Title: Under The Mistletoe 1/3
Author: Gileswench
Date: 12/7/00
Spoilers: Here and there. Through Season 5 up to this point to be really safe.
Summary: Will mistletoe lead to a new romance for our favorite Slayer?
Rating: PG-13 for this part. It'll get naughtier later on, though.
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Distribution: Gabi if she wants it, UCSL. All others, ask and ye shall receive.
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.
Dedication: To Shawna who unleashed this particular plot bunny on me. I hope you like what it has bred.

Xander looked pointedly above Buffy's head and waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Why, Buffy, look what you're standing under yet again!" As he moved in for the kiss, she backed away.

"I don't believe it! Who keeps moving that damned weed?"

"I'd love to take the credit, but I didn't do it. Now pucker up, babe" He leaned forward until his lips landed, not on Buffy's lips, but the palm of her hand which she held before her mouth.

"No, Xander. I've already been forced to kiss you three times. Not to mention the fact that I've also ended up kissing four total strangers, Tara and Spike. And somebody needs to tell that vamp that mistletoe kisses do not include tongue!"

"Why didn't you tell him that?"

"Because he had his down my throat at the time. There is not enough mouthwash in the world, Xand."

"And in exchange for that visual, let me give you a fabulous demonstration of how I look when I barf."

"Why is Spike here, anyway? I can't believe Giles invited him."

"I don't think he did. What's with Giles tonight, for that matter? I've never seen him look so nervous. And he turns this funny shade of green every time you end up under the magic nookie blossom."

Buffy shrugged. "I've given up trying to figure out my Watcher-man. He's been acting all funny for weeks now."

"As opposed to the way he's been acting normal for the past four years."

"You know what I mean, Xander. He's been all blushy and stuttery like he was when I first met him, only more so."

"He's like he was with Ms. Calendar. Do you think there's somebody new on the horizon? It's not Olivia again, is it?"

"I don't think so. He never got blushy about her. He turned into Hugh Hefner, but that's another story."

Xander went briefly non-verbal at the image of beautiful women wearing nothing but bunny ears. It was a pity he would never be able to talk Anya into living out that fantasy with him. Darn rabbit phobia!

By the time his ears focused again, Buffy had moved over to the sofa, the better to raid the plate of cookies on the coffee table.

"So do you think there may be romance in the air for the G-man?"

"Don't call him that, Xander. You know he hates it. And there better not be."

"Whoa, that sounded pretty darn angry. Why the glare of death at the idea of Giles getting a happy?"

"You know what happens when he gets romancey. Bad things happen. Ms. Calendar died, Olivia went back to Merry Olde Englande in a huff and an alcoholic stupor, and I don't want to be afraid to come here because I might find some floozy prancing around in his shirt again. It was really, really gross, and he's not supposed to be doing that. He's supposed to be here for me. How can he be if he's skipping through the daisies with some tramp?"

"O-kay; backing away slowly and removing all sharp objects from the vicinity. Buffy, did you just listen to a word you said?"

"What? What did I say?"

"What you said wasn't the half of it. Did you listen to how you said it?" Willow added from behind her.

"Huh?" was Buffy's intelligent rejoinder.

"You sounded all jealous, Buffy." The redhead informed her.

"Yeah. What's with the Othello?"

The girls looked at Xander dumbfounded.

"What? I can't read because I'm not College Guy?" He took a handful of cookies and walked away smugly.

The girls looked at one another, shrugged, and went back to emptying the cookie plate.

"Where's Riley tonight?" Willow thought it best to move on to a safer topic.

"Not here." the blonde replied shortly.

"Buffy...?"

"Okay, he's not here because he's been hanging out at Willie's Place picking up strange vamps and inviting them over to his place for a bite. Literally. It was kinda the last straw."

"You mean you broke up?"

"I can't deal with that, Will. Not on top of everything else. If I'm gonna have a boyfriend, he has to be someone a little more stable than that."

"But maybe he just needs some help."

"Truer words were never spoken. But he won't take it from me, and I can't sit here watching him self-destruct because he can't get it through his head that I want to help him. I need some help right now, too. So I did the only thing I could come up with; I called Graham. He's gonna get him to a good shrink. Now let's drop this. We're at a party and I intend to have some fun. And hopefully avoid that stupid mistletoe."

"I saw you and Tara. Should I be jealous?" Willow grinned.

"As if. I like Tara, really I do, but she's not my type. A little too female for my taste."

"That's good. I'd hate to have to put a curse on my best friend for stealing my girl."

"Not that I'm having much luck on the guy front. Another relationship shot to hell on the Hellmouth. Maybe I should try a girl. You and Xand both seem to have done okay with that."

"I don't think it's the fact that they're girls. I think it's more like my Grandma Rosenburg used to say: 'there's a lid for every pot'."

"What was that about a lid of pot, Red? Is there a bong going? Wouldn't have thought the Watcher would do something that naughty in front of the kiddies. Won't even let me light a fag in here."

"What are you doing here, Spike?"

"Just enjoying the party, Slayer. I like parties. Especially Christmas parties where I can kiss pretty girls under the mistletoe." He leered sweetly at her.

"Try that again and I'll rip your arm off and feed it to you."

"Temper, Pet. I was only trying to be sociable."

"You were only trying to fish my tonsils out. Believe me, if I need that job done I won't be calling you."

Buffy flounced away. Spike stared after her.

"What? Was it something I said?"

Willow shot him a withering glare. "Bite me, Spike." She followed her friend.

"I would if I bloody could." He bit a cookie instead.

Buffy found her Watcher in conversation with a woman who looked to be some years younger than Giles and quite intrigued with him. She swallowed the urge to hit the interloper before lightly touching Giles on the arm to attract his attention.

"Ah, Buffy. Are you enjoying the party?"

He smiled hopefully at her.

"Overflowing with holiday cheeriness." she assured him. "But I have to go now. I have that...thing I have to do tonight."

"That thing...? Oh, of course, yes. I-if you must. But please, do come back after, i-if you can."

"I'll try. It may be late."

"Never mind how late it is. I, um, I expect this party will continue for some time. A-and you know how I worry."

"I'm just gonna do a quick one tonight. I'll be back before you can say 'naughty or nice'."

He went with her to the door like a good host.

"Who was that girl you were talking to?"

"Oh, her name is Leslie. She's just been rather a good customer at the shop, so Anya invited her."

"Anya's inviting people to your parties?"

"Well, she is rather...insistent. And she seems to be under the impression that I'm, er, interested in Leslie."

"Are you? Interested in her?"

"Not especially, no." He was blushing furiously. "You see, there's, well, there's s-somebody else. But she doesn't care for me, I'm afraid."

"Then she's a great big dummy." Buffy assured him. She didn't want him to be with some floozy, but she hated the idea of somebody not appreciating Giles the way he deserved. "What's not to care for? If she doesn't like you, she should have her head examined. And probably shock treatment."

By the time Buffy had finished, Giles was polishing his glasses with surprising industry. He replaced them and smiled shyly at his Slayer.

"You've entirely too good an opinion of me, you know."

"I just know that you're one of the good guys. I better patrol now."

"Yes, yes, of course. I'll, um, see you later, then?"

"I already said I'd be back, and I'm a Slayer of my word." Her tone was teasing, but her eyes were sincere. Giles found he needed to look elsewhere and chose an upward direction. At his startled glance, Buffy followed his gaze only to find that the dreaded mistletoe had followed her yet again. "Great. Everywhere I go, there that thing is. It's stalking me."

"Oh. Well, that's all right. You needn't if you'd rather not."

Buffy almost thanked him for understanding until she saw the hurt in his eyes.

"No, Giles, it's okay, really. I think you're practically the only person here I haven't kissed. Pucker up and go for it."

"Are you certain, Buffy?"

"Giles. I said it's okay. It's a tradition. Besides, Spike is watching. Let's show him how it's done."

She grinned up at Giles only to have her breath taken away. He was looking at her with a combination of joy, fear, and desire that she'd never seen on his face. He bent down, moving one large hand to cradle the back of her head as his lips descended to hers. She put her hands to his chest to steady herself and was pleasantly surprised by the warm solidity she felt there.

The kiss didn't really last very long. Not even long enough to be commented upon by those few who observed it. But to Buffy it seemed an all too brief eternity. She hadn't expected to be moved by a kiss from Giles of all people, let alone swept off her feet, but she was. It was as though he'd transferred his heart to her with a single look and a gentle kiss. She didn't know what to do in the face of such overwhelming and unexpected emotion.

"I'd....better go now. Bye."

She hurried out the door into the night.

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