes - and I mean ninety minutes. If you aren't ready, I may well leave without you."

He leaned over and kissed her softly, smiled at her, and left. When he was gone, Buffy sat on the couch and ran a towel over her face. A moment later, the door opened and Xander reappeared.

"Is it safe to come in now?"

"Just little me back here," Buffy assured him. "Giles went home."

"Man, Buff," Xander said as he flopped down beside her, "don't you guys ever give it a rest? It seems like every time I walk in someplace you guys are alone together, you're preparing to bop horizontally. Are you trying to nookie Giles to death?"

"Xander!" she exclaimed. Then her expression grew more pensive. "Xand, I'm going to tell you something and you have to promise not to laugh at me."

"Not laugh? If this is about you and Giles and sex, I think I can pretty much guarantee I won't."

"Actually, this is about me and Giles and...not sex."

"Not sex?" Xander looked hopelessly confused. "Define 'not sex'."

"Not sex as in...we're not...having it, yet."

"Not having not sex? Buffy, is speaking in tongues something that runs in your family?"

"I mean, Giles and I...haven't...bopped yet. Horizontally, vertically, diagonally - not in any direction."

"Okay," Xander said as he turned a shade of red that any tomato would be proud of. "That's...not something I was expecting to hear. Funny, I didn't think Giles was a save it for the wedding night kinda guy."

"He's not."

Buffy twisted her fingers together and stared at the floor as she awaited Xander's reaction. She didn't have to wait long.

"I know you're not a wait for the wedding night kinda gal, Buff. And from what I've seen, you're not finding Giles any kind of a turn-off. In fact, you're usually pretty firmly fused. I could understand if it had been a week, but, Buffy...it's been two months -"

"Two and a half."

"Right. Two and a half. Can't forget that all important half, can we?" He scooted a little closer to her. "You're not blushing virgins, you've been together a while...not that I really want to think about you and Giles having sex, but why the hell aren't you? He wants, you want, and even your mom seems to be okay with the situation."

Buffy stood suddenly and crossed the room. She ran a contemplative finger along the edge of a knife blade.

"Buffy?"

"Yeah."

"Is there something you're not saying?" Xander asked bluntly. "'Cause when I mentioned your mother, you went a little wiggy."

"You noticed?"

"Joyce hasn't tried to squash love's young and middle-aged dream, has she?"

"Nah. She's been cool. The coolest." She turned to face her friend. "It's just...Xand, if I tell you something, do you promise never to tell anybody ever? Not even Anya."

"A secret?" He moved to her side instantly. "Sure. I can keep a secret. What's the what?"

"You might want to sit down for this one," Buffy said ruefully. She led Xander back to the couch and sat down. "Do you remember when I got that aspect of the demon?"

"Who could forget? You had to get psychic powers when I was at my horniest, didn't you?"

"It wasn't my idea." She shuddered briefly. "Just tell me you think about something other than naked girls now."

"Yeah. Every once in a while," he said. "But somehow I get the feeling it wasn't my rude thoughts that you wanted to talk about."

"You weren't the only one thinking rude thoughts. In fact, almost everyone was thinking about embarrassing, dirty things...except Cordelia, oddly enough. Whatever she was thinking, it came straight out of her mouth. But that's not what I wanted to talk about, either."

"Did you catch your mother having some sort of naughty Watcher-related thoughts? Is that it?"

"Remember when Ethan donated the candy for the band uniform drive?"

"Okay, and she switches gears. Zero to sixty in less than a second. Excuse me while my brain gets whiplash."

"It all comes together, Xand. In fact, aspect of the demon is when I found out about...coming together over chocolate."

She looked miserably at her friend, hoping he would connect the dots for himself. She wasn't sure she could bear to say the words out loud.

"Coming togeth...you mean...I know you said Giles and your mom were hanging out that night. But you said you got to them before anything...holy hotflash, Batman!" He leapt up as if the couch was on fire. "You mean...your mom and...oh crap, Buffy!"

She held up two fingers of one hand and used the other to bury her face.

"And now...I thought it didn't matter to me. It doesn't to them. I mean, it's not like they were...all that hot for each other when the candy wore off."

"Okay...then this is deeply weird...but that's not something new for you," Xander said. "It's not like they were ever really together as a couple, right?"

"Right."

"And Giles is definitely hot for you. He's not talking kinky threesome fun, is he?"

"Xand! Eeeiwww."

"Hey, I'm just trying to figure out why this is such a big hurdle. He doesn't want her. He does want you. It was a fluke. They were drugged. It was a one-candy-bar stand. And it's not like you thought he'd never had sex before."

"I should have known you wouldn't get it," she muttered. "I knew I should have talked to Willow. She'd understand."

"Understand what? I don't get it. The fact that you insist on standing in water that was supposed to go under the bridge a long time ago?"

"No! I...it was a one-time thing. I know that. I just can't help wondering...Xand, what if she was better than me?"

Xander laughed a bit hysterically.

"Better...? Um...Buff...I don't want to even touch that question." He swallowed hard, then tried to compose himself. As soon as he could trust his voice not to break, he started again. "But if you need an answer, there's only one guy who can do that, and he's picked you. I think that's all the answer you need, isn't it?"

"You know Giles. He'd never say anything even if he did think she was better. I know it's stupid, but I can't get past it in my brain. Usually ignoring stuff is no big for me, but this time..."

"Maybe I can help by delving into my own deeply embarrassing sexual history. Come here and sit down again." When Buffy had done as he asked, he continued. "Remember back when you found out I did it with Faith?"

"Who could forget?"

"Well, I've never told anyone this, but my introduction to manhood was probably the most confusing, disappointing ten minutes of my life."

"Only ten minutes? With a Slayer?"

"It was Faith. She was a lot more experienced than me, and I was on the verge of fainting the whole time. Trust me, ten minutes was all I had in me. And that's from finding out we were going to do it to finding my ass on the other side of the door holding my clothes in my hands."

"Is there a reason you're telling me this?" Buffy asked uncomfortably. "Because I so didn't need the sordid details."

"The point is...I didn't get a lot of time to think it through. Faith was just using me to blow off some steam, and it's not my favorite memory. In fact, I think it ranks down there with taking finals at the same time I knew in my heart I was going to die at the hands of a giant demon mayor. I get the same queasy feeling from both memories."

"And this has...what to do with Giles?"

"Faith was a really attractive girl. Even Willow had to admit that, and you know how Will is about Faith. Kinda brings out the darker side of my bestest bud if anyone says anything nice about the number two Slayer. And Faith...knew what she was doing. Boy! Did she know what she was doing."

"Still lost. And not really enjoying the ode to Faith, either."

"The point is, it should have been...kinda nice. I mean, it's not every guy who gets a gorgeous, experienced, horny as hell woman who doesn't want any strings attached to help them stop attracting unicorns. But, this was Faith. She turned out to be psycho and tried to kill me a couple weeks later. That's a big old mental bucket of cold water in the face."

"Mom didn't try to kill Giles."

"No, but there are other issues here. Giles is all about the control. He lost it that night. That can't be easy for him to think about. And if I know you, once you found out, you gave him hell about it. Admit it, you know you did."

"Maybe a little." She scrunched her face in regret. "He walked into a tree."

"A tree? Wow. I know Giles can be a little distracted sometimes, but that...then again, you always get to him the way nobody else can. But back to the point I was making. My guess is that no matter how nice it was at the time - and let's face it, your mom is pretty babely for a woman of her mature years - Giles probably doesn't like to think about it anymore than I like to think about Faith."

"So you don't think he'd ever compare us?"

"No, I don't. If it was me, I might, but I'm shallow. If there's one thing Giles is, it's deep. If you want my advice, I'd say use those famous Buffy powers of repression and give the man a happy. It'll be okay, I promise."

"Think he'll last longer than ten minutes?"

"He's waited a long time for this. If he lasts more than five minutes, expect him to keep going for at least a couple hours. But please don't ever tell me the details."

"It's a deal." Buffy stood. "And on that note, I have to go get prettied up. I have a date. Thanks, Xand." She started for the door. At the last moment, she turned back. "Faith was really your first? You mean in all that time with Cordelia, you didn't even get lucky?"

"What can I say?" Xander shrugged. "She must have been saving it for some guy from the other side of the tracks."

"She doesn't know what she missed."

"Neither do you."

"No, but I think it would have just made things weird between us. You're a terrific friend. True friends aren't that easy to come by. But Anya gets all sparkly around you. I think that says something."

"You know, I could say something really tasteless right now. Consider it a personal favor that I don't."

"Bye, Xand. Thanks again."

He watched her walk out the door. As soon as she was gone, he gave a small laugh.

"Giles isn't gonna know what hit him tonight."

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